Chapter 183: Xiao Bai – But I'm a Shark!
"But, my lord, I must remind you. The Fire Rhinoceros itself is not particularly strong. However, the Misty Swamp is a land of death."
"The mist there is not only poisonous, but the terrain is also complex. A single misstep, and you might sink into the mud—it would be a huge problem."
"That's why soul masters generally avoid the Misty Swamp when searching for spirit rings."
After introducing the characteristics of the two soul beasts, Shi Fei picked up his brush and began sketching their appearances.
One had to admit, Shi Fei's drawing skills were quite solid.
With just a few strokes, he vividly brought the two soul beasts to life.
Once he finished the final stroke, Shi Fei used his soul power to dry the ink.
He then handed the illustrated guide to Ye Tian with both hands. "The appearances of both soul beasts are on here."
"Thank you, Guardian Shi Fei, for the guide and the warning." Ye Tian slightly cupped his hand in gratitude.
...
After spending the night in the tent, the next morning arrived.
To find Ye Xinglan as quickly as possible, Ye Tian woke up early.
The young girl who had volunteered to guide him the previous day, named Xiao Ying, also got up very early.
"Good morning, my lord," Xiao Ying greeted him with respect.
"Hmm."
Ye Tian gave a small nod and signaled the Sea Witch and the others to gather.
Once everyone was together, Ye Tian looked at Xiao Ying and said, "Miss Xiao, could you explain the marking signals your students use among themselves?"
"That way, we can split up and search more effectively."
Hearing this, Xiao Ying nodded solemnly.
She pulled out a sharp knife from her waist and cleared a clean patch of ground. Then, she quickly sketched out several complex patterns.
Xiao Ying explained, "We have a total of twelve communication symbols."
"Eight of them indicate directions, while the remaining four represent movement, stop, presence nearby, and return status."
"Additionally, each group has its own unique mark for distinction."
This meant that any message left behind by a group would consist of three symbols.
As she spoke, Xiao Ying took out four sheets of paper from her robe and handed them to Ye Tian and the others. She explained, "This is the symbol used by Ye Xinglan's group."
Ye Tian looked down and saw a neatly drawn little white rabbit.
The sight of it made him want to laugh.
The wavy lines looked oddly similar to the way his sister used to write letters to him.
Perhaps she designed this symbol herself.
Ye Tian's heart stirred, and he clenched the paper tightly.
Determined, he thought, Sister, don't worry. I will find you and have you draw me another little white rabbit by hand.
He carefully memorized the markings on the ground and then folded the paper neatly, tucking it into his pocket.
Standing up, he said, "I've memorized it. Once we're on the road, I'll draw a copy for each of you."
Hearing this, the Sea Witch raised an eyebrow. "You memorized such complex patterns with just one glance?"
Ye Tian shrugged and chuckled. "I can't help it. It's just my talent."
His words made Xiao Ying's eyes flash with admiration.
No wonder he's in such a high position at this age. He really is impressive.
Without hesitation, she took out a few extra sheets of paper from her robe and handed them to Ye Tian respectfully.
"My lord, you don't need to draw them yourself. I prepared these last night."
Ye Tian glanced at her in surprise.
This girl was quite meticulous... interesting.
With the preparations for finding Ye Xinglan complete, it was time to set off.
Ye Tian distributed the papers with the markings to the Sea Witch and the others.
Then, he turned to the Sea Witch and said, "Once we leave the camp, help me check if there are any Ghost Vines nearby."
"Look over there." The Sea Witch chuckled, pointing to a tall Iron Thorn tree in the distance.
She wasn't joking.
Last night, she had already reviewed the appearance of Ghost Vines. Just now, by releasing a bit of her spiritual power, she had detected a Ghost Vine parasitizing the Iron Thorn tree.
"It can't be that easy to find one, right?" Ye Tian asked, doubtful.
But when he followed her gaze, he saw a black vine coiling around the Iron Thorn tree.
He couldn't help but be shocked. "...It really was that easy."
"I'll grab it for you," Xiao Bai volunteered eagerly.
"No, no, I don't need the Ghost Vine's spirit ring—I need its flower."
Ye Tian pointed to the vine's tip, where a large, ugly black flower bloomed.
Even from a distance, he spotted it at a glance.
There was only one reason—it was enormous, nearly half a meter in size.
"What do you need that for?"
Xiao Bai looked puzzled but still leapt forward gracefully, swiftly reaching the Ghost Vine flower.
Sensing an intruder, the plant-type soul beast immediately started writhing violently.
But against a Title Douluo-level powerhouse, its struggle was like an ant resisting an elephant.
Completely ineffective.
With ease, Xiao Bai plucked the Ghost Vine flower.
Then, moving as gracefully as a fairy, she landed beside Ye Tian.
Holding her nose, she handed over the massive Ghost Vine flower, looking disgusted. "This thing stinks!"
Ye Tian also caught the smell and noticed that the cut stem was oozing dark, inky liquid.
As soon as it dripped onto the ground, it sizzled.
It seemed that not only was the Ghost Vine flower ugly, but it was also highly toxic.
As someone highly skilled in alchemy, Ye Tian quickly deduced that its toxicity could likely infect soul power.
This meant it could sever the connection between his inherited soul mark and his body.
Of course, the process was probably extremely painful.
If consumed raw, it would likely be fatal.
That's why it needed to be refined with other precious ingredients—to extract its essence and remove the harmful parts, creating a perfect pill.
Seeing Xiao Bai's disgust, Ye Tian chuckled and stored the flower in his spatial ring.
"If I had known it was this smelly, I wouldn't have gone near it," Xiao Bai grumbled, shaking the hand that had touched the flower as if trying to rid herself of contamination.
Ye Tian leaned closer and consoled her, "It's fine, there's no one else around anyway."
"When we reach a stream, you can take a bath."
"Oh, right!" Xiao Bai nodded thoughtfully, feeling a little better.
But as soon as he said that, the first to protest was the Sea Witch.
She pulled Xiao Bai aside and lectured her like a parent:
"Don't fall for Ye Tian's tricks. He's the biggest outsider among us."
"But I'm a shark!" Xiao Bai blinked in confusion.
"...Fine, forget I said anything." The Sea Witch rolled her eyes and walked away in exasperation.
(End of Chapter)
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