From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 154 Life-or-Death Crisis in the Valley of Immortal Medicine

I shook my head, forcing myself to stand firm, and said, "I'm fine, just that my spiritual energy was overused." Looking around, the once lush forest was now just bare tree trunks and rubble scattered on the ground, with a pungent smell of burning filling the air.

Lei Hu and Zi Ling emerged from their hiding place, their faces pale. Lei Hu looked at me with apprehension; he hadn't expected me to withstand the monster's self-destruction. Zi Ling, on the other hand, wore a grim expression; her carefully laid trap had failed completely. I took in their expressions, a cold smile playing on my lips, but my face remained impassive.

I ignored them and walked to the center of the explosion to examine it closely. After the monster self-destructed, it left behind a fist-sized black crystal, the surface of which emitted a faint black light, looking extremely eerie.

"What is this?" Ling'er asked curiously, her small figure hovering around me like a light cloud.

"This is a demon core," I explained, "the essence contained within a demon beast's body." I carefully picked up the demon core and put it into my storage bag. This demon core contains powerful energy; it can be used to refine pills or to enhance my cultivation, making it extremely important to me.

"Congratulations, Sister Xiao Yao, on obtaining the demon core!" Ling'er said happily, her voice as clear as a silver bell.

I smiled slightly, but felt little joy. Although I had defeated the demon beast and obtained its core, I still felt things weren't so simple. What exactly was this demon beast guarding? Why did it choose to self-destruct? These questions still troubled me. My gaze unconsciously drifted towards the direction of the Immortal Medicine Valley, shrouded in mist and clouds, indistinct yet exuding a strange allure.

Just then, I sensed an unusual aura and turned around abruptly. A much larger demonic beast slowly emerged from the dense forest. It exuded a suffocating pressure, its blood-red eyes fixed on me as if to devour me. I watched the beast warily; its aura grew increasingly eerie. Did it have a hidden killing move?

Just as I was intently watching the monster, I heard a "whoosh" sound and a sharp stone flew straight towards my face. I instinctively turned my head to dodge, and the stone grazed my cheek, leaving a shallow bloodstain. I steadied myself and glared angrily, only to see Lei Hu standing not far away, a sinister smile on his face.

"Lei Hu, what are you doing?!" I shouted angrily.

He shrugged and said innocently, "I just wanted to test your reaction speed. I didn't expect you to be so easily frightened."

I cursed him inwardly for being despicable, but I knew this wasn't the time to get entangled with him. The demonic beast was already stirring, ready to attack at any moment. I took a deep breath, refocused my attention on the beast, gripped my spirit sword tightly, and prepared to fight. But just then, my foot slipped, and I lost my balance…

"Watch out!" A crisp voice rang out, and Ling'er flew to my side, supporting me. I steadied myself and looked down to see a greasy puddle of liquid at my feet. My heart sank; this was clearly done intentionally.

I looked up at Lei Hu and Zi Ling; both of them wore barely perceptible smiles. My anger burned within me, but I could only suppress it. The most important thing now was to resolve the immediate crisis; everything else could wait. I gripped my spirit sword tightly, my gaze icy as I stared at the demonic beast, and slowly said, "Come on..."

A stench assaulted my senses, and the monstrous beast let out a deafening roar, its massive body pressing down on me like a small mountain. I gritted my teeth, mustered my spiritual power, and swung my sword to meet it. The sword light clashed with the beast's claws, producing a piercing metallic scraping sound.

While dodging the attacks of the demonic beasts, I cautiously observed my surroundings. Lei Hu and Zi Ling didn't directly participate in the battle; instead, they stood aside, watching coldly, seemingly waiting for something. I knew in my heart that they were still plotting against me in secret.

Just as I was locked in combat with the demonic beast, a strange fragrance wafted into my nostrils. The scent was unusually sweet and intoxicating, instantly refreshing. My inner alarm bells rang; something was wrong with this fragrance!

"Sister Xiao Yao, be careful!" Ling'er's anxious voice rang in my ears.

