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

Jiang Bai looked at the list of nine poisons displayed on the system interface.

The "Black Swamp Poison Classic" records substances such as bone-corroding water, heart-rotting grass, and miasma crystal. These poisons were originally scattered, and it would take at least three to five months to collect them all.

As he was pondering where to search first, he suddenly heard a faint commotion outside the cave.

Jiang Bai quickly suppressed his breathing, lifted the withered vines covering the cave entrance, and looked outside.

From the swamp came the sounds of arguing, where several people dressed as rogue cultivators were quarreling.

"Bloodfang Stronghold has really gone all out this time..."

"Five hundred blood crystals are enough to buy two bottles of Qi Gathering Pills."

"Just who is that black-robed poison cultivator?"

Jiang Bai frowned slightly, closed the "Black Swamp Poison Classic", put on his bamboo hat, wrapped the black robe he had taken from the corpse tightly, and then quietly left the cave.

Blackstone Market remained dilapidated, but a new notice had been posted on the notice board next to the wooden fence.

The onlookers, mostly independent cultivators, crowded together, their discussions buzzing incessantly.

Jiang Bai mingled at the edge of the crowd and looked up.

Bounty Notice: A black-robed poison cultivator, at the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining, skilled in poison array techniques, murdered three people from Bloodfang Village three days ago on the north side of Black Swamp. Anyone who brings his head will be rewarded with five hundred Blood Crystals; failure to report will also be punished in the same way. The notice is signed by the one-eyed leader of Bloodfang Village.

Jiang Bai sneered inwardly, but showed no sign of it on his face. Just then, he heard the two old cultivators beside him whispering among themselves.

The toothless old man said, "I heard that Bloodfang Stronghold lost eight experts at the ancient cultivator's cave, even their second-in-command was killed in battle, and in the end they gained nothing." Another hunchbacked cultivator lowered his voice and chimed in, "Poison Ivy Stronghold is also investigating this matter, saying that a young man used the Three Flags Poison Array to kill three of his own comrades, most likely referring to the same person." "What about Bone Hill Stronghold?"

"The chieftain of Bone Hill made it clear that the opportunity in Black Swamp should belong to the capable. In other words, whoever seizes it first gets to keep it, and they will not get involved in this mess."

After listening for a moment, Jiang Bai turned to leave.

As soon as they reached the market exit, four guards dressed in coarse cloth short jackets stopped them.

The leader was a square-faced man with a Qi Refining Level 5 cultivation, and a rusty iron knife hung at his waist.

His gaze swept across Jiang Bai's face before he said, "Kid, take off your mask."

Jiang Bai stopped and asked, "Is something the matter?"

"Everyone entering and leaving the market must verify their identity."

The square-faced man gripped the hilt of his knife and said in a deep voice, "Take off the head, so the brothers won't be troubled."

The surrounding rogue cultivators all stepped back a few paces, no one uttered a sound, they just watched coldly.

Jiang Bai glanced at the four people's positions—they were blocked in all directions, clearly indicating that they had been prepared in advance.

"There's a rule in the desolate state: fighting is forbidden in the market," Jiang Bai explained slowly. "Do you want to break this rule?"

The square-faced man grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. He said, "These rules were set by the three major strongholds. I am the market guard. Since I say you are a thief, then you are a thief."

[Swift Shadow Step] was activated immediately, and Jiang Bai's figure darted forward like a ghost, instantly disappearing the five-step distance between the two.

The square-faced man's pupils constricted sharply, and he drew his sword to strike, only to see Jiang Bai's left hand already patting his chest.

The dark green poisonous light on his palm flashed and disappeared in an instant.

【Touch of Corruption】.

The square-faced man froze, looking down at his chest. He saw a large hole in his robe, and his skin began to rot and turn black, with pus and blood mixed with black liquid slowly flowing down.

"ah--!"

The scream was cut short as soon as it was uttered.

Jiang Bai then delivered an elbow strike, which landed on the opponent's Adam's apple with a dull cracking sound, causing the square-faced man to fall backward to the ground.

The remaining three guards then realized what was happening and drew their swords to surround them.

Jiang Bai turned around and kicked the man on his left to the ground. The moment the Thunder Fang Sword was drawn, lightning and a sharp sound erupted from its blade, and it steadily parried the blade coming from his right. He flicked his left hand backward, and the last pit of the Crimson Sun Fruit flew out of his hand, accurately striking the third man in the face.

