Hundred Miasma Peak

Hundred Miasma Peak

With that in mind, Fang Che began cultivating.

"Limitless True Scripture!"

That was the name of the mysterious cultivation technique he had obtained.

He opened the first page.

"Cultivation is merely the beginning; the road of the strong never ends. I can lead you through the gate, but how far can you walk? The starry sky is vast. I am here."

There was actually such a sentence on the Title Page.

Fang Che frowned.

After a long while, his face broke into a smile. He murmured softly, "Perhaps I'm no worse than you!"

He turned the page.

"When cultivation reaches its pinnacle and techniques attain profound heights, amid the mortal world and above the heavens, take whatever you desire; among millions of stars, only too little remains. If the heart is limitless, the road is limitless; this is Limitless!"

What followed was the cultivation mantra.

After reading through the opening section once, Fang Che knew that this technique was not merely hundreds or thousands of times stronger than the cultivation method from his previous life! As for that previous-life technique... there was no point mentioning it.

What was there to say? Cultivate! Fang Che swiftly sat down cross-legged and began cultivating the first level of the Limitless True Scripture.

The Spiritual Power within his body instantly stirred, traveling strictly along the paths of the Limitless True Scripture. In an instant, he felt his entire body grow hot, while countless particles of yang-attributed spiritual energy flooded into him.

He immediately felt as though smoke were rising from the top of his head.

The speed at which he absorbed Spiritual Power filled Fang Che with sudden shock.

Too fast.

After one circulation...

His body suddenly trembled.

Fang Che involuntarily Opened eyes in astonishment.

Had he just broken through the first barrier from Martial Apprentice to Warrior?

Although he had been reborn and possessed countless cultivation experiences, and although the Martial Apprentice-to-Warrior threshold was only the most basic of cultivation barriers, such an easy breakthrough still left Fang Che stunned.

Was the Limitless True Scripture... really this miraculous? He immediately furrowed his brows and fell into thought.

Since he had broken through, then...

He picked up the Qi and Blood Pills his eldest cousin had given him and swallowed an entire bottle in one gulp.

He began circulating his cultivation.

A mass of blazing energy gathered in the Small Courtyard once more.

After a while...

"Whew..."

"Second-grade Warrior."

Fang Che stabilized his realm, then Opened eyes.

"My eldest cousin really is an honest man."

What delighted him most was that once the Limitless True Scripture began circulating, the Five Elements Spirit Gu in his Dantian was suddenly restrained! Fang Che had a feeling that if he wished, he could even slowly refine the Five Elements Spirit Gu at any time.

Part of the Spiritual Power in his Dantian had already transformed into Limitless True Spirit. The Five Elements Spirit Gu cowered inside the Dantian, trembling violently.

It clearly sensed that this Spiritual Power could refine it.

Startled by the power he felt, Fang Che hurriedly withdrew his Spiritual Power and tenderly soothed the Five Elements Spirit Gu within him.

This was his precious tool for infiltrating the enemy from within.

It absolutely could not die.

But wasn't the Five Elements Spirit Gu impossible to refine? Yet my Limitless True Scripture can refine it so easily?!

Meanwhile.

The Su Family.

After Su Yue brought back the news, an emergency meeting was immediately convened.

There were two items on the agenda: was this news real or false?

If it was real, who would go? After discussion, they swiftly reached a conclusion: it was absolutely real.

Because the Absolute Sword Monarch had once truly existed as a powerful expert.

"That brat knew nothing at all. He only heard that sentence while unconscious. In my estimation, it must have been that old bastard Fang Wending speaking with his son Fang Zhenghang. There was no one else around, so they could say it without worrying about anything. They simply never expected this fellow to wake up right as he was unconscious."

An elderly Su Family man with grizzled hair and beard had eyes full of wisdom.

He carried the confidence of someone who had seen through everything.

"Even if it were this old man, I would have had a hard time imagining such a twist of fate."

"Indeed."

Another old man said, "Moreover, Yue'er and Fang Che have become friends closer than sworn brothers over these years. That brat obeys Yue'er in everything and would never lie."

