011. Leaving the Caravan to Explore the Swamp; Dangers Lurk Everywhere in Murky Cloud Swamp
Murky Cloud Swamp.
Here, murky clouds lingered year-round, obscuring the sun.
Numerous poisonous insects and fierce beasts lived in the swamp, and wild Gu survived within the murky clouds.
However, danger was always accompanied by opportunity.
Rumor had it that deep within Murky Cloud Swamp lay a heaven-defying Poison Path inheritance. Obtaining it would allow one to roam the world unhindered, attracting countless Poison Path Gu Masters to enter.
Over the years, countless Gu Masters had perished here, yet Gu Masters still entered to explore. Even if they couldn't obtain the rumored Poison Path inheritance, there was a chance to acquire the inheritances of those Gu Masters who had fallen here.
Qitian had already left the caravan by now. After staying with the caravan for a year, Qitian's set of Gu worms was well-equipped, his vital Gu had been changed to the Connected Qi Linked Branches Gu, and with the help of the Seven Fragrances Liquor Worm, he had broken through to Rank 3 peak stage. Staying longer with the caravan held little meaning.
Regarding Qitian's departure, Jia Fu had tried repeatedly to persuade him to stay, but to no avail. In the end, he gave Qitian an identity token.
Qitian already possessed combat strength comparable to Rank 4; even traveling alone through the mountains of Southern Border, he was capable of self-preservation.
And the caravan, after trading for a year, needed to return to the Jia clan territory. Qitian had no intention of going to the Jia clan. Although the Jia clan was wealthy, it was only a large-scale clan. Even if Qitian went and received high treatment, the time for the Jia brothers' Gu battle had not yet arrived. Even if he went, it would be difficult to obtain benefits that truly tempted Qitian.
Furthermore, Qitian cultivated Qi Path. Qi Path, though prosperous in ancient times, had long since declined. Nowadays, Qi Path Gu worms were scarce.
The Qi Path Gu worms available on the market were not only few in variety but also expensive. Most were auxiliary types, far from sufficient for a Gu Master cultivating Qi Path.
Although Strength Path had also declined, some Strength Path Gu worms were still relatively common, especially low-rank ones. Therefore, while outstanding Strength Path Gu Masters were few, they were relatively common at the lower levels, particularly among demonic path Gu Masters.
But Qi Path Gu Masters were extremely rare. Why?
Firstly, Gu worms were scarce and difficult to form a complete set. Secondly, there was a lack of inheritances. Possessing a few Qi Path Gu worms didn't make one a Qi Path Gu Master; otherwise, Hei Lou Lan wouldn't have struggled to find Qi Path Gu Masters when attacking the True Yang Building.
As for Mo Shi Kuang becoming a Qi Path Gu Master, it was because Inkman City specialized in Qi Path.
Qitian was a Qi Path quasi-Grandmaster in his previous life and had obtained the Qi Clan Ancestor's inheritance. Now, he only lacked Qi Path resources.
Although Qi Path resources were hard to come by, they were obviously much easier to obtain than inheritances.
The resource issue wouldn't stump Qitian either. As a reborn individual, Qitian knew the locations of several Qi Path inheritances. The resources obtained from these inheritances would be sufficient to meet Qitian's early needs.
And in the future, after inheriting the Qi Clan blessed land, although the blessed land also lacked Qi Path resources, collecting resources at the Gu Immortal level wouldn't be difficult.
Additionally, he could trade with the Inkman King. As long as the benefits were sufficient, establishing contact with Inkman City wouldn't be hard.
Qitian had also visited Murky Cloud Swamp in his previous life and knew it very well.
This swamp was formed several hundred years ago by the self-detonation of a Poison Path Gu Immortal, nurturing countless poisonous beasts. Deep within the swamp, there were even Poison Path desolate beasts.
Southern Border Gu Immortals had once explored here but were attacked by Poison Path desolate beasts and ultimately returned empty-handed.
This place was subsequently listed as a forbidden zone.
However, "Humans die for wealth; birds die for food." Many demonic path Gu Masters still risked danger and entered.
Although this place was dangerous, Qitian, relying on his past life's knowledge, could avoid dangers. As long as he didn't provoke the desolate beasts in the central region, he was capable of self-preservation.
Of course, Qitian was currently only a mortal Gu Master, insufficient to attract the attention of desolate beasts. Gu Immortals entering would trigger the desolate beasts' vigilance and attacks, while mortal Gu Masters were merely ants in their eyes.
