Chapter 1007: Born Poison Bug

Boom!

Following the words, an incredibly powerful force instantly enveloped the entire courtyard. The large tree Zhang Xuan was on, in particular, seemed like it could explode at any moment under the immense pressure of the violent qi.

“I’ve been discovered?”

Zhang Xuan’s pupils contracted, and his body stiffened slightly. He had hidden himself well, sealing all his aura within his body. Under normal circumstances, even an outsider looking at him would perceive him as an inanimate object. It was this confidence that brought him here, yet he was discovered without even making a move.

Just as he was about to jump out of his hiding place into the courtyard, he heard two swift whooshing sounds, rushing straight towards him. Two figures, having just arrived from outside the courtyard, were discovered even before Zhang Xuan himself noticed them. It seemed the speaker wasn't referring to him.

Both wore dark grey clothes. One had two strands of white beard, and his tall stature was in no way inferior to Zhang Xuan’s. The other appeared somewhat small, yet his eyes gleamed, giving him an agile impression. Both were peak Saint Realm 1st Layer experts. Their movement techniques and strength were exceedingly rare, likely derived from a cultivation method Zhang Xuan had never seen before.

“It’s you?”

Upon recognizing their faces, the figure who had been speaking with the City Lord’s eyes lit up.

“Indeed. This friend has been employing various methods these past few days, likely to inquire about us, wouldn't you say?” The white-bearded elder narrowed his eyes, his gaze unfriendly. The opponent had been investigating them for days, which was why they tracked him here, only to be discovered the moment they entered the courtyard.

“We searched everywhere for you in vain, only for you to deliver yourselves to us without effort. Since you’ve already arrived, don’t even think about leaving!” Without answering him, the figure who had been speaking with the City Lord sneered, spreading his five fingers like a fan crushing the heavens.

Boom!

The surrounding air seemed to solidify. A fierce and surging power enveloped the entire manor, as if a massive formation had been activated.

“Damn it, it’s a trap!” Their pupils contracted, and both the elder and the slender figure’s faces turned ashen. It seemed this fellow deliberately lured them here, having set up a formation in the courtyard beforehand.

“It’s too late to realize that now…” The figure speaking with the City Lord’s lips curled into a smirk. He brought his fingers together and pushed fiercely forward.

A crackling sound erupted! A torrent of power surged forward, attacking the elder. The ground groaned, and a crack over a meter wide appeared. Even the formation seemed unable to withstand the force, threatening to collapse at any moment.

“Also a Saint Realm 4th Layer expert?” Zhang Xuan’s expression changed as he watched from the tree. This figure possessed the same strength as the previously encountered King Shuiye, having also reached the Saint Realm 4th Layer. Essence Soul realm experts were prominent figures in the Qingyuan Empire, standing at the very peak. When did so many suddenly appear in a small place like Jingyuan City?

“Defect!” As the opponent was executing his martial technique, Zhang Xuan, without hesitation, whispered to himself, and a book appeared before his eyes. He tapped his finger, quickly flipping it open.

“King Ziye, one of the Ten Kings of Qingtian…” The initial section was a brief introduction, followed by a dense list of various defects.

“King Ziye? Another one of the Ten Kings?” Zhang Xuan was somewhat stunned. He hadn't expected this opponent to also be a Otherworldly Demonic Tribe King, just like the three he had previously killed. He had now killed three of the Ten Kings of Qingtian. If Qingtian’s leader found out, would he be flayed alive?

“Elder Xu!” While he was astonished, below, seeing such a fierce attack, the slender figure quickly shielded the elder, raising both palms to meet it.

Boom!

The two forces collided. The slender figure’s face turned pale, and he was sent flying backward, spitting blood in mid-air. His once robust aura instantly deflated like a punctured balloon. He crashed heavily onto the nearby ground, motionless and devoid of life.

“A single palm strike destroyed all his life force?” Zhang Xuan clenched his fists. The slender figure below had already reached the peak of Saint Realm 1st Layer, a higher cultivation level than his own! For such a powerful expert to be utterly devoid of life force after just one palm strike from the opponent… could this be the true strength of an Essence Soul realm expert?

That’s right! Saint Realm 4th Layer experts possessed an unbelievably profound comprehension of the world. The reason he was able to kill three earlier was by leveraging various techniques; he hadn't truly fought them head-on. If it came to a real fight, perhaps even five of him combined wouldn't be able to contend.

“Elder Xue…” Seeing his companion killed instantly to save him, Elder Xu, the white-bearded old man, changed expression. He looked at the figure before him again, killing intent boiling.

With a flip of his hand, a small jade bottle appeared in his palm. He gently opened it, and a hard-shelled, pitch-black insect flew out.

Buzzing! This insect, only the size of a fingernail, flew incredibly fast. Its mouthparts were pale gold, and its wings beat constantly, emitting a strange sound. Biting his finger, Elder Xu dabbed a drop of fresh blood towards it. Sizzling! Seeing the blood, the insect excitedly opened its mouth, drinking it all in two gulps. Immediately after, its entire body emitted a silver luminescence, as if some special power had been activated.

