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

When Jiang Bai opened his eyes, the morning mist was spreading over the swamp.

He stretched his muscles and bones, and soft crackling sounds came from his joints. Now, the spiritual power of the eighth level of Qi Refining flowed through his meridians much more smoothly than before.

He unfolded the map, on which a spider pattern was drawn in the northwest corner, with the words "Ghost Face" written next to it, which should be Ghost Face Spider Valley.

He decided to head there.

The deeper you explore into Kurosawa Marsh, the more peculiar its terrain becomes. Sometimes you'll find yourself on solid ground, but then you'll sink into mud. The swamp gas produced by decaying matter will seep out from underground cracks, and when it comes into contact with your skin, it will sting like being burned.

Jiang Bai will maintain the [Poisonous Miasma Symbiosis] at a minimum, inhaling the poisonous miasma and converting it into spiritual power. This method is slower than meditation, but it keeps him in a state of cultivation, accumulating little by little.

Gradually, the terrain ahead began to change.

More and more dead trees appeared, their branches covered with grayish-white, fluffy substances. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be layers upon layers of spider webs. The web threads were as fine as hair, yet exceptionally tough. When Jiang Bai gently sliced ​​them with his Bloodstained Blade, they produced a faint metallic scraping sound.

Skeletons were scattered on the ground. These bones included both human and animal bones, and their surfaces were often covered with a thick, dark green liquid, corroded into many small holes.

Some relatively fresh corpses lay near the spider webs, wearing dark green short shirts, a unique garment of the Poison Ivy Village.

Jiang Bai crouched down to examine the body closely. There were four dead, all pierced to vital organs by sharp instruments. The edges of the wounds were black, indicating that the weapons used had been poisoned. However, near the fatal wounds, there were many tiny bite marks, and the flesh had been eroded into honeycomb-like cavities. "First killed by humans, then eaten by spiders."

Jiang Bai stood up and looked towards the valley entrance. The entrance to Ghost Spider Valley was formed by two sloping rock walls, with a narrow passage in between that could only allow two people to walk side by side. The rock walls were covered with vines, and many spider silks hung from the vines, swaying gently in the wind, like hanging curtains. The clearing at the valley entrance was a mess.

The ground was charred from the fire, and fragments of broken magical artifacts were scattered everywhere. Several corpses of the Poison Ivy Village cultivators lay sprawled on the ground, their bodies covered in layers of spider webs, some of which had been wrapped into grayish-white cocoons.

Judging from this situation, the remnants of the Poison Ivy Village had fought a fierce battle with the spider swarm here, suffering considerable casualties.

Jiang Bai did not rush into the valley.

He circled around to the side of the rock wall, found a high spot, parted the vines, and peered into the valley. The sight in the valley was chilling.

The entire valley seemed to be covered by a huge spider web, its mesh as large as a winnowing basket, the silk shimmering with a metallic sheen under the sunlight. Hanging from the web were dozens of withered skeletons, twisted and deformed after being dried by the wind; deep in the valley stood a withered old tree, its trunk crooked, its branches laden with dozens of fist-sized eggs, their shells grayish-white, their surfaces covered with black patterns, resembling menacing ghost faces.

A huge creature was lying under the tree.

The spider was entirely black, with a pale human face pattern naturally formed on its carapace, its eyebrows, eyes, and nostrils clearly and realistically depicted; its eight long legs were like iron spears piercing the ground, with barbs growing at the joints; its abdomen was bulging high, and the venom glands at the end of its tail trembled slightly, overflowing with dark green venom.

The Ghost-Faced Spider Queen unabashedly exuded the aura of a peak ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator.

The surrounding rock walls, crevices, and behind withered trees were densely covered with ghost-faced spiders of all sizes: some as small as a fist, others as large as a washbasin, their backs patterned like human faces, and their compound eyes a chilling bright red.

Jiang Bai withdrew his gaze, secretly making plans in his mind.

A direct assault is clearly not going to work; the sheer number of these ghost-faced spiders is overwhelming, and if the fight drags on, people will inevitably collapse from exhaustion.

According to the Records of Poisonous Things in the Wilderness, the Ghost-faced Spider fears thunder, fire, and strong light.

He touched the storage bag at his waist.

The Thunder Fang Sword, a low-grade magic weapon, is engraved with thunder patterns, and when activated, it crackles with electric light.

There were also a few fire runes, which I bought casually at Blackrock Market. Although their power was ordinary, they should be enough to disrupt the spider swarm.

But there's no rush right now.

Jiang Bai returned to his hiding place, sat cross-legged, placed the Bloodstained Blade across his knees, and leaned the Thunder Fang Sword against his side. He then closed his eyes and recalled the key points of the "Breaking Army Blade Technique".

