Chapter 336: The Beginning of Transformation

On the bamboo slip, many names were crossed out, but one name remained clearly visible. The color of the name was a reddish-purple, as if blood had once dripped onto it during its inscription, now dried and faded.

Prince Ziqing.

Xu Qing gazed at the name, his expression calm, seemingly undisturbed. However, the hand holding the iron skewer tightened almost imperceptibly.

He then withdrew his gaze, put away the bamboo slip, and looked up at the red sunset hues in the evening sky. After a long moment, he quietly addressed the Captain and Yan Yan.

"I need to go into seclusion for a while."

Yan Yan subtly sensed Xu Qing's spirits were a little low and nodded quickly upon hearing his words.

"Go on, little Ah Qing. With your senior brother here, feel free to charge into the Third Palace," the Captain said, laughing heartily from where he sat.

"Senior Brother, some toxins might dissipate during my seclusion this time. Don't come too close. If... anything unexpected happens, leave immediately. Don't worry about me; I can handle myself."

Xu Qing reminded them.

The Captain was about to boast, but after a moment's thought, he quickly put some distance between them. He had seen Xu Qing's toxins many times and found them increasingly sinister. Yan Yan's eyes widened too, and she immediately retreated, remembering the poisoned Night Raven members in the Bounty Division's prison.

Seeing their reactions, Xu Qing felt reassured. This time, he intended to place the Forbidden Poison Pill into his Heavenly Palace. Although he had planned for a long time and analyzed the risks, there were still some unknowns. Furthermore, he didn't know how long this seclusion would last, so he handed control of the magic vessel to the Captain and turned towards the cabin.

Just as he was about to enter the cabin, Xu Qing suddenly remembered something and looked back at the Captain. "Senior Brother, I don't think I've ever seen your Dharma Boat?"

The Captain's expression turned triumphant, and he spoke with pride. "I've been nurturing it in a mysterious place. It's almost ready. Once it's complete, I'll retrieve it, and I guarantee even the old man will be astonished when he sees it."

Accustomed to the Captain's exaggerated remarks, Xu Qing nodded and entered the cabin. Inside, he closed the cabin door, sat cross-legged, and formed hand seals to activate a formation, completely sealing the cabin to prevent any aura from escaping. He then took out several magical artifacts and arranged them around himself.

After completing these preparations, Xu Qing took a deep breath, opened his storage bag, and began sorting its contents. He paid particular attention to the bottles and jars obtained from the Spirit Venerable's cave, opening and examining each one to identify those containing vital energy. After all, vital energy was the only useful countermeasure against the Forbidden Poison Pill. After sorting through everything, Xu Qing inspected his other items in the same meticulous way until everything was ready. He then closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment before taking out the Wish Box.

Gazing at the Wish Box before him, Xu Qing did not open it immediately. With a wave of his hand, an ancient jade slip appeared in his grasp. This jade slip was the very item that had been found alongside the Forbidden Poison Pill within the Wish Box. As Xu Qing held it, the residual poison on it was largely ignored by his increased resistance, aided by the restorative power of the purple crystal. Thus, while his right hand had darkened somewhat, it showed no signs of decay. As his spiritual consciousness flowed into it, an ancient, weathered voice echoed in Xu Qing's mind like a peal of thunder once more.

"What is the Grand Dao? The three thousand Grand Daos, all can lead to sainthood. Can a Dao of Poison be among them? Do people disdain the sinister and the venomous, considering them minor paths, incapable of achieving greatness? I once held this belief myself, spurning the methods of poison and evil. Until one day, I slew an alien from the Divine Realm. This cultivator's battle prowess was astonishing, and the path he cultivated was incredibly sinister. Before his death, his poisoned gaze caused my cultivation to fall by a major realm each day. After ten days, I became a mortal, enduring sixty years of torment and suffering in the mortal realm. I spent countless heavenly materials and earthly treasures to barely survive, and eventually refined this poison from my body, transforming it into a pill. From then on, I delved into the study of this pill, but never fully succeeded before the great calamity arrived, leaving only a half-formed creation for future generations. This pill is both poison and a ban! If obtained by a high-level cultivator, they cannot use it themselves; it will lead to eternal damnation and certain death. One must seek a low-level cultivator at the Golden Core stage of the Heavenly Palace, and have them replace their existing Golden Core with this poisonous pill, becoming a unique Poison Core cultivator. Only in this way can one alter their divine soul and embark on the path of this forbidden pill! From my deductions, the path of the forbidden pill uses poison to shake all living beings and bans to extinguish all ages. It is terrifying, perhaps a method from the unfathomable Divine Realm, and ultimately, the Divine Realm will surely become the enemy of all races!"

Determination flashed in Xu Qing's eyes. "Placing this Forbidden Poison Pill from the Wish Box into the Heavenly Palace... From the tone of this senior, it seems to be merely his deductions, but I don't believe he hasn't tested it. Yet, clearly, all attempts failed. So, regardless, there's a significant risk involved. What specific changes will occur remains unknown."

Xu Qing murmured to himself, but the determination in his eyes did not waver. "However, I've continuously adapted to this poison. While I've gained a certain level of resistance, I've also integrated the little black worm into it, allowing for a brief stay. Although I don't have complete immunity yet, I've pushed my resistance to the limit, making it difficult to acquire more. Most importantly, this Forbidden Poison Pill has almost lost its spiritual essence and is in a withered state. Furthermore, it's only a half-formed pill, not a complete artifact. If I keep delaying, its withered state will intensify. If it truly withers completely into a 'dead pill,' its value will drastically decrease. Only by integrating it will there be a chance for it to revive. If I don't integrate it and continue to wait, it's meaningless. No one knows what the future holds, but sticking to the routine can no longer satisfy my goals. I want to become stronger; only by taking risks can I achieve that."

