By the time Wu Yu realized this, he had already been surrounded by a surging sea of flowers. 

Before this, he had assumed that this sea of flowers was merely an illusion that Mu Lingche used to hide her position. He believed that Mu Lingche was using it to find an opportune moment to strike, so he was focused on tracking her movements. He wanted to be prepared for a clash that could begin at any moment.

However, the scent of the flowers assailed his nostrils and Mu Lingche did not move an inch. When he came to the realization that this sea of flowers was a Great Dao Mystique, it was already too late. Mu Lingche's attack on him was this sea of flowers itself. Furthermore, the crux of this Great Dao Mystique of hers was, in fact, its fragrance. 

Wu Yu had never faced an attack that targeted his sense of smell. Just holding his breath would not be enough. He had to completely sever his link to the spiritual qi of his surroundings in order to catch his breath. However, this would negatively affect his Jindan essence's ability to recover and replenish itself. 

Since this was the first time he had come across such an attack, he reacted to it far too late. Before the battle had even begun, he had already breathed in no small amount of this fragrance. The effects were beginning to kick in. His...