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

The man and woman in black simultaneously took three steps back. The man held his short knife horizontally in front of his chest in a defensive stance, while the woman quickly pulled out several more talismans. The two stood back to back, their eyes fixed on the hand.

"Stop playing tricks!" the man shouted angrily. "Get out here!"

"Playing tricks? I am a ghost myself."

The ground began to shake.

The crack rapidly tore open to both sides, widening and widening, and a figure slowly rose from the ground.

It was a humanoid figure clad in tattered armor.

Or rather, it was once a human being.

The armor was already rusted and corroded, and there was no flesh inside, only a wisp of gray-black mist slowly swirling, barely outlining the shape of a human.

Beneath the helmet were two empty eye sockets, from which two clusters of eerie green flames flickered.

It held a broken spear in its hand.

"Commander Zhang Meng," the figure spoke, his voice hoarse and dry, "Having guarded this beacon tower for three hundred years, today... we have finally waited for a living person to come."

Jiang Bai, hiding in the shadows, was suddenly jolted.

Zhang Meng—it was the name he had seen on the broken jade in the stone chamber!

The woman in black gritted her teeth and said, "Since you have been gone for many years, why didn't you enter the cycle of reincarnation sooner? This Yin Soul Grass is of great use to us, so please do us a favor."

"Reincarnation?" Zhang Meng's soul let out a piercing laugh. "This wasteland of bones, where is there reincarnation? Thirty thousand soldiers died here back then, their resentment soaring to the heavens, even blocking the gates of the underworld. We, these lonely ghosts, can only be trapped here, year after year, day after day..."

It paused, then the green flames in its eye sockets suddenly intensified: "However, if nourished by a living soul, perhaps... this old man can reunite his soul and leave this hellish place!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Meng's broken gun transformed into a blur, piercing straight for the man in black's throat!

"Give me a refund!"

The man roared, and a crimson light emanated from his blade as he fiercely slashed at the oncoming spear tip.

clang!

The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out loudly. The man staggered back seven steps, his hand split open, and blood dripped down the hilt of his sword.

His face was ashen, clearly indicating that the blow had caused him serious internal injuries.

"Ninth level of Qi Refining?" Zhang Meng's voice was full of sarcasm. "That's not enough to impress you."

Seeing this, the woman simultaneously flung out the talismans in her hand. The five yellow talismans burned fiercely in the air, transforming into five fiery serpents that flicked their tongues and coiled towards Zhang Meng's soul.

"A trivial skill."

Zhang Meng didn't even dodge, letting the fire snake coil around his body.

The flames sizzled as they burned the armor, but not even a faint scorch mark was left.

With a wave of its hand, it easily crushed the five fire snakes, turning them into sparks that dissipated into the air.

"This..." The woman's expression suddenly changed drastically.

Jiang Bai saw everything clearly from the shadows.

Zhang Meng's soul was far more solid than that of ordinary ghosts, and was already close to the category of "ghost cultivators".

Ordinary talismans and spiritual attacks have almost no effect on it.

We must use methods that target the soul.

He thought of his own "resentment and venom."

This ability is derived from the True Blood Poison Soul Pattern and specializes in attacking the soul; it might come in handy. However, exposing oneself now means not only facing Zhang Meng but also dealing with the two black-clad cultivators, making the risk far too great.

Just as he was pondering this, the situation suddenly changed.

The man in black bit his tongue hard, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the short sword. The blade hummed incessantly, its crimson light surging several times over, transforming into a dazzling sword aura over ten feet long, slashing down towards Zhang Meng!

"Burning Blood Blade? That's somewhat interesting." Zhang Meng raised the broken spear, the tip of which precisely aimed at the blade's energy.

boom!

The shockwave exploded, shattering several rocks in the vicinity.

The man flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into a boulder, spitting out blood incessantly. But his blade had actually left a shallow mark on Zhang Meng's armor.

"Senior brother!" the woman cried out in alarm, and was about to step forward to help her up when Zhang Meng's broken spear pierced her back like a venomous snake.