The swordsmanship taught by the military spirit follows the path of battlefield combat, emphasizing overwhelming the opponent with momentum, with each strike a matter of life and death. He has already mastered the first level, "Soul-Slaying Style," to a high degree; the moment the blade flashes, it can evoke a sense of battlefield killing intent, enough to intimidate the enemy's mind.

The only thing that was lacking was the second level, the "Breaking the Formation" technique.

This sword technique must be mastered in chaotic battles—when one person faces multiple enemies alone, the blade must be able to break formations and sever connections. Solo practice is useless; only through actual combat can one improve.

Jiang Bai opened his eyes and looked at the spider swarm in the valley.

For the next seven days, he observed the habits of spider colonies during the day and practiced his knife skills diligently at night.

The ghost-faced spider is nocturnal, and during the hottest part of the day, most of it retreats back to its nest, with only a few patrolling among the webs; the queen spider always stays under the dead tree, occasionally stroking the spider eggs with her forelegs, her actions revealing a touch of human-like tenderness.

As night falls, the spiders become increasingly active.

They patrol the valley in groups, and if they encounter any stray flying insects or animals, they rush forward together, paralyze them with venom, and then drag them into their webs to share. The spider swarm is extremely orderly when hunting: the smaller spiders drive them away from the outside, while the larger spiders hide in the back, waiting for an opportunity to ambush them; the two cooperate very well.

Jiang Bai saw all of this, and his understanding of the "Breaking Formation" gradually became clearer.

He practiced his swordplay in the clearing below the cliff. The bloodied blade danced in his hand, the sound of its blade cutting through the air initially chaotic, gradually becoming unified, and finally transforming into a continuous, sharp whistling sound. The light of the blade traced agile curves in the darkness, sometimes thrusting straight in like a venomous snake's tongue, sometimes slashing horizontally like a giant axe splitting a mountain.

As he was engrossed in his practice, Jiang Bai suddenly sheathed his sword and stood still.

wrong!

He frowned as he recalled the scene of the soldiers wielding their swords. Although these three thousand soldiers were only remnants of their souls, their swords were not used to kill people, but to break through the maze and tear a path to survival in a desperate situation. The intent of their swords should contain a sense of tragedy and determination, and even more so, a fierce momentum of "desire to survive".

He started again.

This time, the knife was slow.

The Bloodstained Blade was slowly raised, its tip trembling slightly, like a venomous snake that had been lurking for a long time. Jiang Bai closed his eyes, his mind not on sword techniques, but on the scenes of near death he had faced in Black Wind Valley, and the bloody battlefield atmosphere that rushed towards him when the Soul of the Burial Mound unleashed the Three-Slash Slash.

The blade moved.

No fancy moves, just a straight thrust forward.

"laugh,"

The sharp, piercing sound of the air being torn apart was deafening.

Three zhang ahead of the blade, a withered tree as thick as a bowl suddenly snapped in two, its broken surface as smooth as a mirror. As the severed trunk fell to the ground, it stirred up a cloud of dust.

Jiang Bai sheathed his knife and exhaled a breath of stale air.

The intent of the sword was formed.

Although this is only a prototype, the sword already carries the meaning of "breaking through the formation." There is no way out ahead, but the sword still needs to cut through and break through.

On the morning of the eighth day, a commotion was heard at the mouth of the valley.

Five figures slowly emerged from the mist. They were all wearing dark green short shirts. One of them was a strong man with one arm and a scar on his face that ran diagonally from his brow to his chin. All five of them were quite powerful. Two of them had reached the eighth level of Qi Refining, and three of them had reached the seventh level of Qi Refining. However, each of them had been injured, so their auras appeared somewhat weak.

"Brother, shall we go in?" a young cultivator asked, his voice trembling.

The one-armed man spat out a mouthful of blood and roared, "Not going in? Madam Qingluo gave a death order: if we don't get the Ghost-Faced Spider venom, we'll all die!"

"But the brother who went in yesterday..."

The one-armed man glared at him angrily: "Shut up! I'll use a fire talisman to clear the way, and you follow closely behind. Once you find the Spider Queen, extract the venom glands and leave. Don't get entangled in the battle."

The five people carefully stepped into the valley.

Jiang Bai watched from the rock wall, and a plan formed in his mind.

He and the others went as far as thirty feet into the valley. Just as the spider swarm began to stir, he quietly slid down the rock wall. His Shadow Stealth ability was activated, and his figure followed closely behind the five people like a ghost.

The one-armed man threw out a fire talisman.

The talisman burst open as it burned, sending crimson flames scattering in all directions. It burned a hole in the spiderweb in front of it, and the startled spiders hissed as dozens of ghost-faced spiders emerged from all around.

"Charge!" the one-armed man shouted.

The five formed a battle formation, their magical artifacts flashing with spiritual light, and engaged the spider swarm in battle.

Jiang Bai didn't rush to make a move.

