The Cornflower Witch Chapter 169

“This is the Gate of Distant Mountains.”

Looking at the archway at the end of the stairs, Bad Apple took a deep breath, filled with excitement and nervousness.

Once he passed through that door, he would be able to obtain the Stone Mist Water. But he also knew that such a treasure would surely be guarded by creatures of the same Aspect. What was a treasure to humans was equally precious to the monsters of the Shadow World, allowing them to grow even stronger.

“You guys stay here, I’ll go check the situation first.” He took out some items from his horse’s saddlebag and began to prepare.

First, he took out a bottle of strange potion and sprayed it on himself to remove his own scent. Then, he applied talcum powder to his fingers to prevent sweating, put on a special mask to conceal the sound and airflow of his breathing, and finally donned a hood that covered all his hair, avoiding unnecessary air resistance and disturbance.

After doing all this, he poisoned two of his frequently used daggers, each with a different poison, then sheathed them at his waist. He tied spare daggers to his calves, and packed three kinds of potions in his waist pouch. He drank a potion to enhance his agility and speed, another for a temporary invisibility, and a third to minimize the subtle noises from his body.

Having completed these preparations, he waved his hand back at them, then dashed towards the end of the mountain path. His silhouette gradually faded, like a block of ice dropping into water, disappearing completely.

Seeing their captain so well-prepared, the other three nodded and watched him leave.

“We should start preparing too. If he encounters an unexpected fight, we can quickly rush to support him,” Karl said, turning to Hylial and Yarn.

“No problem.” Yarn nodded, but then looked a little embarrassed.

“I guess I’ll just eat something to restore my stamina. I don’t have any extra ways to boost my abilities.” His fighting style was practical, and he rarely considered situations that required such bursts of power.

“Then just eat something and be ready,” Karl said, temporarily taking on the role of commanding the team.

He then looked at Hylial, “Lia, what about you?”

“Me…” The girl pondered for a moment.

This was actually her second adventure, and she hadn’t prepared many methods yet, still in the process of learning and exploring.

“I guess I’ll also just eat something and adjust my state.”

With that, she took out the best preserved food from her luggage and offered it to the other two.

[Alfalfa Tea Cakes] (Perfect Quality): Made with perfect quality wheat flour and alfalfa flowers as the main ingredients, paired with high-quality olive oil, these baked biscuits can quickly replenish nutrition, restore stamina, and enhance one’s Aspect.

This was the best ingredient she had on hand. Baked into tea cakes, they could be stored for a long time, and their beneficial effects already surpassed common Tier 1 potions, reaching the level of Tier 2 potions.

“Oh, I’ve never seen these biscuits before,” Yarn said, eating them curiously. He just thought the biscuits were a bit small, so he stuffed seven or eight into his mouth at once.

Then, a surge of potent nutritional energy instantly spread from his stomach throughout his entire body. His whole body felt as if it were burning, filled with an overflowing power. Not only that, his long-dormant ‘Castle’ Aspect also became active, something he had never experienced before.

The ‘Castle’ Aspect, as the most stable concept emphasizing foundational strength, was very difficult to shake or influence, yet now it had changed.

On the other side, Karl didn’t eat as much. He only had three or four biscuits, but he also felt something was off, as if a fiery energy was spreading within his body.

Taking a deep breath, he took out the black skull from his waist Pouch and channeled his overflowing power into it. Black, wispy mist continuously swirled and condensed, and the fragmented spirits previously stored in the skull were refined and transformed into pure ‘Dead Ember’ Aspect power. Hylial, of course, understood the effects of the biscuits. She only ate two and then stopped to feel the effects.

Her Moonlight Breathing Method operated internally, rapidly absorbing the energy contained in her blood and gradually strengthening her physique. This feeling was like bathing in moonlight and practicing the breathing method.

As the three adjusted their states, at the end of the mountain path, “Bad Apple” Rodriguez was carefully approaching the misty spring water nestled in the stone crevice.

The air here was exceptionally quiet, and there were no living creatures to be seen. Yet, despite this, he dared not let down his guard, advancing with the utmost caution and meticulous steps.

Rounding several large boulders, he stepped onto the stone path and slowly moved forward, gradually approaching the spring water, his gaze turning to the clear spring gushing from the crevice.

He carefully dipped his finger into the water, and an icy cold sensation spread along his fingertip, up the back of his hand, to his arm and elbow.

The spring water here contained the ‘Mist Shadow’ Aspect, but to obtain the most valuable part, he needed to use a container to scoop up the lowest layer of the spring, where the ‘Mist Shadow’ Aspect was most concentrated and was the true Stone Mist Water.

With tension and vigilance, he took out a prepared container from his waist and slowly pressed it underwater.

The short half-meter deep pool took nearly a minute to slowly reach the bottom, all to minimize any sound disturbance.

However, now that he was starting to collect the water, he couldn’t be as careful.

His fingers cautiously opened the lid underwater, and bubbles rose from the bottle’s mouth, then burst on the surface with faint gurgling sounds.

The icy liquid from the bottom filled the bottle, which he then held, gripping the mouth tightly as he pulled it out. At this moment, Rodriguez’s tension and joy reached their peak, but he didn’t notice that behind him, what was once just a stone had gradually transformed into a giant lizard, its white-gray vertical pupils fixed on the thief stealing the spring water.

A silent, white misty breath spewed from the lizard’s mouth, enveloping Rodriguez, who had just obtained the Stone Mist Water. At this moment, Bad Apple Rodriguez, who hadn’t even had time to seal the bottle cap, instantly froze, unable to move.

*Damn it*, he thought in a panic. He had only three seconds to react, otherwise, after petrification, he would be as good as dead.

Unfortunately, in those three seconds, his body had already stiffened, making it impossible to take any effective action. In the end, he could only use all his strength to release his fingers, letting the bottle fall to the ground, splashing broken water.

Faced with the precious Stone Mist Water being wasted on the ground, soaking into the silt and soil, the lizard behind Bad Apple finally grew angry. It let out a low roar, breaking the silence of the mountains.

Even though the sound wasn’t loud, the black-haired girl at the foot of the mountain heard it clearly and realized something was wrong.

“We need to go. I heard the low roar of some monster; the battle has already begun.”

“Let’s go.”

The other two had no objections and quickly ran towards the stone steps, charging towards the stone archway at the end of the mountain path.

Saving their comrade was now.