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

In fact, although the Poison Dragon Pool was fraught with danger, it was at least a passable path.

More importantly, the concentration of poisonous miasma at the bottom of the pool is extremely high. The purple attribute "[Poisonous Miasma Symbiosis]" will cause the recovery speed to skyrocket when in that environment—this is much safer than competing with others for tokens.

Of course, the prerequisite is that one can survive the mouth of a Blackwater Serpent in the Foundation Establishment stage.

Jiang Bai tightly wrapped the cloth around his face. As he walked, the newly grown skin on his right arm sent tingling sensations through him, a sign that his wound was healing. The "Hundred Poisons Tempering Technique" continued to circulate, slowly absorbing the thin poisonous miasma around him and transforming it into subtle spiritual energy to nourish his meridians.

After walking about twenty miles, the sky gradually darkened. Night always comes so quickly in this desolate place. The gray clouds hung low and heavy, and the starlight could not penetrate at all. Only the phosphorescent light that occasionally floated up from the swamp, like will-o'-the-wisps, barely added a little light to the road ahead.

Jiang Bai slowly sat down beside a withered tree root, carefully took out half a piece of roasted, rock-hard swamp crocodile meat from his storage bag, and chewed it slowly. The meat was very dry and had a pungent, earthy smell, but he ate it very carefully—in the desolate state, wasting food was tantamount to courting death.

Halfway through his meal, his ears twitched slightly. He could faintly hear footsteps on the wind, not just one person, but many. Their footsteps were very light, yet the sound of them stepping on the decaying leaves was rhythmic and distinct, clearly a habit developed by cultivators who spent years traveling.

Jiang Bai remained unmoved, silently storing the meat in his storage bag. His left hand firmly pressed against the ground, and his [Killing Intent Perception] silently spread out like an invisible net. Within a radius of fifty feet, a dense mass of malice slowly approached from three directions—it was a bandit.

He slowly stood up, gently patted the mud off his robes, and continued walking unhurriedly northward, his steps steady, as if oblivious to everything around him. The three men followed closely behind, closing the distance steadily—thirty zhang, twenty zhang, ten zhang.

"Friends ahead, please wait a moment." A deliberately polite voice came from the left.

Jiang Bai stopped and turned around. Three figures emerged from behind the withered tree. The leader was a burly man with a face full of sharp, angular features, carrying a machete on his shoulder; he was at the sixth level of Qi Refining. To his left was a tall, thin man with a bone whip in his hand; he was at the fifth level of Qi Refining. To his right was a short, stout man with two axes hanging from his waist; he was at the fourth level of Qi Refining. This was a typical setup for a rogue cultivator from the Desolate State—one to attack, one to control the battlefield, and one to finish off the enemy.

"Is something the matter?" Jiang Bai asked.

The burly man grinned, revealing his yellow teeth: "Friend, you're traveling alone. The night road through the Black Swamp is treacherous. We brothers are willing to protect you for the journey."

"No need."

"Don't rush." ​​The tall, thin man flicked his bone whip, the tip slicing through the air. "It's hard to be a good person these days. We brothers are kind-hearted—why don't you give us some money for our trouble, and we'll make sure you arrive safely."

Jiang Bai laughed: "How much?"

The short, stout man rubbed his hands together. "That depends on how heavy your storage bag is. Why don't you open it and let us see?"

Having said all that, there was no need to pretend anymore. Jiang Bai turned and ran, not north, but northeast—the terrain there was more complicated, with dead trees growing everywhere and mud pits all over the place.

"Chase!" the burly man shouted, and the three of them pounced at the same time.

Jiang Bai used the Swift Shadow Step, his figure weaving through the withered trees like a ghost. His right arm injury had not yet healed, and his meridians throbbed with pain when he unleashed his speed, but he dared not stop—if he were surrounded, in his current state, he would be no match for a Qi Refining Level 6 expert plus two helpers.

A whooshing sound came from behind as the bone whip, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, lashed out with a fierce wind, its tip whistling sharply through the air. Jiang Bai rolled to the side, the whip grazing his back and snapping a dry branch in two. The machete followed immediately, its blade flashing with a chilling light in the night, seemingly capable of cleaving through the darkness. Jiang Bai drew his Thunder Fang Sword with his left hand; lightning suddenly erupted from its blade, like a bolt of lightning tearing through the night sky, barely managing to block the blow. With a clang, sparks flew, his hand went numb, and he was thrown back three steps.

"You dare to resist even at the third level of Qi Refining?" The burly man grinned maliciously, his blade poised to strike again.

Jiang Bai avoided the attack and continued to flee northeast.

The short, stout man flanked from the side, wielding two short axes that cleaved from the left and right. Jiang Bai ducked to dodge one axe, while the other grazed his scalp, shaving off a few strands of hair.