The residual medicinal properties on the fruit pit seeped into his eyes, and the man covered his face, screaming as he retreated.

The whole process took no more than three breaths.

Jiang Bai stood atop the square-faced man's corpse, his Thunder Fang Sword pointing diagonally at the ground, its tip still stained with blood. He glanced around, his eyes beneath his bamboo hat quickly sweeping over the rogue cultivators who had retreated further away.

"Who else wants to be tested?"

No one answered.

Jiang Bai sheathed his sword and strode out of the market. A long silence followed behind him, before a buzz of discussion arose.

……

Ten miles west of Blackstone Market lies a rocky slope.

As soon as Jiang Baigang reached the top of the slope, he sensed a murderous aura—five auras were closing in from three directions.

He stopped, took off his straw hat and hung it on a rock, then retreated into the shade at the foot of the slope.

Five cultivators dressed in blood-red short shirts emerged from behind the pile of rocks. Leading the way was the one-eyed man in the poster portrait, who was also the third leader of Blood Fang Stronghold, whose cultivation had reached the sixth level of Qi Refining.

The one-eyed man stared at the straw hat on the slope and sneered, "You run fast, but you're not very bright. The straw hat is just a decoy."

He waved his hand, and two of his men immediately flanked him from the left and right as they descended the slope.

Jiang Bai crouched in the shadows at the bottom of the slope, holding his breath and focusing on alertness, pushing the [Shadow Stealth] skill to its limit, his figure seemingly merging with the rocks.

The two Bloodfang Village cultivators cautiously crept down, their swords already drawn.

Just as they passed by Jiang Bai's hiding place, Jiang Bai made a move.

With his left hand, he waved three boundary flags: the Fire Flag, the Mysterious Peak Flag, and the Kun Peak Flag. They were planted in the rocks in a triangular shape. With a slight movement of the flags, the gray-purple poisonous miasma spread out, instantly filling an area of ​​seven or eight zhang around.

"A poison array!" The one-eyed man on the hilltop's expression changed. "Scatter!"

late.

Jiang Bai was like a fish in water amidst the poisonous miasma. He gathered the [Poison Explosion Technique] in his palm but did not rush to activate it. He first charged towards the cultivator on his left, slashing horizontally with his Thunder Fang Sword. The man swung his knife to block, and sparks flew where the swords clashed.

Using the force of the recoil, Jiang Bai slightly turned his body and came behind the cultivator on the right. He then used his left palm to apply poison and struck the cultivator in the back of the heart.

The poison of the "Touch of Corruption" invaded the body, and before the person could even scream, black blood gushed from his mouth and nose, and his body collapsed limply to the ground.

The cultivator on the left was both shocked and furious at the sight. He slashed at Jiang Bai with his sword, but Jiang Bai did not dodge. Instead, he gripped the blade tightly with his left hand. The dark green poisonous patterns on his palm shimmered slightly. The blade was stuck half an inch into the blade and could not move.

The cultivator was taken aback.

Jiang Bai's right hand had already plunged the Thunder Fang Sword into his stomach. The sword exploded with lightning, instantly charring his internal organs.

Two bodies fell to the ground.

From outside the poisonous miasma came the one-eyed man's furious roar: "Burn it! Use fire talismans to burn away the miasma!"

The remaining three took out their crimson talismans and were about to activate them.

Jiang Bai's eyes turned cold, and he activated the [Poison Explosion Technique] with a thought.

The poisonous patterns and accumulated toxicity contained within the three border flags were suddenly activated, causing the gray-purple poisonous miasma to first contract inwards and then explode violently!

The air surged, and rocks flew everywhere.

Three members of the one-eyed man were knocked to the ground. The protective aura around their bodies shattered, and many black patches appeared on their skin. The one-eyed man, who had the highest cultivation level, managed to stand up. After the poisonous miasma dissipated, there was no one left at the bottom of the slope, only three flags standing upright on the ground and two blackened corpses.

"Chase..." He had barely uttered a single word when he felt a sweet taste in his throat and spat out a mouthful of black blood.

The two people next to him were already lying on the ground convulsing, and it was clear they wouldn't survive.

The one-eyed man gritted his teeth, reached into his pocket, pulled out an antidote pill, and stuffed it into his mouth. Then, swaying, he chased after it to the west, because he saw a dark figure moving in that direction.

