Chapter 1019: My Lifeline

Inside the Master of Poison Hall's residence, Elder Xu sat smiling at one side.

“Are you saying that this time, you owe your life to a Poison Master named Sun Qiang, who, with great benevolence and righteousness, rescued you despite the danger, otherwise you might not have returned?”

An old man opposite looked over. He appeared to be in his sixties or seventies, with a gentle smile and a kind face. If one didn't know where they were, they would never dream that such a person was the Master of the Hongyuan Poison Hall, a Seven-Star Poison Master!

“Yes, this Poison Master Sun is benevolent and righteous, courageous and resourceful. If it weren't for him, I might have already perished, just like Elder Xue!” Speaking of Sun Qiang, Elder Xu was filled with admiration. To rescue him from a Saint 4-realm expert—that courage and spirit alone are incomparable to countless others.

“A Combat Saint, facing such a powerful expert, able to remain composed and respond calmly, is indeed a rare talent. Very well, I agree to his Poison Master assessment and his joining our Poison Hall!” With a slight smile, the old man stroked his beard.

“Thank you, Hall Master!” Elder Xu stood up, a slight smile on his face, filled with confidence and certainty: “Rest assured, you will not regret today's decision. This Sun Qiang is definitely a trustworthy and reliable friend!”

“To receive such praise from you, I’m actually quite curious to see what kind of person this Poison Master Sun is…” The Hall Master nodded, and just as he was about to speak further, an elder rushed into the room from outside.

“Hall Master…”

“Elder Feng, what happened to you?” He turned and recognized him; it was Elder Feng Ping of the Poison Hall. However, Elder Feng, unlike his usual self, was bruised and swollen, covered in bloodstains, as if he had just survived some life-or-death calamity, looking indescribably horrific.

“What happened? How dare you ask what happened?” Seeing Elder Xu, Feng Ping instantly flared up, roaring and lunging forward as if to duel him. If it weren't for Xu You bringing that guy here, would their Poison Hall have suffered such a terrible fate?

“An esteemed Elder, ready to strike the moment he arrives? What kind of behavior is this? Elder Feng, what happened?” Frowning, the Hall Master rebuked.

“Hall Master…” Hearing the rebuke, Elder Feng stopped, clenching his teeth, and looked over with a distraught expression: “Twenty elders of the Poison Hall… fourteen were killed! Only six of us survived, including myself and Elder Du. Even Vice Hall Master Ming had his shoulder cleaved by a sword and is in critical condition…”

“What? Fourteen elders killed? What happened?” Standing up abruptly, the Hall Master’s pupils contracted. The Hongyuan Poison Hall had a total of twenty-two elders. He had just heard that Elder Xue was killed… and in the blink of an eye, fourteen more were dead? Weren’t all these elders supposed to be inside the Poison Hall? Could an enemy have broken in?

“It was… that Sun Qiang brought by Elder Xu!” Elder Feng gritted his teeth.

“Sun Qiang? What happened?” Elder Xu swayed.

“It’s like this…” Elder Feng recounted the previous events in detail, including Duan Ren causing trouble, Vice Hall Master Ming's fury, and… their encirclement of Sun Qiang, only to have him kill several of them in return.

“How could this be…” After hearing the explanation, Elder Xu’s vision went dark. “I did say that people in the Poison Hall admire strength and that you shouldn’t hold back, but… I didn’t tell you to kill fourteen elders of the entire Poison Hall! I just told the Hall Master that you were benevolent, righteous, and trustworthy, and then this happens… How can I explain this now?”

“Let’s go see!” Casting a cold glance at him, the Hall Master flicked his sleeve and hurriedly followed Elder Feng out. Elder Xu had no choice but to follow.

It didn’t take long to arrive at Zhang Xuan’s residence, where they immediately saw bodies sprawled across the floor. All these individuals had reached the peak of the Saint 1-realm, and their research into poisons was extremely profound. Outside, one of them could easily take on three or four experts of the same level, yet now… they lay cold on the ground.

He hastily looked up and saw the culprit, Sun Qiang, still sitting cross-legged on the ground, eyes tightly closed in cultivation, as if none of the events concerned him.

“Elder Huang, Elder Li, Elder Liu…” Gazing at the bodies strewn across the floor, the Hall Master’s face twitched uncontrollably, his eyes almost bleeding. These were old companions who had been with him for hundreds of years. Unexpectedly, in the span of dozens of breaths, this fellow had killed them all! Crucially, after killing people, he not only showed no fear but continued to sit here cultivating… this was truly showing no regard for the Poison Hall!

“Hall Master, you must kill this guy and avenge us…” Vice Hall Master Ming rushed forward, roaring. His wounds had been bandaged, and he had taken the appropriate medicine, but they were too severe; his vitality was greatly diminished, and even if healed, he would be almost crippled.

“Yes, Hall Master, this guy is too arrogant. He fought us without even opening his eyes, simply showing extreme contempt…” “He must be killed, otherwise, how can we face the ancestors of the Poison Hall!” The remaining two Vice Hall Masters and elders also roared simultaneously. When they, as Poison Masters, went out, others would flee in terror. When had they ever suffered such humiliation, having a dozen elders killed by a guy with his eyes closed?

