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

The morning light pierced through the thick, poisonous miasma, casting dappled shadows in the valley.

Jiang Bai strode along the cliff face, the soil beneath his feet soft and light, each step he took was extremely light.

Jiang Bai needs to find a place to rest.

In the ravine ahead, a patch of withered vines grows horizontally on the cliff face, and a dark cave entrance can be vaguely seen behind the vines.

Jiang Bai twisted his body and squeezed inside.

He sprinkled some insect repellent powder at the entrance of the cave, then moved a few stones over to partially cover it before sitting down cross-legged.

The storage bag was laid out in front of me.

Two main flags were taken out one after the other, one crimson and the other jet black, their patterns gleaming faintly in the dim light.

Jiang Bai placed them side by side beside him, looked at them for a moment, and then carefully put them away.

Next came the sword.

The Thunder Fang Sword was drawn first, its blade swirling with pale purple lightning patterns and emitting a soft crackling sound.

He was very comfortable using this sword, especially when lightning and poison were combined, it often had a miraculous effect.

When the Burial Sword was taken out, the entire cave seemed to sink.

The four-foot-long sword was jet black and dull, with a blunt and thick blade, and a dark red gemstone on the guard that had faded.

Jiang Bai lifted it with one hand, and his arm muscles immediately tensed up.

This sword was more than twice as heavy as Thunder Fang. He gripped the hilt with both hands, slowly raising it horizontally; the blade remained perfectly still, as steady as a mountain.

"A fine sword," Jiang Bai murmured.

Although the sword is damaged, its profound and weighty aura is undeniable.

He tried to infuse spiritual energy into the sword, but the sword did not react at all. He could only vaguely feel a slight tremor coming from the depths of the sword, as if it were asleep.

Jiang Bai stopped pressuring him and put Zang Yue back into his bag.

The spirit stones were poured out, piling up into a small heap with a splash.

The lone cultivators, the Chen family, the Li family, Chen Lei, the deputy valley master of Black Fiend Valley... after a series of kills, a rough count revealed more than eight hundred low-grade spirit stones.

In a small place like Ping'an County, this is already a huge sum of money.

There were more than ten bottles and jars of pills, including those for healing, restoring energy, and detoxifying, ranging in quality from low to high grade of the Yellow Rank.

Jiang Bai took a Nourishing Spirit Pill and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

As the medicine took effect, my weary soul felt as if it were being soaked in warm water, gradually soothed.

The "Hundred Poisons Bone Tempering Technique" within the body operates on its own, absorbing the thin poisonous miasma seeping in from outside the cave and transforming it into pure spiritual energy that circulates through the meridians.

The series of fierce battles, though fraught with danger, also honed their skills and resilience.

He could sense that the bottleneck at the peak of the fourth level of Qi Refining was beginning to loosen, and with just one opportunity, he could step into the fifth level.

Just then, the system that had been dormant in my mind suddenly started to fluctuate.

[Number of host deaths detected: Six]

[Unlock Accessibility Features: Entry Synthesis Preview]

Jiang Bai suddenly opened his eyes.

A semi-transparent light screen appeared before them, with the following entries listed on the left: [Toxicity Immunity (White)], [Killing Intent Perception (Green)], [Swift Shadow Step (Green)], [Conceal Breath Technique (Green)], [Poison Explosion Technique (Blue)], [Desperate Counterattack (Blue)].

A new section appears on the right:

[White → Green Synthesis Preview]:

- [Toxicity Immunity (White)] Current Experience: 72/100. Note: Experiencing more types of toxins is required to increase experience.

[Green → Blue Composite Preview]:

- [Concealing Breath Technique (Green)] Current Experience: 100/100. Can consume one synthesis opportunity to upgrade to blue quality.

Preview of promotion path: [Shadow Stealth (Blue)] - Duration extended to half an hour, cooldown reduced to half an hour, stealth effect remains unchanged when moving.

- [Killing Intent Perception (Green)] Current Experience: 63/100.

- [Swift Step (Green)] Current experience: 48/100.

