"Young Master Shui, did you ever visit the Lan Yue Islands when you came here for leisure before?" Leng Ruo Li suddenly asked Shui Yi He.
"Consort Leng, islands like this rarely have visitors year-round. They are infested with venomous snakes and insects. I've even heard of man-eating flowers and vines here. If we venture into the forests and encounter them, our lives could be forfeit at any moment. Even when we come to play, we only stay on the beaches by the island's edge, never daring to enter this kind of forest," Shui Yi He replied frankly.
Leng Ruo Li nodded upon hearing this.
"It's wise not to enter. The dangers here are truly unpredictable..."
She had undertaken missions in such tropical rainforests before and knew that these environments harbored many unknown perils. Moreover, this was an ancient primal forest. Those unfamiliar with the terrain should not trespass here, or they wouldn't even know how they died.
Thus, they continued their journey deeper into the rainforest, searching for the thatched hut beside the waterfall.
As they reached the third bird island forest, a giant trumpet flower suddenly lunged towards them, spraying a foul-smelling liquid. Everyone held their breath and dodged the giant flower's attack.
However, it lunged directly at Leng Ruo Li. Leng Ruo Li drew a long sword from her spatial realm, deftly evading the flower's assault while attempting to cut through its petals from the center.
But the giant flower seemed to have a mind of its own. The faster Leng Ruo Li dodged, the more aggressively the flower lunged at her, spewing more of its noxious liquid. The stench was so overwhelming it nearly drove Leng Ruo Li to her breaking point and prevented her from using her inner energy to attack it.
Finally, seizing an opportunity, she swiftly flew to the treetop of a tree tens of meters high and took several deep breaths of fresh air, feeling somewhat better.
Jun Mo Han, the Leng family father and son, and Ming Jiu Xiao breathed a sigh of relief seeing that Leng Ruo Li had finally escaped the giant flower's attack.
Now freed from the worry of accidentally harming Leng Ruo Li during their attacks, the four of them immediately launched their assault on the giant flower. They each sent a surge of inner energy towards the flower's pistil. Unable to withstand the combined force, the giant flower was instantly killed by their inner energy, its petals gradually melting into powder.
After the giant flower was eliminated, everyone quickly departed from that dreadful place and then proceeded to a dense grove of tall trees.
The trees here were exceptionally tall and lush, their branches intertwined and gnarled, obscuring the sky. The scorching sun cast only dappled light through the canopy, which swayed with the rustling leaves, lending an eerie atmosphere.
Thick, arm-thick vines climbed between the trees, and more covered the ground. Although it was broad daylight outside, the grove felt chillingly shaded.
Each of them, holding sharp long swords or sabers, walked with utmost caution, mindful of every step.
After walking for a short while, a rustling sound came from behind them. In an instant, two arm-thick vines shot out from the trees, tightly ensnared Yin Wu and Ye Wu, who were at the rear, and swiftly dragged them into the dense undergrowth.
"Ah—Master, save me—"
"Ah—Help us!!!"
Yin Wu and Ye Wu cried out loudly for help.
Ming Jiu Xiao, closest to Yin Wu and Ye Wu, immediately turned around. With a wave of his hand, two long, palm-width red sashes unfurled from his sleeves, writhing like coiling dragons in the air. These two "dragons" quickly wrapped around Yin Wu and Ye Wu's waists, pulling them back from being dragged away by the thick vines.
Immediately after, Leng Ruo Rui and Jun Mo Han leaped into the air, both wielding their swords. They rapidly infused seventy percent of their inner energy into their blades and flew behind Yin Wu and Ye Wu. Simultaneously, they raised their long swords and slashed at the arm-thick vines. The two thick vines were successfully severed and rapidly retracted. Yin Wu and Ye Wu immediately crashed heavily to the ground from mid-air, sustaining several abrasions.
Leng Ruo Li walked over to the two men and carefully examined their injuries. She found that aside from minor superficial wounds, they were not seriously harmed.
However, just as everyone's attention was focused on Yin Wu and Ye Wu, two more dangers sprang towards their group.
Following that, two screams echoed from the crowd as Xing'er and Ye Er were once again ensnared by two suddenly emerging thick vines, which then, with the utmost speed, dragged them into the dense forest and vanished.
"This is bad!"
"Xing'er and Ye Er have been dragged away by those vines again."
"Let's go, everyone, chase after them quickly."
Leng Ruo Li declared, and then, along with Jun Mo Han, Leng Ruo Rui, and Ming Jiu Xiao, they went in the direction Xing'er and Ye Er had disappeared.
The group, wielding sabers or swords, swiftly plunged into the dense forest, searching non-stop. After the time it took to burn an incense stick, they still hadn't found any trace of Xing'er and Ye Er, nor had they heard any cries for help or screams. Everyone grew frantic, believing Xing'er and Ye Er had already met with misfortune.
But at this moment, Ye Ying discovered an earring belonging to Xing'er in the forest.
"Consort, I've found an earring belonging to Xing'er."
Leng Ruo Li's heart leaped with joy upon hearing this. She immediately replied, "This means Xing'er and Ye Er are nearby. Let's search more carefully, everyone. We must find them."
As Leng Ruo Li spoke, she led the group back into the dense forest. Finally, Leng Ruo Li and Jun Mo Han spotted Xing'er and Ye Er beneath a colossal, ancient tree.
The two were tightly bound by thick vines beneath the ancient tree, only their small heads visible. They had already lost consciousness, but the vines constricting them were continuously tightening.
Upon spotting Xing'er and Ye Er, the Cold King and his Consort rushed to the ancient tree's base. They called out to Xing'er and Ye Er a couple of times, but received no response. Leng Ruo Li then cautiously felt for their breath, finding that they were still breathing, which brought her a slight relief. Thus, they brandished their sharp sabers and fiercely hacked at the thick vines ensnaring the two. However, for every vine they severed, another new one would emerge, binding them again. Leng Ruo Li became increasingly flustered.
"Li'er, this is a man-eating tree. You won't be able to chop it all away like this," Leng Ruo Rui, who had arrived, reminded them.
"Then what should we do? We can't just abandon Xing'er and Ye Er!" Leng Ruo Li replied anxiously.
"Girl, do you have fire on you? This thing fears fire. Try roasting its roots with an open flame, and it might slowly loosen its grip," Ming Jiu Xiao suddenly suggested, his eyes brightening.