Ren Qing noticed the anomalies within the Disaster-Dispelling Forbidden Zone from afar, various eerie vegetation and enormous medicinal herbs growing there.
Song Zongwu stood at the periphery, with Huang Ziwan acting subserviently beside him.
Tudi, who had arrived first, remained silent, creating a somewhat tense atmosphere.
After Ren Qing and the others joined them, they waited briefly at the outskirts of Twin Peaks Mountain.
Li Yaoyang and the rest arrived one after another, each wearing solemn expressions.
Seeing this, Song Zongwu spoke: "I called you here because Hui Shulu's temperament is too eccentric. Being alone might put you in danger."
Li Yaoyang nodded and added: "Since this the Disaster-Dispelling Forbidden Zone involves mountainous terrain, Hui Shulu was always meant to handle it. We just need to be cautious."
Just as Ren Qing was about to ask, Huang Ziwan quietly explained: "I've witnessed Hui Shulu's methods firsthand. He's definitely not benevolent."
Song Zongwu waved his hand: "Let's assess the situation first."
The group stepped into the Disaster-Dispelling Forbidden Zone.
Surprisingly, what was once barren land had become covered in blood-red weeds within just a few days, emitting a strong putrid smell when approached.
When Ren Qing stepped on the grass, it didn't feel like vegetation but rather resembled moss, slightly sticky to the touch.
At the hilltop, twelve enormous medicinal herbs were distributed across various locations.
These herbs stood over ten meters tall, each different from the others, closely resembling those seen in the forbidden zone's herb garden.
Their leaves and branches bore twisted human faces whose mouths continuously opened and closed, as if screaming in conscious terror.
It was impossible not to feel intimidated.
The closer Ren Qing got to the herbs, the more oppressive the atmosphere became.
Apart from Song Zongwu with his superior cultivation, everyone else showed signs of discomfort. Ordinary constables would likely die before even getting close.
Caw... caw... caw...
A crow with rotting feathers landed on a branch, emitting hoarse cries.
Who could have imagined the local ecosystem had even spawned such aberrant creatures? This demonstrated how eerie the forbidden zone truly was.
"What kind of monstrosity is this?"
Huang Ziwan couldn't help but jump onto a tree branch and grab the crow.
The crow struggled wildly before being thrown outside the forbidden zone.
Caw... caw... caw...
Flapping its wings, the crow tried approaching the forbidden zone again but turned into pus within meters, spreading a foul stench.
Song Zongwu explained: "The forbidden zone's influence is limited to its immediate surroundings. Eerified creatures cannot leave."
Ren Qing suddenly recalled his memory of accidentally entering the forbidden zone with his soul.
He realized there should have been more than twelve herbs in that garden. Why had the number changed?
As Ren Qing hesitated about how to inform Song Zongwu, the latter said: "Since there's no major issue, let's withdraw."
Huang Ziwan said awkwardly: "You probably don't need me anymore, right? Logically speaking, with Hui Shulu handling this..."
Song Zongwu didn't respond, instead casting a discreet glance into the distance.
Ren Qing suddenly felt his skin burning slightly as the surrounding moisture began boiling, the temperature rising noticeably.
Seeing this, Xu Shilin took a deep drag from his pipe and was about to react when Song Zongwu quickly stopped him.
"Hui Shulu is here."
Anyone who could make Song Zongwu this wary was clearly extraordinary.
Within moments, the southeastern sky lit up with fiery clouds.
A strange old man riding a donkey approached the forbidden zone, humming an odd tune.
"Fellow Daoist Song, long time no see."
Taoist Hui Shulu looked ordinary, even kind-faced, but the gourd on his back appeared extremely eerie, flesh-colored with visible blood vessels that pulsed occasionally.
"Taoist Shui, we'll leave this place to you."
Song Zongwu waved and quickly walked toward the forbidden zone's exit.
Taoist Hui Shulu narrowed his eyes as he scanned the group, finally resting his gaze on Xu Shilin with an inscrutable expression.
"HAHAHAHA!"
He suddenly laughed and attacked. The flesh-colored gourd's top split open like a flower's stamen, forming a grotesque, terrifying mouth.
Only then did Ren Qing notice the gourd was actually fused to the man's spine, likely some kind of external organ.
The gourd spewed massive amounts of vapor that enveloped the entire area, pressing down on them like tidal waves.
Ren Qing glanced at Xu Shilin, whose expression had darkened. Since his techniques were similar to Taoist Hui Shulu's, it had apparently sparked the latter's interest.
"You all go first."
Song Zongwu said gravely, his body instantly swelling to over three meters tall, all six eyes fixed intently on the overwhelming vapor.
"Left eye two, Strength Grasp!!"
The middle left eye emitted a bright light as his arm muscles bulged to their limits before he clapped forward violently.
BANG!!!
The mist split in two, allowing everyone to escape beyond the forbidden zone.
Song Zongwu leaped powerfully and landed beside them, watching the forbidden zone warily.
The fog churned before pouring down in torrential rain, making the air scalding hot, truly like a living hell.
Yet the twelve giant herbs remained standing within, showing no unusual movement.
The soil grew increasingly damp, even bubbling as if boiling.
After about an hour, the area around the forbidden zone spanning several miles had turned into swamp, with no trace left of the eerified animals.
Taoist Hui Shulu gradually withdrew his technique, the vapor returning to his gourd, before fixing Song Zongwu with an intense stare.
"I'll go greet him properly."
Song Zongwu disappeared, and soon the two were locked in combat, this "greeting" being more of a probing exchange.
Li Yaoyang said to Huang Ziwan and Tudi: "Now it's your turn. Finish quickly so we can return to Sanxiang City."
Huang Ziwan seemed to want to say something but obediently walked to the forbidden zone's edge, his abdomen ballooning.
Poisonous liquid gushed from his mouth, sizzling as it hit the swamp.
Tudi swallowed an antidote pill before burying half his body underground, churning the swamp within a hundred-meter radius as the toxin spread.
Song Zongwu's battle lasted quite long, shaking the earth, though Ren Qing never learned who ultimately prevailed.
The entire swamp took five days to fully saturate with poison, and that was with Tudi's assistance. Alone, it might have taken months.
Ren Qing watched as the swamp turned purplish-black.
They then dumped hundreds of animal carcasses into it, ensuring even Ghost Envoy Realm beings couldn't linger long in the toxic forbidden zone.
With the sealing complete, everyone returned to the temporary camp.
Only then did they notice all dozens of prisoners had disappeared, the constables barely containing their terror.
After inquiries, Song Zongwu's expression darkened upon confirming Hui Shulu's involvement.
However, since the constables remained unharmed, it suggested Song Zongwu had held the upper hand, perhaps even defeated his opponent.
With the forbidden zone matter concluded, the nervous constables packed up, ready to depart.
Ren Qing couldn't wait to return to Sanxiang City to accumulate lifespan.
In this world, it seemed survival below the Ghost Envoy Realm depended entirely on luck.