The abandoned cannon fodder girl's path to immortality

Chapter 317 Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Ginseng

Three days later.

Chen Jinshu and his two companions are still searching for the whereabouts of the Black Demon Old Ghost in the underground cave.

“That old black demon is truly hateful.” Zhao He kicked away a piece of gravel at his feet, his voice echoing in the empty cave.

"We went to great lengths to find the Fountain of Time, but he lurked in the shadows, like a cicada stalking a bird."

"In the secret realm, it is a world where the strong prey on the weak. It would be great if we could obtain the Time Lotus, but we shouldn't be discouraged if we couldn't."

“The fairy is right.” Sand Scorpion followed from behind, his steps unsteady. His face was pale, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, clearly indicating that his injuries had not yet healed.

He took out a yellowed animal hide map from his pocket, unfolded it, and laid it on the stone wall.

“I just carefully examined the route recorded in this jade slip. Besides the Spring of Time, there is another place marked with the words ‘Ten Thousand Year Spirit Ginseng’.”

Chen Jinshu leaned closer to look. On the map, a winding route was outlined in cinnabar, leading east from their current location, through an area called "Poisonous Miasma Forest," and finally arriving at a place marked "Azure Blood Pool."

"This place is about fifty miles from where we are now." Sand Scorpion pointed to the map.

"But we have to pass through a poisonous miasma forest, where the miasma is said to be able to corrode the protective true energy of a Golden Core cultivator."

Zhao He frowned: "I've heard of the Poisonous Miasma Forest. According to the old cultivators who entered the secret realm back then, the miasma there comes in three colors: white can bewitch the mind, red can corrode the body, and black can devour the soul. If you're not careful, even a Golden Core cultivator can perish there."

Chen Jinshu pondered for a moment, then took out three cyan pills from his storage bag:

"This is an antidote pill I made. It can resist most of the poison from the miasma. Although it cannot completely neutralize it, it should be fine for a few hours."

“But we don’t know if that ancient ginseng is still around.” Zhao He hesitated.

"What if someone beats us to it..."

"We'll have to go and see for ourselves to know."

"Let's go, every moment of delay increases the chances of things going wrong."

The entrance to the Poisonous Forest is between two stone mountains, where grayish-yellow mist rises from the ground, completely enveloping the entire forest.

From a distance, Chen Jinshu could only vaguely make out the outlines of a few withered trees, their branches twisted, resembling ghostly claws reaching towards the sky.

“This miasma…” Sand Scorpion’s expression changed slightly.

"It's even stronger than I imagined."

Chen Jinshu handed the antidote pills to the two of them and took one himself first.

The pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, and a cool medicinal power spread along the meridians to the limbs and bones, causing a faint bluish glow to appear on the skin's surface.

"Let's go." She took a deep breath and stepped into the miasma first.

A wave of miasma hit us, carrying with it a sweet, pungent smell of decaying vegetation.

Chen Jinshu activated his protective true energy, forming a thin layer of light around his body, keeping the miasma three feet away.

The soil underfoot was soft and damp, making a squelching sound as I stepped on it, like stepping on some kind of living thing.

Zhao He followed closely behind her, holding a short blade in his hand, and warily scanned his surroundings.

Sand Scorpion brought up the rear. His injuries were too severe, making him move slowly, and beads of sweat were increasingly forming on his forehead.

After walking for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, a rustling sound came from ahead.

Chen Jinshu stopped and raised his hand to signal the two to be quiet.

The sound grew closer, like something crawling in the mud.

Suddenly, a centipede as thick as a bucket burst out of the miasma. It was entirely crimson, with a metallic sheen on its back and its mouthparts open, revealing a dense array of sharp teeth.

"A third-tier demonic beast!" Zhao He exclaimed, holding his short blade horizontally in front of his chest.

Chen Jinshu remained calm and plucked the strings lightly with his fingers.

A clear and melodious zither sound rang out, transforming into a moon-white blade of light that slashed towards the centipede's head.

