79: Chapter 79 Still Alive, Legacy of the Ancient Poison Doctor

Sharp pain, numbness, scorching heat, freezing cold—all these extreme sensations had long since blurred.

Only a sense of exhaustion remained, constantly sinking, returning to nothingness.

Ye Chen felt as if he were about to dissipate.

The last shred of clarity, like a candle in the wind, tightly guarded a faint glimmer in the deepest part of his Soul.

Within that light, there was the innocent smiling face of Xiaoyu, and the eyes of Lin Qingxue, cold yet filled with worry.

There were the faces of Scarface, Lin Dong, Duan Tianya, Zhao Feng, and others.

There were also the blurry figures of his parents.

And there was the bone-deep hatred for the "Shadow Fiend," for Golden Flame Peak, and for the mastermind behind the scenes.

As well as... an unwillingness to give up and a longing for higher Realms and to uncover all the mysteries.

"No, I... cannot die!"

This obsession, like the toughest thread, held onto his last breath with a death grip.

Who knows how much time had passed; perhaps it was an instant, perhaps an eternity.

A faint yet resilient warmth came from his chest, like the first spark in a cold night.

It was that jade pendant, which he had always worn close to his body and whose Origin was mysterious.

Immediately after, the silent jade booklet in his Sea of Consciousness seemed to be touched by this obsession and warmth, slowly unfolding.

It emitted a gentle, ancient, and clear radiance that seemed to nourish all things.

It protected Ye Chen's Divine Soul, which was on the verge of dissipating, and began to repair the wounds on his Soul with extreme slowness.

Meanwhile, deep within his Dantian, at the center of the nearly dried-up and dim Wheel Sea vortex.

That dark red spark, obtained from the crimson crystal fragment and which had been silent all along.

Seemed to sense that its host's life was in danger, and also seemed to be activated by the clear radiance of the jade booklet and the warmth from his chest.

It suddenly gave a jolt!

It was not a violent eruption.

But rather a gentle, warm current carrying scorching vitality and a strange purifying power, like the thawing stream of early spring.

It flowed out from that dark red spark, following the nearly severed Meridians, and slowly spread to every part of his body.

Wherever this warm current passed.

The virulent poison that had invaded his bone marrow and was frantically destroying his vitality, as if encountering its nemesis, emitted a "hissing" sound.

It was burned, purified, and expelled bit by bit!

Although the speed was extremely slow, it was firm and effective.

Ye Chen's original Ice Fire True Essence had long since been exhausted, and the Ice Lotus Imprint was also dimmed to the point of extinction.

But as this warm current, carrying purifying vitality, flowed past.

The Ice Lotus Imprint seemed to be nourished as well, faintly lighting up with an imperceptible chaotic-colored glow.

It released a bit of pure and peaceful cold qi, intertwining with the warm current.

One cold, one warm, one life, one death—unexpectedly, within this dying body.

A balance and circulation that was extremely weak yet incomparably profound were formed.

Together, they resisted death and repaired the damage.

This was an extremely slow process.

Ye Chen's body was like a piece of porcelain covered in cracks, on the verge of shattering.

Under the joint efforts of these four forces—the jade booklet, the jade pendant, the dark red spark, and the Ice Lotus Imprint.

It was glued and repaired bit by bit.

Time lost its meaning in this race against death.

The cave was silent, with only the "drip-drop" sound of water falling from the stalactites on the cave ceiling.

And the sound of Ye Chen's breathing, which was so weak as to be almost inaudible, yet had never ceased.

The cave entrance was mostly blocked by rubble and the lingering poisonous miasma, leaving the light dim.

That "verdant phosphorus ghost flower" emitted an eerie phosphorescent glow.

It illuminated the body on the ground, which looked like charred charcoal, tinged with a dark blue, and was on its last breath.

Who knows how long had passed; perhaps it was a day, perhaps three days.

