Flower Immortal Lake

Qin Sang pondered for a moment, then set off, flying in the direction of the teleportation formation. He made another trip to the valley, but found nothing new. In the end, he retraced his steps, descending level by level until he walked out of Heaven Tower. Neither race's Nascent Soul experts were anywhere to be seen now. Outside the plaza, clear signs of fierce battle remained, showing they had fought all the way from inside Heaven Tower to the exterior. It was simply unknown who had ultimately won or lost. Outside the tower, all was calm. Qin Sang vigilantly scanned his surroundings, then slipped into the mountain forest. He checked the time; a little remained, but it was obviously impossible to venture into those heavily restricted secret realms. At most, he could search around the mountains for a bit, and with good luck, perhaps find some spirit fruits. With this thought, Qin Sang was about to depart when he suddenly glanced down at his insect basket and recalled an excellent destination. Within the Hall of Seven Kills were three toxic lands: Purple Mist Deathland, Secluded Valley, and Flower Immortal Lake. Others feared them like tigers, but he could come and go as he pleased. The fat silkworm had repeatedly proved its capabilities; places that even poison-warding treasures could not reach posed no challenge to it. Of the three toxic lands, the Secluded Valley could only be entered when the Hall of Seven Kills emerged of its own accord. Flower Immortal Lake, like Purple Mist Deathland, could be entered and exited freely. The terrain there was sunken, and before turning into a toxic land, it had very likely been a vast lake, hence the name "Immortal Lake." The word "Flower" came from a peculiar plant ubiquitous within Flower Immortal Lake; the lake's poison stemmed entirely from this flora. Flower Immortal Lake was also located within these mountains, so he could visit it on his way back. Blanketed in virulent poison, very few cultivators dared enter the three toxic lands, meaning opportunities there were far more abundant than outside. Xiang Yi and the youth had only dared enter Purple Mist Deathland by relying on the rare poison-warding treasures bestowed by the commerce alliance. Aside from them, Qin Sang had not encountered a single person in Purple Mist Deathland, which showed just how precious and rare such poison-warding treasures were. Flower Immortal Lake was surely no exception. Even if he could only find food similar to the purple crystals for the fat silkworm in Flower Immortal Lake, it would make the trip worthwhile. Besides, walking around might allow him to sense the bone flute's location once more. So many cultivators had gathered at Heaven Tower, and he had even come face-to-face with the Nascent Soul experts of both races, yet the bone flute had never glowed again. "I just hope that person hasn't died in the Hall of Seven Kills," Qin Sang thought to himself as he stood on the mountain peak, gazing into the distance. The Hall of Seven Kills contained countless secret realms and layers of restrictions. If that person died in some obscure corner, the treasure would also be buried in dust. The distant sky was gloomy, tinged with a faint shade of green. Qin Sang activated his secret talisman and sped away. Around Flower Immortal Lake were two pier-like structures that served as its entrances. Qin Sang headed straight for the one nearest to him and arrived without incident. "Still no sign of that person. I'll take a lap around Flower Immortal Lake shortly; if the fat silkworm finds nothing, I'll head to the wasteland early and wait. Maybe I can intercept them there..." This thought turned over in Qin Sang's mind. At the same time, he took stock of the treasures in his possession. He lacked neither spirit stones nor demon cores. The Xiyou Alliance youth had been an outstanding figure among Core Formation cultivators with a deep background, leaving him a vast fortune. If he could purchase the bone flute with spirit stones, that would be ideal. However, Qin Sang felt the chances were slim. This situation was different from the last. The person on Huntian Island had been cornered with nowhere to turn, left with no choice but to sell the bone flute to survive. If he specifically asked to buy the bone flute by name, the other party would certainly not part with it easily; he had to be tactical. He had already decided that the magic treasures seized from others—including the Gold Yao Lock and Gold Glow