Star Martial Soaring Cloud

The shores of Xuanyu Lake are shrouded in mist.

The lake was calm and still, with a faint bluish-green glow. But beneath this tranquility lay a chilling danger—a dense network of poisonous thorny vines spread out like a spider web in the lake, reaching all the way to the graceful Frost Lotus standing tall in the center of the lake.

The vines were as thick as a child's arm, their surface covered with inch-long thorns, gleaming with an eerie dark purple luster, like congealed venom. Even a single glance at them sent chills down one's spine.

I had only glanced at it from afar before and didn't see it clearly, but now that I look closely, I realize that obtaining the Frost Lotus is no easy task.

"These are 'Soul-Devouring Poison Vines'," Lin Yueyao said, her brows furrowed, her voice tinged with seriousness. "I once heard Fairy Flower Bud mention them. These vines can not only absorb the essence of the sun and moon, but also feed on living beings. The venom on their thorns is a rare poison called 'Heart-Corroding Liquid,' which penetrates to the bone marrow upon contact. If a cultivator at the Fish Leap Realm is poisoned by this, their meridians will rot and they will die within half an hour. What's even more terrifying is that they can sense the life force fluctuations within a one-foot radius. Once they approach within a twenty-foot radius of the Azure Lotus, they will launch a frenzied counterattack. Moreover, the more of them there are, the stronger their mutual response becomes, making them virtually impossible to kill."

No wonder I felt that this Xuan Yu Lake was a bit strange. It turns out that apart from the poisonous vine and the blue lotus, there were no other living things in the lake.

Wang Xiao looked at the lake, which was thirty feet wide, and raised his eyebrows slightly.

Cultivators at the Fish Leap Realm cannot fly. To reach the center of the lake, they can only walk on the water. However, the entire lake surface is covered with Soul-Devouring Poison Vines. Let alone walking on the water, they would probably be pierced into a sieve by the vines if they got more than three feet close to the shore.

"We definitely can't force our way through," Lin Yueyao said, her grip on the short knife tightening slightly. "These poisonous vines are living things. If we kill one, ten will come quickly. Even if we exhaust all our energy, we won't be able to reach the center of the lake, let alone fight our way back."

Wang Xiao squatted down, picked up a pebble, flicked it with his finger, and the pebble flew towards the center of the lake with a whooshing sound.

Just as they entered a ten-zhang radius around the lake, the previously still poisonous vines suddenly moved!

Countless vines sprang up like startled venomous snakes, their dense thorns piercing the stones with a series of "plop" sounds, shattering the stones into dust.

The vines did not stop; they continued to sway in the air, and the dark purple venom dripping from their thorns fell into the water, creating black ripples. Clearly, even the lake water was contaminated with the poison.

"They're incredibly sensitive and extremely fast." Wang Xiao's eyes were grave. "There are just too many of them. Ordinary attacks won't be able to control them at all; they'll only provoke a more frenzied counterattack. What's even more terrifying is their venom. Judging by the looks of it, even my physical body might not be able to withstand it."

Not knowing the answer, and not daring to try it lightly, Wang Xiao stared at the water and fell into thought.

Lin Yueyao bit her lip, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the lake surface and the Xuan Shuang Qing Lian. Suddenly remembering something, she took out a small brocade box from her cloth bag. Inside, there were three pale green pills, emitting a faint fragrance of herbs and trees.

"This is the 'Heart-Clearing and Detoxifying Pill,' given to me by Fairy Flower Stamen before she left. It can temporarily suppress the toxicity of the Heart-Corroding Liquid, and even if one is accidentally exposed, it can last for an hour. But there are only three, enough for the two of us..."

"That's enough," Wang Xiao interrupted her. "You take two, and I'll take one. Now that we have a way to resist the poison, things will be much easier." He paused, his gaze falling on the poisonous vines in the lake. "I have a way that might be able to carve out a passage."

Before he finished speaking, Wang Xiao moved swiftly, the Seven Star Sword at his waist already in his hand, and slashed at the poisonous vines on the lake surface.

With a few swift strokes, dozens of poisonous vines were severed. Then, with a flick of the longsword, all the severed vines were lifted to the shore. With another swift stroke of the sword, all the thorns on the vines were precisely removed.

When Wang Xiao cut down the first poisonous vine, he felt that the plan was feasible.

Although this poison vine is almost supernatural, it has not yet developed any intelligence. Even if it is considered a living thing, it is just a clueless "living dead thing".

