Chapter 1242: Giant Tongue

Yun Jianyue seemed to notice Zuan’s concern. She explained, “You don’t have to worry. Due to their innate talents, demons of the same age advance much faster than humans. However, demons emphasize bloodline inheritance; often, only one child among a generation receives the father’s approval and awakens ancestral power through inheritance. The other siblings aren’t so lucky; they often languish at one cultivation level for the rest of their lives, unable to make any further progress.”

“Although human cultivation is difficult, there are no such rule restrictions,” Yan Xuehen added. “Ultimately, more people can gradually improve their strength.”

“I see,” Zuan thought. Having two Grandmasters by his side was truly different; their knowledge far surpassed that of ordinary people.

Sounds occasionally drifted from nearby:“Whose young master is that, traveling with so many women?”“The outside world is full of dangers. He thinks he’s on vacation. Sooner or later, someone will kill him and take his concubines.”“By the way, those women are so beautiful! Even with their faces veiled, their figures and eyes show they are absolute beauties. It makes me want to become a bandit!”“The treasure map is more important. Once we find the treasure, what kind of women won’t we have?”

Seeing those people reluctantly turn back to stare at the women as they left, Zuan was speechless. “Now I finally understand why there are always so many villains showing up in those novels I used to read. Having too many beautiful women around is truly a source of trouble.”

Yan Xuehen’s face was frosty. Normally, who would dare to discuss her with such vulgar remarks behind her back? However, hearing them refer to her as Zuan’s concubine made her feel a mix of shame and anger for a moment, and she even forgot to react immediately.

Yun Jianyue, on the other hand, calmly said, “If you don’t have the ability to protect them, taking stunning beauties as wives is bound to end badly. I don’t know how many similar tragedies I’ve seen in the martial arts world over the years.”

As they were talking, sudden screams echoed from a distance, followed by many people hastily running back from that direction.

“Poison! Poisonous miasma!” many wailed. Zuan and the others saw several people clutching their faces, their eyes and skin visibly corroded. It was clear how potent the poison was.

“It seems the treasure map might be real after all,” Yun Jianyue said calmly, her expression unchanged by the sight of the wailing sufferers. “How could a great treasure not be protected by dangers?”

Zuan, however, expressed concern: “I’m not afraid of poison, but you two are injured. Will it affect you later?” He thought that even a tiny mark on their flawless skin would be a terrible waste, let alone a life-threatening injury.

Yan Xuehen frowned slightly. “It’s hard to say. If the poison is too potent, I might not be able to withstand it in my current state.” Yun Jianyue, being proud, disliked saying anything that might diminish her prestige, but her continued silence conveyed the same sentiment.

Ordinarily, with their Grandmaster cultivation, they could avoid even a speck of dust, naturally fearing few poisons. Therefore, they hadn't carried antidotes, as they didn't need them. They hadn’t anticipated being so severely injured.

At this moment, Yu Yanluo, who was standing nearby, spoke up: “This is easy. The Serpent Tribe specializes in studying poisons. I have many antidotes on me, which should be effective against some poisonous miasma.”

The others suddenly realized. The Serpent Tribe, with its numerous venomous varieties, was renowned worldwide for its mastery of poisons. How could they have forgotten that?

Soon, Yu Yanluo distributed anti-poison pills for them to wear. As a precaution, she also had them place a pill under their tongues. These were refined by the Serpent Tribe’s elite; various families had provided a wide range of supplies, anticipating unpredictable dangers for the tribe leader’s journey.

She had initially been somewhat annoyed by the two women’s inexplicable and strange targeting of her throughout the journey. However, she then reconsidered: she was Zuan’s rightful woman, so she should naturally try to help him. It would be entirely wrong if her pettiness created two powerful Grandmaster enemies for him. Therefore, she proactively offered her precious medicines to ease the tension.

As the saying goes, “He who takes gifts has his hands tied.” With this gesture, Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue felt awkward about being angry with her anymore. They thought, “We’ll forgive you for your little ‘snack’ this time.”

Seeing the atmosphere among the three women return to normal, Zuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He silently warned himself again: “Three monks have no water to drink. Don’t bring so many women when you go out in the future.”

Next, the group quickly arrived before the poisonous miasma. The slightly pinkish haze was unnerving to behold. Zuan even wondered if this miasma might have some unseemly effects, but the continuous screams of people running out proved he was overthinking.

Of course, not everyone was helpless against the miasma; the demon race had various methods. Some emitted a transparent light shield around themselves, forcefully keeping the miasma out. Others subtly revealed their true form of wings on their backs, flapping them to blow the miasma aside. Some held magic artifacts to protect themselves as they walked straight in. And some also took antidotes, directly enduring the effects with their physical bodies.

“Roughly half the people have been filtered out,” Yan Xuehen observed, drawing a conclusion.

“It’s better they were filtered out,” Yun Jianyue said indifferently. “If they can’t even pass the outermost barrier, entering further would only lead to death.”

Yu Yanluo, however, spoke with concern: “Though it was just a fleeting glance, I seemed to see experts from the Golden Roc Tribe, Peacock Tribe, Demon Tribe, Lion Tribe, Bear Tribe, and even the Sea Tribe. Judging by their bloodline density, they all appear to be of royal lineage.”

Yun Jianyue smiled and said, “More than that! Some of them are quite pretty. Wouldn’t you agree, little An’zi?”

Zuan was speechless. “Why are you asking me? I don’t care if they’re pretty or not. And can you please stop calling me that name? It makes me feel like a eunuch in the imperial palace.”

“Alright, little An’zi,” Yun Jianyue said, her lips curling slightly. She found his distressed expression exceptionally amusing.

Zuan: “…”

Yan Xuehen frowned. “Stop messing around. Those people have gone far ahead. Let’s follow quickly.”

“What’s the rush?” Yun Jianyue said, even as she quickly moved forward. “It’s good to have those people scout ahead. How could a great treasure be so easy to find?”

The group walked for an unknown duration, until light gradually appeared ahead. They quickened their pace and finally passed completely through the miasma.

Before them lay a vast expanse resembling a swamp. However, for cultivators who could reach this point, a mere swamp was nothing. On the other side of the swamp was a large, orderly forest, where a shaded path was vaguely visible, flanked by various carved stone beasts. “Stone statues!”

All of them were startled. These were the stone figures and beasts that guarded tombs, typically placed before the master’s burial site. Any tomb grand enough to feature such stone statues would belong to at least a duke or minister, or even an imperial mausoleum.

At this moment, the other demon experts who had passed through the miasma also clearly recognized the stone statues. Their faces flushed with excitement, and their breathing quickened, realizing that such a grand tomb surely contained extremely valuable burial items. Unable to hold back, the crowd leaped forward, each eager to be the first to find the tomb chamber and seize the initial opportunity to obtain the great treasure. They truly displayed various supernatural abilities: some leaped through the air, while others walked on water.

Yun Jianyue frowned. “It’s not that simple!”

Sharing her judgment were a few individuals who had performed most brilliantly back in the miasma-filled area; they also remained still.

Just then, the previously calm swamp suddenly churned, and a massive tongue shot out. The demon experts were not novices; as they leaped across the swamp, they had been carefully watching their footing to avoid any hidden dangers. However, the tongue lunged with such speed that most people were ensnared before they could react. A few with slightly higher cultivation desperately tried to attack the tongue wrapped around them, but it was covered in slippery mucus, causing their attacks to simply slide off. The tongue’s owner seemed to feel some pain and instantly retracted it, dragging all the figures above the swamp beneath the surface. Screams echoed, yet not a single drop of blood surfaced. Those on the shore watched, chills running down their spines.