Chapter 70: Yellow Springs Guide

At midday, the sky blazed with scorching sunlight. The sun, positioned before the fragmented face of the divine, emitted a blinding glare, making it impossible for mortals to gaze upon it directly. High above, behind the sun, was the divine being. To all creatures, It was an existence transcending time and space, eternal in day and night, reality and dream, past and future. It bore witness to the world's transformations, to the cycle of life and death, and to the brutal, chaotic era that had emerged because of Its presence.

The lingering heat within the sunlight seemed to be corrupted by the divine remnant's malevolent visage, becoming imbued with a sinister malice. It was as if the sun refused to quietly recede with the season, unwilling to yield to the natural order. Instead, it unleashed its full, frenzied heat, infiltrating every corner of the Seven Blood Eyes main city, intent on evaporating all life. Its invisible assault permeated even the shade of trees and the cover of eaves. Even the sea breeze could not dispel it; it felt like a poison seeping into one's bones and marrow.

Just like the hem of Xu Qing's Daoist robe. Though it appeared normal, a closer look revealed traces of powder clinging to it, most of which had already evaporated. The vaporized residue, laden with malice and a sinister ferocity, mirrored the oppressive heat influenced by the divine remnant. It seeped into Xu Qing's flesh and bones beneath his robe. The invasion was incredibly swift, imbued with a predatory greed. From its appearance to its full infiltration, only a few breaths passed.

With a calm expression, Xu Qing glanced down at the hem of his robe, his eyes narrowing as he walked towards the berth. The powder on his robe's hem had been secretly left by the Merman youth during their recent encounter. For anyone else, it would have been virtually undetectable even now. After all, this substance was colorless and odorless; to some extent, it might not even be classified as a poison. However, Xu Qing's mastery of pharmacology allowed him to immediately recall at least seven or eight similar medicinal catalysts. He would need to return and analyze it to determine the exact substance. Regardless, these repeated encounters intensified Xu Qing's murderous intent towards the Merman youth.

"The time to kill the fish has come," Xu Qing murmured. He walked to the harbor berth. The moment he stepped onto the spellboat, he immediately activated its defenses, cutting off all external sounds and enveloping the interior in silence. Then, cross-legged in the cabin, Xu Qing promptly tore off the hem of his Daoist robe. Holding the fabric, he examined it carefully. With a hand seal, a ball of fire instantly floated into existence in his left palm. While the Sea Transformation Scripture primarily focused on water magic, it was common for spell cultivators to also master various auxiliary techniques. The cultivation jade slip contained numerous descriptions of such practices.

Xu Qing waved his left hand, sending the fireball towards the robe's hem. It enveloped the fabric, which began to burn. Sizzling sounds emanated from it, accompanied by wisps of faint smoke. The flickering firelight cast shifting shadows and highlights across Xu Qing's face. He watched as the burning hem curled, red lines of combustion rapidly spreading across the fabric. Wherever the flames touched, the gray cloth disintegrated into fragile ashes. After a few breaths, the hem was completely incinerated, and the flames gradually died down.

Xu Qing gazed at the ashes in his palm, sniffed the lingering smoke, and murmured, "This is the blood of a Ghost Desire Horseshoe Crab. It's a poison, and yet it's not." Master Bai's pharmacopoeia described the Ghost Desire Horseshoe Crab, a rare deep-sea creature. Xu Qing possessed two specimens himself but hadn't used them, as he lacked the necessary auxiliary ingredients. He knew that when properly processed, its blood could become a potent healing elixir. However, if concocted differently, under specific yin and yang conditions, its scent would become repulsive to most exotic beasts.

"There are also characteristics of the Enlightenment Grass," Xu Qing added. He closed his eyes, then reopened them, his gaze like twin abyssal pools—dark and intensely cold. While Master Bai's pharmacopoeia didn't detail the effects of combining these two ingredients, pharmacological principles suggested that the latter significantly amplified the repellent effect. Mild aversion would cause exotic beasts to steer clear, but extreme aversion would incite their murderous intent. For profound aversion eventually transforms into outright malevolence.

