Before she could speak, Xiao Tian strode into the mist.
"Keep up. If you get lost, I will not come looking for you."
The two stepped into the fog. The surrounding trees were towering and dense, utterly unlike those outside. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting mottled shadows.
A mysterious, oppressive aura saturated the air, like a ferocious beast parting its jaws to devour them whole.
As they pressed deeper, visibility shrank to less than ten meters. In such conditions, only soul perception could survey the terrain.
Xiao Tian's formidable soul force surged outward like a tide, sweeping in every direction.
Xuan Qingying sensed the sheer magnitude of Xiao Tian's soul force and was immediately startled. This soul strength far exceeded her own, kindling an intense interest in him. She cast a stunned glance his way.
"Why are you staring at me? Pay attention to your surroundings."
Unnerved by her stare, Xiao Tian asked with some bewilderment.
"Are you also an alchemist?"
Xuan Qingying could not suppress the question, her voice tinged with astonishment.
Xiao Tian merely smiled faintly and gave a slight nod, saying nothing more.
"So you are an alchemist as well. No wonder there is a faint scent of alchemy lingering about you. It seems your rank is not low. No wonder you thought little of my pills."
She scrutinized Xiao Tian, attempting to glean some insight. Yet his expression remained as placid as still water, like a bottomless lake whose depths were impossible to fathom.
"Do not grow too curious about a man. It is easy to become entangled."
A playful glint flickered through Xiao Tian's eyes as he chuckled softly.
"Hehe. Curiosity is human nature. And I will also maintain my boundaries. My curiosity about you extends only to understanding your strength and your air of complete mystery."
"As for becoming entangled, that depends on whether you possess the charm. At the very least, I do not believe I am so easily ensnared or conquered."
The moment Xiao Tian finished speaking, Xuan Qingying covered her mouth and laughed, her voice carrying a note of provocation. Her smile held a trace of arrogance. Though Xiao Tian was, by far, the most handsome man she had ever encountered and his temperament was deeply enigmatic, she had full confidence in her self-restraint.
Her laughter was clear and melodious, echoing through the air like a string of silver bells.
"It is good to be confident. Otherwise, I would rather not incur yet another debt of the heart."
Xiao Tian's lips curved into a faint smile. He clasped his hands behind his back and continued forward.
The two advanced, exchanging idle chatter.
As they drew deeper into the forest, the mist thickened. Xiao Tian and the woman were forced to slow their pace, picking their way carefully through the dense fog.
"Tian Xiao, look over there."
A surprised voice sounded from beside Xiao Tian. He followed her pointing finger.
Beside a great tree, nestled within a cluster of blooms, a multicolored flower blossomed at the center.
"Is this a Dream Soul Flower?"
Xiao Tian examined the flower with care. Beneath his gaze, the entire bloom seemed to shift colors ceaselessly—like myriad hues colliding and blending upon a palette. Deep, mysterious purples merged with vivid reds and fresh, delicate greens. It appeared utterly dreamlike.
It possessed seven petals, their edges rippling in gentle undulations. Each petal seemed draped in a gossamer veil.
The flower rendered its surroundings into a dreamscape, tempting all who beheld it to lose themselves within.
"Yes. It is of tremendous importance to me. Combined with my secret technique, it can help me swiftly recover my soul force."
With that, she prepared to step forward.
Xiao Tian carefully scanned the surroundings. Under his soul perception, something felt wrong. He seized Xuan Qingying's hand. "Something is amiss here. Be cautious."
Seeing Xiao Tian's grave expression, she withdrew her foot and stood steady at his side.
"Did you discover something?"
"I found nothing specific, but my soul perception vaguely senses that something is off. Moreover, such a large bed of flowers—there may well be a magical beast lurking in the shadows guarding it. We have walked for quite some time and have yet to trigger any illusions."
Xiao Tian's keen eyes swept the surroundings, his voice serious and laden with doubt.
"You are right. What do we do then? Should we simply leave?"
"Leave? Now that we have found something good, how can we not take it? Stay behind me. Do not stray too far."
She obediently positioned herself two body lengths behind him.
Xiao Tian advanced slowly. When he came within ten paces of the Dream Soul Flower, he halted. Xuan Qingying, following behind, could not stop in time and collided directly into Xiao Tian's back.
Xiao Tian felt two soft masses press against him and took half a step forward.
"I am sorry. You stopped so suddenly. I..."
Her face flushed faintly. She lowered her head, her tone slightly bashful.
"It is nothing. My intuition warns me that extreme danger lies ahead. We cannot proceed further."
Xiao Tian did not register her expression. His piercing gaze swept the surroundings, and his soul force surged outward in all directions, scouring every inch.
At last, he detected an anomaly on a stone roughly the size of a human head.
Xiao Tian condensed a sphere of Turtle Spirit Earth Flame fused with soul force at his fingertip and launched it at the stone. It shattered instantly.
The moment the stone broke, the surrounding scenery warped.
Less than two meters from where the pair stood, a gargantuan plant resembling a giant maw lay in wait.
It rested upon the ground, its blood-red mouth gaping wide, poised for Xiao Tian and the woman to step inside.
"Flame Bird."
Xiao Tian molded his Heavenly Flame into the shape of a bird with his hand and blasted it toward the yawning mouth.
"Boom!"
The entire giant maw-flower was obliterated by the blast.
"That is a Bloodmouth Flower. The viscous fluid within it possesses paralytic properties and can seal Dou Qi. Even a Dou Emperor would find escape nearly impossible once ensnared, destined only to become its meal. However, this type of magical beast specializes solely in illusion-based ambushes. Its active offensive power is extremely weak."
Xuan Qingying recounted the information she recalled about this creature.
"Go and harvest it. That thing is useless to me. Be careful. I do not know if other dangers lurk nearby. Pay close attention. Do not let the medicinal herb cloud your judgment."
After instructing the woman behind him, Xiao Tian walked toward the shattered stone.
Arriving beside it, he picked up a piece of rubble and scrutinized it, detecting faint energy fluctuations within the fragments.
"Did you find something?"
Xuan Qingying, having finished harvesting the Dream Soul Flower, approached Xiao Tian and asked, eyeing the stone in his hand.
"It is only an ordinary stone. Nothing remarkable. The Bloodmouth Flower simply channeled its illusion-generating energy into it, forming something akin to a small array."
Xiao Tian crushed the stone in his hand, reducing it to dust that scattered across the ground.
"So that is how it is. No wonder this place is called Phantom Forest. It seems this 'Phantom' refers to illusions. I wonder what 'Forest' signifies."
She, too, lost interest and began analyzing the name of the secret realm, which generally aligned rather accurately with its true nature.
"I do not know. Perhaps 'Forest' refers to ghostly shadows—coming and going without a trace, with a particular penchant for trailing beautiful women. Perhaps there is one concealed in your shadow at this very moment."
Xiao Tian shrugged, speaking casually.
Hearing this, Xuan Qingying let out a soft laugh. A hint of mischief sparkled in her eyes. "Your tongue is rather slick. We are cultivators. Why would we fear such things? Perhaps they are coming for you instead? I have heard that many handsome men are faithless, and the spirits are seeking vengeance upon you."
"Then you are mistaken. I am not a faithless man."
Xiao Tian smiled faintly and turned to face her. "Are you going to refine that medicinal herb now?"
She shook her head gently. "No. Refining it requires a quiet, secure environment, and this place is clearly unsuitable."
At that precise moment, Xiao Tian's expression shifted abruptly.
"Watch out."