He moved to the side, his gaze falling on the spider queen under the withered tree. The creature had been disturbed; its eight long legs supported its body, the human face pattern on its carapace became distorted, and it emitted a low hiss.

The five men from Poison Ivy Village fought their way forward, gradually closing in on the withered tree.

The one-armed man unleashed another fire talisman, blasting open the spider web and revealing a gap leading to the withered tree. Just then, Jiang Bai made a move.

After using the [Swift Shadow Step], his figure shot out like an arrow, but instead of heading towards the Spider Queen, he suddenly pounced on the flank of the five people from Poison Ivy Village.

The one-armed man reacted extremely quickly, sensing the approaching gust of wind, and swung his knife back with his single arm.

Blades clashed, sparks flew.

Jiang Bai used the momentum to twist his body, his left palm taking shape, with grayish-white poisonous light swirling in it. He unleashed the [Bone-Corroding Poison Hand] towards the young cultivator closest to him.

The man was dealing with the attacking spider when, caught off guard, he was struck hard in the back.

A muffled "plop" sound.

The young monk fell forward, his robes tearing open at the back, his flesh rapidly turning gray and rotting to reveal the bones beneath. He didn't even have time to scream before he fell silent.

"Fifth Brother!" The one-armed man's eyes widened in fury.

The remaining three were both shocked and furious, and turned around to surround Jiang Bai.

"It's you! The one who killed Madam Qing Teng!"

"Kill him!"

Jiang Bai didn't answer. He twirled the blood-stained knife in his hand, pointing the blade at the one-armed man.

He suddenly took a step forward.

The step was heavy, dust flying everywhere, and the blood-stained blade in his hand slashed down. It wasn't a complicated or varied move, just a simple vertical slash.

But the moment the knife was drawn, the one-armed man's vision blurred.

He seemed to see mountains of corpses and seas of blood, tattered battle flags fluttering violently in the wind, and countless swords, spears, and halberds thrusting towards him. The killing intent on the battlefield materialized, pressing heavily on his heart, causing his breath to catch and his movements to slow down by half a beat.

In that moment of hesitation, the blade was already at his face.

The one-armed man retreated in horror, raising his knife to parry.

"clang!"

The sound of metal clashing was deafening.

The blood-stained blade struck the opponent's sword, and the grayish-white, bone-corroding poison spread along the blade. The long sword in the one-armed man's hand immediately became extremely dull, and rust spots began to appear on the blade. However, he gritted his teeth and mobilized his spiritual power, and the blade suddenly burst out with a ball of green light, which dispersed the poison.

But then Jiang Bai's second cut came.

It was still a vertical slash, but faster and heavier than the first one.

The one-armed man retreated again, his feet sinking into the spider web. His body paused slightly, and in that fleeting moment of vulnerability, the blade had already sliced ​​across his neck.

Blood spurted out.

The head rolled to the ground, its face still showing a look of horror.

The remaining two were terrified and immediately turned to flee, but swarms of spiders had already surrounded them from all sides, spraying venom like raindrops. The two used their protective spiritual energy to fight their way out, but they were still unable to escape their predicament for the time being.

Jiang Bai ignored them and turned to rush towards the withered tree.

The Spider Queen was already furious. When she sensed Jiang Bai approaching, her abdominal venom glands suddenly contracted, and she sprayed out a thick, dark green venom that cascaded down like a waterfall.

Jiang Bai did not dodge, but pushed his [Blood Poison Resistance] to the limit. A faint red light emanated from his body. The venom poured on him made a "hissing" corrosive sound, but it could not penetrate his skin immediately. Despite this, his speed did not slow down, and he arrived in front of the Spider Queen in an instant.

The Thunder Fang Sword was drawn.

The lightning patterns on the sword began to glow, with electric light flowing across it. Jiang Bai threw the sword, and it transformed into a silver streak, piercing towards the gap in the spider queen's carapace.

"Pfft!"

The sword sank half a foot into the ground, and lightning exploded inside the Spider Queen's body.

The spider queen let out a mournful hiss, her eight long legs flailing wildly, digging deep pits into the ground. She opened her mouth to bite Jiang Bai, her fangs like hooks, gleaming with a cold, eerie green light.

Jiang Bai turned to the side to dodge, then struck out with his left palm, the [Bone-Corroding Poison Hand] hitting one of the Spider Queen's compound eyes squarely.

The compound eyes burst open, splattering dark green liquid everywhere.

After being hurt, the Spider Queen became even more aggressive. One of its long legs stabbed at Jiang Bai like an iron spear. Jiang Bai had no way to dodge, and his left arm was immediately slashed with a deep wound that reached the bone. The venom seeped into his body along the wound, and his left arm immediately became numb.

He gritted his teeth and refused to back down, raising the bloodied blade high in his right hand, frantically pouring his spiritual power into the blade.

