Shengui Changsheng: Start from Zhenwuwei and add some points to cultivate immortality

Half a month after leaving Luoxia Ravine, Wang Xiaohu and Su Qingwan stepped into the "Misty Forest" in the heart of Southern Xinjiang. This place is shrouded in miasma all year round. The branches and leaves of the towering ancient trees intertwine to form an impenetrable dome. Sunlight can only filter through the gaps to cast dappled light spots, which fall on the ground covered with decaying leaves and reflect a strange bluish-green color.

"It is said that a 'Medicine Immortal' lives deep in the forest, who can cure all kinds of poisons." Su Qingwan pushed aside the vines blocking her way, and the pipa box on her back swayed gently. "But no one has seen him in the last hundred years. Some say he has already ascended to heaven, while others say he was trapped by miasma and became a forest guardian spirit."

Just as Wang Xiaohu was about to say something, a soft "crack" sound came from beneath his feet. Looking down, he saw a broken arrow shaft, with dark red bloodstains still on the arrowhead. He bent down to pick up the shaft, and his fingertips touched a mark—the symbol of the Miao people's "Five Poisons Sect".

"There's a fight going on here." He frowned slightly and looked in the direction of the bloodstains. He saw that the bushes in front of him had been trampled, and he could vaguely hear faint breathing sounds.

Parting the branches and leaves, one could see a young girl dressed in Miao ethnic clothing huddled at the base of a tree, a short arrow stuck in her left leg, its fletching wrapped with snake scales. She clutched a bamboo basket tightly to her chest, the herbs inside scattered about, one of which, a purple plant, was emitting a faint glow.

"It's the 'Resurrection Herb'!" Su Qingwan exclaimed. "A legendary medicine that can keep someone alive!"

As soon as someone approached, the girl drew a short knife from her waist and glared at them warily: "Don't come any closer! This is the medicine I found for my tribe..." Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly coughed violently, and her face turned bluish-purple at a visible speed.

Wang Xiaohu recognized the arrow in her leg as a "Snake Kiss Arrow" from the Five Poisons Sect. The arrowhead was coated with a deadly poison; if it wasn't removed in time, the girl would die within half an hour. Just as he was about to step forward, the girl suddenly held a short knife to her neck: "I am Ayi of the White Miao. If you are from the Black Miao, I will rather die than let you take the Resurrection Grass!"

“We are not members of the Five Poisons Sect.” Wang Xiaohu softened his tone and slowly squatted down. “I can help you remove the arrow and detoxify.” He unfastened the Demon-Suppressing Sword from his waist, its blade gleaming with a clear light amidst the miasma. “This sword can dispel evil poisons, look.”

Ayi looked at the blue light flowing on the Demon-Suppressing Sword, then at the blue mark between Wang Xiaohu's brows, and the wariness in her eyes gradually faded. She gritted her teeth and nodded: "If you can save me, Bai Miao will repay your kindness."

Wang Xiaohu gripped the arrow shaft, channeling his Starry Sky Sword Qi to envelop the arrowhead and prevent the poison from spreading when he pulled it out. With a flick of his wrist, the short arrow was yanked out, and black blood immediately gushed from the wound. Su Qingwan quickly took out some medicine and applied it to the wound. She then took a silver needle from her pipa box and precisely inserted it into Ayi's acupoints to temporarily stop the spread of the poison.

"Why would the Five Poisons Sect want to steal the Resurrection Grass?" Wang Xiaohu asked.

Ayi gasped for breath, her voice still weak: "The High Priest of the Black Miao has been afflicted with the 'Heart-Eating Gu.' Hearing that the Resurrection Grass can cure it, he sent his followers to steal it. We White Miao and Black Miao have been at odds for generations. If they get their hands on the divine medicine, I don't know how many White Miao people will suffer..."

Just then, a whistle suddenly came from afar, sharp as a venomous snake's hiss. Ayi's face changed drastically: "They're coming! Quickly take the Resurrection Grass and go to 'Moon Gazing Terrace' to find my father. He will repay you!"

