Chapter 902: Tiger's Lair and Dragon's Pond (I)

At Pan Yuyin's suggestion, Xunzhen left a large number of troops in Shenzhou on standby, and only brought Abaolu, Xiao Yang, Su Hu, and Xun Budao with him for protection.

After resting for a day at Tianyuan Inn, the group set off for Changbai Mountain the next morning.

There was no conversation along the way. On October 25, Xunzhen and his party successfully entered the territory of Changbai Mountain.

In the morning, they packed up in the small town at the foot of the mountain and then headed into the vast mountains.

After entering the mountain, they could no longer take a carriage and could only walk. Therefore, Xunzhen ordered Abaolu, Xiaoyang, Suhu, and Xun Budao to form a group of two and take turns to carry the weak Liu Xunyi up the mountain in a bamboo sedan chair.

Xunzhen secretly ordered Abaolu and the other three that no matter when and where, one of them must stay close to Tang Afu to prevent him from suddenly attacking Liu Xunyi.

Under Pan Yuyin's guidance, they walked and stopped among the mountains and peaks. Surrounded by mountains and waters, wandering along the winding roads, along the way, there were picturesque scenery, exotic flowers and plants, warblers chirping in the forest, fish leaping and kites flying, all of which made people feel refreshed and relaxed.

At first, they could see many traces of woodcutters and hunters in the mountains, but as they walked, they didn't know when there were fewer and fewer people around. At noon, they stepped into a misty mountain wilderness, and the surrounding scenery gradually became less attractive than before.

There were strange rocks standing in all directions, with ferocious shapes, swift waterfalls, and turbulent waves. There were no more flowers blooming along the way, and no magpies nesting in the forest. Only birds and animals were visible and the cries of monkeys and cranes came and went.

The towering trees blocked out the warm autumn sunshine. The damp and muddy forest looked eerie against the backdrop of the fog. The rotting leaves mixed with the smell of earth gave off a pungent and unpleasant smell. Especially the feeling of loneliness and desolation with no trace of human habitation in sight made people feel uneasy and lonely.

"Miss Pan, how big is Changbai Mountain?"

"There are mountains and rivers, and it's endless as far as the eye can see." Pan Yuyin recalled, "I heard from Mr. Huang Yangming that this mountain range stretches for nearly 3,000 miles, with thousands of springs, streams and waterfalls, and more than a hundred peaks of various sizes. Even he couldn't walk all of them."

"Where is the Tiger's Den and Dragon's Pond?" Xunzhen asked again.

"There is a Tianchi Lake in Changbai Mountain with a radius of more than ten miles, and more than ten towering peaks surround the lake. There is a peak named "Zixia" on the east side of Tianchi Lake, and a peak named "Huagai" to the northwest of Zixia. The Tiger Cave Dragon Pool is between the two peaks."

"So, isn't the Tiger's Lair and Dragon's Pond located in the canyon..."

"Watch out for snakes!"

Before Xunzhen finished speaking, Pan Yuyin, who was leading the way, suddenly had a change of look in her eyes, let out a scream, subconsciously pushed Xunzhen away, and jumped to the side.

Then, a spotted snake swooped out from the wild vines at lightning speed. It failed to attack Pan Yuyin and Xunzhen, so it spit out its core and bared its venomous fangs and pounced on Abaolu who was following closely behind them.

"what……"

The snake was so fast that Abaolu was caught off guard and could hardly dodge. Before he could draw his sword, the spotted snake had already sunk its fangs deep into his calf, causing him to curse loudly in pain.

"bass!"

"call!"

"Click..."

It happened in a flash. At the moment when the poisonous snake bit Abaolu, Tang Afu flew over, his sword flashed, blood splattered three steps, and he cut off the snake's head. The remaining half of the snake's tail twisted and rolled in the grass.

"damn it!"

Abaolu gritted his teeth and pulled the snake's head off his calf. When the fangs were removed from the muscle, a strand of half-red, half-yellow mucus came out, shocking everyone.

"do not move!"

Tang Afu's eyes changed, and he moved as fast as lightning. In the blink of an eye, he sealed the acupuncture points on Abaolu's leg, and then raised his sword to stab his calf. "You...what do you want to do?"

"Save your life!"

Before he finished speaking, the ruthless sword had already pierced Abaolu's skin, cutting about two inches deep. The sword tip rubbed against his shin and suddenly flipped outwards. A stream of red and yellow blood mixed with a strong fishy smell gushed out in the bloody mess. Abaolu's facial features were distorted and his whole body was trembling in pain. The people watching were terrified and smacked their lips repeatedly.

"Son of a bitch……"

As Abaolu shouted and cursed, the speed at which the red and yellow blood oozed out slowly slowed down, and the color gradually turned into deep red.

Seeing this, Pan Yuyin rushed forward to help him clean the wound, apply medicine and bandage it. After working for about an incense stick of time, Abaolu's life and his leg were barely saved.

"Fortunately, this snake's venom is not strong, otherwise you would have lost your leg if not died." Tang Afu picked up the slightly squirming half of the snake, peeled it open with his sword, took out the snake gall, and handed it to Abaolu, who was sweating profusely, "Swallow it."

Abaolu and Xunzhen looked at each other, hesitated for a moment, then snatched the snake gall and swallowed it whole. The greasy and bitter taste made his stomach churn and he retched.

