114: Chapter 114 Seven Emotions Devouring Soul Orchid

Lei Zhen looked at Murong Bai.

Murong Bai pondered for a moment, his eyes flickering as if weighing the pros and cons.

Finally, he nodded.

“Senior Brother Shi Yue, Junior Sister Mo Ling, stay here, look after this place, and maintain the Formation.”

“Senior Brother Lei Zhen, Senior Brother Jing Wuming, Ye Chen, Bai Yu, you follow me to investigate.”

“Zhao Feng, Han Li, Su Yuwei, you three stay on guard here, ready to provide support at any time.”

“Yes!”

The few people who were called immediately responded.

Ye Chen stood up and exchanged looks with Lei Zhen, Jing Wuming, and Bai Yu; the four followed behind Murong Bai.

They moved silently toward the direction from which the sound had come.

Pushing aside the thick, gray-white mist that seemed to possess physical weight, they traveled about a hundred yards.

An area of even denser, deep purple, almost black strange bushes appeared ahead.

The intermittent cries for help were coming from behind those bushes.

A faint, strange smell, sweet yet fishy, began to permeate the air.

It was slightly different from the previous poisonous miasma, being more dizzying.

“Careful, it's a variant of 'Soul-Bewildering Miasma'; it can cause hallucinations and corrode the Divine Soul.”

Murong Bai warned in a low voice, taking a Heart-Clearing Medicinal Pill.

Ye Chen and the others also took their own Medicinal Pills to strengthen their Divine Soul protection.

As they pushed aside the bushes, the pupils of all five shrank at the sight before them.

Three corpses lay on a small clearing ahead.

Looking at their clothing, they were not from the Tianyun Sword Sect, but dressed as members of some small Sect or Loose Cultivators; all were dead, having died miserable deaths.

Their faces were black and they were bleeding from their seven orifices, clearly having died from a potent poison.

In the center of the clearing, next to a jet-black, three-foot-tall plant topped with a palm-sized, vibrant seven-colored strange flower.

A young man in tattered silk clothes, his face a sickly golden hue and his breath dying, was leaning against a rock, struggling to lift his hand.

Looking at Murong Bai and the others, his eyes showed a glimmer of hope mixed with despair.

“...Save me, the flower... is poisonous... be careful.”

He spoke intermittently, yet his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the seductive seven-colored strange flower beside him.

His eyes were filled with greed, fear, and deep regret.

The seven-colored strange flower swayed without any wind, its petals gently fluttering, releasing an even more intense and sweet fragrance.

Seven-colored light flowed across it, breathtakingly beautiful yet radiating a lethal, sinister aura.

The scene before them was eerie and dangerous.

Three corpses that had died of poisoning.

A seductive and sinister seven-colored strange flower.

A dying young man in silk clothes calling for help, yet showing complex emotions toward that strange flower.

The sweet fragrance in the air, mixed with the scent of blood and death, was nauseating and made their Divine Souls feel slightly dizzy.

“It's the ‘Seven Emotions Soul-Devouring Demon Orchid’!”

Mo Ling's voice, carrying a hint of shock, sounded in the ears of the five through the small Transmission Jade Talisman Murong Bai carried.

Clearly, staying behind, she had also sensed the situation here through some method.

“An ancient variant species that feeds on the seven emotions, six desires, and the Divine Souls of living beings. Its fragrance can cause hallucinations and trigger Heart Demons; its pollen is highly toxic, capable of corroding flesh and bone, and can even parasitize the Divine Soul!”

“Do not get close! That fragrance and pollen can invade through pores, breathing, and even Divine Sense!”

Murong Bai's expression became even more solemn upon hearing this.

He quickly raised his hand to signal everyone to stop and once again strengthened his protective True Essence to block out the sweet fragrance.

Ye Chen, Lei Zhen, Jing Wuming, and Bai Yu immediately followed suit, each holding their breath and focusing their minds, watching the demon flower and the dying young man in silk clothes with vigilance.

“Save... save me... I am... a Disciple of Sky Maple Valley... Lu Ming...”

