As Xia Changchuan's words faded, the pitch-black swamp trembled layer upon layer, growing more and more violent.
With a whoosh, a creature sprang out. It was a one-eyed toad the size of a small hill. The toad was entirely purplish-red, with a deep crimson giant eye on its head, flashing a cruel red light as if searching for something.
"The Mysterious Yang Toad has emerged. The Yin-Lie Water Eel must be nearby too. Everyone, be cautious. Whether we can obtain the Yin-Yuan Fruit depends on this battle!" The tall and thin old man from the Taoist sect shouted.
Just as everyone was focused on the Mysterious Yang Toad, a seemingly insignificant wetland on the left side of the toad suddenly stirred slightly. If one observed carefully, it would be noticed that there seemed to be a snake-like creature wriggling beneath that wetland.
The strange fragrance in the void grew thicker. Sniffing greedily a few times, Ding Hao felt refreshed and invigorated. He secretly marveled that the Yin-Yuan Fruit must be an extraordinary rare treasure. Although the fruit's trace had not yet been seen, the fragrance it emitted alone had already made the cultivators quite comfortable.
Both the Taoist and Demon sects grasped their weapons and magic treasures, coldly staring at the changes in the central swamp. Suddenly, a protrusion appeared in the mud in the very center. In the blink of an eye, a huge and strange flower with lush leaves emerged. Although everyone had been closely watching this place, they had not seen how the strange flower had appeared, as if it had been there all along.
The strange flower was supported by three yellow, red, and blue petals, with three fist-sized vermilion fruits. The intense fragrance was emanating from these three vermilion fruits.
Seeing the strange flower suddenly appear, both the people from the Demon and Taoist sects stared greedily at it. Even the Mysterious Yang Toad that had just emerged had its single eye flashing fiercely.
The people and beasts from the Taoist and Demon sects seemed to have some scruples. Although extremely greedy and constantly tightening their grip on their magic tools, none of them made a move.
At this moment, a black line seemed to be constantly moving beneath the mud. When the black line was only a few yards away from the strange flower, the people and beasts who had been observing finally noticed this change.
"I was wondering where the Yin-Lie Water Eel was. So this beast was hiding beneath the mud. Hehe, everyone, get ready!" Xia Changchuan sneered.
As soon as he finished speaking, the single eye of the Mysterious Yang Toad flashed a red light, and a croak suddenly rang out. Its ugly frog mouth opened, and a stream of intense fire rushed towards the wriggling black line. Just as the fire was about to reach the black line, a three-yard-long water eel suddenly shot up from the mud into the sky. The Yin-Lie Water Eel was greenish-yellow all over. Before it landed, it spat out an ice arrow.
The high temperature that had risen due to the fire suddenly dropped. With a squeak, the ice and fire collided and melted.
The Yin-Lie Water Eel had just landed and then moved towards the strange flower. The Mysterious Yang Toad was not to be outdone either. It spat out two more streams of intense fire from its mouth. The toad's body, which was like a small hill, also shook and quickly chased after the Yin-Lie Water Eel. The Yin-Lie Water Eel, seeing the intense fire approaching from behind, had to turn around and fight. Moments later, the fire and ice arrows collided in the void with a deafening boom, as dazzling as exploding fireworks. The two creatures fighting gradually moved away from the area where the strange flower was.
The fragrance filling the air grew even thicker.
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"This is the moment we've been waiting for. Let's make a move!" A long laugh suddenly rang out from the Taoist sect. As soon as the voice fell, they flew towards the center of the swamp one after another on their flying swords, leaving only two disciples at the Heart-Awakening stage to guard the camp.
The people from the Demon sect also rose into the air at the same time. Four or five figures whooshed towards the people from the Taoist sect. Still dozens of yards away, the sword glows were already reaching out to attack. Moments later, sword qi crisscrossed, and everyone fought on their own.
The Demon sect also left three disciples at the Heart-Awakening stage, all of whom were intently watching the two groups fighting.
At this moment, Ding Hao retreated dozens of steps. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he summoned the Eight-Winged Purple Python from his storage ring. A black glow suddenly leaped into the swamp. With a soft sound, it disappeared as if nothing had happened.
After doing all this, Ding Hao came to the three Heart-Awakening stage disciples of the Demon sect. Casually, he asked a rather good-looking female disciple, "Senior sister, do you know why there are such changes in the field? I'm new here and really confused."