"We have entered the heart of the forest. Everyone, unseal the medicine bags I prepared in advance and hang them around your waist. From now on, you must replace a new bag every half an hour to prevent the medicine bag from becoming ineffective." After saying that, Pan Yuyin walked to Liu Xunyi's side, personally hung the medicine bag around his waist, and took out a silk handkerchief to gently cover Liu Xunyi's mouth and nose, explaining, "Brother Liu, the miasma in the mountains is thick. Ordinary people can resist it with medicine bags, but your injuries have not healed, so use this handkerchief soaked in medicine to cover your mouth and nose, just in case."

"Thank you, Miss Pan..." Liu Xunyi forced a grateful smile on his pale face.

"After we climb over the mountain ahead, everyone must follow me closely and don't walk around randomly." Pan Yuyin said solemnly, "I heard from Seniors Huang and Mei that the ten-mile area of ​​Tiger's Den and Dragon's Pond is a dangerous place. If you rush in, you will never come back. There is a saying that goes 'Ten miles of Ghost Gate, seven miles of Yellow Spring Road, five miles of Forgetful River, three miles of Naihe Bridge, and one mile of Wangxiang Terrace'. Within a ten-mile radius, miasma is everywhere. If you don't have a special medicine bag to protect you, you will faint and suffocate within ten steps. Within a seven-mile radius, there is not only miasma, but also miasma everywhere. There are poisonous insects everywhere in the mountains. If you are bitten by one of them, you will lose your life even if you cut off a leg on the spot. In addition to miasma and poisonous insects, there are countless traps within a five-mile radius, which can not only protect against wild beasts in the mountains and forests, but also prevent uninvited guests. Those traps can kill wolves, tigers and leopards at the first touch, let alone us. The closer you are to the tiger's den and dragon's pool, the more dangerous it is, especially within a three-mile radius, where there are swamps everywhere and the depths are unfathomable. Once you fall into it, even the Golden Immortal will be powerless to save you, so everyone must not take it lightly. "

Even though Xunzhen had traveled a lot and seen a lot of ups and downs, he still couldn't help feeling a chill down his spine after hearing Pan Yuyin's words.

A ten-mile radius is not something you can just grit your teeth, close your eyes, and rush through with all your might. Along the way, there are miasma, poisonous insects, traps, and swamps. Even if you don't scare people to death, you can still tire them to death.

No wonder the Tiger's Den and Dragon's Pond are known as one of the three major forbidden areas in the martial arts world. It is indeed not to be underestimated.

"Since the area within a ten-mile radius of the Tiger's Den and Dragon's Pond is inaccessible to ghosts and gods, how did Miss Pan and Granny Taohua get in?" Xiao Yang seemed to have doubts about Pan Yuyin's "alarmist" remarks.

"If you want to enter and exit the Tiger Cave Dragon Pond safely, you must prepare three things." Pan Yuyin said calmly, "First, a medicine bag prepared with a secret recipe, which can soothe the mind and remove miasma. Second, a very hidden winding path, which not only avoids all traps and swamps, but also contains a large amount of sulfur stone powder, which can drive away poisonous insects and avoid being disturbed. Third, the owner of the Tiger Cave Dragon Pond needs to pick you up in person."

"Personally pick us up?" Abaolu limped and moved his legs, suspiciously, "Since we have the medicine bag and know the secret passage, can't we go directly into the tiger's den and dragon's pool?"

"Impossible!" Pan Yuyin smiled bitterly, "Because within a mile of Tiger Cave Dragon Pond, huge trees cover the sky, thick fog blocks the sun, daytime is like night, midsummer is like winter. Although it is not pitch dark, the distance visible to the naked eye is less than one foot. More importantly, anyone will lose their sense of direction there. Without the personal guidance of Seniors Huang and Mei, no one can get out of the dark forest. If the miasma, poisonous insects, traps, and swamps ahead can be passed by luck with great skills and good luck, the last mile will surely become a nightmare for everyone. To this day, there are still many remains in the dark forest. Some are masters who broke in without permission, got lost, and were trapped to death. Some are enemies who were caught by Seniors Huang and Mei and deliberately thrown in there."

"No wonder they dared to tell you about the medicine bag and the secret passage. It turns out they had taken precautions." Xunzhen thought with admiration, "If there wasn't the 'maze' at the last mile, an outsider would be able to easily crack the secret of the Tiger's Den and Dragon's Pond after just one entry. In this way, Seniors Huang and Mei would not have been able to live in peace and comfort for decades."

"Don't have the intention to harm others, but be on guard against others." Pan Yuyin said helplessly, "Tiger Cave Dragon Pond is the first paradise in Changbai Mountain. It gathers the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and breeds the essence of all things. Any flower or grass you pick is a rare treasure in the outside world. Especially the 'Dragon Burial Pond' that has been soaked with countless poisonous insects and brewed for millions of years. The most poisonous is the most tonic, and the most poisonous is also the most tonic. If you scoop out a ladle and mix it with good medicine, you can make several large jars of 'holy water', and its effect is no less than the priceless Cordyceps wine. Such a paradise, the essence of heaven and earth, if you say that outsiders are not envious, who can believe it?"

"Since it is the 'No. 1 Blessed Land in the World' and has the 'No. 1 Divine Doctor in the World', I think Liu Xunyi's injury will be healed." Xunzhen said without denying, "There is no time to lose, let's get on the road!"

"Everyone remember, if you accidentally get separated, don't move, just shout for help, I will definitely come back to find you."

"Don't worry, Miss Pan. After Abaolu's lesson, I don't think any of them will dare to be so arrogant again."

With Pan Yuyin's patient instructions and Xunzhen's joking and teasing, the group's fatigue from half a day of climbing was swept away. They collected their thoughts, cheered up, and carefully followed Pan Yuyin, walking towards the direction of the Tiger's Den and Dragon's Pond, one step deep and one step shallow.

……

(End of this chapter)