The young man in silk, Lu Ming, grew even weaker, his eyes beginning to lose focus, but the instinct to survive made him speak again.

“We... found this flower... wanted to pick it... didn't expect...”

Extreme fear and regret appeared on his face.

“Sky Maple Valley?”

Murong Bai’s brow twitched slightly; he seemed to have some impression of the name—it was a medium-sized Sect affiliated with the Tianyun Sword Sect.

“Lu Ming, why did you come here?”

“Are there other dangers near this demon flower?”

Murong Bai asked in a heavy voice, not rashly stepping forward.

“Sect... mission... collect... Falling Star Lake... special... spiritual materials...”

Lu Ming spoke intermittently, every word appearing to be an immense struggle.

“Our... five-man team... accidentally entered here... were lost to the fragrance... killed each other... then poisoned...”

He looked at the three corpses beside him, his eyes full of pain.

“The flower... can sense... emotions... amplify... desires... and... fear...”

“Watch out... for its... roots... underground...”

Before he could finish, Lu Ming suddenly coughed up a large mouthful of black blood. His face instantly turned a deathly gray, his body convulsed violently a few times, his head slumped to the side, and his breath ceased completely.

He was dead.

Another corpse was added to the scene.

In the clearing, only that seven-colored demon flower remained, swaying quietly and emitting a lethal temptation.

“It can trigger emotions, amplify desires and fears, cause mutual slaughter, and release toxic pollen...”

Lei Zhen's face was grim.

“This thing is practically a dual-threat weapon against a Cultivator's mind and body.”

Jing Wuming did not speak, but his hand gripped his sword even tighter.

Bai Yu fanned himself, his gaze shifting between the demon flower and the corpses, lost in thought.

Ye Chen was also inwardly alarmed.

The eeriness of this 'Seven Emotions Soul-Devouring Demon Orchid' exceeded his expectations.

Soul attacks were hard to guard against, especially this method of triggering and amplifying internal emotions and desires, which was even more perilous.

He considered his will to be quite firm, and he had the Ice Lotus Imprint protecting his Divine Soul, as well as the Pure Yang Divine Sense tempered by the Great Sun Visualization Method, but he still dared not underestimate this flower.

If its fragrance invaded and triggered a Heart Demon, the consequences would be unimaginable.

“This place is not safe to stay. Since this demon flower is here, given its nature, it has likely already attracted or caused much slaughter. There are probably other dangers drawn here lurking nearby.”

Murong Bai made a prompt decision.

“We retreat and bypass this area.”

However, just as he finished speaking.

A sudden change occurred!

The 'Seven Emotions Soul-Devouring Demon Orchid', which had been swaying quietly, suddenly erupted with brilliant light from its seven-colored blossom!

Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple—the seven-colored brilliance flowed like a living thing.

In an instant, it wove into a gorgeous yet heart-palpitating halo, enveloping the space for several yards around.

Simultaneously, a sweet fragrance ten times more potent than before, carrying a powerful mental shock, burst forth.

It swept toward Murong Bai's group of five like a tidal wave!

Wherever the fragrance passed, the air distorted slightly, and the corpses on the ground shriveled and withered at a speed visible to the naked eye.

It was as if all their essence, energy, and spirit were instantly sucked dry.

“Not good! Retreat!”

Murong Bai shouted, his lustrous white sword slashing forward. A condensed white sword astral cleaved out, attempting to cut through the sweeping fragrance and the seven-colored halo.

Lei Zhen's Lightning Hammer also erupted with brilliant lightning, striking toward the demon flower's main body.

Jing Wuming slashed his sword toward the ground, his Sword Qi crisscrossing as he intended to destroy any potential underground roots.

Ye Chen and Bai Yu also attacked at the same time.

Ye Chen's ice scar sword struck out rapidly, his gray Hunyuan True Essence transforming into a condensed Sword Qi that pierced straight toward the center of the demon flower.

He attempted to use the annihilation property of Hunyuan power to counter its eeriness.

