After a long moment, Ji Wanyun clutched the jade vial filled with the toad's thousand-year purple-gold spittle, trembling with excitement. "I'll go back and try it!"

Ji Yusheng glanced at Ji Changkong, then suddenly asked, "Changkong, where did you get this thousand-year purple-gold toad spittle?"

"The Great Marsh of Yunmeng, at the Poison Dragon Pool."

"What?" Ji Yusheng and Ji Wanyun exclaimed in unison, staring at Ji Changkong in disbelief, their faces etched with shock.

Having stayed at Qingyan Mountain for so long, the Ji family naturally knew the peril of the Poison Dragon Pool in the Great Marsh of Yunmeng. Although Ji Yusheng had visited the marsh, he had always steered clear of the lair of ferocious beasts like the Poison Dragon Pool—a fact that underscored its inherent danger.

"You are forbidden from ever going to the Poison Dragon Pool again!" Ji Yusheng stated definitively.

"Changkong, listen to your grandfather. Never go back to the Poison Dragon Pool. That place is not meant for ordinary people!" Ji Wanyun pleaded, panicked.

"Mm." Ji Changkong nodded distractedly. He untied the two small bundles from his back, handing one to Ji Yusheng and the other to Ji Wanyun. He whispered, "Grandpa, Aunt, these two things I found near the Poison Dragon Pool. I don't know what they are for, so you should examine them. Also, I'm a bit hungry. I'm going to find something to eat now, and then I'll head to the Cold Ice Cave to cultivate. Please don't worry about me." With that, Ji Changkong turned and left.

He intended to visit the Poison Dragon Pool often in the future; he felt an undeniable pull toward that place. Fearing that Ji Yusheng and Ji Wanyun would press him further for details about the pool, he decided to create some distance for the time being.

...

After his departure, Ji Yusheng and Ji Wanyun curiously opened the two small bundles, revealing the hidden contents.

"What kind of hide is this? Why is it purple-gold? And look how tough this tendon is!" Ji Wanyun exclaimed.

"The hide, tendon, teeth, and eyeballs of a thousand-year purple-gold toad!" The discerning Ji Yusheng suddenly roared, instantly moving before Ji Wanyun. He spoke rapidly, "Everything from a thousand-year purple-gold toad is a treasure! The purple-gold hide is impervious to fire and water and can be woven into valuable armor or made into sheaths for divine weapons. That tendon can be fashioned into precious bowstrings. The teeth carry potent venom and can be used on poisoned darts. Its eyeballs, when steeped in water, can render the water detoxifying. These—these are all priceless artifacts!"

Smack! Smack!

Shaken by the intensity of his emotions, the small bundle Ji Yusheng was unwrapping spilled a collection of dark, lustrous jade stones onto the ground.

"Black Jade Primordial Crystal!" Ji Wanyun shrieked. She bent down, grasping a piece of the crystal, examining it closely. Her face broke out in sheer ecstasy. "Father, this is Black Jade Primordial Crystal! Black Jade Primordial Crystal!"

Ji Yusheng merely froze, as if the reality was too much to process. After a brief stunned moment, he urgently hissed, "Quick! Hurry! Pick them all up, and make sure no one sees!"

...

The Cold Ice Cave.

Carrying three jars of Fire Dragon Brew, Ji Changkong strode deeper into the cave toward the dark pool.

A figure meditating in the distance suddenly caught his eye. Ji Changkong frowned slightly, spared him a glance, and murmured, "Eldest Brother."

The man was Ji Changxiao, who looked utterly desolate after being defeated by Jiu Lingxue of the Jiu family from Yinshan in just three moves. He sat motionless, eyes closed, entirely enveloped in a swirling, whitish mist that radiated a chilling aura. He seemed not to have heard Ji Changkong’s greeting.

Seeing that Ji Changxiao paid him no mind, Ji Changkong felt no anger; he had grown accustomed to the aloofness of his elder siblings over the years. He simply sat down in his spot, took several long gulps of the Fire Dragon Brew, and began cultivating silently about ten meters from Ji Changxiao.

In an instant, Ji Changkong slipped into the state of selfless immersion.

Suddenly, the thickest white mist hovering above the pool, as if drawn by a powerful magnet, began to drift toward him in clumps. They gathered around him, enveloping him tightly like compact snowballs.