[Killing Intent Perception] A frantic warning is issued, as malice from three directions pricks at you like needles.

We must never engage in a direct confrontation.

Jiang Bai bit his tongue, forcibly activating his spiritual power, increasing his [Swift Shadow Step] speed by another third, and plunged into a dense forest of withered trees. The pursuers were hot on his heels, their bone whips lashing out intermittently, the force of the whips stinging his cheeks.

After running for about two miles, the terrain suddenly opened up ahead.

A dark, deep pool of water appeared before my eyes.

The pool water was as black as thick ink, seemingly capable of swallowing all light. Its surface was perfectly still, like a giant black mirror. Densely packed all around were grayish-purple poisonous miasma flowers, which emitted a faint, eerie glow in the night, flickering like will-o'-the-wisps. Sure enough, seven large black stones, each about the height of a person, stood on the bank, arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper. Their surfaces were smooth as mirrors, yet they reflected no image whatsoever.

This is the Poison Dragon Pool.

Jiang Bai suddenly stopped in his tracks by the pool and looked back.

Three cultivators followed closely, forming a fan shape around Jiang Bai, their faces displaying a mocking, cat-and-mouse expression.

"Run! Why aren't you running anymore?" The burly man, carrying a knife, strolled forward slowly. "Just jump into the pond and feed the snakes, so we don't have to do it."

The tall, thin man flicked his wrist, cracking his bone whip: "Big brother, the storage bag is ours, the corpse is for the Black Serpent, a win-win situation."

The short, fat man chuckled.

Jiang Bai looked at them and suddenly smiled.

Do you know why the desolate state is called the desolate state?

All three of them were taken aback.

"Because most of the people here died mysteriously." After saying this, Jiang Bai leaped into the black pool with a splash.

The water splashed up, but quickly returned to calm.

The burly man walked to the edge of the pool, stared at the dark water for a moment, and spat out, "He's smart enough to save us the trouble of fighting."

"What a waste of that storage bag," the tall, thin man sighed, shaking his head.

"Who would dare go down and retrieve something that's been fed to the Black Serpent?" The burly man turned around. "Let's go, bad luck."

The three quickly disappeared into the night.

Bottom of the pool.

Jiang Bai held his breath and submerged. The surrounding pool water was icy cold, and even more terrifying was the poisonous miasma permeating the water. The grayish-purple poisonous gas flowed wildly in the water like a strange living creature, its concentration more than ten times higher than in the swamp, making it a terrifying sight.

[Symbiotic Poisonous Mist] instantly operates at full capacity.

The deadly poison surged into his body like a tidal wave, causing excruciating pain as if thousands of steel needles were piercing his meridians simultaneously. However, after only a breath, the stinging pain transformed into a warm, gentle stream, like the warmth of spring sunshine. His spiritual energy recovered at an alarming rate, and he could almost feel his dantian gradually filling up.

But he had no time to be happy.

Something awakened in the darkness deep within the pool.

A terrifying, chilling pressure surged from below, as if a dormant pool had been instantly awakened, transforming into an invisible giant hand that squeezed every inch of his skin. Jiang Bai felt a tightness in his chest, and the feeling of suffocation grew stronger and stronger—it was the natural pressure of a Foundation Establishment stage demonic beast, whose mere aura was enough to render a Qi Refining cultivator immobile.

The undercurrent is surging.

A massive black shadow rose from the bottom of the pool with astonishing speed. By the dim light of the poisonous miasma flowers, Jiang Bai could barely make out that it was a giant snake, its body as black as ink, its scales as large as bowls, shimmering with a cold luster in the dim light, its eyes bloodshot like burning blood, and its gaping mouth revealing gleaming white fangs that flashed like sharp blades.

It is the Blackwater Serpent.

Without hesitation, Jiang Bai activated both entries simultaneously.

[Shadow Stealth] was activated, and the figure suddenly blurred in the water, the aura was suppressed to the extreme.

[Swift Shadow Step] erupts, legs kicking wildly in the water, rushing towards a certain spot at the bottom of the pool like an arrow released from a bow—Old Cripple had said that there was an entrance to the undercurrent there.

The black snake missed its target.

Its massive, mountain-like body twisted and turned wildly in the pool, churning the water violently. A hint of doubt flashed in its scarlet eyes, as if questioning why its prey had suddenly vanished. The prey was right in front of it, how could it have disappeared so suddenly? It couldn't even sense its presence.

This moment of confusion gave Jiang Bai an opportunity.

Using the explosive speed of [Swift Shadow Step], he had already dived to the bottom of the pool. Sure enough, at the location corresponding to the Big Dipper Black Stone, there was an inconspicuous hole, and water was slowly flowing into it.

That's the entrance!

Just as Jiang Bai was about to crawl inside, the black snake reacted.

