Chen Ping An sneered at the Great Restoration Pill Xiao Yicfeng had chosen.
Here, he actually had an option for instant replacement, priced at six yuan per use. If Xiao Yicfeng, by some stroke of luck, picked the pill without poison, Chen Ping An could spend money to swap it with a poisonous one.
But now, it seemed there was no need for Chen Ping An to spend a penny.
Xiao Yicfeng was by no means someone with overwhelming luck; the first pill he chose was laced with poison.
Chen Ping An pressed the sound-transmitting talisman and said, "Now that you've picked it, just swallow it. What are you waiting for?"
"Since fate has been sealed, take it and see," echoed a voice from the void.
"Xiao Yicfeng, what are you hesitating for?" Qingxuan Taoist cast a sidelong glance at his second disciple. He was eager to see Xiao Yicfeng prove the mysterious figure wrong. As for Xiao Yicfeng's pained expression—resembling that of someone holding back a bowel movement—Qingxuan attributed it to nervousness from standing too close to the enigmatic cultivator.
"Yes, Master," Xiao Yicfeng responded.
After invoking every deity he could think of, Xiao Yicfeng shut his eyes and swallowed the pill in one gulp.
The pill's energy erupted instantly. Xiao Yicfeng let out a muffled grunt, clutching his chest in agony as his face turned purplish-red.
His eyes bloodshot, he panted heavily—the hallmark of a poison outbreak.
And it was no half-measure poison at that.
To prevent meridian damage, he immediately sat cross-legged on the spot to regulate his spiritual energy, using his Wood-element energy to gradually neutralize the poison. Other cultivators with different spiritual roots would have had no choice but to pop more pills or seek help from seniors to purge the toxins.
"This..." Wu Duan Tian glanced at Qingxuan Taoist beside him, noting the elder's face had darkened to a shade of bluish-black, his hands trembling with rage beneath his sleeves.
"You still have two chances left!" came the voice from the void.
The onlookers from Qingyun Sect, both disciples and elders, knew Xiao Yicfeng had failed his first attempt at identification.
After suppressing the poison, Xiao Yicfeng opened his eyes, his face a picture of misery. After a moment of hesitation, he bowed to the mysterious figure behind Fang Qingzhi and asked, "May I dare to inquire if among these ten pills, there truly is one without poison?"
"How dare you imply I'm deceiving you?!" a cold snort rang out, accompanied by a surge of pressure. A gale swept through, reducing the steps around Xiao Yicfeng to rubble.
A voice laced with murderous intent echoed from the void: "For that remark alone, I could slay you without justification!"
"I know I've overstepped, Senior! Please calm your anger!" Xiao Yicfeng quickly bowed his head, his heart pounding with fear.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his master, Qingxuan Taoist, sitting with cold, closed eyes, seemingly indifferent to the chaos.
Sect Leader Wu Duan Tian watched Fang Qingzhi with a smile, his gaze akin to that of a doting father.
No one could come to his aid; neither his master nor the sect leader was willing to cross the mysterious cultivator.
Now, Xiao Yicfeng had to rely on himself.
He took a deep breath and steeled himself to pick a second pill.
The pill's poison erupted once more.
"You have one chance remaining," the voice intoned.
After subduing the poison again, Xiao Yicfeng's veins bulged as he reached for the remaining eight pills.
Never before had he imagined the pain of poison flaring up would be so excruciating.
His entire body felt as if it were being scraped by a steel brush studded with needles.
This agony wasn't ceaseless but came in waves, like a serpent slithering through his body, offering no respite. It was a torment that granted no moment of peace. This was all the more remarkable given his Wood-element spiritual root, which naturally possessed detoxifying and poison-suppressing properties.
Fang Qingzhi, however, lacked such attributes.
So this was the agony Fang Qingzhi had endured daily after being expelled from Chixiao Peak...
The mysterious cultivator's alchemy was truly exceptional.
Even when he cheated by cutting off a piece to taste, he couldn't discern which pill lacked poison.
In that case, it was better to pick one at random.
Xiao Yicfeng closed his eyes, resigned to fate, and grabbed a pill at random.
