Chapter 253: The Hundred-Flower Cloud Robe

With a dull thud, the brilliant green barrier created by the Asclepius’ Herbal Staff cut through the ten-thousand-year-old Peach Blossom Miasma like a blade slicing open a river. The pink liquid haze, which flowed through the sky like a slow moving current, parted before them as the barrier forced its way forward. Riding atop the Violet Thunderwing Steed, Marcus and Alana passed safely through the divided mist.

Inside the miasma they were surrounded by thick pink vapor on every side, the air dense and glowing faintly as if soaked in petals. Fortunately, the Peach Blossom Miasma was immune to most magical interference. The flower petals fired by the four Eight-Tailed Vixen Spirits dissolved the moment they entered the mist, melting away before they could even approach Marcus or Alana. If the Vixen Spirits wished to keep attacking, they would have to close the distance and use physical weapons, or wait until Marcus and Alana emerged from the miasma before launching ranged spells again.

Although the Eight-Tailed Vixen Spirits were capable of flight, their speed was only slightly greater than that of the Violet Thunderwing Steed. Without the teleportation abilities that their queen Camillo possessed, catching Marcus would not be easy.

From afar, the glowing green sphere surrounding them resembled a floating bubble drifting through a crimson river in the sky. It was strangely beautiful.

Behind them, the four Vixen Spirits glided through the air with elegant grace. Their translucent robes fluttered in the wind while long red silk ribbons trailed behind them like streamers. Their movements were so fluid and refined that they resembled celestial maidens descending from the heavens rather than terrifying monsters.

’If only those four were my pets too,’ Marcus thought with amusement. ’Taking the group and flying around like this would be quite the sightseeing trip.’

They continued flying through the miasma for more than thirty seconds. As they approached the edge of the cloud, Marcus quietly checked their situation again. His heart was filled with both hope and unease.

Alana’s staff was incredible when it came to cutting through the Peach Blossom Miasma, but they were still locked in combat. Escaping the Phantom Peach Grove was far from guaranteed.

Once they cleared the miasma, Marcus himself could escape instantly. By combining Run for Your Life with Wanderlust, or simply activating a Town Portal Scroll, he could return to Dragon’s Peak Citadel in an instant.

Alana, however, was another matter.

Because she was still in combat mode, she could not use a Town Portal Scroll. That meant they would have to keep running while the four Vixen Spirits pursued them relentlessly. Unless they managed to reach a large city where powerful guards or guardian beasts could intervene, they would remain in constant danger.

To make matters worse, the sky beyond the miasma was already filled with powerful flying monsters.

They hovered above the mist like vultures circling prey, clearly waiting for Marcus and Alana to emerge so they could tear them apart. It was fortunate that only the Eight-Tailed Vixen Spirits were able to enter the Peach Blossom Miasma. Otherwise the pair would have been intercepted long ago.

“Alana,” Marcus said as they continued flying, “the Vixen Queen Camillo recognized me as her master. If I summon her, could she order these monsters to stand down?”

Alana shook her head.

“No. The Peach Blossom Soul has only just bonded with you. For the next hour, if the Vixen Clan manages to kill you, the soul will be forcibly ripped from your body and the Queen will have no choice but to return to them. For those sixty minutes they will pursue you with everything they have.”

She paused briefly before continuing.

“And once she becomes your pet, she loses her authority over the wild monsters of the clan.”

Marcus frowned.

’What a headache.’

Their only real option was to break through the swarm of flying monsters and escape by sheer speed. He found himself wondering how long the green barrier created by the Asclepius’ Herbal Staff could last, and more importantly, how many times Alana could still resurrect him.

“Don’t worry. Just keep charging forward,” Alana said as she looked back at him reassuringly. “The resurrection skill on my staff can still be used twenty-seven more times. And every time it activates, there’s a chance it will trigger temporary invincibility.”

Marcus stared at her in disbelief.

’Thirty uses in total?’

That was the terrifying power of a Divine Artifact. Suddenly another item flashed through his mind.

“Alana, I have something called a Pure Mist Cloud Cluster,” he said quickly. “It can turn us into a cloud so that any monster below Mythic rank can’t detect us.”

He had nearly forgotten about it in the chaos. Under normal circumstances he might have hesitated to waste such a valuable consumable, but this was hardly the time to be stingy.

“I am a cloud!” they chanted together.

In an instant their bodies transformed. Marcus had two Pure Mist Cloud Clusters, and each one lasted ten hours. To all the monsters outside, except for the handful of Mythic-tier creatures and the four Eight-Tailed Vixen Spirits still chasing them, the pair now appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary white cloud drifting slowly through the sky.

