Chapter 109: An Unexpected Discovery (Part I)

At dusk, the forest, dampened by a light drizzle, was shrouded in a faint mist. A winding path meandered through the woods, leading to a small town where the marketplace was gradually coming alive with bustling crowds, all eager to purchase their desired goods.

Inside an inn in the town, a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth sat cross-legged in a private room on the second floor, immersed in cultivation.

The youth wore dark robes with a plain undergarment, and a jade pendant hung from his chest. His internal energy circulated in a continuous cycle, each exertion radiating a chilling coldness. Beside him coiled a blue-black pit viper, resting its head on its body and occasionally flicking its tongue.

Suddenly, the snake’s eyes slowly opened and it turned its head to look at the meditating youth. At that moment, the young man’s sharp eyes flared brightly. His pale purple irises transformed into vertical pupils, mirroring the snake’s eerie gaze, both mesmerizing and chilling.

In the next instant, his eyes returned to normal, and he blinked slowly. With his right hand, he gently touched his chest and said, “Fortunately, I ran into two blind bandits on the road; otherwise, I wouldn’t have even been able to stay at the inn.”

Recalling the incident, Su Bai’s heart still raced with unease.

The side effects of cultivating the Ice-Refining Profound Art had struck for the first time, and the eruption of the cold toxin made him feel as if he were in unbearable agony. At the very moment, several reckless thieves had surrounded him, attempting to take advantage of his weakness.

Luckily, their strength was insufficient; otherwise, Su Bai would have struggled to defeat them quickly. After hastily grabbing some silver, he staggered into the inn just before collapsing.

Throughout the night, he dispersed his energy and detoxified, finally easing the pain in his body.

“There are always one or two days a month when I feel weak… Why does this feel like having a period?” Su Bai resignedly accepted the reality.

“Pfft!” Hearing his self-mockery, Qu Qiuzhuo, the spirit within the jade pendant, couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Hearing her laughter, Su Bai rolled his eyes and said, “What if this happens again? A sudden crisis in the wilderness could be deadly. Is there any way to predict when the cold toxin will erupt?”

“There is,” Qu Qiuzhuo replied, and in the next moment, she appeared before Su Bai, sitting on a stool. Twirling her hair around her finger, she tilted her head with a mischievous look that made Su Bai dread knowing the method.

---

“So that’s how it is.”

Soon, Su Bai grasped the so-called predictive method: cultivating the Ice-Refining Profound Art gradually accumulates cold toxin starting from the lower dantian. When the toxin approaches the middle dantian’s pericardium point, one must disperse energy and detoxify.

(Note: The three-dantian theory is applied here: the upper dantian corresponds to the Governing Vessel at the forehead, the middle dantian at the pericardium point in the chest, and the lower dantian at the Conception Vessel’s Qi Hai point, three cun below the navel, governing spirit, qi, and essence respectively.)

Su Bai leaned back with his legs on the table, a toothpick dangling from his mouth, exuding a carefree and cynical demeanor. Spitting out the toothpick, he asked Qu Qiuzhuo, “So it’s okay if I detox early?”

“Do as you please, as long as it’s within a month since your last detox,” she said, brushing her long hair casually.

“That works. If the intervals are shorter, I’ll suffer less,” Su Bai said, but he caught Qu Qiuzhuo’s sly smile as she shook her head.

“It will only save you time; the pain won’t lessen.”

She covered her face with one hand and laughed mischievously behind Su Bai’s back.

Annoyed, Su Bai shut his eyes, unwilling to witness the old spirit’s ugly smirk.

“By the way, what do you plan to do once you return to the sect?” Qu Qiuzhuo’s tone turned serious.

Unexpectedly, Su Bai gave up and closed his eyes to rest.

“You’re not planning to go back like this, are you?” Qu Qiuzhuo crossed her legs and propped her chin on her hand, leaning forward.

Still resting with his eyes closed, Su Bai replied calmly, “Don’t worry, everything’s prepared. Just watch me perform when the time comes.”

---

“Are you sure?” Qu Qiuzhuo squinted skeptically.

“I’m absolutely certain.” A confident smile curled Su Bai’s lips, piquing her curiosity.

After a long pause, Qu Qiuzhuo finally pressed for details and teased, “You really are dark-hearted.”

Su Bai, displeased with her criticism, shot back, “What’s wrong with my plan? You always try to twist my words instead of coming up with your own ideas.”

“Nyah-nyah-nyah,” Qu Qiuzhuo stuck out her tongue and transformed into a streak of light, darting back into the jade pendant.

Whenever she lost an argument, she would avoid confrontation, never admitting defeat.

As the summer heat faded and the tender greens vanished, autumn winds swept through the fallen leaves. Yellowed leaves drifted with the petals, their stage slowly drawing to a close.