The monster seemed to sense the danger, twisting its body and dodging the attack at an incredible angle.

"Such speed!" Sand Scorpion gritted his teeth, formed hand seals, and an earth-yellow light shield rose from the ground, blocking the three of them.

The centipede hissed and spewed out a cloud of black mist, which collided with the light shield, producing a sizzling, corrosive sound.

The light shield thinned at a visible speed, the sand scorpion's face turned pale, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of its mouth.

"I'll do it." Chen Jinshu channeled his inner energy, his fingers rapidly plucking the strings of the zither, and a stirring melody of "Soul Guardian" resounded forth.

The music transformed into invisible ripples, surging towards the centipede.

The monster's movements visibly faltered for a moment. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Chen Jinshu plucked the strings of his zither again, and three moon-white light blades flew out in succession, striking the centipede's head and abdomen.

The monster let out a miserable cry, its massive body rolled a few times on the ground, and then lay still.

Chen Jinshu put away the zither and went forward to examine it.

The centipede's head was cut open by the light blade, leaving a deep wound that exposed the bone, from which bluish-black blood gushed out.

She frowned, turned to the two of them and said, "Take its demon core and shell; these can be exchanged for spirit stones."

Sand Scorpion crouched down, skillfully dissected the centipede's abdomen, and took out a demon core the size of an egg, which was entirely emerald green and exuded a rich spiritual energy.

He then peeled off the shells from his back piece by piece and put them into his storage bag.

"Fairy, there is deadly poison here. You must not touch it with your hands." Sand Scorpion took out a piece of cloth and carefully wiped the blood off his hands.

Chen Jinshu nodded, but his gaze fell on a plant next to the centipede's corpse.

The plant was about half a foot tall, with purplish-black leaves and a small white flower at its tip, emitting a faint fragrance.

“This is…” She stepped forward and examined it carefully for a moment.

"Purple-leafed white-flowered grass? This is the main ingredient for refining the Bone-Healing Pill. In the outside world, a single plant can sell for thousands of spirit stones."

Upon hearing this, Zhao He's eyes lit up. He quickly took out a jade shovel from his storage bag, carefully dug it up with the roots and soil, and put it into the jade box.

"Although this poisonous miasma forest is dangerous, it also has many medicinal herbs." He smiled and patted the dirt off his hands.

"If we can pick a few more plants, this trip won't be a complete waste."

Chen Jinshu did not answer, his gaze fixed on the depths of the thick miasma in the distance, a vague unease creeping into his heart.

According to the map, the Jade Blood Pool should be located in the center of the Poisonous Miasma Forest, where ancient ginseng grows. However, the journey was too peaceful; apart from the centipede from earlier, no other demonic beasts were encountered.

This isn't right.

Three hours later, the three finally emerged from the poisonous miasma forest and arrived at an open area.

A pool of water appeared before us, its water as green as jade, with a faint phosphorescence on its surface.

Several strange plants grow by the pool, one of which is particularly eye-catching. It is pure white, with its stems and leaves shimmering with a precious light, and a vermilion fruit at its top, exuding a rich spiritual aura.

"A ten-thousand-year-old spiritual ginseng!" Sand Scorpion's voice trembled with excitement.

"It really is a ten-thousand-year-old spiritual ginseng!"

Chen Jinshu frowned. She noticed several fresh footprints on the mud by the pool, and they belonged to more than one person.

She lowered her voice and said, "Someone has been here."

Before the words were finished, a chilling laugh came from across the pool:

"Haha, you guys arrived quite quickly."

Chen Jinshu looked in the direction of the sound and saw a group of people standing on the opposite side of the pool. The leader was wearing a green robe and was none other than the Golden Core cultivator of the Five Poisons Sect, the Jade Serpent True Man.

Behind him stood four or five disciples, each with a cold smile on their face and holding various magical artifacts in their hands.

"The Jade Serpent Immortal?" Chen Jinshu's expression changed slightly.

