Chapter 4: The Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley

A crafty glint appeared in Zhang Kuang’s eyes. If I manage to become the Sect Master, wouldn’t I be the Immortal Guardian of the Soaring Dragon Nation? That’s a title even more prestigious than the emperor’s!

At this point, Xu Tunhu took over the conversation. “Hmph, if our Taichu Sect could enter the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley and retrieve the lost magic treasures and spiritual techniques from the great Immortal-Demon War, we would be far more than just the number one sect in the Soaring Dragon Nation!” He paused, then said proudly, “Our Taichu Sect has an advantage that no other sect possesses. We are located closest to one of the battlefields of the Immortal-Demon War from hundreds of thousands of years ago—the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley!”

“Countless powerful experts fell in that war, and the various treasures they spent their entire lives collecting are now scattered throughout the valley. There are long-lost ancient spiritual techniques, demonic arts, and many magic treasures that could stir up a storm of blood in the entire cultivation world!”

“Then… then what are we waiting for? Let’s go get them!” Zhang Kuang, who had been pretending to be honest, had been listening intently to their every word. When he heard that a virgin territory filled with countless treasures was nearby, he became anxious. “What if another sect steals the treasures? That would be a disaster!”

Xu Tunhu shot a disdainful glance at Zhang Kuang, whose intelligence seemed to drop to zero at the mention of treasure. He sneered, “If they could be taken so easily, would we need you to remind us? Besides, if another sect dared to invade the territory of our Taichu Sect, do you think we have no one to defend it?”

Though inwardly cursing Xu Tunhu, Zhang Kuang put on a simple-minded smile and repeatedly agreed.

“During the climax of the Immortal-Demon War, when the demonic path was on the verge of defeat, one of the Demonic Path Ancestors, the Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable, self-destructed in a fit of rage. His poison killed countless experts from both the immortal and demonic sides. Except for a very few experts of a similar cultivation level who were lucky enough to escape, no one was spared! The Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable was a supreme expert. Even today, any cultivator who enters the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley will be killed by the lingering poison. Even knowing there are treasures inside, who would dare to venture in to seek them?”

“After the Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable self-destructed, his poison gas spread over more than half of Great Islet Mountain, forming the valley! The Great Islet Mountain of today is only a third of its original size. Even cultivators of extremely high realms dare not enter it lightly; the poisonous gas is too difficult to resist. The vast valley has always been a place one can enter but never leave.”

Qin Haoxuan was secretly astonished. He had explored the depths of Small Islet Mountain in his snake form and knew how dangerous and easy it was to get lost there. How much more perilous must the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley be, a place three times larger than the entire Great Islet Mountain, and the site of an ancient battlefield!

Xu Tunhu sighed softly. “Places of extreme yin, poison, or yang in the world are prone to producing mutated spiritual herbs. After so many years of gestation, the valley must have nurtured many such herbs. If we could retrieve them, perhaps one of the nearly-departed Grand Ancestors of our sect could break through to the fifth realm, the Dao Fruit Realm, and gain a few hundred more years of lifespan. That would be another great leap in our Taichu Sect’s strength!”

Listening to Xu Tunhu, Qin Haoxuan gradually pieced things together. These so-called immortals were actually cultivators. Although they could fly and move across the land, they were not true immortals. There were still places in the world they dared not go, and they had their own conflicts and territories. They were not immortal in the way legends described; to live longer, they had to break through to new realms, defying the heavens to extend their lifespan.

“You two senior brothers must be very powerful, probably experts of the third or fourth realm!” Zhang Kuang said with a foolish grin, trying to flatter them.

“How could it be that simple!” Xu Tunhu sighed when the topic turned to cultivation. “The first realm is the Immortal Seed Realm. Only by guiding the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into your body to water the Immortal Seed, causing it to sprout and grow leaves, can you break through to the second realm, the Spirit Sprout Realm. A Spirit Sprout can grow up to 49 leaves. The more leaves, the stronger you are. Only after growing all 49 leaves do you have a chance to pull up the sprout and grow it into a tree!”

“I have been in the sect for 30 years, and I have only reached the Spirit Sprout Realm with eleven leaves! Senior Brother Zhao is a prodigy of our generation, and in over 30 years, he has cultivated 22 leaves. If we cannot grow our sprouts into trees and break through to the third realm, the Spirit Tree Realm, then after our 150-year lifespan is exhausted and we have no elixirs to extend it, death is the only path! The higher realms of cultivation are not as simple as just talking about them!”

“If you had elixirs and medicines to aid your cultivation, wouldn’t you get twice the result with half the effort?”

“Nonsense. If elixirs were that easy to come by, even that useless son of Elder Huang would have reached the 17th-leaf stage of the Spirit Sprout Realm. If Senior Brother Zhao’s father were also an elder in the sect, with his talent and aptitude…”

Seeing Xu Tunhu was getting carried away, Zhao Jialong coughed pointedly and said in a cold voice, “Junior Brother Xu! Watch your words!”

