Monk Hushu's body was covered in red-orange flames, leaving not a single inch of his skin exposed.

~SIZZLE~

The damp muck on his body first boiled and dried out before it finally turned into ash and fell off. The same happened to his robes, that had been stained to a questionable dark brown. The Kasaya was an Immortal tool originally, but seemed to have lost all of its capabilities, having been subjected to unknown filth and damaged beyond recognition.

This was also why it had ended up in the state it was. If not, the Kasaya had formations that would prevent it from getting dirty and stained. That was one of the most basic formations that were present in the clothes of cultivators.

Even Spirit Realm cultivators had them on their robes at times, and as such, it wasn't hard to make. ~WOOSH~

The robes eventually turned into ash as well, and the flames now reached Monk Hushu's skin. The heat was resisted by him at first, but Monk Hushu willingly lowered his defense, allowing the flames to immolate him. ~HISS~

His skin blistered up all over his body, before it popping and spilling fluid that instantly turned into vapor.

~SHAAAAAAA~

This happened all over his body, and if a mortal were to see it, they would find it terrifying. A normal person undergoing this would be screaming nonstop, but Monk Hushu was totally calm. To him, this wasn't much and may as well be a hot bath.

While his skin was burning off, Monk Hushu could easily ignore the pain.

Of course, Daoist Chu also controlled the flames very well, ensuring that they did not burn too deep. ~Fwoop~

And about ten seconds later, Daoist Chu withdrew his flames, revealing the charred figure of Monk Hushu.

"Is that fine?

" Daoist Chu asked his companion.

~CLAP~

"This will be enough.

" Monk Hushu replied as he brought his palms in a praying gesture.

~HONG~

As soon as he did that, a golden light shone from his body, brightly illuminating the area. ~HUALA~

A Kasaya flew out of his Spatial Storage tool and wrapped around his body automatically while his charred body healed. About thirty seconds later, the golden light faded away, revealing the normal form of Monk Hushu.

"Amithabha… Fire truly is good at purging away impurity.

" Monk Hushu chanted before opening his eyes.

Lin Mu and Daoist Chu glanced at the bald man, who was now back to his optimum condition. Not a single sign of his previous state was left, and it looked like the man had just walked out of a monastery on a serene mountain.

The foul odor had also disappeared, which made it a lot more comfortable for everyone there.

~rustle~ rustle~

And just as Monk Hushu was cleansed, Crown Princess Shang seems to have done the same too. The vines that were surrounding her disappeared, revealing her purified form.

She was wearing red and green robes, along with long shoes that were adorned by silver leaves. Her hair was now in a long braid that was kept rather compact, allowing for the ease of movement.

While she didn't have her previous Crown Princess look, she still looked dignified in her current clothes that were intended for a battle.

~huu~

"That's so much better…

" Crown Princess Shang said, feeling relieved. She then glanced at everyone who was watching her and knew what they wanted to know.

"It was… just hell, I can say.

" Crown Princess Shang spoke.

"What kind of place did you guys end up in?

" Daoist Chu asked.

"You mean to say it wasn't the same for you?

" Monk Hushu asked.

"No… Lady Kang and I ended up in a volcanic region.

" Lin Mu answered.

"Meanwhile, Miss Min Ju and I ended up in a frozen wasteland.

" Daoist Chu answered too.

"You four were really lucky. I'd take those places anytime over what we had to go to.

" Crown Princess Shang said, shaking her heard.

"We ended up in a marshland.

"

"A marshland… is that why you guys were covered in mud?

" Lin Mu asked, but realized that it was definitely more than just mud.

"We wish it was just that much.

" Monk Hushu said, recalling their struggles.

After taking a couple of seconds of break, he started to tell them what had happened along with Crown Princess Shang.

Similar to the others, the first Trial was the Trial of Persistence and they had to fight the Chasm Beasts too. While it was a bit taxing in terms of numbers, Crown Princess Shang and Monk Hushu didn't really have their lives threatened by it.

It was mostly just a bother for them and took some time for them to finish it. Since both of them had decent strength to overcome it all, they slaughtered all the Chasm Beasts before finally reaching the Second Trial. The two arrived in a vast marshland with dense flora. There were tall trees that towered into the overcast sky, along with water everywhere mixed with a small island that allowed one to stand for a short time. If one stood on the islands for too long, they would start to sink.

Being a marshland, there was no lack of rotting plants and trees which were also behind the smell.

But this was still fine for them, as it was not the first time they had been to a marshland. The smells, while bad, were easily bearable, plus they could avoid the mud and other things without much issue…. Or so they thought.

As soon as Crown Princess Shang tried to fly, she realized she couldn't and plummeted down. Of course, being an immortal, she wouldn't be injured and tried to land on her feet. But that was how they discovered that the land they stood on wasn't exactly 'solid'.

Upon landing, Crown Princess Shang directly sank into the soft ground, her lower half getting covered in mud.

She pulled herself out and the formations on her robes prevented the mud from sticking to her body, but it was still an uncomfortable experience for them.