Chapter 826: Competition Content

Despite his frustration, as an old monster who had lived for nearly a thousand years, Yu Xu quickly put his gloom aside and began to devise a strategy.

"His ability to pass the Wall of Doubts proves that no complex disease is beyond him!""His progress on the Ailment Platform indicates a profound understanding of new diseases...""The fact that he shamed the ancestral wills into destroying their own steles shows his comprehension of medicine has reached an unfathomable level..."

As his thoughts swirled, Yu Xu's expression grew increasingly grim. No matter how he calculated, he had no chance of winning against the young man.

"Unless..."

Suddenly, an idea struck him. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and he clenched his fist.

"Good, it's settled!"

No sooner had he made his decision than Zhang Xuan, facing him, spoke up: "Since Vice Dean Yu is so generous, I'll decide the rules of the competition. My proposal is..."

"Wait!"

Before Zhang Xuan could finish, Yu Xu, abandoning his previous dignified air, quickly raised a hand. "Since you challenged me, it is only natural that I decide the rules of our contest!"

He scoffed internally. If he let the young man decide, he would surely lose!

"Is this what you call graciousness?"

Many senior students, who had just been vocally supportive, froze upon hearing this. Their faces burned with embarrassment, as if they had been slapped. To speak of grace and then immediately backtrack? As a dignified six-star master teacher, couldn't he at least stick to his word?

"Okay, you say it!"

Zhang Xuan frowned, not having expected Yu Xu to go back on his word. He didn't care what Yu Xu decided. His only goal today was to avenge Wei Changfeng!

Yu Xu looked at him. "Very well. We are physicians. Physicians not only treat the sick and save lives, but also bear social responsibilities."

"Among those responsibilities," Yu Xu continued, "detoxification is something all physicians must learn and master. My request is simple: we will compete in detoxification."

"Detoxification?" Zhang Xuan raised his eyebrows.

While physician competitions aren't categorized as extensively as master teacher challenges, there are still hundreds of recognized forms, and detoxification is certainly one of them. Poison masters and physicians are natural enemies. To advance in rank and gain recognition, a physician must be skilled in detoxification. Otherwise, not only would they be unable to counter poison masters, but they wouldn't even realize if they themselves had been poisoned. Throughout history, countless physicians have fallen victim to poison.

"Precisely," Yu Xu asserted. "A physician must not only cure ailments but also be able to detoxify. Otherwise, no matter how skilled they seem, they're merely an empty shell!"

Yu Xu looked at him. "Thus, this is a legitimate medical skill, perfectly suitable for our competition."

"He's courting death! That scoundrel!"

Hearing Yu Xu suddenly change his tune and propose a detoxification competition, Zhong Dingchun, who was already on the verge of exploding with anger and longed to rush up and beat the man senseless, erupted in fury.

"What's wrong?" Elder Mi looked over.

"Detoxification contests are fraught with peril; life and death are unpredictable!" Zhong Dingchun explained.

"Unpredictable life and death? What do you mean?"

Dean Zhao and the others were puzzled. They had heard of such contests but were unfamiliar with the specific rules.

"To detoxify, one first needs a poison," Zhong Dingchun explained, "and second, a subject! In other words, someone must be poisoned before detoxification can occur!"

"Someone poisoned?"

Since it's a competition, they'd undoubtedly use the most potent poisons. It's fine if they can be solved, but what if they can't? Wouldn't someone be poisoned to death on the spot?

"Exactly! This type of contest is exceedingly dangerous, rarely undertaken by physicians. This fellow is utterly disregarding all principles..." Zhong Dingchun gnashed his teeth. Is poison something to be trifled with? A slight misstep could easily lead to death.

"Don't be so quick to worry," Elder Mi interjected. "Even if someone gets poisoned, it might not be a human. They could use a Pill-Testing Beast for experimentation. Physicians heal the wounded and save the dying; how could they trifle with human lives?" Even for poison testing, a human might not be necessary. Spirit beasts could serve the same purpose.

"It's not that simple..." Zhong Dingchun was about to elaborate when Zhang Xuan's calm voice echoed from the stage.

"Very well, detoxification it is. Tell me the rules!"

"Very simple!"

Seeing Zhang Xuan agree, Yu Xu visibly relaxed and smiled faintly. "It's quite simple: you and I will each prepare a poison, and we will each consume the other's poison. Whoever can detoxify themselves within the allotted time will be declared the victor!"

"Using ourselves as test subjects?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"Precisely," Yu Xu scoffed. "I've laid out the rules. Do you dare, or do you not? If you don't dare... then you forfeit today's contest!"

"Consume each other's poison? If they can't detoxify, won't they be poisoned to death on the spot?"

"Indeed, this rule is horrifying!"

"This isn't merely a physician's duel to the death; it's a fight for one's life..."

Upon hearing the rules, everyone erupted in an uproar. Even Wei Ranxue, Dean Zhao, and the others were stunned. No wonder Zhong Dingchun had been so anxious when he heard about this contest; he hadn't realized the rules were so brutal! It would be best if they could resolve it, but what if they couldn't? Many poisons, it should be noted, are instantly fatal upon entering the bloodstream. Solving them is far from easy.

Just as everyone was reeling in shock, convinced Zhang Xuan would never agree, his voice rang out.

"Okay, I agree!"

"You can't agree, it's too dangerous..."

