Chapter 136: Chapter 136

Elder Brother ate the Softshell Turtle, as usual bloating up and unable to move. He sank to the bottom of the river near the Iron Spear Underground Palace.

This fellow didn’t forget to remind Elder Brother: "Be careful around the cave."

Owen Bertram agreed and walked out of the house, almost bumping into his little sister Ava.

Verna was practically glued to the door.

"What are you doing?"

Ava swallowed her saliva nervously, her small nose twitching: "Brother, what did you plant in the backyard? It smells so good. Let’s pick it and eat it."

Owen was stunned for a moment before reacting, seeing Verna being led by her nose towards the backyard, he panicked and grabbed her.

He had only planted one thing in the backyard, the Fern Seeds. Those things are highly toxic.

Verna looked back with teary eyes, feeling wronged that her brother didn’t love her anymore, hiding something delicious from her.

Owen sniffed hard, but couldn’t smell anything: "You think it smells good?"

"Mhmm." Verna nodded repeatedly: "It’s better than anything we’ve ever eaten before, all combined."

"Strange..." Owen already suspected his sister was not normal - starting from the time she boiled those demon fragments in a big pot - and now he was even more convinced.

"Let’s go take a look." Owen tightly held his sister’s hand: "But you have to be obedient and not eat anything. You know, in a distant kingdom, there are many mysterious and delicious mushrooms. These mushrooms have an indescribable charm that compels locals to taste them, but one careless bite and they end up dead."

"Ok." Ava agreed and followed her brother to the backyard, asking along the way, "Brother, what does it mean to ’end up dead’?"

"It’s a mysterious ritual..."

When they arrived in the backyard, Owen was also stunned. Was the legendary Gold Soil really this powerful? In this cold weather, the Fern Seeds had not only germinated but had also grown over ten feet tall, showing clear characteristics of a gymnosperm.

Feeling a sudden emptiness in his hand, Owen saw that Verna had broken free and pounced on the Ferns.

Elder Brother leaped forward in a fish-like motion, barely grabbing Verna’s ankle. Verna had already opened her mouth wide, ready to bite the Ferns.

Her small, white teeth were just two inches from the closest leaf.

With a smack, Verna fell to the ground and started crying.

Owen covered his face, helpless, and picked up his sister to coax her: "You really can’t eat this. How about I take you to a restaurant in town?"

"No!" Verna, who had been spoiled by the Military Officers in the outpost lately, had learned a thing or two: "I really got hurt from the fall."

You’re not hurt at all. Owen thought to himself, you’re as sturdy as a monkey.

Speaking of which, Verna’s facial features weren’t bad, but her chubbiness covered up her natural beauty.

"Three meals." The bargaining began.

Owen tugged at his sister’s braid: "Don’t be so purposeful in your bargaining."

In the end, after a friendly discussion between the siblings and Verna’s tears that came out at just the right moment during the negotiation, they agreed upon ten meals.

"Sigh..." The elder brother sighed, feeling like he’d made a city-under-siege deal.

But he had to be careful about the Ferns. What if one day he wasn’t around, and Verna couldn’t help but steal a bite?

Owen shivered with fear and quickly set up an Array. He reluctantly used three pieces of Spirit Jade to surround the Ferns.But before leaving, he picked a leaf to test the toxicity of the plant. His sister was special; she wouldn’t find the fern fragrant for no reason. Perhaps the Gold Soil cultivation had eliminated the poison, turning it into an edible Spirit Plant.

Owen Bertram comforted his sister and took the fern leaf to the riverside, planning to catch a Fierce Fish to test its effects.

However, when he took the leaf out, it had turned from dark green to withered yellow in such a short time.

He ordered the Mechanical Dao Soldiers to dive into the water and catch a Tire-1 Demon Beast, then pried its mouth open and stuffed the leaf in.

The Demon Beast struggled fiercely, almost breaking free from the Mechanical Dao Soldiers. But after two attempts, it stiffened and collapsed, its body turning dark green in an instant.

"Did it die?" Owen Bertram shook his head. It seemed the plant was still inedible.

He flicked his foot and kicked the beast into the river.

With a splash, the corpse sank, and various Fierce Fish immediately swarmed toward it. In no time, they devoured the carcass, with some small yet ferocious fish even clinging to the bones with their sharp teeth.

But then, the small fish stiffened, floated apart, and died, showing their white bellies.

More poisoned Fierce Fish floated up from the water.

Owen Bertram was dumbfounded. Was the poison from just a withered leaf that strong?

As almost all the Fierce Fish nearby were poisoned and killed, Owen Bertram hurriedly ordered the Mechanical Dao Soldiers to scoop up the corpses to prevent more deaths, which could result in dead fish floating all over the river.

Fortunately, these Fierce Fish were not Demon Beasts and were not huge. The Mechanical Dao Soldiers scooped up the corpses and brought them ashore, but Owen Bertram was unsure of what to do with them.

It would take a big hole to bury them, he pondered, so they decided to burn them instead.

The Mechanical Dao Soldiers piled up several corpses on a vacant plot of land, built a bonfire, and set it ablaze.

The Military Officers at the outpost noticed the smoke from afar and reported it. Ethereal Devin ordered a few of them, "Go and check what’s going on."

Owen Bertram intercepted them before they left: "Village fires are common. As long as it doesn’t spread, it’s no concern."

The Military Officers dared not object. He outranked them, and whatever he said was right.

The fire burned until it almost got dark before it subsided.

The thick smoke drifted past the village. In the cave at the village entrance, the Mountain Master and his minions inhaled the smoke, "Does it smell like roasted meat?"

"The fire was too big, it’s a bit burnt."

As they were relishing the discussion, suddenly:

With a change in the Mountain Master’s expression, he waved his hand, and countless sword auras rose, turning into a fierce wind to disperse the poisonous smoke: "Toxic smoke!"

He flew out like a swift white crane, surveyed his surroundings, and was filled with doubts: Who could it be? Did they know something and deliberately plotted against him?

He flew around but didn’t find any suspicious people. From afar, the thick smoke came from the Burning Hillock behind the village.

There was evil energy in the village, and he dared not enter it without being fully prepared.

"I heard that Burning Hillock is extremely dangerous. Has there been a change inside?" The Mountain Master secretly speculated. When he returned, he saw his nine minions with pale faces and wobbly footsteps.

The minions said, "Mountain Master, we are not seriously affected, but we need to meditate and expel the residual poison. I’m afraid we cannot proceed with tonight’s mission..."

With a wave of his hand, the Mountain Master said, "Cancel it first."

This exploration of the Underground Palace had just arrived, and one of their allies had already been taken out. Right after, his men accidentally got poisoned. What a hellish start.

A sense of foreboding rose in the Mountain Master’s mind.