Xu Qing took a deep breath and sensed the third Heavenly Palace within him. This palace was already 99% materialized, needing only the formation of a Golden Core to become fully tangible from its ethereal state. "The path of cultivation is never smooth sailing; one must inevitably bear immense risks along the way!" Xu Qing raised his right hand and directly opened the Wish Box.

The moment the iron box opened, a black poisonous pill was revealed inside. The pill was much shriveled compared to before, with very little activity remaining. It seemed that its withered state had intensified since the Wish Box was first opened and it came into contact with the outside world. Xu Qing had noticed this long ago and knew that if this continued, the pill would eventually become a 'rootless pill,' completely dissipating after repeated volatilization.

And now, as it opened and a dense poisonous aura spread outwards, Xu Qing bore the brunt of it, his body trembling. Even with his developed resistance and the purple crystal, the Forbidden Poison Pill still caused his entire body to rapidly blacken. But Xu Qing no longer cared about this; his eyes were resolute as he raised his right hand and snatched the poisonous pill from inside the box. In the next instant, his right hand transformed into a ghostly, transparent form, enveloping the poisonous pill. The poisonous pill was astonishing; even with Xu Qing's hand in its ghostly form, black threads could still be seen forming within it, suggesting that even in this state, it could not escape the power of the poison.

Xu Qing ignored this. Holding the poisonous pill with his ghostly hand, he swiftly extended it towards his dantian. Probing into his Sea of Consciousness and touching his Heavenly Palace was something Xu Qing had done many times, but this was the first time he was doing it to himself. This was also the method he had conceived. If he were to swallow this pill, Xu Qing believed his physical body might not be able to endure it. But, in his analysis, directly delivering it to the Heavenly Palace with his ghostly hand had a higher chance of success.

Without hesitation, his ghostly hand penetrated his own flesh and, with Xu Qing's exerted force, rapidly extended into his Sea of Consciousness, instantly approaching and touching his Third Palace. This process was incredibly painful, compounded by the invasion of the poisonous pill's power, causing Xu Qing's body to tremble. Yet, he gritted his teeth firmly, not pausing his actions in the slightest. He knew very well that the sooner this was done, the better. So, with immense willpower, the moment his right hand touched his Third Palace, he thrust it in, released his grip within the Third Palace, and set down the Forbidden Poison Pill.

He then swiftly withdrew his right hand. Although his movements were swift, intense pain continuously surged from within his body. Xu Qing's body convulsed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. His internal organs were all affected at this moment, sending waves of agonizing pain. Before Xu Qing could recover, his third Heavenly Palace suddenly erupted with intense fluctuations. The Forbidden Poison Pill within it violently unleashed its toxic power, spreading outwards from the Third Palace like a tidal wave, engulfing Xu Qing's Sea of Consciousness, affecting his soul, and permeating his entire body. Xu Qing's body trembled; his entire physique began to decay, his Sea of Consciousness started to wither, and his soul grew dim. The poison contained within this Forbidden Poison Pill was simply too terrifying, and its inherent rank was extremely high.

Simultaneously, strands of thread rapidly emanated from every brick and tile of the Third Palace, swiftly connecting to the erupting Forbidden Poison Pill. This was a process of both fusion and transformation. The moment any external Golden Core appeared in a cultivator's Heavenly Palace, the palace would immediately begin to integrate it. The instant this fusion was complete, it would also have undergone transformation, becoming a life-bound treasure. The original Third Palace was golden, but now, as the threads merged with the Forbidden Poison Pill, the entire Third Palace slowly began to turn black. This process was extremely slow. Xu Qing could feel that the moment his third Heavenly Palace turned completely black would be when it fully merged with the Forbidden Poison Pill. Only then, by virtue of his connection to the Third Heavenly Palace, could he indirectly control this Forbidden Poison Pill and make it his life-bound artifact. At that point, he would be able to control the Third Heavenly Palace, causing the dispersed toxins throughout his body to return.

However, this lengthy integration time would be a fatal test for Xu Qing. If he couldn't endure until the fusion was complete, it would all be a failure, and the price of failure would be the complete annihilation of his body and soul.

Xu Qing's entire body trembled as the incredibly potent poison from the Forbidden Poison Pill permeated every part of him. The indescribable, piercing pain made him involuntarily let out a pained cry. This pain surpassed his previous desperate experiences. Whether it was at the Mermaid Clan's island temple or on the giant's dragon carriage, it was different from now. The pain then was from the outside in, therefore, he could physically resist it. But now, the pain was from the inside out. Yet, Xu Qing had experienced this sensation before. That rainy night, the tearing of his heart and the collapse of his inner spirit within the high walls, was the deepest pain in his memory. Compared to that, what he was enduring now was nothing. Therefore, Xu Qing disliked his own screams at this moment. So, with bloodshot eyes, he gritted his teeth, forcibly transforming the screams into muffled whimpers escaping through his clenched jaws.

Simultaneously, the purple crystal in his chest operated at full power, radiating purple light throughout Xu Qing's body, helping him resist. Furthermore, the Golden Crow illusion manifested, spitting flames towards Xu Qing to strengthen his physical body. The accumulated immortal spiritual energy in his Sea of Consciousness also shared his burden. His other two Heavenly Palaces, formed from soul lamps, also provided support as their soul lamps manifested a canopy of light. Finally, Ghost Emperor Mountain emitted black light, comprehensively suppressing the toxins.

Time passed.