"With you here, I feel very at ease."
Jiang Jue turned around and said with a smile.
The Ice Empress, dressed in a green gown, stood gracefully behind him, her face bright with a gentle smile.
It was she who had just knocked Lang Ya and Yu Tao unconscious.
When Jiang Jue collected the Emerald Demon Bird into the Soul-Refining Banner just now, he quietly released the Ice Empress. Although Lang Ya and Yu Tao treated him respectfully, the matter of the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well was far too important for them to know.
"So how do you plan to deal with these two? Do you want me to—?"
The Ice Empress extended her slender hand and traced lightly across her pale neck, asking Jiang Jue.
"No need. If the two of them die, it'll be troublesome for me to explain later. Besides, they're not bad people."
Jiang Jue shook his head gently and said softly.
"But after what happened just now, they might start doubting you when they wake up."
The Ice Empress frowned slightly, the emerald glow in her eyes filled with confusion.
To her, if you cannot resolve the problem, then resolve the person causing the problem—simple and clean.
"When they wake up, they'll already be completely ours."
Jiang Jue smiled faintly. With a wave of his hand, Lang Ya and Yu Tao were pulled into the Soul-Refining Banner.
Once inside his Soul-Refining Banner, they would become loyal family—heart and soul. And the family inside would surely give them a proper welcome.
Also, as the internal space of the banner expanded, it was no longer limited to soul bodies—physical beings could now enter as well.
"Alright then, you're the banner's master. You decide."
The Ice Empress responded softly—she had no objections.
"Kree!"
A sharp bird cry rang out. The Soul-Refining Banner behind Jiang Jue shimmered, and the Emerald Demon Bird, newly imprinted and under control, flew out.
It circled Jiang Jue twice, then landed on his shoulder. Its blood-red eyes were now completely clear.
Yet when it looked at Jiang Jue, there was not only respect—but also fear.
After all, this was the same master who had just crushed its skull with his bare hand.
"Lead the way. Take us to the poisonous miasma area from your memory."
At Jiang Jue's instruction, the Emerald Demon Bird shot forward to guide them.
As a native of Sunset Forest, it knew the area far better, and when Jiang Jue read its memories through the banner, he discovered a region heavily blanketed with toxic miasma.
And the surroundings of the Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well happened to be filled with such miasma.
"Jiji!"
The bird chirped twice, guiding Jiang Jue and the Ice Empress deeper ahead.
"So this is Sunset Forest… The quality and age of the soul beasts here are terrible, far inferior to our Extreme North."
Walking beside him, the Ice Empress scanned the forest with disdain.
The number of soul beasts in Sunset Forest seemed to have severely declined—at least from what they observed on their way in.
"There are many reasons Sunset Forest has become like this. You'll see one of them soon."
Jiang Jue released his spiritual power outward, monitoring every surrounding detail.
"Is that so…"
The Ice Empress fell silent and followed the Emerald Demon Bird rapidly.
"Jiji!"
Over twenty minutes later, the bird stopped in mid-air and stared at the distance, fear filling its gaze.
Jiang Jue and the Ice Empress also halted, looking at the thickening cloud of green mist ahead.
"Such a massive area of miasma? How could this be formed?"
The Ice Empress narrowed her eyes and extended her hand. Ice-blue soul power gathered, forming a fine white powder in the air.
"This toxic miasma is even expanding outward!"
Miasma usually forms from the decay of vegetation and animal corpses—unattended, without rain or wind—gradually accumulating into poison.
But Sunset Forest certainly had wind and rain. And the scale of this miasma was beyond anything the Ice Empress had seen in centuries.
"We'll know once we enter."
"Ice Emperor Barrier."
Jiang Jue's expression remained calm as emerald light burst from his arm. Ice-blue soul power wrapped around him, and he waved his hand to pull the Emerald Demon Bird back into the banner.
"Mm."
The Ice Empress nodded and also released freezing power around her.
The toxic miasma recoiled violently the moment it touched their Ultimate Ice, scattering to both sides like encountering its natural enemy.
Ultimate Ice was the bane of this poison.
As they advanced, the originally green miasma shifted into multiple colors—the deeper they went, the more lethal it became. The ground was littered with beast bones that crumbled to powder under the slightest step.
Seven kilometers deeper—
"Is that… the Bi-Lyn Seven-Fatal Flower?"
The Ice Empress gasped in shock, pointing ahead at the sea of emerald green.
Jiang Jue's eyes deepened as he looked forward as well.
A vibrant blanket of green covered the land—patch after patch of green plants laid out in perfect order despite their chaotic appearance.
They stretched outward endlessly, each only about half a meter tall, with leaves shaped like hands—some with seven fingers, some larger with even nine.
And at their tops bloomed large green flowers—the miasma poured continuously from their stamens and spread outward into the surrounding rainbow-colored poison cloud.
"How can there be so many Bi-Lyn Seven-Fatal Flowers? Aren't plant-type soul beasts like these extremely rare?"
"And they're arranged so neatly… This isn't natural growth. It looks deliberately placed."
The Ice Empress frowned, uncertainty in her emerald eyes.
"It might not have been arranged by humans."
Jiang Jue said quietly.
Among the flowers, he even spotted Bi-Lyn Nine-Fatal Flowers—which were at least ten-thousand-year soul beasts. Even a Titled Douluo couldn't arrange so many.
The Ice Empress asked curiously:
"Then what arranged them?"
Jiang Jue paused, then said meaningfully:
"It might not be a thing."
"Hm?"
The Ice Empress seemed to understand—yet also not.
But the thought struck her: if the miasma continued expanding, Sunset Forest would eventually become a poisonous wasteland.
Soul beasts would die and become nourishment, causing endless cycle and destruction—until Sunset Forest was ruined.
Whoever placed these flowers indeed was not a good thing.
The Ice Empress nodded and said seriously:
"Plant-type soul beasts rarely gain true intelligence. If influenced by something malicious, they could absolutely do this."
"Perhaps. Grass falls in whichever direction the wind blows… But—"
"These plants might not be good grass."
Jiang Jue spoke with deep implication, excitement rising inside him.
Even through the miasma, with his powerful spiritual sense, he could already feel beyond the flowers…
A massive valley—his ultimate destination.
The Ice-Fire Yin-Yang Well.