Chapter 258 - 181: Breaking Free, Gains, Secret Technique, Thousand-Year Red Ginseng

Chapter 258: Chapter 181: Breaking Free, Gains, Secret Technique, Thousand-Year Red Ginseng

Zhao Zuo caught up to the pair in just a few seconds. The three of them stood in the passage connecting the inner and outer sections, staring at the blood-red vines that now filled the entire outer Spirit Medicine Garden.

They looked like a nest of snakes, strikingly crimson, coiled and gnarled together. The thickest vines were about ten centimeters in diameter, like giant pythons on the hunt. As if a predator had opened its massive maw to devour all life before it, they tangled together into a dense mass, forming a complex, maze-like pattern that exuded a suffocating, evil aura.

The path ahead was blocked. It seemed this Demonized Plant had no intention of letting three delectable prey escape.

The color of these vines was so rich and vibrant, they looked as if they were dripping with fresh blood. As they swayed, they released a faint purple gas that quickly mixed with the surrounding air.

"You never told me they could leave the inner section," Zhao Zuo said. He then took out two thick stacks of Talismans from his Storage Bag and handed them to Liu Heng and Wang Yao’er.

"This isn’t a handout. Once you’ve used them, you’ll reimburse me with Spirit Stones."

’He was only here to save them for the Thousand-Year Red Ginseng, not to run a charity.’

"No problem, no problem."

Liu Heng immediately accepted the Fire Series Talismans. During their first encounter with the Demon Plant, they had tried to break out but had already exhausted their small supply of Fire Series Talismans. That was how they had been forced into the secret chamber at the very core of the area.

"Let’s keep breaking through," Zhao Zuo said. Even now, he had no intention of completely destroying the Demonized Plant. ’After all, these vines are just the plant’s offensive appendages. Its life-or-death root system must be deep underground, impossible to attack. That gives it an Innate, unbeatable advantage.’

"Alright," Liu Heng said, stepping in front of Wang Yao. It was a simple step, yet he looked like a loyal knight protecting his beloved princess. Zhao Zuo chuckled at the sight before focusing his gaze back on the blood-red vines before them.

His Mana began to flow. Jar after jar of fire oil was thrown out, shattering as they hit the ground. A viscous, greenish-brown liquid spread across the floor, and in the next second, it was ignited... A fierce blaze erupted!

The blood-red vines avoided the flaming areas and closed in on the trio from all sides. Some vines shot forward like spears, others swung down from above like longswords, and still others lashed out like supple whips. Zhao Zuo was like a warrior on a battlefield, thrown into a chaotic melee where he was vastly outnumbered.

The Black Flame flared like the wings of Fallen Angels. The moment Zhao Zuo swung his Black Flame Saber, a scorching heat erupted. The fire spread outward through the air in black rings, clashing with the blood-red vines to form an unbreakable line of defense. With every impact, the vines let out a sharp, hissing shriek.

Liu Heng and Wang Yao stared at Zhao Zuo’s form wreathed in Black Flame, sensing his abundant, ocean-like Mana. The gap between them was as vast as the chasm between heaven and earth, and they couldn’t help but feel a sense of despair.

Zhao Zuo pushed forward, constantly throwing out Talismans and fire oil while relentlessly swinging his Black Flame Saber. Each swing was heavy and powerful, as if he were wielding a massive battle-axe, cleaving sharp arcs of blade light through the air.

Empowered by his Mana... every one of his attacks seemed poised to set the entire space ablaze.

However, the blood-red vines displayed a toughness rivaling that of a Magical Artifact. Some of the blade arcs couldn’t even sever the vines; instead, it was the clinging Black Flame that inflicted the most damage.

Talismans, fire oil, and raging flames—the three combined to release an incredibly scorching heat.

The ground underfoot grew dry and cracked, and the air became thick and choking. Dense smoke billowed as the burning vines let out a sharp CRACKLING and released an incredibly acrid smog.

Of course, wearing the Silver Breath Mask, Zhao Zuo could neither smell the stench nor inhale the smoke.

By now, Zhao Zuo had already used up half of the fire oil in his Storage Bag. He had to pick up the pace.

Zhao Zuo took a deep breath, drawing in sufficient oxygen from the Silver Breath Mask, and began swinging his saber even faster. The passage to the outside was just ahead. He glanced over his shoulder at the other two and, seeing they hadn’t fallen too far behind, pressed his assault forward.

He strode ever forward, plunging into a world made of blood-red vines. As he went, he swung his saber to parry the attacking tendrils around him, making it look effortless.

Liu Heng and Wang Yao were in much worse shape. Even with Zhao Zuo shouldering most of the pressure, the pair were still getting wounded by the blood-red vines’ assaults, forcing them to fight back amidst the chaos.

Amidst the blood-red vines, Zhao Zuo was like a solitary Star, radiating an unyielding heat. His figure, illuminated by the Black Flame, looked tall and imposing—like a Divine being who had mastered fire.

’I don’t have to defeat the enemy. I just need to carve a path to the outside through this crimson world. That’s enough. So... I just have to keep moving forward, keep pushing onward!’

The entire Spirit Medicine Garden was now engulfed in fire. The scorching flames licked at the surrounding rock walls, also destroying the remnant Arrays within the Cave Mansion.

Zhao Zuo continued to push forward, and the blood-red vines gradually retreated as if driven back by the intense heat. They only occasionally burst from the ground to harass the trio’s advance.

Left with no choice, Zhao Zuo could only continue to set fires and press onward.

It took the trio about five minutes to cover the distance of over a hundred meters. The blood-red vines’ assault was no longer as ferocious as before. Now, it was like a Hunter, reluctant to let its prey escape but unwilling to pay too great a price to stop them.