"Ha, this kid's luck isn't half bad. He actually hit the one - in - eight chance," Chen Ping An muttered, reluctantly spending six yuan. As the deduction occurred, the pill in Xiao Yicfeng's hand was swapped.
The black cat nearby cast a strange glance at Chen Ping An.
*What's this guy muttering to himself in front of that black box? Is he mental...*
*Could it be some mind - controlling magical artifact? Interesting, so fascinating! I wonder if the evil behind this box is more vile than me, haha!*
The cat's tail rose high as if it had stumbled upon something delightful.
Xiao Yicfeng swallowed his last chance, and the poison flared up once more.
The accumulated poison from the first two attempts had reached its peak. The third dose acted as a spark, merging with the prior toxins to unleash a full - blown explosion.
"Ugh..."
Xiao Yicfeng's face turned ashen, then flushed crimson. He stumbled back several steps on the stairs and finally collapsed to his knees, spewing a mouthful of black blood. Oddly, the blood vaporized upon contact with air, filling the surroundings with the stench of medicinal dregs and foul blood. Disciples nearby immediately covered their noses.
The figure in the square clutched his chest, struggling to stay upright for a moment before toppling to the ground, convulsing a few times before falling still.
"A fine disciple you have there, Qingxuan Taoist... seems not as talented as he thinks," a mocking voice echoed from the void.
"Seven pills remain uneaten. Will you feed them to him, or shall I?"
Chen Ping An felt no sympathy for Xiao Yicfeng.
Fang Qingzhi had endured the poison for three whole months.
Her meridians were charred and ulcerated from the toxin. Compared to that, Xiao Yicfeng's current suffering was nothing.
"Sir, this disciple has been punished enough. His condition is critical with the poison ravaging his body. Surely, he need not consume the remaining seven pills..." Wu Duan Tian, sensing Qingxuan Taoist's rising fury, hurried to mediate.
"Did I grant you permission to speak? Sit down!"
"You dare to push your luck!" Qingxuan Taoist could contain himself no longer, rising to his feet. His sword pointed, not at Chen Ping An, but at Fang Qingzhi.
"Do not think I am unaware that all ten of your pills are poisoned! My second disciple could not possibly pick a clean one! Even if you seek justice for Fang Qingzhi, this is going too far! Moreover, are you certain my second disciple deliberately fed her a poisoned pill?"
" Elder Qingxuan," Fang Qingzhi, braving the late-stage Soul Transformation pressure, stepped forward with her pale face taut, as if shielding the mysterious figure behind her. Her once cold eyes now held a desolate chill as she regarded her former master: "Since the grand competition, I have received no aid. The only pill I consumed was the Great Restoration Pill from Xiao Yicfeng."
"You lie!" Qingxuan Taoist bellowed.
"May heaven strike me down with thunder if I utter a falsehood," Fang Qingzhi vowed, her three fingers raised to the heavens. The weight of the oath drained her complexion, and she could almost feel her fate fraying. Once, she had groveled to maintain these connections; now, her desperate retaliation was equally fierce!
The skies over Qingyun Sect, once clear, were suddenly overcast. Lightning flickered within the clouds, peeking through curiously before dissipating with the gloom.
Qingxuan Taoist's gaze met Fang Qingzhi's resolute stare. His sword trembled, leaving him speechless. Having entangled with heavenly fate twice, his destiny was inevitably diminished—Fang Qingzhi was risking her life.
Thus, the poison pill was indeed from Xiao Yicfeng, including the healing pill he had sent to Fang Qingzhi, which never reached her.
Among the remaining seven pills,
one floated before Qingxuan Taoist.
The oppressive aura enveloping Fang Qingzhi dissipated.
The ethereal voice from the void spoke again:
"Whether it is a poison pill, why not test it yourself?"
Qingxuan Taoist eyed the brocade box containing the pill, a flicker of hesitation crossing his eyes.
"How do I know this pill of yours isn't...?"
Before he could finish,
the box burst open.
A Great Restoration Pill shot into Qingxuan Taoist's mouth.
A derisive voice echoed from the void:
"Swallow it for me!"