Squatting by the riverbank, Su Bai gazed at his reflection in the water. Stroking the faint stubble on his chin, he smiled unconsciously.

“I haven’t shaved in a while. Living in the wild like this, I’m no different from a savage.”

Qu Qiuzhuo nodded in agreement, her gaze filled with elder-like concern. “Recognizing your own roughness and ugliness means you’ve grown somewhat these days.”

Darn it!

Looking at Qu Qiuzhuo’s spiritual form hovering over the water—draped in flowing white robes—she should have the appearance of a celestial maiden, yet her mouth is unbearable, always ready to pick a fight.

Su Bai sneered, “Heaven never makes perfect beings. Giving you an old woman’s face, it also gave you a foul mouth.”

“You!” Qu Qiuzhuo’s face twisted, completely losing any celestial grace. She transformed into a market vendor, and if she had a physical body, she’d have torn Su Bai apart long ago.

After much pestering, Su Bai finally offered a feigned apology.

During this time, he had climbed to the mountaintop by following the path.

Looking down, he discovered a small village nestled among the dense mountains and forests, like a tiny island on a lake.

“Hey! Finally found a place to stay!”

Just as he felt relieved, a sharp pain suddenly struck his chest. Caught off guard, Su Bai clutched his chest with his right hand, nearly spitting blood.

“You’ve been cultivating too frequently and often fighting wild beasts. Without a safe place to properly purge the cold toxin, it has accumulated significantly in your body,” Qu Qiuzhuo appeared beside him, speaking calmly.

Damn! Why didn’t you warn me earlier?

Su Bai covered his chest and gave Qu Qiuzhuo a reluctant middle finger. This old spirit must be secretly delighted.

But now was not the time for words. Wobbling, he made his way down the mountain toward the village.

After much effort, he reached the village gate before nightfall. Yet, an inexplicable unease lingered in his heart, sensing something amiss about the village.

Despite the stabbing pain in his chest, Su Bai gritted his teeth. “I can’t delay any longer. Tonight, I must disperse energy and detoxify. Waiting another night could bring unknown trouble. If this illness lingers, advancing in cultivation will only become harder.”

Without hesitation, Su Bai quickened his pace and entered the village. Smooth sailing is merely a wish; no success comes without risk.

---

Inside the village, the eerie atmosphere grew thicker. Not a soul could be seen on the streets, and even inside the houses, Su Bai found no trace of life.

Clenching his fists, his unease deepened. “No signs of struggle… The villagers wouldn’t just abandon their homes together. Could a formidable expert at the Thousand-Realm stage have massacred everyone?”

“Very likely. But why? Could it be an evil cultivation technique?” Qu Qiuzhuo’s usual frivolity vanished, though she seemed more at ease than Su Bai.

“Though the atmosphere is unsettling, at least it’s quiet. This is exactly the environment you need. And if someone has wiped out the inhabitants, it’s safer—no hidden dangers.”

Su Bai glanced at a half-eaten flatbread on a small table next to a kang bed. The family must have been killed less than two days ago. He sighed deeply, feeling both relief and sorrow.

Only the strong survive in this world; the weak find no place before the powerful. Evil cultivators treat lives like grass, and to the authorities, these deaths might be mere statistics.

Shaking his head, Su Bai pushed the thoughts aside. Qu Qiuzhuo was right—this place is safer for cultivation.

He chose a random house to stay in and sat cross-legged on the kang.

Just as he prepared to disperse energy, unease lingered. From his waist pouch, he took out some jerky—hunted and dried in the forest as provisions.

With his other hand, he gently stroked the blue-black cold pit viper coiled in his arms.

In an instant, the snake’s shadow flickered. The pit viper appeared on Su Bai’s shoulder, softly rubbing its flattened head against his face.

Su Bai offered the jerky. The snake flicked its tongue and curled the meat into its mouth.

“Guard the gate tonight. Kill anything that approaches.”

At Su Bai’s command, the snake’s vertical pupils glowed faintly purple. It blinked, seeming to signal complete understanding.

“Having such a little pit viper as an ally puts my mind at ease,” Su Bai smiled faintly, then slowly closed his eyes. His internal energy surged, sending icy chills radiating outward in all directions.

“This time, the pain may be worse than before. Be prepared,” Qu Qiuzhuo’s voice whispered in his ear.

---

Leaves fluttered in the autumn wind, swirling through the air and obscuring the view of the bright moon above.

A blue-black pit viper coiled atop a millstone in a farmer’s courtyard. The cool autumn night made it curl its body tightly, resting its head on its coils, flicking its tongue to sense the surrounding creatures.

Suddenly, sensing danger through its tongue, the snake straightened, its eyes glowing purple.

Its head turned continually, as if locking onto the source of the aura.

When it focused on a certain spot, it abruptly stopped and glanced back at Su Bai inside the house.

Then, it swiftly slithered toward the source of the aura...