Bai Yu unfolded his iron fan and gave it a light wave; a seemingly gentle yet hidden sharp cyan wind vortex flew out, swirling toward the seven-colored pollen.

However, the moment everyone's attacks touched the seven-colored halo and the dense fragrance.

They all suffered varying degrees of delay, weakening, or even distortion.

Murong Bai's white sword astral was refracted and scattered by the halo.

Lei Zhen's lightning was greatly diminished in the fragrance, as if stuck in a quagmire.

Jing Wuming's Sword Qi aimed at the ground was blocked by a layer of roots shimmering with seven-colored light that suddenly emerged from the earth, producing the sound of clashing metal.

Ye Chen's Hunyuan Sword Qi managed to penetrate part of the halo and strike the flower's petals, but it was like a stone sinking into the ocean.

It only caused the demon flower to tremble slightly, failing to cause substantial damage, and instead was clung to and corroded by even more seven-colored pollen.

Bai Yu's wind vortex blew away some pollen, but more pollen followed the wind's path, spreading even further.

Even more terrifying was that as the demon flower's light bloomed and the fragrance erupted.

An invisible mental wave that pierced directly into the Divine Soul, like ten thousand fine needles, viciously stabbed toward the five's Seas of Consciousness!

In an instant, Ye Chen felt the light and shadows before his eyes shift.

Countless chaotic thoughts, suppressed emotions, and hidden desires surged into his heart like floodwaters from a burst dam.

There was anxiety and worry over his parents' whereabouts.

There was bone-deep hatred for the 'Shadow Fiend'.

There was a thirst for powerful strength.

There was fear of his own secrets being exposed.

There were even... some subtle, dark thoughts that he usually never noticed.

These emotions and thoughts were crazily amplified and distorted by that eerie mental wave, battering his spiritual platform.

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It attempted to drag him into an abyss of Chaos and madness.

"Hmph!"

Ye Chen let out a muffled groan as the Ice Lotus Imprint on his forehead suddenly lit up with a gentle, chaotic radiance.

He operated the Great Sun Visualization Method at full power, and in his Sea of Consciousness, a miniature phantom of a scorching sun seemed to rise.

It emitted a pure yang, righteous light that dispelled all sinister illusions, firmly protecting the clarity of his mind.

His Hunyuan True Essence also circulated rapidly within his body, its aura of neutrality, peace, and all-encompassing nature permeating his entire being, resisting the erosion of the pervasive fragrance and pollen.

Even so, he felt waves of stinging pain in his Divine Soul, his blood and Qi churning, and the scene before him flickered between clarity and blurriness.

Forcing himself to endure the discomfort, he looked toward the other four.

He saw that Murong Bai's face was slightly pale, but his eyes remained clear and sharp.

His body was shrouded in a faint, moonlight-like radiance.

Clearly, he also possessed a secret technique or treasure to protect his Divine Soul.

Lei Zhen's hair and beard stood on end, and crackling lightning light surrounded him.

He was using the violent power of thunder to forcibly disperse the approaching mental attacks and fragrance, though his expression was quite grave.

Jing Wuming was the calmest; it was as if he had transformed into a cold, emotionless stone.

His eyes were indifferent, and the mental fluctuations seemed to have the least effect on him.

However, his protective True Essence was being consumed rapidly in the confrontation with the fragrance and pollen.

And Bai Yu...

When Ye Chen looked at Bai Yu, his heart tightened slightly.

On Bai Yu's face was a strange expression, appearing both like a smile and a sorrowful grimace.

His eyes were unfocused, as if he had fallen into some kind of illusion.

The movement of the iron fan in his hand had also become erratic.

However, a faint, almost invisible gray flow of Qi surrounded him, isolating him from the fragrance and pollen.

The mental fluctuations did not seem to have truly shaken his Foundation.

"This demon flower has already matured; it cannot be fought head-on! Let's retreat first!"

Seeing that their attack was ineffective and that they had instead fallen into a passive position, Murong Bai immediately changed strategy.

