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

"Be careful! The miasma ahead is getting thicker; we're probably close to the demon toad's lair!" Chen Lin warned.

Sure enough, a relatively open, murky pool appeared ahead, with dozens of demonic toads lying on its edge. One of them was exceptionally large, resembling a small hill, with dark gold skin and a bulge on its forehead, radiating a powerful demonic aura equivalent to the early Foundation Establishment stage! It was the leader of the second-tier demonic toads!
It seemed to sense the intruders and let out a deep, drum-like cry. All the surrounding demon toads immediately became agitated, inflating their poison sacs and sending a dense purple miasma surging towards the four of them like a tide!

"Form ranks! Sun Hao, hold the line! Chen Lin, provide support! Junior Brother Fu, Junior Brother Zhao, follow me to kill the enemy!" Zhao Gan, being experienced, immediately gave the order.

Sun Hao roared and slammed his palms on the ground, raising a thick earthen wall that temporarily blocked the poisonous miasma. Chen Lin unleashed a flurry of magic spells, sending streams of water arrows towards the demonic toad attempting to cross the earthen wall.

Zhao Gan and Fu Shaoping attacked from both sides. Zhao Gan's swordsmanship was fierce, unleashing a burst of fire-attribute techniques; his blade carried a scorching aura, offering some resistance against poisons. Fu Shaoping, on the other hand, moved with agility, employing the Flowing Cloud Step to weave through the swarm of demonic toads. His sword light sometimes flashed like the dawn breaking, precisely striking down demonic toads attempting to spit venom; at other times, it transformed into flowing clouds, distracting the demonic toad leader.

The demonic toad leader was quite intelligent. Seeing that his subordinates were having difficulty winning, he suddenly leaped, his massive body carrying a foul stench as he pounced on Fu Shaoping, who appeared to be the weakest! His enormous mouth opened, and a stream of condensed purple venom shot out like an arrow!
"Junior Brother Fu, be careful!" Zhao Gan exclaimed.

Fu Shaoping's pupils contracted, and he dared not be careless. The Azure Wood Spirit Shield instantly condensed to its maximum, while he dodged to the side with all his might!
"laugh--!"

The venom struck the spirit shield, producing a violent corrosive sound. The spirit shield flashed wildly, but shattered after only a moment! The remaining venom grazed his shoulder, corroding his protective aura and causing a burning pain!
Such potent toxicity!
Seeing that its first attack had failed, the demon toad leader pushed off the ground with its thick hind legs and pounced again, its fleshy tongue lashing out at Fu Shaoping like a whip!

In the critical moment, a fierce glint flashed in Fu Shaoping's eyes, and instead of retreating, he advanced! The true energy within his body surged at an unprecedented speed, and the sword intent of the rising sun and the ever-changing clouds were forcibly merged at this moment! On the longsword, blue and gold light intertwined, possessing both an unstoppable sharpness and endless variations to follow!
"The rosy clouds break!"

He let out a low shout, his body following the sword, transforming into a streak of cyan-gold light. He didn't directly confront it, but instead flowed upstream along the pulled-out tongue, the tip of his sword pointing directly at the soft flesh of the upper palate of the demon toad leader's gaping maw!
This sword strike was fast, unpredictable, and ruthless!
"Pfft!"

The demon toad leader clearly hadn't expected its opponent to be so fierce and cunning; it was too late to shut up! The sword light pierced its vulnerable upper jaw with unparalleled precision, and sword energy erupted!
"Croak—!"

The demon toad leader let out an extremely painful scream, its massive body churning violently and turning the surrounding mud upside down!

"A perfect opportunity!" Zhao Gan and his two companions would not miss it, and all their attacks poured forth in an instant!

Finally, with the combined efforts of the four, the second-tier demon toad leader was successfully killed.

After the battle, all four were panting heavily, and all had injuries and were contaminated with poisonous miasma. Sun Hao and Chen Lin quickly took antidote pills and circulated their internal energy to expel the poison.

Fu Shaoping also felt a wave of weakness, and the area on his shoulder where the poison had been eroded was faintly turning black. He sat down cross-legged and circulated the Yi Wood Azure Yuan Technique with all his might. As the pure Yi Wood Azure Yuan flowed through the wound, the stubborn toad poison was forced out thread by thread, and the wound began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye, which amazed Zhao Gan and the other two.

After clearing the battlefield and collecting the poison sacs and valuable materials from the demon toad, the four quickly retreated from the Blackwater Marsh.

Returning to his sect to complete the mission, he received a generous reward. Through this battle, Fu Shaoping not only solidified his cultivation and greatly increased his combat experience, but also made breakthrough progress in the integration of sword techniques. Furthermore, he verified the remarkable effects of the Yi Mu Qing Yuan Technique in detoxification and healing.

His relationship with Zhao Gan and others has also become much closer, which means he has truly gained a foothold in the inner sect.