Elder Mi's face went pale, and he couldn't help but cry out. He had heard Mo Gaoyuan recount Master Yang's exploits. If Master Zhang were to be poisoned to death, the entire Master Teacher Academy might not be able to withstand Master Yang's fury!

"Damn it, this is going too far! He's a Saint realm expert; he and Master Zhang are on completely different planes of existence. Exchanging poisons... even if Master Zhang wanted to poison him, it would likely have little effect!" Wei Ranxue's face also turned red with anger. The potency of a poison is largely dependent on the cultivation level and strength of the practitioner. A single drop of water can drown an ant, but it has no effect on an elephant. For a Saint realm expert, whose life force has fundamentally transformed, a poison potent enough to kill a Silkworm Sealing realm expert might have no effect at all. Yet, if given to someone in the Bridge of Heaven realm, it would be instantly fatal. With different levels, varying strengths, and distinct resistances, how could this be fair?

"Zhong Dingchun? Is this truly your Physician Academy's Vice Dean? A six-star Master Teacher of the highest rank?" Zhao Bingxu's face turned ashen as he turned to Zhong Dingchun. Earlier, when he heard Yu Xu renege on his word, he already felt it was unbecoming of a Master Teacher. However, the medicinal herbs were Yu Xu's property, and if he genuinely didn't want to sell them, no one could truly fault him. But now, to openly leverage his status as a Saint realm expert in a poison duel, intending to kill someone, was no longer about commerce but about integrity! As they belonged to different academies, Zhao Bingxu rarely interacted with Yu Xu and wasn't familiar with his character. But hearing him now openly try to kill a student — could such a person truly be a Master Teacher? Even if some Master Teachers had questionable character, they surely wouldn't stoop to such an undignified act!

"I..." Zhong Dingchun's face flushed. While Yu Xu's actions didn't violate the rules, they utterly stripped him of the demeanor a Master Teacher should possess. It was utterly disgraceful.

"You needn't blame Dean Zhong," Elder Mi interjected. "I've dealt with this Yu Xu before, and he wasn't always like this. It's just that now he's old and increasingly fearful of death. As long as he can survive, dignity and decorum mean nothing to him!" Yu Xu's age is at the very limit of a Saint realm cultivator's lifespan. A man who could die at any moment, if given a chance to live, how could you expect him to be reasonable? Survival is paramount to him!

"Some people, when faced with death, would choose to preserve their reputation and maintain their image for a lifetime. Others simply want to live one more day; fame is a posthumous concern, and once you're dead, you know nothing anyway!" Elder Mi snorted. "This fellow has been hunting spirit beasts everywhere to extract their blood for longevity. Out of respect for a colleague and understanding his grief over the former dean, I didn't pursue the matter. But I never expected him to remain unrepentant even now!"

"Hunting spirit beasts?" Zhong Dingchun heard this for the first time and couldn't help but look over. Physicians are expected to have a benevolent heart. Those who practice medicine not only save lives and heal the injured among humans but also extend their aid to wounded spirit beasts whenever possible. Hunting spirit beasts everywhere, merely for his own survival... Is this truly the act of a physician?

"Indeed. I incidentally learned this while investigating information on the Purple Sun Beast Elder these past few days! It's said that within the last year, your Vice Dean Yu Xu alone has hunted more than twenty Half-Saint level Saint beasts!" Elder Mi said.

"More than twenty? Why kill so many Half-Saints?" Zhong Dingchun was startled. Even as the Dean of the Physician Academy, he was unaware of this matter.

"I don't know either!" Elder Mi shook his head. To be honest, when I first heard this, I found it very strange. But among colleagues, as long as no major harm was done, it was simply inconvenient to investigate too deeply.

"Half-Saint level Saint beasts are considered regional monarchs even in the Hongyuan Mountain Range. Even for a Saint, hunting them isn't easy! More than twenty in about a year..." Zhong Dingchun was still somewhat disbelieving. Half-Saint level Saint beasts can hold their own against Conferred Saint realm experts. Even if they can't defeat someone like Zhong Dingchun, they can certainly escape. How could he hunt so many in about a year? Furthermore, finding so many Saint beasts in the Hongyuan Mountain Range would be difficult in itself!

"It seems to be related to Cloud Mist Ridge. However, the information about more than twenty Half-Saint level Saint beasts is accurate. If you don't believe it, you can wait until their contest is over and ask him yourself!" Elder Mi advised.

"Hmm!" Suppressing the doubt in his heart, Zhong Dingchun nodded. Cloud Mist Ridge is home to all the Saint beasts in the Hongyuan Mountain Range. If the matter is related to it, the information is likely accurate.

"Never mind all that for now! Given the current situation, as dean, can you stop this?" Wei Ranxue couldn't hold back any longer, seeing that the two of them still had the composure to discuss Saint beasts. The immediate concern was their contest, which could very well turn fatal.

"A physician's life-and-death duel, once approved by the Physician Guild Headquarters and initiated, cannot be stopped!" Zhong Dingchun shook his head. "If we interfere, it could easily cause conflict..." It wasn't that he didn't want to intervene, but that he couldn't! This physician's duel had been communicated to the headquarters via their badges. Stopping it now would be tantamount to defying the entire Guild. Even as one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, he couldn't do that. Rules are rules; they cannot be broken. Otherwise, would he have simply stood by while Yu Xu flaunted his authority? He would have certainly rushed up and given him a beating long ago!