The entry for cultivating immortality states that after dying a hundred times, I attained immortalit

Jiang Bai sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, stretching his left shoulder.

There is still some soreness in my ribs, but it no longer affects my mobility.

The combined effect of the elixir's efficacy and the body's recovery ability after tempering.

The injury, which doctors had predicted would take at least half a month to heal, has already recovered to almost full strength in just a few days.

"As expected, the bodies of cultivators are incredibly resilient."

Jiang Bai poured himself a cup of iced tea.

The tea was cold because he was too lazy to heat it up. Anyway, he had [toxic immunity], so he wasn't afraid of even old tea stains and naturally wouldn't get a stomachache from drinking it.

Although his injuries have improved, his cultivation level has slightly regressed.

He withstood the poisonous palm strike on the life-or-death stage, burning his spiritual power to fight for his life. Although he narrowly defeated his opponent, the fact that he was challenging someone of a higher level still damaged his foundation.

Now, his cultivation level has dropped from the threshold of the third level of Qi Refining back to the mid-stage of the second level, and his total spiritual power has decreased by at least 20%.

"It was indeed a bit of a loss; I can't be so overconfident next time."

Jiang Bai thought to himself, "Winning a fight but losing a minor cultivation level is really not a worthwhile trade."

However, upon closer inspection, one will find that although the spiritual energy has decreased, it is more substantial than before.

The recovery process after a serious injury is like compacting loose stones, making the foundation even more solid.

He sat on the stone bench, reviewing the life-or-death battle.

This battle also exposed some of my own problems.

They lack effective long-range attack methods.

If it weren't for the timely warning from the [Killing Intent Perception], the venom from the poisonous toad would have already taken his life.

My total spiritual energy is too low.

A second-level Qi Refining cultivator fighting a fourth-level cultivator would be courting death by directly expending spiritual energy; therefore, they can only rely on their physical strength and tactical skills.

My combat experience is still lacking.

If Chen Feng's final move, "Ten Thousand Poisons Piercing the Heart," had been used on a wider scale, or if he had been more cautious, the outcome would have been uncertain.

"There are so many shortcomings, we need to address them one by one."

Jiang Bai concluded, "Continue tempering your body, keep practicing poison techniques, and learn some poison-making skills. At least make some things you can throw around."

Just as I was pondering this, the courtyard gate was gently pushed open.

Xiao Cui brought in a bowl of medicine. Seeing that he had already gotten out of bed, she was taken aback at first, then whispered, "Young master, the clan elder sent someone to say that after you recover, please go to the Kung Fu Hall."

"Now?"

"That's what the messenger said."

Jiang Bai nodded, took the medicine bowl, and drank it all in one gulp.

[Toxicity Immunity] No reaction whatsoever; to him, this healing medicine was no different from plain boiled water.

"I'll go right away."

……

When Jiang Bai and Xiao Cui stepped into the hall, the clan elder was sitting at a wooden table by the window, flipping through an ancient book.

Hearing footsteps, the elder didn't even look up: "Sit."

Jiang Bai sat down on the prayer mat opposite him, while Xiao Cui waited behind him.

After a while, the clan elder closed the ancient book and looked up at him.

"I watched the entire battle against Chen Feng."

The elder cut to the chase, “Your tactical application and adaptability far surpass those of your peers. In particular, you withstood the poison palm strike without being poisoned. Although the Chen family’s ‘Azure Wood Poison Palm’ is not top-tier, the poison from a full-force attack by a fourth-level Qi Refining cultivator would cause an ordinary second-level cultivator to collapse upon contact, yet you only broke two bones.”

Jiang Bai humbly replied, "Hehe, I'm just a bit tough."

"Just lucky?"

The elder shook his head. "On the path of cultivation, there is no room for luck. You survived because your physical body is at least 30% stronger than others of the same level, your resistance to toxins is almost abnormal, and you maintained a calm demeanor during battle. All of these indicate that you are an excellent cultivator."

He paused, then suddenly said, "Jiang Bai, would you be willing to become my disciple?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai was taken aback.

Although he had a premonition that the clan elders would value him, he never expected them to directly accept him as a disciple...

"This young man is mediocre; I'm afraid..."

"My lifespan is running out. I have no hope of reaching the Nascent Soul stage, and the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm is my limit."

The clan elder interrupted him, speaking calmly.

"I've accepted you as a disciple on a nominal basis because I value your resilient character and exceptional talent. If you can establish your foundation within three years, you can become a direct disciple. If not, your status as a disciple on a nominal basis won't cause you too much trouble; at least it's better for you in the Jiang family than it is now."

The elder's words were very true.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Bai no longer hesitated. He stood up, straightened his robes, and solemnly knelt down to perform the three kneelings and nine kowtows ceremony.

Xiao Cui, who was standing nearby, immediately brought over a tea tray and presented it to Jiang Bai as a gesture of respect for his master.

