Chapter 154: The Sky-Propping Ape of the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley

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Qin Haoxuan tried to increase the infusion of spiritual energy, but the white fog remained just as thick, showing no reaction at all.

He was a bit dumbfounded. Was this destined to be a fruitless effort? He felt extremely depressed but also unwilling to give up. He had thought the Thousand-Mile Mirror would be a guiding light, but it turned out to be a blind man. Was he to continue fumbling around in the dark in the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley as he had before?

As he was feeling frustrated, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck his mind. When he had used the Art of Essence Extraction to enter the interior of a waste pill, before he had connected with it, he had also been faced with a layer of white fog. But by increasing the input of his spiritual sense, he had been able to disperse the fog and see the pill’s internal structure.

If he were to send his spiritual sense into the Thousand-Mile Mirror, could he disperse this fog and see the scenery within the valley?

At this thought, as if grasping a life-saving straw, he did not hesitate to condense his spiritual sense and pour it into the mirror.

As his spiritual sense entered, the layer of white fog that had been clouding the mirror’s surface instantly dispersed, and the scenery of the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley was revealed before his eyes.

This was the first time Qin Haoxuan was seeing the valley from his own perspective. Before, when he possessed the small snake, its tiny size meant that any small pebble could block its view, so his field of vision had been extremely narrow. Now, the mirror mimicked his own perspective, and the view was vast. The desolate landscape, a remnant of the ancient immortal-demon war, was presented before him without reservation.

For the first time seeing this sight, Qin Haoxuan felt an indescribable shock. At the same time, the aura emanating from the valley was like a giant rock pressing down on his heart, making it difficult for him to breathe.

He tried to push his spiritual sense deeper into the valley. As the image moved, the consumption of his spiritual sense was extremely rapid. And just like when he possessed the snake, with every step forward, the pressure from the valley increased.

After crossing the small hill, Qin Haoxuan saw the massive ape skeleton. His heart couldn’t help but be shocked again. It was simply too large, taller than a mountain. Its head was raised, as if it wanted to shatter the very heavens. Its aura was like that of a god.

He then had the mirror move to the left. After bypassing a giant rock, a new scene appeared. This was a place he had never been before. Giant stalagmites, each the height of two men, stretched as far as the eye could see. Many of them had been snapped in half or completely destroyed, faint traces of the brutal battle from long ago.

In this forest of stalagmites, Qin Haoxuan saw a corpse.

To be precise, it was the upper half of a corpse. The other half was missing, perhaps blasted to dust by a powerful opponent in that tragic war.

Beside this half-corpse grew a small, red blade of grass. It was thriving in the oppressive poisonous miasma of the valley. Its medicinal qi formed tiny points of light that danced around it like stars in the night sky.

Seeing this blade of grass, Qin Haoxuan’s spirits lifted, his heart began to pound, and his breathing grew rapid. He pushed his spiritual sense forward against the immense pressure. He recognized it from an ancient text: it was called Cockscomb Grass, an extremely precious spiritual herb.

To the right of the half-corpse lay a jade slip. It radiated a gentle aura, and even seeing it through the mirror, Qin Haoxuan was certain it contained a cultivation art.

He did not continue to push his spiritual sense deeper. Firstly, he felt he was almost at his limit. Secondly, although he was only peeking through the mirror, the pressure transmitted to him was no less than if he were there in person. In just this short time, beads of sweat had formed on his brow, and his face had turned pale, a sign of overexerting his spiritual sense.

He silently memorized the path to the stalagmite forest. He couldn’t go tonight, but he would retrieve the items tomorrow. He put the mirror away and fell into a peaceful sleep.

The next day, after waiting impatiently for night to fall, Qin Haoxuan called Little Gold into his room and had him lead a team of Mighty Apes to guard his body.

After arranging everything, he took out the small snake from his robes. The moment it came out, it affectionately rubbed against his hand.

This was the first time he had seriously observed the little creature since it had awakened. It still had the same strange patterns on its body, but now, it fearlessly met his gaze.

Qin Haoxuan smiled faintly. “We’re going for a trip to the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley tonight, little guy,” he said, not caring if it could understand.

The snake flickered its tongue in response.

He lay down and sent his consciousness into the snake’s body. The moment he entered, he felt a great comfort. If the snake’s body had been a cold stone room before, it was now a space that was warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The snake’s own consciousness showed no resistance, willingly ceding control.

He guided the snake and slithered rapidly towards the valley. At the entrance, he felt a surge of excitement. His spiritual sense had grown, and now the snake had its own. Could he really reach the half-corpse he had seen in the mirror?

He crossed the threshold, and the pressure of the valley washed over him like a torrential river. He felt it for a moment and was overjoyed. The pressure was much less than before.

He came to the giant ape skeleton. Up close, it was even bigger than he had imagined. Standing at its feet, he couldn’t even see its knees, let alone its head. Just what kind of power did it possess when it was alive? he wondered.

Soon, the stalagmite forest appeared before him. He let out a long breath of relief. The scene in the mirror had been real. He looked at the half-corpse and the stunningly red Cockscomb Grass. He wasn’t a greedy person, but he was in urgent need of raising his strength.

He approached the grass and examined it with a sliver of hope. At the top of the grass was a fruit resembling a cockscomb. A mature plant would have three blood-red leaves below it. This one also had three, but the lowest one was still tinged with green.

He sighed with disappointment. Just as he had seen in the mirror, it still needed a few more months to fully mature. To harvest it now would be a terrible waste. Gritting his teeth, he resolved to wait.

He moved to the jade slip beside it. He sent a strand of his spiritual sense into it but was blocked by a weak restriction. He swallowed the jade slip and took one last look around. This was about the limit of how far his spiritual sense could take him. As he was about to leave, he had a thought: Since no one has discovered the treasures here, wouldn’t this be the safest place to hide the Spirit Liquid?

He had the snake spit out the jade vial and buried it next to the Cockscomb Grass. The Spirit Liquid was a great treasure, but carrying it around was too risky.

With that done, he immediately left the valley. He couldn’t wait to unlock the secret of the jade slip.

Back in his room, he sat cross-legged on the bed and took out the slip, placing the slightly weary snake in his robes.

The moment he touched the jade, a warm, moist feeling was transmitted to his brain, and he instantly felt refreshed, the fatigue from his overexerted spiritual sense wiped away. The material alone was extraordinary. Qin Haoxuan grew even more expectant.