Chapter 1098: Tian Du's Doubts

The intelligence capabilities of the Black Feather Merchant Guild were indeed formidable. A few hours later, the Soul Sect received confirmation that they had located the "Blackheart Poison Saint." As suspected, he was in Blackya City.

The Blackya City branch of the sect immediately dispatched people, but the subsequent report infuriated Lei Qianfeng.

"According to the Black Feather Merchant Guild's intelligence, the branch sect's disciples did find the person, and he personally admitted to being the Blackheart Poison Saint. But… he refused to come," Lei Kun reported nervously after receiving the transmission.

"Refused?" Lei Qianfeng frowned deeply. "He simply doesn't have the guts to come! Hmph, he's definitely a fake! How could such a coincidence exist in this world?"

"No, it's not that he won't come. He said… he said…"

"What did he say? Tell me truthfully!"

"Yes!" Lei Kun gritted his teeth. "He told the disciples who went to invite him… what is the Soul Sect? If they want him to cure the poison, the Sect Master must personally come, accompanied by people and with enough profound stones and profound crystals."

"Bastard!" Lei Qianfeng was already seething with resentment, and upon hearing this, he nearly exploded with rage. "A mere imposter dares to disrespect my Soul Sect like this! Once Mo'er is healed, I will personally kill him!!"

"Sect Master!" Lei Deyan quickly interjected, "The Head Elder was correct earlier. The Blackheart Poison Saint has countless enemies; no one would dare impersonate him. Although I have never met the Blackheart Poison Saint, I have always heard that he has a very peculiar personality—black-hearted and arrogant. Many powerful figures from mid-level star realms seek him out, so it would be perfectly normal for him to disrespect a sect from our lower-level star realm."

"Nonsense!" Lei Qianfeng roared. "How is my Soul Sect an ordinary sect?! Not to mention we are protected by the Divine Martial Realm! Does a mere poison doctor dare to be so audacious on my Blackya Realm's territory? Besides, he's ninety-nine percent a fake!"

"Qianfeng! If you don't find a solution, Mo'er will die!" Xiao Qingtong cried out in anger. "What if he really is the Blackheart Poison Saint…"

"Shut up! Sending people to invite him is already a huge show of sincerity! Do you expect me, the dignified Great Realm King of Blackya, to personally go begging a mere poison doctor? If he's a fake, won't I, Lei Qianfeng, lose all face for the rest of my life? Even if he's real, are our Soul Sect's centuries of foundation inferior to a poison doctor who flees like a stray dog? What makes him capable of curing a poison that my Soul Sect cannot?"

"Sect Master…"

"Say no more!" Lei Deyan was about to speak but was sharply interrupted by Lei Qianfeng. Having been tormented by "Ling Yun" for over half a month without even seeing a trace of him, and now with his most beloved son suffering a fatal assassination attempt on his own territory, how could he remain calm amidst such repeated outbursts of fury? He panted roughly, "That's right! Thunder Toad! Go immediately and retrieve the Thunder Toad bestowed by the Divine Martial Realm!"

"What? Th-Thunder Toad?" Everyone was startled. "But the Thunder Toad is inherently a highly poisonous creature. If the Sect Master intends to fight poison with poison, I fear…"

"Go get it for me now!" Lei Qianfeng roared. "It can definitely save Mo'er!"

The poison from the breath of an ancient Horned Dragon, a creature with over 600,000 years of lifespan, was not something ordinary substances could resolve. Its most terrifying aspect was that, being born from a Horned Dragon, it was not only highly toxic but also possessed a unique vitality that allowed it to cling to bones and invade the soul. If a large amount of it invaded the soul, even Mu Bingyun, a Divine Sovereign, could only await death.

The Thunder Toad could indeed counteract poison with poison, especially when guided by Lei Qianfeng's powerful Divine King profound energy. However, he would not have imagined, and even if he knew, he wouldn't have believed, that the poison affecting Lei Guangmo came from a Divine Master realm poisonous dragon. Though the Thunder Toad was rare, in terms of potency, it couldn't even be compared.