Just as Wang Xiaohu was about to refuse, Su Qingwan tugged at his sleeve: "Hide first, don't confront them head-on." The two helped Ayi hide in a hollow ancient tree. As soon as they were hidden, they saw more than a dozen followers dressed in Black Miao clothing walking by with poison crossbows. The leader was a burly man with snake patterns painted on his face and a pottery jar containing Gu worms hanging from his waist.

"Search! The cult leader said we must find the Resurrection Grass, even if we have to search every inch of the Misty Forest!" The burly man's voice was hoarse. "Whoever finds it will be rewarded with ten 'Golden Silkworm Gu'!"

The cultists scattered to search, and one of them happened to walk up to the ancient tree and reached out to push aside the vines. Wang Xiaohu gripped the Demon-Suppressing Sword, about to strike, when suddenly he heard a hiss. The cultist screamed and fell to the ground, where a small, snow-white snake was biting his ankle.

"It's a 'snow scale snake'!" Ayi exclaimed. "It's the snake I keep for protecting medicine!"

The snow-scaled snake flicked its tongue and slithered back into the grass. Seeing this, the cultists warily raised their poisoned crossbows, but found nothing. The burly man cursed under his breath and had no choice but to lead his men to continue searching.

Once the cultists had gone some distance, the three emerged from the tree. Ayi whistled, and a snow-scaled snake slithered out of the grass and coiled around her wrist. "This snake's venom can cure the Five Poisons Cult's Gu poison, but unfortunately there's only one..." She handed the resurrection grass to Wang Xiaohu, "You two hurry up and follow this stream; you'll reach the Moon Gazing Terrace."

Wang Xiaohu took the Resurrection Grass and suddenly remembered the poison of Aman's mother: "Isn't the Heart-Eating Gu of the Five Poisons Sect similar to the poison of the Heart-Rotting Grass?"

Ayi was stunned for a moment: "You've seen the Heart-Rotting Grass? That was a poisonous plant cultivated by the Black Miao ten years ago, which my father destroyed later. How could it be..."

“Half a month ago, I saw a woman in Broken Cloud City who had been poisoned by the Heart-Corroding Grass,” Wang Xiaohu said. “Her husband was a disciple of the Star Sword Sect named Shi Qing.”

Ayi's eyes widened suddenly: "Shi Qing? Is he the man with the sword scar on his left hand?" Seeing Wang Xiaohu nod, she excitedly grabbed his arm, "He's my father's friend! He came to the Misty Forest ten years ago to find the antidote and has never come out since... My mother said he might be trapped in the 'Mist Eye'!"

The Eye of the Miasma is the heart of the Misty Forest, where the miasma is so thick it's impossible to breathe; it's said even birds can't pass through. Wang Xiaohu looked at the Resurrection Grass in his hand, then at Ayi's expectant eyes, and suddenly made a decision: "We'll take you back to the Moon Gazing Platform first, then go to the Eye of the Miasma to find Senior Shi Qing."

After walking along the stream for half a day, the miasma gradually thinned, and a wide stone platform appeared ahead. Dozens of bamboo houses were built on the platform, and many Bai Miao people were drying herbs. When they saw Ayi return, they all gathered around. An old man wearing a hemp robe walked quickly over, and when he saw the injury on Ayi's leg, his eyes immediately reddened: "Ayi, are you alright?"

"Father, it was this young master who saved me." Ayi pointed at Wang Xiaohu, "He also knows about Uncle Shi Qing!"

The old man, named Bai Sang, was the chieftain of the Bai Miao clan. Upon hearing that Wang Xiaohu was going to the Eye of the Miasma to find Shi Qing, he remained silent for a moment, then took out a jade pendant from his robes: "This is the 'Miasma-Avoiding Pendant,' which can keep you inside the Eye of the Miasma for an hour. Shi Qing was trapped inside back then because he was helping us retrieve the Resurrection Grass... If you can find him, whether he lives or dies, the Bai Miao will owe you a debt of gratitude."

