Transmigrating Into a Fantasy World: Signing in During Pregnancy, Reaching the Summit with My Childhood Sweetheart

132: Chapter 132: The Beginning of Confusion and the Depravity of the Human HeartLeaving the Northwest Great Desert, they traveled southwest. The scenery of the world gradually shifted from desolation to lush greenery, and the Spiritual Qi became abundant, even far exceeding ordinary lands. A single breath felt refreshing, and one’s cultivation showed signs of faint growth.

However, the expressions of Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue grew increasingly solemn.

This was because the ”vitality” of this land was so exuberant that it was excessive, even reaching a point of eeriness.

Towering ancient trees blotted out the sun, vines were as thick as dragons and snakes, and exotic flowers and herbs bloomed everywhere, emitting a life essence so dense it formed a physical spiritual mist. The birds and beasts were massive with bright plumage, but their eyes flickered with a strange, feverish light. Everything looked like a paradise, a Holy Land for cultivation.

But beneath this extreme, almost overflowing vitality, Nangong Xuan’s Nirvana Perception and Su Muxue’s pure Taiyin Star Power both keenly captured a deeper, subtle restlessness and chaos.

The creatures here, whether plants or animals, had their vitality forcibly stimulated and overdrawn by some kind of power, revealing a hollow fanaticism. It was as if the Spiritual Qi of the entire region had been ignited, falling into a collective, unconscious state of excitement.

“Such eerie vitality...” Su Muxue frowned, her fingertips brushing past a giant flower flowing with amber spiritual fluid. The fragrance of that fluid was intoxicating, yet it made her Divine Soul tremble slightly, giving rise to an unprovoked desire for more. “The Spiritual Qi here seems to be amplifying the desires and emotions of living beings.”

Nangong Xuan nodded; he perceived it even more clearly. The Leyline spiritual power beneath the earth surged like boiling water, stirred and heated by an invisible force, emitting an aura that tempted one to fall into depravity. “It is the power of the mars key. Confusing human hearts, inciting desire, and catalyzing disaster. It seems to be in an unstable, active state, and its power is radiating outwards, affecting this vast area.”

The further they went into the depths of the southwest, the more obvious these signs became.

They began to encounter other Cultivators. Most of these Cultivators had flushed faces and excited eyes, their light-escape speeding along as if they were in a hurry to pursue some Heaven And Earth Treasure or Opportunity. They were highly wary of one another, even resorting to ruthless Moves and fighting like madmen without hesitation just to snatch a Spiritual Plant that looked particularly dense with Spiritual Qi.

The entire region was permeated with an atmosphere of impetuousness, greed, and eagerness for quick success. Peace and order had become exceptionally fragile here.

According to the guidance of the star core and inquiries made along the way (from a few Cultivators who could still maintain a shred of clarity), the two learned that the largest human gathering point in the southwest region lay ahead—Hundred Flowers Valley.

This valley was not naturally formed but was created by the roots of an ancient Spiritual Root, the ’Hundred Flowers Immortal Vine’, winding and guarding it. It was originally a famous paradise for Loose Cultivators and a trading Holy Land in the southwest, rich in Spiritual Qi and producing many exotic spiritual flowers and herbs. But in recent months, the Spiritual Qi in the valley had mysteriously surged, giving rise to countless rare Spirit Medicines, while also making the Cultivators in the valley exceptionally restless, leading to frequent conflicts.

And the strongest sensation coming from the star core pointed directly toward the deepest part of Hundred Flowers Valley!

The two restrained their auras and followed the flow of people (if those hurried Cultivators with flickering eyes could even be called a ”flow”) into Hundred Flowers Valley.

The scene inside the valley was even more shocking. It was as prosperous as ever, perhaps even more so than in the past. Shops lined both sides of the streets, vendors were as numerous as clouds, and cries of hawkers rose and fell, trading all sorts of medicinal herbs, Ores, and Magic Treasures brimming with Spiritual Qi. Cultivators shouldered through the crowd, their cultivation ranging from Qi Refining to Golden Core, each with violent fluctuations of spiritual power and faces mostly wearing a mixture of greed, urgency, and vigilance.

The air was thick with the complex scents of various Spirit Medicines, Medicinal Pills, and spices, so dense it wouldn’t dissipate. A single breath made one’s blood boil and heart grow restless.

“Quite a... valley of desire.” Su Muxue held her breath slightly, her Taiyin Star Power operating automatically to cleanse the confusing Qi invading her body and keep her mind clear. She could feel that the stray thoughts, desires, greed, and jealousy emitted by the countless Cultivators here were being amplified and interwoven by an invisible force, forming a massive, foul web of intent that shrouded the entire valley, constantly eroding everyone’s state of mind.

Nangong Xuan’s Nirvana Dao Rhyme enveloped his body, keeping all thoughts from invading as he calmly scanned his surroundings. He discovered that the deeper they went into the valley, the higher the Cultivators’ cultivation seemed to be, but the less clarity there was in their eyes, replaced instead by obsession and fanaticism.

“The power of mars has been operating here for a long time, deeply integrated with the Leylines and human desires,” he said deeply. “I’m afraid it won’t be easy to deal with.”

