Douluo:Peerless Tang Sect: Douluo of Peaceful Heaven

As the four descended slowly, Cai Mei'er asked, "Little Junior Brother, are you sure your ultimate ice martial soul can suppress the miasma?"

"I'm certain, Senior Sister," Zhu Ziyang replied with a nod.

He had read that both extreme ice and fire possessed strong restraint effects against poison. When they first entered Sunset Forest, he hadn't paid much attention. But when he saw Yan Shaozhe's soul skills fail to affect the miasma, a flash of inspiration struck him—what if his Ultimate Ice could counteract it?

Taking advantage of a pause in the fight, he quietly released a sliver of extreme ice from his fingertips. The effect was immediate: the surrounding miasma froze solid, shattered into crystalline dust, and vanished into the air.

Excited by the result, he immediately told Cai Mei'er—and thus began their descent.

When the group of four reached the ground, Yan Shaozhe and Cai Mei'er deployed protective soul power barriers to shield them from the miasma. Oddly, the fog at ground level was thinner than expected—less dense than the mist above.

But the air was filled with multicolored vapors, and before them lay a crystalline field that made all four shiver instinctively.

It was utterly unnatural.

They stared at the lush greenery ahead. On the surface, the foliage looked wild and overgrown—but something felt wrong. Thriving vegetation in a zone saturated with deadly poison? Even a fool would realize there was danger.

"What… what is that plant?" Jiang Nannan gasped, her crimson eyes wide in shock.

Even Yan Shaozhe and Cai Mei'er hesitated to approach. Though they didn't recognize the plant, their instincts screamed caution.

Zhu Ziyang squinted at the greenery. The jade-green plants spread across both sides, each about half a meter tall. Every stalk bore nine strangely shaped leaves—resembling human hands, but with seven fingers. Some larger ones even had nine fingers.

At their tops bloomed massive jade-green flowers, their pistils releasing green mist that drifted upward and blended with the colorful poison fog.

Then it hit him.

"These are… Jade-Scale Sevenfold Blooms!" Zhu Ziyang gasped aloud, inhaling sharply.

"What did you say?!" Cai Mei'er cried out in alarm. "You mean those are really Jade-Scale Sevenfold Blooms?!"

Zhu Ziyang nodded grimly.

"No doubt about it. This entire area is filled with them—and even some Jade-Scale Ninefold Blooms!"

Yan Shaozhe's face darkened. "You two… you know these plants?"

"Yes," Zhu Ziyang said. "The Jade-Scale Sevenfold Bloom is one of the most toxic plants on the continent. Its poison is so corrosive it's ranked number one in decomposition, and its toxins also attack the mind. If contaminated, not only does it erode the body, but it also damages one's spiritual power."

He paused, then added gravely,

"And those with nine fingers—they're not plants anymore. They're soul beasts. Jade-Scale Ninefold Blooms are sentient, plant-type beasts with at least 10,000 years of cultivation. Under their control, the entire bloom field releases a toxic cloud that fuses with the forest's miasma. If this continues, the entire Sunset Forest will become a poisoned wasteland."

Yan Shaozhe stood speechless, overwhelmed by the thought.

A whole forest saturated with such venom… it would be hell on earth.

"This plant is supposed to be exceedingly rare," Cai Mei'er murmured, her eyes narrowed. "Its reproduction rate is poor, and its growth conditions are extremely strict."

She swept her gaze across the field.

"But this area stretches over two kilometers—there must be tens of thousands of these flowers!"

Zhu Ziyang nodded.

"That's what worries me. Such a dense population of Jade-Scale Blooms could only mean one thing: an immense energy source lies nearby."

"The Icefire Yin-Yang Well!" the four cried out in unison.

They immediately understood: these plants were man-cultivated, deliberately grown to conceal the existence of the Icefire Yin-Yang Well.

But by who?

Zhu Ziyang frowned, deep in thought.

Only two people in history were known to have ties to the Icefire Yin-Yang Well: Tang San, the Sea God himself, and Dugu Bo, the Jade-Scale Douluo. Dugu Bo was the first to discover the Icefire Yin-Yang Well and was also the continent's first titled Douluo with a Jade-Scale Serpent martial soul.

Could there be some hidden connection between the Jade-Scale Serpent and the Jade-Scale Bloom?

"Mei'er, Ziyang, do either of you know how to deal with these flowers?" Yan Shaozhe asked with urgency in his eyes.

Cai Mei'er shook her head helplessly. "No."

Zhu Ziyang sighed. "Senior Brother, you think too highly of me. I don't know either!"

Then, just as despair began to set in—

Jiang Nannan spoke up.

"Brother, aren't the Jade-Scale Blooms cold-averse? Why not try using your Ultimate Ice martial soul?"

The others turned to her in surprise.

"Did you say they fear cold?" Yan Shaozhe asked eagerly.

"Yes. I just now managed to identify them," Jiang Nannan said confidently. "This region's herb auras are incredibly complex, but I isolated the scent and confirmed it—they're indeed cold-sensitive poisonous plants."

"That's amazing!" Zhu Ziyang's eyes lit up.

Thank the heavens for bringing Jiang Nannan!

"Let me try," he said, stepping forward.

Yan Shaozhe and Cai Mei'er nodded and stood at the ready.

Zhu Ziyang summoned his Heavenly Frost Holy White Dragon martial soul. A wave of biting cold surged forth, instantly cleansing the toxic fog around them. The others' eyes sparkled with delight.

Jiang Nannan's jaw dropped.

It was her first time seeing Ziyang's second martial soul.

As the frigid aura spread, the Jade-Scale Bloom nearest them began to tremble violently. Its leaves curled inward, forming a giant closed bud. The group watched, stunned by the transformation.

Encouraged, Zhu Ziyang stepped forward slowly, releasing more Ultimate Ice.

Yan Shaozhe and Cai Mei'er each gripped his shoulders tightly, ready to pull him back at the first sign of danger.

They made it ten meters in—

Then stopped.

Beyond that point, the blooms began reopening.

Their poison mist returned, and Zhu Ziyang's soul power began draining rapidly. His strength simply couldn't sustain long-range suppression across such a wide field.

"No good," Yan Shaozhe sighed. "Your Ultimate Ice can restrain them, but not eliminate them. Once we stop advancing, the flowers reopen and cut off our retreat."

Zhu Ziyang nodded, frustrated.

"At my current level, I can only kill the outermost Sevenfold Blooms. The deeper ones—the sentient Ninefold Blooms—are too strong."

"Then we'll have to give up for now," Cai Mei'er said. "When you've grown stronger and begun training your second martial soul properly, we'll return."

"…Alright," Yan Shaozhe finally agreed after a long pause.

Though reluctant, he couldn't risk Zhu Ziyang's life. As much as Ma Xiaotao meant to him, Zhu Ziyang's importance to their teacher far outweighed anything else.

Zhu Ziyang sighed.

He too was disappointed, but he understood. His strength simply wasn't enough.

"Ugh! You really are letting me down, kid!"

A voice suddenly echoed in Zhu Ziyang's mind.

His eyes widened in delight.

"Teacher! You're awake?!"

It was Electrolux—awake after six months of silence!