The blade gleamed with a dark red, blood-red light.

This strike is a "formation-breaking" move.

The knife fell.

There was no wind, no unusual phenomenon; it was just an ordinary slash.

But as the blade sliced ​​through, the Spider Queen's long leg, which had once pierced Jiang Bai, snapped off with a sharp, clean cut, as smooth as a mirror. The blade's momentum did not diminish, and it then slashed at the Spider Queen's neck.

"Click,"

The sound of shells cracking rang out.

The Spider Queen's massive body stiffened, then collapsed to the ground with a thud, her eight legs twitching a few times before ceasing to move.

Jiang Bai leaned on his knife, panting heavily. Black energy continued to spread from the wound on his left arm. His [Blood Poison Resistance] was interacting with the spider venom. He walked towards the spider queen's corpse, cut open her abdomen with the blood-stained blade, and found the glands that contained the poison.

It was a fist-sized sac-like object covered with vein-like patterns. It felt extremely cold to the touch. He carefully used a jade bottle to collect the venom. The dark green liquid slowly flowed into the bottle, emitting a pungent, fishy smell.

A throbbing sensation came from the poisonous pattern.

Jiang Bai placed the jade bottle on his right arm, and the venom slowly seeped into his skin. A dark green line began to grow on the original poisonous pattern next to it. This line was curved like a vine and exuded a cold and terrifying aura.

Poisonous Pattern Rebirth Progress: 70%.

Two ingredients are still missing.

After putting away the jade bottle, he sat down cross-legged to heal his wounds. The spider swarm in the valley was in chaos because of the death of the Spider Queen. Some began to fight each other, while others fled in all directions. The two cultivators from Poison Ivy Village had already been eaten by the spider swarm, leaving only a few pieces of cloth hanging on the web.

Jiang Bai closed his eyes, concentrated his mind, and began to circulate the "Hundred Poisons Tempering Technique". The seven poisons in his body flowed throughout his body with the technique, tempering his meridians and flesh. The spiritual power in his dantian churned like boiling water, continuously being compressed and becoming more and more solid.

After an unknown amount of time, a soft sound came from inside the body.

It's like an eggshell cracking, or like a dam bursting open.

Qi Refining Level 9, you've broken through!

He opened his eyes, and six colors of light flashed in his pupils: gray, green, black, red, multicolored, and dark green, before disappearing in an instant. The aura around him became much denser than before, and with every move he made, one could faintly hear the sounds of wind and thunder following him.

The second level of the "Breaking Army Saber Technique," the "Breaking Formation Style," marks the true beginning of the skill.

Jiang Bai sheathed his sword and left Ghost-Faced Spider Valley.

An old woodcutter sat on a blue stone at the mouth of the valley.

The old man, dressed in tattered hemp clothes and straw sandals, leaned against a carrying pole worn smooth and shiny. He rolled tobacco leaves slowly, seemingly unaware of the fishy smell wafting from the valley.

Jiang Bai paused in his steps.

The old woodcutter raised his head, revealing a face full of deep wrinkles. He glanced at Jiang Bai, then lingered for a moment on the broken "blood" knife, before opening his mouth to laugh, revealing teeth yellowed from smoke.

"Young man, your swordsmanship is not bad."

Jiang Bai didn't respond.

The old woodcutter didn't mind. He put the rolled cigarette in his mouth, took out a tinderbox to light it, took a deep drag, and slowly exhaled a cloud of murky smoke.

He said slowly, "The killing intent is too strong. The knife is indeed a weapon of death, that is an indisputable fact. But the person wielding the knife must understand the meaning of their own intention in wielding it."

Jiang Bai was silent for a moment before speaking: "For survival."

The old woodcutter smiled and said, "Living is just about breathing, eating, and sleeping. The meaning behind your knife goes far deeper than that."

He stood up, dusted himself off, and hoisted the carrying pole onto his shoulder.

The old man was talkative, and he killed for the sake of killing, eventually becoming a knife slave. Although the knife slave's knife was sharp, it could not sever his own life.

After saying this, he walked towards the direction of the mist. After a few steps, his figure became blurry, as if he had merged into the morning mist.

Jiang Bai stood there, gazing in the direction where the old man had disappeared.

After a long while, he looked down at the bloodied knife in his hand.

The blade is dark red, and the bloodstains on it have congealed into rust. This blade has drunk a lot of blood, including that of its enemies and that of its own.

"Living is not about becoming a more lethal weapon..."

He murmured the old woodcutter's words, then shook his head and sheathed the knife behind his back.

As the fog dissipated, the sun shone through the gaps in the clouds.

Jiang Bai looked towards the northeast.

The map shows a dense forest overgrown with ghost vines, and further east lies a mass grave where corpse flowers bloom.

Two more ingredients are needed.