"How did you end up here?" "Naturally, it's for this ten-thousand-year-old spiritual ginseng." The Jade Serpent Immortal slowly walked to the edge of the pool, reached out and picked a fruit from the spiritual ginseng, weighing it in his hand.

"Our Five Poisons Sect has been eyeing this spiritual ginseng for decades, waiting for it to mature today so we can harvest it."

Sand Scorpion's face turned ashen: "Your Five Poisons Sect is far too domineering!"

The spiritual treasures of this secret realm are meant for those with the right destiny; why should they be considered yours?

"On what grounds?" Master Bishe sneered, taking out a token from his robes, on which was engraved a coiled venomous snake.

"Because my Five Poisons Sect has been passed down for a thousand years in the Southern Frontier, because my Five Poisons Sect's influence has spread throughout the Western Regions and the Southern Frontier, and because I, True Person Jade Serpent, am a late-stage Golden Core cultivator!"

Chen Jinshu's eyes narrowed slightly as he quickly assessed the relative strengths of the two sides.

The Jade Serpent Immortal is at the late Golden Core stage, while she herself is at the mid-Golden Core stage. Zhao He and Sand Scorpion are both at the early Golden Core stage, and the opposing side also has five disciples at the late Foundation Establishment stage. If a real fight breaks out, the chances of winning are not high.

But she was unwilling to accept it. She had finally found the ancient ginseng, only to have someone else get there first; she couldn't swallow this insult.

"Fellow Daoist Bishe, do you intend to forcibly keep us here?" Chen Jinshu's voice was calm, but his fingers were on the strings of his zither, ready to strike at any moment.

"Leave you here?" Master Bishe laughed heartily.

"I don't have that much free time. But your zither is quite good. If you're willing to part with it, I might consider giving you a few leaves."

Chen Jinshu's face darkened: "This is my natal magic weapon, how can I just give it away like that?"

"Then there's nothing to discuss." Jade Serpent True Man put the Spirit Ginseng Fruit into his storage bag, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.

"Since that's the case, then don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Before she finished speaking, she raised her hand and waved it, sending a cloud of green poisonous mist rushing towards the three of them.

Wherever the poisonous fog passed, the vegetation on the ground withered instantly, and even the stones were corroded and pitted.

"Watch out!" Chen Jinshu plucked the strings of his zither, and a moon-white blade of light slashed out, splitting a gap in the poisonous mist.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhao He used his movement technique to slip through the gap, and thrust his short blade straight at the throat of the Jade Serpent Immortal.

"A mere trick!" Master Bi She sneered, his body suddenly transforming into a cloud of emerald green smoke, causing Zhao He's short blade to miss its mark.

The next second, the smoke reformed into a human shape, and the Jade Serpent Immortal appeared behind Zhao He, striking out with a palm.

Zhao He sensed something was wrong, but it was too late to dodge, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and turn around to block.

With a muffled thud, Zhao He was thrown back and crashed into a dead tree by the pool, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao!" Chen Jinshu exclaimed in surprise. He changed the tune of his zither and played the stirring melody "Soul Suppressor".

The Jade Serpent Immortal felt a wave of dizziness, slowing his movements by half a beat.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Sand Scorpion used earth magic, and the ground suddenly cracked open, with stone spikes emerging from under Jade Serpent Master's feet.

With a light tap of his toes, the Jade Serpent Immortal leaped into the air, dodging the attack of the stone spikes.

"You dare to show off your mere earth-based magic in front of me?" Jade Serpent Immortal sneered and raised his hand to throw out a green pill.

The pill exploded in the air, turning into countless tiny poison needles that shot towards the three of them.

Chen Jinshu activated his light shield to block the poison needles.

However, due to the excessive number and density of poison needles, cracks quickly appeared on the light shield.

Seeing that it was about to shatter, she gritted her teeth and poured her true energy into the strings. With a sudden pluck, a huge moon-white beam of light shot into the sky, blasting all the poison needles away.