Ye Chen's eyelids twitched ever so slightly.

Immediately after, his fingers moved slightly.

"Cough, cough, ugh..."

A violent bout of dry heaving, as if he were about to cough out his lungs.

Accompanied by black, foul-smelling poisonous blood, it gushed from his mouth.

Intense pain, like a tide, instantly submerged Ye Chen's not-yet-fully-conscious mind.

Causing him to let out a painful groan.

He... was still alive.

His consciousness returned with difficulty, like a rusty gear starting to turn again.

Every inch of his skin, every bone, and every Meridian transmitted an indescribable sharp pain and weakness.

He felt like a ragdoll that had been torn apart and then barely pieced back together.

It could fall apart again at any moment.

But Ye Chen was indeed still alive.

Moreover, he could feel that the deadly poison within his body seemed to have been suppressed.

Although it was still entrenched in every part of his body, it was no longer frantically spreading and destroying.

A faint, warm power.

Was slowly circulating within his body along some mysterious path.

Wherever it passed, it brought a trace of vitality, repairing his damaged Meridians and internal organs.

At the same time, a cool and peaceful aura guarded his Divine Soul.

Was it the jade booklet and that dark red spark?

And the Ice Lotus Imprint?

Ye Chen realized in his heart.

This time, he had truly walked through the gates of hell.

If not for these few life-saving items, he would have long since been reduced to bones and ashes.

He moved his eyes with difficulty, looking around.

By the phosphorescence of the "verdant phosphorus ghost flower" and the faint light filtering in from the cave entrance, he barely managed to see his surroundings.

This was a natural cave that was not too large, seemingly having been manually renovated.

Faint, ancient carvings could be vaguely seen on the cave walls. The air was damp and cold.

It was permeated with a faint scent of herbs and a richer, strange sweet fragrance belonging to the "verdant phosphorus ghost flower."

Beneath him was the cold rocky ground.

Scattered beside him were the miscellaneous items that had fallen out of his Storage Pouch.

Most of the Medicinal Pill bottles were shattered, and many of the Talismans had lost their effectiveness.

The ice scar sword was stuck diagonally in a rock crevice not far away; the blade was dim, but it seemed to be undamaged.

The cave entrance was blocked by a large amount of rubble.

Only a few gaps allowed light to filter in; clearly, the previous explosion had been incredibly powerful.

"I must heal my injuries as soon as possible. And leave this place."

A strong sense of crisis arose in Ye Chen's heart.

Although those four "Shadow Fiend" assassins were dead, the commotion had been so great that it was very likely to attract others.

Whether it was the Yao Beasts in the swamp or the subsequent personnel of the "Shadow Fiend."

Or the people sent by Golden Flame Peak, all of them would be enough to take his life right now.

Thinking of this, Ye Chen wanted to sit up, but his whole body was weak and he could not move.

He wanted to find something usable among the scattered Medicinal Pills, but his arms were as heavy as iron.

"Water."

His throat felt like it was burning; the thirst was unbearable.

He saw water droplets gathering on the rock wall not far away, forming a small puddle.

Ye Chen gritted his teeth and used all his strength, inch by inch, to crawl towards the puddle.

Every movement brought a tearing, sharp pain, and cold sweat instantly soaked his tattered clothes.

For a distance of just a few feet, he crawled for nearly half an hour.

Finally, his lips touched the cold water.

He greedily sucked a few mouthfuls, feeling his thirst slightly relieved and his spirit recovering a little.

With the nourishment of the water, Ye Chen felt he had regained a little strength.

He turned his body with difficulty and rummaged through the scattered debris.

Most of the Medicinal Pills were destroyed, and the Talismans were also ruined.

Finally, in a corner, he found an intact jade bottle.

Inside were three of his backup "rejuvenation pill"s, the highest quality healing pills he had.

As well as two "Fasting Pill"s.

This was simply a lifesaver!

