The villainous young master just wants to live a Buddhist-like life.

　However, the current situation does not seem to conform to the initial assumptions.

　The doors of the pumpkin carriage were already open, and the professors stepped out one by one, all looking up at the huge black shadow hidden behind the thick fog, their hearts filled with shock.

　“Stanley Longfellow’s guess might actually be right…” Professor Mitya murmured.

　Professor Cazell said, "The existence of this 'Flower of Demeter' must have its significance; perhaps it truly is a product born from the 'Blood of the Gods'... We should go and see it."

　"I didn't expect to make things work out this way, but thankfully we didn't take a detour," Professor Harvey said.

　Ophelia shook her head slightly and said, "It's not necessarily good or bad." "Let's not talk about it now, they're coming," Professor Sylph said in a deep voice. As soon as she finished speaking, Bishop Sabrina Melville arrived on horseback with the "Twin Paladins."

　Following them, Count Gavin North and Count Stanley Longfellow arrived together.

　The leaders of the three forces gathered again, and even Stanley Longfellow's smirk had vanished.

　“It seems we should have a serious discussion,” said Count Gavin North.

　Bishop Sabrina Melville said, "The question is, whether to continue?"

　She tilted her head slightly, looked again at the huge black shadow behind the mist, and whispered, "If we continue, it won't be as easy as just quitting."

　Count Gavin North decisively stated, "My suggestion is to first ascertain their strength." Sabrina Melville frowned slightly and looked at Professor Midia. Professor Midia pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Now that we're here... there's no reason not to go and see for ourselves."

　“Then let’s continue!” Sabrina Melville once again demonstrated her decisiveness.

　For the first time, the three parties reached a consensus.

　Count Gavin North immediately said, "Although we can see the outline of the dark figure at this distance, we still can't sense its presence. We need to advance a little further."

　Bishop Sabrina Vermeer nodded and said, "Let's move on and find the most suitable place."

　They quickly issued the orders, and the troops that had just stopped immediately set off again.

　Instead of releasing the golden light as before, Sabrina Vermeer used a magic card to summon and activate a mobile barrier for stealth.

　The entire team thus vanished completely into the mist and continued to advance at an extremely fast speed.

　As they moved forward, they constantly sensed their distance from the enormous black shadow, trying to find a position that was both closer to the shadow and safe enough.

　The number of monsters encountered along the way increased significantly, and they were predominantly plant-based.

　Those plants are hidden in inconspicuous corners, and they will suddenly attack as soon as someone passes by, making it impossible to guard against them.

　Among them were even plant species that remained hidden while the reconnaissance team passed by, only launching a sudden attack when the main force passed by.

　The team suffered a slight loss as a result.

　After that, they began to implement a zero-tolerance strategy, cutting down all the plants they encountered along the way, leaving no trace of trouble.

　However, this strategy did not last long, as the plant species they encountered became increasingly powerful and bizarre, and most of them were poisonous and emitted toxic gases.

　Professor Sylph then summoned the "Mud Dragon" again, which sucked away all the poisonous gas blowing towards the party.

　The Holy Knights of the Holy Church also released holy light in succession to purify the poison.

　However, the increasingly powerful plant species continued to hinder their progress, forcing them to slow down.

　The dark shadows deep in the mist were like a mirage. No matter how hard you chased, you couldn't sense them getting any closer.

　Only Professor Sylph was able to accurately gauge the distance to the enormous "Flower of Demeter" using the sensations provided by the "Dermeter's Skirt".

　Through the collaboration of the three parties, they are indeed getting closer and closer to the "Flower of Demeter".

　"Magic Beast: Goddess of the Mind's Eye" also played a significant role. Finally, on the hill where they were only a kilometer away from "Demeter's Flower", the team stopped again.

　They completely cleared the "bamboo forest" on the hill, and even the "bamboo shoots" buried underground were not spared, ultimately creating a relatively safe area.

　During this process, both the Holy Church and the Northern forces suffered unprecedented losses, with wounded appearing one after another.

　This also means that the strength of the monsters in the Mountain of Gods has approached the team's tolerance point.

　Earl Gavin North rode his winged tiger to the top of the hill, his gaze solemn as he stared at the enormous black shadow still hidden behind the mist.

　To show their sincerity and to minimize losses, the academy has informed them that the huge black shadow is the "Flower of Demeter".

　Now, the distance to the "Flower of Demeter" is only a kilometer. But with normal vision, only a vague outline can still be seen.

　The fog on the Mountain of the Gods is so thick that visibility is reduced to only a few meters. Other means must be used to clear the fog so that we can see further.

　"We can't go any further."

