Immortality and Cultivation: This old man seeks enlightenment through mere survival.

Xiao Fenlin has the location of the Spirit Medicine Valley in his memory.

And most of the map features in the Black Soil Mountains.

This prevented Lu Zaian from searching aimlessly like a headless fly.

"Since this Flame Seal is Xiao Fenlin's backup plan, perhaps it contains his secrets. I'm afraid it can only be unlocked when we get to the Spirit Medicine Valley."

Lu Zaian stroked his chin thoughtfully, feeling somewhat uneasy.

It's really upsetting to get into something like this.

The fiery mark on my heart is currently impossible to remove on my own; there is no other way but to go to the Valley of Spirit Medicine.

Moreover, to avoid any unforeseen complications, Lu Zaian prepared to set off immediately.

"We can only take one step at a time and see what happens."

In Xiao Fenlin's memory, the location of the Spirit Medicine Valley was deep in the northwest of the Black Soil Mountains.

There is a continuous valley stretching for hundreds of miles.

Lu Zaian mentally calculated the straight-line position and distance between the location of the previous battle and the Spirit Medicine Valley.

After some thought, I decided to take a large semicircle route from the southwest.

This way, you can avoid the territory of most cultivation sects and enter from the side and rear of the Spirit Medicine Valley.

Galloping all the way.

Lu Zaian dared not delay, fearing that the time bomb inside his body would explode at any moment.

"Hiss, the spiritual energy is denser now, but the air is getting colder. Is this what they call the cold air?"

As we continue to delve deeper.

The land below grew even darker, confirming the name of the Black Soil Mountains.

A bone-chilling cold rose from the black soil, spreading in all directions, omnipresent.

The cold air continuously invaded Lu Zaian's body, his skin, and his bones, and the invisible cold poison slowly accumulated.

"This is the Cold Poison?"

Lu Zaian channeled his magical power, attempting to isolate the cold poison from his body.

However, he discovered that these cold poisons were like maggots clinging to bones, slowly eroding even his own magical power.

"As expected of a domineering force? No wonder those cultivators are unwilling to stay in this mountain range for long."

If it weren't for the spiritual veins and other resources that the cultivation sects in the Black Soil Mountains had to rely on, many of them would probably have moved away entirely.

Lu Zai'an's expression darkened slightly. If the cold poison became stronger the deeper one went,

At the current rate of erosion, it will take about a day and a night.

It will then exhaust its magical power and allow the cold poison to invade its meridians.

"I remember that the cultivator who was traversing the mortal realm had a kind of pill in his storage bag that could resist the cold poison."

As Lu Zaian continued speeding along, he pulled out a bottle of fiery red pills.

"This is it, the Profound Flame Pill."

The elixir was entirely blackish-red and emitted a faint fragrance.

According to Xiao Fenlin's memory, this kind of pill was exclusively refined by Lingyao Valley and was specifically used to resist cold poison.

Any cultivator within the Black Soil Mountains would need it when coming and going, making it the best-selling elixir in Black Rock Market.

One Xuan Yan Pill entered his stomach.

The warm, comforting power of the elixir flowed into his limbs and bones, and Lu Zai'an immediately felt as if he were in a furnace, even breaking out in a light sweat.

The cold poison that constantly eroded him was also kept at bay by the fiery medicinal power.

Having eliminated the interference of the cold poison, Lu Zaian proceeded cautiously.

Finally, we arrived at the western border of the Valley of Spirit Medicine.

A stone forest comes into view ahead.

Countless jagged, strangely shaped stone pillars rise densely from the ground, spreading out in one area, resembling a forest.

Lu Zaian stopped, travel-worn, and compared the map with the one in his mind.

"Strange Stone Forest. A natural barrier west of Spirit Medicine Valley, containing various snake-like monsters."

Lu Zaian frowned slightly. Most of the snake-like monsters in this strange stone forest were raised by the Spirit Medicine Valley.

It is used by the disciples in the valley for training and material gathering, and most of them are at the first level.

"There's no way around this; it seems we have to be careful."

Lu Zaian took out a first-grade high-level Qi-concealing talisman and prepared to cross the strange stone forest.

"Senior Brother Lin, watch out behind you!"

Suddenly, a delicate shout came from within the strange rock forest.

Then came a piercing roar from a monster.

After a surge of magical power, the stone pillar in front of them shattered inch by inch!

The corpse of a silver snake demon flew towards Lu Zaian.

"Well done!"

"Senior Brother Lin's 'Aurora Shattering Wind Kill' is amazing! It truly lives up to its reputation as a high-grade spell!"

Amid cheers, a group of figures emerged from behind the shattered stone dust.

However, they bumped right into Lu Zaian, who was guarding outside the stone forest.

