Late at night, when all was quiet, Qin Haoxuan possessed Little Snake and headed for the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley.
Little Snake was extremely fast. In the time it took to burn an incense stick, it had skirted Emperor Huang Peak, crossed more than ten mountains, and arrived outside the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley, a place steeped in eerie yin energy and sinister poisonous miasma.
Qin Haoxuan raised his head and saw black mist churning at the valley entrance. For dozens of miles around, there was not a soul in sight; not a blade of grass grew, nor was there any bird or beast.
As he approached the entrance, immense pressure bore down on him, as though a massive boulder were crushing his body. Every step was arduous, and with each step forward, the pressure intensified considerably.
Thinking of his current predicament, Qin Haoxuan could only gamble, no matter how poisonous the valley's fumes were. He gambled that Little Snake was immune to all poisons, gritted his teeth, and slithered inside.
Dark clouds blanketed the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley. Lightning occasionally flashed across the horizon, striking the black earth that had long been soaked in poison and turned dry and hard. As far as the eye could see, the land was bleak and desolate, littered with broken walls and ruined foundations. Countless shattered magic artifacts lay scattered across the ground, rusted beyond recognition after thousands of years on display in the valley, exuding demonic qi that chilled one to the marrow.
Several stone mountains hundreds of meters tall stood not far away. More than half of one had been blasted away, leaving it twisted and grotesque. Another had been blasted through at its waist, exposing a gigantic hole thirty meters across through which he could see the blackish-gray sky beyond the mountain.
Were these scars, far beyond what human strength or nature could create, the remnants left behind after the Immortal-Demon War? Qin Haoxuan was deeply shaken.
"Eh, a living creature!" Just as Qin Haoxuan looked around, a human voice suddenly came from his front left.
He focused his eyes and saw a huge, ugly body leaning against a dead tree more than a hundred meters away. Its skin was almost identical in color to the base tones of the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley, and at a casual glance, it looked like part of the enormous withered tree.
Judging from how the owner of that body was on his last breath, he too seemed to have reached the end of the road, barely clinging to life with a final breath. Qin Haoxuan also noticed a small golden plant dozens of meters away from him. It glittered with golden light and gave off exceptionally pure spiritual qi. With Little Snake's keen senses, he could tell at a glance that it was no ordinary object.
"Little Snake, Little Snake, you may be small, but you've got quite some ability. Being able to walk in here without being poisoned to death means you've got plenty of spiritual nature." The owner of the body said, "I have exhausted my oil and run dry of my lamp. There is no hope of leaving the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley. Rather than let the cultivation arts I possess be lost, why not pass my ultimate arts on to you?"
Qin Haoxuan watched the body's owner warily, without moving, suspicion flickering in his eyes.
"I, the Undying Witch Demon, have roamed the world for thousands of years and never deceived anyone. If I say I'll pass on my ultimate arts, then I'll pass them on. Didn't you come here to seek treasures? My ultimate arts would be top-tier cultivation methods even in the immortal cultivation world. Aren't you tempted?" The body's owner seemed somewhat angered. His body, which had appeared to be at death's door, suddenly released a terrifying aura, as if the moment Qin Haoxuan refused, the Undying Witch Demon would leap up and crush him to death. Qin Haoxuan retreated again and again in fright, but after waiting a long while, the Undying Witch Demon still could not leap up and crush him.
Only then did Qin Haoxuan return farther into the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley and try taking a few steps. He found that every step greatly increased the pressure on his body. He estimated that with his current ability, he could at most reach the golden plant. Deadly poison filled the valley, and he had no idea whether the golden plant was an immortal herb or a poisonous weed. What if he ate it by mistake and was poisoned to death? But what if it was an immortal herb? Wouldn't he be letting an opportunity slip through his fingers for nothing?
Just as he hesitated over whether to go pick the golden plant, the Undying Witch Demon suddenly sent a wondrous purple incantation flying through the air from not far away. It carried the savage killing sound of a thousand troops and ten thousand horses charging and howling, shooting straight at Qin Haoxuan's forehead. Qin Haoxuan was scared out of his wits, thinking the demon was going to kill him. Yet under the pressure of the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley, his reactions were sluggish, and he had no time to dodge. He could only watch helplessly as the incantation burrowed into his forehead.
"This is my exclusive ultimate art, the Great Dao Heart Seed Demon Technique. When cultivated to profound depths, this technique is extraordinarily powerful. The poison in this valley is too heavy, and no living creature can enter. To keep it from being lost, I shall pass it on to you now."
Just as Qin Haoxuan thought he was doomed, he discovered that many profound and inscrutable words had appeared in his mind, as though they had been forcibly carved into his memories. Yet he himself was completely unharmed. He immediately understood that this Old Devil was all bark and no bite. As long as he did not approach him, he had no ability to harm him.