Therefore, when these two are combined, they form a unique liquid. Essentially, anyone who comes into contact with it becomes thoroughly imbued with its scent, which permeates their flesh and blood. Since it wasn't inherently toxic, wouldn't cause poisoning, and even offered slight nourishment to the body, it was almost impossible to detect. Furthermore, dispelling it was incredibly difficult, as its effects would last for at least several years. Its purpose was to attract exotic beasts and provoke their intense malevolence. An example of such a substance was the small vial of medicinal catalyst in Man Gui's leather pouch, which Xu Qing encountered during his first Thunder Squad operation in the forbidden jungle near the Scavenger Camp. However, while Man Gui's vial and the substance now on Xu Qing shared the same pharmacological principles, their constituent materials were incomparable—the difference was like heaven and earth.

"If infected with this scent within the sect, there wouldn't be much danger, but if I were to venture out to sea..." Xu Qing knew perfectly well that if he went to sea carrying such an aura, he would never return alive. This method of assassination left no trace, no corpse, making it incredibly insidious and long-lasting, like a venomous serpent. Had Xu Qing not been proficient in pharmacology, others would likely die without ever knowing the true culprit.

"I wonder if you're capable of detecting *my* catalyst," Xu Qing thought, a cold glint in his eyes. The Merman youth had poisoned him, but unknown to the youth, Xu Qing had also poisoned him during their earlier exchange—a classic case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. This substance was equally harmless, serving simply as a marker. The Merman youth's mark would invite the malevolence of unknown exotic beasts from the sea, but Xu Qing's mark on the youth would beckon the footsteps of death on land.

Xu Qing's expression remained perfectly serene. He collected the ashes from the burned hem, then opened his storage bag to examine the elixirs within, before surveying the surrounding medicine cabinets. He was not adept at detoxification, especially not for an aura that wasn't a conventional poison. Thus, the regenerative power of his purple crystal was ineffective in this instance. However, he excelled at poisons. Calmly, Xu Qing took out several poisonous powders and pills. With an impassive face, he swallowed them directly, and then mixed seven or eight more powders, spreading them out and inhaling them deeply into his lungs.

The next moment, his body convulsed, and sweat beaded on his forehead. Yet, he remained seated cross-legged, silently enduring the searing pain of the poisons burning within him. His inner murderous intent brewed, calm as the air before a storm. The poisons within him incinerated his vital organs, bones, and flesh. Since the auras of the Ghost Desire Horseshoe Crab and Enlightenment Grass couldn't be expelled, he chose to combat them with other poisons, then rely on his formidable regenerative abilities for recovery. This grueling process lasted for a full two hours.

As dusk settled outside, Xu Qing slowly opened his bloodshot eyes. The poisons within him, along with the lingering aura of the Ghost Desire Horseshoe Crab, had been completely purged by his astonishing recovery. After a thorough self-examination, Xu Qing lifted his head, his gaze profound as he watched the sunset from the cabin window. He murmured, "Soon, I'll be able to sleep soundly." He silently stood, washed himself, and then closed his eyes.

Moments later, the sun in the sky seemed to yield its place for the moon's ascent, dimming the twilight as the dark moon hung in the heavens. The sparse stars in the night sky were like insignificant fireflies scattered across a graveyard, serving only as faint embellishments. This night was ripe for slaughter.

Xu Qing opened his eyes. Quietly, he placed the black iron skewer into his sleeve, then sharpened his dagger and tucked it into his boot. After checking his poisons and calmly tidying everything, he stepped out of the spellboat. With a burst of speed, he vanished into the distance. Moonlight spilled across the ground, a chilling gleam reflecting off the shadowy, crouched figure of the youth moving like the wind. It also settled in his lone-wolf eyes, transforming into an even colder glint. The cold sea breeze blew past the youth, lifting his long robe and stirring his black hair. Yet, it could not disperse the distinctive aura emanating from the mark that permeated the main city. Ultimately, it became a whistling in the youth's ears, like a bugle call to slaughter.

He was going to kill.