However, when he returned to his cave and prepared to take stock of his spoils, the Ice Heart Mirror in his arms once again emitted a faint but persistent warmth. This time, the direction of the warmth seemed to point towards the sect… its interior?
Fu Shaoping's heart sank. Had the tentacles of the Netherworld Sect already penetrated deep into the heart of the sect?
The warmth emanating from the Ice Heart Mirror, though not as scorching as that of the Black Wind Ridge Valley, was like a chilling venomous snake, quietly coiling around Fu Shaoping's heart. The direction of the sensation was vague, but it roughly pointed to the western part of the sect's interior. It wasn't the core forbidden area, but it contained some functional halls and the living quarters of some inner disciples.

Within the sect? Has the Netherworld Sect's infiltration reached this extent? A chill ran down Fu Shaoping's spine. He immediately thought of Liu Yunyi, the former genius disciple and the eldest grandson of the Grand Elder! Even he could be corrupted; just how many spies are still hidden within the sect?

This was no small matter! He dared not delay for the slightest and immediately took out the token given to him by Elder Liu, attempting to send a message. However, the token flashed several times but failed to successfully contact Elder Liu, seemingly interfered with by some force.

Fu Shaoping's heart tightened. Elder Liu might be dealing with important matters, or... perhaps he was trapped in some kind of communication-isolated formation? He dared not speculate, but the intelligence had to be sent out as soon as possible.

After a moment's thought, he decided to go to the Discipline Hall in person to request an audience. If Elder Liu was not there, he would inform the elder on duty.

He quickly left the cave and hurried towards the Discipline Hall. Along the way, he deliberately concealed his aura, pretending to be traveling normally, but his divine sense, like an invisible spiderweb, quietly sensed his surroundings. The warmth of the Ice Heart Mirror remained, guiding him in that vague direction.

Just as he was passing through a relatively secluded bamboo forest path, the Ice Heart Mirror in his arms suddenly became scalding hot! The blood-red patterns instantly became clear!
There was a reaction! And it was very close!
Fu Shaoping abruptly stopped, his muscles tensing instantly, his sharp gaze sweeping across his surroundings. The bamboo grove was quiet, the wind rustling the bamboo leaves, seemingly deserted.

But he believed in Bing Xinjian's intuition!

"laugh--"

A very faint sound, like the tearing of cloth, came from behind!
Without a second thought, Fu Shaoping instinctively used the Flowing Cloud Step, his body drifting to the left as if weightless!

A nearly transparent, chilling thread grazed his right sleeve, silently disappearing into a thick bamboo pole behind where he had just stood. The spot where the thread had touched instantly became covered in a thin layer of black ice, then snapped with a crack and fell to the ground!

What a bizarre attack! What a vicious poison!
Fu Shaoping was horrified. If it weren't for the Ice Heart Mirror's warning, and if he hadn't reacted quickly enough, he would probably already be poisoned!

"Your reaction wasn't slow." A sinister voice came from the shadows of the bamboo forest. A figure slowly emerged, also dressed in the robes of an inner disciple, with an ordinary face—the kind that would be easily lost in a crowd—but his eyes gleamed with a venomous light, revealing his cultivation to be at the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining!

"Who are you? Why are you attacking a fellow disciple?" Fu Shaoping, longsword already in hand, silently activated the Azure Wood Yuan Technique, his Azure Wood Spirit Shield concealed, and he shouted in a deep voice. He knew in his heart that this person must be an inside agent of the Netherworld Sect! "Fellow disciple?" The sinister disciple sneered, licking his lips. "Why ask so many questions of a dying man? Blame yourself for being too nosy, for seeing things you shouldn't have!"

Before he finished speaking, his figure swayed like a ghost, his ten fingers flicking out countless transparent poisonous threads, thinner than a hair, shooting out like a shower of flowers, covering all of Fu Shaoping's dodging space! These poisonous threads were not only extremely sharp, but also contained a deadly poison that could freeze blood and corrode true energy!
A full-force attack from the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining! And the methods were so bizarre and vicious!

Fu Shaoping's pupils constricted sharply as he felt an unprecedented threat of death! The difference in their cultivation levels was too great; a direct confrontation would be utterly hopeless!
"Countless flowing clouds!"

He let out a low shout, his inner energy surging wildly, his longsword transforming into a dense curtain of light. He didn't block it head-on, but rather used skillful force to guide and deflect the deadly poison threads! At the same time, his footwork changed to the extreme, dodging and weaving in the small space, his figure as ethereal as smoke!

"Ding ding ding ding..."

A series of sharp, rapid sounds, like raindrops pattering on banana leaves, rang out, sparks flying everywhere! Fu Shaoping pushed the defensive and evasive properties of his "Thousand Flowing Clouds" sword to their limits, the sword light flowing like clouds, constantly deflecting the incoming attacks. However, his opponent's cultivation was far superior; the chilling power of the poisonous threads continuously seeped through the sword, causing his blood to surge and his arms to go numb. Even more terrifying, a few strands of poisonous threads failed to completely evade, grazing his protective aura and leaving several icy blue marks, the cold air penetrating his meridians!
We can't afford to fight this for long!

