Heaven rewards diligence, but there are always fairies plotting against me.

The further in you go, the more the fog changes color from white to blue, carrying a faint sweet and fishy smell.

This indicates that the toxins here have reached an extremely dangerous level.

Strange plants began to appear around us, with flowers that looked like human faces, swaying in the mist.

On the ground, one can occasionally see skeletons, some belonging to demonic beasts and others to martial artists, which have become fragile and vulnerable under the erosion of time.

Chu Chang and Lin Ruoxue stretched their true essence shield to its limit to resist the pervasive poison from all around.

"etc."

After walking for about two miles, Chu Chang suddenly grabbed Lin Ruoxue's shoulder and abruptly stopped on a horizontal dead tree.

Lin Ruoxue followed Chu Chang's gaze.

From the white mist ahead, faint fluctuations of magical power could be heard.

Along with these fluctuations, there was a strange rustling sound, similar to countless beetles gnawing on bones.

The sounds were so dense and numerous that they sent chills down one's spine.

Chu Chang focused his eyesight, piercing through the thick blue mist, and finally saw the scene ahead clearly.

It was a valley of boulders, a chaotic pile of countless boulders, the very edge of the rocky hill the innkeeper had mentioned.

At this moment, two groups of people are engaged in fierce combat in this valley.

One side consisted of more than a dozen people, all dressed in black with a blood-red lotus flower embroidered on their clothes.

They were extremely ruthless, surrounded by black mist, controlling foul-smelling black iron golems and swarms of bloodthirsty poisonous insects.

"They're from the Blood Fiend Sect of the Demonic Path," Lin Ruoxue whispered, her tone tinged with disgust and wariness.

The Blood Fiend Sect is a native demonic force deep within Black Wind Valley. Its cultivators are skilled in corpse refining, insect control, and blood-based techniques, employing extremely cruel methods.

The group that fought against the Blood Fiend Sect was another group of burly warriors dressed in animal skins. They were clearly bandits from the outskirts of Black Wind Valley, and judging from their attire, they were from Black Tiger Stronghold.

The Black Tiger Stronghold had more people, about thirty, but they were struggling against the Blood Fiend Sect's unpredictable and bizarre demonic methods and were already at a disadvantage.

"Blood Fiend Sect scum! This traitor Zhao Meng was discovered first by our Black Tiger Stronghold, and you bunch of rats in the gutter dare to interfere!"

On the Black Tiger Stronghold side, a burly middle-aged man, as tall as an iron tower, wielding a pair of bronze hammers, frantically swung his weapon, smashing a black iron puppet that lunged at him to pieces, roaring repeatedly.

This burly man's true energy was boiling, and every swing of his hammer brought a sharp sonic boom. His strength had faintly reached the peak of the ninth level of the Qi Refining Realm. He was none other than Hu Li, the second leader of Black Tiger Stronghold, known as Iron Bone Hammer.

On the Blood Fiend Sect's side...

A young man, pale and bloodless as if he had just crawled out of a coffin, was sitting on a chair made of bones and skulls.

He toyed with a blood-red jade bottle in his hand, watching Hu Li struggle frantically, a cruel smirk playing on his lips: "Hu Li, if you know what's good for you, hurry up and take your men out of the Misty Forest. My young master has taken a liking to what Zhao Meng stole. If you continue to be ungrateful, I won't hesitate to turn you all into 'blood corpses,' which is perfect since my darlings haven't had enough to eat today."

This pale-faced youth was a deacon of the Blood Fiend Sect named "White Bone Envoy" Yin Jiu. He was also at the ninth level of the Qi Refining Realm, but his demonic arts and endless insidious methods made Hu Li very wary.

Chu Chang and Lin Ruoxue lay hidden behind a boulder not far away, watching everything from their elevated position.

"Senior sister, do you see that direction?"

Chu Chang suddenly pointed to a hidden cave behind the battlefield.

The entrance to the cave was extremely narrow and was hidden by a pile of rocks and withered vines.

If Chu Chang hadn't possessed such keen senses, it would have been extremely difficult for him to detect.

At this moment, at the crack at the entrance of the cave, a faint wisp of pure Yang true energy was fluctuating slightly.

Clearly, Zhao Meng was hiding in that cave, clinging to life by taking advantage of the fighting outside.

"When two tigers fight, we'll be the fishermen who haul in the net."

Chu Chang sneered, "However, we need to let them wear down a bit more first. Especially that Yin Jiu from the Blood Fiend Sect, the blood-red jade bottle in his hand gives me a very uncomfortable feeling."

Lin Ruoxue nodded slightly: "I'll listen to you."

Just as the two were discussing, the situation on the field suddenly changed.

Seeing his men fall one by one into pools of blood, being devoured into dried corpses by those blood-sucking venomous insects, Hu Li of Black Tiger Stronghold's eyes turned red.

"Yin Jiu, I'll take your life!"

