Chapter 381: You Despicable Woman

Lu Ye glanced at the activity within the Talent Tree in his Spirit Aperture, then looked at Hua Ci in front of him.

"Why did you poison me, you poisonous woman!"

Hua Ci was astonished: "Are you truly immune to all poisons?"

"Do you think I'm joking with you?"

"I don't believe it!"

"What kind of legacy did you obtain?"

Lu Ye certainly didn't think Hua Ci intended to poison him. However, from the current situation, Hua Ci herself didn't look much different than before, except her cultivation had advanced by one realm. Yet, she had acquired the ability to subtly administer poison. No, it was more as if she herself harbored a potent poison.

She made no movements or left any traces of poisoning; simply holding his hand caused toxins to invade his body.

If that were true, then his casual remark about her being a 'poisonous woman' had truly come to pass.

Lu Ye grew even more curious about the legacy she had acquired in Mount Ying!

That was a healer's legacy; how did it become associated with poison?

However, considering that Hua Ci's previous mushroom-related abilities came from that same legacy, it didn't seem so strange.

Furthermore, many healers in the Nine Provinces were indeed skilled in using poison, as poison is, after all, a type of pharmacology.

The healer who left that legacy... seemed rather unconventional.

"Are you really fine? Don't try to endure it if you're not."

The two stood close, hands entwined, in an intimate posture. Hua Ci spoke softly. If one ignored the constantly appearing and vanishing green sheen on Lu Ye's wrist, anyone witnessing them would assume they were long-lost lovers, pouring out their hearts to each other.

"How could anything be wrong with me?" Lu Ye lifted his other hand and held Hua Ci's small hand in his palm, gently caressing it. "It's you who's had a difficult journey."

Hua Ci smiled sweetly. "It was no hardship at all, as it should be." Inwardly, she was determined, *I don't believe I can't poison you!*

She had thought that after acquiring the Mount Ying legacy, this man wouldn't be able to swagger before her anymore. Who would have thought he truly seemed immune to all poisons? She had traveled thousands of miles, only to be taken advantage of the moment they met.

She had believed herself covered in potent toxins, deadly to anyone who touched her, but he didn't care in the slightest.

Emerald green hues continuously appeared and vanished on Lu Ye's hands. Inside his Spirit Aperture, the Talent Tree burned away the toxins, emitting thick gray smoke—a truly magnificent sight.

Gradually, Hua Ci couldn't take it anymore. She gritted her teeth and said, "Let go now!"

Lu Ye gazed at her with a smile. He didn't know what was going on with the legacy this woman had obtained in Mount Ying, but it was clear she had just tried to assert her dominance. She hadn't expected him to be protected by his Talent Tree and be immune to all poisons. Now, her attempt to gain an advantage had spectacularly backfired, leaving her in a difficult predicament.

"Yi Yi!" Hua Ci turned and called out to the side, "He's being a rogue! Do something about him!"

Only then did Lu Ye release Hua Ci's hand, saying seriously, "We'll have a proper spar when we have time. Next time, no calling for help."

Hua Ci glared at him and shook the hand Lu Ye had held, which was a little sore from being massaged.

She stood up and looked around. "If I had known your situation here, I wouldn't have rushed over. Where's Ju Jia? Wasn't he supposed to be with you? Why don't I see him?"

"He advanced to the Cloud River realm and returned to his sect."

Hua Ci was surprised: "Ju Jia advanced to Cloud River? Wasn't he only at Heaven Seven before?"

"He has extraordinary talent."

He didn't explain much. Only he and Yi Yi knew about the demonic core inside Ju Jia, and it wasn't something to publicize.

Hua Ci nodded slightly, then called out, "Yi Yi."

Yi Yi flashed out, head lowered, her face flushed. The recent scene had been quite impactful for her, and she hadn't recovered from it yet.

She had never seen such a display of intimacy in front of her before.

Hua Ci smiled as she stepped forward, lifted her hand, and took Yi Yi's hand. After a quick check, she said, "It's nothing serious."

Saying this, she led Yi Yi to sit down. Though he didn't know how she did it, within moments, the green color on Yi Yi's skin visibly faded and soon completely disappeared.

If she could administer poison, she could naturally also cure it. Yi Yi hadn't been exposed to much poison, so for Hua Ci currently, it was easily remedied.

If Ju Jia were still here, Hua Ci could have easily treated him too. However, Ju Jia's situation at the time truly didn't allow for much delay; no one knew how long he could hold on. Moreover, at that point, Lu Ye didn't know Hua Ci would come, nor was he aware of her strange new abilities, so having Ju Jia advance to Cloud River and return to his sect was the best option.

"Thank you, Sister Hua Ci," Yi Yi said with a sweet smile.

Hua Ci held her hand, patted it gently, and looked at Lu Ye, who was eating roasted meat nearby. "What's the plan now?"

"Recovering and cultivating."

"That's a sound approach."

Currently, the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest was completely sealed off by the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge faction. With their current strength, it was impossible for them to break out, unless Lu Ye used the Fire Phoenix again. However, having experienced its aftermath before, Lu Ye was absolutely unwilling to use that spirit pattern casually again; the side effects were simply too severe.