I turned around abruptly and saw Zi Ling standing not far away, holding a sachet in her hand and wearing a sinister smile on her face.

"Ziling, what have you done?!" I shouted angrily.

Zi Ling covered her mouth and chuckled, saying, "It's nothing, just a small gift for you."

The moment I finished speaking, I felt dizzy and everything before my eyes blurred. I realized then that the fragrance was a sleeping potion! Damn it, I'd fallen for her trick!

I struggled to maintain my balance, only to find my spiritual energy circulating sluggishly. The intoxicating smoke not only affected my mind but also suppressed my spiritual power!

"Hahaha, Xiao Yao, you're dead!" Lei Hu laughed loudly upon seeing this, his eyes filled with smugness.

The monster seemed to sense my abnormality and its attacks became even more ferocious. I managed to parry a few blows, but my body felt heavier and heavier, and my steps became unsteady.

I knew in my heart that this was bad; if things continued like this, I would surely die!

Just then, I sensed a powerful surge of spiritual energy coming from afar. I looked up and saw an old man dressed in black standing on the hillside, coldly watching me.

It's Elder Xuanfeng!

My heart sank. How could he be here?

A sinister glint flashed in Elder Xuanfeng's eyes as he muttered incantations. Then, the demonic beast's attacks suddenly became even more unpredictable, each strike hitting my weak points precisely, making it impossible for me to defend against them.

That's when I realized that this demonic beast was being controlled by Elder Xuanfeng!

"Elder Xuanfeng, how dare you secretly control demonic beasts to attack a junior like me? Don't you feel ashamed?!" I shouted angrily.

Elder Xuanfeng sneered and said, "The victor is king, the loser is villain. In this world, only the strong have the right to survive."

My heart was filled with despair. Was I really going to die here?

Just then, I felt a warm energy flow into my body, and my mind gradually cleared up.

I turned my head and saw Ling'er standing behind me, her hands emitting a soft white light.

"Sister Xiao Yao, hang in there!" Ling'er's voice was full of determination.

I took a deep breath, mustered my strength, and swung my sword again to meet the attack.

I know I can't give up, I must live!

Just as I was locked in a fierce battle with the demonic beast, Elder Xuanfeng, Lei Hu, and Zi Ling, I suddenly felt a powerful suction force coming from the direction of Immortal Medicine Valley… “Not good!” I exclaimed, my body involuntarily flying towards the direction of Immortal Medicine Valley…

I felt my spiritual energy draining away like a burst dam, my body starting to give way, and my steps becoming unsteady. Damn it, the aftereffects of this sleeping smoke are so strong! I gritted my teeth, struggling to keep from collapsing. Everything around me became blurry; the roars of the demonic beasts, the savage laughter of the Thunder Tiger, and Elder Xuanfeng's chilling incantations all seemed to be muffled by a thick layer of cotton wool.

I staggered backward, narrowly escaping being scratched by the demonic beast's claws. This couldn't go on; I had to find a way out! My gaze fell on the sachet in Zi Ling's hand, and a sudden idea struck me. Since this sleeping smoke was so potent, why not use it to create illusions and confuse them?

I took a deep breath, silently recited the incantation, and channeled the last of my spiritual energy. I poured this energy into the sachet, controlling the direction of the sleeping smoke. Thick purple smoke quickly spread, obscuring everyone's vision.

"What's going on? Why has this sleeping smoke suddenly become so thick?" Lei Hu's voice came from within the fog, tinged with panic.

A slight smile played on my lips. Success! I channeled my spiritual power once more, condensing the mist into several phantoms resembling my own form. These phantoms flickered and shifted within the mist, indistinguishable from the real thing.

The beast's roar rang out again. It seemed to be bewildered by these illusions, its enormous body rampaging through the mist, yet it could never touch my true form.

"Where is Xiao Yao?" Elder Xuanfeng's voice also carried a hint of doubt.

I held my breath and moved silently toward Zi Ling. She was standing at the edge of the mist, looking around in panic, completely unaware of my approach.

