Chapter 427: Deadly Poison

"Is this Seven-Luster Lotus very famous? What special uses does it have?" Han Li's unhurried voice came from behind the cultivators.

Hearing his voice, cultivator Jian and the others felt a chill in their hearts. Their minds instantly cleared somewhat, and they looked back at Han Li with a hint of unease.

These individuals had all witnessed the power of the Gold-Devouring Beetles. Even if they joined forces, they likely wouldn't be a match for those strange insects. Now that such a precious item had been discovered, they instinctively felt a sense of unease.

Even Jin Qing, who had strongly invited Han Li to come along, showed a trace of hesitation.

With Han Li's shrewdness, he could roughly guess what they were thinking just by observing their expressions. A hint of self-mockery flashed in his eyes.

However, he quickly concealed this unusual expression, and his face remained as if oblivious as he continued to ask:

"The name 'Seven-Luster Lotus' is quite peculiar! I've read quite a few ancient texts, but I don't recall ever seeing it mentioned."

The cultivators opposite exchanged glances. Hu Yue then cleared his throat and explained to Han Li with a smile:

"It seems Fellow Daoist Han has always been engrossed in diligent cultivation, rarely engaging with matters outside of it. The name 'Seven-Luster Lotus' is something you wouldn't find even if you scoured all the records of spiritual herbs. However, it frequently appears in oral legends and tales. It's said that if mortals consume it, they can be resurrected, and flesh can grow on bones. For cultivators, consuming it can significantly increase their cultivation, even allowing them to rapidly advance by a whole stage. This is a legendary immortal item!"

After saying this, even though Hu Yue felt a hint of wariness towards Han Li, he couldn't hide the excitement on his face.

"Really? Is it that miraculous?" Han Li narrowed his eyes, speaking as if somewhat disbelievingly.

"That, I don't know. Because if we hadn't seen this Seven-Luster Lotus with our own eyes today, we wouldn't have believed such a thing truly exists in the world! However, it's certainly true that cultivators would spend a huge amount of spirit stones to buy it," Hu Yue said with a chuckle.

"I see!" Han Li nodded indifferently, then stopped looking at the Seven-Luster Lotus. Instead, he lowered his head and began examining the extremely white skeleton, showing a rather interested expression.

Seeing Han Li's indifferent demeanor, showing no intention of seizing it for himself, the others secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fellow Daoist Jian, please go and pick that Seven-Luster Lotus! After the auction, we'll split the spirit stones evenly. Immortal Shi, could you please check if there are any array formations or restrictions near the pool?" Hu Yue seized the opportunity to say, subtly winking at cultivator Jian and Shi Die.

After hearing this, the two looked at Han Li thoughtfully before agreeing.

Feeling that Han Li's strength was too formidable, these individuals couldn't help but form a subtle alliance, harboring a slight exclusiveness towards him.

Upon hearing this, Jin Qing's face showed a trace of hesitation. He seemed to want to say something but, after a moment of thought, remained silent.

At this moment, Han Li was half-crouching beside the skeleton, carefully examining something. His expression was normal. This caused Hu Yue, who had been carefully observing him, to slightly relax.

"There are no restrictions near the pool, Fellow Daoist Jian. You can pick it safely," Shi Die stated with certainty after a brief check with several magical artifacts.

Upon hearing this, cultivator Jian was immediately overjoyed and took a few steps forward.

"Be careful. I've heard that the Seven-Luster Lotus cannot be touched with magical artifacts or similar objects; it must be picked by hand. Otherwise, it will wither immediately!" Hu Yue's expression shifted as if he remembered something, and he quickly spoke to remind him.

Cultivator Jian waved his hand without looking back, indicating that he already knew.

At this moment, his attention was entirely focused on the bud of the Seven-Luster Lotus.

Standing by the pool, which was built with glittering jade, cultivator Jian slightly bent his body and carefully extended two fingers towards the three-colored flower bud.

Shi Die and the others held their breath, watching his every move without blinking as he reached out to pick it.

"Oh!" he exclaimed in surprise.

"What's wrong?" Hu Yue and Shi Die asked in unison, their faces filled with concern.

It was hard to say whether they were more concerned about the person picking it or the item being picked.

"That's strange, why is this flower root so sturdy? It seems very difficult to pull out," cultivator Jian said, pulling back his fingers and flexing them slightly, a hint of doubt in his voice.

"If you can't pull it out, just pluck it directly!" Hu Yue suggested, his eyes subtly shifting.