At the critical moment, Jiang Baidong acted.

He wasn't trying to save people; he was trying to steal the grass.

With a sudden activation of [Swift Shadow Step], his figure flashed out from his hiding place like a ghost, heading straight for the Yin Soul Grass. Almost at the same moment, he flicked his right hand, and three small black flags were firmly planted around him—these were the flags of the Eight Directions Warning Array, but now he was activating them in reverse, not for warning, but to create chaos.

The array flags hummed, and the fluctuations of spiritual energy instantly disrupted the surrounding atmosphere.

Zhang Meng's thrust at the woman paused slightly.

In that brief moment of hesitation, Jiang Bai had already rushed to the Yin Soul Grass. With his left hand, he made a grasping motion, a gentle force enveloping the grass, uprooting it and quickly storing it in his storage bag. The movements were fluid and seamless; from appearing to seizing the grass, it took only a short breath.

"How dare you!"

Zhang Meng roared, abandoned the woman in black, and abruptly turned his broken spear to stab Jiang Bai in the back.

Before the gun even reached his body, a chilling killing intent had already locked onto Jiang Bai's soul.

If an ordinary cultivator were locked onto by this killing intent, they would probably find it difficult to even move.

But Jiang Bai was different. His [Corpse Poison Body] operated spontaneously, converting all the murderous aura that invaded his body into yin energy for absorption.

Without turning his head, he slashed out with his sword.

The Bloodstained Blade sliced ​​through the air, and dark red patterns on its blade lit up as the power of [Venomous Corrosion] quietly adhered to it.

clang!

Swords and spears clashed, sending sparks flying.

Using the momentum, Jiang Bai charged forward, his figure flashing again, already out of Zhang Meng's attack range. He glanced at the man and woman in black—the man lay on the ground, seriously injured, while the woman was helping him escape towards the edge of the stone forest.

"Trying to leave?" Zhang Meng sneered, his left hand reaching out to grab at the air.

Suddenly, the ground around the stone forest rose up, and more than a dozen skeletons covered in tattered armor emerged from the ground, wielding rusted swords and blocking all paths.

"I've guarded this wasteland for three hundred years, and the wealth I've accumulated is enough for you to enjoy for a while."

Jiang Bai scanned his surroundings. These skeleton soldiers weren't particularly strong, roughly equivalent to cultivators at the fourth or fifth level of Qi Refining, but their advantage lay in their sheer numbers and their fearlessness. Add to that the unpredictable strength of Zhang Meng's soul form, and a direct confrontation was definitely not the best strategy.

His mind raced, and he spread his right hand, revealing dark golden poison patterns on his palm.

[Poison Explosion]!!

The killing intent of the battle spirit that Jiang Bai had just absorbed, mixed with his own poison, was rapidly compressed in his palm.

"burst."

Jiang Bai let out a low shout, and the poisonous ball in his palm exploded.

There was no loud noise, only a gray-black mist that quickly spread out, covering an area of ​​ten feet in radius.

This fog is mixed with poison, killing intent, and death energy, which has a strong interfering effect on the soul.

"Hmm?" Zhang Meng swayed, the green flames in his eye sockets flickering.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jiang Bai flashed through the air, pushing [Shadow Stealth] to its limit, and like a wisp of smoke, he passed through the encirclement of skeleton soldiers and sped towards the depths of the wasteland.

"Chase!" Zhang Meng roared, taking the lead in pursuit. The skeleton soldiers followed with stiff steps and a rumbling sound.

Jiang Bai galloped across the wasteland.

Beneath his feet lay soft, gray earth, sinking several inches with each step, yet his speed did not decrease; instead, it increased. His [Swift Shadow Step] burst forth intermittently, each burst creating a distance of tens of feet.

Behind him, Zhang Meng's soul form moved even faster.

It seemed unrestricted by the terrain, drifting like the wind, and the distance between it and Jiang Bai was constantly closing.

"Kid, you can't escape!" Zhang Meng's voice was like a leech, relentlessly pursuing him.