Hu Li roared, and his muscles swelled up instantly, his skin gleaming with a bronze metallic sheen.

He unleashed the Black Tiger Stronghold's signature technique, "Iron Bone Technique," instantly boosting his defense and strength to their peak.

He slammed his legs off the ground, his entire body like a cannonball, tearing through the thick fog. He raised his pair of bronze hammers, each weighing a thousand pounds, and with the force to split mountains and shatter rocks, he smashed them down on Yin Jiu, who was on the white bone chair.

Before the twin hammers even arrived, the terrifying force of the wind had already shattered several skeletons beneath Yin Jiu's seat into dust.

Faced with this earth-shattering attack, Yin Jiu's pale face showed no fear, but instead a strange smile appeared.

"A foolish brute."

Yin Jiu snorted coldly, his body strangely falling backward, as if he had no bones, turning into a streak of black blood light, and instantly sliding off the white bone chair.

"boom!"

Hu Li slammed his double hammers heavily onto the empty skeleton chair.

The terrifying true energy erupted at that moment.

The hard, rocky ground was smashed into a huge crater several meters in diameter, and countless fragments of rock shot out in all directions like hidden weapons.

However, before Hu Li could put down his hammer...

"hiss!!"

A sharp, piercing sound suddenly rang out from behind him.

Yin Jiu's figure had appeared behind Hu Li like a ghost at some point. His right hand, withered like an eagle's claw, with its five fingernails as black as ink and shimmering with a ghostly green poisonous light, viciously grabbed at the back of Hu Li's head.

"Die, my envoy!"

Hu Li was equally experienced in combat. In the instant of danger, he suddenly shrank back and used a move called "Lazy Donkey Roll" to narrowly avoid a fatal blow.

However, Yin Jiu's claw still managed to tear through the protective true essence on his back, leaving five deep, bone-revealing bloody gashes.

Even more terrifying, the blood flowing from the wound instantly turned a bizarre black, accompanied by a pungent stench, which quickly spread throughout Hu Li's body.

"Highly poisonous!"

Hu Li's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly circulated his true energy to try to suppress the poison, but this greatly reduced his strength.

"Haha! Once you're hit by my 'Corpse Poison Claw,' your whole body will turn into pus within a short time!" Yin Jiu laughed strangely, pressing his advantage relentlessly. His figure flashed repeatedly, and black claw shadows filled the sky, suppressing Hu Li tightly.

Seeing their second leader defeated, the remaining Black Tiger Stronghold bandits were thrown into chaos.

"Retreat! Retreat now!"

Some of the more cunning bandits began to retreat.

However, how could the disciples of the Blood Fiend Sect let go of this opportunity to kick a man when he was down? They used puppets and poisonous insects to carry out a bloody one-sided massacre in the thick fog.

"Now!"

Just when the scene was in complete chaos and everyone's attention was drawn to the fierce battle, Chu Chang, who was hidden in the shadows, suddenly had a sharp glint in his eyes.

"Senior sister, I'm going to deal with Zhao Meng and retrieve the secret treasure! You stay here. Once they've decided who's the victor, or if they sense something's wrong, immediately use ice-based magic to seal off the battlefield. We absolutely cannot let anyone leave this valley alive!"

"Alright, be careful in everything." Lin Ruoxue's expression was solemn as she tightened her grip on the long sword.

Chu Chang took a deep breath, his body pressed against the ground, like a silent shadow, and quickly crept towards the hidden cave under the cover of thick fog and boulders.

His speed was extremely fast, without creating a single sound of wind or fluctuation of spiritual energy.

At this point, the battle in the valley was nearing its end.

Under the onslaught of poison and Yin Jiu's relentless bombardment, Hu Li was completely covered in blood. Only one of his bronze double hammers remained. He was panting heavily, his eyes filled with resentment and despair.

Meanwhile, the disciples of the Blood Fiend Sect were grinning maliciously as they reaped the lives of the remaining bandits.

No one noticed that a true god of death had quietly infiltrated the cave that held the fate of everyone in it.

The cave was dark and damp, filled with a strong smell of mold and the stench of rotting blood.

The further you go in, the narrower the space becomes, allowing only one person to barely pass through.

Chu Chang held the iron sword, his aura completely concealed.

Each step he took landed with extreme precision on the dry ground, without making a sound.

In his divine sense, the weak but extremely explosive source of spiritual energy was just around a corner not far ahead.

Zhao Meng!

This traitor from the Divine Sword Sect, though severely injured and driven to the brink of despair, was still a former elite disciple of the sect, and his strength at its peak was certainly no less than Lin Ruoxue's. Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse; a cornered beast often unleashes its most lethal counterattack.

Chu Chang was not careless in the slightest.

He slowly turned the corner.

Ahead, the space suddenly opened up into a stone chamber that was several meters wide.