The next morning, Wang Xiaohu and Su Qingwan, wearing the miasma-avoiding pendant, stepped into the miasma eye. The miasma here was jet black; inhaling even a single breath caused dizziness. Fortunately, the miasma-avoiding pendant emitted a faint white light, forming a barrier around them. After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a glimmer of light suddenly appeared ahead. Upon closer inspection, they discovered it was a longsword stuck in a crevice in the rock. Although the blade was covered in rust, a faint blue light still flowed around it—it was the sword of the Starry Sky Sword Sect! Beside the sword sat a ragged old man, his hair and beard tangled together. He was already lifeless, but his right hand remained in the posture of holding a sword, and a sword scar was clearly visible on his palm.

“It’s Senior Shi Qing.” Wang Xiaohu squatted down and gently closed the old man’s eyes. In his arms, he found a yellowed notebook, which recorded the secrets of the Five Poisons Sect: it turned out that the Black Miao High Priest was a subordinate of the Demon Lord back then. He cultivated the Corrupting Heart Grass in order to control the Miao people and wait for the opportunity to counterattack the Central Plains.

"Look!" Su Qingwan pointed deep into the crevice of the rock, where there was a golden-yellow resurrection plant, several times larger than the one Ayi had found. "It's a 'Resurrection Immortal Plant'!"

Just then, the miasma eye suddenly trembled violently, the inky miasma churning and transforming into a gigantic ghost face. A hoarse voice rang out: "Thank you for helping me find the immortal plant. Now my 'Ten Thousand Gu Soul Devouring Array' can finally be completed!"

The Black Miao High Priest emerged from the miasma, dressed in a black robe, his face covered in worm-like patterns, holding a skull-shaped pottery jar in his hands. "That old bastard Shi Qing guarded it for ten years, but in the end, he couldn't stop fate!" He grinned maliciously and waved his hand, countless poisonous worms flying out of the jar and rushing towards Wang Xiaohu.

Wang Xiaohu shielded Su Qingwan behind him and drew his Demon-Suppressing Sword. The blue mark between his brows lit up, resonating with the blue light on the sword. The poisonous Gu worms that approached turned into black smoke and dissipated. "Your opponent is me." He pointed the tip of his sword diagonally at the ground. "Wang Xiaohu of the Star Sword Sect."

"Sword Master?" Greed flashed in the high priest's eyes. "If I can absorb your sword soul, I can rule the Demon Realm!" He suddenly lifted the pottery jar, and a blood-red Gu worm crawled out. It was the "Heart-Eating Gu King".

The Gu King transformed into a streak of red light and pounced. Wang Xiaohu swung his sword to defend, only to see that the Gu King could penetrate the sword energy and aim directly for the mark between his eyebrows. At the critical moment, he suddenly remembered the words of Old Master Ouye: "The sword is a weapon to protect the Dao."

He stopped wielding his sword to kill, and instead infused the Demon-Suppressing Sword with his Starry Sky Sword Qi. The dragon patterns on the sword's blade lit up, radiating a gentle yet irresistible light. That light fell upon the Gu King, and it gradually calmed down, transforming into a beam of red light that pierced into the sword.

"Impossible!" The high priest stared at the Demon-Suppressing Sword in disbelief. "My Gu King..."

“Using killing to stop killing will only breed more violence.” Wang Xiaohu stepped forward, the tip of his sword lightly touching the high priest’s pottery jar. “These Gu worms were originally living beings, but they have become ferocious because you used them to do evil.”

With a thought, the azure light emanating from the Demon-Suppressing Sword enveloped the pottery jar, and the poisonous insects inside fell silent, ceasing their hissing. The High Priest, watching this scene, gradually lost the wrinkles on his face, revealing an aged and weary countenance: "Thirty years... I was controlled by the Demon Lord's malevolent aura, and I forgot that I was once a healer who practiced medicine and saved lives..."

The tremors of the miasma eye gradually subsided, and the dark miasma dissipated in the blue light, revealing the azure sky. Wang Xiaohu carefully collected Senior Shi Qing's remains and then dug out the Resurrection Plant: "This plant can cure all kinds of poisons in the world, and it might be able to help you resolve the resentment in your body."

