Chapter 1096: Black-hearted Poison Saint

Yun Che traveled westward, directly leaving the Black Soul Mountain Range. The two recent severe mental injuries caused by the Dragon Soul Domain, combined with his physical wounds, meant he was utterly unsuited to assassinating anyone from the Soul Sect for the next day or two. Moreover, the Soul Sect had already issued a sealing order, leaving him with no current target.

Arriving at a desolate area several hundred miles from the Black Soul Mountain Range, Yun Che sat down. Instead of immediately calming his mind to heal, he picked up his transmission jade. "Miss Ruyan, please do me another favor. Lei Qianfeng should have many children still in the branch sects. Please ascertain their locations and movements, then tell me about the ones closest to me."

Soon, Ji Ruyan replied, "The nearest branch sect is the one in Blackya City. Lei Guangmo, Lei Qianfeng's youngest son, is one of its vice-sect masters."

"Lei Guangmo is the second son born to Lei Qianfeng's principal wife, and also his most beloved. He remained by his father's side until last year when he was sent to the Blackya Branch Sect for experience. Although he holds the title of vice-sect master, he's generally a good-for-nothing who has wasted vast resources, only recently reaching the Divine Origin Realm. He used to frequently return to the main sect, but due to recent events at the main sect, he has remained in Blackya City without returning."

"With major events unfolding at the main sect, the atmosphere at the Blackya Branch Sect has also become much heavier these past few days. However, Lei Guangmo continues to indulge in pleasures. With Young Master Lingyun's abilities, acting against him should be simple."

Yun Che had only asked a simple question, yet Ji Ruyan's response was not only incredibly swift but also exceptionally detailed.

Initially, Yun Che's impression of Ji Ruyan was that she was mysterious, strong-willed, perhaps overly so. For Yun Che, due to his association with the Black Feather Merchant Association, there was more a sense of repulsion towards her. However, over these past few days, as one astonishing and unbelievable piece of news after another reached Ji Ruyan's ears, Yun Che also witnessed her remarkable intelligence-gathering abilities. Coupled with their shared enemy, a degree of trust gradually began to form between them.

"Good, then let's start with him. I will return to Blackya City within a day. Please keep a close eye on Lei Guangmo's whereabouts – especially where he goes tonight. Additionally, besides Lei Guangmo, there's a more important matter: please gather information on some well-known but elusive and extremely mysterious healers in the lower and middle star realms. The more mysterious, the better. Ideally, they should be highly renowned wandering doctors whom very few people have ever seen in person."

***

At the Black Soul Sect.

When the Soul Sect members found Lei Kuangfeng and brought him back to the sect, he was already on his last breath.

"Kuangfeng, what exactly happened?" Lei Qianfeng asked gravely.

Lei Kuangfeng was covered in blood, his breath barely a whisper: "It was Lingyun..."

The mere mention of that name caused everyone's expressions to change drastically.

"He wants me to tell the Sect Master... that the Sect Master must cripple his profound energy and all four limbs within three days... otherwise... otherwise..."

"Absurd!" Lei Qianfeng roared in fury. After so many years dominating the Blackya Realm, who dared to threaten him like this? "I will tear him to shreds!"

"Sect Master, disregard such wild ravings. Kuangfeng, what is Lingyun's cultivation level exactly? Did he truly kill Qinglie by himself, and then you...?" First Elder Lei Qiandu asked with a furrowed brow.

"Lingyun's profound energy... Divine Soul Realm Level Two..." Lei Kuangfeng's voice was extremely weak and intermittent, but his words stunned everyone present.

"The earlier news from Blackya City also said Lingyun's profound energy was only in the early Divine Soul Realm. How is that possible!?" Everyone's face was filled with disbelief.

"Although Lingyun's profound energy is strange... in a direct confrontation, he shouldn't be my match... but..." As if recalling something terrifying, Lei Kuangfeng's body trembled. "His mental power is very frightening... very frightening... you must be careful... ugh..."

Lei Kuangfeng's voice trailed off, then fell silent completely.

"Sect Master, Lingyun's vital aura disappeared quickly, making him untraceable, but he left a large amount of blood, clearly indicating severe injury. We believe a comprehensive search will yield results soon," Lei Tiangang said.

"He wants me to cripple my profound energy and four limbs? Hmph!" Lei Qianfeng scoffed in extreme anger. "I'd like to see what he can do to me in three days!"

***

Once his injuries had stabilized slightly, Yun Che returned to the outskirts of Blackya City. Just as he was about to enter, he received a transmission from Ji Ruyan.

"Young Master Lingyun, I've compiled the information you requested about healers. Seven healers best fit your requirements."

A vast merchant association with fifty thousand years of heritage naturally possessed immensely rich intelligence reserves. Ji Ruyan meticulously described the seven healers to Yun Che, including their names, titles, origins, medical achievements, and physical characteristics.

Yun Che listened quietly. After she finished, he remained silent for a moment, then said, "You mentioned the fourth person, the one titled 'Black Heart Poison Saint.' Is his detoxifying ability very strong?"