Jiang Bai didn't even turn his head, and unleashed three more slashes with his backhand. The sword energy crisscrossed, but it all passed through Zhang Meng's soul, only causing a few ripples.

Physical attacks are ineffective.

The effect of poison is weak.

[Resentment and Poison Corrosion] requires contact to take effect, but Zhang Meng didn't give him a chance to get close at all.

Jiang Bai quickly analyzed the situation in his mind. What was Zhang Meng's weakness?

What is a soul afraid of? Thunder magic, pure yang fire, and magical artifacts that specifically counter the soul—he has none of these.

Then there's only one way left.

Consume, or wait.

What are you waiting for?

He looked up at the sky.

The full moon hung high in the sky; it was already midnight. The deathly and resentful aura over the wasteland was at its most intense, and a thin, gray-black mist filled the air, reducing visibility to less than thirty feet.

Just then, something unexpected happened.

Suddenly, the sound of drums rang out from the depths of the wilderness.

dong... dong... dong...

The sound was deep and heavy, as if it came from underground, or as if it drifted from a distant shore of time and space. Interspersed among the drumbeats were the faint sounds of horses' hooves, footsteps, and the crisp clang of metal clashing.

Jiang Bai paused in his steps.

Zhang Meng also stopped, gazing into the depths of the wasteland, its soul fluctuating violently, the green flames in its eye sockets leaping wildly.

"They're here...they're here..."

"Who?" Jiang Bai asked, frowning.

"Ghost soldiers." Zhang Meng's voice carried a hint of fear. "On the night of the full moon, ghost soldiers are taking advantage of the journey..."

Before he finished speaking, the gray fog ahead began to churn violently.

Groups of figures emerged from the fog.

Clad in tattered armor and wielding rusted weapons, they stood in a disciplined formation, their steps perfectly synchronized. Some rode skeletal warhorses, their eyes flickering with eerie green flames; others walked on foot, their footsteps silent. These figures existed between reality and illusion, sometimes solid as real people, sometimes ethereal as smoke.

The quantity is...infinite.

At a glance, countless shadowy figures could be seen in the gray fog.

The ghostly army passed through, and all things withered.

Wherever they passed, the weeds on the ground withered rapidly, and even the surface of the stones was covered with a layer of white frost. The concentration of deathly aura in the air soared to a terrifying level, and Jiang Bai even felt that he had some difficulty breathing.

He and Zhang Meng happened to be on the edge of the ghost soldiers' path!

"Conceal!" Jiang Bai didn't hesitate and activated [Shadow Stealth] with all his might, shrinking behind a rock about half a person's height, suppressing his aura to the extreme.

Zhang Meng also transformed into a cloud of gray mist and disappeared underground.

But it was too late.

Among the ghostly soldiers, several generals, riding warhorses and with relatively intact armor, turned their heads in unison.

Their eye sockets were completely empty, but Jiang Baineng could feel that their "gaze" had fallen on the spot where he was hiding.

The next moment, a chilling killing intent that pierced to the bone and straight to the soul surged in like a tide!

That wasn't the kind of murderous aura Zhang Meng exuded, imbued with personal emotion; rather, it was a pure, cold, law-like killing intent. Enveloped by this killing intent, Jiang Bai felt his blood freeze, and his soul throb with pain.

[Killing Intent Perception] Frenzied warning, it felt like countless needles were pricking my mind.

run!

Without any hesitation, Jiang Bai unleashed his [Swift Shadow Step] once more, fleeing swiftly to the side.

The entire ghostly army did not pursue; only a small cavalry squad of about ten men was separated. Mounting skeletal warhorses, they quietly changed direction and followed in pursuit.

These cavalrymen were even faster than Zhang Meng!

The horse's hooves pounded the air silently, yet each step covered several meters, rapidly closing the distance.

Jiang Bai gritted his teeth, swung his left hand back violently, and activated [Poison Explosion] again. The gray-black poison mist exploded, engulfing the area behind him.

This time, however, the poisonous fog penetrated the cavalry's soul as easily as passing through air, with negligible effect!

