Wizard: Starting with Dealing with Magical Plants

Chapter 283 The Sunken Town

The old man's greedy gaze was like a hook, fixed on the milky-white pebble in Luo Lin's palm.

His eager look was like that of a hungry wolf eyeing a piece of fat meat.

Luo Lin felt a chill run down his spine, immediately gripped the pebble tighter, withdrew his hand, and his eyes sharpened.

"This is just a little gadget I use to aid my meditation; it's nothing special."

"A little gadget?" The old man's voice rose, filled with disbelief and urgency. "That pure, steady rhythm—I've lived in the swamp for thirty years and I've never seen anything like it!"

"Let me see it! Just once!"

"I can tell you the safest route through the Poisonous Valley, and even the code for the gathering in the sunken town, as well as a few reliable trading partners!"

He stepped forward, almost touching Rolin, and the strong scent of herbs, sulfur, and body odor emanated from him.

Rowling took a half step back, creating some distance, and at the same time mobilized his somewhat recovered star power. A condensed and calm spiritual pressure belonging to a second-ring wizard spread out slowly like an invisible rock.

"Sir," Rowling's voice remained calm, but carried an undeniable air, "the transaction is complete."

"As for the rest, I think there's no need for us to continue discussing it."

The old man was struck by the sudden, unexpected, and composed pressure. His eagerness and greed froze instantly, replaced by a hint of surprise and fear.

He then took a closer look at Luo Lin. Although he was still recovering from serious injuries and his face was pale, his eyes were deep and calm, like an unfathomable cold pool.

And this mental fluctuation—it's definitely not like a fledgling who's only recently entered the first ring!

"You—" The old man's throat bobbed, and he involuntarily took a step back, his grip on his wooden cane tightening, but he dared not make any rash moves. He had spent many years lurking on the edge of the shadows, and he was most adept at reading people and assessing situations.

The young man in front of him was definitely not someone he could easily manipulate.

"Alright—alright—" The old man chuckled dryly, trying to hide his embarrassment and a hint of lingering fear. "Since you're unwilling, then forget it."

"The Poisonous Miasma Valley is to the west, about ten miles away. The entrance to the valley is shrouded in a seven-colored poisonous mist all year round. Getting even a little bit on it will cause trouble."

"However, there is a hidden waterway at the bottom of the valley with special water that can neutralize some of the toxicity. It can be crossed by a specially made small boat."

"The sunken town is at the end of the waterway—as for how to find the waterway and the boat, hehe, that's for you to figure out yourself."

He finished speaking quickly, then glanced warily at Rowling and added, "Let's pretend today's events never happened."

"I saw nothing, and I said nothing."

Having said that, he didn't linger. Like a startled mouse, he turned and scurried into the crevice in the rock, quickly disappearing into the darkness.

Silence returned to the stone cave, with only the bubbling sound of the boiling blood pool remaining.

Luo Lin stood still, slowly withdrawing the mental pressure he had been releasing.

That last blow aggravated his internal injuries, causing a dull pain in his chest.

However, a necessary deterrent can save a lot of trouble.

He walked to the stone platform and quickly glanced at the bottles, jars, and books.

Most of them are basic notes on toxicology and swamp material treatment, as well as crude potions, which are of little value.

He didn't move anything, turned around and walked out of the crevice.

Outside, Ellie was waiting anxiously. When she saw that Rowling had come out safely, she visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mr. Rowling, inside—"

"We found a reclusive old wizard, exchanged some medicine, and also found out some information," Rowling briefly explained the situation, omitting the conflict involving the small stones. "There's a Poisonous Valley ahead; after passing through it, there might be a black market."

"We need to go there."

"The black market?" Ellie's eyes lit up. "Then your injury—"

"Once we get there, we should be able to get better medicine," Roland nodded. "But before that, we need to figure out how to get through the Poisonous Miasma Valley."

"Let's find a place first. I'll use this ointment to help me recover a bit, and then we'll think of something else."

The two returned to the trailer.

Lorin asked Ellie for help to apply the [Earth Vein Blood Stasis Ointment] she had obtained to her chest and lower abdomen.

The ointment, with a burning sensation, seeped into the skin, and one could indeed feel a warm power slowly spreading, dispelling the cold, dampness, and stagnation in the body, which played a certain auxiliary role in the recovery of [Jingchen Star].

