Chapter 143 - Entrance

The next morning everyone woke up feeling refreshed and continued their journey.

After almost being killed in their sleep the group increased its vigilance.

If Ki did not notice a pair of watchful eyes upon them then most of the group would of went to sleep and would have been completely vulnerable to a sudden attack.

Almost being killed while sleeping woke several people out of their relaxation they had built up over the past couple of days since they had not encountered any enemies they relaxed their guard.

Ki had repeatedly warned them to keep a lookout for any abnormalities but very few of them even noticed the boys presence so while everyone went to sleep Ki had faked sleeping and then waited for a chance to follow behind the boy after ordering a couple of her people to follow behind and wait outside the cave.

Entering an unknown territory usually came with its dangers so Ki decided that going alone was best in case of there being any sudden ambushes or traps within the cave.

Luck was on her side and they did not have any traps or anything to harm her and their lack of vigilance because they were within their own territory lead to their downfall.

They never imagined Ki was able to set up several traps within their cave pathways but also make use of several parts of the cave to her advantage like the crevices or holes in the walls that separate the cave pathways.

Their poor vision in the dark also helped to increase their success rate along with the smoke blocking their sight.

Although the main room was lit up with torches that did not help much once the smoke filled the room and the pathways and exit were not lit up at all.

Ki was able to fit into tight places, hide behind rocks and use the darkness to the best of her abilities thanks to how she was dressed so it was a perfect place to carry out assassinations.

A couple more days passed and all of a sudden the horse Ki was riding on came to a complete stop.

Ki took out a map and began to examine it carefully and then checked her surroundings.

He gaze passed by the nearby mountains and forest then she let out a sigh of relief. 'According to my memories it was around here for sure. Back then the trees and vines surrounding the entrance were removed by the time the agreement was made for various forces to send their disciples in."

In order for wars and direct confrontations to be avoided when an experts tomb was discovered and known to the public the tomb was carefully guarded by one force but nobody could enter.

An agreement would be made between the various forces in the world as they gathered to raid the tomb and try to gain many riches, rare pills, weapons or martial arts books or scrolls left behind by a long deceased expert.

While the elders, sect masters or leaders of various powers weren't able to enter they could send in anyone else from their sect or organisation.

Their disciples are able to explore the tomb and take on the dangers in order to temper themselves and if they are lucky they could acquire a rare or valuable item for themselves or they could donate it to their sect for certain privileges.

In her previous life this cave was one of the most dangerous and many people entered ranging from eighteen to forty but many died inside.

If the tomb itself didn't kill them then others either died of betrayal or to someone from an enemy sect or organisation while fighting over the treasures.

Ki took out her sword and began to cut a path into the forest from the carriage to the location of the cave.

Soon after many joined her in their efforts to open up a path and the carriage entered through the path so it was hidden away from any passerby that was using the road.

Ki continued to hack away at the vines or bushes that blocked the horses and carriages path until she finally reached a mountain area that was covered heavily in vines.

Ki examined the vines carefully and then raised her hands to stop the others from approaching. "Go get some bags so I can begin collecting some of this please. Do not come into contact with it as it will cause irritation and rashes."

On the mountain wall there was a lot of vines that had clusters of leaves, each containing three leaflets growing from the stems.

These leaves varied between an oval to egg shape and had either smooth, lobed, or toothed edges and clusters of small, greenish flowers and white berries were growing on the vines too.

After identifying the plant type Ki's eyes lit up with excitement. "Poison ivy, it fits well with my poison arts but I haven't had the opportunity to come across it yet."

Poison ivy wasn't that rare in the world but nobody ever thought to harvest or sell it so there were many other types of herbs or types of plants that Ki could not get her hands on with money alone.

Ki's current realm in martial arts had advanced to the transcendent realm so she needed to choose a new path to add to her poison qi.

Currently her poison qi caused heavy itching symptoms when contact is made with the skin and spreads through the body but also has an additional use when it reaches the lungs, eyes or stomach.

The person who is hit by the poison qi may also experience stomach irritation, difficulty breathing and also irritated or teary eyes.

The poison ivy also had similar effects but resulted in a lot more sever symptoms as a result of their allergic and poisonous properties.

The symptoms of the poison ivy would include itching, inflammation, oozing, and, in severe cases, a burning sensation which would be a good direction for Ki to take her poisons upgrade and effects.

When it is somehow consumed or breathed in, poison ivy can cause severe irritation of the mouth, throat, and lining of the stomach and intestines; nausea; vomiting; uncontrollable crying; diarrhea; dizziness; blood in the urine; fever; and coma.

While Ki had added many poisons to boost the current effects and effectiveness, she still needed to upgrade its original form during the stages after she had made a breakthrough.

Ki had long wished that her poisonous qi would display more of an allergic reaction than one that was directly identified as pure poison to avoid tying her to the poison clan.

If the poison clan were active in the central lands once more then the martial alliance would immediately track down all those that were related to them as they would believe the poison clan was trying to make their comeback or seek revenge.

While the poison clan focus their poisons around poisonous herbs and recipes as their foundation, Ki chose resins, pollens and saps as her foundation.

Also it wouldn't help her in the future if she made contact with the poison clan once more if she was known to practice their own qi art and martial arts.

Before she could even build relationships and establish some form of partnership, she would directly become suspected as a spy or a thief by them or at least someone related to their enemies which was the last thing she wanted.