"What a fine zither!" A glint of greed flashed in the eyes of the Jade Serpent Immortal.

"I'm determined to have this zither!"

The two sides were locked in fierce combat, and Chen Jinshu gradually lost ground.

The cultivation level of Master Bishe was already a small realm higher than hers, and the Five Poisons Sect's techniques were unpredictable and difficult to defend against, making them impossible for her to guard against.

After Zhao He was injured, his strength was greatly reduced, and he could only barely protect himself.

Needless to say, Sand Scorpion was still recovering from his injuries, and his internal energy was not flowing smoothly. His face was already pale, and he obviously couldn't hold on for much longer.

"Fairy, run!" Sand Scorpion shouted through gritted teeth, "I'll hold him off!"

Chen Jinshu shook her head: "No, we'll go together!"

"If we don't leave now, it will be too late!" Zhao He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and struggled to his feet.

"Consider this ginseng a gift to the Five Poisons Sect. We'll settle the score another time!"

Chen Jinshu gritted his teeth and finally nodded: "Withdraw!"

The three fought and retreated, but the Jade Serpent Immortal pursued them relentlessly.

He knew in his heart that if the three escaped, they would definitely cause him trouble in the future. Although he had the Five Poisons Sect backing him, having another enemy was never a good thing.

"Want to leave? Not so easy!" Master Bishe formed hand seals and chanted incantations.

A gust of cold wind swept by, and the soil on the ground suddenly churned up, with countless venomous snakes emerging from the ground and surrounding the three of them.

Chen Jinshu's expression changed drastically. These venomous snakes were as thick as water buckets, their bodies as black as ink, and their scarlet tongues flicking out; they were clearly highly poisonous.

"This is the Five Poisons Sect's snake formation!" Sand Scorpion cried out in terror.

"Once surrounded by the snake formation, even a Golden Core cultivator would find it difficult to escape!"

Chen Jinshu took a deep breath, hugged the Star Moon Guqin to his chest, and sat down cross-legged.

She closed her eyes, her fingers gently stroking the strings, and began to play a piece called "Zhou Tian Xing Yue Yin - Overture".

The sound of the piano rose, melodious and ethereal.

Where the sound waves passed, the venomous snakes' movements became noticeably slower, and their eyes gradually became dazed.

"What kind of music is this?" Master Bishe's expression changed. He could feel his soul being suppressed by an invisible force, and the speed at which he circulated his true energy also slowed down.

Chen Jinshu did not answer, but continued playing. The music grew higher and higher, as if it would shake the entire world.

'Ding ding dong—'

Suddenly, she opened her eyes and plucked the strings heavily with her fingers, sending a powerful sound wave spreading in all directions.

The venomous snakes were struck head-on by the sound waves, emitting shrill hisses as their bodies shattered into piles of rotten flesh.

The Jade Serpent Immortal was also affected; he felt a tightness in his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Well done, Chen Jinshu! I'll remember you!" Jade Serpent Master gritted his teeth, put away the spiritual ginseng, and turned to leave with several disciples.

Chen Jinshu stood up, his face as pale as paper.

This piece, "Zhou Tian Xing Yue Yin - Overture," consumed most of her true energy. At this moment, her dantian was completely empty, and she could barely stand steadily.

"Fairy, are you alright?" Sand Scorpion quickly stepped forward to help her up.

Chen Jinshu waved his hand: "It's nothing, it's just that my internal energy was depleted. I'll recover after a few days of rest."

Zhao He sighed, "It's a pity that the ten-thousand-year-old spiritual ginseng was snatched away by the Five Poisons Sect."

"It's alright." Chen Jinshu gazed firmly in the direction where Master Bishe had gone.

"There is more than one spiritual plant in this secret realm; we still have a chance."

The three of them found a cave on the edge of the poisonous miasma forest to rest.

Chen Jinshu sat cross-legged, swallowed a pill to restore his true energy, and began to regulate his breathing. Sand Scorpion tended to his wounds, while Zhao He kept watch. (End of Chapter)