65 Rotten Flower (1/2)

Sauss didn't guess wrong. Besides the Magic Spring potion that could restrain the poison fog, Lin Yun had indeed also prepared a potion to strengthen the poison mist.

This was the real reason that Lin Yun had dared to enter the Poison Fog Canyon alone. He knew that he was at an overwhelming advantage inside it.

The current Poison Fog Canyon wasn't very well-known...

Thousand Sails City's people didn't understand why Sauss' Viper Nest would occupy such a poor territory.

The only person in Thousand Sails City that could make sense of Sauss' decision to expand there was Lin Yun.

This was because he knew that a hundred or so years later, numerous forces would fight over the Poison Fog Canyon. Initially, a mercenary group found a temple from the 3rd Dynasty in the depths of the canyon. Later on, that group became one of the peak mercenary groups of the kingdom by relying on the wealth that they brought out.

For some unknown reason, rumors about the place leaked out many years later.

Suddenly, all the powers of the kingdom were like sharks who had smelled blood. They all rushed to try to gain control of the Poison Fog Canyon.

Lin Yun remembered at least three wars that involved more than 10 000 people each. Blood dyed every corner of the Poison Fog Canyon.

The Magic Spring potion that Lin Yun had taken out and the Sunset potion in his pocket had appeared in one of the wars. At that time, the Sunset potion had brought about a true bloodbath. Countless corpses were left in the Poison Fog Canyon, and one of the peak powers of the kingdom was destroyed in the war.

That war was viewed as one of the classic examples of the power of alchemy and would be repeatedly mentioned by alchemists for the following years.

Lin Yun found the formula of the Magic Spring and Sunset potions in the notes of those alchemists.

When he heard Sauss, Lin Yun knew that he wouldn't have to use the Sunset potion.

But Sauss didn't really need to worry about Lin Yun.

After all, what Lin Yun wanted wasn't the wealth of the temple. He just wanted the opportunity to get five Magic Arrays quickly.

Moreover, whether Sauss would be able to obtain the wealth in the temple wasn't set in stone. Unless he had the luck of that future mercenary group or had the help of an Archmage, Sauss wouldn't be able to catch sight of the temple he was yearning for.

But Lin Yun obviously wouldn't tell him that.

”I know that Leader Sauss has been painstakingly expanding in the Poison Fog Canyon for years and definitely wouldn't allow outsiders to go inside. How about this, Leader Sauss. My caravans will establish a path only in the south, and only for a period of three months. After three months, even if the Silver Moon Mercenaries have yet to clear Edge Rift, our Gilded Rose will think of another way to supply them.”

”South?” Sauss finally looked better when he heard this proposal.

He would be able to accept it if they only passed through the southern part of the Poison Fog Canyon. After all, the temple was located in the northern part of the Poison Fog Canyon. If they stayed in the south, then even if the Gilded Rose's people had wings, how could they influence his plans?

”That's good, three months.” Sauss still felt like he was losing out, though, so he added with clenched teeth, ”But I want ten bottles of that potion!”

”That can be done. Come get them at the Gilded Rose tomorrow.”

Now that they had agreed, Sauss handled business straightforwardly. When Lin Yun came out of the wooden house, the five Apprentice Alchemists were already there waiting for him. At the same time, Sauss told Lin Yun that he had sent someone to deliver the batch of alchemy items and that they would definitely reach Edge Rift before dark.

Lin Yun said a few things to the Apprentice Alchemists before sending them back. Lin Yun then told Sauss that he wanted to take a look at the southern part of the Poison Fog Canyon to see if there was a location suitable for a road.

Sauss naturally didn't dare to stop him. The Magic Spring potion was in his hand, but he was sure that the young Great Mage still had a potion that was capable of strengthening the poison fog in his hands...

After watching Lin Yun's silhouette fade into the distance, Sauss made a decision while gnashing his teeth. Regardless of how he did it, he had to get a group of mighty alchemists, or else the poison fog of the Poison Fog Canyon would remain a rope tied below his neck, leaving the Viper Nest forever unable to escape the control of that young Great Mage.

Lin Yun was unaware of Sauss' decision, but even if he knew about it, he wouldn't care about such a trivial matter. Regardless of whether it was the Magic Spring or the Sunset potion, they were both just parts of a strategy. For a mage, the most reliable strategy would always be the magic that they controlled. Lin Yun was confident that once he had five Magic Arrays, he would be able to kill every member of the Viper Nest in an hour even without the Sunset potion. This included Great Mage Bell, who currently seemed quite formidable.

Far from the line of sight of the Viper Nest's sentry towers, Lin Yun took out a Magic Spring potion and drank it. Although he had told Sauss that the potion should be placed in a ventilated place to gradually grant his followers resistance to the poison over the course of three days, that would only be effective in the places where the fog was thin.