……

Jiang Bai hadn't actually gone far.

He took a roundabout route, climbing back up from the south side of the rocky slope, then squatted on the top, watching the one-eyed man's retreating figure. Only after all this did he turn around and leave in the opposite direction.

He ran for thirty miles in one go, and only stopped in a grove of dead trees when the murderous intent in his senses had subsided. He leaned against a tree root and caught his breath.

In the battle that just ended, the [Poison Explosion] spell almost exhausted the poison power stored in the flags. The three flags are now extremely dim and need to be nourished again.

The system notification sounded at that moment:

[Shadow Stealth] can be upgraded to a purple attribute if the proficiency requirement is met, but this will require one death opportunity.

Current death count: 10

Jiang Bai stared at the line of text for a few moments, then shook his head.

The number of deaths gradually decreases, and you will encounter a difficult situation after ten deaths. According to the system, some hidden functions will be unlocked when you accumulate fifty deaths. The entry is currently being updated. If you fall into a situation where you are bound to die in the future, you will suffer a great loss because you have lost a life.

He pressed the prompt, took out a water pouch from his storage bag, drank a few sips of water, and then tore off a piece of dry rations and chewed it carefully.

The sky gradually darkened.

Jiang Bai continued westward, following the markings on the map. Fifty li ahead, there should be a small village called "Remnant Stele Village," the last place on the desolate border of the state where one could rest.

In the dead of night, he finally saw the firelight at the entrance of the village.

The village of Canbei was even more dilapidated than I had imagined. A dozen or so thatched huts were scattered on the ruins, and a broken stone tablet stood at the entrance of the village, the inscription worn so worn that it was difficult to read.

As Jiang Bai approached, he saw an old man with a broken leg sitting by a bonfire at the village entrance, poking at the fire with a branch.

The old man glanced at him, his eyes cloudy and seemingly devoid of light in the firelight: "Outsider?"

Jiang Bai took out half a low-grade spirit stone from his storage bag and placed it on a stone next to the fire.

The old man glanced at the spirit stones, his lips twitching slightly. "Anyone still using spirit stones these days... Come in."

He got up with the help of his cane and led the way with a limp.

The village was very small; you could walk to the end in just a few steps. The old man pushed open a drafty wooden door, and inside there was only a dilapidated wooden bed and a small table.

"This is the place, take it or leave it," the old man said, turning to leave.

"Wait a minute," Jiang Bai called out to him, "Are you the only one in the village?"

The old man turned his head, and the wrinkles on his face, which were already numerous, appeared even more pronounced in the shadows. "All the young people have gone to the three major villages to make a living. The old, weak, sick, and disabled who remain can only eke out a living day by day."

He sat by the door, took out a worn-out gourd from his pocket, took a small sip, and then handed it to Jiang Bai: "Want some? This is homemade wine, it'll burn your throat."

Jiang Bai took a sip; the liquor was indeed strong, burning from his throat to his stomach.

The two of them stood silently facing the fire.

After a long while, the old man finally spoke: "Young man, you smell strongly of blood. You must have quite a few enemies, right?"

Jiang Bai did not deny it: "I had no choice but to come to this desolate place when I first arrived."

The old man took another sip of wine and said, "That's how it is in the desolate state. When I was young, I was similar to you. I thought that if I had a strong fist, I could do whatever I wanted. But later, my leg was broken and my cultivation level dropped to the third level of Qi Refining. That's when I realized a truth."

"What's the reasoning behind that?"

The old man held up three fingers and said, "There are three people in the desolate state you shouldn't mess with. First, the chieftain's confidants. These people have the entire village behind them. Once you anger them, they'll punish the young and spare the old, and it will never end."

Jiang Bai nodded.

The old man pointed to himself and said, "Someone like me, who looks like he's on his deathbed, actually possesses hidden skills. Never provoke this lone old monster."

"What about three?"

The old man squinted: "One of the three things to avoid is getting involved with women."

Jiang Bai laughed: "Why?"

The old man sighed softly, "Women hold grudges. I chased her all the way from the desolate state to the central state, determined to take revenge. The reason I lost these legs dates back thirty years. I stole a poisonous herb from a female cultivator, and she broke them with these legs."

Before the words were finished, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from outside the village.

Not one horse, but seven or eight.

