Chapter 459: Leishan City Battle

Thunder Mountain City.

In the early morning, Thunder Mountain City was filled with the scent of herbs. Qin Mu sniffed the air and immediately recognized that many of these medicinal smells came from poisonous mists exhaled by highly toxic creatures. He promptly refined several antitoxin pills and had Dragon Qilin and Xiong Qi'er hold them in their mouths.

Poison Master Mu Yingxue's city was unique. Various poisonous herbs, flowers, and insects were ubiquitous, planted by the residents of Thunder Mountain City in their gardens. Poisonous insects crawled everywhere; some people even raised venomous birds and beasts that roamed freely. Houses were covered in poisonous vines, and occasionally, green-blue snakes peeked out from the foliage, hissing.

With a rustle, a group of large-eared, scaled opossums scurried past them, chasing several centipedes two to three feet long.

The early morning in Thunder Mountain City was bustling, with noises and shouts occasionally echoing from the streets.

"Damn it, whose poison bee is this? My face is swollen; quickly, bring the antidote!"

"Which heartless family dumped their medicinal dregs on the street? My leg is numb, black... it's practically rotting! Who dumped these dregs? Speak up, or I'll poison you to death!"

Qin Mu walked through the streets of Thunder Mountain City, where numerous vendors lined both sides. They openly displayed and hawked the poisons they had refined, their shouts and calls incessant.

"Sister Mu's Thunder Mountain City is quite prosperous," he mused.

He looked around and discovered many rare medicinal ingredients, so he bought some. The quality of some of the poison pills refined by vendors was also quite good, suitable as basic toxins for refining stronger and more potent poisons, so he procured some of those as well.

Unconsciously, he arrived at the center of Thunder Mountain City. It was even more bustling here, with numerous large, circular arenas set up where some divine practitioners specializing in poison refinement were competing.

Qin Mu stopped and watched for a while. He saw that the divine practitioners on the arenas fought in a unique way: their surroundings were filled with jars, various green leaves, and all sorts of plants and flowers.

The divine practitioners on both sides activated their spells, and the poisonous insects and creatures in the jars began to fight each other to the death. The victors crawled out of the jars, bit on green leaves, and evolved. The practitioners then swiftly planted seeds within the insects, using strange spells to accelerate their growth, causing them to rapidly grow, blossom, and bear fruit.

The practitioners on both sides fed other poisonous insects with roots or fruits, using the divine power of 'Sentient Beings' to spur these insects to grow rapidly. The insects would then spew poisonous mist or flames at each other, engaging in fierce combat. Meanwhile, the practitioners evaded the opponent's attacks while preparing antidotes.

"Arena combat here involves on-the-fly poison refinement, using identical poisonous insects and medicines, which is fair," he thought. "However, the practitioners competing here are rather mediocre, so there's not much to see."

Qin Mu continued walking forward. Suddenly, he heard a thunderous crash as an arena cracked open. A massive creature emerged from it, occupying more than half the platform. This poisonous creature was a giant spider with the upper body of a beautiful woman. It roared furiously, shook its body, and spewed clouds of mist, forcing the spectators to retreat repeatedly.

Qin Mu looked surprised. "To cultivate such a poisonous creature using only the limited poisonous herbs, flowers, and insects available in the arena," he exclaimed, "this practitioner's skill is extraordinary!"

A woman in black stood on the body of the poisonous spider. Her face was veiled, but from the exposed skin, it was clear her face was covered in toad-like poisonous warts. She shrieked, "Mu Yingxue, I'm back! Get out here, old hag! Today, I'm going to settle scores with you again!"

Qin Mu's interest was immediately piqued. He went to the arena to watch the battle, as other divine practitioners from Thunder Mountain City also flocked there, surrounding the arena so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass.

One woman exclaimed excitedly, "The Poison Master is about to make her move!"

Another woman was equally thrilled. "It's been a long time since we've seen the Poison Master in action!" she exclaimed. "I heard that ever since she met the Heavenly Devil Cult Master from the Middle Earth, who is also a grand master of the Poison Dao, the two fell deeply in love, had eyes only for each other, and shared an ineffable romantic past. After the Poison Master returned, her skill in the Poison Dao greatly increased, she made even greater progress, entering a realm of unpredictable mastery! Who dares to challenge her now?"

Qin Mu blinked. How did he end up having an ineffable romantic past with Mu Yingxue?

He had clearly been in a poison duel with Mu Yingxue, where both had poisoned each other into disheveled, ugly, and even deformed states. That was hardly romantic, though one could say they had developed a mutual appreciation.

"She did kiss me once," he recalled.

As the young man thought about it, his heart pounded, and he felt a strange sentiment and emotion. He suddenly realized, "Oh no! My heart is racing, blood is surging in my face, my cheeks are flushed, my breathing is quickening and deepening, and a warm current flows through me whenever I think of her. Could it be that Sister Mu's lovesick poison, which she gave me, has taken effect? But this poison doesn't seem to cause any harm, so... I don't need to worry about it..."

He then tried thinking of Ling Yuxiu, Si Yunxiang, He Yiyi, and other girls. The warm current immediately disappeared.

"It seems lovesick poison isn't hard to deal with," the young man thought calmly.

"Mu Yingxue, are you afraid to show your face?"

Yu Qingchan, the woman in black on the arena, sneered, "You're not some timid man; hiding isn't your style!"

Just then, a soft chuckle echoed. A green vine rapidly grew within the city, extending from a mansion in the city center. The vine grew thicker and thicker, coiling like a green dragon, and swiftly sprouted large leaves and longer tendrils in mid-air.

