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

The Ancient Poisonous Pool is located deep within the Black Swamp. Every full moon night, the miasma transforms into a kaleidoscope of colors, revealing a crystal at its bottom called the "Misty Mother." Once this substance touches the body, it will corrode bones and flesh; only jade can contain it. The Misty Mother Crystal, one of the nine most poisonous substances, is hidden here.

Four days later, Jiang Bai climbed a low slope, parted the hanging vines, and the scene before him suddenly changed. A basin, about a hundred feet in diameter, was shrouded in layers of thick, multicolored mist. The mist churned and surged, and in the center lay what appeared to be a pool of inky black water, its surface shimmering with a mottled, oily sheen. Seven or eight animal-hide tents were parked beside the pool, housing more than twenty people who were currently gathered near the mist, busily working—magical artifacts emitted continuous beams of spiritual light, slowly dispelling the surrounding poisonous miasma.

The leader was a woman, her voluptuous figure clung tightly to her dark green dress, her hair casually tied back with withered vines, her face bearing a cold and aloof expression, a hint of ferocity in her eyes. She held a staff, its shaft wrapped in living vines, a single pale white flower blooming atop the dark green vines. She was none other than Lady Qingluo.

Jiang Bai lay prone behind the slope, his aura completely concealed. He silently activated [Shadow Stealth], his body clinging to the stone like moss. He squinted to observe: among the twenty-odd people from Poison Vine Village, the lowest cultivation level was at the sixth level of Qi Refining, and the two men beside Lady Qingluo possessed steady and refined auras, both likely at the ninth level of Qi Refining.

The deputy hurriedly approached: "Madam, the Hundred Vine Spirit-Trapping Array is seventy percent complete. In two more days, we will be able to break through the outer layer of miasma."

Lady Qingluo's gaze was fixed on the heart of the pool: "How is that beast behaving?"

"The three venomous pythons are still slumbering at the bottom of the pool. They have finished feeding yesterday and have not yet been awakened."

Lady Qingluo said calmly and detachedly, "Continue feeding it. Let it eat its fill; it will be much easier during battle."

The deputy acknowledged the order and withdrew. Jiang Bai had a plan in mind: this group was lying in wait here with the aim of trapping the Foundation Establishment stage venomous python with an array, and then looking for an opportunity to seize the miasma crystal at the bottom of the pool—their plan was quite shrewd. He remained calm and waited quietly, not approaching the camp, but instead circling around the outer edge of the ancient poisonous pool.

Once his snake-sense was activated, the location and emotional fluctuations of snakes within a radius of several dozen feet would ripple through his senses. The pool teemed with venomous snakes, often lurking among the mud and weeds, emanating a chilling aura. They were instinctively wary and hostile to the spiritual energy fluctuations of the camp. He buried the Corrosive Heart Pill in the areas where the snakes frequented. This pill had a strange attraction for snakes; while not immediately fatal, it would drive them into a frenzy.

After making the arrangements, he retreated to a secluded tree hollow three miles away to meditate and wait. Soon, spiritual energy fluctuations emanated from the pool—the multicolored poisonous miasma gradually dissipated, revealing a muddy clearing. More than twenty cultivators from the Poison Vine Stronghold stood around the perimeter, each holding a dark blue-green vine, the other end of which was embedded in the ground, vaguely forming a vast, net-like formation. Lady Qingluo stood at the center of the formation, the white flower at the tip of her staff trembling slightly.

"Start the battle."

As soon as the soft shout fell, more than twenty people simultaneously activated their spiritual power.

The ground trembled violently, and several thick, bluish-black vines burst forth from the soil, spreading rapidly towards the pool like living creatures. In an instant, they wove into a giant net, covering nearly half of the pool's surface. The surface of the vines was covered with densely packed barbs, the tips of which faintly gleamed with a pale blue light.

The water in the pool suddenly surged.

With a gurgling sound, spring water gushed out from the bottom of the pool, the inky black water gradually turning dark red, and then the surface of the water suddenly burst open.

A ferocious head emerged from the water, its scales dark purple, a single horn on its forehead, and blood-red vertical pupils.

Immediately afterwards, a second and a third head appeared, the three intertwined and twisted, emitting hoarse roars.

Three-headed venomous python!

It was clearly enraged; its middle head snapped open, spewing out a waterfall of dark green venom that hurtled towards the vine net.

