Returning Immortal

Chapter 30 : Poison Pool

It was just a difference of one gate.

However, the distribution of the primordial qi of heaven and earth was incomparably different.

'Hah! There was a reason why the demonic beasts were risking their lives to enter this place. If you live in a place where the primordial qi of heaven and earth is rich, not only will your cultivation speed up, but the probability of getting offspring with outstanding aptitude is also very high...'

Gwi Seongjin nodded his head as if he could understand the feelings of the demonic beasts gathered in front of the lake.

"You brat! Do you have the poison-repelling pearl?"

At that time, the Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who was following from behind, tapped Gwi Seongjin's shoulder with his dragon-headed staff and asked.

"Yes. I'm keeping it well in my bosom."

"Gekekeke. The lake in front is full of poison qi, so be especially careful and keep it well. If you happen to lose it, I will break your bones and suck all the blood from your body."

"I understand."

After stroking the Soul Sealing Pearl in his chest once, Gwi Seongjin stood close to Ne Jinja's side.

It was because the Ghost Medicine Hall Master's gaze had become uncomfortable since he had drunk the Three-Eyed Toad's blood and taken the Child Ginseng.

It was a gaze that somehow regarded him as a delicious spiritual medicine.

Since many demonic beasts were encamped in front of the lake, the group took a position a little away from the center.

Looking closely, it wasn't that waves were undulating and whirlpools were swirling throughout the entire lake.

Was it a coincidence?

The part right in front of where the group was located had very calm water.

Moreover, there were even stepping stones about a chi wide placed on the surface of the water.

The problem was that the stone platforms were not fixed.

When the demonic beasts attempted to cross, some of the stone platforms would sink into the water, burying the demonic beasts alive.

The distance between the stone platforms was one zhang.

Since the width of the lake was about forty zhang, there were less than 40 stone platforms floating on the water in the end.

The thoughts of the demonic beasts standing in front of the lake were simple.

'If only the stone platforms didn't sink, we could cross easily...'

But this was nothing but a vain delusion.

Scurry.

A small mouse shot out from among the demonic beasts in front of the stone platforms.

It was a red-eyed mouse with fur as white as snow.

The mouse, which had stood up on its hind legs and looked around in all directions as if on guard, immediately flew up and jumped into the lake.

Tap! Tap!

The mouse was surprisingly agile.

Flying lightly, it passed two stone platforms in an instant and reached the third stone platform.

The fourth, the fifth.

Perhaps because it was lucky, the mouse advanced forward without hesitation.

'Is it so light that the stone platforms can't react in time?'

At the unexpected possibility, Gwi Seongjin's eyes momentarily sparkled.

After arriving at the lake, Gwi Seongjin had already examined the stone platforms and the water with his spiritual sense.

The stone platforms were as ordinary as could be.

They were just ordinary stones, although their material looked hard.

But the lake was unusual.

A strange suction force was acting in the water, pulling objects from outside the water.

So the speed at which the demonic beasts crossed the water was bound to slow down.

The same went for his spiritual sense.

When Gwi Seongjin deployed his spiritual sense, as soon as it entered the water, a strange force pulled his spiritual sense like a water ghost.

The startled Gwi Seongjin hastily withdrew his spiritual sense.

The suction force that pulled objects was different for each part of the lake, and it was strongest where the stone platforms were located.

If he deployed his spiritual sense here, he could at best see only a chi deep.

Since his spiritual sense didn't work, Gwi Seongjin had no choice but to open his eyes wide and look at the mouse.

It was to figure out the operating principle of the stone platforms.

Huh!

The change occurred as the mouse stepped on the sixth stone platform.

The moment the mouse's long, sharp toes touched the top of the stone platform, the stone platform caved in like an illusion and sank into the water.

Gwi Seongjin, who had confirmed with his spiritual sense that the stone platform was not an illusion, was amazed at the reaction speed of the mechanism that moved the stone platform.

But what was even more surprising was the mouse's ability to cope with a crisis.

When the stone platform disappeared as if caving in, the mouse flipped its body in the air and kicked the surface of the lake with its hind legs to attempt a re-jump.

The distance to the stone platform in front was about one zhang.

Although it was in the water, with the mouse's usual ability, it was a distance sufficient to jump over.

Because it had that much ability, the mouse had also boldly decided to cross.

But this was the mouse's misjudgment.

The moment the mouse kicked the water, a sticky energy grabbed its hind legs and offset more than half of its jumping power.

