"Hiss... hiss..." The Skeleton Horse gasped raggedly at this moment, pawing restlessly at the ground with its forelegs. The purple flames in its eyes flared, and it charged toward the distant gate like a reckless rhinoceros. That gate already looked dilapidated, and the brute force of the charge shattered it completely.

As the gate disintegrated, the Skeleton Horse itself dissolved into white bone dust, a wave of cold air sweeping in from beyond the broken entrance, blowing the powder toward Ye Xiu and Old Liu.

"Achoo..." Old Liu accidentally inhaled a mouthful of the dust and couldn't stop sneezing. He pinched his nose, grumbling, "This damned Skeleton Horse, it chose to die, fine, but why drag that gate down with it."

Ye Xiu walked toward the gate, brushing off the dust and debris. Hidden behind the gate was a cavern, bottomless and emitting a chill that made one's teeth chatter. "Don't blame the horse entirely. It actually did us a favor. See? The next mechanism awaits you."

Old Liu ambled over. He had intended to lean against the door frame and chat with Ye Xiu for a bit, but he misjudged his footing and slipped, tumbling headfirst into the cavern. "Damn it, this isn't the way out..."

Seeing someone take the lead, Ye Xiu immediately followed, leaping into the dark void. Though the cavern was pitch black, there seemed to be no immediate danger. He braced himself against the wall, sliding down as if riding an express elevator, feeling quite carefree: "Yee-haw..."

"Ugh, that hurt." Old Liu tumbled several times before finally managing to stand up. Just then, a dense swarm of bats shot out from the cavern depths, startling him into crouching down and covering his head. "What kind of hole is this, it's so long..."

Ye Xiu smiled faintly and pointed toward a light ahead. "Relax, we're almost there. I wonder what kind of world is waiting for us outside."

"Pfft..." Old Liu spilled out of the opening first. However, below the exit wasn't a sheer drop but a stretch of lush, verdant grass, though the color of the grass was distinctly strange.

Ye Xiu hopped down lightly, landing amidst the grass. It felt soft and spongy underfoot, intermittently releasing thick clouds of green mist that carried a subtle fragrance. He nudged Old Liu with his foot. "Didn't crash to death, did you? Get up and see if this counts as paradise."

Old Liu also caught the scent of the grass. He looked up at the surroundings, astonishment coloring his features. "Wow, I never expected the Red Cliff Graveyard to hide scenery this ethereal. The view in this gorge rivals those famous tourist spots."

Ye Xiu looked up. They were indeed in a deep, elongated gorge. The walls on both sides were draped in emerald-green moss, over which clear water trickled. Beneath the water bloomed flowers of every hue, growing in dense patches, resembling the tantalizing beauty of a maiden, yet hesitant to fully reveal themselves.

Old Liu was captivated, but his sharp nose soon detected something amiss. "Don't you think the smell around us is a bit off?"

"You mean this grassy fragrance?" Ye Xiu pointed to the ground. The patches of grass had shifted from deep green to a rich violet, and the rising purple haze carried a powerful aroma. "You think this scent is problematic..."

Old Liu felt a sudden dizziness. He shook his head. "Crap, I knew something was wrong. This is Soul-Shattering Grass. Its poisonous fragrance causes weakness and loss of strength."

"You... didn't say so earlier." Upon hearing this, Ye Xiu felt his legs turn to jelly. He half-knelt on the ground, a wave of nausea rising. "What do we do... you... you must have a plan."

"Buzz buzz buzz..." Before either of them could recover, a cacophony echoed through the gorge. Giant bees, their abdomens bristling with long stingers, charged toward them.

The bees were as large as a man's arm. Ye Xiu immediately summoned his Black Flame and engaged them. While the Black Flame could incinerate them, their sheer numbers were overwhelming. "Run, Old Liu!"

Old Liu sprang up but couldn't move quickly enough. The toxic gas from the Soul-Shattering Grass had severely weakened his system. He drew his sword and managed to swat down several bees, but it was useless. "I want to run, but... but my legs won't obey!"

Ye Xiu's feet also began to tingle painfully. He strained forward while dragging Old Liu along, the two moving deeper into the gorge, while the ferocious swarm behind them descended like a long, serpentine ribbon from the heavens.

"Come, come, take a whiff of this." At some point, Old Liu fumbled out a dark, pill-like object from somewhere. "This is Sneeze Powder. Just smelling it will induce several sneezes, blowing out the toxic dust. We'll be fine."

Ye Xiu cursed inwardly and brought his nose close. A choking, pungent odor erupted from the pill, instantly sending him into a fit of tears and sneezes. "Achoo... achoo... what kind of miraculous medicine is this?"

"Achoo... achoo..." Old Liu was sneezing just as violently. Surprisingly, the charging swarm of giant bees paused, seemingly stunned by Old Liu's explosive sneezes. "Who cares what it is! It's a specialty of Old Liu's! Damn it, I feel much better!"