A buzzing sound began—

When the venom touched the vines, it instantly corroded large areas of them, leaving them charred black. However, the vines did not break; instead, they visibly regenerated rapidly, with the barbs on their surface becoming increasingly dense.

Madam Qingluo sneered: "A beast is still a beast."

With a flick of the staff, the vine net tightened abruptly, binding the three heads tightly. The venomous python thrashed wildly, its body slapping against the water's surface, creating towering waves several meters high.

Just then, a long laugh came from the swamp forest to the east.

"Madam Qingluo is quite generous; does she intend to monopolize the Miasma Crystal?"

More than ten figures rushed over, stepping on withered branches. They were all dressed in gray-white linen clothes with skull patterns embroidered on their chests.

At the very front was a gaunt old man with a sallow complexion and sunken eyes, leaning on a cane made from a human leg bone.

The second-in-command of Bone Hill Village, the Hermit of Dry Bones.

Madam Qingluo's face darkened: "Kugu, you've been following me?"

The withered bone master sneered, "Following? The Ancient Poison Pool is not the private property of Poison Vine Village. I was just passing by."

His gaze swept over the entangled venomous python, finally settling on the faintly visible multicolored halo at the bottom of the pool, his greed undisguised.

Lady Qingluo gripped her staff tightly, her voice suddenly turning icy: "You want war?"

"Start a war?" The withered bone master shook his head. "I only said that those who witness it will have a share."

The two faced off, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.

The cultivators of Poison Vine Village activated their spiritual energy, while the people of Bone Hill Village took out bone knives and bone spikes, their pale spiritual light flickering slightly.

Inside the tree hollow, Jiang Bai's lips curled into a slight smile.

It would be better if they fought.

However, the next moment, something unexpected happened!

The three venomous pythons in the pool hissed incessantly, their voices booming like thunder. The auras of the two Foundation Establishment cultivators fueled their ferocity, causing their bodies to suddenly swell and break most of the vines binding them.

"Not good!" Madam Qingluo's expression changed drastically.

The withered-bones monk, disregarding the standoff, shouted urgently, "Kill this beast first!"

The two attacked almost simultaneously.

Lady Qingluo struck the ground with her staff, and the broken vines sprang up like venomous snakes, coiling around the python's neck once more. The Bone Master planted his cane in the ground, formed hand seals, and seven or eight white skeletons emerged from the cracks in the ground, wielding bone knives and lunging at the python.

The venomous python attacked simultaneously with its three heads: the middle head spewed venom, the left head sprayed pink anesthetic mist, and the right head spewed out eerie green flames—flames that had no temperature but exuded a bone-chilling cold, causing the air to frost over wherever they passed.

Soul-poisoning fire!

Lady Qingluo dared not meet the attack head-on. As she gracefully retreated, the hem of her dark green skirt was grazed by the flames and instantly charred. She gritted her teeth and urged the vines to tightly constrict the venomous python's neck, the sharp thorns digging deep into the gaps between the scales.

After the skeletons controlled by the Bone Master came into contact with the venom, several of them immediately became infected and rotted, while the rest were swept away by the python's tail, their skeletons scattered all over the ground.

The aftershocks of the Foundation Building battle swept across the surrounding area.

The Qi Refining cultivators of Poison Vine Village and Bone Hill Village suffered greatly, affected by the residual effects of the poison, poisonous mist, and poisonous fire, their cries of agony rising and falling. Within moments, six or seven people had fainted, and their bodies rapidly decomposed.

Jiang Bai watched quietly, still waiting for the right opportunity.

The vines tightened their grip on the python's head, causing scales to fall off and blood to gush out. It struggled frantically, biting down on a vine, its fangs digging deep into its flesh.

Lady Qingluo groaned, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth—the vines were connected to her mind.

The withered bone master's left arm was burned by poisonous fire, and instantly a layer of eerie green frost formed on his skin. Despite his pained expression, he still held his staff and pointed it out. The tip of the staff, along with the man's leg bone, emitted a pale white light and pierced into the venomous python's right eye socket like a spear.

"hiss--!"

The venomous python let out a mournful hiss, its head twitched violently, and the venomous fire suddenly subsided.

This is the moment!

Jiang Bai was moved.

Instead of charging towards the center of the battlefield, his figure vanished as quickly as a ghost, heading straight for the array's core at the edge of the pool—the very heart of the Hundred Vine Spirit-Trapping Array.

At the heart of the formation stood two deputy members of the Poison Vine Stronghold, both at the ninth level of Qi Refining, who were currently maintaining the formation with all their might, beads of sweat gradually forming on their foreheads. Sensing someone approaching, they both turned their heads.