In the end, the mouse couldn't even advance half a zhang and fell below the surface of the water.

Gurgle.

Black bubbles rose to the surface of the water...

Suddenly, something shot out from the water.

It was the very same mouse that had fallen into the water.

But the mouse was not in its previous state.

Its fur, which had been as white as snow, had completely disappeared, its skin was also peeled off, and its flesh had melted, making it a hideous sight.

In the parts of its body with little flesh, even the bones were exposed white.

Splash, splash.

The mouse, which had struggled a few times, lost its strength at some point and completely sank into the water.

Looking at the sinking mouse, its limbs were not visible at all, and its head was also more than half melted.

"What a formidable poison qi!"

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who saw the mouse's miserable state, muttered as if to himself.

"Hall Master! Is there no way to cross this lake safely?"

Ne Jinja, who was next to him, asked the Ghost Medicine Hall Master.

"Can't you tell by looking? That water is a powerful poison water containing a deadly poison. Unless one is impervious to a hundred poisons, the best policy is to avoid touching the water as much as possible."

"But didn't the mouse last for a long time?"

"That's because the body of the demonic beast that looks like a mouse is very sturdy. If it were an ordinary mouse, it would have melted and disappeared in an instant."

"Hoho! How could that be..."

Ne Jinja looked left and right, then shook his head.

Looking around, there was not a single person here who had learned external arts. It meant that if anyone fell into the water, they could die faster than the mouse.

'Perhaps the Ghost Medicine Hall Master is an exception...'

Although he had not learned external arts, the Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who was skilled in poison, might last a little longer than the mouse.

But there would be no big difference...

He had no choice but to step on the stone platforms and cross the lake, but he couldn't figure out the principle by which the stone platforms moved, so it was a truly frustrating situation.

Squeak!

Splash!

Among the demonic beasts, there were also smart ones.

A small demonic beast that looked like a monkey came carrying a large log on its shoulder and threw it into the lake.

It seemed it was trying to cross the lake by riding the log.

But the monkey demonic beast's extraordinary attempt ended miserably.

The log just sank into the water.

Looking at the sinking speed, it was to the extent that he wouldn't even have time to step on it and jump, let alone get on it.

Glance!

Frustrated, Ne Jinja looked at Gwi Seongjin.

But Gwi Seongjin's gaze was directed at a different place.

From the entrance of the ancient formation they had first entered, a large demon was now running, raising dust.

It was a strange demon with a head shaped like a deer, a body as long as a snake, and six legs.

The demon unhesitatingly jumped into the poison pool.

Swish! Splash!

The most surprising thing was the demon's swimming skill.

'Huh! Huh!'

While the humans were shouting in surprise, the demon had already crossed half the lake.

Suddenly, a wave the size of a house rose and covered the demon, but the demon didn't care.

It swam against the wave by shaking its long tail, then exquisitely advanced forward, avoiding even the whirlpools and eddies over five zhang in size.

Kwwwwwaaaaang!

At that, a blue monster of unknown identity appeared from the water and attacked the demon.

It was a large demonic beast that resembled a crocodile.

Amidst the black water splashing in all directions, the two demons bit and clawed at each other, fiercely rolling on the water.

After a while.

The demon, which had finally shaken off the crocodile-like demonic beast, ran as if sliding on the water and arrived at the other side of the lake.

Red blood was dripping from the demon's neck, as if it had been hit by the crocodile demonic beast.

Even so, the demon did not stop moving.

After crying out long towards the sky, it immediately flew up and disappeared from the group's sight.

'Huh! It's a poison water that melts bones and flesh, but it doesn't work on that demon. How tough and hard must its skin be... Well, there are even demonic beasts that live in the poison water altogether...'

While Ne Jinja was admiring, a few more demonic beasts attempted to cross from the stone platform side.

"Flying Blood Snake."

The Ghost Medicine Hall Master, who saw the demonic beasts, muttered in a low voice.

This time, it was not just one Flying Blood Snake attempting to cross.

About thirty small snakes with red crests like a rooster's comb were flying onto the stone platforms in a line, with a time lag.

This time, the fifth stone platform was the first to be submerged in the water.

But only the one in front fell into the water, and the rest of the blood snakes flew about two zhang and went straight to the sixth stone platform.

The Flying Blood Snake that had lost its momentum jumped by stepping on its comrade that was sinking into the water.

