175: Peach blossoms

Yunmeng Great Marsh, inner perimeter, unnamed waters.

Gao De stood upon the water, dark currents surging beneath his feet. Above him, the gray-green miasma that never dispersed throughout the year filtered the daylight into a sickly, dim yellow.

The reforged purple scale earth-shaking armor retracted all its brilliance, and [Hidden Scale Concealing Scenery] made him appear as nothing more than a slightly solid reflection on the water's surface.

His vast Divine Sense spread out habitually like an invisible giant net, attempting to perceive any movement within a hundred miles.

However, the miasma in this stretch of water seemed to contain some kind of strange power, not merely simple toxins or turbidity.

His Divine Sense, when extended, felt as if it had fallen into a viscous quagmire, being weakened, twisted, and obstructed layer by layer. The detection range that could originally easily cover a hundred miles was now forcefully suppressed to a mere ten-mile radius!

Beyond ten miles, everything became blurred, like viewing a fire through heavy gauze, leaving only a background of Chaos energy and faint glimmers of life.

"Such eerie miasma, to be able to suppress Divine Sense to this extent; it is several times stronger than the suppression in the outer perimeter of the Marsh..." Gao De felt a slight shiver in his heart. For Cultivators and the Yao Race who relied on Divine Sense for early warning, the danger level in such an environment increased significantly.

He focused even more intently on utilizing his five senses and the remaining ten miles of Divine Sense, scanning every inch of the surrounding water and every shift in the mist like the most vigilant hunter.

The water surface was not calm; from time to time, bubbles rose from the rotting mud beneath, releasing even more pungent and strange odors when they burst.

Some strange aquatic plants that had adapted to the toxic miasma drifted slowly underwater like long, dark green hair.

Occasionally, the shadows of lurking predators flashed by, only to be frightened away by the faint Dragon prestige of a higher-order predator emanating from Gao De.

Just within this dead, oppressive, and crisis-hidden environment, a speck of abrupt pink entered Gao De's keen field of vision.

At first, it was just one petal, as thin as silk, its edges already slightly transparent from being soaked in water, yet it still maintained its complete five-petal shape. Its color was that delicate pink, utterly out of place with the surrounding gray-green and filth.

It drifted slowly along the slightly sluggish current, and under the dim yellow light, it looked like a small fragment of a dream that had wandered into a filthy place.

Immediately following were the second, the third... and more and more.

They did not appear in clusters but were sparse and scattered, with intervals of several or a dozen feet, yet they continued to flow steadily from the northwest, following the current.

The petals still carried fresh water droplets, and one could even smell a trace of extremely faint, sweet peach blossom fragrance. In the air filled with humus and miasma, this scent seemed so unreal, yet so distinct.

Gao De's dragon eyes narrowed slightly, the Purple Lightning in his pupils focusing on the peach blossoms drifting downstream.

"Peach blossoms? It seems to be from the northwest direction of the Flower Burial Plain?"

He was naturally familiar with the Flower Burial Plain; it was one of the territories he had managed in his early days, famous for its Giant Demon Bee Queen and unique sea of flowers.

However, the peach blossoms in the Flower Burial Plain did not seem to bloom in this season. Furthermore, the water system in the plain area had a complex flow, but it generally converged towards the southeast or south; there were few tributaries flowing northwest that could carry petals into such a deep area inside the Marsh.

More importantly, these peach blossoms were excessively fresh, not like they had undergone a long journey.

The direction they appeared from—the northwest—was exactly the area he found difficult to explore after his Divine Sense was suppressed.

Combined with this eerie miasma that could greatly suppress Divine Sense, and these abnormally appearing, fresh Spiritual Qi-carrying peach blossoms...

"Interesting." A trace of pure curiosity and desire for investigation arose in Gao De's heart.

As a cautious hunter, he knew well that the unknown often meant risk.

But likewise, the unknown could also hide opportunities, or clues to unraveling certain mysteries.

This Marsh hid too many secrets: the Sunken Abyss Sea Eye, the legacy of the ancient Dragon Clan, periodic anomalies... Now, these peach blossoms appearing against all logic might just be another piece of the puzzle.

He pondered for a moment and abandoned his original plan to continue exploring the designated area.

Dragon-Blooded Creatures could be hunted later, but this sudden "Peach Blossom Guide" could not be missed.

"Green Edge." Gao De transmitted via Divine Thought.

