“Sigh.”

Chu Liang let out a sigh and stood still, sheathing his sword.

The latter half of the journey yielded mediocre results, with only two flower spirits encountered. While a smooth journey may be considered good by others, those whose goal was to level up couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

However, this slight disappointment was quickly dispelled by the sight before them.

As everyone stepped out of the narrow and cramped forest path one by one, the first feeling that arose was one of shock.

This was still within the range of the dense forest, but the towering treetops stood over ten zhang high, like a palace with a high dome perched overhead, dispelling any feelings of oppression. Ahead was the entrance to a mountain valley, with rugged cliffs and vines and plants clinging to the black stones, and strange flowers blooming everywhere. There were faint fluorescent lights dancing up and down, casting a flickering light.

It was truly a primitive and deep realm beyond the world.

“This…” Lin Bei opened his mouth, stuttering a few times, as if he wanted to say something, but his voice echoed in the valley, causing him to hold back.

There was a hint of “afraid to speak loudly, lest it startle the gods” in his words.

Fang Ting said solemnly, “According to the instructions, the Jade-faced Flower is in the valley not far ahead. Although there are no more flower spirits here, the danger is even greater… we must be careful.”

“Okay!” Everyone nodded in agreement.

The reason was simple. In a place full of demons and monsters, if a pure land suddenly appeared, it could only mean that this was the territory of an even greater demon.

As humans walked through this vast and barbaric land, they couldn’t help but feel small. As they walked into the black valley with its rough and uneven rocks, they soon discovered a cluster of large flower branches growing on a patch of open ground at the edge of the valley.

Each branch had two flowers, and each flower bud was as big as a human head, with petals tightly covering the flower heart. The pure white color was surrounded by long and straight leaves, appearing pure and abrupt in this valley.

“So this is the Jade-faced Flower… it’s just like the one in the picture book,” Lin Bei said.

Fang Ting looked up at the narrow valley wall covered by rocks and said, “It should have just turned night outside. When the moonlight falls on the flower later tonight, it will be the moment it blooms. Do not touch it before then.”

Chu Liang had already learned about the process of picking the Jade-faced Flower on the way here.

This object was quite mystical, and would lose its spirituality at any other time. It must be picked at the moment it is mature enough and absorbs the moonlight to bloom, in order to maintain its spirituality.

But at that moment, everyone who looked at it would fall into an illusion. Perhaps this was intended to protect itself.

At this time, someone must hold a bronze mirror in front of the Jade-faced Flower at the moment it blooms, so that the flower’s illusion would instead confuse themselves. Only then could someone else successfully pick the flower from behind.In this case, only two people are needed. The reason why five people are required for this task is that there need to be three more people who, while picking flowers, form a Three Talents Sword Formation on the periphery to guard against the treasure-protecting monsters near the Human-Faced Jade Spirit Flower.

…

“Sister Ziqing stands at the ‘person’ position, Junior Brother Chu stands at the ‘earth’ position, and I stand at the ‘heaven’ position. Ren holds the mirror, and Lin Bei picks the flowers.” Fang Ting issued the command crisply and decisively.

The Three Talents Sword Formation was not simply a matter of one person guarding one side. Rather, the ‘person’ position guarded only one direction, the ‘earth’ position guarded two directions, and the ‘heaven’ position guarded one direction while also being responsible for overseeing other directions and being ready to lend support at any time.

This placed the greatest responsibility on the strongest point, which could make up for the uneven strength of the formation’s creators.

Naturally, no one had any objections and they all surrounded the flower branches.

The wait was not very long, and soon a thin beam of moonlight penetrated through numerous obstacles and fell on this open space. In the Absolute Valley, where the sky was rarely seen all year round, this thin beam of moonlight was extremely precious.

The line of that moonlight gradually shifted, bit by bit, and slowly came to rest above the Human-Faced Jade Spirit Flower.

“Focus!” Fang Ting suddenly shouted.