Ye Chen's hand trembled as he poured out a "rejuvenation pill" and stuffed it into his mouth.

The Medicinal Pill melted upon entering his mouth, turning into a gentle medicinal power that dispersed into his limbs and bones, nourishing his damaged Physical Body.

Although for his now nearly collapsing body, it was a drop in the bucket.

But at least it was a good start.

After taking the Medicinal Pill, he swallowed a "Fasting Pill" to temporarily alleviate his hunger.

Ye Chen leaned against the rock wall and began to try to circulate his Cultivation Technique, guiding the faint warm current and cold qi within his body.

To accelerate the absorption of the medicinal power and repair himself.

As he began to circulate it, he immediately noticed a difference.

The Meridians within his body, although severely severed.

But under the combined effects of the jade booklet's clear radiance, the warm current of the dark red spark, the cold qi of the ice lotus, and the medicinal power of the "rejuvenation pill."

They were healing and connecting at an extremely slow, yet incomparably firm speed.

Moreover, the newly born Meridians seemed to be tougher and wider than before, faintly shimmering with a layer of faint, jade-like luster.

He could even see fine, dense patterns intertwined with ice blue and golden red!

This was the result of the tempering of the Ice Fire Origin, and being forcibly reshaped between life and death!

What surprised Ye Chen even more was his Dantian.

That nearly dried-up Wheel Sea vortex.

At the center, that dark red spark was still slowly pulsating, emitting a warm current.

And although the Ice Lotus Imprint was dim, it was faintly connected to the clear radiance of the jade booklet, floating above the Wheel Sea.

The volume of the Wheel Sea seemed to have shrunk a little compared to before, but the color was deeper.

The chaotic color at the center was more obvious.

Although the rotation was slow, it was exceptionally stable, self-absorbing the thin Spiritual Qi around it.

The barriers of the Wheel Sea had also become tougher and thicker.

"Breaking and then establishing... my Foundation seems to have benefited from the misfortune, having been polished to be even more solid. It's just that my cultivation has fallen back to the Early Stage of the Lunhai Realm First Level, and the True Essence within the Wheel Sea is almost non-existent."

Ye Chen realized in his heart.

Cultivation can be regained, but a solid Foundation is the root.

This near-death experience, although extremely dangerous, had allowed him to complete a cruel tempering.

However, the virulent poison of the "Shadow Fiend" assassin was still entrenched within his body.

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It was only suppressed by the combined effort of the Dark Red Ember' purifying power and the ice lotus cold qi, but not eradicated.

This poison is extremely troublesome and needs to be dispersed slowly.

Ye Chen began to fully guide the weak circulation within his body, coordinating with the rejuvenation pill's medicinal power to repair his injuries.

At the same time, he also noticed.

Inside the cave, besides that "verdant phosphorus ghost flower", there seemed to be other Spiritual Qi fluctuations deeper within.

Moreover, it was even more pure, faintly carrying a medicinal fragrance.

This place was likely the core area of that Ancient Poison Doctor's Immortal Cave.

But now was not the time for exploration. He had to restore his mobility first.

Time passed in silence and pain.

Every once in a while, Ye Chen would take a rejuvenation pill and circulate his Cultivation Technique.

His external wounds began to scab over, and the pain in his internal organs gradually lessened.

His fractured bones also began to heal slowly under the nourishment of the medicinal power and True Essence.

Most importantly, he gradually regained control over his body.

...

Three days later, Ye Chen was already able to barely sit cross-legged and perform more efficient breath regulation.

The warm current circulation within his body also grew slightly stronger, accelerating the repair speed.

He tried to mobilize a tiny strand of Ice Fire True Essence; although it was like a thin thread, it brought him joy.

Seven days later, Ye Chen was able to lean against the rock wall and barely stand and walk.

Although still weak and lacking strength throughout his body, he at least had the ability to protect himself and explore.

A small portion of the potent poison in his body had also been dispersed.