After a while, the woman seemed to come to her senses. She turned her head and glanced at Ding Hao, saying, "With a cultivation level at the Fusion stage and knowing nothing about the Boundless Swamp. Are you really extremely bold or just stupid?"
After speaking, she turned her head again and continued to watch the people fighting.
Although it was just a glance, Ding Hao thought this woman was rather charming. Although she didn't have the peerless beauty of Feng Xingran, she was still a rare beauty. This woman's bones were as broad as a man's. She was only half a head shorter than Ding Hao. Paired with her angular and pretty face, she had a certain masculine heroic air.
"I originally came to the Boundless Swamp with my master to search for the traces of the Blood Demon Lie Shan. Unexpectedly, we discovered a nearly ripe Yin-Yuan Fruit here. We wanted to pick it immediately but found that the Yin-Yuan Fruit was protected by other spiritual creatures. During the struggle, it was noticed by the people from the Taoist sect. There have been two big battles, and both sides have suffered losses. If we can't pick the Yin-Yuan Fruit this time, it will return to the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. So we must obtain this thing no matter what!" Ding Hao was about to ask something when the woman with her back turned slowly told the reason.
"So that's it. Thank you, senior sister, for telling me!" Ding Hao said in a deep voice.
The woman seemed not to have heard Ding Hao's words and ignored him.
Turning his head, Ding Hao saw that the situation in the swamp had changed drastically. The two creatures that had originally moved away, seeing the figures and sword glows flashing above the strange flower, seemed to have a tacit understanding and swam towards the people from the Taoist and Demon sects who were fighting.
When they were about eight yards away from the strange flower, they opened their mouths and shot out streams of intense fire and ice arrows towards the people in the void. Amid the curses, everyone hurriedly dodged. A middle-aged Taoist priest from the Taoist sect was accidentally hit by an ice arrow. Before he landed, he turned into an ice pillar. Xia Changchuan's sword glow just swept past, and he was turned from an ice pillar into several pieces of ice. He died an unclear death.
Seeing the power of the ice arrow, everyone gasped in horror. They dodged the ice arrows and intense fire in the air even more desperately and occasionally sent out sword glows to attack the two creatures on the ground.
Ding Hao was dazzled by this series of changes. He secretly rejoiced that he had not acted rashly and quickly used his mind to notify the Eight-Winged Purple Python to continue to lurk.
At this moment, the blooming strange flower trembled slightly. The flower stem seemed to shrink a few inches into the swamp.
Seeing this change, the people in the chaotic battle all changed their expressions drastically.
"Not good. Hurry up and seize the opportunity to collect the Yin-Yuan Fruit. It will be too late when the flower stem is completely sunk into the mud!" The mummy-like man from the Demon sect screamed in alarm.
Hearing this, everyone attacked each other while moving closer to the strange flower. The battle escalated again. The two creatures on the ground also ignored the people in the air and rushed towards the strange flower recklessly.
The tall and thin old man from the Taoist sect was the quickest. In an instant, he rushed above the strange flower. Just as he was about to reach out and pick it, two ice arrows and intense fire suddenly appeared in his line of sight. His body paused and then he soared into the air again, narrowly avoiding the ice arrows and intense fire that were about to hit him.
At this time, the toad suddenly spat out its red inner core. Once the inner core emerged, the light of the intense fire grew even stronger. The ice arrows in the air that had just been shot out were instantly turned into a sky full of water mist. The toad, with the power of the inner core, had already reached the side of the strange flower.
Seeing this change, everyone attacked the toad even more desperately. But the toad withstood the attacks with its inner core and continued to move forward. The surging flames dissolved the attacks one by one. Just as it was about to open its mouth and swallow the strange flower and its fruit, a bone-chilling cold light and a rising white jade inner core shot towards the toad.
It turned out that at this moment, the Yin-Lie Water Eel had finally risked its life and spat out its water eel inner core that it had cultivated with its life. The arrogant toad was forced to turn around and control its red inner core to suppress the white jade inner core.
A deafening explosion! The momentum of the collision of the two cores was like splitting mountains and the earth. The cold currents and hot waves shot out uncontrollably in all directions. After such a head-on collision, both creatures retreated a little.
At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on the two creatures fighting. Suddenly, a python-like monster with two wings sprang out beside the blooming strange flower and fruit. As soon as the monster appeared, it swallowed the strange flower and its fruit root and all into its huge bloody mouth.
"Eight-Winged Purple Python! How could there be such a fierce creature!" Finally, someone noticed this change and shouted in alarm.