“Could it be… a poisonous insect?” Zhang Xuan frowned. Back in the Red Lotus Mountains, he had read many books on poisons, among which was a description of poisonous insects fed with human blood. Such creatures could only exert their strongest power and produce awe-inspiring venom by consuming human blood.

“Possessing a poisonous insect… could these two be poison masters?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up. His purpose in coming to Jingyuan City was to find poison masters and the Poison Hall. However, to evade the Master Teachers, they were extremely well-hidden and impossible to locate. That’s why he found the Netherworld Flower, hoping to attract them. He hadn't expected it to be very effective, but to his surprise… he encountered them here.

“It seems this City Lord was also searching for poison masters, which is why he was so determined to obtain the Netherworld Flower…” Understanding this, the previous events suddenly made perfect sense. This City Lord was likely controlled or beguiled by this Otherworldly Demonic Tribe King, which is why he was helping them search. But… why would Otherworldly Demonic Tribe members be looking for the Poison Hall?

Guessing inwardly, he couldn't help but look at Elder Xu, and a book about the elder immediately appeared in his mind.

“First Elder of the Hongyuan Empire’s Poison Hall, a peak 6-star poison master…” His identity was described in detail from the very beginning. Just as he guessed, he was indeed an elder of the Poison Hall.

While he was astonished, the poisonous insect in the air had already fed, emitting a faint silver light from its entire body, and flew straight towards King Ziye.

“You think a tiny silver-armored poisonous insect can deal with me? You’re being too naive…” King Ziye sneered, not dodging, and swatted at the insect before him.

Whoosh! Surging qi, like flames, seemed intent on burning the insect to death. However, the latter was incredibly fast, dodging in the blink of an eye. It appeared before King Ziye, shook its wings, and scattered a pile of silver powder.

“Hmph!” King Ziye flicked his sleeve, and the silver powder was swept away by his qi. At the same time, his finger shot out qi, like sword energy, continuing to strike.

Sizzling sounds! The sword energy was fast, but the insect was even faster, weaving back and forth, continuously releasing a special gas. The City Lord, not far away, smelled this gas, his face turned pale, his body swayed, and he fell to the ground. He had been poisoned.

“You have some tricks up your sleeve!” Seeing the City Lord collapse, on the verge of being poisoned to death, King Ziye finally shifted from his earlier indifference to a more solemn demeanor. He suddenly twisted his body, as if his entire being was wrapped in a special force, making it impossible for the poisonous powder scattered by the insect to penetrate.

“Although this poisonous insect is formidable, defeating King Ziye… is impossible!” After watching for a while, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Although his current strength was far from King Ziye’s, with his Eye of Insight, his discernment was unmatched. The poisonous insect released by Elder Xu, though very powerful and unbeatable among those of its own level, was still insufficient to poison a Saint Realm 4th Layer expert to death. Among other things, it was evident from the fact that King Ziye had not yet used his Essence Soul power. The Essence Soul, like a witch soul, could launch soul attacks. Without even using it, the insect was already having no effect on him. Once he used it, the insect likely wouldn't last long.

Indeed, King Ziye seemed to have discerned the insect’s moves and methods. No longer holding back, he chuckled softly, and a powerful force surged from between his eyebrows: “Come down!”

Boom!

The sound, like thunder, caused a violent tremor. The insect flying in the air immediately swayed uncontrollably as if drunk, its flight becoming unstable. “Pfft…” Elder Xu, not far away, also seemed to have been attacked. His face flushed, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Could it be… a life-bound poisonous insect?” Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows twitched. A life-bound poisonous insect was essentially a poison master’s clone. Typically nurtured with essence blood, it integrated a part of the cultivator’s soul. If it were killed, the cultivator would suffer severe repercussions, perhaps even instant death!

“Heh heh, no wonder it’s so formidable, it’s a life-bound poisonous insect…” Just as Zhang Xuan recognized this, King Ziye also realized it. He chuckled softly and suddenly grabbed with his palm.

Squeaking sounds! The insect, which had been swaying and flying unsteadily, could no longer dodge. It was immediately caught in his palm and, no matter how much it struggled, could not fly free.

“If your strength were a bit greater, perhaps this thing could harm me. But… right now, you’re far too weak!” He lightly flicked his finger, and the insect tumbled. Elder Xu swayed again, his face turning pale. Even though poison masters were terrifying and their venoms impossible to guard against, Elder Xu’s strength was only at the peak of Saint Realm 1st Layer. He was still a long way from being able to poison a Saint Realm 4th Layer Otherworldly Demonic Tribe King to death.

“Take me to the Poison Hall, and I’ll spare your life. Otherwise… death!” With the insect under control, King Ziye raised an eyelid and looked over, his gaze filled with killing intent.

“What a great opportunity…” Seeing that the opponent was about to make a move at any moment, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up. If he could save Elder Xu, he might earn his trust and seize the opportunity to infiltrate the Poison Hall, avoiding a lot of trouble. This would be far better than simply capturing a poison master for interrogation. But… without revealing his puppets, how could he rescue someone from a Saint Realm 4th Layer Otherworldly Demonic Tribe King?

Zhang Xuan couldn't help but furrow his brows.