Chapter 612: “Let’s Try”

"Do you feel that there is a very uncomfortable smell around here?" Hei Gou's words suddenly interrupted the group as they progressed through the idyllic landscape.

After getting their first taste of the area, they slowly managed to keep their minds under control, but this also caused them to realize many weird things that they had overlooked at first.

The floral scent that they had, at first, enjoyed and found pleasant was suddenly becoming sticky and a bit overwhelming. It even caused some disgust when breathing in, as if they just longed for fresh and clean air without this overly sweet fragrance.

"It does resemble the smell of rogue and perfume that you can find in a brothel." Ling Xiao suddenly answered without time to consider which words he used. However, moments after the sentence slipped from his lips, he suddenly felt embarrassed.

Diviners were considered monks at the Chang'an Continent, and thus they usually stayed away from carnal pleasures unless their partners were a wife.

However, Ling Xiao had always been troublesome, and he was not happy with the leaders of the temple, and thus he snuck into a brothel once before. Although he had only visited once, he would never forget the trauma he experienced after going there, and thus the scent here was somewhat familiar and he instantly remembered this episode that he would never be able to forget for the rest of his life.

The words were truly surprising. The entire group knew of Ling Xiao's personality and he was not usually a playboy, nor someone who would indulge in pleasure at brothels, so they could not understand where his profound knowledge of such scent came from, however they did not delve into it, although their eyes turned subtle and slightly amused.

In fact, all of them knew him well and were perfectly aware that there had to be some other reason behind his words, but the current scenario was rather amusing as they witnessed his mental collapse after blurting out these words.

"The scents in brothels are usually fake and made to cover the foul odors that are present. Ever since we arrived here, the land does not seem as perfect as first assumed, and there are a lot of smaller details that makes me wonder if it is truly as idyllic as it seems.

"Luoluo and Tianyi, do you think that it is possible for the two of you to absorb any of the soul power within these flowers? I want to see if this area will react differently after losing some of the energy?"

Xue Wei would usually not have decided to become the one actively looking for trouble, but he had a feeling that everything around them was fake. If he did not find a way to shatter the current illusion, then he would not be able to get out of this place that became more and more unsettling the longer they stayed.

His question was a bit abrupt, but although both Luoluo and Bai Tianyi were constantly being tempted by the energy surrounding the flowers, they dared not rush to answer his question.

"I do want to try, but only one of us can make an attempt. At the same time, the rest of us have to be ready to interfere at any given moment in case we lose control of ourselves." Bai Tianyi looked at the flower closest to their location and a frown appeared on his brows.

He knew that it was a risky strategy, but he was also aware that it might be their only chance to break the current deadlock they faced with this strange zone, and thus he contemplated about what the best solution was.

"Why don't you try, Wei? Currently, the Soul Power within these flowers are trying to lure Tianyi and me to gobble them up whole, but you also cultivate Spiritual Energy, so perhaps you won't be as influenced by them, since you also have Qi cultivation?"

Luoluo also considered the current situation when she made the request. It was not that she was unwilling to try, but for now, she truly had no belief in her own or Bai Tianyi's self-control and ability to hold back if they gave in to the temptation. Xue Wei was different. Although he cultivated Spiritual Energy, it was clear that these flowers had no actual influence on him, so he should be able to keep his mind clear during the absorption.

"Let's try." Xue Wei quickly agreed. Although he cultivated Spiritual Energy, his level of cultivation had lagged behind recently, as the soul power in the atmosphere was limited, and the two spirits solely relied on this to advance. He, on the other hand, had found that after his bloodlines were activated, Qi had become much more familiar to him, and while Spiritual Cultivation was still an option, it was not as beneficial as focusing on one path.

"Although I am not currently being tempted by the flowers, we cannot guarantee anything when it comes to the actual absorption process. All of you should be ready to stop me, in case I get too obsessed.

"If I lose my consciousness, you should at first try with pain, and if I do not react after you injure me, then simply knock me out right away. I believe that if I am fully focused on these flowers, my defense should be very low, but just to be safe, please make sure to have some inscriptions ready with high bursting abilities. If I fight back, I have to be beaten down as quickly as possible. Don't mind if I get injured."