Jiang Bai's gaze fell on the [Concealing Breath Technique].

He used this term extremely frequently, relying on its effectiveness for infiltration, assassination, and escape.

If you can upgrade to blue, the duration will double, the cooldown will be halved, and stealth will not be reduced while moving.

This means he can become a shadow at any time and move right under the enemy's nose.

"synthesis."

As the thought crossed his mind, the words "[Concealing Breath Technique (Green)]" blurred for a moment before solidifying again, transforming into "[Shadow Stealth (Blue)]".

A cool current spread from between the eyebrows, flowing to the limbs and bones, especially enveloping the pores of the skin, as if coated with a thin film.

With a slight thought, Jiang Bai activated his skill.

His aura plummeted to a low point, his presence became extremely faint, and even if he opened his eyes, he was easily ignored subconsciously. He took a few steps in the cave, and the sound of his footsteps almost disappeared, and the rustling of his clothes became barely audible.

"Good." A hint of satisfaction flashed in Jiang Bai's eyes.

Just as he was about to deactivate the skill, a strange noise suddenly came from outside the cave.

The sound was neither like thunder nor like a landslide; rather, it was like a dull thud as something was being violently torn apart.

Immediately afterwards, an extremely cold aura swept across the entire valley like a tide, and wherever it passed, the grass and trees were instantly covered with white frost.

"Kill my deputy valley master..."

"You brat, come out and face your death."

The moment the sound faded, dust rustled off the cave walls.

Jiang Bai felt his hair stand on end. His [Killing Intent Perception] was on high alert. The malice that was locking onto him was like a mountain pressing down on him, cold and bone-chilling, far beyond what a Qi Refining cultivator could compare to!

It's actually the Foundation Establishment stage!

The Black Fiend Valley Master has actually come in person!

What made Jiang Bai's heart tremble even more was that there were faintly chaotic fluctuations mixed in with that Foundation Establishment pressure.

It's like someone forcibly squeezing through a narrow gap, their clothes torn and disheveled.

This secret realm is protected by restrictions jointly set up by the ancestors of the three races, preventing cultivators above the Foundation Establishment stage from entering.

The other party must have paid some price to get in, using a secret method to force their way in.

The oppressive aura drew ever closer, and spiritual senses swept across the entire mountain valley like a net, the few rocks covering the cave entrance offering no real protection against the probing.

Jiang Bai put everything into his storage bag, poured out all the speed-enhancing pills from the bottle, and stuffed them into his mouth. The medicinal power dissolved in his throat, turning into a warm current that rushed into his limbs and bones.

He shot out of the cave like an arrow, simultaneously activating [Shadow Stealth] and [Swift Shadow Step], transforming himself into an almost invisible phantom as he sped off in the northwest direction, opposite to the Poison Ivy Cave.

That's the "core area of ​​the ancient battlefield" marked on the map, the location of the third layer of poisonous miasma. Even the ancestors of the three races warned their disciples not to go deep into it.

"Trying to escape?"

A cold voice rang out three hundred feet behind him, tinged with mockery, but Jiang Bai could only hear panting.

The other party was indeed acting strangely.

Jiang Bai didn't look back and fled with all his might.

The scenery on both sides rushed past, and the wind howled in my ears, but the pressure of the Foundation Establishment stage followed me like a shadow. Instead of moving away, it got closer and closer!

The gap is too big.

Qi Refining and Foundation Building may seem to be separated by only one major realm, but in reality, they are the true watershed between the mortal and the cultivator.

Foundation Establishment cultivators liquefy their spiritual energy and project their spiritual consciousness outwards, having initially broken free from the shackles of their mortal bodies.

Even if the Black Fiend Valley Master was in poor condition, and even if the secret realm's restrictions suppressed part of his strength, killing a Qi Refining Level 4 cultivator would still be a piece of cake.

"I'll see how far you can run."

Before he could finish speaking, the sky above Jiang Bai's head suddenly darkened.