His cultivation had recovered to the Wheel Sea Realm First Level Middle Stage.

Ye Chen walked up to the "verdant phosphorus ghost flower".

He carefully plucked that golden "golden toad fruit" and stored it in an intact jade box.

This fruit contained pure poisonous power and was a rare medicine for refining high-grade detoxification pills; it might be useful for neutralizing the poison of the "bone-eroding pill" in the future.

As for the "verdant phosphorus ghost flower" plant itself.

He also carefully dug it out by the roots and sealed it in a jade box; this was a quest item.

After finishing these tasks, Ye Chen looked into the depths of the cave.

It was dark there, but the medicinal fragrance and Spiritual Qi fluctuations were more evident.

Since he had come and almost died here, he couldn't leave empty-handed.

Moreover, there might be Spirit Medicines in the depths that could help him recover faster.

Leaning on his ice scar sword, he walked step by step into the depths of the cave.

The cave wound downwards, going deeper and deeper, and the temperature became lower and lower.

But the Spiritual Qi became increasingly dense and pure, and the toxicity seemed to have weakened significantly.

On the rock walls on both sides, some traces of manual excavation began to appear.

As well as some remnants of simple Restrictions that had long since lost their effect.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the path ahead suddenly opened up, revealing a stone chamber.

The stone chamber was not large, and in the center was a pool that had long since dried up.

Scattered around the pool were some decayed wooden racks and shattered jade bottles.

It was clearly once a place for storing medicines.

On one side of the stone chamber was a stone door, with blurred runes carved on it, seemingly a protective Restriction.

But its energy had long been exhausted, and the stone door was left ajar.

Ye Chen pushed open the stone door, and an even stronger medicinal fragrance wafted towards him.

Behind the door was an even smaller stone chamber, more like a simple meditation room for Cultivation.

In the center of the stone chamber, there was only a meditation mat, and on it...

Sat a skeleton dressed in grey robes that had long since turned into white bone.

On the ground in front of the skeleton lay a dull grey ring.

And a palm-sized black jade box.

Other than that, the stone chamber was empty.

It seemed this was the owner of the Immortal Cave.

An Ancient Poison Doctor who had eventually passed away here.

Ye Chen bowed deeply to the skeleton.

"Junior Ye Chen accidentally entered Senior's Immortal Cave and disturbed Senior's peace; please forgive me. Taking Senior's Legacy items is truly for self-preservation and Cultivation needs; if I achieve success in the future, I will certainly not forget the fate bestowed by Senior."

After saying that, he stepped forward and first picked up that grey ring.

The ring felt cold to the touch, neither metal nor jade, with an ancient style.

He tried to probe a tiny strand of Divine Sense into it.

"Buzz..."

A light flashed on the surface of the ring, and it actually established a connection with him!

This was an ownerless Storage Ring!

And its space was enormous, more than a hundred times larger than his previous low-level Storage Pouch!

Inside, many things were stored and categorized.

Most were some Jade Slips and booklets, clearly cultivation manuals or research notes.

There were also many bottles and jars containing powders and liquids of various colors.

Emitting smells that were either pungent, cloying, or foul.

Clearly, they were poisons or semi-finished products.

Some strangely shaped Ores, dried poisonous herbs, and poisonous flowers.

In the corner, there were also piles of Low Grade and Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, numbering about several thousand.

As well as several ancient-styled Magical Artifacts and spiritual Materials with dull spiritual light.

I'm rich!

Ye Chen's heart skipped a beat.

Although most of this Poison Doctor Senior's collection was related to poison, its value was definitely not small!

Those manuals and Medicinal Pills might be more useful to a Great Master of the Dao of Alchemy like Elder Li.

But the Spirit Stones and Materials were exactly what he urgently needed!

He suppressed his excitement and looked at that black jade box again.

The jade box felt heavy in his hand, with complex sealing runes carved on it.