Xu Tunhu’s face went cold. Realizing he had said too much, he fell silent.

The three boys, however, were lost in their own thoughts.

It seems that in cultivation, exceptional aptitude is not enough. One must also have countless elixirs and rare treasures as support to progress faster! Although my aptitude is not as good as Zhang Kuang’s, my advantage is the poison-immune snake. Perhaps I can possess it and enter the valley. If I can obtain one or two treasures, I will surely shine in the Taichu Sect!

Though extremely dangerous, the idea of treasure hunting in the valley grew stronger in Qin Haoxuan’s mind.

In the Taichu Sect, there were countless people with better aptitude than him, as well as many cultivator scions born with a silver spoon. With his average aptitude and no special background, if he didn’t seize this opportunity and risk it all, he had no hope of making a name for himself among the tens of thousands of disciples.

The rest of the journey passed in silence. After riding non-stop for three days and three nights, they finally arrived at the foot of Great Islet Mountain.

Great Islet Mountain, the home of the number one sect in the Soaring Dragon Nation, was a majestic and sprawling range.

Among the overlapping peaks, the main peak, Emperor Peak, pierced the clouds. A winding but imposing “Stairway to Heaven” led from the summit all the way to the foot of the mountain. At the start of the stairway stood a massive mountain gate, carved from a single piece of giant green stone—simple, grand, and beautiful without being ostentatious.

Two blood-red characters in clerical script were inscribed on the gate: “Taichu.”

At the top of the stairway was the Taichu Treasure Hall, a sacred place that the people of the Soaring Dragon Nation yearned for. For non-disciples, even the emperor, the “dragon among men,” was only permitted to enter once in his lifetime, during his investiture ceremony.

Great Islet Mountain, filled with immortal spiritual energy, was a world apart from the barren Small Islet Mountain. As they walked along the path, surrounded by the songs of birds and the fragrance of flowers, they arrived at the foot of Emperor Peak. The peak itself was shrouded in mist, with ethereal music drifting from above, like a true paradise.

Even the composed Qin Haoxuan was stunned. He had imagined that Great Islet Mountain, being so close to the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley, would be a desolate and tragic place, and that the Taichu Sect would be hidden deep within it. He had expected the journey up the mountain to be even more dangerous than in the depths of Small Islet Mountain and had prepared to risk his life, but he never expected it to be a paradise on earth.

“Great Islet Mountain has the best Feng Shui and spiritual energy in the Soaring Dragon Nation. Coupled with thousands of years of nourishment from our sect’s immortal aura, it’s natural for it to be so beautiful and full of life,” Xu Tunhu said, not mocking them. He remembered being just as shocked when he first joined the sect 30 years ago.

“We rushed for three days and three nights, but we finally made it before the final test tomorrow!” Zhao Jialong sighed in relief and dismounted. He turned to the three boys, who were still captivated by the scenery. “Riding horses is forbidden on Emperor Peak. Follow the Stairway to Heaven to the Mid-Hill Pavilion. Someone will be there to receive you. Rest well tonight. The final test tomorrow is extremely important, remember that!”

After directing the three boys to register at the registration office at the mountain gate, he and Xu Tunhu headed up the mountain at a remarkably fast pace, disappearing from sight in moments.

Besides Qin Haoxuan’s group, other Taichu Sect disciples were continuously bringing in new recruits who had passed the initial tests. After giving similar instructions about the Mid-Hill Pavilion, they too would vanish, likely rushing off to meditate and make up for the cultivation time lost during their trip.

Even at his fastest pace, it took Qin Haoxuan a full three hours to reach the Mid-Hill Pavilion. By then, dusk was falling, and the setting sun cast its golden light over Great Islet Mountain, painting a breathtaking sunset.

From the mountainside, he could see a vista of exquisite buildings with red bricks and green tiles, towering trees, and colorful flower gardens emitting a gentle fragrance. The layout of the buildings and flora was perfectly harmonious.

The Mid-Hill Pavilion was actually a long, covered corridor that also served as the Taichu Sect’s public information board. The waist-high walls of the corridor were carved with various patterns, depicting rare beasts, famous mountains and rivers, many strangely shaped immortals, and parts of the Taichu Sect’s history.

The corridor was crowded with about one to two hundred people, all new disciples selected this year.

The thousands of years of history of the Taichu Sect left these young men in awe. They all stared intently at the murals and texts, a sense of pride swelling in their hearts at becoming disciples of the Taichu Sect.

By the time the last of the new disciples had trickled in, the sun had set. A Taichu Sect disciple in his forties finally arrived, his expression arrogant. “Follow me!”

He led the two hundred-odd new disciples to a dining hall for a meal, then through the exquisite buildings to their quarters. A young nobleman, dressed in fine clothes with a jade pendant at his waist, couldn’t help but exclaim, “My goodness, this is even more beautiful than the imperial gardens!”

The thought of living in a paradise more beautiful than the imperial gardens excited the mostly poor disciples, who were filled with anticipation.

