Cultivation System: Stronger with Age

"As expected, I can't hide from Daoist Zhao's Celestial Eye. Feiyan greets you. The four of us were not intentionally hiding here; it's just that the map indicated there were a few caves in this area, so we planned to find one to rest for the night. Unexpectedly, we saw Master Lin using the Black Soul Wondrous Jade, so we didn't dare to disturb."

Han Feiyan, who had a square face and thick eyebrows, walked out of the forest. She, Guo Xiu, and their two companions respectfully cupped their hands.

「A moment later, inside the cave,」

Han Feiyan furrowed her thick eyebrows. "So Guo Chui and Feng Zhulong have both gone to the Kun Branch gathering place! We had originally planned to take a detour, but fortunately, we ran into you two here. Otherwise, if we had run straight into them... I'm afraid the four of us would have been secretly silenced by Guo Chui and Feng Zhulong."

Lin Xuankong felt a bit emotional. He indeed shared some fate with these four, as he always seemed to encounter them near a cave.

Han Xiu then cupped his hands and said, "Daoist Zhao is indeed formidable; even Liy Ruofeng is no match for you."

Zhao Yufei replied, "It's also because in the Demon-Suppressing Valley, he couldn't exert his late-stage fourth-layer strength. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy to subdue him!"

Han Feiyan sighed. "From what you two said, the Kun Branch gathering place must have already assembled hundreds of experts. Who will eventually get their hands on that Marsh Python Demon Pearl and Evil Sheep Demon Pearl? That mysterious Female Cultivator must be extremely terrifying to be willing to offer the Marsh Python Demon Pearl as a reward for the martial competition. Just what kind of Demon Pearls does such a Female Martial Cultivator possess? They must be among the top ten of the Demon Pearl ranking!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xuankong secretly thought, No matter who she is, or how strong she is, she can be at most at the Perfection of the third layer in this Demon-Suppressing Valley. With my numerous trump cards, I should have a chance to get back that Marsh Python Demon Pearl! If worst comes to worst, I'll hide my identity and participate in the martial arts tournament, and then even use the Manluo Demon Pearl. Anyway, no one in Great Marsh Prefecture knows that the Conical Hat Guest has the Manluo Demon Pearl!

While they were chatting, none of them noticed that several miles away, on a small hill to the south, dozens of Martial Cultivators had already gathered silently.

At the top of the hill, hidden among the trees, San Gu observed the gently blowing south wind, a hint of excitement in his eyes. "The heavens are truly helping me! This south wind is perfect for using the Spirit Snake Gang's White Snake Venom."

The surrounding third-layer experts that San Gu had contacted all showed expressions full of dread upon hearing this. Feng Zhulong, a prominent figure on the Hero List, looked very serious. He apprehensively activated his Battle Armor, protecting his entire body, then moved some distance away from San Gu.

San Gu's six eyes gleamed as he took out a Jade Bottle from his bosom. Mindful of the wind's direction, he uncapped it. In an instant, a small wisp of faint white mist drifted out from the Jade Bottle. Caught by the south wind, this wisp of white mist drifted towards the cave several miles away. During this process, the white mist continuously expanded, quickly becoming a nearly imperceptible, faint mist covering an area hundreds of yards wide. As the white mist drifted along, the countless trees, shrubs, and grasses in its path withered silently in an instant, as if they had lost all their vitality.

A dozen or so breaths later, the vast expanse of faint white mist had already reached the cave.

Seeing this, San Gu's six eyes simultaneously shone with excitement as he murmured, "I thought we would have to fight a battle tonight and would need to coat my weapon with the White Snake Venom to kill Lin Xuankong. I didn't expect them to all be hiding in the cave without moving. Now that the White Snake Venom has reached the cave, Lin Xuankong is certainly doomed!"

Feng Zhulong's expression shifted slightly as he stared apprehensively at the Jade Bottle in San Gu's hand. "It's said that the White Snake Venom has an extremely low yield and is the number one rare poison in Great Marsh Prefecture, ranking among the top poisons of Great Xia. This White Snake Venom is very precious; Brother San Gu, you sure have a good relationship with Chu Qing!"

San Gu replied in a low voice, "Brother Guo and Brother Feng, need not worry. Even if Lin Xuankong dies immediately, you two came with me. Those two Sunflower Water Elixirs, a type of Meridian Opening Treasure Elixir, will still be shared between you. In the future, I'll still have many opportunities to obtain Sunflower Water Elixirs from the Holy Dragon Association!"

Upon hearing this, Feng Zhulong glanced at Guo Chui in the distance, then said to San Gu, "Brother San Gu is so generous. It truly makes one feel grateful. Rest assured, we won't take the Sunflower Water Elixirs for nothing. In the future, if Brother San Gu has other matters, Brother Guo and I will lend a hand."

San Gu nodded. "At this moment, the six people in the cave should all be dead. Let's wait for about ten more breaths, then go over and take a look. If everything's fine, we can leave!"

「Inside the cave,」

While listening to Han Feiyan speak, Lin Xuankong suddenly sniffed.

What is that smell? he wondered. It seems a bit sweet, with a hint of seafood!

At this moment, he suddenly saw the moss by a rock beside him turn from green to gray and wither away in an instant.

Simultaneously, Han Feiyan, Han Xiu, and their two companions, along with Zhao Yufei, all paled, their bodies trembling. The Qi Blood within the five of them rapidly seeped out. In an instant, it seemed that more than half of their Qi Blood had been exhausted. Even a good portion of their hair had gradually turned silver-white.

Seeing these strange occurrences, Lin Xuankong immediately understood that the five had been struck by some strange Demon Poison. But time was tight; he had no time to think about why the Demon Poison had suddenly appeared in the cave.

In a flash, he stepped to Zhao Yufei's side, reaching out to transfer the Qi Blood imbued with his Immortal Tier First Grade poison resistance into her body.

In an instant—