"My Lord!" Not far away, Green Edge, who was hiding his figure with the help of the environment and a simple Formation, responded immediately.

"Change course. Follow the origin of these peach blossoms and investigate towards the northwest. Maintain the highest alert; this place has extremely strong suppression on Divine Sense, so rely more on your eyesight and hearing. Pay attention to changes in the water flow, vegetation abnormalities, and any possible man-made traces or Formation fluctuations." Gao De issued the order.

"Understood!" Green Edge did not hesitate and immediately passed the order to the Demon Soldiers who were dispersed on guard.

Gao De led the way. No longer intentionally traveling at high speed, he acted like a true walker upon the water, stepping on the ripples and moving upstream along the intermittent trail of peach blossoms that consistently pointed to the northwest.

He restrained most of his outward aura, but [Hidden Scale Concealing Scenery] and [Heaven-Confusing Illusionary Mist] quietly combined, reducing the presence of himself and his team to the minimum. At the same time, [Heaven-Confusing Illusionary Mist] subtly assimilated the surrounding miasma, weakening its erosion and interference against his side, while attempting to perceive if other energy was mixed within the miasma.

The further they traveled northwest, the slower the water flow seemed to become, while the water quality appeared to clear up slightly. Although it was still filled with miasma, the pungent, rotting smell had lessened slightly.

The number of drifting petals did not increase, but they were more complete and vibrant, and that trace of sweet fragrance also seemed a bit clearer.

The terrain along the way also began to change.

On both sides, it was no longer an endless swamp or monotonous water area; more jagged rocks covered in dark moss began to appear. Some rocks had peculiar shapes, like natural screens or arches.

On the water surface, some relatively complete fallen leaves that were also out of place with the surrounding environment began to float. They were not the rotten leaves common in the Marsh, but leaves from trees like green maples and camphor trees, equally fresh.

Although Gao De's Divine Sense was suppressed within ten miles, his perception of water veins and the flow of Spiritual Qi remained.

He vaguely felt that ahead, there seemed to be a weak node of Spiritual Qi, or a small area of a "Land of Purity" that was completely different from the surrounding dead environment of toxic miasma.

The water flow also seemed to be vaguely converging towards that node.

"My Lord, three miles ahead, the water flow turns into a canyon entrance. The cliffs on both sides are towering, and the miasma seems thicker, but... the peach blossom fragrance has also become stronger." Green Edge's voice came from behind and to the side, with a trace of vigilance and confusion.

Gao De looked up and saw that the water flow ahead was constricted. Two black cliffs that looked as if they had been split by a giant axe stood facing each other, forming a narrow water passage.

Above the cliffs, the miasma churned like ink, almost hanging down to the water surface, making the light at the canyon entrance exceptionally dim, as if it were the mouth of a giant beast.

However, it was from deep within that dark canyon that more peach petals drifted out continuously, and that sweet fragrance became increasingly clear, forming an eerie and distinct contrast with the thick miasma at the entrance.

"Peach Blossom Spring... or... a trap?" A thought flashed through Gao De's mind, but the Purple Lightning in his dragon eyes became even brighter.

He stopped a hundred feet outside the canyon entrance and focused his perception.

The feeling the inside of the canyon gave him was even more strange. His Divine Sense, when extended inside, was like a stone sinking into the sea; it was difficult to even maintain a ten-mile range, and he could only sense an extremely blurred, chaotic energy field and rich water-attributed Spiritual Qi.

He did not detect any obvious killing Formation or malicious Demonic Qi, but that sense of the unknown itself was a danger.

"Green Edge, you all stay here and set up concealment and support Formations. If I do not send a safety signal after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, or if you hear the sounds of battle, immediately withdraw according to Plan C. Do not hesitate." Gao De ordered decisively.

When exploring the unknown, he preferred to do it alone to avoid unnecessary burdens and losses. Even if there were any crisis, it would be less likely for him to alert the enemy.

"My Lord, be careful!" Although Green Edge was worried, he knew his master's strength and decisiveness, so he could only accept the order.

Gao De nodded slightly and did not hesitate any longer.

A glimmer of light flashed over the purple scale earth-shaking armor around his body, and [Hidden Scale Concealing Scenery] was pushed to its current limit. His figure seemed to completely transform into a streak of water-colored light that merged with the environment, drifting silently into the canyon entrance shrouded in thick miasma and darkness, following the guidance of the peach blossoms and disappearing into the gloom.