However, the guide led them through many twists and turns, finally stopping near a cluster of low, dilapidated single-story buildings.

“Tomorrow morning, gather here. Someone will take you to the final test. The area above the halfway point of the mountain is sacred ground of the sect. You are not qualified to enter it yet. Remember not to wander off, or you will be expelled and never accepted again!” He pointed to the dilapidated buildings. “That is where you will be staying tonight.”

Their hopes dashed, the boys cursed the Taichu Sect’s stinginess in their hearts, but none dared to voice their dissatisfaction. They could only watch as the guide turned to leave.

“Wait! Is this a dog kennel? Is this a place for people to live?” a young man with a commanding presence frowned and questioned without hesitation.

He was dressed in a yellow robe embroidered with two golden dragons playing with a pearl. A white jade hairpin held his hair in place, a finely carved dragon-shaped jade pendant hung from his waist, and an amber-colored jadeite archer’s ring was on his thumb. It was clear at a glance that he was from no ordinary family.

The guide stopped and turned, his face dark. If not for the boy’s attire, which hinted at his identity, he would have already lost his temper at such an arrogant new disciple. Still, his tone was unfriendly. “This is the standard for new disciples. If you’re not satisfied, go complain to the elders!”

“How dare you! Do you know who he is? He is the third prince, Li Jing, the most beloved son of the current emperor of the Soaring Dragon Nation!” a follower next to Prince Li Jing shouted. This follower was also dressed in fine clothes and had a dignified bearing, likely another nobleman’s son.

A disdainful smile appeared on the guide’s face. He flicked his wide sleeve and said, “Even if your emperor himself were here, he would have to abide by the rules of the Taichu Sect. The third prince? A mere mortal’s status means nothing in Taichu. Don’t put on airs here.”

With that, he walked away.

Thwarted, Li Jing and the other noble youths’ faces darkened. But then, Li Jing laughed. “Doesn’t my father, the emperor, often teach us to go among the common people and understand their hardships? Isn’t this a perfect opportunity to experience it?”

As expected of a royal, he skillfully saved face and even won the goodwill of many of the commoner disciples.

Li Jing took the lead and walked into the building. A musty smell hit him. The long, narrow room was dark and damp. A step on the floor produced a squishing sound as water seeped out.

Li Jing’s royal status attracted a lot of attention, and many people were already trying to get acquainted with him.

Zhang Kuang and Zhang Yang, with enthusiastic smiles, had already gathered a few boys around them, chatting animatedly.

While everyone was busy making friends and forming alliances for the future, a few sat on the edge of their beds in silence. These were either too shy or introverted to socialize.

Qin Haoxuan did not join the crowd. He gave curt replies to those who approached him, chose a quilt, and began to tidy up.

Next to Qin Haoxuan stood a small, timid boy who was only as tall as his shoulder. He looked very delicate and seemed lost, as if this was his first time away from home and in a room with so many people. Because he was so small and unassuming, no one had approached him.

“Hey, can you help me with this quilt?” Seeing his lonely and helpless state, Qin Haoxuan felt a stir of compassion and struck up a conversation. “I’m Qin Haoxuan from Small Islet Mountain. What about you?”

The boy smiled, revealing a set of white teeth. He deftly took one end of the quilt and helped Qin Haoxuan shake out the dust. Then, he said timidly, “Xu… Xu Yu…”

While most were socializing, Qin Haoxuan and Xu Yu, who were tidying their beds, caught Li Jing’s attention.

He paid no mind to the small and slight Xu Yu, but Qin Haoxuan was upright and bright, with a tan, muscular physique that indicated good physical fitness. His aptitude must be quite good as well.

Li Jing walked over to Qin Haoxuan and clasped his hands in greeting. “I am Li Jing. May I ask for your honorable name?”

“Qin Haoxuan,” he replied, returning the gesture.

“Brother Qin, from now on, we are all disciples of the Taichu Sect, brothers of the same year. The Taichu Sect is full of experts, and as new disciples, we won’t get much attention. In the future, we should help each other and advance together!”

Li Jing smiled warmly and put his arm around Qin Haoxuan’s shoulder in a gesture of intimacy.

After all, Li Jing was the third prince of the nation. For him to take the initiative to talk to him, it would be rude to brush him off. Qin Haoxuan smiled and chatted with him casually. However, the small Xu Yu was standing right next to Qin Haoxuan, yet Li Jing didn’t even glance at him, acting as if he didn’t exist.

Very quickly, Qin Haoxuan formed an opinion of Li Jing. On the surface, he was enthusiastic, but deep down, he was extremely pragmatic, only befriending those he deemed valuable or promising.

After chatting for a while, night fell completely. A cold mountain wind whistled through the cracks in the walls.

In early autumn, the days were warm, but the temperature dropped significantly at night. In this cold and damp room, some of the weaker boys were already shivering.

Although the two large communal sleeping platforms could accommodate over 200 people and there were more than enough quilts, the quilts were damp and thin. You could squeeze water out of them, and they gave off a pungent, musty smell.