One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

"Savage Mountain"—the name itself carries an aura of wildness, danger, and countless terrifying legends. It doesn't refer to a single mountain, but rather to a vast, pristine range of rolling mountains and primeval forests along the China-Myanmar border, almost untouched by modern civilization. Here, the mountains are high and the forests dense, the ravines deep and the venomous insects and wild beasts rampant. There are also various inexplicable, taboo "ominous places" and eerie legends associated with them. Even the most experienced hunters and herbalists only dare to venture to its edges; very few have ever ventured deep into its heart and returned alive.

Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo cautiously advanced along an almost unrecognizable, intermittent "beast trail" marked on Azanji's map, trodden out by wild animals. Compared to the rainforest surrounding Azanji's safe house, the vegetation here was denser and more "primitive." Towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, and thick vines hung from the canopies like giant pythons, coiling and strangling everything in their path. The ground was covered with a thick layer of damp, soft, humus-laden fallen leaves, accumulated over countless years, exuding a strong, slightly sweet, and pungent stench of decay; a single step could sink above the ankle. Various strangely shaped and brightly colored fungi and mosses shimmered eerily in the dim light. The air was humid and stifling, a complex mixture of soil, decaying leaves, pollen, and the indescribable, primal vitality emanating from the activity of countless tiny organisms.

What's most unsettling is the pervasive, subtle yet penetrating sense of oppression that seeps into every pore and soul. This isn't the kind of "field" with a clear sense of evil and blasphemy like the "Namu Cave," but rather a more primal, more chaotic one, as if this ancient land itself harbors an instinctive rejection and hostility towards any "outsider." The chirping of insects and birds becomes sparse and eerie here, and the occasional roars of beasts carry an indescribable violence and desolation.

Chen Duo followed closely behind Nie Lingfeng, her emerald eyes warily scanning every dark corner around them. Her small hands were constantly forming the Phoenix Seal, a faint golden halo flowing from her fingertips. This wasn't for fighting, but rather to instinctively dispel the uncomfortable oppressive feeling around them with the pure aura of Phoenix True Fire, providing a faint, warm light and sense of direction for the two of them in the almost sunless dense forest. Her keen perception of the environment played a crucial role here, giving Nie Lingfeng early warnings several times, allowing him to avoid snake nests hidden under fallen leaves or low branches teeming with bloodsucking leeches.

"Nie Lingfeng, the smell here... is much stronger than at Grandpa's house," Chen Duo whispered, wrinkling her nose. "It's not smelly, it's just... stuffy, making us uncomfortable. It feels like... there are a lot of 'eyes' watching us." (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)

Nie Lingfeng shared the same feeling. The Qilin power within him seemed to react somewhat contradictorily to the aura of this primeval land. On one hand, the rich, vibrant earth energy slightly activated his "Qilin Star Body," as if he had returned to a familiar "homeland"; but on the other hand, the chaotic, repulsive "field" permeating this land added a subtle "restlessness" and "vigilance" to this activity. He had to concentrate even more intently on controlling and guiding the power within him to maintain a clear mind and accurate perception of his surroundings.

The two trudged on in silence and with great difficulty for the entire morning. Sunlight could barely penetrate the layers of tree canopy, keeping the forest in a perpetually dim, twilight-like state. Their clothes were soaked with sweat, clinging stickily to their bodies. The "path" beneath their feet was intermittent, often requiring Nie Lingfeng to use his Snow Drinking Blade (unsheathed) to hack away at thorns and vines blocking their way, just to barely get through.

At noon, they rested briefly on a relatively dry slope with a few exposed rocks. Nie Lingfeng took out the food Azanji had given them (it was cold, but still delicious), and the two quickly ate it with water. Chen Duo seemed exhausted, leaning against a rock, sipping her water bag, her bright green eyes staring blankly at the dark green "dome" above, where the sky was almost invisible. Her face was covered in sweat and mud from somewhere, making her look like a real little kitten.

"Are you tired?" Nie Lingfeng asked, handing over a clean cloth.

Chen Duo took it, wiped her face haphazardly, shook her head, then nodded: "A little. But, if I'm not tired, I can't find the 'stinky signal' and I can't fight the bad guys." She seemed to have simply understood this operation as another mission to "fight bad guys," which gave her the motivation to persevere. (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧

Nie Lingfeng chuckled and ruffled her hair. "Let's rest for a bit, then continue. According to the map, further ahead we might encounter a rather peculiar area; Teacher Azanji specifically marked it as dangerous."

"What's so special about it?" Chen Duo asked curiously.

"Hmm, it seems to be called... 'Morphin Forest'." Nie Lingfeng looked at the area heavily circled in charcoal by Azan Ki on the map, along with the small annotation next to it—"Perpetually shrouded in purplish-red miasma, capable of clouding the mind and rotting flesh and bones. Contains eerie 'Living Vines' and 'Bewitching Flowers'. Enter with caution. If unavoidable, guard your mind closely, protect your body with pure yang or purifying power, and pass through quickly."

The Miasma Forest... just from the name, it doesn't sound like a good place.