A giant hand formed from black mist appeared out of thin air, over five zhang long and wide, with clear palm lines like ravines, carrying a suffocating aura of death, and slammed down towards the area where Jiang Bai was!

Before the giant hand even arrived, the force of its palm strike had already caused the ground to sink and the vegetation to break.

Jiang Bai's bones creaked under the strain, his [Killing Intent Perception] frantically warning him, the landing point and coverage area of ​​the giant palm clearly reflected in his mind. There was no escape; this palm covered an area of ​​ten zhang in radius, and at his speed, he couldn't possibly break through the boundary.

With life hanging by a thread, Jiang Bai's eyes suddenly turned fierce.

Instead of retreating, he advanced, rushing three zhang towards the center of the giant palm. Just as the palm wind was pressing down on his spine as if it were about to crack, he suddenly fell forward and rolled out onto the ground.

boom!!!

A giant hand slammed down.

The earth is shaking and the mountains are shaking.

Where Jiang Baiyuan originally stood, the ground within a radius of seven or eight zhang sank three chi, forming a clear palm print pit.

The soil at the bottom of the pit was scorched black, wisps of black smoke rising from it, and all the grass, trees, insects and ants had been reduced to dust.

The aftershocks spread out like a tide.

Although Jiang Bai had already left the core area, he was still violently thrown away by the shockwave, his back slamming into a dead tree, the trunk snapping with a crack.

He felt a sweet taste in his throat, spat out a mouthful of blood, and felt as if his internal organs had been hit by a heavy hammer, and his vision went black.

If he hadn't already mastered the second level of the "Hundred Poisons Bone Tempering Technique" and possessed a physical body strength approaching that of a mid-grade magic weapon, the aftershock of that palm strike would have been enough to shatter all his bones.

Although his internal organs were injured, his muscles and bones were not damaged, and he could still move with difficulty.

He didn't dare to stop.

Using the force of the blast wave, he scrambled to his feet and continued rushing forward.

Blood mingled with the metallic taste of earth in his mouth. He gritted his teeth and forced back the second mouthful of blood that rose to his throat. The speed-enhancing pills burned within his body, pushing his meridians to their limits. [Shadow Stealth] allowed him to move through the forest like a ghost, while the explosive power of [Swift Shadow Step] was pushed to its extreme.

"what?"

The Black Fiend Valley Master's voice held a hint of surprise, which quickly turned cold: "The physical body is not bad... quite interesting."

"And what about this palm strike?"

The sky darkened again.

The second giant black mist hand condensed and took shape, larger than the first and covering a wider area.

This time, a twisted skull pattern appeared in his palm, and the deathly aura turned into solid black water droplets that fell, instantly corroding the ground into fist-sized pits where the droplets hit.

There is no escape.

Jiang Bai clearly felt that this palm strike had locked down all his space to dodge.

No matter which way you go—left, right, or even backward—you're all under the influence of the palm strike.

He looked up and gazed ahead.

A hundred feet away, the color of the poisonous miasma had changed from grayish-black to a deep, inky black, like a curtain that stretched from the sky to the earth, slowly surging.

That was the third layer of poisonous miasma, the core area of ​​the ancient battlefield, a dead zone that even Foundation Establishment cultivators were unwilling to easily set foot in.

There was no other choice.

Jiang Bai took a deep breath and poured all the spiritual power he could muster into his legs, increasing his speed even further. He became a streak of light that was difficult to see with the naked eye, and rushed straight towards the dark poisonous miasma!

"court death!"

The Black Fiend Valley Master clearly saw through his intentions, and the giant black mist palm struck down faster.

The palm strike pressed down, tearing Jiang Bai's clothes to shreds on his back, and blood seeped from his skin. Blood was gushing from all seven orifices, and his vision began to blur. Only a fierce determination kept him going, and his legs moved like the wind.

Fifty zhang, thirty zhang, ten zhang—

The edge of the giant hand had already touched the tip of his hair.

Jiang Bai roared, pushing the "Hundred Poisons Bone Tempering Technique" within his body to its limit. A burning pain shot through the empty poisonous markings on his right arm, forcibly squeezing out a sliver of power. He lunged forward, his body like an arrow, plunging headfirst into the pitch-black poisonous miasma.

puff.