As one or two were sacrificed like that when a stone platform collapsed, even when the leader was passing the seventeenth stone platform, only fourteen Flying Blood Snakes had died.

Then, a strange event occurred.

As the eighteenth stone platform was submerged and the leader fell into the water, the Flying Blood Snake following behind flew straight to the next stone platform, but the nineteenth and then the twentieth stone platforms sank in succession.

The flustered Flying Blood Snake fell to the surface of the water, and the Flying Blood Snakes flying in succession also faced a crisis of death all at once.

At that time, another strange event occurred.

The Flying Blood Snake that had followed behind stepped on the Flying Blood Snake that had fallen into the water and stood tall in the water.

The rest of the Flying Blood Snakes jumped into the air by stepping on that one's head.

Then, when even the snake that had sacrificed itself to save its comrade sank into the water, another Flying Blood Snake threw itself.

In the end, four Flying Blood Snakes died in that place alone, and the snakes that had stepped on the twenty-first stone platform alive were all nine.

Peculiarly, the last three Flying Blood Snakes flew a whopping three zhang.

Thus, with the sacrifice of their comrades as a stepping stone, two Flying Blood Snakes were able to cross the lake safely.

When the last Flying Blood Snake arrived at the other side of the lake, Gwi Seongjin, who had been observing them, turned his gaze and looked at the distant sky.

Then he closed his eyes and quietly fumbled through the other side of his memory.

"Well, did you find anything?"

After a while, Ne Jinja asked Gwi Seongjin, who had opened his eyes.

Ne Jinja was a master of Yin-Yang and the Five Elements, recognized by himself and others.

But he still couldn't figure out the principle by which the stone platforms moved.

When the two Flying Blood Snakes succeeded in crossing, the demonic beasts rushed into the water, competing with each other.

But not a single demonic beast succeeded in crossing.

Splash. Splash.

They all fell into the black poison pool and ended their lives.

Above the heads of the dead demonic beasts, an ominous mist was wandering like a resentful soul.

Not all the stone platforms the demonic beasts had stepped on were submerged in the water.

Some of them were fine.

Then, when stepped on by another demonic beast, it would sink into the water again...

He couldn't figure out the reason for the sinking at all.

According to Ne Jinja's observation, up to the third stone platform was not very dangerous.

But from the fourth stone platform, it operated on an unknown principle and threatened the life of the one who stepped on it.

He was very frustrated because he couldn't figure out the cause, but Gwi Seongjin had made a strange expression as if he had found a solution.

"Vice Director! Do you happen to know which direction is due east?"

"Due east? Isn't it this way?"

Ne Jinja, who was looking at the shadow of the sun falling behind the mountain, pointed in one direction with his finger.

It was the place Gwi Seongjin had been looking at a long time ago.

"I see."

Gwi Seongjin, who was lost in thought for a moment at Ne Jinja's answer, quietly nodded his head.

"Why! Did you figure out the principle by which the stone platforms move?"

Ne Jinja asked jokingly.

But an unexpected answer came back.

"I think so."

"Wh-what! What is the principle?"

Ne Jinja asked Gwi Seongjin with a trembling voice.

"It's the color painted on the bottom of the stone platforms."

"Color?"

As Gwi Seongjin had said, the stone platforms had thin lines like diagonal lines drawn on their bottoms.

Although he had ignored them because they were thin and faint, Gwi Seongjin seemed to have discovered an important clue there.

"Are you saying the operating principle of the stone platforms is based on color?"

Ne Jinja asked with a look of still not being able to believe it.

"That's right."

Gwi Seongjin, who had nodded his head, bent his waist and gathered small stones from the ground.

Then he approached the front of the lake and threw a stone at the third stone platform.

At first, the stone just fell into the lake.

It was because the suction force generated from the lake had reduced the distance of the stone.

But the second stone that flew accurately hit the center of the square stone platform.

But the stone platform did not move at all.

This time, Gwi Seongjin hit the fifth stone platform with a stone.

At that, the stone platform sank into the water and disappeared.

Then, after a while, it shot out from the water again.

In response, another stone flew from Gwi Seongjin's hand.

This time, the stone platform did not move.

"Sink into the water!"

Gwi Seongjin shouted and threw a stone at the ninth stone platform.

At that, as he had shouted, the ninth stone platform went into the water.

"Don't move!"

Only after another stone had flown to the tenth stone platform could Ne Jinja fully trust Gwi Seongjin's words.

(End of Chapter)