The first poisonous vine that was cut down fell on the water's surface without attracting any attacks from the other vines. In this way, he and Lin Yueyao could build a small boat from the poisonous vines, conceal their presence on the boat, and then approach the Xuan Shuang Qing Lian.

Lin Yueyao's eyes widened in surprise: "Lu Yang, how could you come up with such a plan?"

With her help, a small boat large enough to carry the two of them was quickly assembled.

"Let's go!" Wang Xiao stepped onto the small boat first. As soon as his feet touched the ground, the poisonous vines in the lake reacted. However, they sensed that they were from the same source as the poisonous vines and only tentatively wrapped around it. After circling in the air a few times, they became quiet again.

A few vines also got tangled on the small boat, but this amount posed no threat to the two of them.

"Quick!" Wang Xiao turned around and called to Lin Yueyao, then swung his sword to cut off several poisonous vines that were wrapped around the hull of the boat.

The dark purple venom splashed onto the small boat, making a sizzling, corrosive sound and emitting wisps of black smoke.

However, since the small boat made of poison ivy was of the same origin as these poison ivy, the boat was completely undamaged after the black smoke dissipated.

Lin Yueyao quickly followed, landing lightly on the small boat, her short knife always ready to cut off any approaching poisonous vines.

The two moved quickly toward the center of the lake, one in front of the other.

But just halfway there, a sudden change occurred! From the depths of the lake, a deep, muffled roar like the beating of a drum suddenly came, followed by countless thicker and longer poisonous vines that burst out of the lake. These vines were dark brown all over, covered with raised nodules, and their thorns had an eerie dark red sheen. They were obviously more poisonous and several times faster!

"It's the Vine King!" Lin Yueyao's expression changed drastically. "When the Soul-Devouring Poison Vine cultivates for a certain number of years, it will give birth to a Vine King, which can control all the poison vines and possesses its own intelligence!"

The appearance of the King of Vines drove the poison vines, which had initially only launched a probing attack, into a frenzy!

They were no longer confined to entangled the small boat, but instead pierced directly towards Wang Xiao and Lin Yueyao. The dense spikes fell like a torrential rain, making it impossible to avoid them!

"Watch out!" Wang Xiao shielded Lin Yueyao behind him, slammed his left hand out, and a faint golden light gathered in his palm, shaking off most of the poisonous vines. His right hand wielded the Seven Star Sword like lightning, intercepting all the poisonous thorns flying everywhere.

However, there were too many poison vines, and one problem after another arose. The invisible water curtain that Wang Xiao had gathered around his body was quickly corroded by the venom on the poison vines, and tiny cracks appeared.

"This can't go on!" Wang Xiao frowned. "The Vine King is at the bottom of the lake; we must deal with it first!"

"I'll hold off the ordinary poison vines!" Lin Yueyao said resolutely, wielding her short sword as she continuously slashed at the approaching poison vines.

"No need, I'll distract the Vine King. Although it has intelligence, it doesn't seem to have entered the Dragon Gate Realm yet. As long as I keep it occupied, you can proceed to the center of the lake to retrieve the lotus as planned."

As Wang Xiao spoke, he pulled Lin Yueyao in front of him and stomped his right foot, causing the small boat to split into two halves.

He gave it a push, sending the half-boat carrying Lin Yueyao toward the center of the lake.

"Be careful!" Lin Yueyao didn't hesitate and immediately activated her Yuan Qi, driving the half-boat at full speed towards Xuan Shuang Qing Lian.

Wang Xiao nodded, then suddenly leaped into the air, his body shooting towards the Vine King at the bottom of the water like an arrow.

The water of Xuanyu Lake is so clear that you can vaguely see what's underwater.

Beneath the blue lotus in the center of the lake, a huge black shadow lurked—that was the Vine King! Its main body was as thick as a millstone, covered in sticky black slime, with countless thick vines extending from it, each ending in a fleshy growth resembling a giant eye, staring intently at Wang Xiao as he approached.

The poison ivy were clearly caught off guard by this turn of events. They froze in mid-air for a moment before diving headfirst into the water.

Water can contain all things, and buoyancy is equal for all, but poison ivy is a plant, and the resistance it encounters in water is far greater than that experienced by Wang Xiao.

This brief delay caused them to drift further and further away from Wang Xiao.

But the vine king reacted extremely quickly, suddenly sprouting a thick vine with barbs that coiled towards Wang Xiao like a giant python. Wang Xiao twisted his waist, dodging the vital point, and at the same time clenched his right fist, unleashing a burst of energy that slammed into the oncoming vine!

"Bang!"