The anger of being mocked burned like a raging fire in the heart of this Foundation Establishment demon beast, causing it to become completely enraged. It lashed out with its thick, pillar-like tail, causing the entire pool of water to churn violently as if boiling water. At the same time, the Xuan Snake opened its blood-red maw and spewed out a stream of pitch-black venom.

As the poisonous water passed through, the pool water made a "sizzling" corrosive sound, and the tough aquatic plants instantly turned into wisps of black smoke, covering half of the bottom of the pool.

Jiang Bai had no way to avoid it, and his left leg was accidentally grazed by the edge of the poisonous water.

laugh--

His flesh was instantly corroded away, revealing stark white bone. A sudden, excruciating pain, like a volcanic eruption, surged from his leg straight to his brain. Jiang Bai's vision went black, and his consciousness almost vanished. He clenched his teeth tightly, his right hand desperately gripping the edge of the dark stream's entrance, and with his last ounce of strength, he pushed his way in.

His body was immediately swept into the passage by the rushing water. He had no feeling in his left leg, and only a few strands of charred flesh were hanging on the white bone. Black mist swirled around the wound and continued to erode deeper.

[Near-death state, triggers a keyword selection]

A cold system notification sounded in my mind, and three options immediately appeared before my eyes:

【Corrosive Touch (Blue)】: Attacks inflict corrosive toxicity, causing continuous damage.

[Water Release Technique (Green)]: Increases underwater movement speed by 50% for ten breaths.

[Snake Sense (Blue)]: Can sense the location and emotional changes of snake-like monsters.

Time was of the essence, and Jiang Bai's consciousness was blurred, yet he was still rapidly weighing his options: [Touch of Corrosive Poison] was useless at this moment; he was powerless to attack. [Water Escape Technique] might help him escape temporarily, but the situation at the end of the passage was unknown after ten breaths. Only [Serpent Sense] could provide him with crucial information—and in dire straits, information was far more important than brute force.

"Choose three."

As soon as he finished speaking, a refreshing feeling instantly flooded his mind. The moment the entry took effect, Jiang Bai "heard" a fluctuation of thought coming from the pool water—it was the Black Water Serpent's emotion: rage, killing intent, but deep down there was a trace of barely perceptible anxiety, as if it was protecting something, yet fearing to lose something.

Despite the excruciating pain, Jiang Baiqiang used the weak connection established through the [Snake-Python Sensing] technique to send a thought towards the pool: "Great Serpent, I have no intention of seizing the treasure; I only wish to pass through to the ancient cultivator's cave... How about we make a deal?"

The churning water in the pool abruptly ceased. The black serpent's crimson eyes were fixed on the entrance to the hidden current. After a moment, a faint, intermittent thought came through: "The cave... contains the Crimson Sun Fruit... which can cure my cold poison..."

Jiang Bai suddenly realized: snakes are yin in nature and naturally fear cold. This Blackwater Serpent has guarded the Poison Dragon Pool for sixty years, probably not only because it finds what it needs there, but also because its internal cold poison is flaring up and it needs the yin energy at the bottom of the pool to suppress it. The Crimson Sun Fruit is an extremely yang elixir, which can perfectly counteract its cold poison. It can't enter the cave—perhaps due to its size, perhaps because of the cave's restrictions, or perhaps… it's afraid that its food at the bottom of the pool will be taken if it leaves.

"Let's make a vow," Jiang Baichuan said. "If I obtain a Crimson Sun Fruit upon entering the cave, I will share one with you; if not, I will find it and make it up to you later. I swear by my inner demons."

A long silence fell outside the passage, long enough for the corrosion to spread from Jiang Bai's left leg to his knee, and black energy to begin climbing up his thigh. Finally, the Xuan Snake's will transmitted: "Three days... if you do not return... kill..."

The oppressive aura at the entrance of the dark current slowly dissipated, and Jiang Bai breathed a sigh of relief, collapsing into the passage. His left leg was completely crippled, the bare white bone exposed without any concealment, the flesh charred black like charcoal, emitting a pungent burnt smell. Only the [Poisonous Miasma Symbiosis] technique was operating at full power within his body, like a tenacious force, struggling to transform the snake venom that was constantly seeping into his body into life force, barely keeping him on his precarious breath.

With trembling hands, he frantically rummaged through his storage bag for the last two healing pills, swallowed them without hesitation, then gritted his teeth and tore off a piece of his clothing, tightly binding it around his thigh to try and stop the terrible corrosion from spreading relentlessly. Only after doing all this did he drag his injured leg and crawl forward with the undercurrent.

The passage wasn't long, about a hundred feet, and ended at an upward exit. Jiang Bai climbed out of the water and found himself in a stone chamber.