　"Gavin North said in a deep voice, he could clearly feel the winged tiger beast beneath him trembling instinctively."

　This winged tiger beast had fought alongside him for decades, traversing even mountains of knives and seas of blood, yet it never imagined that it would one day feel fear.

　Bishop Sabrina Melville also approached and whispered, "I can sense that the fog here is different from outside. The concentration of grass-based elements is so dense it's suffocating... And, divinity! Even with such a thick fog, I can already sense the evil divinity emanating from that flower. It doesn't seem like a creature born from the blood of a god. Rather, it seems more like it was born from the blood of a demon god."

　"We have never seen the gods, so how can we know their good or evil?" Professor Medea walked over and said, "What should we do next?"

　Gavin North said, "My team can no longer go any further. If you wish to continue deeper, I will accompany you alone."

　Bishop Sabrina Melville glanced at him and said, "I will take Albert and Emily with me."

　He had barely finished speaking when Stanley Longfellow approached with a female bodyguard: "Gavin, aren't you going to take me with you?"

　Gavin North glanced back at him and said, "If you want to go, I certainly won't stop you."

　Stanley Longfellow's eyes gleamed as he turned to Professor Mitis: "That leaves only St. Marian's College. Do you intend to continue getting involved in this mess, or simply mind your own business?"

　Professor Mitis said calmly, "Then we'll send three people as well."

　Each of the three factions contributed three people, forming a long-term investigation team.

　The Holy Church does not support Sabrina Melville and the "Twin Paladins." However, the powerful individuals they protect within their chariots are pure magic-based classes, unsuitable for this type of operation.

　The overall strength of the northern region is relatively weak. Gavin North himself is one of only two strong individuals who can contend with Bishop Sabrina Melville, and the other is a "weathermaker" who is also unsuitable for this operation.

　Fortunately, Stanley Longfellow and his guards joined him, preventing him from fighting alone.

　As for the Academy, they chose Professor Sylph, Professor Cazell, and Dark.

　Professor Sylph is key to this operation, and she must secure a spot.

　Dark volunteered to participate, as he had "Shaymi" by his side and could summon "Magical Beast: Goddess of the Mind's Eye," making him the most suitable candidate.

　In addition, Chris is also in his shadow.

　Therefore, the actual number of people on the college's side is four.

　After a brief rest, the temporary investigation team composed of the three parties set off immediately.

　Gavin North somehow helped the winged tiger overcome its fear; it was fully armed and ready for battle.

　The three members of the Holy Church remained riding their unicorns. They exchanged glances, and a holy golden light gradually emanated from them, enveloping them and their unicorns, creating a golden halo beneath their mounts.

　The golden halos connected to each other, putting the three into a "trinity" state, clearly indicating that they were going all out.

　Meanwhile, the academy members sat atop Professor Kazel's magical sprite—the "Goblin Alchemist"—a steel golem.

　Professor Sylph summoned the "Wind King," which, under her command, transformed into a wind barrier, protecting the three of them.

　"Fantasy Beast: Goddess of the Mind" rides on the back of "Vilizion" and runs ahead.

　The investigation team used various methods to break through the fog and followed "Vilizion" and "Magical Beast: Goddess of the Mind's Eye" with extreme caution. The distance between the resting place and "Demeter's Flower" was only a kilometer, which was a distance that could be crossed in the blink of an eye for everyone present.

　But they proceeded cautiously, exploring step by step, and it wasn't until ten minutes later that they had crossed half the distance.

　Surprisingly, they did not encounter any monsters during the 500-meter journey.

　Although the mist, tinged with a faint green light, was so thick that it made normal vision impossible, they did not encounter any overt danger during this time.

　After crossing this distance of nearly 500 meters, the view ahead suddenly opened up, and the complete form of the "Demeter Flower" appeared in front of them in a very abrupt way.

　Its true size was slightly smaller than the silhouette seen through the mist, but it was still over 100 meters tall.

　The entire flower, from bottom to top, was a distorted grayish-white. The petals, which should have been white, were dripping with a deep, inky green, and a thick, almost black liquid hung from one of the larger petals. But it remained motionless, suspended in mid-air, its exact timing uncertain.

　It is almost identical in appearance to the "Flower of Demeter" cultivated by Professor Mytia, except for the color scheme and size.

　If you look up slightly, you can see countless threads extending from its stamens into the dense mist, resembling a spider web.

　There was no wind here, so it remained completely still, not even the petals trembled. Everything seemed frozen in time.

　Dark and the others held their breath, scrutinizing the characteristics of the "Flower of Demeter." At the same time, they were on high alert, bracing for any potential danger.

　But half a minute later, nothing happened!

