"Uh, this is the Drunken Spirit?"
Li Zhonglou was experiencing something both painful and pleasurable for the first time.
The moment the unprecedentedly dense spiritual energy surged into his lungs, it brought a clarity as if the top of his head had been opened, making him feel intoxicated.
However, the ensuing dizziness and brain fog were soul-piercing. It could be said that this thing had a strong start but a harmful aftereffect!
The two people ahead, sensing the anomaly behind them, turned around to see Li Zhonglou swaying. They instantly understood.
"You kid really couldn't hold back, could you? It's understandable; those who just entered won't behave unless they've experienced it."
Mei Niang chuckled. Beside her, Xiong Da praised, "Little Li is already quite good, managing to endure this long. How many newcomers can last for half an hour?"
Mei Niang snorted, perhaps due to the matter of the remnant soul, or perhaps because of the lecture she had received earlier. She clearly held some resentment towards Li Zhonglou now.
However, Li Zhonglou was still in the throes of the Drunken Spirit, his reaction to the outside world minimized to almost nothing, so naturally, he couldn't hear their words.
"Little Li, can you absorb a bit more? Elder An said this spiritual energy seems different from the outside."
Just as Li Zhonglou was about to use his spiritual power to expel the excess energy from his body, he paused upon hearing this.
"What do you mean?"
This spiritual energy was indeed much denser than the outside. If one were to use Southern soup as a comparison, the outside spiritual energy was like a large pot of soup with a few pieces of meat.
But the spiritual energy here was like half a pot of soup filled with half a pot of meat!
Still, the ingredients were the same. Li Zhonglou was a bit puzzled by En Si's mention of a difference.
En Si also expressed ignorance on this point, Elder An had only asked him to convey that sentence.
Li Zhonglou couldn't help but scratch his head. It was then that he noticed the two people ahead had stopped somewhere along the way.
"Why have you stopped?"
Mei Niang rolled her eyes, "How much longer do you need, kid? This Drunken Spirit is no small matter. If we encounter an ambush at a time like this, we can't guarantee we can protect you."
Not rushing while experiencing the Drunken Spirit was a rule among them at Red Coast.
"Oh, I'm fine now. We can continue. I'll be careful."
Li Zhonglou spoke with slight apology, only to find the expressions on their faces suddenly become a bit strange. However, neither of them said anything more, and they turned to lead the way again.
Strange.
Li Zhonglou mused but didn't dwell on it. Instead, he mentally instructed En Si to tell Elder An that this wasn't the right time and to wait for a suitable opportunity.
The rest of the journey was smooth. In less than half an hour, a river about three meters wide appeared within sight.
The banks of the river were flat. On the opposite side, a towering tree that reached the clouds was extremely conspicuous. Li Zhonglou, emerging from a patch of grass, noticed its presence immediately.
"What is this?"
Even though they were still about a thousand meters away, the tree's ancient and majestic aura rushed towards them, along with a refreshing scent, completely different from before, that entered their nostrils, making them feel invigorated with just a small inhale!
Refreshment!
Mei Niang's shock was not much less than Li Zhonglou's. Although she was considered experienced, this was her first time leaving a safe zone.
It was the experienced Xiong Da who spoke sternly, "Crossing this river is equivalent to leaving the safe zone. Outside the safe zone, there is a ten-kilometer buffer. Remember, no matter what happens, do not leave this buffer zone! Unless you have strength above the eighth level."
"What's different about it?"
Xiong Da nodded, "The spiritual energy in the safe zone and the buffer zone has been diluted by our predecessors. The spiritual energy outside is ten times more poisonous than the inside!"
Li Zhonglou looked astonished. This thing was only a tenth of its power now?
Recalling the sensation he had just experienced, Li Zhonglou instantly understood why, even after so many years and with masters of the eighth level emerging, the safe zone was only this small!
However, at that moment, a dark cloud suddenly appeared.
"Damn! Death Storm!"
Xiong Da's face changed drastically. Before they could react, he turned sharply, grabbing the two of them and running.
"Xiong Da, what is this? I've never heard of it."
Mei Niang was a bit confused. She had entered here quite a few times, but she had never heard of a "Death Storm."
"There's no time to explain! Let's get back to the camp! Only the camp's spiritual barrier can withstand this thing!"
Xiong Da's tone was extremely anxious. The two could even hear the panic in his voice, and their hearts sank instantly.
Li Zhonglou glanced back at the suddenly appearing dark cloud. It had only been a few seconds since it appeared, but it was now less than a kilometer above their heads.
"No time!"
Li Zhonglou's eyes narrowed. He could feel a faint aura of death from the completely dark sky.
This thing was definitely not ordinary!
Xiong Da's figure suddenly stopped. Li Zhonglou's words made his face fill with despair. However, seeing the darkness rapidly approaching them, he couldn't care about anything else and yelled, "Quick, establish a camp here!"
Mei Niang was still a bit lost, but Li Zhonglou reacted first. He immediately used his internal energy to blast a large pit in the ground beneath his feet.
Then, he deepened it bit by bit with his palm wind.
Xiong Da next to him did the same. Although Mei Niang was a beat slower to react, she wasn't foolish and joined in.
In less than ten seconds, a simple defensive pit line was formed.
Xiong Da jumped into it first, with Li Zhonglou being the last. He casually used his internal energy to move the surrounding soil.
Mei Niang then noticed how tacitly they cooperated. As the soil was being moved in, not only did Li Zhonglou jump down first, but Xiong Da also supported him with his internal energy.
With this, the three of them were buried in the soil.
Only then did Mei Niang ask, "Xiong Da, what exactly is going on?"
Xiong Da felt the presence above being temporarily covered and breathed a sigh of relief, lamenting, "Mei Niang, we might really be done for this time."
"Say what you have to say quickly!"
Mei Niang clearly had a temper, especially in this kind of unknown crisis. If it weren't for herself, she probably would have already started fighting.
Li Zhonglou also frowned, staring intently at Xiong Da. Although the space was small and plunged into darkness, his night vision ability was several times that of ordinary cultivators.
He could clearly see the pores on Xiong Da's face!
"The Death Storm is a unique weather phenomenon outside the safe zone. Under this black cloud, not only are there fierce beasts above the eighth level, but if you inhale even a small mouthful of the air, you will instantly die!"