"Senior Brother Lei Zhen, clear the way! Senior Brother Jing, Junior Brother Ye, Bai Yu, follow me to cover the retreat!"

Lei Zhen roared, gripped his thunder hammer with both hands, poured his entire True Essence into it, and slammed it fiercely into the ground!

"Boom!"

A thick pillar of purple lightning exploded with him at the center, raging in all directions, temporarily pushing back the dense fragrance and seven-colored halo by several feet and clearing a path.

"Go!"

Murong Bai shouted in a low voice, waving his crystalline white longsword.

Streaks of sword light slashed toward the demon flower's roots and vines, which were constantly spreading from the ground and all around, shimmering with a seven-colored glimmer.

Jing Wuming swept his broadsword horizontally, his Sword Qi freezing and shattering the approaching pollen and fragrance with its icy coldness.

Ye Chen also swung the ice scar sword, his grayish Sword Qi protecting his sides.

At the same time, he released a wisp of the Soul-Shocking Spike's focused mental intent, attempting to resist the pervasive mental assault.

He also shouted in a low voice to Bai Yu, who seemed somewhat dazed, "Senior Brother Bai! Wake up!"

Bai Yu's body trembled slightly, and the dazed look in his eyes quickly faded.

He returned to his usual playful and irreverent demeanor, though his face was slightly pale.

He glanced at Ye Chen, twitched the corner of his mouth, and said nothing.

With a wave of his iron fan, a sharp wind blade severed several attacking vines.

The five of them fought while retreating, moving at high speed.

The Seven Emotions Soul-Devouring Demon Orchid seemed to sense that its prey was about to escape, emitting a silent, sharp screech that acted directly upon the Soul.

The seven-colored light became even more intense, the fragrance almost solidifying, and countless roots and vines drilled madly out of the ground and rock crevices like tentacles.

They coiled, whipped, and sprayed venom and pollen, surging toward them like an overwhelming tide.

Furthermore, there were twisted mental illusions filled with all sorts of negative emotions.

They sprouted before their eyes, in their ears, and within their hearts, attempting to make them lose their way, go mad, and slaughter one another.

When they retreated to the edge of the shrubbery, Lei Zhen, having consumed a great deal of energy to clear the way, was already breathing heavily.

Jing Wuming's sword momentum remained steady, but the light of his protective True Essence had dimmed somewhat.

Ye Chen relied on the properties of his Hunyuan True Essence and his powerful Divine Soul to struggle and hold on.

Bai Yu's movement technique was eerie, always allowing him to dodge attacks in the nick of time, but his face was growing paler and paler.

As the backbone of the group, Murong Bai was under the most pressure.

He had to withstand most of the frontal attacks while also being distracted by commanding and looking out for the others; sweat had already appeared on his forehead.

"Senior Brother Murong, this won't do! The demon flower's attack range is expanding; we can't retreat!"

Lei Zhen roared, smashing several thick roots with his hammer, though he himself was knocked back a step by the recoil.

Murong Bai's eyes turned sharp, as if he had made a decision.

"Junior Sister Mo Ling! Senior Brother Shi Yue! Prepare to receive us! Junior Brother Ye, Bai Yu, your movement techniques are fast; charge out first and notify them to set up the Two-Pole Magnetism Formation to disrupt the local magnetic field and suppress the demon flower! Senior Brother Lei Zhen, Senior Brother Jing, follow me for an all-out strike to clear the path for Junior Brother Ye and the others!"

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen and Bai Yu did not hesitate in the slightest, immediately pushing their movement techniques to the limit and retreating violently toward the direction they had come from.

Ye Chen executed his Phantom Step to the limit of his current capability, his figure almost turning into a blurred gray line.

He wove through the sky-filling roots, vines, and seven-colored halos, narrowly dodging attack after attack.

Bai Yu's movement technique was even more eerie; it was as if he lacked a physical body, drifting unpredictably through the gaps in the attacks, his speed not much slower than Ye Chen's.

The two of them, one after the other, charged desperately outward.