In the center of the stone chamber, a man dressed in tattered white clothes and with disheveled hair sat cross-legged on a boulder in a sorry state.

The man was missing a little finger on his left hand, and the wound appeared to be freshly cut, giving it a somewhat gruesome appearance. Beside him lay a heavy, blunt sword, its surface entirely black and radiating a heavy aura.

At this moment, his face was ashen, and dried blood remained at the corner of his mouth.

His chest heaved violently as he clutched a jade stone emitting a soft green light, frantically absorbing its spiritual energy to heal his wounds.

That jade stone exuded an ancient aura that brought peace to the mind.

It is the lost treasure of the Divine Sword Sect, the Tranquilizing Essence that Avoids Poison!

"Who?"

The moment Chu Chang appeared, Zhao Meng, who had been keeping his eyes closed, suddenly opened them.

Those were eyes filled with a wild, mad, and wary intensity.

It must be said that Zhao Meng's alertness was astonishing. Almost the instant Chu Changgang stepped into the stone chamber, he sensed danger from the almost imperceptible fluctuations in the air.

"die!"

Zhao Meng didn't waste any words, nor did he ask who the visitor was.

He roared, slammed his right hand on the ground, and used the force to propel himself into the air, grabbing the black heavy sword beside him.

"Pure Yang Earth-Splitting Slash!"

A dazzling golden flame instantly blazed on the greatsword. The heat that erupted in that instant evaporated the damp air in the stone chamber.

A heavy sword has no edge; true skill lies in simplicity!

Zhao Meng, becoming one with his sword, unleashed an unstoppable, frenzied momentum as he slashed down at Chu Chang.

The power of this sword strike was immense. Even before the heavy sword fell, the terrifying force had already caused the ground beneath Chu Chang's feet to crack inch by inch.

"As expected of a former top disciple of the inner sect, he can still display such strength despite being so seriously injured."

Chu Chang's eyes narrowed.

But he did not back down.

"Clang!"

The iron sword was drawn.

Within Chu Chang's body, the strange true essence, which fused multiple attributes, instantly boiled. Although his true essence was not as masculine and fiery as Zhao Meng's, it possessed an indescribable sharpness and resilience.

"die!"

Chu Chang used a sword technique he had recently mastered.

The two swords collided violently in mid-air.

"boom!"

A thunderous roar exploded in the narrow stone chamber.

The violent sword energy and flames transformed into tangible ripples, spreading wildly in all directions.

The hard stone wall was cut open with countless spiderweb-like cracks, and countless pebbles fell from above.

Chu Chang swayed slightly and landed steadily on the ground.

Zhao Meng let out a muffled groan, as if struck by a heavy blow. He tumbled several times in mid-air before crashing heavily into a stone wall and falling to the ground.

"puff!!"

He coughed up another mouthful of blood; the injuries he had managed to suppress had completely erupted under this fierce clash.

He stared intently at Chu Chang, at Chu Chang's ordinary yet excessively young face, a flicker of despair and disbelief in his eyes: "You...you were sent by the Divine Sword Sect? Impossible! When did the Divine Sword Sect produce such a monster as you? How old are you?!"

"Senior Brother Zhao, you colluded with the demonic path and stole the sect's secret treasures. Today is the day you are executed."

Chu Chang spoke indifferently, carrying his sword, and walked step by step toward Zhao Meng.

"Hahahaha! Beheading?"

Zhao Meng burst into a raucous laugh, his laughter filled with madness and resentment.

"Sect treasures? Those aren't treasures at all, they're deadly poison! What do those high and mighty elders of the Divine Sword Sect take us for? Pawns they can discard at any time!"

Zhao Meng appeared to be insane. He struggled to his feet, clutching the "Mind-Calming and Poison-Avoiding Marrow" tightly.

"Since you want this, then you'll all be buried with me!"

He suddenly raised his right hand and slammed it down on the green jade stone, trying to destroy it completely.

However, how could Chu Chang give him this opportunity?

"Whoosh!"

A golden sword light, several times faster than before, flashed through the air.

too fast.

It was so fast that Zhao Meng's vision couldn't even keep up with the trajectory of the sword light.

"Pfft!"

A muffled thud.

Zhao Meng's raised right hand was neatly severed at the wrist. Blood gushed out, and the "Tranquil Mind and Poison-Avoiding Marrow" fell to the ground with the severed hand, making a crisp sound.

"ah!!!"

Zhao Meng let out a bloodcurdling scream, clutching his severed arm and staggering backward.

Chu Chang flicked his finger, and with a clever force, he pulled the jade stone and the severed hand that had fallen to the ground into his own hand.

He carefully examined the "Tranquility and Poison Avoidance Essence," sensing its extremely pure poison-avoidance properties. After confirming its authenticity, he cautiously stored it in his storage bag.

"You...you devil..."

Zhao Meng collapsed in the corner, completely powerless to resist, and could only look at Chu Chang with eyes full of extreme fear.