"Um, who are you?!"

A young cultivator dressed in a blue robe flew out, intending to go forward and collect the snake demon's corpse.

But he was the first to notice Lu Zaian standing to the side.

Lu Zaian squinted and quickly glanced at the figure coming out in front of him.

There were five people in total, three men and two women.

"I am Lu Zaian, a humble cultivator. I greet all the fellow Daoists from Lingyao Valley."

Lu Zaian clasped his hands in a salute.

"Huh, how did you know we were disciples of the Spirit Medicine Valley?"

Across from them, a pretty young woman with delicate features stepped forward and asked curiously.

She was wearing a maple-red dress, with two red ties wrapped around her slender arms.

She had almond-shaped eyes and cherry-colored lips that curved into a slightly curious smile.

"Junior sister, please?"

"Of course, it's our clothes! Wearing the robes of a Spirit Medicine Valley disciple within the Spirit Medicine Valley's territory, anyone could tell at a glance, right?"

Beside the woman in the red dress, a tall, handsome male cultivator stepped forward and made a comment.

"Huh? Is that so?"

The woman in the red dress was taken aback, then gave an awkward smile, looking rather naive.

"I'm asking you, old man, why are you in our Spirit Medicine Valley territory, covered in dust and dirt?"

The handsome male cultivator also looked at Lu Zaian and teased him with a smile.

Lu Zaian's travel-worn appearance and charred clothes were indeed suspicious.

However, the old man in front of him only had the cultivation level of the fourth level of Qi Refining.

Any disciple I randomly pick here is more powerful than this old man.

Furthermore, since it was Lingyao Valley's territory, they weren't too wary.

They assumed it was some wandering cultivator who had gotten lost and wandered into this place.

On the contrary, Lu Zaian recognized all the people in front of him after absorbing Xiao Fenlin's memories.

The handsome male cultivator at the head of the group was named Lin Feng, the senior disciple of the inner sect of Lingyao Valley, with a cultivation level of Qi Refining Level 8.

The charming woman in the red dress next to her is Jiang Qiuyue, a disciple personally taught by Xiao Fenlin, with a cultivation level of Qi Refining Level 6.

In his memory, Xiao Fenlin doted on this disciple and granted him almost every request.

The others were also inner disciples of Lingyao Valley.

With his mind racing, Lu Zaian did not reveal that he knew several people, but instead spoke slowly.

"I have been entrusted by someone to report an important matter to the Valley Master."

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of laughter came from the side.

"Hahaha, old man, you said you want to see the Valley Master? What important matter could a mere Qi Refining Level 4 person like you have? Tell me about it."

"Exactly, exactly. The Valley Master is extremely busy. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators have to queue up to see him. Are you kidding me?"

"If you want to come to the valley to seek elixirs, you'd better go to the main gate and line up properly. We don't have time to entertain you."

The other disciples exchanged smiles and began to mock Lu Zaian.

Upon hearing about alchemy, Jiang Qiuyue's eyes lit up, and she stepped forward with a charming smile.

"Hehe, you old man, if you want to refine pills, you can come to me!"

Do you know Master Xiao Fenlin? He was my master.

I inherited at least 30%... no, 50%, a full 50% of his skill level from him.

As long as it's a first-grade or mid-level pill, I guarantee I can successfully refine it for you.

The price is reasonable, definitely a great deal!

So, what do you think? Are you tempted?

"Hurry up and give me the medicinal herbs..."

"...Junior Sister, wait a moment, what if they really have something to say?"

Seeing his junior sister showing off and acting silly again, Lin Feng couldn't help but smile wryly and step forward to persuade her to stop.

Jiang Qiuyue, who was interrupted, glared at Lin Feng in dissatisfaction, but stopped muttering to herself.

Lin Feng then looked at Lu Zaian.

He put his hands in his hair, combed it back, and revealed what he considered a perfect smile on his handsome face.

“Old man, if you really have something important to say, you can tell me first. I am the senior disciple of the inner sect of Lingyao Valley, and I can make decisions on some matters.”

"What is this..." Jiang Qiuyue muttered in dissatisfaction, crossing her arms and glaring at Lin Feng.

"Cough cough cough..."

Lu Zaian coughed and looked at the two senior and junior brothers and sisters who were joking around in front of him, speechless.

I wonder if they'll still be as humorous as they are now when news of Xiao Fenlin's death reaches their ears.

Especially that little girl named Jiang Qiuyue.

"Gentlemen, I really have something important to discuss. I wonder if you could make an exception for me?"

Lu Zaian looked at Lin Feng, knowing that it was impossible not to reveal some information.

Immediately, Lu Zaian's lips moved slightly, and a whispered message drifted into Lin Feng's ears.