"Rumor has it," Ji Ruyan replied. "The 'Black Heart Poison Saint' is rumored never to have used medical skills to save people, at least there are no such records. But his poisoning and detoxification abilities are praised as 'unparalleled in the world.' It's said that no matter how terrifying the poison, he can easily cure it. There's even a rumor that he once claimed there's no poison in this world that he cannot detoxify. As for the name 'Black Heart,' it's because he charges exorbitantly for detoxifying people, and if he's displeased, he will poison and kill. The number of people he has killed with poison far exceeds those he has saved through detoxification. Additionally, the antidotes he provides must be consumed in his presence, presumably to prevent others from analyzing their composition."

"What about his appearance?" Yun Che thought for a moment and asked.

"Information on that is very limited, but a few points are consistent: he always appears wearing a large black hooded cloak, is relatively tall, and has a slightly hunched upper body. Also, it's said that due to prolonged exposure to potent poisons, his face is disfigured, so he rarely shows his true appearance."

"The Black Heart Poison Saint was already famous over three thousand years ago, but later, he accumulated too many enemies and wandered among various star realms, making him extremely difficult to find proactively. The last piece of information I have about him dates back several decades. In his native star realm, there are even rumors that he has died."

Yun Che silently considered for a while, then said, "Miss Ruyan, starting tomorrow, secretly spread the news that the 'Black Heart Poison Saint' has appeared in the Blackya Realm. You don't need to spread it too widely; just enough for it to reach the Soul Sect's ears will suffice."

"This..." Ji Ruyan hesitated slightly and asked, "What is Young Master's intention behind this?"

"It's simple," Yun Che stated directly. "I plan to impersonate that 'Black Heart Poison Saint' and deliver a super grand gift to the Soul Sect!"

"Ah!?" Yun Che's words made Ji Ruyan gasp, then she immediately said, "Young Master, this absolutely cannot be done!"

"Although no one in the Soul Sect should have seen the Black Heart Poison Saint, they are by no means easily deceived. On the contrary, their methods are sinister, and their actions are extremely treacherous and cunning. Otherwise, my Black Feather Merchant Association wouldn't be so constrained by the Soul Sect. Moreover, impersonating a figure like the 'Black Heart Poison Saint,' especially given his rumored unparalleled detoxification abilities, is as difficult as ascending to heaven. If you are exposed in person, you will truly be in danger."

"Don't worry, I don't think they're fools," Yun Che slowly said. "I naturally have a way to make them believe, and moreover, have no choice but to believe. You're right, such a person is extremely difficult to impersonate, but if one can impersonate sufficiently well, it also becomes equally difficult to expose."

Ji Ruyan wanted to speak but stopped. She couldn't imagine how Yun Che planned to "impersonate" or how he would make the Soul Sect "have no choice but to believe."

"Your Black Feather Merchant Association must frequently send people out of the city to procure goods, right? Then today, dispatch three people out of the city, under any pretext. They should carry at least five million profound stones. Then, tell me their route."

"That's certainly no problem, but what is Young Master's purpose?" Ji Ruyan asked, puzzled.

Yun Che calmly replied, "On their way, they will be bitten by venomous snakes called 'Black Yama Kings.' As far as I know, the Black Yama King's venom has no cure in the Blackya Realm, and anyone below the Divine Tribulation Realm who is bitten will surely die. When these three are poisoned, on the verge of death, and in despair, they will encounter the 'Black Heart Poison Saint.' After he detoxifies them in exchange for all the profound stones they carry, news of the 'Black Heart Poison Saint' being in the Blackya Realm will naturally spread. You just need to subtly fuel it."

The transmission ended. Yun Che put away his transmission jade, but in his hand, he held two slender, pitch-black snakes, less than a foot long—he had specifically caught them before leaving the Black Soul Mountain Range.

On his first day entering the Black Soul Mountain Range, when he was "rescued" by someone from the Jade Sword Sect from such a highly venomous black snake, the person had shouted that he would surely die if bitten, indicating the extreme potency of its venom.

"After this is done, it will be time to leave Blackya City," Yun Che murmured to himself. Then, he looked up and sighed softly, "He Lin, my current strength is too weak. Even giving my all, I can only achieve this much. If I'm fortunate enough to enter the Brahma Heaven Realm two years from now, I will try every means to meet people from the Brahma Heaven Realm and inform them of your Wood Spirit clan's plight. In the future, if I can become strong enough, I will ensure that no one in this world dares to bully the Wood Spirits again."

Taking a deep breath, Yun Che calmed his mind. He extended his left palm, and a faint, almost imperceptible crimson poisonous light slowly emerged from its center.

Ancient Horned Dragon's Poison!

He slowly applied this barely visible trace of horned dragon poison onto the Sound Butterfly Blade. After staring at it for a moment, he concentrated his profound energy to intensify its effect by dozens of times before putting the Sound Butterfly Blade away.

The subsequent events proceeded quite smoothly, exactly as Yun Che had anticipated.

The three individuals Ji Ruyan sent outside the city were bitten by suddenly appearing "Black Yama Kings" while passing through a mountain forest area. As they were dying from the potent venom, a black-robed figure shrouded in sinister aura appeared, claiming to be the "Black Heart Poison Saint." He stated that five million profound stones could save their lives. Although the three didn't believe him initially, in their despair, they cared little for profound stones. After handing over five million profound stones, they received three green pills from the "Black Heart Poison Saint." Upon consumption, the potent venom was immediately neutralized.

News of the "Black Heart Poison Saint" appearing in the Blackya Realm immediately spread far and wide.