Physical attacks are ineffective, poison attacks are ineffective, and even interference is impossible.

Jiang Bai's heart sank. He suddenly realized that his current combination of affixes was completely ineffective against this kind of "pure soul" enemy. 【Venomous Corrosion】, while an offensive affix, required direct contact; 【Corpse Poison Body】 could absorb yin energy, but these cavalry souls contained a much purer killing intent, making the conversion rate pitifully low; 【Poison Puppet Sensing】 was completely ineffective against souls…

Its own shortcomings were fully exposed.

Twenty zhang, ten zhang, five zhang...

The cavalry was getting closer and closer.

The lead cavalryman raised his rusted longsword and made a feinting slash down at Jiang Bai's back.

There was no sword aura, no sound of wind.

But Jiang Bai's soul suddenly felt a sharp pain, as if he had been struck by a real blade. His vision went black and he staggered.

In that brief moment of hesitation, another cavalryman rushed to his side and slashed with his sword!

This blow was unavoidable.

Jiang Bai could even see the dense rust marks on the blade and clearly feel the chilling killing intent condensed on the blade, enough to shatter the soul.

In that split second between life and death, his mind raced.

Should I tough it out? [Desperate Counterattack] hasn't been triggered yet; after all, I'm not truly on the verge of death. Should I parry with a weakened blade? Physical attacks have limited effect on the soul, and besides, this strike is aimed directly at the spirit; it's impossible to block.

So...

There's only one way left.

A resolute glint flashed in Jiang Bai's eyes.

He gave up his last struggle and even relaxed his body, letting the rusty longsword fall towards his neck.

As the blade touched his body, he muttered to himself:

"I have to die once, to get a new keyword that can break the deadlock."

It was icy cold.

The pain was excruciating.

Then came endless darkness.

Jiang Baineng felt his consciousness fading, his body slowly collapsing, and he could vaguely hear the neighing of the skeletal warhorse, as well as the endless, muffled, and oppressive sound of footsteps in the distance...

But all of that soon faded away.

......

When Jiang Bai opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a pure white space. This was the system space he was familiar with.

[Host death detected, count +1 (total 14 times)]

The cold, mechanical sound echoed through the space.

[Please select the keyword for reward]

Three orbs of light slowly appeared in front of Jiang Bai.

The first orb of light emitted a pale blue glow, within which a figure sitting cross-legged could be vaguely seen, surrounded by stars; the second orb of light was a deep purple, with a constantly rotating rune at its center, from which came the sounds of dragon roars and tiger howls; the third orb of light was pure gold, its light warm but not dazzling, with a transparent small sword floating inside, its blade flowing with water-like patterns.

Jiang Bai's gaze fell on the third ball of light.

The first two times a golden option appeared were when I was on the verge of death in the Black Wind Valley secret realm, and when I collected all nine poisons to complete a hidden quest. This time, however, even a normal death resulted in a golden option…

The system also seems to adjust the reward bias based on the predicament he faces.

Jiang Bai reached out and touched the golden light.

[Select Confirm]

[Obtained the gold-tier attribute: Soul-Slaying Sword Intent]

Information flooded my mind instantly.

【Soul-Slaying Sword Intent (Gold): Passive attribute. All attacks are imbued with the "Soul-Slaying" effect, dealing additional true damage to non-physical entities such as souls, spirits, and will projections; immune to mental negative statuses such as soul shock, fear, and confusion at the same level and below; can actively activate "Sword Intent Protection," greatly increasing resistance to soul attacks for a short period.】

Jiang Bai closed his eyes and began to process the information.

Soul Severing... a special attack targeting the soul. It's perfect for countering Yin Soldiers, Zhang Meng, and all enemies with soul-like forms. Furthermore, immunity to negative mental states solves the problem of his movement being restricted under the Yin Soldiers' killing intent.

"Golden entries certainly don't disappoint."

Jiang Bai opened his eyes, and the white space began to dissipate, with darkness surging back. But this time, there was no coldness or stinging in the darkness, only a new life force quietly awakening deep within his soul.