Reborn as the General's Useless Daughter-Chapter 206: The Suffocating Forest (Part-3)

Alaric Von Seraph, Raphael, Sylvandria, and Tifanny stood rooted to the spot, expressions subtle and hard to describe. At this point, everyone had already reached the same conclusion.

Zora and Prince Kael were people you absolutely could not provoke.

The guard who had been shouting arrogantly just moments ago had vanished entirely. Prince Kael’s punch was clean and brutal. One strike sent the man flying, and the moment his body crashed down, there was no longer any movement.

Dead. Cleanly and efficiently.

As for Stefan and the remaining guard, they had truly experienced the meaning of Zora’s words: go as far as you can.

Because in the next moment, the two of them were rolling across the ground in utter humiliation.

Rolling. Literally rolling.

They didn’t even dare to stand up.

More tragically, they had no idea how far "far enough" actually was.

If they rolled too little, Prince Kael would very kindly help them roll farther.

And so, under countless stunned gazes, Stefan and his guard continued rolling forward like two miserable balls, not daring to stop for even a second.

Prince Kael turned back, his expression instantly gentle as he smiled at Zora. "Darling, do you feel quieter now?"

Zora glanced at the scene and let out a faint, amused smile. Even she had to admit that his methods were... impressive.

"Not bad," she said calmly.

"In that case," Prince Kael continued smoothly, "to prevent anyone else from disturbing you, I’ll stay by your side."

Without waiting for her response, he naturally took a position next to her, looking every bit like a devoted and overbearing husband.

The spirit warriors nearby immediately understood and silently adjusted their gazes. At this point, no one doubted Prince Kael’s intentions or methods.

Zora was slightly helpless, but... she didn’t dislike it.

"Anyway, how’s your research?" Prince Kael asked softly, lowering his voice.

Zora looked at the silver needle in her hand. The tip had already turned a deep, ominous black.

Her expression became serious.

"The toxin in this miasma is extremely strong. Those who entered before likely didn’t even make it far before dying from poison."

She paused, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "If we don’t understand this toxin, entering the Suffocating Forest will be impossible."

Prince Kael nodded in agreement. He trusted her judgment completely.

"If the poison is this strong, yet there are still beasts living inside," he said slowly, "then the situation is indeed strange."

Zora nodded. "I see only two possibilities."

She raised a finger. "First, the very center of the forest might be free of miasma."

Then a second finger. "Second, the beasts inside have already adapted to it."

Either way...

The Suffocating Forest was far more dangerous than anyone had anticipated.

"This miasma has only appeared recently," Prince Kael said slowly, his gaze deep and thoughtful. "If the beasts were adapting to it, that kind of change wouldn’t happen in such a short time."

Zora smiled faintly, a quiet understanding passing between them. "That’s exactly what I was thinking. Which makes the sudden appearance of this miasma even stranger—and far more worth investigating."

With that, she returned to Reesa and the others and immersed herself in studying the toxin.

Judging from the density of the miasma, unless someone could actually enter it and remain conscious, there was no way to understand what was happening inside.

Reesa and the rest watched Zora’s meticulous movements, their admiration growing unconsciously. Faced with such a situation, they themselves had been completely at a loss. Yet Zora was already calmly dismantling the problem piece by piece.

After Sebastian and Miel finished assessing the Suffocating Forest, they no longer concealed themselves. There was no longer any reason to stay hidden.

"This miasma is extremely toxic," Sebastian said gravely. "Even with my cultivation, I wouldn’t be able to withstand it for long."

The words sent a ripple of shock through the group. If even an instructor couldn’t last inside, what hope did the students have?

"It seems the Mercenary Union seriously underestimated this mission," Sebastian continued, his expression darkening. "This is far beyond the scope of a blue-rank task."

"After the beast tide, such an abnormal phenomenon suddenly appears..." Miel narrowed his eyes. "This reminds me of certain rumors."

The two exchanged a look.

"It couldn’t be..." Sebastian murmured, a vague yet unsettling guess forming in his mind.

Miel nodded slowly. "The possibility is high."

Both men fell silent, their expressions subtly changing. If their suspicions were correct, this situation was far more serious than anyone had imagined.

Reesa and the others looked at the two instructors in confusion. They didn’t understand the unspoken exchange, but from their expressions alone, it was clear that this was anything but simple.

*

"I didn’t expect it to show up here," Prince Kael said leisurely, leaning against a large tree, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Zora had just finished examining the discoloration on her silver needle. Hearing his words, she lifted her gaze. "You already know what’s going on?"

"If my guess is right," Prince Kael replied calmly, "this miasma is a sign of an ancient ruin being born."

"An ancient ruin?"

Zora’s brows lifted slightly. She had encountered ancient ruins before, but she had never heard of one accompanied by such terrifying miasma.

Ancient ruins were legacies left behind by powerful spirit warriors—structures where they sealed their lifetime’s inheritance, waiting for a worthy successor.

Those capable of creating such ruins were usually extraordinary figures. Constructing one required immense strength and resources.

Most ancient ruins were hidden deep underground or within small worlds created by experts, only revealing themselves when certain conditions were met.

If an ancient ruin truly lay within this sea of miasma, then it was likely that the earlier beast frenzy had accidentally triggered its mechanisms—causing the ruin to surface, along with this deadly, suffocating fog.

Prince Kael nodded. Seeing that Zora’s understanding of ancient ruins was still incomplete, he patiently explained.

"You’re wondering why a suffocating miasma appears when an ancient ruin is born, aren’t you?"

Zora nodded lightly. "That’s the part I don’t understand." 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Hundreds of years ago," Prince Kael said slowly, "the White Mountains once gave rise to an overwhelming miasma. At that time, the entire mountain range was almost uninhabitable. Only after many years did the miasma gradually dissipate, and the White Mountains returned to what they are today.

"I’ve read records in ancient texts describing that miasma. The toxicity was terrifying, its range vast, and its nature very similar to what we’re seeing now. However, those records never explained why the miasma appeared in the first place."

Zora was momentarily stunned. She had never heard of this history. In the era she had lived in before, such an event had never occurred.

"So... it’s very likely that this ancient ruin was buried underground back when that miasma first appeared?" she asked slowly.

Everything suddenly connected.

If that was the case, then what lay beneath this suffocating fog was nothing less than an enormous treasure.

Any spirit warrior capable of constructing an ancient ruin would have left behind an astonishing inheritance—be it cultivation techniques, martial arts, or divine weapons. Any one of them would be enough to stir the entire cultivation world.

Such legacies were usually monopolized by major families and sects. Ancient ruins, however, were rare opportunities where ordinary spirit warriors could compete fairly, relying solely on fate and ability.

"Smart," Prince Kael said with a soft laugh. "The miasma is still extremely dense right now. Most spirit warriors can’t enter it at all. I believe very few people have guessed what truly lies inside."

Zora’s eyes lit up. "If we manage to enter first, we’ll have the advantage."

"Exactly," Prince Kael agreed. "But this miasma is no joke. Getting through it won’t be easy."

A confident smile curved Zora’s lips. "Detoxification? Leave that to me."