’Perfect,’ Marcus thought with satisfaction as he noticed the confused reactions of many surrounding monsters.

However, the moment they burst out of the Peach Blossom Miasma, the Mythic-tier beasts lying in ambush immediately attacked.

The green barrier from the Herbal Staff was perfect for countering the miasma itself, but it was never designed to withstand the combined magical bombardment of several Mythic-rank monsters.

The sphere shattered instantly. Marcus was killed on the spot.

Fortunately, Alana’s Hundred-Flower Cloud Robe was still active. The skill Hundred Flowers Bloom surrounded her with swirling blossoms and kept her in a completely invincible state, protecting her from the devastating barrage.

’That robe is just as ridiculous as the staff,’ Marcus thought faintly as darkness swallowed him.

Ding!

“System Notification: Stonehaven, Alana has used the Divine Artifact “Asclepius’ Herbal Staff” to resurrect you. Your status is fully restored. A special effect has been triggered. You are now in an Invincible State for 5 seconds.”

’Yes! Invincibility again!’

Marcus immediately urged the Violet Thunderwing Steed forward, pushing it to its absolute limit. At that moment he wished the creature had six pairs of wings instead of just one.

“Alana,” he called over the wind, unable to suppress his curiosity even in the middle of the chase, “what kind of robe is that? How can it keep you invincible for so long? And what exactly are the stats on that staff?”

She smiled lightly.

“My grandfather gave them to me. They’re ancient treasures from our clan. I’ll open the item descriptions so you can see them.”

When the information appeared before his eyes, Marcus nearly toppled off his mount.

He had seen plenty of impressive equipment during his time on the Dreamland continent, but compared to these two items, the Divine Artifacts he owned suddenly looked like cheap trash.

—

Asclepius’ Herbal Staff (Purple Divine Artifact / Ancient Artifact)

Requirement: Grandmaster Alchemist

Description: Originally carved from a piece of Hundred-Herb Wood from the Ancient Immortal Realm’s Hundred-Herb Forest, a place where wood elements and energy converge. The ancient deity Asclepius personally refined this wood into the Herbal Staff. It can identify all herbs and neutralize all negative status effects. It is one of the most powerful ancient artifacts in the Dreamland continent and possesses the power to restore life to the dead. It is the sacred treasure of the Asclepius Clan.

Effect: Identifies all herbs within the Dreamland continent.

Skills:

Green of Life (Active / Area):

Projects brilliant green light that neutralizes all toxins, illusions, and status effects within a 10-meter radius, scaling with the user’s ability. All allies within the area have their health fully restored and remain protected for 30 minutes.

Spirit of the Herbs (Passive / Self):

Automatically resurrects the user upon death with full status and no penalties. Grants 5 seconds of invincibility. Limit: 10 uses per day.

Dance of the Herbs (Active / Target):

Resurrects players within a 5-meter radius with full status and no penalties. 30 percent chance to grant 3 seconds of invincibility, 10 percent chance for 5 seconds, and 1 percent chance for 10 seconds. Limit: 30 uses per day.

Song of Life (Active / Party):

Resurrects all party or guild members within 100 meters with full status and no penalties. Doubles their attributes. Limit: 3 uses per day.

Wrath of Life (Active / Guild):

Only usable by a Guild Master. Resurrects fallen guild members within 50 meters with full status and no penalties. Increases attributes by 50 percent. Limit: 2 uses per day.

Summon Herbal War-Beast (Active):

Summons a Mythic-tier beast from the Hundred-Herb Forest that commands the power of wood elements. Requires Level 80 or higher. Limit: once per day.

—

Hundred-Flower Cloud Robe (Purple Divine Artifact / Ancient Artifact)

Requirement: Female character with a slender figure, beauty, and Luck above 50.

Description: Created by the ancient Flower Tribe of the Demon Race using white cloud silk gathered from the horizon. The robe was soaked in the essence of a hundred different flowers for five hundred years, absorbing their energy.

Effect: Defense +1500, Evasion +200 percent, Five Element Resistance +50 percent, Status Effect Resistance +50 percent. Emits a constant floral fragrance that reduces enemy attributes by 30 percent.

Skill:

Hundred Flowers Bloom (Active):

Summons a storm of one hundred varieties of flowers around the wearer, granting total invincibility for 30 minutes. Cooldown: 10 days.

—

Marcus could only stare in stunned silence. Alana was basically a walking cheat code.

With equipment like that, it was no wonder she had remained calm this entire time.

Unfortunately, the danger was far from over. As they continued flying, the Vixen Spirits and the pursuing Mythic Beasts were still closing in behind them.

Their real escape had only just begun.

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