Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Tianshan
Gu Qingliâs delicate eyebrows knitted together tightly. She had no idea which way to go, unable to even distinguish north, south, east, or west.
âMiss, which direction should we go?â Wuyou asked, frowning just like Gu Qingli.
Actually, everyone was looking at Gu Qingli, waiting for her to make a decision.
Gu Qingli shook her head. She had a compass in her Space, but as for the Daqian Kingdomâs general location on this continentâwhether it lay to the southeast, northwest, or some other directionâshe truly had no idea. There was no world map here either.
Judging by the climate of the Daqian Kingdom, it was even harder to determine their location.
It seems we can only rely on luck,
Gu Qingli thought.
It would be best if we could find someone to ask.
âLetâs just walk in one direction and try our luck,â Gu Qingli said, then started walking.
Everyone nodded; it was all they could do.
Thus, the group began their arduous trek across the Icefield.
Whenever they felt hungry, tired, or sleepy, they would enter the Space to rest.
One day, as they prepared to rest, Wuyou seemed to sense something. She suddenly let go of Gu Qingli and walked in a specific direction.
Everyone watched as she stopped about a zhang away and rummaged in the snow for a moment.
Soon, she returned, holding something as white as snow. âMiss, look!â Wuyou exclaimed, her voice trembling with irrepressible excitement.
âA snow lotus!â Everyone gathered to take a look.
On the snow-white snow lotus was a seed pod containing twelve crystal-clear lotus seeds.
The legendary snow lotus had been found by Wuyou.
The entire snow lotus was a treasure. It took a hundred years to grow, another hundred to bloom, and a further hundred to bear fruit. Its leaves, when used in medicine, could supposedly bring the dead back to life, or at least snatch someone back from King Yamaâs grasp.
The lotus seeds were even more potent. If a martial artist consumed a single seed, their cultivation could increase by a hundred years.
If an ordinary person consumed one, it would enhance their constitution, and illnesses would thereafter steer clear of them.
Except for Gu Qingli, Wuyou and the others gazed at the lotus seeds, swallowing hard, eager to devour one immediately.
âMiss, do you think weâve come to Tianshan?â Wuyou suddenly asked.
She had considered the possibility before but dismissed it, as Tianshan was not a place so easily reached.
Tianshan, that mysterious place, known only by name, its location a secret to the world.
Legend told of countless rare treasures on Tianshan.
âThatâs right! How could I not have thought this might be Tianshan? Only a place like Tianshan would have such treasures!â Wushuang exclaimed happily.
âThen can we look for the Heavenly Vermillion Fruit here?â Wuyouâs eyes sparkled.
If we could find a snow lotus, then perhaps the Heavenly Vermillion Fruit isnât impossible to find,
Wuyou mused.
Even if there are no fruits, we could move the tree itself into Missâs mysterious Space.
At this thought, Wuyouâs heart grew even more excited. She placed the snow lotus in Gu Qingliâs hands and said, âMiss, please keep this safe. Weâll go search for the Heavenly Vermillion Fruit.â
Gu Qingli had remained silent, pondering if this place truly was the legendary Tianshan.
If this is Tianshan, then a poisonous plant called the Ten-Thousand Poison should thrive here,
Gu Qingli mused.
Itâs said to resemble an orchid and, like the snow lotus, is entirely snow-white. The Ten-Thousand Poison is incredibly virulent; contact means instant death. Even someone with profound internal strength would be helpless against it. Though the Ten-Thousand Poison is terrifyingly potent, it is the bane of all other poisons. Any toxic substance it encounters will be devoured by it.
Back when they were with the Baiyue Clan, everyone else was poisoned, but she alone remained unaffected. The situation was too urgent then for her to dwell on it. But on this journey, she had been pondering it: when had she developed a constitution immune to all poisons?
Once, while resting in her Space, she entered the Pharmacy and discovered a tiny, fuzzy insect floating in the air. The insect was the size of a rice grain, striped red and black, and emitted a foul odor. She instinctively reached out to catch it, but the insect, as if sensing her approach, tried desperately to fly away. At that moment, sitting quietly in the Pharmacy, she had recalled that auraâit was the same one emanating from Xiao Yunjing and the others when they were poisoned, the same scent present on the arrowheads. She also remembered the strange incantation Xi Chenqing had recited while detoxifying Xiao Yunjing and the others. What kind of poison required such an extraordinary antidote? It was something she had never heard of or seen before.
Back then, Gu Qingli had guessed it must be the legendary cursed insect. Only that could explain why her Detoxification Pills were ineffective against the poison afflicting Xiao Yunjing and the others. But why hadnât she been affected by the cursed insect? Cursed insects were terrifying, indeed, but the Ten-Thousand Poison was their nemesis. Even the most potent cursed insect could not escape the grasp of the Ten-Thousand Poison. The reason it was called Ten-Thousand Poison was precisely because it could annihilate all myriad poisons, cursed insects included. Thatâs why it bore the name Ten-Thousand Poison. The Poison Scripture in her Space contained detailed descriptions of the Ten-Thousand Poisonâs characteristics, its growth environment, and methods for refining it. Tianshan was the most suitable environment for its growth, specifically in icefields with temperatures below minus thirty degrees Celsius.
Gu Qingli looked at the snow lotus in her hand, then at the eager anticipation in everyoneâs eyes. Temporarily setting aside the thought of searching for the Ten-Thousand Poison, she said, âLetâs enter the Space.â
âAlright!â Their hearts filled with joy.
Miss is going to let us consume the lotus seeds!
This was indeed Gu Qingliâs intention. Wuyou had handed the snow lotus to her, ostensibly for safekeeping, but clearly intending for Gu Qingli to decide its distribution.
That clever little Wuyou, how could I not understand her intentions?
Gu Qingli mused. Besides, after consuming the lotus seeds, their strength would greatly increase, giving them a better chance to protect themselves in the perilous Tianshan.
Once inside the Space, they each took a lotus seed and went to consume it. Gu Qingli set aside seeds for Da Bai and Wuqing.
She held a lotus seed in her own hand.
Should I eat it or not? Iâm pregnant now. Can I eat this? Will it have any adverse effects on the baby? After some thought, she decided against it. What if the substances in the lotus seed caused fetal abnormalities? The risk wasnât worth the reward.
She found a box, carefully plucked all the lotus seeds, and then placed the snow lotus itself into the Spiritual Spring Water.
Whether it can survive now is up to its own fate,
she thought.
ăTwo days later.ă
Wuyou, Wushuang, and the other three emerged from their cultivation, brimming with excitement.
âMiss, I feel like I could beat ten bulls to death right now!â Wushuang declared, raising a powerful fist.
âTen bulls? If this truly is Tianshan, we need to be even more careful. What we might encounter here wonât be as simple as ten bulls,â Gu Qingli said, gently pinching Wushuangâs cheek.
âDonât worry, Miss! We will definitely protect you and the little master in your belly!â Wuyou then peered at Gu Qingliâs abdomen. âHuh? Miss, for being three months pregnant, your belly seems a bit large. Could it be⊠two little masters?â Her eyes were fixed on Gu Qingliâs stomach, which hadnât been noticeable under her thick outer clothes. But now, it was visibly swollen.
Gu Qingli touched her belly and simply smiled without saying anything.
If I told them, it might scare them. There werenât just two little masters in her belly, but three. She had only realized it herself in the past two days. Honestly! One didnât need to have been pregnant themselves to know this was unusual! Not even three months along, and she was already showing this much!
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