Chu Liang, Xu Ziqing, and Fang Ting, the three people who formed the formation, immediately drew their swords and stood back to back, facing away from the flower branches and not looking in that direction.

Because…

As the Human-Faced Jade Spirit Flower matured, rustling sounds came from the valley, and some of the monsters that had been eyeing the flower for a long time could no longer restrain themselves.

“Roar!” The first to pounce out of the bushes was a black-spotted tiger, its roar shaking the mountains and forests! It had a fierce pattern on its body, and a pair of flesh wings grew under its ribs! It had clearly been cultivating for many years.

The monsters in these mountains and forests were the most cunning, so it naturally broke through towards Xu Ziqing as soon as it appeared.

The little girl gritted her teeth tightly, and it was clear that she was also very afraid, but she did not back down. Instead, she stepped forward and prepared to draw her sword to meet the enemy.

Just then, a golden dragon-like thunderous sword energy whizzed by obliquely!

Boom!

As the surging sword energy passed by, the tiger monster’s figure disappeared, leaving only a trace of ash drifting down.

Naturally, it was Fang Ting who made the move.

Chu Liang caught sight of this scene and marveled at the strength of the Golden Core Realm, but he couldn’t help but sigh.

What a waste.

If only he could have added a blow.

Fang Ting observed everything around him and also saw Chu Liang’s sighing expression, so he said, “Junior Brother Chu, there’s no need to sigh. As long as you diligently cultivate and give it time, you can also achieve my level of cultivation.”

Hmm… did he think that Junior Brother Chu felt inferior after seeing his cultivation level?

Chu Liang was stunned for a moment, then nodded towards Fang Ting.

Oh, right, right, right.

There was no time for idle chatter, as the tiger monster’s appearance seemed to be a signal, and there were subsequent attacks from giant pythons as thick as water buckets, golden eagles that shimmered all over, three-eyed jackals…

Monsters were pouncing out from all directions!

Chu Liang’s eyes suddenly lit up.

But immediately, Fang Ting shouted again, “Wind and Thunder Sword Technique! Swift!”With his left hand forming a seal and his right hand wielding the Thunderous Sword, Chu Liang shouted and unleashed a burst of lightning, drawing a circle with his sword. In an instant, sand and stones flew, thunder clouds rolled around him, and everything was swept away.

Boom!

With just one sword strike, all the attacking demon beasts were engulfed by the wind and thunder, turning into dust.

“Hmph!” Fang Ting sheathed his sword and snorted, looking around with a disdainful gaze. Then he glanced at Xu Ziqing and Chu Liang beside him, standing tall and proud. Although he had no expression on his face, there seemed to be a certain expectation in his eyes.

He looked like a golden retriever who caught a mouse and waited for praise but still wanted to act cool.

In sharp contrast, the gleam in Chu Liang’s eyes went out in an instant.

There was no light in his eyes…

The more ruthless Fang Ting killed, the more painful Chu Liang felt…

Xu Ziqing either got used to her brother’s cultivation level or was too nervous to appreciate Fang Ting’s heroic performance. She didn’t even give any praise.

As a result, Fang Ting posed for a while but didn’t get what he wanted. Finally, he blinked and said to Xu Ziqing and Chu Liang, “As long as you practice diligently, you will also be able to perform such a sword strike someday.”

“Hehe.” Chu Liang smiled.

While the battle on the periphery went smoothly, the two who were responsible for picking flowers inside finally waited for the moonlight to fall on the first flower heart.

“It’s about to bloom!” Lin Bei immediately shouted.

Lu Ren quickly raised a large copper mirror in his hand.

Moonlight scattered, and the huge jade flower with a human face seemed to awaken from its sleep, slowly stretching out its petals…revealing a face as white as jade.

Yes, the bone of the jade flower with a human face had opened, and there was indeed a human face below! Moreover, it was a beautiful face with white skin and an androgynous appearance.

When the human face first appeared, there was still a strange and alert look in its eyes. But then, it saw the large copper mirror in front of it. And, its own face in the mirror.

Soon, a look of ecstasy appeared in its eyes…