Arya laughed lightly, her eyes sparkling with joy as she replied enthusiastically, "It feels incredible, Brother Orion! My lightning feels purer, sharper, and far more powerful and even my Light element seems to have improved by a lot. It’s as though my mana channels have been completely reborn!"
Sylvia calmly rose to her feet, gently flexing her hands as her sword aura circulated smoothly within her body.
Her normally composed face held a rare hint of excitement, "Indeed, reaching the Seventh Level feels completely different. I feel like even my Sword Aura has improved by a lot. Thank you, Orion."
Nyss quietly adjusted her aura, her expression calm as usual as she didn’t make any comment on the breakthrough but looked at Orion with a hint of a smile.
Orion chuckled looking at them while the rest of the group exchanged determined looks. They hadn’t broken through yet but seeing their companions ascend had ignited a fierce competitive spirit within each of them.
Elias chuckled lightly, eyes burning with determination, "Seeing all of you progress so swiftly really puts pressure on me. But don’t think you’ll stay ahead for long!"
Orion lightly laughed, "Don’t worry, I’m still on the same level as you."
Elias looked at him from the corner of his eyes, "And somehow still the strongest tsk."
Orion smiled and shook his head gently at Elias’s teasing words, he inwardly laughed knowing Elias’s friendly personality. It was just Elias’s way of showing admiration and friendly rivalry.
After the brief exchange, the group’s attention quickly turned towards the three winding paths that branched out ahead.
Each of these pathways was shrouded in shadow, emanating a mysterious allure, and after the recent gains, the group was more than ready to head forward.
The air carried a subtle dampness, and faint echoes reverberated softly from the darkened tunnels.
Orion took a step forward, his voice calm, "As usual, to the right!"
Without hesitation, the group nodded in agreement, their expressions resolute as they moved forward behind him.
Their footsteps echoed quietly against the stone floor as the group pressed onward, deeper into the shadowy maze.
After several minutes of cautious progression, the illumination around them gradually dimmed.
The dense darkness seemed alive, creeping forward and swallowing the faint glow of their mana lamps.
Orion’s eyes narrowed slightly, instincts sharpening as his senses expanded outward, carefully scanning their surroundings.
He hadn’t broken through to the Third Major level of the Soul path otherwise he could have expanded his soul senses outward and covered a range of 10 meters to know everything that was happening around him. That would have helped a lot in this situation.
Further along, a strange, delicate fragrance began to permeate the cool, moist air, subtle and faintly sweet.
Arya paused suddenly, her sharp eyes catching sight of something peculiar growing along the cavern wall. Her voice carried surprise and curiosity, "Brother Orion, do you recognize this flower?"
She pointed gently toward a small cluster of purplish flowers blooming softly upon long, slender vines.
Each flower had five elegantly shaped petals, intricate and mesmerizing patterns dancing across their surface in hypnotic swirls of violet and indigo.
Intrigued, Orion stepped closer, cautiously inspecting the unusual flower. Suddenly, his eyes widened sharply with recognition. Without hesitating, he commanded urgently, "Hold your breaths!"
Instantly, the group stiffened in alarm, each quickly clamping a hand over their mouth and nose, their gazes snapping around warily.
Orion, maintaining absolute calmness, quickly used his soul power to send a clear, direct message straight into everyone’s consciousness:
’This is a Dreamshade Flower. It grows on a vine that releases invisible spores into the air to trap prey within illusions. Once its victims are immobilized, the main vine drains them completely of their life essence.’
Shock and panic flickered briefly in the group’s eyes as they realized they had already inhaled the spores lingering in the deceptively sweet fragrance.
Each awakener’s expression rapidly turned serious, eyes narrowing, muscles tensing in preparation for danger.
Yet, even as they held their breaths tightly, their vision began blurring slightly, minds feeling hazy as the subtle illusions took hold.
Slowly, the entire group succumbed to the insidious illusions, their bodies stiffening momentarily before becoming motionless.
Only Rina desperately struggled, determination and fierce resistance evident in her eyes as she fought valiantly to maintain clarity due to the help of her stronger soul power. But even her soul power faltered after several seconds, her consciousness gradually slipping away.
Orion observed all this with increasing seriousness. However, unlike his friends, Orion’s mind remained clear and unaffected.
Within his Sea of Consciousness, the gently swaying leaves of the World Tree Sprout emitted a faint, emerald radiance, providing robust protection to his soul against external assaults.
Lumi’s voice sounded reassuringly calm within his mind,
[Master, you can breathe safely. The World Tree Sprout is shielding your soul from the Dreamshade spores.]
Releasing a breath, Orion allowed air to enter his lungs again, immediately feeling no effects from the spores.
But relief did not touch his face, instead, his expression hardened further, realizing the gravity of their predicament.
He swiftly moved toward his fallen companions, gently shaking their shoulders and calling their names, "Rina, Fiora, Arya wake up!"
His attempts proved futile; their glazed eyes remained unresponsive, trapped deeply within the Dreamshade’s illusions.
Frustration flickered momentarily across Orion’s features before being swiftly replaced by resolve. He knew the only solution lay in destroying the source, the main Dreamshade vine itself.
Stepping decisively forward, Orion’s eyes grew colder, the oppressive surroundings sharpening his senses and resolve.
He drew out the Realm Guardian sword, its obsidian blade humming faintly with anticipation.
As Orion advanced, his body gradually underwent a transformation. His limbs elongated and thickened, scales of lustrous crimson red rapidly spread across his skin, and sharp, draconic claws replaced his fingernails.
A powerful tail whipped behind him, lined with metallic, fiery scales. Simultaneously, his imposing Black-Gold Dragon Armor disassembled smoothly, piece by piece, each segment disappearing neatly into his inventory.
In mere moments, Orion had fully transformed into his intimidating Fire Draconian Form. His stature grew immensely, emanating an overbearing pressure filled with raw strength and intense heat.
Flames occasionally flickered gently along his scales, his presence alone pushing back against the oppressive darkness around him.
Continuing deeper into the tunnel, Orion spotted the source at last: an enormous, sprawling vine filled with pulsing dark-violet veins, clinging tightly to the cavern walls.
Its numerous tendrils extended outward, each ending in vibrant Dreamshade Flowers identical to the ones they’d encountered earlier.
The main body quivered faintly, greedily absorbing the ambient mana.
Orion’s eyes narrowed coldly, locking firmly onto the vine’s bloated, mana-infused center. His voice reverberated softly yet dangerously through the cavern, flames dancing subtly around his jaws, "You’ve chosen the wrong prey today."
In response, the vine shuddered violently, sensing the overwhelming threat posed by Orion’s presence.
Orion wasted no further time, his aura blazing fiercely as the temperature around him skyrocketed, flames dancing brightly between his claws.
Raising his hand, he channeled immense mana, shaping it with precision into one of the newly devised spells he had created.
In a blinding instant, a compressed missile of plasma-like flames erupted forward, cutting through the darkness with an ear-splitting shriek.