The Thunder Toad entered the body, and initial effects were seen. The redness on Lei Guangmo's body subtly receded a bit, and his pained expression also eased. Lei Qianfeng and the others were overjoyed. However, just a few moments later, Lei Guangmo's body suddenly jerked and began to tremble violently like a sieve. The powerful poison, seemingly suppressed by the Thunder Toad, appeared to be thoroughly enraged, erupting suddenly. Crimson mist, carrying a toxic aura several times stronger than before, surged wildly.

"Mo'er!! What's happening… How could this be…" Xiao Qingtong's face turned ashen with terror, and she cried out.

"...Mother… Save… me… Urgh… Ah…"

His entire body's blood seemed to ignite at once. The spreading crimson toxic mist became so dense that Lei Guangmo's body was almost obscured. After uttering his last sounds, Lei Guangmo fell silent, dying a tragic death from the Horned Dragon's poison.

"Mo'er… Mo'er!!" Xiao Qingtong wailed a blood-curdling cry, collapsing to the ground and sobbing uncontrollably.

"Sect Master… Madam… please accept our condolences," Lei Tiangang sighed softly.

"..." Lei Qianfeng stood frozen. His pupils, contracted to their extreme, trembled violently. For a long time, he made no sound, then his body suddenly swayed and he fell straight backward.

"Sect Master!!" Lei Qiandu was greatly alarmed and rushed forward to support him.

"Ling Yun… Ling… Yun…" Lei Qianfeng's lips trembled as he muttered distractedly. Then his pupils suddenly dilated, his killing intent surged wildly, and he let out a furious roar like a madman: "Ling Yun! I'll kill you!! I'll kill you!!"

"Tiangang, immediately… activate all deployable defensive profound arrays! Immediately dispatch all disciples from the Sixty-Four Halls to lie in wait day and night in every place Ling Yun might appear! If you find his trace, kill him at all costs… tear him to pieces!!"

Lei Qianfeng's roar was like world-shaking thunder, causing the entire Soul Sect to tremble. The hoarseness, fury, and hatred in his voice terrified all Soul Sect disciples.

The order for "all Sixty-Four Halls disciples to be dispatched" greatly alarmed Lei Tiangang, who instinctively said: "Sect Master, Ling Yun has committed such a heinous crime, it's highly likely he has already fled…"

"No! He will definitely come again… he will!" Lei Qianfeng's face was blood-red, every vein on his body bulging as if about to burst. "Go immediately! If you don't catch Ling Yun… never return!!"

Lei Qianfeng's appearance at this moment clearly indicated he had lost his mind. Lei Tiangang dared not say another word, quickly accepted the order and left. Subsequently, deafening alarm bells echoed through every corner of the Soul Sect.

Lei Qianfeng's chest heaved violently, his breathing as heavy as an ox. Under the terrifying atmosphere, no one dared to speak. After a long time, Lei Qianfeng's breathing finally stabilized slightly. He suddenly said in a deep voice: "Qiandu, immediately notify the branch sects where Guangqian and Yuanzhe are. Tell them to depart at once, escorted personally by their respective branch sect masters, and return to the main sect. They must set off immediately, without a moment's delay!!"

Several of Lei Qianfeng's sons were left in various branch sects for training. After what happened to Lei Guangmo, how could he not fear that Ling Yun would target his other sons?

With Lei Guangmo's death and Lei Qianfeng's rage, the Sixty-Four Halls, representing the Soul Sect's elite, surged out. The Soul Sect, which had been quiet for just a few days, was thrown into chaos once more.

Not long after, Yun Che also received a transmission from Ji Ruyan.

"Young Master Ling Yun, news from the Soul Sect says Lei Guangmo is dead," Ji Ruyan reported, clearly hesitating to say more. She was very curious about what terrifying poison Yun Che had used to kill Lei Guangmo.

"The timing is roughly as I expected. What's the Soul Sect's reaction?" Yun Che asked.

"Lei Guangmo was Lei Qianfeng's most beloved son, and to be poisoned to death right in front of him, Lei Qianfeng is clearly maddened with rage. He has dispatched all hall masters, vice hall masters, and nearly two million disciples from the Sixty-Four Halls, dispersing them to lie in ambush around the Soul Sect, and has activated all defensive profound arrays."