Although the environment here wasn't ideal, at least there was no life-threatening danger. And now that Hua Ci had arrived, they no longer needed to worry about the surrounding poisonous mist and barriers posing a threat.

Lu Ye had sent word to Yu Lianzhou that he would cultivate here until Heaven Nine before emerging, but that was naturally impossible. Currently at Heaven Seven cultivation, he didn't know how long it would take to reach Heaven Nine.

His provisional goal was Heaven Eight. Lu Ye believed that with Heaven Eight cultivation, he should be able to break through the encirclement.

As Lu Ye chatted with Hua Ci, Yi Yi sat beside Hua Ci, occasionally glancing at her lower abdomen. Finally, she couldn't resist and reached out to touch it...

Hua Ci's arrival undoubtedly provided an extra layer of security for both Lu Ye and Yi Yi.

Inside the defensive formation, Lu Ye rested and cultivated.

Hua Ci, on the other hand, took Yi Yi outside the main formation and busied herself. In just one day, a simple three-story wooden building was erected. A fence was also built around the small building, enclosing a small courtyard.

Lu Ye then rearranged several formations outside the small building. The group moved into the building, and their living conditions instantly improved by several notches.

This made Lu Ye sigh with emotion: it's truly different having more women around.

As for Yi Yi... for now, she could only be considered a little girl.

Lu Ye's days were unremarkable. Hua Ci, however, was very busy; he rarely saw her more than a few times a day and didn't know what she was doing. But Lu Ye was certain that since Hua Ci arrived in the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest, the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge's losses had drastically increased.

Because every time Hua Ci returned, she would bring back storage bags, sometimes a dozen, sometimes twenty or thirty, and hand them to Lu Ye for him to open the restricted locks and retrieve the valuable items inside.

Lu Ye grew increasingly curious about the legacy Hua Ci had obtained in Mount Ying. As a ninth-level healer, she was killing cultivators from the core circles as easily as butchering chickens and dogs. The number of storage bags accumulated in the small building had surged to over a hundred in just a few days.

Time passed...

The Ten Thousand Demon Ridge faction hadn't been having a comfortable time these days.

The 'Sect Annihilating Leaf' trapped in the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest was still alive!

Although he was no longer seen on the Spirit Stream Ranking, the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge could still inquire about his status through other channels. They had expected him to die soon, but he remained perfectly fine, which was unacceptable to them.

It had been almost half a month since Lu Ye was trapped in the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest. How could he still be alive?

Regarding this situation, the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge faction now had two theories: firstly, that the 'Sect Annihilating Leaf' possessed a means to resist the potent toxins of the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest. However, this was unlikely, as the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest was, after all, a forbidden zone for cultivators. How could a Spirit Stream realm cultivator have the means to withstand it for so long?

The second possibility was that he had found a safe place, free from poisonous mist and barriers, which allowed him to survive until now.

If that were the case, then this fellow's luck would be simply too good. Within the entire Ten Thousand Poisons Forest, poisonous mist and barriers were ubiquitous; why would he be the one to find a safe spot?

These days, the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge faction had been organizing personnel to enter the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest, searching for Lu Ye's whereabouts. Although exploration was difficult in the first few days, there were no significant losses; cultivators entering the forest would retreat promptly and safely.

However, starting from the third day, the situation began to change.

First, a team of over twenty individuals was completely wiped out within the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest. When they were found, they had all been reduced to mere bones.

A day later, more cultivators from the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge disappeared in the forest.

Thereafter, almost every day, varying numbers of Ten Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators died in the forest.

This forbidden zone for cultivators was like a sleeping beast, disturbed by the many cultivators from the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge, waking from its slumber to appease its wrath with their lives.

No one knew how those deceased Ten Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators had died, because according to initial exploration experience, their death locations were not particularly dangerous; they had only ventured a few miles into the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest.

Because of one Lu Yiye, the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge suffered heavy casualties.

By this point, the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge was in a difficult predicament.

Thousands of cultivators, all from the core circles, gathered outside the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest. This undoubtedly had a significant impact on their cultivation; they couldn't stay here for long, or their cultivation wouldn't progress.

If they continued to stay, no one knew how much longer that dog-like Lu Yiye would survive. Moreover, given the current situation, the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge faction no longer dared to casually send people into the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest to explore.

Yet, they were unwilling to simply leave.

What made them even more frustrated was the constant harassment from the Vast Sky Alliance. Although the Vast Sky Alliance had fewer people gathered than them, they dispersed around the perimeter, continuously ambushing Ten Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators who came for support or were isolated, causing significant trouble and losses.

The Ten Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators racked their brains but couldn't understand how a perfectly planned siege-and-reinforcement strategy, using Ju Jia to lure Lu Yiye, had turned into this chaotic situation!

Even more vexing news arrived!

Ju Jia, who was supposed to be trapped with Lu Yiye in the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest, had actually appeared on the Cloud River battlefield!

The Ten Thousand Demon Ridge cultivators were almost driven mad...

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