Nevertheless, Qitian still needed to be extremely cautious. Not to mention Rank 4 or 5 poisonous beasts, even large numbers of Rank 2 or 3 could pose a threat to him.
After entering Murky Cloud Swamp, Qitian used the Eagle Wing Gu to travel at low altitude.
Dangers existed everywhere in the swamp. If walking on the swamp's surface, one had to constantly guard against poisonous beasts lurking in the mire.
If flying too high, numerous wild Gu existed in the murky clouds above, which would proactively attack targets entering their range.
Flying above the swamp, he occasionally spotted stone pillars and wooden planks on the swamp surface, clearly left by previous explorers.
During his flight, Qitian had to find a safe resting spot periodically to stop and recover primeval essence, maintaining peak condition at all times to handle dangers.
These stone slabs and wooden posts left by predecessors were relatively safe spots.
Of course, he had to investigate before landing; some wooden posts had already rotted into decaying wood and were unsuitable for resting.
Nearby, there were also skeletal remains of Gu Masters, obviously explorers who had died in the swamp previously.
There were giant black snakes swimming in the mire.
On giant spiderwebs spread across poisonous trees, black spiders the size of washbasins rested.
In areas shrouded by black mist, the roars of fierce beasts occasionally echoed, making one's hair stand on end.
"Croak..."
A thunderous frog croak came from the distance.
"Hmm... This is a Poison Swallowing Toad."
The Poison Swallowing Toad was Rank 4, small in size, and fed on toxins. If a Gu Master was poisoned, activating it to suck out the poison could achieve a healing effect.
Although Qitian had healing Gu, he wasn't proficient in detoxification, and excellent detoxification Gu were quite rare.
If he obtained this Poison Swallowing Toad, this weakness would be remedied, greatly aiding his swamp expedition.
Although the Poison Swallowing Toad was a Rank 4 Gu, its movement speed was poor. Qitian, relying on the Eagle Wing Gu, could attack it from afar, weakening its will until he could refine it.
Deciding quickly, he used the Mist Sparrow Gu to pinpoint the location of the miniature Poison Swallowing Toad, then began attacking remotely with blade qi.
The Poison Swallowing Toad moved slowly. After nearly half an hour of remote attacks from Qitian, it was covered in wounds and barely breathing.
Successfully refining the dying Poison Swallowing Toad didn't end Qitian's task.
Because he needed to refine the Poison Swallowing Toad, it was now heavily injured and required healing. Fortunately, healing the Poison Swallowing Toad wasn't difficult; it only required toxins, and Murky Cloud Swamp lacked nothing less than toxins – the swamp itself contained poison.
By the time the Poison Swallowing Toad fully recovered, Qitian had also restored the primeval essence consumed in the previous battle.
Flapping his Eagle Wings, Qitian set off again, bypassing the most dangerous areas according to his past life's memories.
Of course, these memories weren't entirely accurate; after all, the situation Qitian remembered was from several years later, so discrepancies were inevitable. Fortunately, Qitian relied on his superb flying skills to escape danger.
Among Gu Immortals, nine out of ten were flight masters. Those who could cultivate to Gu Immortal cherished their lives greatly, thus putting significant effort into movement. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say flight was an essential skill for Gu Immortals, and Qitian was no exception.
Half a day later, Qitian arrived at a Blackwater Poison Frog habitat, home to several thousand Blackwater Poison Frogs.
The largest Blackwater Poison Frog was over a zhang tall, entirely dark green, covered in scales. Its head was the size of a millstone and somewhat resembled a fish's head.
It exuded an extremely strong tyrannical aura. Its blood-basin mouth gaped open, looking very frightening.
In Qitian's path forward, large amounts of green mist surged. This green mist was extremely pungent; even from a distance, it was nauseating.
"The destination is just beyond here. The number of Blackwater Poison Frogs here is vast, including many thousand beast kings and hundred beast kings. But there's no way to bypass this area. The other route goes through a Flying Fish Swamp, which is no less dangerous than here. Since I've obtained the Poison Swallowing Toad and can detoxify, going this way is clearly more suitable."
The Flying Fish Swamp was inhabited by large numbers of Flying Shuttle Fish. The Flying Shuttle Fish had wing-like fins, could fly at low altitudes at extremely high speeds, and possessed sharp mouthparts.
There, Qitian's flight advantage would be countered, making it extremely unfavorable. The main threat in the Blackwater Swamp was poison attacks, which could be countered by the Poison Swallowing Toad.
Comparatively, Qitian naturally chose this route.