"Who goes there!"

Jiang Bai remained silent, then suddenly unleashed a grayish-white poisonous light from his right palm.

This was his full-force [Bone-Corroding Poisonous Hand], which he then slammed towards the face of the man on the left.

The man roared, his protective aura blazing forth as he raised his hand to block.

Their hands and arms touched silently.

The grayish-white poison gas, like a bone-deep infection, instantly seeped into the protective aura and slowly spread along the arm. The man's expression changed drastically. He tried to retreat, but found that his entire right arm had lost all feeling, and his skin had turned grayish and withered.

He opened his mouth to shout, but the poison had already reached his throat.

In just a few breaths, his entire body turned into a gray skeleton, which scattered all over the ground.

The other assistant turned pale with horror and slashed at Jiang Bai's neck with his long sword.

Jiang Bai didn't dodge or evade; instead, he used his left palm to block the blade with his bare hand!

"clang!"

The sound of metal clashing suddenly rang out, and the long sword cut half an inch into the palm of the hand before being enveloped by a layer of grayish-white poisonous gas.

The blade vibrated violently, and rust-like gray spots immediately appeared on the blade, spreading to the hilt in the blink of an eye.

The deputy's hand was split open, and just as he was about to let go, Jiang Bai's right palm arrived.

A palm struck his chest.

The black robe exploded with a bang, the sternum caved in, and grayish-white poison gas penetrated the body.

The deputy stared wide-eyed at the rapidly spreading grayish-white palm print on his chest. Before he could even speak, he fell backward to the ground.

It only took a few breaths.

Jiang Baiyi stepped onto the array plate inlaid with green crystals at the core of the array.

"Click—"

The array plate shattered, and the light from the crystals suddenly went out.

The vines that had been binding the venomous python suddenly loosened considerably, and most of the vines drooped down as if they had lost their support. The python sensed that the pressure had greatly decreased, and its other two snake heads roared desperately, its struggle suddenly intensifying.

Madam Qingluo and Venerable Kugu were working together to suppress the venomous python when they suddenly felt the formation collapse, their energy backfire, and a sweet taste rose in their mouths before they spat out blood.

She turned her head sharply and saw Jiang Bai shatter the array plate before leaping into the pool.

"It's you!"

Her eyes widened in horror as she instantly recognized the young man in gray.

"You killed my sister and dared to ruin my plans!" Madam Qingluo shrieked, and lunged towards the edge of the pool.

Although the venomous python had mostly escaped, its left head still emitted pink venomous mist, enveloping her. Lady Qingluo had no choice but to wave her staff, summoning a wall of vines to protect her.

The Bone Master was tightly bound by the venomous python's last remaining strength, his bone staff wedged into the python's mouth, unable to break free for a time.

The moment Jiang Bai entered the water, the [Poisonous Miasma Symbiosis] began to operate at full capacity.

The poisonous water in the pool was as thick as ink; an ordinary cultivator would instantly turn to dust upon stepping into it. But for Jiang Bai, the poisonous water was as vibrant as a hot spring. His pores opened wide, greedily absorbing the poison in the water.

He dived down like a fish.

The bottom of the pool was dark, except for one spot that emitted a hazy, multicolored glow. Upon closer inspection, it was a crystal the size of a fist, with a smooth surface and seemingly flowing clouds inside, alluring and beautiful.

Miasma crystals.

Jiang Bai took out a jade box from his pocket, which he had specially purchased at the Black Stone Market for thirty blood crystals. He carefully placed the crystals into the box and slowly closed the lid.

The moment the jade box closed, the silt at the bottom of the pool exploded with a roar!

Dozens of venomous snakes of varying thickness emerged from the mud, the thinnest being as thin as a forearm and the thickest as a thigh. They charged toward Jiang Bai with their gaping mouths full of sharp teeth—these snakes had been nourished by the miasma crystal for many years, making their venom extremely potent, and some of them even exuded the power of the late-stage Qi Refining realm.

Jiang Bai neither dodged nor evaded.

With a slight thought, the [Corpse Poison Body] was activated to its limit, and a grayish-black luster appeared on the skin; at the same time, the [Snake and Python Sensing] was also fully unleashed!

An invisible wave originating from the suppression of bloodline spread out.

The swarm of snakes that had rushed forward immediately stopped moving. Their vertical pupils revealed instinctive fear, and they dared not take another step forward.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jiang Bai kicked his legs hard and shot towards the water like an arrow.