The old man's expression changed. He stood up, leaning on his cane, and looked outside. Jiang Bai had already slipped to the door and was looking out through the crack.

Beside the bonfire at the village entrance, seven black horses were reined in. The riders were all dressed in dark green bodysuits with vine patterns embroidered on their lapels; they were from Poison Ivy Village.

The first woman wore a green vine mask, with only her slender eyes visible. She sat astride a horse, her gaze sweeping over the dilapidated village before finally settling on the thatched hut where the old man and Jiang Bai lived.

"Old cripple," the woman said, her voice cold, "hand over the person."

The old man glanced at Jiang Bai and said in a low voice, "This is Madam Green Vine, the third leader of Poison Vine Stronghold. She ranks first in poison skills among Foundation Establishment cultivators... Kid, you've gotten yourself into big trouble."

Jiang Bai didn't say anything, but pushed open the wooden door and went out.

The firelight at the village entrance illuminated his face. Madam Qing Teng removed her mask, revealing three hideous scars on her face, running diagonally from her right forehead to her left chin. However, her eyes were sharp, like knives.

She stared at Jiang Bai: "Did you kill my people?"

"Yes."

"Why leave one person alive to relay a message?"

Jiang Bai looked at her and said, "Because I want to tell Poison Ivy Village—don't mess with me, I'm more poisonous than poison."

Madam Qing Teng laughed, her laughter as cold as a knife in the night sky: "Alright, then I'll try it myself."

She dismounted and pressed her right hand to the ground.

The ground trembled, and many bluish-black poisonous vines emerged from the soil, coiling towards Jiang Bai like living snakes. The vines were covered with barbs, the tips of which emitted a ghostly blue light, clearly indicating that they had been poisoned.

Jiang Bai hurriedly retreated, activating his [Poisonous Miasma Symbiosis] technique at full power. The poisonous gas in the surrounding air was absorbed into his body, barely enough to resist the poisonous gas released by the vines. However, these poisonous vines were not only poisonous but also had a binding effect; seven or eight vines had already wrapped around his feet.

The Black Swamp Poison Classic records a method to break the law: wood fears fire, so attack it with fire.

However, Jiang Bai only had one Xuan-rank Thunderfire Talisman left in his storage bag, which was his trump card for survival.

Seeing that the poisonous vines were about to entangle him, he gritted his teeth, took out the Thunderfire Talisman, and activated it!

The talisman shattered, and lightning and flames intertwined to form a net that quickly engulfed all the poisonous vines in front of it. The scorching air surged and rippled, and Lady Green Vine's expression changed slightly as she took three steps back.

Taking advantage of this opening, Jiang Bai turned around and rushed towards the back of the village.

Behind the village lies an ancient forest of steles, with broken steles and fragments standing side by side, resembling a silent graveyard in the night.

Madam Qing Teng roared angrily, "He bears my 'Qing Teng Mark'! Within three days, no matter where he runs, I will find him!"

Jiang Bai didn't look back and plunged into the depths of the Stele Forest.

After the smoke from the Thunderfire Talisman dissipated, Lady Qing Teng gazed at the Stele Forest, the scars on her face trembling slightly in the firelight. She leaped onto her horse, and with a gentle wave of her hand, her six attendants charged towards the Stele Forest with her.

……

The Stele Forest is much larger than I imagined.

As Jiang Bai walked among the broken steles, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right arm. Looking down, he saw a green vine pattern on his wrist, which was slowly heating up.

It really is a tracking mark.

He tore off a piece of his shirt and wrapped it around his wrist before continuing to run inside.

The deeper you go, the more steles you find. Some of them have blurry characters, similar to ancient seal script. Broken weapons and armor are scattered on the ground, covered in rust, and will crumble at the slightest touch.

A system notification suddenly popped up:

[Strong aura of vengeful spirit detected; [Venomous Corrosion] ability resonance enhanced]

Jiang Bai paused in his steps.

Ten feet ahead, there was a stone tablet about half a person's height, and a person was sitting at the foot of the tablet.

No, it's a corpse.

Few corpses remained, their bodies clad in tattered armor, the iron plates rusted and dark red. They gripped a long sword tightly in their hands, the blade riddled with wounds and nicks, yet they refused to let go.

The corpse's head hung low, but it slowly raised its head the moment Jiang Bai approached.

Two ghostly flames flickered in his eye sockets.

"Kid, you... smell like the battlefield."