What Others Deemed Poison, I Deemed Treasure
Whoosh!
Fang Shu shrank back and retreated from the cave, hiding in the passageway again.
Even after the smell of rust faded, the metallic odor lingered in his mouth and nose, and he also felt an itch in his lungs, with a urge to cough.
The strange sensation within his body alarmed Fang Shu. He was already Immortal cultivator had survived the second tribulation and was immune to all diseases. He shouldn't have coughed or felt itchy, or even had a dry mouth.
"This is... poisoning?"
He, an Immortal cultivator of the Solitary Gu Hall, possessing both Insect Method and Lead Method- based skills, and having refined Purple-Lead Venom Blood and White-Mercury Venom Marrow, could still be poisoned!?
Fang Shu pondered this point, his brows furrowing involuntarily. Although he felt a bit uncomfortable, he had no choice but to think in this direction.
However, his brows quickly relaxed.
As his memories churned, he quickly recalled a poison that could even poison someone immune to all poisons— the Metal-Stone Poison!
This toxin is invisible, colorless, and odorless; it exists only in metals and stones, and is often found in extremely small quantities.
It can kill silently, and those who are poisoned invariably die from bleeding all over their bodies, hair loss, skin rotting, and intestines rupture. The pain is unbearable, and their bodies melt away, making it arguably the most painful and deadly way to die from poison in the world.
Even Immortal cultivator, even those who have achieved the status of Spirit Immortal, can easily fall victim to this kind of Metal-Stone Poison if they are not careful.
Fang Shu had also heard in the Solitary Gu Hall that if a weapon were forged from metal containing the Metal-Stone Poison, even if it was just an ordinary weapon, it could still harm Refining Qi Spirit Immortal who possessed True Qi to protect his body.
For immortals below the Refining Qi, this weapon is even more troublesome. If they are cut even slightly, the wound will fester and all the surrounding flesh must be cut away immediately.
Otherwise, if the delay is even slightly longer, the only way to save the patient's life and heal the wounds will be through a complete blood transfusion.
Therefore, this kind of Metal-Stone Poison is most likely to damage a person's Qi and Blood, destroy their cultivation and foundation, and is extremely taboo for Immortal cultivator who Refining Essence!
However, a different kind of emotion was churning within Fang Shu's heart.
He suppressed his shock and immediately poked his head out again, staying in the cave that emitted a faint blue glow for a few moments.
Soon, an even stronger, more pungent smell of rust filled the air, and even his vision became slightly distorted.
Although the Metal-Stone Poison is invisible and intangible, a high concentration of the toxin can cause physical bleeding and make the air shimmer, thus revealing its presence.
At the same time, if one smells the metallic odor of rust in their mouth and nose, or sees fluorescent light and tinnitus, it means that they have been poisoned and the concentration of toxins in their environment is not low.
"That's it, the poison in this cave is indeed the Metal-Stone Poison!" Fang Shu made the judgment in his mind.
Immediately, he huddled inside the cave and quickly dug out a stone from either side to block the entrance, which was a foot wide in front of him.
As soon as the entrance was blocked, the signs on his body immediately slowed down, disappearing within a few breaths, and the toxins in the cave stopped spreading.
This situation further confirms that the strange toxin ahead is indeed Metal-Stone Poison.
This type of toxin is produced in minerals and is also particularly countered by minerals, especially lead-containing ores. The mine where Fang Shu is located happens to be the largest black lead mine in Mount Lu, and the mine is even directly called "Lead Mountain" because every stone in the mountain contains lead.
Having confirmed the presence of the poisonous roots in the cave, Fang Shu calmed down and instead of being worried, he was pleased.
His eyes shone brightly, even more so than when he had seen the Purple Lead Mica Milk!
This is because the Lone Pavilion Master mentioned the Metal-Stone Poison during one of his sermons, because other Immortal cultivator would avoid this poison at all costs.
However, for those who practice Witchcraft Suppression Discipline, these are excellent materials for cultivation and spellcasting.
If one obtains an object containing a certain amount of Metal-Stone Poison, even without doing anything or using any Law Power, simply giving it to a thief or placing it in the thief's home will cause their Fang Family.
Rumor has it that this was the original form of witchcraft and sorcery, and that even ordinary people could perform it!
In addition, the Metal-Stone Poison can also be used to refine gu poison.
This poison can promote the fighting and transformation of Gu worms, greatly increasing the possibility of giving birth to ferocious Gu worms and saving a lot of time in raising Gu worms.
Fang Shu, on the other hand, aspires to become a Gu Master.
He was overjoyed and couldn't help but think to himself:
"This place is a dangerous and dangerous place for others, but for me, and even for the Solitary Gu Hall, it is a treasure trove for refining Gu."
In an instant, a thought arose in his mind: he wanted to open cave abode here and turn it into his own secret cultivation chamber.
Looking around at the tunnel he had dug out, he no longer felt that the work he had been doing these past few days was too hard and dirty.