The two moved forward carefully, trying to find the source of the abnormal Spiritual Qi in the valley. The closer they got to the center of the valley, the more magnificent the buildings became, and the higher the grade of the spiritual items that appeared, but the fighting also became more frequent and bloody. They often saw two parties who had just completed a transaction draw their blades against each other over a single disagreement or suspicion of withholding something, while those around them mostly watched coldly, or even eagerly waited to snatch the victor’s spoils.

Order here had already become a thing of the past.

Just as they crossed a busy street, a violent fluctuation of spiritual power and a clamor of voices suddenly came from ahead.

In front of a magnificent pavilion, a large crowd had gathered. In the center of the crowd, two Early Golden Core Cultivators were fighting over a seven-colored Ganoderma flowing with rosy light. Sword Qi and blade glows crisscrossed, leaving the street in a mess of ruins.

Instead of stopping them, the surrounding crowd constantly cheered and jeered. Various intents of greed, jealousy, and schadenfreude intertwined and spread, like fuel thrown into that invisible fire of confusion, making the eyes of the two fighting men grow blood-red and their strikes more vicious, reaching a point of a life-and-death struggle.

“Is that... the scent of the ‘heart-confusing orchid’?” Su Muxue suddenly whispered to Nangong Xuan, pointing to an inconspicuous orchid next to the contested seven-colored Ganoderma that was emitting a faint pink mist. That pink mist merged into the air, silently affecting the emotions of everyone around.

Nangong Xuan’s gaze narrowed. “More than that. The Ganoderma itself has been tampered with, injected with violent medicinal power that can further incite human greed.”

This was clearly a trap! Someone was deliberately using Spirit Medicine to provoke fighting and harvest the chaotic intent!

Just as one of the Cultivators was about to be heavily injured—

“Stop!”

A cold, delicate shout descended from the sky, and a plain white figure drifted into the arena. With a light wave of her jade hand, a soft yet undeniably majestic ripple of spiritual power spread out, instantly separating the two combatants.

The newcomer was a woman dressed in a plain white gown with a light veil over her face. Her figure was graceful and her temperament was cold and ethereal, completely out of place in the surrounding impetuous environment. Her cultivation had surprisingly reached the Late Golden Core Stage.

“It’s Fairy Jinglian!” someone in the crowd whispered.

“She’s meddling in other people’s business again!”

The woman known as Fairy Jinglian ignored the surrounding chatter. Her gaze swept over the heart-confusing orchid and the tampered Ganoderma, her eyes turning cold. “These ghostly tricks again! Using such means to catalyze chaos—have you all truly become so willing to fall into depravity?”

Her voice was clear and carried a strange soothing power, causing the restless crowd around her to quiet down slightly.

But soon, several sarcastic voices rose from the crowd:

“Hehe, Fairy Jinglian sure is putting on quite the show! Treasures belong to the capable; they are fighting based on their own ability, so what does it have to do with you?”

“Exactly, who do you think you are? The Valley Master? You’re sticking your nose in too far!”

“Maybe she wants to keep that Ganoderma for herself! What’s with the act of being so pure and noble!”

Malicious speculation and incitement were like venomous snakes emerging from their holes. The crowd that had just been soothed instantly became restless again, and countless ill-intentioned gazes focused on the white-clad woman.

Fairy Jinglian’s delicate frame trembled with anger, but she seemed to be poor with words.

Nangong Xuan and Su Muxue exchanged a glance. This woman’s Cultivation Technique seemed to have a purifying and soul-soothing effect, making her a true anomaly in this place; perhaps she could provide some clues.

At that moment, a chubby, amiable-looking middle-aged man in embroidered robes walked out of a nearby restaurant with a chuckle, trying to smooth things over. “Oh, everyone, calm down, calm down! It’s just a small matter, why ruin the harmony? Fellow Daoist Zhang, Fellow Daoist Li, since you both have your eyes on this Ganoderma, why don’t I host you both and we sit down to discuss a price? I guarantee you’ll both be satisfied!”

As he spoke, he secretly gave a look to several subordinates behind him. Those people quietly stepped forward, intending to take away both the heart-confusing orchid and the Ganoderma.

“Fatty Qian! Enough of that! You’re in cahoots with him!” one of the previously fighting Cultivators roared with bloodshot eyes.

Fatty Qian’s expression remained unchanged, still smiling. “Fellow Daoist Li, those words are quite unfair. I open my doors for business and value reputation above all...”

The scene fell into chaos once again.

Nangong Xuan watched coldly and noticed that although Fatty Qian looked amiable, there was a cold shrewdness deep in his eyes. He seemed to be wearing some kind of Magic Treasure that could resist the power of confusion to a certain extent. His actions and words were highly provocative, constantly adding fuel to the fire in secret and reaping the benefits brought by the chaos. Meanwhile, Fairy Jinglian appeared isolated and without help.

The waters of Hundred Flowers Valley were indeed very deep.

“Senior Brother, look over there,” Su Muxue suddenly sent a voice transmission, her gaze directed toward a tall palace at the end of the street. The palace was magnificently decorated, with the three large characters ’Duobao Pavilion’ written on the door plaque. It was exactly where Fatty Qian had come from.

And on the upturned eaves of Duobao Pavilion’s roof, an extremely faint yet familiar fluctuation that made the chaos star core tremble slightly—the restless, confusing aura belonging to the mars key—flashed by and vanished.

The clues for the star key seemed to point toward this seemingly ordinary merchant association pavilion?

And the mastermind manipulating the chaos in the valley and reaping the desires of human hearts—could they be hidden right here?