The stone chamber was not spacious; the walls were rough, as if gnawed by time, and thirteen corpses were scattered haphazardly on the floor. Having endured the ravages of time, their clothing had long since decayed, crumbling to dust at the slightest touch, leaving only stark white bones that exuded a sinister aura. Fragments of magical artifacts lay beside the corpses, but they had lost all spiritual energy and shattered at the slightest touch—this was, in fact, a burial pit.

Jiang Bai dragged his crippled leg to the center of the stone chamber, where there was a stone platform about half a person's height, upon which rested a jade slip. He picked up the jade slip and pressed it to his forehead; the instant his divine sense probed into it, information flooded into his mind:

"My name is Black Swamp Hermit, and I am at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. I have roamed the desolate continent for over two hundred years, but I could not escape the inevitable end of my lifespan. This cave is where I will pass away, leaving behind a copy of the 'Black Swamp Poison Scripture' and three Crimson Sun Fruits, awaiting a destined person."

"The main tomb chamber requires breaking through the 'Three Poisons Barrier,' and is not to be touched by anyone who is not a cultivator of the Poison Path. Anyone who forcibly enters will surely die from the poison, leaving no trace of their body."

"If you can read this letter, it proves that you have passed the test of the Poison Dragon Pool. The black serpent at the bottom of the pool was my spirit pet in my previous life. It is afflicted with cold poison. If you obtain the Crimson Sun Fruit, you may share one of it to fulfill our old friendship."

"The path of spiritual cultivation is extremely perilous; I hope you will take good care of yourself."

After the jade slip was read, it turned into powder. Jiang Bai remained silent for a moment, then cupped his hands in a gesture of respect towards the corpse: "Thank you for your guidance, senior."

Just as I was about to get up, my ears suddenly twitched.

The sound of fighting came from the direction of the main burial chamber.

Blades clashed, sparks flew, spells exploded, eardrums throbbed, and screams and shouts of fury filled the air—those wielding iron plaques had broken into the main burial chamber and were engaged in a desperate battle for the treasure.

Jiang Bai, dragging his crippled leg, silently crawled to the edge of the stone chamber. There was a narrow crevice there, connecting to the main burial chamber. He peered into the crevice.

The tomb chamber was much larger than the burial pit, with a high platform standing in the center, upon which were placed three jade boxes. At this moment, two groups of people were engaged in a fierce battle in front of the platform. One group was dressed in blood-red short jackets, while the other group had white bone patterns embroidered on their robes—these were the people from Blood Fang Village and Bone Hill Village.

Four or five corpses lay scattered on the ground, their blood winding into eerie patterns on the bluestone slabs.

"Bloodfang Village scum! This inheritance was clearly discovered first by our Bone Hill Village!" an elder of Bone Hill Village roared, swinging his bone staff and bringing with it a burst of pale phosphorescent fire.

The leader of Bloodfang Stronghold was a one-eyed man with a savage grin twitching across his face. As he dodged the phosphorescent flames, he unleashed a fierce backhand slash: "The rules of the Wilderness State are that whoever seizes it gets to keep it!"

The two groups fought fiercely, neither gaining the upper hand.

Jiang Bai's gaze, however, fell on the area below the high platform.

A strange shadow floated there, flickering amidst the intertwining magical lights. A subtle tremor came from [Serpent Sense]—the aura of the Crimson Sun Fruit did not originate from the high platform, but rather seeped from the depths of the earth.

He quietly retreated and began to feel around on the stone wall of the burial pit.

Since Heize Sanren set up the test and specifically mentioned Poison Dragon Pool and Xuan Snake, why would he put the true inheritance in the open? Those three jade boxes are probably bait.

The stone wall was rough and rugged. Jiang Bai's fingertips slowly traced the uneven texture, exploring every inch with great care. After a stick of incense had burned, his fingertip touched a slightly concave stone brick in the corner.

He took a deep breath and pressed down hard with his palm.

The stone bricks dented inwards, and a slight vibration was felt in the ground.

A crack appeared in the ground in the center of the burial pit, just wide enough for one person to pass through. A rich aroma of herbs wafted out from below, mixed with a pungent, poisonous miasma.

System notifications sounded simultaneously:

High concentration of poisonous miasma detected. [Poisonous Miasma Symbiosis] activated, increasing spiritual energy recovery speed by three times.

Without hesitation, Jiang Bai dragged his crippled leg and crawled into the crevice.

His body plummeted like a kite with a broken string, and upon landing, he rolled to the side, using the momentum to dissipate the force—this swift movement, however, aggravated the wound on his left leg like a sharp blade, and the excruciating pain instantly covered his forehead in cold sweat, but he gritted his teeth and didn't even let out a muffled groan.

In the darkness, two pairs of scarlet snake eyes slowly lit up.

"Three hundred years... Finally, someone has found this place."