Armor—could all be put up for trade. "Without the spiritual plants from Xuanpu Palace, the Three Light Jade Liquid can only be considered a healing medicine, equal in value to ten-thousand-year spiritual milk. If necessary, trading a single drop won't hurt..." Mulling this over, Qin Sang gradually drew near to Flower Immortal Lake. Flower Immortal Lake was no smaller than Purple Mist Deathland. It was said that while there were no abyssal rifts in the lake, the dangers at its center were not the slightest bit inferior to those of Purple Mist Deathland. From afar, Qin Sang caught sight of a vast green lake. A luxuriant toxic algae grew within the lake, present everywhere. The algae emitted a green luminescence, standing slender and graceful, bathing the entirety of Flower Immortal Lake in a radiance as stunning as a colossal emerald. Standing in the distance, Qin Sang could vaguely make out dense carpets of toxic algae. When the wind blew, it stirred ripples of fluorescent waves. When this toxic algae matured, its tips would shoot out seeds that closely resembled flower buds. Light as willow catkins, they hovered and danced in the air, though for some reason, they could never leave the perimeter of Flower Immortal Lake. The buds slowly bloomed. Countless beautiful petals danced gracefully above Flower Immortal Lake, illuminated by the luminescence to form an enchanting, breathtaking scroll of scenery. Yet concealed beneath this scenic beauty lay a lethal, virulent poison. The pollen released by this toxic algae carried a deadly toxicity that struck terror into the hearts of cultivators. On the shore of Flower Immortal Lake, a wooden bridge extended into the waters, but obscured by the fluttering petals filling the air, only its exterior entrance remained visible. The bridge was not newly built; it carried an ancient, weathered charm. This bridge was one of the two entrances to Flower Immortal Lake. Qin Sang lowered his escape light, confirmed that no one was following him, and approached the ancient bridge. Unexpectedly, halfway there, he seemed to sense something. He suddenly darted behind a boulder, frowning as he looked toward the foot of the ancient bridge. Surrounded by toxic algae, the ancient bridge was completely deserted. There was no figure at the bridgehead. Yet Qin Sang felt that something was amiss. Looking down from his vantage point, Qin Sang soon made a discovery: someone had laid a spirit formation at the entrance to the ancient bridge! The spirit formation was not disguised very cleverly, but with pollen pervading Flower Immortal Lake, it would be impossible to see through the disguise from within. If any cultivator emerged from Flower Immortal Lake, they would step right into the trap. "Who laid a trap here?" This place was scarcely visited, Flower Immortal Lake had two entrances, and whether anyone had even gone inside was unknown. Setting an ambush here to kill someone and seize their treasures—were they just gambling on luck? Qin Sang found it strange. After searching around, he noticed a patch of mountain woods by Flower Immortal Lake shrouded in thin mist, appearing somewhat unusual. Qin Sang keenly perceived that a wisp of sword qi lay hidden there, coiled and ready to strike. The sword qi was quite unique, carrying a familiar sense. "It's her!" Qin Sang was utterly astonished. The person concealed there was actually Madam Liu! Among the eight people who had entered the Hall of Seven Kills together, Qin Sang had formed a decent impression of the Liu couple. They had taken no part in the scheme to harm him, so he bore them no ill will. The Liu couple had mentioned earlier that they entered the Hall of Seven Kills to seek a medicine for Madam Liu. He never expected to see her here, lying in ambush to attack someone. Qin Sang had originally not wished to entangle himself in others' grudges, but seeing this scene, a contemplative look appeared on his face. He noticed that only Madam Liu seemed to be here, with no sign of Liu. From their words and deeds, it had been plain to see how deeply affectionate the Liu couple were. Unless something had happened, Liu would never have left her here alone. The Hall of Seven Kills was fraught with peril, where unexpected accidents could occur at any moment. "Who is Madam Liu ambushing? Could it be... did something happen when they left Purple Mist Deathland?" At this thought, Qin Sang's eyes lit up. He chose to bide his time, put on his cloak, and found a spot to conceal himself as well.