After resting for about half an hour, the two set off again. Sure enough, the further they went, the more eerie the surroundings became. The tall trees diminished, replaced by a strange shrub that was shorter, but with twisted, claw-like branches and unhealthy dark purple or pale green leaves. The sweet, rotten smell on the ground intensified, even taking on a faint, rusty sweetness. The humidity seemed to increase, and visibility began to blur, as if a very thin, almost imperceptible purplish-red mist was slowly flowing and spreading among the trees.

It's miasma! And the color is so strange!

Nie Lingfeng immediately signaled Chen Duo to stop. He focused his senses and realized that the purplish-red mist wasn't simply poisonous gas; it seemed to contain an extremely weak yet remarkably persistent chaotic energy capable of interfering with and eroding a person's spirit and blood! An ordinary person inhaling it would likely quickly experience hallucinations, reversed blood flow, and even bodily ulceration. What alarmed him even more was that in the area shrouded in this purplish-red mist, the twisted bushes and hanging vines seemed… to be moving?

It wasn't the swaying of the wind, but an extremely slow, subtle, autonomous wriggling motion, like that of some deep-sea mollusk! At the tips of some vines even bloomed flowers of extremely vibrant colors, shaped like distorted human faces or open mouths, emitting a strong, sweet fragrance—bewitching flowers!

"Stay close to me, protect yourself with your 'fire,' don't look at those flowers, and don't inhale too much mist," Nie Lingfeng whispered quickly, as the Qilin power he had begun to control naturally began to circulate within him. A very thin yet solid and heavy dark golden halo emerged from his body, enveloping him and Chen Duo. The purifying and suppressing properties of the Qilin True Fire naturally restrained this kind of yin and chaotic energy. Wherever the dark golden halo passed, the nearby purplish-red mist seemed to have encountered its nemesis, emitting a faint "hissing" sound as it quickly faded and dissipated. The wriggling vines and Bewitching Flowers also seemed to be frightened, their wriggling and fragrance diminishing considerably.

Chen Duo immediately followed suit, and pure golden phoenix true fire formed a warm protective shield around her, echoing Nie Lingfeng's dark golden aura and shielding the two of them completely. Her emerald eyes warily surveyed the strange plants around them, her small face filled with disgust: "What awful-smelling flowers! And those vines, they look like… bugs!"

Without further hesitation, the two quickened their pace, traversing a seemingly "clean" crevice marked on Ajarn's base map, rapidly heading deeper into the "Malus Forest." The dark gold and golden halos, like two beacons navigating through the murky fog, dispelled the miasma and drove away evil spirits wherever they passed.

However, the reason Azan Ki specifically marked this "Malaria Forest" as dangerous was not solely due to the miasma and strange plants. Just as they ventured about a kilometer deeper into the forest, and the surrounding purplish-red mist had become so thick that they could barely see their own hands in front of their faces, relying only on the halo of light to barely make out their footing, a sudden change occurred!

"Sh ...

The dark purple vines that had been slowly writhing on the ground around them suddenly erupted as if utterly enraged! Dozens, even hundreds, of vines, like venomous snakes emerging from their dens, surged forth from the mist, fallen leaves, and even the treetops overhead, accompanied by a piercing whistling sound and a strong, pungent, and putrid stench, frantically coiling, lashing, and piercing towards the two! These vines were covered with fine, seemingly alive barbs and suckers that opened and closed; once entangled, one would likely be instantly locked in place, drained of their life essence! At the same time, the "Bewitching Flowers" swayed violently, emitting an even richer, almost tangible, sweet fragrance with a powerful mental-altering and hallucinogenic effect, crashing against the two's protective aura and spiritual center like an invisible tide!

"Attack! Don't let them get close!" Nie Lingfeng shouted, a flash of dark golden flame in his eyes! He didn't draw his sword; against these numerous "living vines" that weren't particularly strong individually, the Qilin True Fire's area-of-effect purification was more effective! He held his hands in front of his chest, then suddenly pushed them outwards!

"Kirin's Wrath - Burn the Wilds!"

A blazing, majestic wave of dark golden flames, imbued with the will to purify all filth and evil, erupted from him in a fan shape, spreading forward and to the left and right! Wherever the flames passed, the purplish-red miasma was instantly evaporated, and the wildly lashing dark purple vines, like hay thrown into a furnace, crackled and popped, quickly turning black, carbonizing, and breaking apart! The pungent, putrid stench was replaced by an even hotter, purer aura of flames!

Chen Duo's reaction was equally swift! At the same time as Nie Lingfeng made his move, she also let out a delicate shout and pushed forward with her hands forming a hand seal!

"The Phoenix's True Fire—A Wildfire!"

Pure, blazing golden flames, like an erupting volcano, surged from her palm, transforming into a golden firestorm that swept away the vines and the rich, alluring fragrance attacking from behind and above! The golden and dark gold flames intertwined, transforming a several-meter radius around the two of them into an absolute fire purification zone! All the vines and fragrances that invaded this zone were quickly reduced to ashes under the scorching heat of the two sacred flames!