Chapter 1117: Underground Palace Poison Mist
The underground palace was astonishingly deep. After advancing for a long time through the thick, turbid air, the passage remained as narrow as before. Yun Che maintained the Shadow Concealment and Thunder Concealment states, following cautiously behind the three individuals, but he was never able to get ahead. Although his unease grew, he did not become impatient.
"Why haven't we reached the bottom yet? Just how deep is this place?"
"The turbid air is getting heavier... The passage has become smoother. We should be close to the exit."
"Wait... What is that smell?"
"It's a powerful poison! Fall back quickly!"
The voices ahead suddenly changed drastically. The auras of the three great Realm Kings rapidly closed in toward Yun Che's direction. Startled, Yun Che stopped in his tracks but did not retreat in panic. Instead, he remained frozen in place, holding his breath... Fortunately, the auras of the three Realm Kings also immediately stopped and remained where they were, not detecting his presence despite the sudden decrease in distance.
A poison? Yun Che stepped back slowly, his brow furrowing.
In front of the three Realm Kings, amid the thick gray turbid air, there was an additional layer of dense dark green. This dark green filled the passage ahead, drifting slowly like smoke, yet it seemed locked within that area, not spreading outward.
Mu Baimei, Nanlie Dadi, and Han Kuan stood before the toxic mist, their expressions all grim. They quickly circulated their energy to expel the poison, and it took a good while before their faces returned to normal.
"What a formidable poison! If we had reacted even a moment slower, I fear we would have been done for." Han Kuan said, still shaken.
"After all, these are remains from the ancient era." Nanlie Dadi took another half-step back. Countless years had passed since the Age of the Gods, and the toxic mist here should have dissipated and diluted countless times, yet it was still not something mere mortals could easily withstand.
"The turbid air here already suppresses profound energy, and now encountering such a poison... this could be quite troublesome." Mu Baimei frowned deeply.
"Should we try charging straight through?" Han Kuan suddenly suggested.
"If Sect Master Han feels he has lived too long, by all means, try." Nanlie Dadi said in a sinister tone. "This toxic mist stretches who knows how far. If it extends for several li, you might have the life to enter, but not the life to come out."
Yun Che listened silently to their words and understood what they had encountered... At the end of the passage, there was a poisonous mist area. Moreover, this poisonous mist was so terrifying that even these three Realm Kings were deeply afraid and unable to advance further.
Boom!!
An explosive sound came from ahead, and the underground palace passage trembled slightly. Then Nanlie Dadi's disappointed voice rang out: "No good. It can't be dispersed at all."
"With such a powerful poison, to pass through unscathed, one would at least need to be a Divine Sovereign. Are we really going to have to just hand over the Royal Immortal Herb to the mid-level star realms?"
"Should we try to find another entrance?"
"Even if there is another entrance, it's too late now. The news has been spreading for so long. At most within six hours, people from the mid-level or even upper-level star realms will arrive. It took us an entire day just to break the seal on this entrance. Finding another entrance would be no different from handing it over willingly!"
"Then how about trying to force our way through? Maybe this poison mist isn't as extensive as we think."
"Very well. Then please go first, Sect Master Han. The Royal Immortal Herb is valuable, but I'll be damned if I gamble my life for it."
The three Realm Kings, figures who held absolute power over their respective star realms, were completely stopped by a patch of poison mist. They all sensed that the Royal Immortal Herb was within reach, yet they could not advance another step. Their formidable Divine King power was utterly useless against this poison mist.
But they were absolutely unwilling to simply turn back. Setting aside the immense temptation of the Royal Immortal Herb, they had already paid a tremendous price to blast open the entrance to this underground palace. How could they be content with failure at the last step?
Yun Che's mind raced, countless possibilities surging through his thoughts. After carefully weighing his options for at least half an hour, he silently retreated, moving far back, then suddenly deactivated his concealment state and began moving forward with a deliberately cautious pace.
The moment he deactivated Shadow Concealment, despite the suppression of the turbid air, Yun Che's presence was instantly detected by the three Realm Kings. A sharp shout came from deeper within: "Who goes there!"
"A Divine Soul Realm? How strange... Either die, or get the hell over here!"
Three powerful pressures locked onto Yun Che. Drawing a quiet breath, he quickened his pace, passing through layers of turbid air and swiftly arriving before the three Realm Kings.
The moment they saw him, all three were taken aback: "You?"
"How did you get in? Isn't someone guarding the entrance?" Han Kuan asked in a low voice. The entrance was guarded by elders from the three star realms, and they certainly would not believe that Yun Che, with his Divine Soul Realm profound strength, could have forced his way in.
Yun Che's face was full of panic and unease. He quickly said, "Senior, while seeking opportunities in the ancient realm, I was accidentally pulled into a spatial profound formation and ended up here. I never expected it to be the underground palace you three Realm Kings had entered. I absolutely did not intend to intrude."
"A spatial profound formation?" The three Realm Kings remained skeptical, but not entirely disbelieving. After all, it was impossible for him to have broken through the entrance by force. Nanlie Dadi sneered, "As I recall, your name is... Ling Yun, right? Accidentally dragged in by a spatial profound formation? Hah, is that so?"
