"The forest outside is almost completely covered by the toxic miasma it released. Many Spirit Beasts have been corroded by that toxic miasma, and we are here to resolve it."
"Ah, how could this be?"
Although possessing sentience, Youyou was, after all, not very old and had little contact with the outside world, so she made no attempt to hide her surprise.
Wang Nan could tell that she was indeed completely unaware of the situation outside.
"That person clearly said that those flowers were only for our protection and shouldn't cause too much damage to the outside."
Although Wang Nan understood this place well enough, he didn't know the specific situation from ten thousand years ago, and these words were the first he had heard of it.
"But, but, if there aren't those Jade Phosphorous Exotic Flowers outside, what if this place is discovered by bad people?"
There was a hint of conflict in Youyou's words, but Wang Nan still caught the underlying meaning. She was clearly asking what would happen without these Jade Phosphorous Exotic Flowers, not how to solve the problem of these flowers.
"Can you control the Jade Phosphorous Exotic Flowers outside?"
When Wang Nan first guessed the truth about the toxic miasma in the Sunset Forest, he didn't have a good solution in mind.
As Ma Xiaotao had said, other than destroying the entire Sunset Forest, ordinary Spirit Masters couldn't penetrate this area due to the toxic miasma. Furthermore, it takes a long time to burn even ten thousand pigs, let alone these ten-thousand-year Spirit Beasts with deadly toxins.
However, knowing the source of the toxic miasma, he had come up with a most impractical method: using the treasure land, drawing on the lake water which possessed both extreme cold and extreme heat forces, to irrigate the Jade Phosphorous Exotic Flowers.
A Spirit Master's spirit power is limited, but the force of heaven and earth is infinite. Don't let the pleasant scenery here fool you; the forces of extreme cold and extreme heat interact to make this place harmonious.
The lake water here is no less potent than ultimate fire and ultimate ice. If one of these forces were drawn out, the resulting destruction would be immeasurable.
Although this would likely mean that only one in ten plants in the central area of the Sunset Forest would survive, it would at least resolve the imminent toxic miasma.
He just hadn't expected Youyou's words to show him another way.
"Control? I'm not that powerful, but if it's just the poisonous mist, my force is enough to restrict it."
Wang Nan knew that Youyou could neutralize all poisons, but he hadn't expected her to be capable of this degree of control.
It now seemed that "that person's" arrangement was indeed excellent: using poisonous mist to conceal this place, then using Youyou's characteristics to prevent the poisonous mist from invading, and finally, even if the arrangement went out of control, it still served as a contingency plan.
It appeared "that person" had put a lot of thought into this treasure land.
"So you are willing to restrict the toxic miasma outside?"
"Hmm… if it's really as you say, I don't have a problem, but before that, I need to figure out if you are the 'good people' that person spoke of. You need to pass my test."
"If you pass my test, in addition to me, you can also take up to six Immortal Herbs from here. Of course, the test might also involve life-threatening danger. If you don't want to participate in the test, you can leave this place."
Wang Nan's mental force had never been withdrawn, so after Youyou spoke these words, he clearly felt several auras in the dark shift simultaneously.
Those should all be other plant-type Spirit Beasts, and their cultivation was no less than a hundred thousand years. It seemed that as soon as he refused the test, these Spirit Beasts would swarm and attack him.
It was evident that "that person," who made these arrangements, had a rather "playful" personality, enjoying watching others "play" within the rules he set.
"What is the test you speak of?"
Although Wang Nan's words remained calm, Ma Xiaotao, standing beside him, seemed to notice something. She gave him a serious look, then quietly stepped forward and stood by his side.
"Hmm…"
Youyou pondered for a moment. "How about this? If you are willing to consume a poison, then you will have passed my test."
"What kind of test is this?" Before Wang Nan could respond, Ma Xiaotao frowned.
"Anyway, the test is like this. Whether you accept it or not is up to you."
"Youyou, before this, you said 'that person' set up such a test because he was afraid this place would be discovered by bad people. Can you tell me how such a test determines whether a person is good or not?"
"Of course! That person said that only someone who is willing to sacrifice themselves for others is a truly good person. Since you came to resolve the toxic miasma outside, if you are willing to consume poison for this, it proves you are a good person who sacrifices themselves for others."
Wang Nan looked at Youyou in front of him and suddenly chuckled. "Youyou, have you ever considered that we humans are different from you Spirit Beasts? From childhood to adulthood, we encounter different people and form various connections with them."
"I don't deny that a person who sacrifices themselves for others is a good person who deserves respect, but similarly, family, lovers, teachers, and friends are equally important. A person should also be responsible for those around them with whom they have formed connections."
"But, but, that person didn't say that. That person said that love is the greatest emotion in this world. That person could even sacrifice for his beloved…"
At this point, Youyou seemed to realize her voice was getting a bit agitated and immediately stopped.
"I, on the other hand, believe that love, friendship, and kinship—no one should abandon one of these emotions for the sake of another."
At this point, Wang Nan glanced at Ma Xiaotao beside him. Perhaps these words sounded somewhat disappointing to her; he wasn't someone who only had her in his heart.
However, Ma Xiaotao smiled, actively took Wang Nan's hand, and though they said nothing, it was as if much had been said.
"No, no, this isn't right."
Youyou seemed a bit anxious. "That person, that person clearly said…"
"Youyou, in your ten thousand years of life, have you never had your own thoughts?"
As Wang Nan's words fell, the large flower in front of him suddenly shook violently, and pink pollen scattered. However, this had no destructive power; instead, it made Wang Nan feel a wave of clarity in his mental force sea.
It was an Immortal Herb, after all.
"You… are you refusing the test left by that person?"
Youyou pondered for a long time, then suddenly blurted out a sentence as if she had figured it out, and the surrounding ground immediately churned.
Wang Nan's mind stirred, and spirit rings appeared one after another beside him. His figure was already in the air.
It seems his chatting skills still needed some practice, but he was also quite good with his fists.