The high priest accepted the immortal herb and bowed deeply before Shi Qing's remains: "I will lead the Black Miao people away from the Misty Forest and never set foot in the Central Plains again in this life."

As they left the miasma eye, Su Qingwan suddenly pointed into the distance: "Look, there seems to be a red light in the direction of the Star Sword Sect."

Wang Xiaohu looked up and saw a crimson light shooting straight into the sky. The blue mark between his eyebrows suddenly became intensely hot, and he felt an unprecedented sense of crisis.

"It's the Sword Tomb!" He gripped the Demon-Suppressing Sword tightly. "It must be the remnants of the Demon Realm causing trouble again!"

Without lingering, the two used their lightness skills to speed towards Star Mountain. The wind whistled past their ears, and Wang Xiaohu could clearly feel the sword energy within his body resonating rapidly with the mark between his brows, as if calling out to something. He knew that an even greater storm awaited him at the Star Sword Sect. And the people he had met and the principles he had learned along the way would, in the near future, become the force protecting the sword path.

The journey back to the Star Sword Sect was much more hurried than the journey there.

Wang Xiaohu and Su Qingwan traveled day and night, their pace almost catching up with the drifting clouds across the sky. The Demon-Suppressing Sword hung at their waists, the dragon pattern on its scabbard glowing slightly with its owner's heartbeat, occasionally illuminating a blue light in the quiet night, as if guiding their way. Passing through Duanyun City, Wang Xiaohu made a detour to Aman's house, leaving behind half a resurrection herb—plucked from the Resurrection Immortal Plant, enough to eradicate the remaining poison of the Corrupting Heart Grass. Aman, clutching the herb, insisted on giving him the silver bracelet her father had left behind, saying it was a Miao people's "protective talisman." Unable to refuse, Wang Xiaohu carefully kept it close to his body.

The closer they got to Star Mountain, the stronger the sword aura in the air became. The once lush and verdant forest now bore many charred marks on the trees, as if they had been scorched by some domineering force. The village at the foot of the mountain was deserted, with only a few frightened wild dogs wandering the alleys, whimpering and running away when they saw them.

"Something's not right." Su Qingwan stopped and pressed her fingertips against the pipa strings. "The sword energy here is very chaotic, as if many people are fighting."

The blue mark between Wang Xiaohu's brows was burning hot. He could feel a strong resonance coming from the direction of the Sword Tomb, a resonance mixed with pain and anger, as if the three divine swords were enduring some kind of torment. He took a deep breath and drew the Demon-Suppressing Sword into his hand: "Let's go, straight to the Sword Tomb."

The two used their lightness skills to rush up the steep mountain path. Just as they reached the entrance to the Sword Tomb, they suddenly heard the crisp sound of clashing weapons ahead. Rounding a huge rock, the sight before them made their pupils shrink in shock—

Dozens of disciples from the Star Sword Sect were locked in a fierce battle with three men in black. Their swords were stained with blood, indicating a long and arduous fight. The three men in black were all powerful enough to be elders, and their weapons emanated a black aura similar to that of the Demon Lord, each swing accompanied by a sharp whistling sound that tore through the air. Even more chilling was the fact that each of them had a twisted, blood-red rune branded between their brows, creating a bizarre contrast with Wang Xiaohu's cyan mark.

"It's the 'Blood Soul Cult'!" Su Qingwan's voice was icy. "Rumor has it that it was an evil cult founded by the Demon Lord's three most loyal protectors after his death, specializing in cultivating evil arts using the essence of living people. I didn't expect they actually exist!"

Wang Xiaohu's gaze fell upon the depths of the Sword Tomb. Several massive cracks had split open in the ground there, and the three divine swords that had once stood in the center—Azure Frost, Purple Lightning, and Black Iron—were now bound by a black chain covered in crimson runes, constantly draining the swords' spiritual light. Nangong Wan lay beside the divine swords, a black dagger embedded in his chest, his breath as faint as a candle flickering in the wind. (End of Chapter)