Fu Shaoping's mind raced. He bit his tongue hard, using the sharp pain to forcefully gather all his true energy, and the sword intent of the rising sun instantly condensed!
This time, however, he did not attack his opponent directly. Instead, he flicked his sword tip and a highly refined cyan-gold sword light shot out like a drill towards the ground between the two of them!

"boom!"

A shallow crater was blasted open in the ground, and dust mixed with bamboo leaves flew up and filled the air, temporarily obscuring the view!

"Trying to escape?" The sinister disciple sneered, waving his sleeve and sending out a gust of cold wind to disperse the dust.

However, just as the smoke and dust were about to dissipate, a sword light, even more concentrated and faster, carrying an indomitable and tragic momentum, shot out from the smoke and dust! It aimed straight at his face!
The clouds parted! Fu Shaoping, using the dust as cover, forcefully unleashed this immature yet most aggressive move! He gambled all his strength and all his will on this one sword!

The sinister disciple clearly hadn't expected Fu Shaoping to dare to launch such a fierce counterattack despite being at a significant disadvantage, nor had he anticipated that the speed and power of this sword strike far exceeded his cultivation level! In his haste, he could only hastily weave the poisonous threads into a net in front of him!
"puff!"

The sword light collided with the poisonous net, producing a muffled thud! The poisonous net trembled violently, actually being torn apart by this sword! The sword light, though greatly weakened, still aimed for his brow!
The sinister disciple turned his head in horror!

"laugh!"

The sword tip grazed his temple, taking a strand of hair and leaving a bloody gash on his cheek! The contained azure wood energy caused a burning and numbing sensation in his wound!
"You little bastard! You're asking for death!" The sinister disciple was both shocked and furious. He, a peak ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator, had actually been injured by a mere fifth-level Qi Refining brat! This was an utter disgrace! His Yin energy surged, and he prepared to unleash an even more powerful evil technique!

However, after the sword strike, Fu Shaoping didn't care about the result at all. He used the recoil to shoot backward like a meteor, and at the same time, he slapped a "Swiftness Talisman" given to him by Elder Liu onto his body!
Its speed increased dramatically in an instant! Without looking back, it fled desperately towards the Discipline Hall!
He knew that his previous sword strike was his limit and had no chance of seriously injuring his opponent. He was lucky to have managed to slow him down for even a moment! If he didn't escape now, he would surely die!

"Where do you think you're going!" the sinister disciple roared, transforming into a wisp of black smoke in hot pursuit! But Fu Shaoping, empowered by the Divine Speed ​​Talisman, was extremely fast, and coupled with his familiarity with the sect's paths, he quickly widened the distance with a few turns.

As Fu Shaoping's figure was about to disappear from sight, the sinister disciple's face turned ashen. He knew that once Fu Shaoping reached the Discipline Hall, he would be exposed! A ruthless and resolute glint flashed in his eyes. He suddenly pounded his chest, spitting out a mouthful of blood essence, which merged into the black aura surrounding him, instantly increasing his speed by three times! At the same time, a jet-black bone nail appeared in his hand, radiating an evil aura that sent chills down one's spine!
"Netherworld Thorn! Go!"

He flicked his finger, and the black bone nail transformed into an almost invisible streak of dark light, ignoring spatial distance, and instantly chased after Fu Shaoping to the back of the heart!
Fu Shaoping felt a chilling, murderous intent lock onto him, freezing his very soul, and the hairs on his body stood on end! The shadow of death was heavier than ever before! He didn't even have time to turn around!

At this extremely critical moment—

"presumptuous!"

A thunderous roar suddenly erupted from nowhere! A golden sword aura, as brilliant as the sun, descended from the sky, striking the dark light with perfect precision!
"Crack!"

The malevolent Netherworld Thorn, as if encountering its nemesis, was instantly shattered by the golden sword energy! It vanished without a trace!

At the same time, a vast and overwhelming pressure descended, pressing the pursuing sinister disciple firmly to the ground, rendering him unable to move!
A figure appeared before Fu Shaoping like a god descending from the heavens—it was Elder Liu! His face was ashen, his eyes burning with rage as he stared intently at the sinister disciple who was pinned to the ground.

"How dare those demons and monsters of the Netherworld Sect commit atrocities within my Qingxuan Sect?!"

Upon seeing Elder Liu, Fu Shaoping felt a wave of relief wash over him, nearly collapsing to the ground. He forced himself to bow, saying, "Elder..."

Elder Liu glanced at him, seeing that he had only overexerted his true energy and was not fatally injured, he nodded and said in a slightly gentler tone: "You did well. Leave the rest to me."

With a flick of his sleeve, several elite disciples from the Discipline Hall appeared and dragged the ashen-faced, sinister disciple away like a dead dog.

Elder Liu's gaze swept over the direction Fu Shaoping had come from, then looked at the bamboo forest where the sinister disciple was lurking, his eyes deep and cold.

"It seems it's time for a thorough house cleanup." (End of Chapter)