A single drop of water from a stalactite fell onto Ji Changkong’s shoulder.

An ice-cold chill radiated from that droplet, seeping into Ji Changkong’s body, stiffening him instantly. Every step he took became an arduous effort.

Drip! Drip! Drip!

Droplets from the stalactites struck his shoulders, neck, and forehead. The intensely frigid energy surged through Ji Changkong’s entire being, causing his limbs to tremble uncontrollably. He shivered, and the breath he exhaled plumed out in thick, white mist.

So cold!

Ji Changkong cried out, feeling as if his body were freezing over. The chill contained within the water was tens of times more potent than the dense, white mist, giving him the sensation that he was about to be turned into an ice sculpture at any moment.

He gulped down mouthfuls of Fire Dragon Brew. The blazing liquor boiled within him, yet it could not immediately dispel the penetrating cold. The closer he got to the cold pool, the more frequently the water dripped from the stalactites. When he was still five zhang away from the pool, he felt his body begin to fail.

Watching the cold pool tantalizingly close, Ji Changkong dared not advance another step!

Too terrifying!

Taking a deep breath, Ji Changkong finally realized that Ji Changxiao’s advice had been golden. With his current cultivation at the First Yuan Heaven Realm, even resisting the dripping water was this difficult; to venture into the depths of the cold pool meant certain death.

He decisively retreated!

Two breaths later, Ji Changkong had moved far away from the pool, abandoning any attempt to face the even more bone-chilling cold within its waters.

Gulp, gulp!

He poured Fire Dragon Brew down his throat, stopping where Ji Changxiao had previously sat. Relying on the potency of the brew and the Yuan Li within his body, it took him the better part of a day to finally melt away the internal cold.

For ten consecutive days, Ji Changkong sat fixedly in that spot, allowing himself to sink into a state of selfless absorption. Relaxing his body completely, his consciousness became a vacant expanse, gathering the dense cold mist hovering over the nearby pool and using it, time and again, to temper his physique...

Half a month later, Ji Changkong noticed that while this method of cultivation did deepen his Yuan Li, he still could not guide that energy into his Sea of Consciousness to breach the final gate of the First Yuan Heaven Realm.

Holding his breath and concentrating, Ji Changkong flipped through the pages of the Tai Xu Secret Record in his mind. He gradually understood that relentless, stubborn cultivation was not the sole answer; he recognized the vital role that one’s state of mind played in martial progress.

The Tai Xu Secret Record most severely warned against restlessness; only by merging oneself with nature, by becoming one with heaven and earth, could one align with its profound cultivation tenets.

After spending a day in contemplation, Ji Changkong realized that his current state was unsuitable for continued arduous training in the Ice Cave.

Making a swift decision, he stepped out of the Ice Cave. Without informing anyone, Ji Changkong journeyed alone back to the Great Marsh of Cloud Dreams under the hazy veil of night.

The Great Marsh of Cloud Dreams was dense with ancient trees, crisscrossed by lakes, swamps, and rivers, nurturing all manner of strange beasts and exotic flora—a sparsely populated treasure land in the world. Ji Changkong felt an instinct that only by cultivating within the Great Marsh could he finally shatter this barrier.

This time, Ji Changkong was in no rush to head directly for the Poison Dragon Pool. Instead, he walked unhurriedly and alone through the Great Marsh, allowing himself to completely relax.

With no burdens weighing on his mind, Ji Changkong’s heart was tranquil. He consciously avoided dwelling on cultivation matters, instead taking out a miscellaneous book, the Compendium of Flora, borrowed from the Scripture Repository, and focused on identifying bizarre plants and flowers along his path.

The Compendium of Flora rested on the first floor of the repository, considered an obscure, neglected text, detailing only strange medicinal herbs and celestial treasures nurtured in places saturated with spiritual energy.

Ji Changkong had borrowed this scroll when he last returned to the Ji Family from the Great Marsh, seeking out Mo Yunyi at the repository. In his view, the Great Marsh was a treasure trove of rare items, especially the area around the Poison Dragon Pool, which harbored countless strange herbs whose names he simply hadn't known before.