It felt as if I were passing through a viscous curtain of water.

The giant hand slammed down on the edge of the poisonous miasma from behind. The black mist collided with the dark miasma, producing a hissing sound, but failed to penetrate even an inch. The restrictions of the secret realm were exceptionally strong here; even Foundation Establishment cultivators could not penetrate the third layer with their attacks.

Jiang Bai fell onto the ground inside the poisonous miasma and rolled several times before stopping.

He lay on the ground, panting heavily. Each breath he took carried a strong, corrosive poisonous miasma. If he were an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator, his lungs and internal organs would have already rotted away by now.

However, the poisonous markings on his right arm exerted a weak suction, drawing away the poisonous miasma that had entered his body, which actually alleviated some of his injuries.

A moment later, Jiang Bai struggled to sit up and looked back.

Outside the poisonous miasma, a figure in black robes stood suspended in mid-air.

The man was tall, his black robes billowing even without wind, and he wore a pale mask with black eye sockets, obscuring his true face. He was shrouded in a faint black mist, but the flow of the mist was noticeably sluggish, and the hem of his robe would occasionally flutter uncontrollably—a sign of his forceful resistance against the suppression of the secret realm.

Master of Black Fiend Valley.

The two looked at each other through a dark curtain.

"He can kill the deputy valley master, break Chen Lei's sword formation, and still escape from my grasp..."

"Young man from the Jiang family, you have a peculiar scent about you."

Jiang Bai wiped the blood off his face, didn't reply, and just stared intently at the other person.

"This isn't the smell Ping'an County should have." The Black Fiend Valley Master's gaze, seemingly able to pierce through the poisonous miasma, lingered for a moment on Jiang Bai's right arm. "Interesting, indeed."

Jiang Bai felt a slight chill, but his expression remained calm.

"What a pity," the Black Fiend Valley Master said slowly. "Since ancient times, no Qi Refining cultivator who has entered this core area has ever come out alive. In addition to the third layer of poisonous miasma, there are also 'Fiend Souls' formed from the resentment of ancient battlefields, whose ferocity is comparable to that of Foundation Establishment cultivators."

He paused, his tone suddenly turning cold: "However, I despise surprises the most, and I dislike things that are not understood."

A beam of black light flew out from the sleeve of the black robe, soaring into the sky and exploding in mid-air, transforming into countless tiny streams of light that scattered throughout the secret realm.

"All cultivators of Black Fiend Valley and the Li family, listen to my command: Seal off all exits of the core area of ​​the ancient battlefield, set up a 'Soul-Searching Net,' and patrol day and night. If this person comes out alive, kill him without mercy; if he dies inside, bring his body out for me to examine inch by inch."

The command spread throughout the secret realm with the flowing light.

The Black Fiend Valley Master gave Jiang Bai one last look, his gaze complex—containing killing intent, inquiry, and a hint of unspeakable greed.

"Kid, if you really make it out alive..."

Before he could finish speaking, his figure slowly dissipated, turning into black mist and disappearing.

Jiang Bai sat in the dark, poisonous miasma, listening to the faint sounds of wind breaking and responses coming from outside, his expression remaining calm.

He slowly stood up and looked into the depths of the core.

The poisonous miasma was as thick as ink, obscuring visibility to within three zhang (approximately 10 meters).

The air was filled with the ancient stench of blood and decay, and the soil beneath our feet was dark red, as if it had been soaked in blood for a thousand years.

In the distance, a faint, mournful sound of wind could be heard, like countless souls weeping softly.

There was a dead end in front of them, and they were surrounded by enemy troops behind them.

It was clearly a desperate situation.

But Jiang Bai grinned and laughed.

He reached into his robes and pulled out the crimson banner. The flame patterns on the banner glowed faintly red in the darkness, illuminating half of his face.

"You want to see through me..."

He muttered to himself, gripping the flag tightly.

"That depends on how hard your eyes are."