"Buzz buzz buzz..." Stunned by the sudden event, the swarm began beating its wings frantically. The lead bee reached Old Liu, its abdominal stinger extending to pierce his head.

Old Liu quickly ducked, narrowly dodging the attack. However, the bee's long stinger drove deep into the cliff face behind him, effectively wedging the insect into a crack in the rock.

"Swish..." Seeing the giant bee trapped and unable to escape, Ye Xiu brought down his sword, aiming to pierce its body. But the creature was covered in a hard carapace; the Sky-Scrutiny Sword merely bounced off. "Blast! Can't handle it directly. Let's retreat deeper into the gorge. There are so many plants in there; they might not be as agile."

Old Liu nodded and sprang into the deeper part of the gorge. He moved with surprising agility, using the cliff walls to glide, and at every turn, he leaped, landing momentarily on the massive leaves of some plants. The leaves curled inward, seemingly ready to snatch him as food. "Is... is this some kind of oversized Pitcher Plant?"

Ye Xiu jumped to the other side. Looking up, he saw Old Liu positioned directly beneath a huge plant. It was entirely green, with a towering, trumpet-shaped head suspended in the air, rotating its head as if searching for prey. "Old Liu, just wait up there for those bees to get you!"

Old Liu understood immediately—Ye Xiu was planning to use him as bait. He made a gesture of disdain toward Ye Xiu. Just then, the swarm of bees staggered into the gorge, their attention instantly locking onto Old Liu perched above. They formed a circular perimeter, resembling a hunting formation.

"That's it..." Ye Xiu stood beneath the colossal Pitcher Plant, signaling to Old Liu. "Don't run too soon. Wait until they come down a bit lower."

"I know!" Old Liu grew impatient. He crouched low, eyes glued to the bees overhead. Suddenly, the swarm dove in, intending to impale him.

"Whoosh!" The giant Pitcher Plant's head swung like a pendulum, instantly swallowing the leading bees. Furthermore, it seemed unrestrained by the length of its stalk, leaping up to engulf some bees before they had even fully descended.

Old Liu was thrown off balance by the sheer force of the plant's movement and tumbled onto the ground, muttering, "Damn it, what's with these Pitcher Plants? They can jump!"

"Whoosh!" At that moment, countless Pitcher Plant heads suspended in the air above the gorge sprang upward. The previously arrogant bees were swallowed whole in an instant—a scene both dramatically theatrical and terribly brutal. The plants' mouths seemed lined with tough teeth, crushing the bees into explosive sprays of thick fluid upon entry.

One wave had barely passed when another arose. Ye Xiu turned around and nearly jumped out of his skin at the sight behind him. Half the gorge was now covered by these purplish-red Pitcher Plants. He glanced around; there was only one passage through the gorge, and that path was now obstructed by the deadly flora. "I doubt even your sword flight will work this time; these things jump!"

Old Liu, shaken but pressed by necessity, had to face this sea of carnivorous plants. He looked up; the cliff walls on both sides were covered in vines, suggesting that careful navigation might allow them to bypass this area. He summoned his sword and ascended into the air. "Whether you follow or not is up to you."

Ye Xiu chuckled and leaped up to stand behind Old Liu. From above, the Pitcher Plants swayed their heads over the expanse below. Some had their mouths wide open, revealing rows of rotating teeth; others simply hung there, waiting for the two to fall into their grasp. "Let's go, be careful."

"Mm!" Old Liu's expression grew grim. He gestured, and the Demon-Breaking Sword shot forward. But as soon as the blade entered the attack zone of the Pitcher Plants, one leaped up, attempting to devour them both.

Seeing the plant's jaws about to snap shut, Ye Xiu unleashed his Black Flame and blasted into the creature's mouth. The attack sprayed out disgusting, thick fluid and knocked the Pitcher Plant back to the ground. "Good, at least this one is manageable."

"One is manageable, but look at this many!" Old Liu swiftly maneuvered his body. Several Pitcher Plants were now leaping from all directions, cornering them. "Fight them off!"

Ye Xiu raised his Sky-Scrutiny Sword, bathing the entire gorge in a crimson light. The red energy struck several plants, instantly slicing them into tattered remains. "With me here, there's no problem! Push through!"

"Clang!" Just as Ye Xiu felt confident, the circle of plants below seemed to sense the threat from the sword. Slender stems and leaves suddenly sprouted from their bodies, instantly enveloping them entirely, looking like a newly hardened layer of armor.

"They're evolving!" Old Liu barely registered the change before his sword was hit by a massive impact. A larger Pitcher Plant had rammed them, knocking both of them off the Demon-Breaking Sword.

"Whoa!" As Ye Xiu was airborne, a Pitcher Plant targeted him and swallowed him whole. Just as the upper and lower jaws were about to close, he drove the Sky-Scrutiny Sword into the plant's mouth. With the sword wedged there, the jaws were forcibly propped open.

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