ALL NOVEL
Chapter 96: Chapter 96 Don't Speak, Smoke Huazi
"Woof, the old man's gone; kid, drive, let's continue!"
Li Xiaobai saw it was best to quit while ahead and turned the truck around, driving it out of the forest. It was only fair to leave some behind; had he taken everything, he might have faced trouble down the line.
The cultivators behind him followed at a leisurely pace, and up to this point, not a single cultivator had been eliminated.
Everyone was in high spirits; following Brother Ruthless, they might make history as the largest group of disciples to ever enter the Holy Demon Sect.
"Brother Ye, there's the scent of Flesh Mountain up ahead."
Yu Sanbian took a puff of his Huazi and said indifferently.
Li Xiaobai looked closely but only saw a thick fog and couldn't help asking, "What is Flesh Mountain?"
"On the Immortal Spirit Continent, there are numerous forbidden zones, and Flesh Mountain is a product found within these areas and Mythical Forbidden Areas. It's flesh-like, able to contaminate cultivators' Divine Souls, causing them to become wildly aggressive, turning into a killing machine focused only on cultivation."
"Many sects will capture one or two pieces of Flesh Mountain to place within their sects as a tool for training disciples' Primordial Spirits."
Yu Sanbian gave a brief explanation of Flesh Mountain, and Li Xiaobai was astonished. There were such creatures in this world, and they sounded very dangerous.
"How does this thing come into existence? Is it a kind of clan?"
"Flesh Mountain possesses independent consciousness but low intelligence. Some say it's transformed from the severed evil thoughts of powerful beings of ancient times, while others say it's the remains of the body after such beings die. No one knows the true origin."
"This thing is only dangerous when many pieces gather together. The aura of Flesh Mountain up ahead isn't strong; one Huazi is enough to deal with it, so it's not a big problem."
Yu Sanbian took a small puff, exhaling clouds of smoke.
A light flashed in Li Xiaobai's eyes. Flesh Mountain could affect one's mind and sully the Primordial Spirit, whereas Huazi could purify the Spiritual Platform, making it the natural nemesis of Flesh Mountain.
This level's challenge was likely a test of the cultivators' willpower. As long as one's mind was strong enough, they could walk out of Flesh Mountain's influence.
Along the road ahead, they could vaguely see several large chunks of flesh enveloped in thick fog.
These chunks of flesh were almost a meter high, a faint crimson color with a layer of mucus on the surface, where veins could be subtly seen pulsating. They lay on the ground, squirming rhythmically.
Through the car window, Li Xiaobai could smell a rotting stench in the fog, which made him feel nauseous.
At the same time, the values on the system panel in front of him also began to jump.
[Attribute Points +1...]
[Attribute Points +2...]
As expected, this entity's offensive capabilities weren't strong. It probably could only affect cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Stage and those who had just entered the Golden Core Stage, just as Yu Sanbian had said.
However, the strength of the cultivators following him was mostly within this range. For all of them to get past, relying on themselves was impossible.
Li Xiaobai opened the car door and climbed out.
"Dear friends, there is Flesh Mountain blocking the road ahead, capable of muddling one's mind. If you were to walk into it directly, you might become an emotionless killing machine."
"Here at Liangchen, I have a treasure that can help you get through it safely, but this item was costly to make..."
"Brother Ruthless, I understand, here are my Spirit Stones, you name the price!" the cultivators immediately said, half-joking. They had come this far and were close to passing through. Nobody was a fool; spending some Spirit Stones to pass the assessment was a good deal.
"Ah, the original cost of this item is a hundred Lower Grade Spirit Stones, but seeing that we're about to become brothers of the same sect, let's make it half price. Just fifty Lower Grade Spirit Stones each will do," Li Xiaobai said cheerfully.
"This..."
The cultivators were stirred up. Fifty Lower Grade Spirit Stones was not a small amount; it was enough to cover a cultivator's expenses for two or three months.
Even the scions of great families felt the pinch, and after some careful thought, they realized that this test was about their nature. Perhaps they could get through it on their own.
Should they spend the Spirit Stones or not?
"We'll buy it!"
Li Ya took the lead and said. The cultivators from Ancient Moon City admired Li Xiaobai immensely, like the endless flow of a river, and fifty lower-grade Spirit Stones were still within their means.
"Brother Ruthless, with our cultivation at the Golden Core Stage, we have great confidence in our own state of mind, and won't need to waste Brother Ruthless's treasures."
"We'll go ahead and enter..."
The previously injured cultivators in the jungle, who had significant cultivation levels, were unwilling to spend money in vain. To have cultivated to this stage, they were all individuals with resolute minds.
Among the numerous cultivators, many were reluctant to part with their Spirit Stones and refused Li Xiaobai's help, walking straight into the thick mist and disappearing from sight.
The remaining cultivators chose to trust Li Xiaobai. After all, they had relied on him to lead the way thus far, and giving some Spirit Stones in return was only proper.
Watching the crowd dwindle, Li Xiaobai sighed deeply in his heart. Morals seemed to decline day by day; after showing such impressive feats earlier, only a few were willing to pay up in the end.
More than half of the cultivators chose to enter on their own, wary of spending their Spirit Stones.
It seemed this was bound to result in a large number of cultivators being eliminated.
Li Xiaobai exchanged a large amount of Huazi from the store and began to distribute it to the many cultivators.
The store price for Huazi was ten lower-grade Spirit Stones each, but he sold them for fifty lower-grade Spirit Stones, earning a net profit of forty lower-grade Spirit Stones per Huazi. Although the number of people had sharply decreased, there were still hundreds eagerly purchasing, which was still quite profitable.
After collecting the payments, his treasury swelled by nearly ten thousand lower-grade Spirit Stones—a profitable and worthwhile haul.
"This item, known as Huazi, is a one-time treasure. Light it with a flame, hold the mouthpiece in your mouth, and inhale. The fragrance it emits can block forces that disturb the mind."
Li Xiaobai explained the usage of Huazi, leaving the cultivators amazed.
They had never seen such a food-type magic treasure before. Usually, such things were Heaven and Earth Treasures and they had never seen them mass-produced.
Indeed, Brother Ruthless was in a class of his own.
"Woof, kid, get some Huazi for Lord Ergouzi!"
"Cluck cluck, this venerable one wants some too!"
The chicken and the dog eyed the package of Huazi in Yu Sanbian's hands with great envy.
"The last one; if you want more in the future, come exchange them with your own Spirit Stones, a hundred lower-grade Spirit Stones each."
Li Xiaobai tossed over two Huazi and said indifferently.
This business seemed to be a good way to amass wealth, and it might be worth developing back at the Holy Demon Sect.
"Woof, such pettiness..."
"Cluck cluck, the affection has grown cold..."
Li Xiaobai: "???"
Once again charging the truck, they rushed into the mist, forging a path through the Flesh Mountain. The other cultivators followed closely behind. Having spent a significant sum, everyone was even more vigilant.
A disgusting, fishy stench hit them, causing the cultivators to feel dizzy and their vision to blur. In the thick fog, they began to see the people they most wanted to see.
"Not good, this stench is disturbing our Divine Souls!"
"I see my deceased parents, it's my filial failure!"
"That's my enemy, the one who mercilessly killed my parents and siblings. I've practiced hard to this day just to be able to kill him by my own hand!"
"These are all illusions, quick, smoke the Huazi!"
"Don't talk, smoke the Huazi!"