"Splash!"

As it emerged from the water, the jade box in its hand shimmered with a five-colored halo.

The battle by the pool is nearing its end.

When the venomous python launched its final attack, the Bone Master pierced its vital spot with a bone spike. However, the Bone Master himself was also struck in the chest by the python's tail before its death. His body flew backward, crashing into a dead tree before falling to the ground. Blood gushed from his mouth, and he was clearly beyond saving.

Lady Qingluo's robe tore open, revealing a layer of supple armor plates underneath. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth as she plunged her staff into the heart of the venomous python. The python convulsed violently several times before finally becoming completely still.

She pulled out her staff, panting, and turned to look at Jiang Bai, who had just leaped out of the pool.

Eyes facing each other.

Madam Qingluo's eyes flashed with a chilling killing intent: "Did you kill my sister?"

Jiang Bai wiped the water from his face and grinned, "Now it's your turn."

As soon as he finished speaking, his expression changed slightly.

[Killing Intent Perception] An alarm sounded—two Foundation Establishment stage auras were rapidly approaching from afar, one of which was cold and familiar, belonging to the Yin Bone Elder.

Lady Qingluo seemed to realize this as well, but she was blinded by rage and charged towards Jiang Bai with a shrill roar: "Die!"

Jiang Bai did not engage in a fight with her.

With a twist of her body, she turned and fled, simultaneously throwing out the Corrupting Heart Pill in her hand. The pill exploded in mid-air, releasing a dark green poisonous mist that temporarily blocked Lady Qingluo's pursuit.

Lady Qingluo flicked her sleeves to disperse the surrounding mist, and was about to give chase again when several restless venomous snakes suddenly emerged from the mud beneath her feet and bit her ankle hard—these snakes were lured by Jiang Baitian two days ago using the Corrupting Heart Pill.

Enraged to the point of madness, she swung her staff, unleashing a blinding light that shattered all the venomous snakes in the swamp into dust. But when she opened her eyes again, Jiang Bai's figure had already vanished into the depths of the fog-shrouded swamp.

Madam Qinglu shouted "You scoundrel!" but could only stop in her tracks.

The two Foundation Establishment stage auras were less than three miles away. She was covered in wounds at the moment, and if she were to get entangled with them, the danger would be unpredictable.

She gritted her teeth, glaring in the direction Jiang Bai had left. Then, she caught sight of the frail, withered skeleton by the pool. Furious, she stomped her foot and fled in the other direction, staff in hand.

A moment later, two figures landed by the pool.

A man draped in a black robe and with a haggard face was none other than the Old Man of Yin Bones.

Standing beside him was a burly man with blood-red fangs tattooed on his chest, exuding a fierce and imposing aura—this man was Tu Lie, the leader of Bloodfang Village.

The two men stared at the corpse of the venomous python in the pool, then glanced at the mess on the ground, their faces darkening.

"We're a step too late," Tu Lie said in a deep voice.

The old man with the Yin Bone crouched down, gently touching the remaining fragments of the bone staff beside him with his fingers. He then looked up at the shattered array plate by the pool, his eyes flashing with an eerie light, clearly deep in thought. He muttered to himself, "It was that brat... He took the Miasma Crystal and even had someone killed."

"Chase?"

The old man with the Yin Bone slowly stood up, his gaze fixed on the depths of the swamp: "This kid is as slippery as an eel, and now he's got the Miasma Crystal... If we meet again, he'll probably be even more difficult to deal with."

Tu Lie snorted coldly and said no more.

Each with their own thoughts, they silently cleaned up the battlefield, gathered up the valuable items, and then left separately.

Ten miles away, Jiang Bai leaned against a withered tree and opened the jade box in his hand.

The miasma crystal lay quietly in the box, its multicolored light flowing endlessly, illuminating half of his face.

The poisonous markings on his right arm trembled slightly, as if revealing a longing.

He applied the lens to the scar.

The miasma crystals melted slowly like ice and snow, turning into multicolored light that seeped into the skin, and the poisonous pattern on the right arm became clearly visible—in addition to the original three lines of gray, dark green and black, there was an additional flowing, unpredictable multicolored fine line.

Poisonous Pattern Rebirth Progress: 50%.

Jiang Bai placed the jade box beside him and looked north.

According to the Records of Poisonous Things in the Wilderness, that place may be the habitat of Blood Toad Sand.

"Next target: Blood Toad Sand."