“Rest assured, no one who causes trouble in the Poison Hall has ever escaped justice!” With a wave of his hand, the Hall Master looked over, his gaze as cold as ice, and ordered: “Detain Xu You. After I deal with this fellow, we will interrogate him!”

“Yes!” Hearing the command, several elders immediately came over and surrounded Elder Xu.

“Hall Master…” Elder Xu hadn't expected such a result and was full of anxiety, yet utterly helpless. He wanted to explain but didn't know how to begin. “This Poison Master Sun was quite normal when he came with me, saying he wanted to keep a low profile… How could he kill a dozen elders in the time it took me to report to the Hall Master? Is this what he calls keeping a low profile? You didn't come here to be assessed as a Poison Master; you came here to wipe out our Poison Hall, didn't you?” Although frustrated, the thought that Sun Qiang was his lifesaver made him unable to resist speaking: “Hall Master, Poison Master Sun is not someone who kills indiscriminately. I believe there must be some misunderstanding…”

“Seal his mouth!” Seeing that most of the Poison Hall elders were nearly dead, and this guy was still talking about misunderstandings, the Hall Master's eyebrows shot up in anger.

“Yes!” A Vice Hall Master nodded, stepped forward, and with a flick of his finger, sealed Elder Xu’s mouth, making him unable to speak.

“Sun Qiang, is it? To dare to cause trouble in the Poison Hall alone, your courage is truly remarkable. However… today, no matter who you are or what your purpose, since you’ve come, don’t expect to leave…” Ensuring Elder Xu would no longer speak for this guy, the Hall Master turned, let out a cold snort, and approached Zhang Xuan. With a flick of his finger, a line of nine fingernail-sized beetles, precisely nine, flew from his fingertip. These beetles were dark gold, their wings reflecting the sunlight, appearing particularly sinister.

“It’s the Hall Master’s Dark Gold Poisonous Insects!” “These are sacred objects that can easily poison and kill Saint 3-realm experts!” “Yes, the Hall Master has poured countless efforts into raising these Dark Gold Poisonous Insects, feeding them no less than a hundred Saint-realm medicinal herbs… His hard work paid off; despite the difficulty, he successfully raised a full nine of them!” “Each of these nine poisonous insects can kill a Saint 3-realm expert. All nine combined, even a Saint 4-realm expert would have to avoid them. Releasing all of them, it seems the Hall Master is truly enraged!” “This guy is doomed. Although we don’t know what antidote he took to resist ordinary poisons, he definitely won't be able to withstand the Hall Master’s poisonous insects…” Seeing the Hall Master release the Dark Gold Poisonous Insects, everyone’s eyes lit up. Although they all raised poisonous insects and snakes, in terms of rank, the Hall Master’s Dark Gold Poisonous Insects were definitely at the peak. Any one of them flying out could poison and kill a Saint 3-realm expert, making countless people wary! If they were truly unleashed for a massacre, with all nine poisonous insects flying out, the entire Hongyuan Empire could be wiped out. This was the terror of a Seven-Star Poison Master! In everyone's eyes, even if Sun Qiang had taken some powerful antidote that could resist certain toxic powders, facing such potent poisonous insects, there was only one path: death!

“Wuwuwu…” Contrary to everyone's expectations, Elder Xu’s vision went dark, and he tried to shout repeatedly, but his mouth was sealed, so he couldn't say anything, only showing extreme anxiety on his face.

Ignoring the shock of others, with a solemn expression, the Hall Master flicked his finger. Nine drops of fresh blood flew out, and the nine Dark Gold Poisonous Insects each swallowed a drop, their colors becoming even more vibrant. “Go!” His eyebrows raised, the Hall Master pointed at “Sun Qiang,” who was sitting cross-legged on the ground, his killing intent boiling. Buzz, buzz, buzz! Hearing the command, the nine poisonous insects flew straight over, reaching their target in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Xuan seemed unaware of the danger, remaining motionless, sitting cross-legged on the ground with his eyes closed. Seeing that he made no attempt to dodge, the Hall Master's face lit up with delight. He controlled the poisonous insects, making them land on Zhang Xuan. Immediately, beetles swarmed over Zhang Xuan’s exposed skin, such as his arms and neck. Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! The poisonous insects opened their mouths and bit down, and blood flowed into their mouths.

“They’ve bitten him…” “Once the Dark Gold Poisonous Insects bite, their venom will enter the body through the bloodstream, and he’ll die within three breaths!” “Bitten by so many poisonous insects simultaneously, I don’t think he’ll last even one breath…” They had thought this guy would be terrified and flee when he saw the poisonous insects, but he remained seated, bitten by all nine at once. Even an immortal wouldn't be able to save him now.

Whoosh! Whoosh! After biting Zhang Xuan, the nine Dark Gold Poisonous Insects flew up again. However, they hadn't flown very high before they suddenly tilted their heads, as if drunk. Plop! Plop! Plop! They all fell to the ground, their six legs twitched a few times, and then they were motionless.

“Pfft!” His face turned pale, the Hall Master spat out a mouthful of blood, reeled back seven or eight steps, and then collapsed onto the ground, looking forward with an expression as if he had seen a ghost. “My lifeblood…”