In just a moment, the green vine stretched for three or four li, reaching above the arena.

With a soft sound, the green vine produced a large flower bud that hung above the arena. The flower bloomed, and a maiden with skin as white as snow leaped out from it. Before she even landed, seeds on the arena sprouted branches, and another large flower bloomed.

Mu Yingxue stepped onto the flower pistil, barefoot and without shoes, not touching the ground. She smiled and said, "Yu Qingchan, last time you lost to me, and you haven't even managed to remove the residual poison I left on you. That's why your once charming and lovely face is still covered in warts. Are you not simply coming here to die this time?"

Yu Qingchan chuckled lowly, "Hehehe, do you think I haven't made any progress all these years? Last time I lost to you, and my face was ruined. In all my 'walking marriages,' which man dared to even look me in the eye?"

Mu Yingxue sighed softly and said, "Indeed, no man dares to get close to us poison refiners, because if they displease us even slightly, we poison them to death. Sister Qingchan, we truly share the same plight. However..."

The maiden looked smug and chirped, "I already have someone! My beloved is also a master of the Poison Dao, the third greatest in the world! My beloved has already entered the Western Regions for me, coming to find me! Sister Qingchan, please forgive your little sister, but I can no longer keep you company in singledom!"

Qin Mu couldn't help but chuckle. This Mu Yingxue was indeed so clever and peculiar. However, his visit to the Western Regions wasn't entirely to find her.

Yu Qingchan cackled, "You have a lover? Fortunately, so do I! And my old flame is a hundred times better than yours! He is the Great Venerable of Loulan Golden Palace, whose poison dao reaches the heavens! With his guidance this time, I've refined my poison dao to the realm of the soul! Mu Yingxue, you little wretch, today not only will I make you surrender the title of Poison Master, but I'll also make you die a wretched, unbearable death!"

Mu Yingxue's expression subtly changed. "The Great Venerable of Golden Palace? The one renowned for voodoo and soul poison? No wonder, Sister, you dared to come to Thunder Mountain City to find me. That Great Venerable certainly has some skill."

Yu Qingchan sneered, "Scared now? You little wretch, today I'm going to make a wager with you!"

Mu Yingxue chuckled, "Scared? Not really. Ever since my duel with my little lover, my progress in the Poison Dao has advanced by leaps and bounds; I'm no longer what I once was. Don't even mention you; even if the Great Venerable himself came, I could poison him to death with a flick of my finger. However, since you've come to challenge me, I cannot refuse. How do you want to wager?"

"We'll wager your little man!"

Yu Qingchan suddenly raised her hand, pointed below the arena at Qin Mu, and cackled, "Your little man's life!"

Immediately, a large area around Qin Mu emptied with a whoosh as the crowd dispersed to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Only Qin Mu remained standing there alone. Even Xiong Qi'er was carried away by Dragon Qilin, who held her by the collar of her clothes, moving the little girl far away.

Qin Mu looked at the stage with an innocent expression, giving the maiden on stage a helpless smile. He thought to himself, "The tracking techniques of the Western Regions are truly too powerful. I haven't been able to shake off the True Heaven Palace's pursuit from beginning to end."

Mu Yingxue let out a cheer, about to jump down from the stage, but suddenly stopped.

She was already on the arena. If she jumped down, it would be an automatic surrender, giving up her title as Poison Master, and losing without a fight.

"Alright then, we'll wager my little man!"

Mu Yingxue was excited and jubilant, turning around to smile. "You've merged soul poison with our Western Regions' Spirit Summoning Art, using the arena's poisonous creatures to refine this massive entity. It's truly extraordinary, and your skill has greatly improved from before. I will also use the poisonous creatures from the arena to counter you."

She lightly tapped the flower pistil with her bare foot. Immediately, poisonous flowers and herbs around her burst into bloom, and poisonous insects and toads grew wildly. She calmly said, "Sister Qingchan, you merely possess poison techniques, but I have already begun to enter the Dao, understanding the myriad incredible powers of the Poison Dao. You thought you had seized the initiative by making the first move, but you didn't consider that in the Poison Dao, there is never a true initiative."

A miraculous transformation occurred. The physiological forms of the poisonous flowers, herbs, insects, and toads began to shift. They transformed from one species to another, evolving their toxicity from one type to another. Her art of creation was truly wondrous and mystical.

Qin Mu was filled with admiration. Ever since Mu Yingxue's defeat in their previous encounter, her mastery of Sentient Beings had become even more profound. Along with that, her art of creation had improved immeasurably, which was truly astonishing.

Yu Qingchan roared, and the giant spider beneath her immediately began to wave its claws. The arena, already not very large, was largely occupied by the poisonous spider. Now that the poisonous spider was moving, there was even less room for Mu Yingxue!

One by one, poisonous eggs burst open beneath the spider's abdomen. They fell to the ground, transforming into thousands of tiny spiders that covered the arena, swarming towards Mu Yingxue.

However, these poisonous creatures suddenly carbonized and shattered into pieces on the ground before they even reached Mu Yingxue. The giant poisonous spider also let out a mournful shriek before exploding with a bang.

Yu Qingchan hastily shot into the air, leaping upwards. She shrieked, "I'll be back for you!"

"Sister, in your next life," Mu Yingxue replied.

Mu Yingxue flicked her finger. Yu Qingchan, still in mid-air, dissolved into a puddle of blood that splattered onto the ground.