"Enough, enough! Can't you all say a little less? Do you realize what time it is? How can you still have the leisure to argue here?" White Tiger scolded, glaring at Hot Temper. "I think all three of you make a good point. No matter whose life is at stake, we can't give up so easily. So, let's do as they suggested! We'll search for Little Tiger's family while keeping an eye out for the herbs needed to make the Yin Pill."
Seeing Hot Temper suppress his anger again, Hao Yun and the others didn't want to continue the confrontation. White Tiger then walked over to Little Tiger and said, "Since everyone has no objections, let's hurry up! Time waits for no one!"
Entering the Shining Forest, Hao Yun found it enveloped in a thick white mist, similar to the Foggy Forest on the planet Elrf. Although the mist here did not obscure vision entirely, it still impaired the already weakened sight of Hao Yun and his companions.
"Could Elina have shared memories with Gogolnikyeva? Why does this place look more and more like the Foggy Forest?" Hao Yun commented in the system.
"Who knows! But compared to here, I prefer the Foggy Forest. At least, aside from the Light Tribe Elves, there weren't any strange creatures," Dao Lao replied, pointing to the surrounding forest.
The reason Dao Lao said this was because since Hao Yun and the others entered the Shining Forest, they had been watched by various animals, played by audience members wearing red-nosed masks. Unlike the harmonious spectators standing together, Hao Yun also noticed a pack of audience members dressed as ferocious wolves not far away, tearing apart a staged deer carcass and guarding their "food" from the newcomers.
While Hao Yun and the others observed the surrounding animals, White Tiger, who was ahead with Little Tiger, pointed to the colorful mushrooms on the ground and warned, "Be careful not to step on those mushrooms! They are extremely dangerous. If crushed, their toxins will spray out and penetrate your body. Depending on the dose, you could suffer from prolonged paralysis or even death."
Recognizing the mushrooms and knowing their dangers, Hao Yun and the others quickly refocused on the path ahead after White Tiger's warning.
Under the watchful eyes of the anthropomorphic animals, the group continued for two more days. Although there were many wild beasts in the forest, the presence of three tigers—White Tiger, Hot Temper, and Little Tiger—made even the fiercest creatures keep their distance. This meant that apart from avoiding the poisonous mushrooms, they had little else to worry about.
The six of them walked through the seemingly endless forest, searching for signs of Little Tiger's parents or herbs needed for the Yin Pill. With no progress in either task, fatigue began to set in, causing a slight drop in their initial enthusiasm. Just as their morale was waning, a faint blue-green light appeared through the fog ahead, indicating a possible change.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
As the light grew stronger, the six of them broke through the dense fog and entered a brightly lit forest. Here, the grass and leaves emitted a magical blue-green glow, shimmering like a sparkling lake under a gentle breeze, creating a beautiful scene.
The fragrant scent of the glowing plants, reminiscent of jasmine, filled the air and invigorated everyone. They couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of this place.
"What a wonderful smell! So, this is why it's called the Shining Forest!" Dream Jia exclaimed, stretching contentedly in the refreshing aroma.
"Could these plants be the herbs we're looking for?" Dao Lao wondered aloud after admiring the unique forest.
Prompted by Dao Lao's question, the others quickly moved deeper into the glowing forest to investigate whether these magical plants were indeed the ingredients for the Yin Pill. Hao Yun and his companions were also curious about the village chief's previous statement that they would know what to do once they reached the Shining Forest. If these blue-green glowing plants were the herbs, would they naturally understand how to make the Yin Pill?
"Boom, boom, boom!"
As Hao Yun and the others anticipated new discoveries, unexpected explosions erupted in the treetops above. The sudden blasts jolted everyone out of their reverie.
"Ambush!" was everyone's immediate reaction. The lack of visible changes in the environment after the explosions quickly led them to realize that these blasts were not due to a natural disaster but were human-made.
Upon hearing the explosions, Hao Yun and his companions swiftly dove into the foliage, preparing for combat while remaining concealed. However, after the blasts subsided, nothing else occurred besides the acrid smoke settling around them and the broken branches and leaves scattered by the shockwave. Soon, the forest returned to its calm state.
Hao Yun, hidden within the bushes, held his breath to avoid inhaling too much smoke and began brushing off the branches and leaves that had fallen on him. But before he could finish, he sensed something was wrong. His skin, touched by the smoke and dust, started to redden, swell, and itch. Soon, the itching turned into a slight numbing sensation, followed by a sharp pain coursing through his body. His skin began to turn a shade of purple due to poor circulation.
Realizing the dust must be toxic, likely from the colorful mushrooms, Hao Yun understood they had fallen into a trap. The poison rapidly incapacitated him and his companions. Though their robust constitutions allowed them to resist the poison's full effects, White Tiger and Bad Temper were not as fortunate—they succumbed to the toxin's ferocious assault.
Meanwhile, Little Tiger, their guide, emerged unscathed, wielding a torch with a sinister glint in his eyes. His laughter echoed through the clearing as he reveled in their suffering.
As Hao Yun struggled to maintain consciousness, he observed his companions writhing in agony beside him. Despite their resilience, the poison overwhelmed them, causing their bodies to convulse and their minds to cloud.
Little Tiger explained his betrayal, revealing that he was the material needed for making the Tiger Pill and that he couldn't let anyone leave the forest alive. With a callous smile, he settled beside a luminescent tree and began munching on a carrot.
Despite their efforts to resist the poison, Hao Yun and his companions eventually succumbed, slipping into unconsciousness.
When they awoke, disoriented and surrounded by the familiar campfire, they realized they had been returned to the starting point of their mission—a stark reminder of their failure.
After a moment of silent reflection by the fire, Hao Yun finally broke the silence. "We failed," he muttered.
"Dying from poison feels worse than I imagined," Dream Jia added weakly.
"Now what?" Hao Yun asked, echoing a question he had posed since arriving in the Fragrant Nebula.