"Indeed, hahaha, that little fool is simple-minded to the extreme."

"Yes, and especially during this period, when the brat was nearly beaten to death by his own cousin, it is even less likely that he would lie."

"Therefore, the matter of the Absolute Sword Monarch should be true."

"Who would have thought that the old bastard of the Fang Family was so sinister? A false piece of information misled everyone for so many years!"

"This is the heavenly net, vast and wide, with nothing slipping through its mesh. That old bastard probably never dreamed the news would get out this way! Hahaha..."

Amid a burst of laughter.

Family Head Su Yunhe made the final decision. "Since it has been confirmed, we must act immediately. Time waits for no one. Who should go this time?"

The white-bearded elder at the head of the table frowned and said gravely, "You must know that the Fang Family has searched more than once, yet never succeeded. This old man guesses that, first, they did not find the right place. Second, their strength was insufficient. Didn't they say there were countless venomous creatures? And poisonous snakes at the Grandmaster level?"

"First, the Fang Family lacks strength. Second, they dare not make this public. You all know that no family could possibly seek helpers or reinforcements for such a matter."

Everyone smiled and nodded.

Indeed, how could they ask for help?

If the helpers' cultivation was lower than theirs, they would be useless. If their cultivation was higher... then wouldn't that be far too dangerous? It was practically digging their own graves—what helper could resist the temptation of such a treasure or inheritance?

"Since that is the case, we cannot send too few people. Their strength cannot be too low, either!"

"To be safe, it would be better for everyone to go."

One person raised an objection. "Should we wait for the envoy to return?"

The others answered in unison, "No!"

"If we wait for him to return, will this good thing still belong to our family?"

"Time waits for no one. Gather the men immediately!"

"Good!"

That very night.

The Su Family's entire elite force disguised themselves and left the city separately. They gathered in the wilderness outside the city, then shot into the darkness like an arrow.

It was also that very night.

Fang Che packed up, tucked a face covering into his arms, and left the Small Courtyard as well.

He could not rest easy.

What if the Su Family truly got it? "Young Master Cousin, where are you going?"

He was stopped as he walked out through the Fang Family gates.

"To find a girl, what else? What else can a man go out for at night?" Fang Che rolled his White eyes.

"..."

The gate Guards silently moved aside, their hearts filled with bitterness.

You're impressive! You're going out to find girls!

And I still have to stand here guarding the gate.

Fang Che strolled out through the gates.

He headed toward Southern City, where the fragrance of rouge and powder filled the air.

His figure soon vanished from sight.

Half an hour later.

At the estate of a wealthy man outside the city.

Chaos erupted.

The hoofbeats came like a torrential downpour, then vanished into the distance in an instant.

A fat man rolled and crawled across the ground. "Catch the thief... he stole the one I was riding..."

A Guard Martial Master rushed over upon hearing the commotion. "Master, has the Third Madam been stolen?"

Fang Che lay low over the horse's back like a black phantom.

His body leaned forward. With every rise and fall of the horse, he adjusted his posture, each time letting his buttocks touch the horse's back lightly before springing up again. Rather than becoming a burden, his weight became a force urging the horse forward.

His horsemanship was so consummate that he and the horse seemed almost fused into one. Amid the rainstorm-like hoofbeats, he shot through the dark night like an arrow toward the Distant place.

His destination.

Hundred Miasma Peak.

As he raced along as swiftly as flying, Fang Che reached into his arms.

He shook out the face covering.

And slowly wrapped it around his face.

The night wind howled, pressing the cloth tightly against his face, leaving only a pair of Eyes gleaming in the deep darkness, reflecting starlight and the night.

Four hours of wild galloping.

The sky was already bright.

He was now seven hundred li away from Azure Wave City.

The horse was exhausted beyond measure.

Fang Che dismounted beside a pool of water and led the horse over to drink and rest.

"You've worked hard, horse. If you know the way, go back on your own. If you don't, wait for me to return, and we'll go together."