　Within this 500-meter radius, only a few wisps of cloud-like mist floated in the air, and the 100-meter-tall "Flower of Tehtel" stood alone, floating in mid-air. The 100-meter-tall "C-Wind Miniature" was also present.

　Between them, a misty fog shrouded the top, like a curtain of sky.

　A deathly silence, a sense of oppression, slowly crept in.

　"Woo woo woo... Awoo... Awoo!"

　Gavin North's winged tiger suddenly broke free from Gavin North's control and let out a fearful howl at the "Flower of Demeter".

　Its muscles trembled violently, and the fear that had been suppressed until now finally erupted, causing it to turn around abruptly and burrow into the misty distance like a stray dog.

　Gavin North shouted and slapped the winged tiger's legs hard, trying to bring it back to its senses.

　But the winged tiger beast was completely out of control, and in the blink of an eye, half of its body burrowed into the mist, continuing to burrow deeper amidst its screams.

　In that instant, in a moment that no one could have predicted.

　The green threads in the mist suddenly became clear. Half of the winged tiger beast's body was stuck to the mist, with countless threads clinging tightly to its head, neck, and everything else that had entered the mist. The number of green threads on its body increased at a visible rate.

　When the green threads increase to a certain extent, something seems to swell up from beneath the green-covered skin, cracking the skin and revealing bright red buds that peek out, exuding a bloody vitality.

　In the blink of an eye, countless tender buds sprouted on the head of the winged tiger beast.

　With a roar, Gavin North suddenly sprang up and escaped from the back of the winged tiger beast like the wind.

　The winged tiger beast's leaping body froze in mid-air. It was as if it were stuck on a wall of mist, its front half turning into wood, while its back half was still convulsing violently.

　Everyone's expressions changed drastically.

　Fear spread

Chapter 943 Pollen Funeral (4k)

　Stanley Longfellow and his bodyguard were closest to Gavin North, and they reacted the fastest when the incident occurred. The female bodyguard, who hadn't uttered a word the entire time, grabbed Stanley Longfellow by the back of the neck immediately and pulled him back a distance almost instantly.

　But the mist hiding the green threads suddenly "came to life" and continued to devour the winged tiger beast's hindquarters.

　Gavin North's eyes were bloodshot, and his right hand gripped the hilt of his knife tightly, as if he wanted to slash the mist to pieces with a single blow.

　But the winged tiger beast was among them, making it impossible to strike with that blade no matter what.

　"Step aside."

　Suddenly a voice came from behind him. Gavin North abruptly moved to the side, and a white light passed by his side, accurately hitting the winged tiger beast stuck on the fog wall.

　Then the winged tiger beast visibly shrank.

　Its woody bark, from which dense new buds sprout, and the tiger skin on its hindquarters, which was still relatively fresh, had clearly sunk inwards.

　"call!"

　A gust of wind howled past, suddenly transforming into a giant hand that instantly tore open the winged tiger beast's skin, pulling out a winged tiger beast that was only one-third the size of its original body from within the collapsed skin!

　Professor Sylph reached out and grabbed the winged tiger beast, bringing it to her. "Shami, aromatherapy."

　Dark picked up "Shemi," who meowed softly, and the flowers on either side of its body immediately trembled, releasing a fragrant aroma that was refreshing and delightful.

　The little flower fairy poked its head out, curiously watching the winged tiger beast that had been grabbed by the hand of the raging wind.

　Although the winged tiger beast had escaped death, green threads still remained on its newly grown skin.

　The green threads wriggled wildly, like nematodes trying to burrow deeper into the flesh.

　But under the influence of the floral fragrance, the green silk threads suddenly slowed down their wriggling speed, and then gradually stopped moving altogether.

　Professor Kazel leaped down from mid-air, took out his wand, and touched the winged tiger beast. The magic extending from the tip of the wand transformed into steel wires, which removed the green threads.

　Gavin North rushed over, his eyes fixed intently on the winged tiger beast that had fallen into a deep sleep.

　This winged tiger beast had been with him in battle for decades; it was more than family. He would never want to abandon it unless absolutely necessary.

　"What's going on?" he asked hurriedly.

　Professor Cazell said, "These green threads are a manifestation of divine energy; you can imagine them as the fragrance of the 'Flower of Demeter.' It seems to be able to erode the physical body, causing it to lignify and simultaneously giving rise to seed-like things that absorb nutrients, take root, and sprout."

　Gavin North asked, "So, what's its current state...?"

　Professor Cazell said, "I used a 'molting' technique, sacrificing two-thirds of its life force to shed its outer layer, barely saving it. It will then be in a weakened state for half an hour and will require a long period of recuperation to fully recover. Fortunately, its life is not in danger."