Ji Changxiao, who was resisting the cold vapor of the pool, immediately sensed the change in the mist. He snapped his eyes open and stared at Ji Changkong, who was now obscured by a large snow-like mass. His own eyes shone brilliantly, yet his brow was deeply furrowed.

Ji Changxiao watched him, frozen, seemingly deep in calculation.

After a long pause, Ji Changxiao abruptly stood up, his gaze turning sharply cold. He lunged forward, throwing a fierce punch directly at Ji Changkong.

Ji Changkong, deep in his trance, instinctively registered a surge of elemental force wave heading his way. Without conscious thought, he raised both hands, palms forward, blocking the direct path of the incoming energy.

Boom!

Ji Changxiao’s fist slammed violently into his palms. A massive force flooded into Ji Changkong’s body, sliding his seated form several yards across the slick, icy floor with a grating sound until his back slammed against the cavern wall, finally arresting his momentum.

Opening his eyes, Ji Changkong glared darkly and demanded, "Eldest Brother, what are you doing?"

To his surprise, Ji Changxiao merely nodded slowly. "Not bad. Very good. You reacted much quicker than Changle and Changsheng, and your elemental force seems deeper than theirs as well."

Hearing this, Ji Changkong paused. Ji Changxiao had barely spoken a few sentences to him throughout their lives, always regarding him with contempt and dismissal. While his demeanor this time wasn't warm, his tone was unusually level.

Most importantly, the way Ji Changxiao looked at him was entirely devoid of any hint of scorn!

"Eldest Brother wants to test my strength?" Ji Changkong smiled faintly.

"Mm." Ji Changxiao nodded, hesitating briefly before continuing, "I have cultivated in the Cold Ice Cave for a long time, but I found the water in the pool to be incredibly frigid. I once tried putting my hand in, and I was nearly frozen into an ice sculpture. However, after careful consideration, I realized that if one could harness the stimulus of the pool's intensely cold water, it might be possible to unlock our body's potential, allowing our elemental energy accumulation rate and depth to far surpass that of ordinary people."

He paused again before continuing, "When you were cultivating just now, I saw much of the white mist gathering around you. I noticed that although you are only at the First Heaven Realm, your body's resistance to the cold is astonishing. I suspect you should try cultivating using the pool’s water."

"Then I'll go try it now," Ji Changkong replied earnestly, genuinely moved by the suggestion.

"No! Not now! I just tested your strength. Although your elemental force is slightly deeper than Changle's and Changsheng's, it is nowhere near sufficient for cultivation in the pool. In my opinion, you should only attempt it once you reach the Second Heaven Realm." Ji Changxiao quickly shook his head.

Not rushing toward the pool, Ji Changkong hesitated, then murmured quietly, "Why are you telling me all this, Eldest Brother?"

Ji Changxiao’s expression grew shadowed. Without looking at Ji Changkong, he turned and walked toward the exit of the Cold Ice Cave. With his back to his younger brother, he said, "I have no hope of ever surpassing Jiu Lingxue. But the Ji family cannot remain suppressed forever. I don't think you can match a prodigy like Jiu Lingxue, but if you could cultivate in the Cold Ice Cave, you might stand a chance of dampening that brat Jiu Yunfeng's arrogance."

Having finished speaking, perhaps wanting to leave Ji Changkong in peace to cultivate, Ji Changxiao abruptly opened the stone door of the Cold Ice Cave and walked out with a dejected air.

Ji Changkong stood there, lost in thought, watching Ji Changxiao depart before finally coming to his senses.

Suddenly, Ji Changkong felt the resentment he held toward Ji Changxiao lessen considerably. It was in that moment he realized that the disheartened Ji Changxiao would likely never measure up to Jiu Lingxue of the Yinshan Jiu family.

The Yinshan Jiu family—they frequently provoked and showed off their dominance when visiting the Ji family. Was it possible they harbored a vile plan to crush the confidence of the younger generation of the Ji family, halting their progress on the path of cultivation?

Taking a deep breath, Ji Changkong suddenly felt a connection between himself and the thousand-year glory of the Ji family. With a sudden surge of resolve, he took a long swig from the Fire Dragon Brew jar and walked steadily, step by step, toward the icy pool deep within the Cold Ice Cave.