However, the place Fang Yu intended to go was not along these three main roads, but rather...

Fang Yu looked towards the left.

Piles of weeds, some as tall as a person, almost obstructed most of their sight.

Indeed, this is the path they were to take.

Upon closer inspection, faint traces of human footsteps could be seen among the green weeds, though not very obvious.

The Foolish Underworld designated this path, suggesting that someone had traversed it before, or at least scouted it, making it a relatively safe route in the wilderness.

This kind of thing is part of the Foolish Underworld's foundation; other smaller factions don't receive this kind of treatment.

Everyone seemed to realize something, and for a moment, a rather heavy atmosphere spread among the team.

"Leaving the main road, what awaits us is the true wilderness."

Ling Huxiang said, looking at Fang Yu with curiosity.

She wanted to see Fang Yu's reaction to the unknown, only to see Fang Yu calmly turn his horse's head towards the weeds.

With a slight surprise, Ling Huxiang smiled a little, then followed along.

The others, seeing the two captains leading, said nothing and followed with grim determination.

The captains were leading the way—what else could they do?

The large team silently melted into the grass.

Like being swallowed by a giant beast, aside from a few stirred clumps of grass, the team disappeared without a trace, leaving the road in silence, broken only occasionally by the sound of insects.

"Mist Grass, this patch of high grass is called Mist Grass. It may look unremarkable, but if you move too fast, its sharp blades can slice you open. And its blades contain a bit of poison."

"Moreover, most of the demons that frequent this area carry some kind of venom. Without preparation, one can easily get exhausted to death in this grass. If you see any bones along the way, don't be surprised—they are likely the remains of those lost in this grass."

Ling Huxiang said casually.

The sharp blades slowly grazed her cheek without leaving a mark.

Because moving slowly like this bears no danger.

Fang Yu tried to let his horse pick up speed, but although he didn't feel anything, the fast-moving horse suddenly started neighing violently, panting heavily.

Looking down, there was a faint white mark on the horse's leg, just a slight sting without breaking the skin.

His red jujube horse was no ordinary steed, with thicker skin and rougher flesh, yet it still got caught. The ordinary horses behind would find it even harder to move quickly.

"If I were to hurry alone on my horse..."

Fang Yu looked at the vast grassland, suppressing the thought.

Running fast would be useless; in the dangerous wilderness, without a team as backup, it's easy to get into trouble.

Because the horses moved slowly, some people had dismounted, leading their horses and parting the Mist Grass to proceed slowly.

"At this pace, can we reach the river before dark?" Fang Yu asked.

Following this path forward, they should see a river.

This river serves as a landmark, pointing Fang Yu towards the next destination.

Ling Huxiang shook her head.

"It's hard to say. We're lucky right now, not being in the Mist Grass's reproductive season."

"Reproductive season? What do you mean?"

"During the reproductive season, the Mist Grass not only sends out underground roots to attack passing creatures but also emits a special scent. Those who smell it may fall into illusions or lose consciousness, forever lost in this grass, which is why it's sometimes called the Mist Sea."

Fang Yu was startled.

The Mist Grass didn't seem notable but turned out quite vicious.

Things like this would likely interest Ding Hui.

No, wait!

Ding Hui probably already has samples. After all, this path was provided by the Foolish Underworld, so they would certainly have done some sampling.

Ling Huxiang's knowledge of Mist Grass might very well be the result of Ding Hui's research.

"So what should we do? Have them mount and hurry, or proceed slowly?"

Though the Hall Master urged urgency in obtaining the artifacts, one's life is one's own, and it should be approached cautiously.

"Didn't I say? You're in charge of the team; I'm just here to help."

Ling Huxiang said calmly, having provided considerable insight already.

Fang Yu looked back at the team, seeing some wielding swords to cut through the obstructions, but were promptly stopped by others.

While some had already acted.

With the thick leaves of the Mist Grass chopped, a little white sap oozed out, releasing a tempting fragrance.

"This is?"

Fang Yu looked at Ling Huxiang.

"This is the Mist Grass fragrance I mentioned earlier. Normally, the fragrance is contained within the leaves, released only during the reproductive season. But if you cut the leaves, that's a different story."

Unfortunately, these plants don't have health bars, otherwise, Fang Yu would go into a weeding mode.

Obviously, these grasses are formidable, yet not considered wild monsters, making it frustrating.

"Don't worry, just a couple of Mist Grass won't cause problems. Let everyone pass quickly. The nuisance is that this scent is particularly attractive to demons with keen sense of smell. If we leave quickly, we can avoid threats, but if demons come, we're in for a fight."

Fang Yu found Ling Huxiang considerate, sharing these small details willingly with him.

He instructed the team not to cut the Mist Grass and to pick up the pace. The team quickly advanced.

"Oh no!"

Someone in the team suddenly exclaimed softly.

Someone had moved too hastily and got their finger cut by a Mist Grass leaf.

It was just a small wound, leaving some blood on the leaf, mixing with the white sap.

No one paid attention to this small matter, and the team member quickly bandaged up and caught up with the team.

Under Fang Yu's direction, everyone increased their speed, as not keeping up could easily lead to becoming separated in this dense grassland.

Not long after Fang Yu's team left, the soil beneath the blood-marked Mist Grass started to move.

Pop.

A subtle sound emerged as the ground bulged with a small hole, and a pair of bright eyes observed the surroundings, then quickly shrank back!

Whoosh!

The Mist Grass seemed to be pulled into an underground hole, soon followed by chewing sounds.

"...The taste of blood? Human blood?"

The chewing suddenly paused.

"Such a... long-lost flavor!"

A demon, feeding on humans.

As natural as rain falling from the sky, part of the natural order, a survival of the fittest.

It seemed to savor the blood's trace, determining direction, and the underground presence quickly moved.

Under the cover of vast Mist Grass, the ground rapidly shifted, heading toward Fang Yu's group.

...

A strong wind blew...

"Everyone stop!"

Ling Huxiang suddenly shouted.

The team immediately halted, adopting their formations, ready to guard the surroundings.

Fang Yu drew his sword, scanning the area.

But upon looking around, he saw no health bars appear.

"Captain Linghu, is there a situation?"

Fang Yu asked.

"Over there, not sure what it is yet."

The wind had ceased.

The swaying grass gradually stopped, but at the spot Ling Huxiang pointed to, Fang Yu noticed the Mist Grass leaves still swaying slightly, as if something was swiftly moving through it!

Only then did Fang Yu realize that in an environment where visibility was obscured, his health-bar detection method was somewhat limited.

Fortunately, he had experienced seniors assisting, otherwise, he might have missed such subtle changes.

Fang Yu remained wary.

Over-dependence on the health-bar ability made his scouting a bit careless.

This time he had help, next time alone, he couldn't be sure of such luck.

"Shall we fight through?"

Fang Yu whispered.