He patted the horse's neck, then leaped away amid its long neigh.

...He stole another horse.

He was familiar with the routine.

And continued racing onward.

Three hundred li later.

He had entered the Vast Mountain Range, where the terrain was rugged and difficult. This place was already close to the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Spirits Forest.

Once again, he left the horse to roam freely beside a stream at the foot of the mountain. Then his body flashed, and he slipped into the dense forest.

Like a chameleon moving through the woods, he disappeared in an instant.

Unless he saw with his own eyes how the Su Family members died, Fang Che could not set his mind at ease.

The Su Family had left much earlier than he had, but they needed to verify their route and determine their bearings constantly.

Although Fang Che had departed later, he still entered Hundred Miasma Peak two hours ahead of the Su Family.

He stood atop a nearby Mountain top to confirm the direction, then leaped down.

He traveled through dense, pathless thickets, dodging every thorn as smoothly as flowing silk.

He even had time to gather materials from the spot, digging up herb after herb.

At last... he crushed all the herbs into pulp against a rock with his knife.

They became a medicinal paste that gave off a pungent stench.

He smeared a small half of the paste over his body.

Then, carrying the remaining large half, he circled around to the back of the mountain without hesitation.

As he traveled, countless poisonous insects caught the scent and scattered in every direction.

He smoothly arrived at a pool hidden completely behind thick shrubs at the rear of the mountain.

He gently pushed aside the shrubs covering the pool, revealing its deep emerald surface.

With a plop.

He tossed the remaining large half of the medicinal paste into the pool.

Then he leaned against a large rock and remained utterly still.

At once.

The pool seemed to boil.

The medicinal paste fizzed in the water like chunks of quicklime dropped into it. Bubbles gurgled up, and the entire pool became murky beyond compare.

That foul stench exploded beneath the water and rapidly spread along the bottom.

The surface remained calm, but below it had become a world equivalent to a poison gas bomb.

A few minutes later.

Countless highly venomous water snakes and other bizarre aquatic poisons scrambled to break the surface, crawl ashore, and flee for their lives.

This smell was fucking unbearable!

A quarter of an hour later.

Waves rolled across the pool. A round, triangular crocodile head emerged from the water, making gurgling sounds from its mouth before fleeing in haste.

It seemed to be cursing the smell, and even vomited twice.

Fang Che still did not move.

Half an hour later.

No more poisonous insects crawled out.

Fang Che watched as the pool water slowly became clear again; then he watched the mud at the bottom slowly turn ash-white.

He still did not move.

Another quarter of an hour passed.

The water churned and rolled, and a flood dragon as thick as a walnut, its entire body milky white, emerged from the surface.

Its body was somewhat illusory. This was a spirit-body flood dragon, but it was already close to gaining a physical form.

A golden horn atop the spirit flood dragon's head already gleamed with solid golden light.

A smile appeared in Fang Che's eyes. Revealing himself, he used the Warrior cultivation he had only just acquired to activate his Soul Pressure.

"Hello there."

Fang Che said with a beaming smile.

In his previous life, right beside this pool, he had slain the Thousand Poisons Demon King and the Thousand Poisons Demon King's battle pet, the Golden Horned Flood Dragon! Yet he had not Kill them all when it came to the Golden Horned Flood Dragon's soul body, allowing it to escape into this pool.

Because he had discovered that this place was actually the Nine Yin Land, encountered only once in a thousand years—the finest place beneath heaven and earth for nurturing souls.

It was common knowledge that soul bodies were difficult to preserve. Such a place was rare indeed, so he had spared the Golden Horned Flood Dragon's soul, leaving himself a backup plan as well.

Who could have imagined that he had not lived to see the soul body take form in his previous life, yet had encountered it in this life instead?

Now, it could be considered a reunion of old friends.

And Soul Pressure was Fang Che's true trump card in coming here this time.

Those three words made the Golden Horned Flood Dragon's spirit body, which had just appeared, freeze directly in the air.