Having nothing pressing to do this time, he had borrowed the Compendium of Flora hoping to identify the exotic flora in the Great Marsh, perhaps discovering some spirit items imbued with Yuan Qi that could aid his own cultivation or that of his grandfather and aunt.

Although the Black Jade Yuan Jing was an exceedingly rare treasure, one needed the cultivation of the Third Heaven Realm to utilize it to enhance soul power. Thus, Ji Changkong had given all of it to Ji Yusheng and Ji Wanyun. Upon receiving the Black Jade Yuan Jing, both immediately entered seclusion, hoping to boost their soul strength with its aid.

Huh!

A small, three-petaled flower, dark crimson in color, emitting a captivating fragrance, yet growing right in the center of a patch of mud that carried a faint, fishy odor. Flipping open the Compendium of Flora and reading carefully, Ji Changkong let out an exclamation, his face alight with joy.

The Three-Leaf Scarlet Orchid could be consumed directly. For those in the Third Heaven Realm actively generating blood, essence, and fluids through Yuan Li, it could accelerate the rate at which blood, semen, and bodily fluids were produced, making it extremely useful for Heaven Masters at that level.

Ji Changkong dug up a large clod of soft earth nearby, kneading it into a ball and tossing it toward the swamp. After cautiously observing for a moment to ensure no Blood-Patterned Giant Alligators were lurking deep within, he quietly approached, carefully plucked the Three-Leaf Scarlet Orchid, crushed it, and placed it into a small vial.

At that precise moment, a sharp cry echoed from the distance.

Ji Changkong’s pace instantly quickened as he charged toward the source of the sound, plunging into a dense thicket shrouded by a veil of green miasma.

Ahead, a middle-aged man dressed in Nanyi attire was clawing at his throat, emitting muffled, agonizing shrieks. Faint green smoke curled from his body, and shortly thereafter, he collapsed, unmoving.

Once inhaled into the lungs, the green toxic miasma would begin to rot the body from within. Except for fierce beasts adapted to the area or powerful Heaven Masters capable of effortlessly wielding Yuan Li to shield their vital organs, ordinary people inhaling the poison would see their bodies completely decay within a single day at most.

However, Ji Changkong discovered with wonder that his body seemed utterly unaffected by the Great Marsh’s toxic air. Ever since he had emerged unscathed from the miasma above the Poison Dragon Pool, he noticed that whenever he inhaled such toxins, the blood within him would briefly boil, and the poisonous vapors would vanish without a trace in an instant, never causing him to succumb to poisoning.

Of all the toxic miasma in the Great Marsh of Cloud Dreams, the most fearsome and terrifying was the black miasma hanging over the Poison Dragon Pool! Yet, even that poison had no effect on him; the miasma in other regions was naturally beneath his notice.

This immunity was one of the primary reasons Ji Changkong dared to venture alone into the Great Marsh.

...

A month slipped by quietly. Ji Changkong, proceeding at his relaxed pace toward the Poison Dragon Pool, finally arrived feeling utterly unburdened.

As he neared the pool, he suddenly drew a deep breath of the fresh, untainted air, experiencing a marvelous illusion of melding entirely with the Great Marsh.

Without consciously employing his Yuan Li, he slipped directly into the state of selfless absorption, standing there completely lost to himself, as if he had instantly vanished from the world.

Waves of imperceptible energy rippled outward from Ji Changkong. Centered on him, the dense Yuan Qi of the Great Marsh quietly gathered, gently washing the turbid energy from his body...

His empty soul gave a tremendous jolt!

In the next instant, a subtle, wondrous realization flooded his mind. Ji Changkong, who had disappeared from the world, suddenly became aware of his own existence and could clearly perceive the omnipresent Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi of the Great Marsh slowly flowing around him...

His soul stirred, and Yuan Li, like a warm current, instantly filled his Sea of Consciousness. Ji Changkong felt refreshed and invigorated; his sight, hearing, and sense of smell seemed to sharpen... His eyes could see incredibly far, his ears could detect the faint scuttling of insects nearby, and his nose could catch the fragrance of a wild flower ten zhang away.

He understood: the barrier that had bound him was gone forever.

...