Under the Undying Witch Demon's vicious stare, Qin Haoxuan endured the pressure of the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley. The distance was only a little over a hundred meters, yet it took him more than ten minutes to reach the golden plant. If Little Snake's body had not been so sturdy, never mind the poisonous fumes and miasma—even the accumulating pressure from each step would have been enough to grind an ordinary person to pieces.
Seeing how formidable Little Snake was despite not having cultivated yet, the Undying Witch Demon's eyes flashed repeatedly with sharp light. He seemed very satisfied with the successor he had chosen. Qin Haoxuan did not know what scheme he was plotting, but since the demon could not harm him, he could not be bothered with him.
The golden plant was only three or four inches tall. Its entire body was golden, and it somewhat resembled a lotus. Above its straight leaf stalk grew only one golden leaf, as though a gust of wind could blow it over. Though it emitted powerful spiritual qi, Qin Haoxuan did not dare bite into it. What if it was some incomparably poisonous thing that killed him?
Thinking that he still had lessons the next day, Qin Haoxuan, unable to make up his mind, temporarily withdrew from the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley.
The next day, Qin Haoxuan dragged his exhausted body and enormous dark circles beneath his eyes to the schoolhouse. Since it was the first official day of lessons after the initial training, the first half hour of the morning was still spent breathing in and circulating spiritual qi. Several new disciples drew spiritual qi into their bodies and broke open their immortal seeds. As one of the few disciples who had already broken open his immortal seed, Qin Haoxuan ought to have been practicing the Qi Guiding Technique to water his immortal root and force it to sprout as soon as possible.
However, during that half hour of breathing and circulating qi, Qin Haoxuan continued practicing the Qi Guiding Technique, but his progress remained slow. Zhang Kuang and the others absorbed the spiritual qi of heaven and earth like whales swallowing water, while Qin Haoxuan's Qi Guiding Technique sputtered on and off. The amount he absorbed was not even one percent of theirs. Worse, due to the aftereffects of possessing Little Snake the night before, he actually fell asleep while meditating with his eyes closed.
When formal lessons began, Elder Chu stood at the lectern in the schoolhouse and began explaining many foundational principles of immortal cultivation. Qin Haoxuan forced himself to listen, but his eyelids seemed to weigh a thousand catties. He yawned again and again, drawing countless sidelong glances and making Elder Chu increasingly displeased. Elder Chu's opinion of Qin Haoxuan immediately dropped several notches.
What left Elder Chu choking with anger was that Qin Haoxuan initially only yawned, but before long, he actually lay down on the desk and fell asleep. Soon, an unbroken stream of snores rang out.
If Elder Chu had still held some goodwill toward Qin Haoxuan yesterday, believing that although his aptitude was poor, his Dao heart was firm and he could be shaped into something useful, then Qin Haoxuan's performance today personally overturned that impression.
In his decades as an Enlightenment Immortal Master, this was the first person he had encountered who began snoring in class on the very first day of initial training. If it had been a purple-seed genius like Li Jing, Zhang Kuang, or Xu Yu, that would have been understandable. But what right did a Colorless Weak Seed like him have to sleep in class?
Elder Chu coughed heavily, hoping to wake Qin Haoxuan, but seeing no effect, he said with a trace of dissatisfaction, "Today, I shall explain the six arts of immortal cultivation. The six arts are law, pill, artifact, talisman, formation, and control. Law refers to Spiritual Law and Dao Arts. Pill refers to the Pill Refining Art, used to refine spiritual pills and wondrous medicines. Artifact refers to the Artifact Refining Art, used to create all manner of magic artifacts. Talisman refers to the Talisman Crafting Art, used to create all kinds of spirit talismans. Formation refers to the Formation Arranging Art. Control is divided into two kinds: one is the methods of Artifact Control, and the other is Beast Taming and Training."
The two hundred new disciples in the schoolhouse were all listening with rapt attention, scribbling down notes. Other than Elder Chu's lecture, the room was so silent one could hear a pin drop. Qin Haoxuan's not particularly loud snoring thus sounded painfully harsh, immediately drawing astonished and contemptuous looks.
"Trash." These two words drifted through Zhang Kuang's mind. If Qin Haoxuan had been diligently striving upward, Zhang Kuang might have felt a little concern. But the Qin Haoxuan before him was no longer worth worrying about. Once his Spiritual Law reached minor accomplishment, he could simply find a secluded corner and make Qin Haoxuan disappear from the mortal world.
Rotten wood cannot be carved. Li Jing's gaze likewise swept over Qin Haoxuan, but it did not linger. It finally settled on Zhang Kuang. Qin Haoxuan was not worth wasting time on, but Zhang Kuang had to be watched. The future sect leader of the Taichu Sect was bound to be one of the three Supreme Purple Seeds. Apart from Xu Yu, who was a girl, Zhang Kuang was his greatest rival.