I burst out of the mist, grabbed Zi Ling's wrist, and slammed her to the ground. Zi Ling let out a terrified scream, and the sachet in her hand fell to the ground. I seized the opportunity to snatch a defensive magic item from her body, a heart-protecting mirror that shimmered with a pale golden light.

“Xiao Yao, you…” Zi Ling looked at me in horror, her eyes filled with anger and resentment.

I sneered, ignoring her, and turned to disappear back into the mist. I sensed the attacks from the demonic beasts and Elder Xuanfeng growing increasingly fierce; they seemed to have realized my intentions.

I kept changing positions, using illusions to confuse them, while also looking for a chance to escape. I had to get out of here as soon as possible, otherwise, once the smoke cleared, I would truly be doomed.

I took a deep breath, preparing to channel my spiritual power again, but suddenly sensed an unusual aura. The surrounding mist began to churn and gradually converge in my direction. The color of the mist also changed; it was no longer the previous purple, but had turned into an eerie green.

My heart sank. Oh no! This fog is poisonous!

"Do you think you can escape?" Elder Xuanfeng's chilling voice came from within the mist. "This is my specially made poisonous mist, designed to deal with ants like you!"

I began to hallucinate; I seemed to see countless hideous faces floating in the mist, emitting piercing screams. My body began to feel numb, and breathing became difficult.

I……

I struggled to steady myself, the world spinning before my eyes, multicolored lights dancing around me, as if mocking my current wretched state. My lungs burned, each breath feeling like swallowing burning coals. Elder Xuanfeng's sinister laughter echoed in the mist, like a death knell: "Give up, Xiao Yao, you can't escape!"

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay awake. Escape, I must escape! Even if I run out of spiritual energy, I absolutely cannot die here! I staggered forward, everything in front of me blurred, I could only rely on my instincts, desperately running in the direction I thought was the exit.

Suddenly, I felt my feet slip and my body began to fall uncontrollably. Startled, I quickly circulated the last of my spiritual energy, trying to steady myself. However, the poisonous mist seemed to possess a strange power that devoured spiritual energy; my energy circulation slowed, and my descent accelerated.

"Ah!" I couldn't help but cry out, falling heavily to the ground. The intense pain made my vision go black, and I almost lost consciousness. I struggled to get up, but found my limbs weak, and even moving a single finger was incredibly difficult.

I struggled to open my eyes, and all I could see was an eerie green. The poisonous fog grew thicker and thicker, almost engulfing me completely. I felt my spiritual energy being eroded by the fog bit by bit, like being gnawed by countless tiny insects—a sensation far more unbearable than any physical pain.

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. This wasn't the time to despair; I had to find a way to save myself! I tried circulating my cultivation technique, absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy, hoping to replenish the spiritual power within my body that had been eroded by the poisonous fog. However, the poisonous fog seemed to have the effect of isolating spiritual energy; I couldn't absorb even a single trace of it.

"Am I really going to die here?" The thought flashed through my mind, and a powerful fear gripped me. No, I can't give up! I still have so much to do, I haven't found a way back, I haven't…

Suddenly, I felt the protective mirror in my hand heat up slightly. This magical artifact, which I had taken from Zi Ling, was actually reacting at this moment. I was overjoyed and quickly channeled my spiritual energy into the protective mirror. The pale golden light instantly intensified, forcing back some of the surrounding green poisonous mist.

I felt a warm current flowing into my body from the protective mirror, and my spiritual power, which had been eroded by the poisonous fog, began to slowly recover. I was overjoyed. Could this protective mirror really resist the poisonous fog? I quickly poured more spiritual power into the protective mirror, and the golden light grew brighter and brighter, enveloping my entire body within it.

However, just when I thought I was finally saved, I suddenly felt an even stronger force coming from the protective mirror. This force... was devouring my spiritual power!

"This..." I stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the golden breastplate radiating from my hand, my heart filled with confusion and fear. What on earth was going on?