After resting for about an hour, Luo Lin felt better.

He told Ellie to put away the trailer, as the next leg of the journey might involve climbing or navigating narrow waterways, and the trailer would be inconvenient.

He tried to stand and walk on his own, and although his steps were unsteady and his wounds still ached, he was able to move with difficulty.

Ellie insisted on helping him up, and Rowling did not refuse.

The two headed west, following the direction indicated by the old man.

Broken Feather and Blue Feather flew low to lead the way, while Baha remained in charge of high-altitude reconnaissance.

The area of ​​the Boiling Blood Stone Forest is larger than I imagined.

The rugged, rocky terrain is very difficult to traverse, especially for the injured.

Luo Lin walked with great difficulty, needing to stop and catch his breath every few dozen meters.

Ellie held him tightly, using natural energy to help relieve his fatigue and pain from time to time.

After walking and stopping for about two hours, the smell in the air began to change.

The sulfur and metallic smells gradually faded, replaced by a strange aroma that was sweet, spicy, and dizzying.

Not far ahead, a thick, ethereal mist of seven colors stretched across the edge of the stone forest like a wall, completely blocking the way.

We've arrived at the Valley of Poisonous Mist.

The colorful poisonous fog at the valley entrance slowly rolled and flowed, its beautiful colors concealing a deadly danger.

Scattered on the ground at the edge of the fog were the white bones of some animals, their surfaces displaying mottled colors, clearly indicating they had died from the corrosive effects of the poisonous fog.

"What a potent poison—" Ellie's face turned pale. Even through the bandage, the sweet and spicy smell made her feel nauseous.

Luo Lin observed intently.

The area shrouded in mist was vast, with steep, slippery moss-covered rock walls on both sides that looked difficult to climb.

Where is the hidden waterway the old man mentioned?

His senses extended outwards, attempting to penetrate the poisonous fog, but the fog contained strong energy interference and toxicity, making it difficult for his senses to penetrate deeper, as if they were stuck in quagmire.

"Look along the edge of the valley," Luo Lin said. "Listen for the sound of flowing water, or places where the ground is unusually damp or where the plants are growing abnormally."

The two moved carefully along the edge of the seven-colored poisonous fog.

The valley entrance is filled with jagged rocks, and the ground is slippery.

After walking for about a mile, just as Ellie was about to despair, Baha suddenly swooped down from the sky and landed on a huge black rock half-submerged in murky mud. He called out urgently towards an inconspicuous depression behind the rock, half-hidden by vines and water plants.

Rowling and Ellie rushed over.

Parting the dense water plants and vines, a dark, waist-high hole was suddenly revealed!

A cool breeze carrying a strong earthy smell and moisture blew out of the cave, and the stone walls at the edge of the cave entrance were wet, with water droplets constantly seeping out and dripping.

More importantly, the faint sound of rushing water could be heard coming from deep inside the cave!

found it!

The entrance to the hidden waterway!

The entrance to the cave was very narrow, and it was pitch black inside, with no idea how deep it was.

Rolin took out the illumination crystal from his dimensional bag and infused it with star power.

Soft white light illuminated the interior of the cave entrance, a naturally formed karst cave waterway sloping downwards. The cave ceiling was low, the water flowed rapidly, and the water had a strange grayish-blue color with a faint fluorescent glow.

The cave walls were covered with slippery moss and fungi.

"This is it," Roland deduced. "The color and energy fluctuations of this water are somewhat unusual; it might indeed have a neutralizing effect on poison."

"We need a boat—"

Before she could finish speaking, Ellie suddenly pointed to a shadowy spot on the stone wall beside the cave entrance: "Mr. Rowling, look there!"

Roland moved the lighting crystal over. In the shadows, several rudimentary "ships" leaned precariously against each other.

.

It's actually more like a dugout canoe made by hollowing out the center of some kind of huge black wood and roughly shaping it. It's pointed at both ends and wide in the middle, and can hold up to two or three people.

The boat had no decorations, only some wear and tear from repeated use.

Several black wooden paddles of the same material were scattered around.

It seems this is the means of transportation used to travel to and from the black market.

Rowling inspected one of the relatively intact canoes.

