After a brief rest, the five of them continued onward. The deeper they went, the denser the miasma became, and the pungent, fishy stench in the air grew increasingly sharp. Suddenly, an open clearing appeared ahead, in the center of which stood a palace constructed from dark iron. Carved above the palace gates were three distorted ancient characters: "Guwang Palace." Faint waves of powerful energy emanated from within the hall—precisely the direction where the Soul-Returning Grass was located.
However, the moment they stepped through the gates, intricate insect-gu symbols suddenly lit up on the ground, forming a massive formation that trapped the five of them in the center. From the shadows within the hall, a figure draped in a black robe slowly emerged, a voice as hoarse as a broken gong: "Hmph, another batch of puny scoundrels coveting the Soul-Returning Grass. Do you know that this herb belongs to the Master of the Myriad Gu Grotto? How dare outsiders cast greedy eyes upon it!"
Hu Yuan looked closely and saw that the man's face was covered in dark blue insect-gu markings, his eyes blazing crimson, clearly having had his mind corrupted by Gu insects. He said in a deep voice, "Senior, we do not mean to offend. It is simply that we must save the life of a dear friend and urgently need the Soul-Returning Grass. If Senior is willing to bestow it upon us, I, Hu, will certainly offer a generous reward."
Chapter 394