Yan Chihuo had also carved twenty-three layers of restrictions into the Soul-Breaking Sword. He had completely mastered carving restrictions into stone, and could now carve seven layers into a single rock. Even so, a rock inscribed with seven layers of restrictions could still only cast spells three times. It seemed this was the highest limit for a Talisman Artifact made from ordinary materials.
After this period of cultivation, Yan Chihuo had realized that his Spirit Jade Vajra Art had reached the peak of the Body Tempering Middle Stage. He could now attempt to break through to the Body Forging Late Stage.
But another problem stood before him. He had very little poison left. Aside from the Demon Immortal Fruit, the toxins inside the Five Poison Cloud Smoke Cover would likely run out after one or two more uses. He didn't dare to go into seclusion right away. If the poison flared up while he was attempting a breakthrough and he had no potent poison to suppress it, wouldn't he be doomed?
He went to Ping Qi and told him about it. Ping Qi thought for a moment, then said, "There are two ways to find potent poison. One is to ask Yang Chenglin. He raises many poisonous beasts, so he must have a plentiful supply. But he's in seclusion now, and there's no telling when he'll come out. Besides, he treasures those beasts and won't let people take their poison lightly. So your only other option is to post a task at the Merit Pavilion and gather some poison that way."
Ping Qi continued, "But posting a task at the Merit Pavilion will take time. And potent poison is no ordinary thing; you likely can't buy it with gold or silver. You'll need Jade Crystals, and I doubt you have enough. Never mind that—go ahead and post the task. I can still spare that many Jade Crystals."
Yan Chihuo was about to refuse, but Ping Qi waved a hand. "You're my disciple, yet I have no way to deal with the poison of the Demon Immortal Fruit. All I can do is help as much as I can. Even if you've had a fortuitous encounter and have some Jade Crystals, you'll need far more resources for cultivation than others in the future. Otherwise, you won't be able to keep the poison in check. Let this be a small token of my care."
Yan Chihuo felt a rush of emotion. He had grown up in Tiger Roar Manor, surrounded by the cold and ruthless, the cruel and treacherous. Although he was relatively close to Qu Wuxing, they were both assassins and had always kept a certain distance from each other. Only after becoming Ping Qi's disciple had he finally found a little warmth that felt like family.
After leaving Ping Qi, he headed straight for the Merit Pavilion. Just as he was about to post a task, he heard someone say, "This task offers only fifty Jade Crystals. Don't they know there's an unusual Red-Scaled Poison Python on Snow Dragon Ridge?"
Yan Chihuo's interest was piqued. He walked over and saw that the task was to gather three stalks of Jade Ginseng on Snow Dragon Ridge. Jade Ginseng was native to Snow Dragon Ridge and served as a primary ingredient in many spirit pills.
Another person spoke up. "A stalk of Jade Ginseng is worth only eight Jade Crystals, and it's not particularly hard to find. The reason they're offering fifty Jade Crystals is that unusual Red-Scaled Poison Python, and because the Jade Ginseng is urgently needed."
The first person said, "That unusual Red-Scaled Poison Python is no ordinary beast. It's at the Body Forging Late Stage, and an ordinary cultivator can't deal with it. Forget fifty Jade Crystals—even for a hundred, no one would risk it."
Hearing this, Yan Chihuo asked the two men, "Senior brothers, could you tell me about this unusual Red-Scaled Poison Python?"
The man who had spoken first glanced at Yan Chihuo. "Junior brother, are you thinking of going to gather those three stalks of Jade Ginseng? They're not too hard to find, and Snow Dragon Ridge isn't far from here. But that Red-Scaled Poison Python at the Body Forging Late Stage is no ordinary creature. Its body is impervious to blades and spears, its poisonous mist is deadly, and it has mastered earth-element arts. It's truly formidable."
The other man added, "Junior brother probably doesn't know how monsters differ from cultivators. Human cultivators generally need Talisman Artifacts to cast spells. Even among cultivators at the Body Forging Late Stage, the difference between having a Talisman Artifact and not having one is like heaven and earth. Monsters are different. They're born skilled in magic, so ordinary cultivators of the same stage can hardly stand against them."
Yan Chihuo thanked them, then turned to the disciple in charge of the Merit Pavilion's affairs and said, "I'll take the task to gather Jade Ginseng."
The disciple looked him over. "Junior brother, I advise you not to take this task. That Red-Scaled Poison Python is not to be trifled with. Snow Dragon Ridge has always been full of snakes and insects, including many monsters at the Body Tempering Stage, so no ordinary people go there. Most of the monsters there are at the Body Tempering Early Stage; even those at the Body Tempering Middle Stage are rare. A Red-Scaled Poison Python at the Body Forging Late Stage is already extremely rare. And this Giant Python isn't an ordinary poisonous snake that became a monster—it's an unusual breed. You can imagine its strength. Yet you're only at the Body Tempering Middle Stage."
Yan Chihuo smiled faintly. "It's all right. I have my own way."
Seeing how determined Yan Chihuo was, the disciple could only shake his head. He took out a jade brush and made a mark on a bronze plaque. The task to gather Jade Ginseng immediately turned red, indicating that someone had taken it.
The two men who had been discussing the task were both stunned. One whispered, "Who took that task? Could it have been the junior brother from just now?"
Leaving aside what the others said about it, Yan Chihuo had taken the task precisely because of the Red-Scaled Poison Python. He wasn't so arrogant as to think he could slay the beast. He merely wanted to fight it and collect some of its venom. A monster at the Body Forging Late Stage was far beyond his ability to kill right now. But he had mastered Earth Shrinking Step and had the Poison Dissolving Art to protect him, so he should be able to keep himself safe.
Snow Dragon Ridge lay more than a thousand li away and stretched on without end. When Yan Chihuo reached the foot of the mountain, he saw countless ancient trees blotting out the sky. Most were at least several decades old, and weeds and thorny brush grew thickly beneath them.
Yan Chihuo looked at the weeds, which stood higher than a man's waist, and couldn't help but grow wary. In an environment like this, even a snake or insect hiding a few zhang away would be difficult to spot.
He sharpened his sight and hearing to their limits. Sure enough, he detected some snakes, insects, foxes, rabbits, and other beasts within two hundred zhang, but no monsters.
Before coming to Snow Dragon Ridge, Yan Chihuo had already learned roughly where Jade Ginseng might grow and what it looked like. But seeing the terrain before him, he knew it wouldn't be easy to find.
He set off at speed, gradually making his way deeper into Snow Dragon Ridge. After about half an hour, he had spotted many wild beasts but still hadn't seen a monster. Though these beasts had no magical power, their instincts were exceptionally keen. Wolves, insects, tigers, and leopards all fled as soon as they spotted him from afar.
Yan Chihuo mused that the wild beasts on Snow Dragon Ridge seemed more alert than those elsewhere. If a monster arose among them, its intelligence would surely be greater as well.
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