The clan elder accepted it, took a sip, and that was considered the ceremony complete.

"From this day forward, you shall be my disciple."

The elder took out a token from his robes and handed it to Jiang Bai. "With this token, you can freely enter and exit the first and second floors of the Cultivation Hall. Your monthly resource allowance will be increased. You can mention my name if you encounter any trouble. Although my name is not very useful in the clan these days."

Jiang Bai accepted the token with both hands.

The front is engraved with the character "姜" (Jiang), and the back has the characters "记名" (Ji Ming).

"In addition, these are considered gifts for becoming an apprentice."

The clan elder then pushed three more items forward.

The first item is a jade slip.

"The Complete Book of Poisons records the properties and preparation methods of a hundred common poisons. Your special constitution and strong resistance to poisons are an advantage, but without knowledge of toxicology, it will ultimately be reckless. I hope you will study it carefully."

The second item was a skin, dark brown in color.

"A low-grade magical artifact called the 'Poison-Tempering Pouch.' It has three compartments that can store different poisons. In battle, it can be activated with spiritual power to spray poison mist or poison arrows. The range is about ten zhang, and the power is decent. It should help you make up for your lack of ranged attack."

The third item was a storage bag, slightly larger than the one Jiang Bai was currently using.

"Monthly resources: thirty low-grade spirit stones, three bottles of rotten grass miasma, and one bottle of calming pill. I will have someone deliver the spirit stones and miasma directly to your residence. The calming pill can help you calm your mind and prevent poisonous gas from invading your heart during cultivation, although you may not need it."

Jiang Baiyi accepted the gifts and quickly began to make plans in his mind.

Thirty spirit stones, three times more than before.

Rotten grass and miasma are auxiliary materials for cultivating poison techniques. One bottle costs about five spirit stones, and three bottles cost fifteen spirit stones.

The Qingxin Pill is rather useless; I don't really need it myself, but I can sell it or give it away as a favor.

"Thank you, Master." Jiang Baixing bowed.

The elder waved his hand: "There's no need for formalities between master and disciple. The resources are yours to use as you see fit. But one thing is certain! Cultivation is fundamental; don't let external things distract you."

"Disciple understands."

……

Back in the courtyard, Jiang Baiqing counted the harvest.

Keep the token close to your body.

The jade slip was placed between the eyebrows, and the divine sense probed into it. A large amount of information flooded into the mind: a diagram of poisonous herbs, the habits of poisonous insects, the principle of mutual generation and restraint of poisons, basic methods for refining poison powder and venom... Although the content was complicated, it was recorded in great detail.

Roughly estimated, it will take at least a month to fully master it.

The poison-tempering sac needs to be bound to a master.

A drop of blood was placed on the skin, and the scales on the surface of the skin became slightly shiny before disappearing.

According to my divine sense, there are indeed three independent spaces inside, each about the size of a fist, and they are currently empty.

"I need to find some venom to fill it in," Jiang Bai thought. "I'll go look outside tomorrow."

The storage bag contained thirty low-grade spirit stones, brimming with spiritual energy; three bottles of rotten grass miasma, their surfaces icy cold; and a bottle of Tranquilizing Pills, containing ten pills in total.

Next, Jiang Bai formulated a plan.

Spirit stones are mainly used to purchase poisons to further temper the body.

The second level requires thirty kinds of poisons, and we are still far from reaching that level.

You should study the "Complete Guide to the Fundamentals of Poisoning" as soon as possible, and at least master the preparation of several practical poison powders.

The poison-tipped sac requires frequent practice to operate and to become familiar with its range and power.

Just as the project was being planned, footsteps could be heard outside the courtyard.

Jiang Bai packed his things, pushed open the door, and went out.

Several young members of the Jiang family stood outside the courtyard. They were all from collateral branches at the first or second level of Qi Refining and did not usually interact with each other.

The leader was a round-faced youth who, upon seeing Jiang Bai emerge, quickly cupped his hands and said, "Senior Brother Jiang Bai! I heard you've become a disciple of the clan elder, so I've come to offer my congratulations!"

The people behind him also bowed, their attitudes respectful yet obsequious.

Jiang Bai nodded: "Thank you."

"If you ever need my help, please don't hesitate to ask!" The round-faced boy handed over a wooden box. "It's just a small gift, nothing special."

The box contained several common poisonous plants, worth no more than two spirit stones.

Jiang Bai accepted the money, exchanged a few polite words, and then the group tactfully left.

Just as I turned to go back inside, another group of people came over.

This time, it was a few direct disciples at the third level of Qi Refining. They were somewhat reserved in their attitude, but their words also revealed their intention to make friends.

Jiang Bai responded to each question with complete understanding.

It seems the news of the apprenticeship has spread, and these people are here to take sides.

Only after the third group of people left did Xiao Cui come over from the side courtyard and whisper, "Young Master, among those who came just now, two were from a collateral branch of the Grand Elder's lineage..."