As Zhang Tian handed over the gas mask, Zhang Qilin nodded and accepted it.
Watching Zhang Qilin put on the mask, Zhang Tian's gaze returned to the two large mountains before them.
Zhang Tian had excellent eyesight and could see far, but the situation inside the valley remained very blurry.
The group once again reached the area where the medicinal fragrance had been before.
Indeed, after putting on the gas masks, the smell of the medicine was significantly reduced.
"It feels no different from other mountains and rivers."
Looking around, Xiao Guang murmured.
He had looked for a long time but could find no clue.
"Danger always lurks in the dark," Zhang Tian said, beginning to walk into the valley.
Upon entering the valley, Zhang Tian was startled to see a winding river.
The riverbed was not large; it felt like a small stream.
The river had come from another direction.
Just as Hu Bayi had said, the previous "corpse accumulation ground" had changed the entire course of the river.
"This is too strange, it actually works."
Professor Li and Xiao Guang looked at the riverbed before them, feeling incredulous.
They had thought it was just something Hu Bayi said, but it was real.
Could there truly be a force capable of changing nature, even altering the flow of rivers?
"This valley is dark and damp, with countless poisonous insects. Everyone be careful, watch your step," Hu Bayi cautioned.
Professor Li and the other were even more cautious.
The vast valley was as if it had been split open by an axe.
The valley was extremely dark, and with the river, it was exceptionally damp.
On both sides of the riverbed, countless skeletons were piled up along the edges.
This place likely hadn't seen visitors for thousands of years, and the surrounding scene looked desolate and eerie.
"So many skeletons," Fatty said as he walked.
"Hey, boss, why do those skeletons look like they're crawling towards the river? Why are they so close to the riverbed?" Fatty asked curiously.
The skeletons on both sides had died in strange ways.
Their bodies were positioned close to the riverbed, as if seeking water.
"This spring passed through a place of extreme yin, flowed through the land of corpses, and eventually became a pool of yin water. Therefore, these skeletons, before they completely died, instinctively sought out such a place," Zhang Tian explained, not finding it particularly unusual.
After Zhang Tian spoke, he noticed something was off with Zhang Qilin.
At this moment, Zhang Qilin seemed to be drawn to something, his eyes fixed on the distance ahead. His expression had become slightly serious.
"What's wrong?" Zhang Tian looked at Zhang Qilin, his voice not loud.
"There are so many medicinal herbs over there," Zhang Qilin replied.
His expression was hard to read, but his actions confirmed he was somewhat excited.
"Let's go take a look."
Without hesitation, Zhang Tian and Zhang Qilin moved in a flash, reaching the location of the herbs almost instantly.
In the dim mountain cave, the few herbs seemed like stars, twinkling with faint light.
"Scorpion Grass, Poisonous Plum Blossom," Zhang Tian gasped, looking at the two herbs before him.
Both of these herbs were highly poisonous.
They could be used to refine potent poisonous elixirs.
Just one such elixir would be unbearable even for a Grandmaster.
However, refining such elixirs was extremely difficult.
A multitude of rare medicinal ingredients were required.
And among them, the most precious were the two Zhang Tian saw before him.
"What are these? They look quite strange, and the flowers are quite vibrant," Xiao Guang asked, looking at the flowers before him, his face showing curiosity.
"I suggest you don't try to touch them, or even smell their fragrance," Zhang Tian said calmly.
Xiao Guang and Professor Li were puzzled.
They could understand not touching them, as they might be poisonous, but not smelling them seemed absurd. Could some plants really be so toxic that even smelling them was forbidden?
"Are these flowers extremely poisonous?" Xiao Guang asked.
"Scorpion Grass, Poisonous Plum Blossom. This Poisonous Plum Blossom is not our common plum blossom but another plant. They grow in extremely dark places, using their vibrant colors to attract animals to pick them. They then release fragrant, poisonous gas to kill enemies, and the enemies' corpses become their nourishment," Zhang Tian explained. He knew about such medicinal knowledge.
"That's amazing," Xiao Guang and Professor Li were both awestruck. They never imagined such plants existed in nature.
"Does that mean the smell we encountered earlier when we entered was the scent from these flowers?" Shirley Yang asked.
Zhang Tian did not deny it.
"Possibly, but not entirely. If it was indeed produced by these flowers, then there must have been an extremely large number of them," Zhang Tian said, looking at the flowers before him.
The Poisonous Plum Blossoms were vividly colored. They were composed of deep red, with four petals and yellow stamens within. The stamens also held some yellow pollen, making them look very beautiful. Coupled with a fragrance they emitted, it was unlikely any animal could ignore the scent.
"While these herbs are highly poisonous, they are also extremely precious," Zhang Tian said. He took out a small box and then carefully picked the two herbs from the ground. Of course, he did not touch them with his bare hands. After all, Zhang Tian was unsure if he could be immune to such toxins.
With both herbs collected, Zhang Tian's anticipation for the Medicine King Valley grew even stronger. After all, before even fully entering, he had already found so many medicinal ingredients. If he entered, how abundant would it be? Rare herbs everywhere, rare elixirs everywhere. Just thinking about it made Zhang Tian's heart race.
"Holy crap, boss, come quick!" Suddenly, while Zhang Tian and the others were still thinking about the two poisonous plants, Fatty's voice came from the side. He sounded excited and shocked.
Zhang Tian followed the sound and looked. Fatty was standing on a large platform. And Fatty was pointing not far away, where the riverbanks were littered with countless more skeletons. Most importantly, vibrant flowers had bloomed on those skeletons. Those vibrant flowers looked incredibly eerie, blooming on the bones. They were like Lycoris radiata, blooming everywhere. A mass of jumbled skeletons was spread out, and the flowers resembled a sea of blossoms, possessing a strange beauty.
"What is this..." Professor Li and Xiao Guang looked at the flowers blooming on the skeletons, both stunned by the sight.
On the scene, countless people looked at the flower sea, unable to speak. Violent aesthetics, while a form of aesthetics, had never been advocated. This was because such aesthetics had to be built upon violence, blood, and so on. Although not advocated, there were still creators of this kind. At the scene, a man with a sketchbook and glasses, upon seeing the sea of flowers, was stunned. This was exactly the aesthetic scene he had spent his life searching for.