It was all worth it!
Looking at the excavated passage, Fang Shu suddenly realized why Cheng the Jar and the others insisted on blowing up this place.
Most likely, they realized they had been poisoned afterward, and in their panic, unable to find the enemy, they had no choice but to blow up the place to prevent any evil spirits or monsters from escaping.
Fang Shu thought to himself, "No wonder that fellow later became Immortal cultivator, yet he still didn't come here again. He probably learned of the power of the Metal-Stone Poison and became even more afraid to come here."
After some thought, he looked again at the dark blue cave, his gaze filled with delight.
However, Fang Shu did not rashly venture back into the cave.
It should be noted that, according to the instructions of the Lone Pavilion Master, after discovering that the Metal-Stone Poison could promote the refining of Gu, the Immortal cultivator also used the Metal-Stone Poison in human cultivation based on this fact.
Soon the Immortal cultivator discovered that this poison could indeed promote Immortal cultivator cultivation, especially for Immortal cultivator in the Refining Essence stage.
Medicines made from the Metal-Stone Poison are among the finest elixirs for spiritual enlightenment, with an exceptionally high success rate.
However, this kind of medicine is also a top-tier, potent drug.
No matter how solid the foundation of the person taking the medicine is, once they take it, they will have a short lifespan and be unable to have children after entering the path of Daoism.
Therefore, using the Metal-Stone Poison to accelerate cultivation is extremely fast and efficient, comparable to having Spirit Root.
However, it is an evil method that shortens one's lifespan. Once one enters the path, even if one succeeds in Refining Qi through it, the lost years of life cannot be made up for, and one will accumulate toxins and develop illnesses.
The Lone Pavilion Master warned Fang Shu and the others not to rely on their own cultivation of poison techniques, which gave them considerable resistance, to purchase Metal-Stone Poison for their practice.
Only after becoming Refining Qi Spirit Immortal and possessing True Qi within their body can one truly refine the Metal-Stone Poison, turning it into medicine, and melting the Metal-Stone Poison into True Qi to add a bit of power.
Just now, after entering and exiting the cave, Fang Shu calmed down and discovered that his Qi and Blood had indeed become more vigorous for no apparent reason.
His muscles and bones were itchy, which made him excited and his Qi and Blood seemed to be flowing automatically.
This was because his physical body had been stimulated by the Metal-Stone Poison, resulting in a slight increase in his cultivation efficiency.
Fang Shu was worried that if he entered the area carelessly, he might not be able to resist using the poison for cultivation, thus suffering a great loss for a small gain.
After careful consideration, he came up with a solution.
He first wet a cotton cloth and covered his mouth and nose. Although this could not protect him from the Metal-Stone Poison, it could prevent the dust carrying the poison from entering his lungs.
Then, Fang Shu used his Long-Tongue Sword to cut the lead-bearing ore in the vein into blocks, making a simple set of stone helmet armor.
After that, wrapped in lead and stone, he ventured into the dark blue, ominous cave.
Sure enough, with the cotton cloth and stone armor blocking the way, the metallic smell of iron no longer lingered in his mouth and nose, and the strange sensations on his body were reduced by 80-90%, with only some skin membranes in the gaps itching.
This is within Fang Shu's tolerance level, as he has Purple-Lead Venom Blood and White-Mercury Venom Marrow. He can get rid of the problem by taking some medicine after returning home.
Immediately, Fang Shu nimbly moved through the cave, which was several meters in size, trying to find the mineral that could emit the Metal-Stone Poison.
After wandering around for a while, Fang Shu was surprised to find that all the stalactites and rock walls in this cave seemed to possess the Metal-Stone Poison.
The only non-toxic substance in the cave is the accumulated Purple Lead Mica Milk, which not only has no poisonous properties but can also neutralize or reduce the Metal-Stone Poison.
This phenomenon of mutual generation and Fang Shu.
"Even with such potent and malevolent poisons, there must be an antidote within seven steps... This truly aligns with the principles of cultivation."
Without any hesitation, he took out the container he was carrying and began to plunder the Purple Lead Mica Milk in the cave, not letting a single drop go to waste.
After all, he needed these to detoxify himself after his treasure hunt.
In the end, Fang Shu managed to collect two full water sacs, a very fruitful haul!
After successfully obtaining the precious medicine, he looked around at the strange scene, but suppressed the impulse in his heart.
This place is difficult to use and excavate, so we can retreat for now and plan for the future. We can come back to use this place after everything is ready in the market.
However, just as Fang Shu was about to leave the cave, he suddenly stopped.
The worms on his body began to stir restlessly, with the most mischievous Tagalong Insect being the most active. It suddenly crawled out of his lead-stone armor and refused to leave.
The fellow, seemingly drunk, staggered around the cave before landing with a thud in the center. He kept trying to squeeze into the cracks in the rocks, as if possessed.
This situation made Fang Shu raise an eyebrow.