Miasma Valley

"There is miasma within this valley. You must circulate the Spirit Armor Art to protect your body. Follow this small path for an hour; behind a blue stone three zhang high, there is a stalk of Purple Spirit Grass. You are to retrieve it for me..."

Standing before a valley shrouded in mist, Zhu Fang patted Chen Changming on the shoulder and instructed him with a grave expression.

Chen Changming gazed toward the valley.

The mist on the outskirts was thin and white, though not purely so—it was streaked with faint wisps of green.

These green gases were the miasma. The deeper one ventured into the valley, the heavier the miasma became, and the more terrifying its corrosive power.

Chen Changming's talisman had already been removed, and he had regained his freedom.

However, he dared not make a single move out of line.

He was still a novice in cultivation, knowing only the Spirit Armor Art and possessing no offensive means whatsoever. The man opposite him was a wily, seasoned veteran of the underworld; even with only the first level of Qi Refining, he was far beyond what Chen Changming could hope to contend with.

His only hope now lay in the valley's miasma.

He only needed to circulate the Spirit Armor Art one more time to reach one thousand repetitions. If the warm current and the voice were to manifest again, the power of his Spirit Armor Art would increase several times over—the logic behind this was the same as when his blade technique had broken through.

"Rest assured, Master, this boy will certainly not fail your command."

Taking a deep breath, Chen Changming walked toward the valley with a calm and steady gait, projecting a sense of great confidence.

Zhu Fang nodded in satisfaction.

Yet, in the next second, his face suddenly turned cold. With a sinister look, he warned sharply, "Do not think of escaping through the other side of the valley. The deeper you go, the thicker the miasma and poison become. You only have a chance at survival if you return to see this old man!"

"As you command."

Chen Changming turned and bowed to Zhu Fang, his attitude appearing entirely respectful.

"Go! Be quick about it!"

Seeing that the youth was sensible, Zhu Fang waved his hand and watched as the boy's figure vanished into the mist.

"Damn it all to hell. I've guarded this Purple Spirit Grass for ten years, and just as it was three months away from ripening, this toxic miasma drifted out of the mountains. What rotten luck!"

Sitting on a rock, Zhu Fang grumbled to himself.

Fortunately, he had managed to find a child with spiritual roots in time. After a series of threats and inducements, he had successfully forced the boy to break through to the peak of the Innate Realm, thereby helping him retrieve the Purple Spirit Grass.

Even if he retrieved the herb, he would be nearly bankrupt.

But if he could break through to the second level of Qi Refining, he would have a chance to live a few more years. If he were lucky enough to reach the third level, he would be considered a formidable master in the small frontier town where he resided.

He could then become a retainer for a great family and live a life of luxury.

As for Chen Changming, the moment he entered the mist, he activated the Spirit Armor Art. A faint, translucent spirit armor appeared around his body, insulating him from the effects of the miasma.

After traveling only a few dozen meters, once he was completely out of Zhu Fang's sight, the youth suddenly turned and ducked into a patch of woods. He sat cross-legged and began to circulate the Spirit Armor Art with a tense expression.

Cultivating the Spirit Armor Art required the time it takes to brew a cup of tea to complete a full cycle. Chen Changming believed that within such a short window, Zhu Fang would not grow suspicious or enter the mist to investigate.

Only if he failed to emerge after the time had passed would Zhu Fang have the nerve to enter the edge of the valley to track his movements.

After the time it took to brew a cup of tea.

The anomaly reappeared.

A warm current flowed from his feet throughout his entire body, and that thunderous voice rang out once more.

"One thousand times!"

A profound sensation flooded his mind. At that moment, Chen Changming clearly perceived that his Spirit Armor Art seemed to have grown many times stronger, and the translucent armor around his body now shimmered with a faint golden hue.

"It is done."

Chen Changming walked out of the woods with excitement, following the mountain path deep into the mist.

As he ventured deeper, the green miasma grew denser. It seemed to possess a life of its own, lunging at him the moment it sensed him and colliding against his translucent, golden-tinged armor with a sizzling, corrosive sound.

The spirit armor remained unscathed.

This gave the youth a bit more confidence.

An hour later, the valley was almost entirely filled with green miasma, and Chen Changming finally reached the spot where the Purple Spirit Grass grew.

The miasma was not particularly thick here, but it was spread over a wide area, and his current range of vision was less than three meters.

Chen Changming rounded the blue stone and saw a half-meter-tall purple herb with nine leaves, emitting a lustrous purple glow that gave off a feeling of extreme sanctity.

"Purple Spirit Grass!"

Chen Changming walked over with joy. Just as he prepared to pluck the herb, his gaze shifted, and he saw a shriveled, tiny green skeleton lying a meter behind the plant.

The person to whom this skeleton belonged had died long ago; their clothes and flesh had been completely corroded away, and even the remaining bones were severely eroded.

The once-sturdy thigh bones were now no thicker than a thumb.

"Eh, what is this?"

Resting in the chest cavity of the skeleton was a silver-white square stone, emitting a faint light.

Chen Changming was filled with curiosity.

The miasma was so severely corrosive, yet this silver stone remained completely unscathed; it had to be an extraordinary object.

He was rather cautious, walking over slowly before suddenly launching a kick that sent both the skeleton and the silver stone flying.

Bang!

The silver stone traced an arc through the air, tumbled a few times upon hitting the ground, and came to a stop.

Seeing that the silver stone appeared to pose no danger, Chen Changming grew bolder, walked over, and picked it up.

It felt heavy in his hand, possessing significant weight.

This is a good thing...

Clutching the silver stone, a faint trace of spiritual energy lingered against his palm, which left Chen Changming quite astonished.

This silver stone actually contained spiritual energy!

Although it was different from the spiritual energy in his mud, he could still absorb it into his body.

Chen Changming tucked the silver stone into his robes, plucked the Purple Spirit Grass, and then stepped over the bluestone, heading straight toward the depths of the valley.

He wanted to investigate the valley's miasma and test just how deep he could venture with his reinforced spiritual armor.

If he could find a new path to escape from the depths of the valley and successfully avoid Zhu Fang, that would be for the best.

"Little brother, come... come here..."

Less than half a stick of incense after Chen Changming had walked on, a strange woman's voice suddenly drifted from the depths of the mist.

This female voice was as enchanting as a celestial melody, compelling Chen Changming to quicken his pace involuntarily.