Mu Baimei raised a hand, however, and said, "It is indeed quite possible. The ancient realm still holds countless secrets. For example, the sealing formation at the entrance to this underground palace—we only discovered it yesterday. Ling Yun, since it was an accident, just go back the way you came to the entrance. When you go out, mention my name, and no one will trouble you."
"Then scram." Nanlie Dadi didn't even glance at him again.
But Yun Che did not turn and leave as they expected. Instead, he looked up and said, "Three Realm Kings, as I was walking over, I overheard that you seem to be blocked by a poisonous mist and unable to delve deeper into the underground palace. Do you mean this dark green poison mist?"
Mu Baimei glanced at him. "That's right. But this is none of your concern. Leave quickly."
"If it's just this poison mist, I actually have a way to disperse it." Yun Che said.
His words undoubtedly made the three Realm Kings turn their heads. Nanlie Dadi burst out laughing: "Just you? Hahahaha!"
Mu Baimei shook his head and said seriously, "Young friend, by saying that, you may have some skill in the art of poison. But this is no ordinary poison. Otherwise, it wouldn't have stymied the three of us."
"Then how about I make a bet with the three Realm Kings?"
"Oh?" Mu Baimei's brow twitched, a half-smile, half-interested expression appearing on his face.
Yun Che raised his hand, pointing at the slowly drifting dark green poison mist ahead, like wandering spirits. "If I can disperse this poison mist and allow the three Realm Kings to enter the underground palace, then I ask that you permit me to follow you into the underground palace and search for the Royal Immortal Herb together. How about it?"
With the Heavenly Poison Pearl on his person, whether it was passing through this poison mist area or dispersing it, it was a piece of cake.
With no way to go around, the three Realm Kings were blocked by the poison mist—this was undoubtedly an opportunity for Yun Che. However, although he was not afraid of the poison mist, trying to force his way past the three Realm Kings would be suicide. He had considered using the same method of voluntarily appearing, then lowering their guard, and finding an excuse like sacrificing himself to test the depth of the poison mist to enter, then exploring the underground palace alone... But doing so would easily arouse suspicion and caution. As soon as his aura left their spiritual perception within the poison mist, any one of them could strike and kill him instantly.
After all, these three were realm kings—no fools.
In the end, he chose this "mutual benefit" approach. It would certainly arouse their wariness and suspicion, but it was the method least likely to provoke a killing intent.
"Hahahaha!" Nanlie Dadi glanced sideways, his face full of disdainful laughter, his eyes mocking and contemptuous: "A mere Divine Soul Realm brat actually dreams of getting his hands on the Royal Immortal Herb alongside us? Old Man Mu, this 'savior' of yours is not only ignorant and arrogant but also an ambitious toad, hahaha!"
Han Kuan also snorted coldly, his face full of disbelief and disdain.
"Old thief Nanlie, don't speak too soon." Mu Baimei snorted lightly. When he turned to face Yun Che, his expression became grave, without a trace of mockery. "Ling Yun, this poison mist is extremely powerful. Dispersing it is no easy task. If you truly can do it, you will have done us a great service and naturally deserve to enter the underground palace with us. I have no objection, and I doubt these two will have any either."
"Hmph, and what if he fails?" Nanlie Dadi sneered.
"And if he fails, so what?" Mu Baimei retorted sarcastically. "If he succeeds, it's heaven's help. If he fails, you won't lose a single hair. Old thief, you're regressing more and more with age."
Nanlie Dadi narrowed his eyes and said with a sly smile, "Old Man Mu sure is something, tsk tsk tsk."
His words were laden with meaning, but he didn't continue.
Yun Che showed a grateful expression and said, "Thank you, three Realm Kings, for your kindness. I am confident I will not disappoint you. However, if I succeed and we enter the underground palace together, and I happen to find the Royal Immortal Herb first..."
"Heh, then it naturally belongs to you." To Yun Che's surprise, before he could finish, Mu Baimei had already agreed with a cheerful smile. "Before entering the underground palace, the three of us had an agreement: whoever finds the Royal Immortal Herb first gets to keep it, with no forced seizure allowed. If you truly can disperse this poison mist and allow us to enter the underground palace, then the same rule should apply. After all, I have no desire to be a faithless man, and I doubt these two want to be shameless little men either."
"It seems Old Man Mu truly believes this kid can disperse the poison mist. Then I can't wait to see it." Nanlie Dadi's smile didn't reach his eyes. From start to finish, he did not believe Yun Che's words.
"Good... Of course, I would not dare to doubt the words of the three Realm Kings." Yun Che nodded, then said no more. He walked past the three of them and stood before the poison mist, slowly raising his left hand. In his hand, he held a profound stone that shimmered with emerald green light.
The stone was about half the size of a fist, its green light sparkling, releasing a relatively pure but not intense aura. Nanlie Dadi sneered: "With that? Hehehe, what a huge joke..."
His contemptuous voice suddenly cut off.