Zhang Kuang also noticed Li Jing. The gazes of the two Supreme Purple Seed disciples met and separated at once. Each saw a ruthless streak in the other's eyes, neither willing to yield.
Xu Yu nudged Qin Haoxuan with her elbow, but the sleeping Qin Haoxuan did not notice in the slightest. His snores continued, prompting the whole room to burst into laughter.
Xu Yu, usually timid at heart, flushed scarlet with anger. Her face full of indignation, she snapped, "What are you laughing at? What are you laughing at!"
The schoolhouse instantly fell silent.
After all, she was a Supreme Purple Seed disciple. After Xu Yu's angry rebuke, everyone hurriedly shut their mouths. They found it hard to imagine that someone as gentle and frail as Xu Yu would stand up so fiercely for Qin Haoxuan. Amid their shock, they also felt a little envy and jealousy.
Though they were unhappy at being scolded by the soft and delicate Xu Yu, no one dared show it. What a joke—offending a purple-seed disciple with limitless potential was no laughing matter.
If anyone else had roared in the classroom to defend someone dozing off during lessons, Elder Chu would have thrown them both out long ago. But Xu Yu was a Supreme Purple Seed disciple, and that was different. Elder Chu's expression changed several times before finally calming. He no longer paid attention to Qin Haoxuan either. After all, he still had to give a purple-seed disciple face.
At the same time, he sighed inwardly for Qin Haoxuan. If Qin Haoxuan had not given up on himself like this, then with his Dao heart, should he encounter some fortuitous opportunity, his future achievements would not be low. But judging by things now, he was destined to remain a Menial Disciple for the rest of his life.
Qin Haoxuan slept from sunrise until sunset before lazily opening his eyes. When he saw Elder Chu lecturing, he slapped his forehead and thought, This is bad! Today is the first day of initial training!
Just as Qin Haoxuan was upset over having missed an entire day of lessons, Xu Yu beside him handed over her notebook.
When he opened Xu Yu's notebook, a faint fragrance wafted out. Her graceful, neat brushwork clearly recorded the key points of the lectures, and several pages near the back even contained drawings of flowers and plants.
Qin Haoxuan smiled. Girls all liked to write and draw, and Xu Yu was no exception. He did not think much of it and continued reading the notes.
One entry caught Qin Haoxuan's attention. It recorded a new term he had never heard before—Divine Sense Impact.
Divine Sense Impact was an attack art derived from cultivating the soul after one's strength reached a certain realm. It could make an opponent instantly lose the ability to move, use divine sense to construct illusions, or even cause an opponent's soul to scatter and spirit to disperse. The stronger one's soul and the deeper one's cultivation, the more powerful the divine sense attack.
There was actually such a miraculous method of attack. Even from the brief introduction, Qin Haoxuan could tell that it was extraordinary, and he immediately grew excited. But the explanation that followed was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head: only experts at the Immortal Infant Dao Fruit Realm and above could cultivate divine sense attacks.
The Immortal Infant Dao Fruit Realm was the level of the sect's old ancestors. It seemed he would have to listen more carefully in the future. If Xu Yu's lecture notes had not been so detailed, he would never have known. Thinking this, he gave Xu Yu a grateful look.
Once his eyes grew tired from reading the notes, he inadvertently glanced at those flowers and plants again. His heart instantly skipped a beat. He stared wide-eyed in excitement, his gaze fixed firmly on one of them.
Beneath the drawing, Xu Yu had written: One-Leaf Golden Lotus. Entirely golden, it grows in places of utmost yin and poison. It grows one leaf every hundred years, and can grow up to nine leaves, hence it is also called the Nine-Leaf Golden Lotus. When it reaches nine leaves, it is mature. At that time, its medicinal effects are at their fullest and most complete, making it a supreme ingredient for pill refining. Yet even a One-Leaf Golden Lotus is sufficient to refine high-grade pills such as the Void Return Pill and the Life Transformation Pill.
P.S.: Let me say a few words. Some new friends may not have read my books before, so some people are saying that purple seeds will soon be everywhere. Those who have read my Heavenly Pride of Silent Extinction and Storming the World know that the five grandmasters stood there at the very beginning of Silent Extinction, and by the end, those five still remained the highest points established from the start of the book. It was just that the protagonist and several of his friends reached that level too, and surpassed it. Everyone writes novels differently. I do not need purple seeds everywhere, or XX to be less common than dogs, to make a story interesting. The novel has only just begun. Looking ahead is a good thing, but do not use the experience of blind men feeling an elephant to make assumptions. As for purple seeds being everywhere, thanks. Finally, if you like it, please cast a recommendation vote.
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