The wood is hard and heavy, emitting a faint sandalwood-like but more bitter scent, and appears to have good resistance to toxicity and corrosion.

There were no leaks in the hull.

"Get on the boat," Rowling gestured to Ellie.

The two worked together to push the canoe into the waterway.

The current immediately carried the small boat downstream.

Rowling and Ellie quickly jumped onto the boat, and Ellie grabbed the oars, trying to control the direction.

The waterway is narrower and more winding inside than at the entrance, and the water flow is sometimes rapid and sometimes slow.

The grey-blue fluorescent water illuminated a small area around the cave, and countless stalactites hung from the cave ceiling, some of which were still dripping water.

The air was damp and chilly, carrying a heavy moisture and the distinctive, slightly bitter scent of that gray-blue water.

Luo Lin sat at the bow of the boat, holding onto the side of the boat with one hand to stabilize himself and holding the illumination crystal in the other. At the same time, the perception of [Quiet Dust Star] was fully activated, alerting him to any potential dangers in the waterway.

Lurking aquatic monsters, or suddenly appearing reefs and whirlpools.

Ellie rowed nervously, trying to steer the small boat along the center of the waterway, avoiding the slippery rock walls on either side.

The waterway continued downwards, winding for an unknown distance.

Occasionally, a faint, muffled sound, like thunder, would come from above; that was the churning of the seven-colored poisonous mist above the Poisonous Valley.

Although the air inside the waterway was damp and smelly, it did not have that sweet, toxic quality.

It seems the old man was right; this waterway and this grayish-blue water can indeed keep out the poisonous miasma.

After sailing in the darkness for an unknown period of time, the waterway ahead gradually widened and the current became calmer.

In the distance, a more stable and diverse light, different from the fluorescent water, shone through, accompanied by faint human voices!

We're almost at the sunken town!

Rowling gestured for Ellie to slow down, while also becoming more vigilant.

The canoe rounded a bend, and suddenly the view opened up before us.

A huge cavern space, half natural and half man-made, located deep underground, appeared before our eyes!

Countless stalactites emitting various colors of light and artificially inlaid luminous crystals hang from the top of the cave, illuminating the area below as if it were an eerie daytime.

In the center of the space was a wide, dark lake, which was the end of their waterway.

Around the lake, along the cave walls, there are countless simple yet strangely shaped wooden houses, stone houses, tents, and even caves carved directly into the rock face.

Many boats of various sizes were moored at the simple dock on the lake.

The air was filled with dampness, fishiness, herbs, metal, and all sorts of strange, indescribable smells.

All sorts of people moved about, traded, and talked in hushed tones among the buildings.

There were humans, short, hunched goblins, rough-skinned orcs, and even one or two figures completely shrouded in black robes, their faces obscured.

This is the Shadow Gathering's black market—the Sunken Town!

Despite the noise and chaos, there was an eerie sense of order permeating the space.

No one made a loud noise; the transactions were all conducted in hushed tones.

Occasionally, disputes would arise, but they would be quickly and silently separated or taken away by several patrolmen dressed in uniform black leather armor, exuding a fierce aura and cold eyes.

As Rowling and Ellie's canoe docked, it immediately attracted some attention.

After all, they looked both too "clean" and too "disheveled".

A young wizard with a unique aura, still recovering from serious injuries; a girl who is clearly an apprentice; two rare, injured rainbow finches; and a mutated six-eyed raven.

This combination is not common in a sunken town.

Several pairs of eyes, some curious, some inquisitive, and some with ill intentions, swept over.

Rowling remained unfazed and, with Ellie's help, stepped onto the slippery dock.

He steadied himself and calmly swept his gaze over the onlookers.

Without deliberately releasing any pressure, the calm demeanor born from having experienced life and death, along with the natural spiritual aura of a second-circle wizard, caused most of the ill-intentioned gazes to retract.

Here, strength is the only passport and talisman.

"Let's find a place to stay and gather information," Rowling whispered to Ellie.

He needs to learn the rules here as soon as possible, and then find a way to exchange for effective drugs and remove the wrist markings.

The two walked along the muddy path by the lake toward the more "formal" building area.

Broken Feather and Blue Feather folded their wings and followed cautiously behind.

Baha landed on Rolin's shoulder, his six eyes coldly scanning the surroundings.