Feeling that familiar, terrifying Soul Pressure, the Golden Horned Flood Dragon turned its head in disbelieving despair. What it saw was Fang Che's kindly smiling face.

"Wuwu..."

The Golden Horned Flood Dragon burst into tears on the spot.

So it had not been a nightmare.

If the Golden Horned Flood Dragon had still been in its complete state, Fang Che would never have come here in the first place.

But with only a spirit body left, the Golden Horned Flood Dragon posed no fear to Fang Che.

Though its strength was still not to be underestimated, Fang Che was confident he could subdue it.

Sure enough, merely relying on Soul Pressure made this little fellow utterly docile.

"Don't be afraid. I came this time to ask for your help."

Fang Che sent out a soul fluctuation.

After a long while, the Golden Horned Flood Dragon finally calmed down. Fear still remained, but it could now keep it under control.

A moment later...

Fang Che leaped down into the pool.

The Golden Horned Flood Dragon turned pure white in the water, as tangible as a physical body, and led the way ahead.

They smoothly entered the heart of the mountain and entered the Mountain Cave.

Just as Fang Che entered the cave mouth...

On the other side, the Su Family's people also arrived opposite, weary and travel-stained.

When they set out, the Su Family had brought a total of one hundred and twenty-four people.

Now that they had reached this place, only ninety-six remained.

"Twenty-eight people were buried in this forest."

Su Yunhe, the Su Family Head, wore a grave expression. "I never imagined this forest would be so dangerous. There really are so many poisonous creatures."

"But now that we have finally found the place, it was worth it."

Su Changying, an elder of the Su Family, said, "For a place hiding treasures like this, I would not find it strange no matter how much more dangerous it was."

As he spoke, shrill cries suddenly erupted from among the people ahead who were clearing away weeds and exposing the cave entrance.

Twenty or thirty people rolled about on the ground.

A layer of golden ants appeared across the ground. Each was as large as a soybean, yet seemed to have copper hide and iron bones. Even stamping on them could not kill them.

Many had already swiftly crawled onto people's bodies, ignoring True Essence defenses and biting straight into flesh.

A buzzing rose.

Golden ants spread their tiny wings and flew over in a sky-covering swarm.

Patches of Golden Head Centipedes appeared across the ground.

Swish, swish, swish... a mass of venomous snakes revealed themselves.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

From the Big Trees all around, countless venomous snakes shot out like arrows.

Countless poisonous insects flew over in swarms, until the sky itself could no longer be seen.

"Quick! Quick... Detox-Expelling Powder!"

Su Yunhe cried out in panic.

After a chaotic scramble.

The Su Family's Detox-Expelling Powder blanketed the entire ground, while the corpses of poisonous insects all around lay thick upon the earth.

Countless snakes had been chopped into several pieces, yet still writhed.

By the time this wave of danger finally passed.

The Su Family had lost sixty-six people! Of the one hundred and twenty-four who had set out, only thirty remained, and they had merely just found the cave entrance.

And the cave entrance was still sealed.

—Behind the thick Stone Door, the Golden Horned Flood Dragon was doing its best to send out soul fluctuations, making the poisonous insects outside attack.

"Why are there so many poisonous creatures!"

Su Yunhe said in furious alarm, "What kind of Absolute Sword Monarch is this? Such a sinister arrangement can count as that of a monarch?"

"But we found it in the end!"

Su Changying's face was feverish as he said, "Once we open this door, hope for the rise of our Su Family will have arrived. Even becoming a seventh-rank lineage is not beyond hope."

"For this, no matter how many we sacrifice, it will be worth it!"

"Prepare to break the door."

Su Yue hid among several Martial Master guards, his face deathly pale.

His eyes were filled with terror—before him lay stark white skeletons, his own kin!

As the spoiled second young master of the Lineage, when had he ever seen so much death? People who had been alive and laughing with him just moments ago now lay stiffly beside him as corpses! He did not know why.

At such a moment, he suddenly recalled Fang Che's faint words when they had parted.

"This is just a small token of repayment from Little Brother for Brother Su's care over all these years."

That half-smiling expression.