"Pluck it directly? That would greatly reduce the Seven-Luster Lotus's value!" Shi Die shook her head, her face full of disapproval.

"Wait, I'll cast a Strength Amplification spell and try again." Cultivator Jian pulled out a yellow talisman, slapped it onto his body, then used all five fingers to firmly grasp the flower bud about three inches below it, preparing to pull it out forcefully.

"Wait!" Han Li, who was still examining the skeleton, suddenly spoke to stop him without even lifting his head.

Hu Yue and the others' hearts skipped a beat, and they became somewhat uncertain and suspicious.

Cultivator Jian's heart also went cold, but when he looked at the dazzling flower bud within reach, he steeled himself and, as if he hadn't heard, exerted force with his hand.

However, the Seven-Luster Lotus, as if cast from iron, remained completely still.

Cultivator Jian became even more anxious. Almost without thinking, he tightened his grip, changing from pulling to pinching.

This time, the flower bud finally reacted, trembling slightly a few times before suddenly retracting into the pool, vanishing without a trace.

With a "plop," cultivator Jian, who was unprepared, was pulled into the pool by the immense force from the flower stem, and milky-white liquid splattered everywhere.

Immortal Shi, being closer, immediately had several drops of the liquid splash onto her face.

Immediately, a scream of agony erupted!

"It's poisonous, this water is poisonous!" the female cultivator cried out in alarm and fury, covering her face with her hands.

She then hastily reached into her storage pouch, pulled out a red medicine bottle, poured out a handful of fiery-red pills, and frantically swallowed them.

The instant she consumed the pills, Hu Yue and Jin Qing caught sight of a festering face covered in yellow blisters, and couldn't help but gasp.

Even Han Li's expression subtly changed upon seeing it.

Immortal Shi was merely splashed with a few drops and ended up like this. What about cultivator Jian, who had fallen into the pool?

Thinking of this, Jin Qing and the others looked towards the jade pool filled with milky-white liquid.

Since falling into the pool, there had been no sign of him. No screams were heard, nor any struggles or calls for help.

A chill ran down their spines!

At this point, Shi Die finally stopped moaning. She tore off a corner of her dress and tightly covered her face, then temporarily sighed in relief as she looked towards the pool, her eyes filled with resentment and malice.

"Gurgle, gurgle," a string of bubbles floated up from the depths of the pool. Soon after, a largely decomposed corpse floated to the surface.

Everyone's faces turned ashen.

From the remaining clothing on the corpse, it was indeed the body of cultivator Jian.

However, he was now riddled with holes, his bones exposed, and his eye sockets empty, his eyeballs having long since dissolved, sending shivers down anyone's spine.

"How did it turn out like this? How could a Thousand-Year Stone Milk possess such a strange poison?" Hu Yue murmured in disbelief.

"Thousand-Year Stone Milk isn't poisonous, but if someone intentionally added poison to the pool, that's a different matter," Han Li said slowly, exhaling softly as he stood up.

"Fellow Daoist Han! When you just called out 'stop,' did you already know the pool was poisonous?" Shi Die asked Han Li, her voice hoarse and cold.

"Whether it's poisonous or not, I don't know. But I did discern something about this Seven-Luster Lotus not being so easy to pick. Look at the right hand of this skeleton!" Han Li said calmly, gently tapping the bones beneath his feet with his toe.

Hearing this, Hu Yue and the others couldn't help but concentrate and look closely, resulting in strange expressions on their faces.

The entire right hand bone of the skeleton was not only pitch black, but its index finger was also incomplete, missing a small section. The break was jagged, as if something had bitten it off.

Han Li didn't look at the others' puzzled expressions, nor did he offer any further explanation. Instead, his eyes flashed with a cold light as he stared at the pool.

In the milky-white liquid, the "Seven-Luster Lotus" had resurfaced at some unknown point, still emitting a brilliant glow. However, Hu Yue and the others now looked at it as if it were a venomous scorpion.

Without another word, Han Li spread his five fingers, and five small fireballs appeared hovering above his fingertips. Then, with a slight flick of his fingers, the fireballs arranged themselves in a line and shot towards the Seven-Luster Lotus.

Jin Qing and the others were startled, but given the previous events, they didn't stop Han Li. The lotus swayed left and right in the firelight a few times before suddenly retracting back into the water. Then, a black shadow flashed, and an object flew out of the water, shooting towards Han Li like an arrow.