With a loud crash, the poisonous vine, as thick as a bowl, was smashed in two, and its dark purple sap instantly turned the surrounding lake water black.

Using the recoil, Wang Xiao twisted his body and avoided the corrosive effects of the inky venom.

Just then, countless poisonous vines surged in from all directions, instantly binding Wang Xiao's limbs tightly.

The cumulative attack finally broke through Wang Xiao's protective water curtain.

The sharp spikes pierced his skin again and again, and dark purple venom gushed into his body through the wounds. Wang Xiao felt a piercing pain, as if his meridians were being burned by raging fire.

"Such potent toxicity!" He was startled and quickly circulated his internal energy to suppress the spread of the venom. At the same time, he took out the Heart-Clearing Detoxification Pill and put it in his mouth.

The pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, and a cool sensation flowed down the throat, instantly relieving the severe pain caused by the poison and greatly reducing the burning sensation in the meridians.

A fierce glint flashed in Wang Xiao's eyes as he unleashed his full physical power!

"Cut it off!"

With a roar, Wang Xiao suddenly broke free of his grip, and the poisonous vines that were binding him were instantly torn to shreds!

He pushed off the bottom of the lake with both feet and leaped toward the surface like a torpedo—with the support of countless vines and being underwater, it would be no easy task to completely defeat the Vine King; he only needed to keep it firmly under control.

On the other side, Lin Yueyao had successfully arrived beside Xuan Shuang Qinglian.

Suddenly, the Frost Lotus in the center of the lake emitted a dazzling bluish-white halo, which spread out and enveloped the entire central area of ​​the lake.

Lin Yueyao felt a bone-chilling cold rush towards her, and the vital energy in her body showed signs of solidifying.

"Oh no! The Azure Lotus's inherent protection!" Lin Yueyao exclaimed anxiously, "The Frost Azure Lotus naturally contains extreme cold power, which will automatically repel any living beings that approach!"

But she had no time to worry about anything else. She gritted her teeth, endured the chill in her body, and reached out to Qinglian.

The closer she got, the colder it became, and the surrounding lake water began to freeze. Her limbs gradually stiffened, and her movements became increasingly sluggish.

"I must get the Green Lotus as soon as possible!" she thought to herself, and with her last bit of strength, she reached out to grab the petals of the Green Lotus.

Just as her fingers were about to touch the petals, the Azure Lotus suddenly released an extremely cold stream of air, which shot straight toward her palm!

Lin Yueyao gritted her teeth and refused to back down, letting the air current strike her palm—a thin layer of ice instantly formed on her palm, and the biting cold spread wildly along her arm.

Ignoring her numb right hand, she took a deep breath, a resolute glint in her eyes, and channeled all her inner energy into her palm, forming a faint white barrier that blocked the subsequent extreme cold airflow from the Azure Lotus. Then she grabbed the stem of the Frost Azure Lotus!

The moment the lotus stem was grasped, the aura of the blue lotus suddenly receded, and the extreme cold power dissipated.

Lin Yueyao felt a surge of pure spiritual energy flow into her body through the flower stem, instantly repairing the wounds caused by the toxins that had eroded her body when she arrived, and making her vital energy even more abundant.

Overjoyed, she carefully plucked the Frost Lotus from the bottom of the lake and placed it in the wooden box she had prepared beforehand.

Having obtained the Green Lotus, she immediately turned around and headed towards the area where Wang Xiao was.

At this moment, the vines in the lake seemed to go completely mad, turning into thousands of green snakes lashing wildly, as if they wanted to destroy everything in the entire water area.

When Lin Yueyao arrived, Wang Xiao had just emerged from the water.

She tapped the small boat with her right foot, leaped out, grabbed Wang Xiao, and darted toward the shore.

The poisonous vines surging from behind were all severed by the Seven Star Sword Qi unleashed by Wang Xiao.

But after the poison vine, that enormous vine king broke through the water and chased after us!

On its millstone-sized body, dozens of fleshy, giant eyes stared intently at the two of them. Countless thick vines danced wildly like tentacles, and the air sizzled and corroded where the sap dripped. The surrounding moisture was stained pale purple, and a sense of oppression descended like dark clouds, making it hard to breathe.

Wang Xiao's eyes narrowed, and without hesitation, he turned around and threw a punch!

"boom!"

This punch concentrated all his strength, and the wind from it whistled, even distorting the air in front of him.

The fist slammed heavily into the core of the Vine King, producing a deafening thud. The Vine King's tough body instantly caved in, and black slime mixed with dark red venom splattered out.