Although it was ancient and most of its power had been lost.

It still emitted a heart-palpitating aura of coldness and misfortune.

What is inside this?

Ye Chen hesitated for a moment but decided to open it.

He mobilized the tiny strand of Ice Fire True Essence he had just recovered.

He cautiously broke the sealing runes on the jade box one by one.

"Click."

With a soft sound, the jade box opened a crack.

Immediately, an incredibly pure yet strangely vibrant green mist permeated from the crack!

Wherever the mist passed, a thin layer of dark green moss actually grew on the rocks of the ground!

Ye Chen was startled and quickly held his breath, using True Essence to protect his whole body.

He carefully opened the jade box completely.

Inside the jade box, soft black velvet was laid out.

On the velvet lay a section of vine about three inches long and as thick as a thumb.

Its entire body was a dripping emerald green, as if carved from the finest jade.

Or rather, it was the root or stem of a plant.

This section of root seemed to still be alive, its surface having extremely subtle pulsations, like breathing.

It emitted an astonishing aura of life and dense wood-attribute Spiritual Qi.

But it was also mixed with a disturbing coldness and toxicity.

"This is..."

Ye Chen searched through the scattered knowledge in the illustrated records and jade booklets given by Elder Li.

A name surfaced in his mind—the mother root of the "Ten Thousand Poisons Demonic Vine"!

Or rather, it was some kind of higher-level life poison strain close to the Origin!

According to scattered records, the "Ten Thousand Poisons Demonic Vine" was a legendary poison of heaven and earth.

It was also a strange living being that could grow by devouring ten thousand poisons.

Its mother root contained vast life essence and the Origin of extreme poison.

It was one of the key Materials for refining the legendary "poison pill" and even for the miracle of "bringing the dead back to life and regrowing flesh on bones".

It was also a supreme treasure for cultivating certain ultimate poison techniques!

Its value was immeasurable!

He didn't expect that this Immortal Cave owner actually collected such a section of the "Ten Thousand Poisons Demonic Vine" mother root!

Although it seemed dormant, the vitality and toxicity contained within were definitely terrifying!

Ye Chen's heart raced.

This treasure was of little use to him at the moment and was even dangerous.

But to a Grandmaster of the Dao of Alchemy like Elder Li.

Or some powerful experts who cultivated poison techniques, it was definitely a dream treasure!

Its value probably far exceeded everything else in this ring!

He carefully closed the jade box again and applied several simple Seals that he could currently perform.

Then he solemnly tucked both the jade box and the Storage Ring into his robes.

With these gains, although this trip to the Ten Thousand Poisons Swamp was a narrow escape, it was definitely worth it!

Not only did he complete Elder Li's task and obtain the promise of a spot in the Secret Realm.

He also obtained the Poison Doctor's Legacy and a supreme treasure like the "Ten Thousand Poisons Demonic Vine" mother root!

As long as he could return alive, with these resources.

It would be enough for his strength and status to improve significantly in a short time!

"I must leave here as soon as possible, recover my strength, and then return to the Sect!"

Ye Chen made a decision.

He carefully checked the stone chamber once more, and after confirming there were no other omissions.

He bowed to the skeleton once again.

Then he exited the stone chamber and followed the path back to the previous cave entrance.

...

Arriving at the cave entrance blocked by rubble, Ye Chen looked out through the gaps.

Outside, the poisonous miasma was still thick, but it was much calmer than before.

He listened intently and heard no unusual movements.

"I can't go out the same way. After the riot of the 'Eye of the Miasma', the outside must have become a focal point; there might be an ambush."

Ye Chen pondered.

He recalled the map given by Elder Li.

This Immortal Cave seemed to have another hidden exit, located in the "Rotten Bone Forest" on the other side of the swamp.

However, that path was said to be even more dangerous, filled with natural poison formations and powerful poisonous beasts.

But right now, it was the only choice.