Behind them came the terrifying fluctuations of Murong Bai, Lei Zhen, and Jing Wuming unleashing their full power.

Murong Bai's sword light transformed into a bright, clear moon, its radiance spilling forth; wherever it passed, roots and vines withered and snapped one after another.

Lei Zhen's thunder hammer summoned the thunder of the heavens, as if a thunder god had descended to the world, madly bombarding the demon flower's main body and the surrounding ground.

Jing Wuming's broadsword carried a Sword Intent of deathly silence that extinguished everything, hacking toward the densest part of the demon flower's underground root system.

Boom! Boom! Boom!!!

Deafening explosions rang out in succession; the earth trembled, and mist churned.

The Seven Emotions Soul-Devouring Demon Orchid emitted an even more shrill, silent screech; its seven-colored light fluctuated violently, and its roots and vines danced frantically, but its offensive slowed down.

Taking advantage of this brief gap, Ye Chen and Bai Yu finally charged out of the core range of the demon flower's attacks and returned to the depression where everyone had rested earlier.

"Quick! Set up the Two-Pole Magnetism Formation! Senior Brother Murong and the others need support!"

As soon as Ye Chen landed, he immediately shouted to Mo Ling and Shi Yue, who were already standing by.

Mo Ling did not hesitate at all; she waved her hands rapidly, and the several black-and-white Formation Flags and several pieces of strange magnetic stones that had been prepared in advance flew out, inserting themselves into the ground around the depression in specific positions.

Shi Yue also gave a low roar, slammed his palms onto the ground, and poured his thick earth-attribute True Essence into the ground to help stabilize the Foundation of the Formation.

"Zhao Feng, Han Li, Su Yuwei, assist Junior Sister Mo Ling, pour in your True Essence, and stabilize the outer perimeter of the Formation!"

Ye Chen continued to command, while he himself quickly took a Medicinal Pill, regulating his breathing to recover while keeping a close watch on the direction of the demon flower.

There, the light was chaotic and the sound of explosions was constant; clearly, Murong Bai and the other two were still in a bitter fight.

Zhao Feng and the other two also knew the situation was urgent and immediately followed Mo Ling's instructions, pouring their own True Essence into the designated Formation Flags.

Mo Ling stood in the center of the Formation with a focused expression, her ten fingers moving like flying, casting one Dharma spell after another while chanting under her breath.

As she activated it, the several black-and-white Formation Flags began to vibrate slightly, emitting strange fluctuations.

The magnetic stones inserted into the ground also lit up with black-and-white light.

A strange magnetic field force, chaotic, twisted, and both mutually repulsive and attractive, began to spread slowly from the depression as the center, especially surging toward the direction of the demon flower.

The Two-Pole Magnetism Formation was not an offensive or defensive Formation.

Instead, it was a special Formation designed to interfere with and disturb the heaven and earth magnetic field, specifically targeting energy fields and mental fields.

For a demon creature like the Seven Emotions Soul-Devouring Demon Orchid that relied on special mental fluctuations and energy fields (the seven-colored halo), it might have a miraculous effect.

The power of the Formation spread to the area where the demon flower was located.

The dense seven-colored halo indeed began to show unstable fluctuations and distortions, as if it were a screen experiencing signal interference.

The mental shock and the sweet, cloying fragrance emitted by the demon flower were also clearly affected, becoming intermittent and greatly reduced in power.

"It's effective!"

Mo Ling's spirits lifted, and she activated the Formation with even greater effort.

In the distance, the pressure on Murong Bai and the other two instantly lightened.

"Go!"

Murong Bai seized the opportunity, joining forces with Lei Zhen and Jing Wuming.

They erupted with another strike, temporarily forcing back the entangled roots and vines.

The three figures flashed rapidly, retreating toward the direction of the depression and the Formation.

The Seven Emotions Soul-Devouring Demon Orchid seemed to be enraged, and it also seemed to have sensed the threat of the Formation.

It actually suddenly pulled part of its main roots out from the ground.

Like hideous giant pythons, they surged rapidly toward the direction of the depression.