It let out a deafening roar, and its massive body was slammed back into the water like a boulder with a broken string, stirring up towering waves several meters high. The water splashed against the lake surface, causing the rocks on the shore to tremble slightly.

Using this enormous recoil force, the two reached the shore in an instant.

"Are you alright?" Lin Yueyao asked with concern, her gaze fixed on Wang Xiao's wounds. "You've been poisoned!"

"It's alright," Wang Xiao shook his head, the toxins in his body temporarily suppressed by the Qingxin Jiedu Pill. "Let's get out of here quickly!"

The two dared not linger, transforming into two afterimages and quickly moving away from Xuan Yu Lake, with the deafening roar of the Vine King behind them, filled with resentment and anger.

After running for several miles, the two stopped and leaned against a big tree to catch their breath.

Lin Yueyao quickly took out a wooden box, removed the Frost Lotus, and said urgently, "Lu Yang, quick, the Frost Lotus can cure poison."

The two exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with the relief of surviving a disaster and the joy of success.

The Frosty Green Lotus has finally been obtained.

Lin Yueyao held the green lotus that Wang Xiao had handed back, her fingertips trembling slightly.

This blue lotus held extraordinary significance for her; even now, she couldn't believe that she had actually obtained this treasure.

All of this was thanks to Wang Xiao's selfless help—from fighting against the disciples of the Rainbow Palace, to cleverly breaking through the Poison Vine Formation, and then sacrificing himself to restrain the Vine King, every step was inseparable from him.

A thousand words stuck in her throat. Lin Yueyao opened her mouth, but didn't know how to express herself. She wasn't good at being polite, and those words of "great kindness" and "unforgettable" seemed particularly pale in the face of this bond of life and death.

She simply clutched the wooden box tightly, her cheeks slightly flushed, her eyes darting away, unable to meet Wang Xiao's gaze. In the end, she only uttered a whisper as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "Lu Yang, thank you."

The voice was soft, yet full of sincerity, with even a barely perceptible sob at the end.

She glanced up at Wang Xiao quickly, then looked down again, her knuckles white as she gripped the hem of her clothes—she had to rush back to Southern Xinjiang immediately, bring the Xuan Shuang Qing Lian back to the tribe, and bring this hope of life to her people.

But I haven't repaid this kindness yet. If I have to say goodbye right after receiving the Green Lotus, won't I seem too heartless?

More importantly, the thought of parting filled her with an indescribable bittersweetness and reluctance, which clung to her like vines, making it difficult for her to speak.

Wang Xiao saw her embarrassment and struggle and understood.

The group has been on the Demon Island for nine days, and it is estimated that it will take about twenty more days to get from here to the teleportation array.

He smiled, his tone as gentle as a spring breeze, brimming with understanding: "Miss Lin, it was nothing, no need to take it to heart." He paused, then spoke first, "Now that you have the Green Lotus, shouldn't you be setting off?"

Lin Yueyao looked up abruptly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, which was quickly replaced by deep gratitude.

She hadn't expected Wang Xiao to be so thoughtful, seeing through her thoughts and taking the initiative to help her out of the predicament.

"Yes," she nodded gently, her voice still trembling slightly, "about the tribe..."

"Have a safe journey." Wang Xiao held out his hand and handed her all the remaining food. "Take this; you might need it on the road."

Lin Yueyao did not refuse, took the food with both hands, and carefully put it into her cloth bag.

She looked at Wang Xiao, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't know where to begin. The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the branches and leaves onto the two of them, casting two long shadows that overlapped and then separated, and an indescribable sense of melancholy filled the air.

"Then I...I'm leaving." Lin Yueyao bit her lower lip, took a deep look at Wang Xiao, her eyes filled with reluctance, gratitude, and a hint of bewilderment that even she herself couldn't understand, as if she wanted to firmly engrave his image in her heart.

"Take care." Wang Xiao nodded, a gentle smile on her face.

Lin Yueyao turned around, her steps hesitant. After a few steps, she couldn't help but look back – seeing Wang Xiao still standing there, looking at her gently, her cheeks instantly flushed red. She quickly lowered her head, quickened her pace, and her figure soon disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.

Wang Xiao gazed in the direction she had left, stood quietly for a moment, and then turned and walked towards the wooden house.

The wind rustled through the trees, carrying the sound of leaves, as if whispering about this brief but profound encounter.

There was no grand farewell, only a simple "thank you" and "take care," yet it contained the tacit understanding and reluctance of two people who had gone through hardships together after just meeting. This was their most innocent and genuine initial parting.