"Since Black Soul Mountain is easy for concealment and you've appeared there most frequently, it now has at least a thousand ambush points, and over two thousand defensive profound arrays have been activated. Therefore, Young Master Ling Yun, you absolutely must not approach the Soul Sect during this time. Deployments of this scale have never happened before and cannot be maintained for long. It's clearly an order given by Lei Qianfeng in a moment of reckless rage. In a few days, once Lei Qianfeng calms down, he will surely recall the order."

"You mean, in order to catch me, everyone from the Soul Sect's Sixty-Four Halls has been dispatched? That means the internal defenses of the Soul Sect are much weaker than usual now?" Yun Che's eyes slightly brightened upon hearing Ji Ruyan's words.

Although the number of disciples in the Sixty-Four Halls only accounted for a quarter of the main sect's total, they were all elite. And since they had all been dispatched, it meant that the highly threatening hall masters and vice hall masters were also all outside!

"...That's correct." Ji Ruyan detected something unusual. "Young Master, do you… have a plan?"

Yun Che didn't answer, continuing to ask, "Lei Qianfeng must have ordered all his sons to return to the main sect by now, right?"

This was Yun Che's primary objective.

"There was news two quarters of an hour ago; all six of Lei Qianfeng's sons are already on their way back to the main sect, personally escorted by the sect masters of their respective branch sects. They should all be back at the main sect before evening. Young Master, you…"

"By this time tomorrow, you'll know."

Yun Che ended the transmission, and a cold glint flashed deep within his eyes.

He picked up the Soundwing Dagger, and on its ice-crystal-like tip, he once again applied a tiny bit of Horned Dragon poison.

Profound energy is something countless beings in this world pursue throughout their lives. It grants beings greater power, longer lifespans, and higher status. To possess powerful profound energy, one inevitably requires long years, heavenly bestowed opportunities, vast resources, and countless arduous efforts…

Yet, just a tiny bit of poison can utterly destroy all of it, along with life itself.

Poison is the most terrifying thing in this world. Back on the Azure Cloud Continent, Yun Che deeply realized this the moment he acquired the Sky Poison Pearl.

At that time, his profound energy was weak, yet relying on the Sky Poison Pearl's venom, he annihilated countless powerful individuals whose profound cultivation far surpassed his… even entire families or sects. At the same time, it was precisely because of the poison's terrifying nature that it drew the greedy covetousness of all the strong practitioners on the Azure Cloud Continent.

In chaos, the ultimate in poison was the Sky Poison Pearl, capable of both poisoning and detoxification.

On the Azure Cloud Continent, he had been deeply shocked by the terrifying power of the Sky Poison Pearl's venom.

However, after learning what "Heavenly Profound Treasures" truly were, and as his cultivation level steadily rose, he gradually began to doubt the Sky Poison Pearl's venomous power. This doubt grew even stronger after he reached the God Realm and witnessed higher-level powers.

Back on the Azure Cloud Continent, the Sky Poison Pearl's poison was indeed incredibly terrifying. But thinking about it now, even on low-level planes like the Azure Cloud Continent and the Profound Sky Continent, it was merely terrifying, far from being heaven-defying. Moreover, even in its most potent period, when all its heavenly poisons were unleashed without reservation, it definitively could not poison a Monarch Profound practitioner to death.

And for Divine Profound practitioners, its poisonous power was so weak it could be completely ignored.

Later, the poison source was separated by the Samsara Mirror, and after reintegration, its poisonous power slowly recovered. During this time, he would periodically check the recovered poison power of the Sky Poison Pearl. To this day, the recovered poison, let alone harming a Divine Profound practitioner, couldn't even poison a normal Overlord Emperor in the lower realms to death.

But the Sky Poison Pearl was one of the Heavenly Profound Treasures, far surpassing the current "Divine Path," even existing at a level above True Gods, equivalent to Creation Gods. At such a level, even a slight recovery should be terrifying enough to defy heaven in this era…

Why, after so much time recovering its power, was its combined poison less than even a tiny bit of Horned Dragon poison—and far less at that!

Was the Sky Poison Pearl's poison recovery truly so weak? Or… was something still missing from it?

This thought once again crossed Yun Che's mind. He then flew up, heading directly towards the Soul Sect.