Chapter 169: Detoxification

"Don't thank me; they were the ones who insisted on saving you."

Li Weiyi glanced back, noticing that Miedi and Daodi were consistently following about a mile behind, which was a headache. If they kept following, the two would eventually grow suspicious. However, if they didn't leave quickly, more and more enemies would arrive.

Suddenly, Chen Wenwu's sword intent emanated from the night, sharp and oppressive even ten miles away.

"This is bad! The Two Devas of Coffin Mountain aren't familiar with Cang Li, so it's easy to deceive them. But Chen Wenwu has known Cang Li since childhood; if he gets close, he'll likely notice something amiss." What worried Li Weiyi even more was that once Chen Wenwu arrived and the three masters gathered, they might feel emboldened enough to attack. If he couldn't deter them, the trouble would be immense!

Li Weiyi's mind raced. He slapped Ma Wu's neck, glared defiantly into the night, and roared, "Chen Wenwu, I've finally found you! Tonight is your doom!" A tiger's roar and killing intent erupted simultaneously as he galloped towards Chen Wenwu's direction.

Chen Wenwu had just reached about six or seven miles away when he saw a figure on Ma Wu's back, strikingly similar to Cang Li, holding a silver spear and approaching with murderous intent. A chill immediately ran down his spine. Ever since the Three Chen Palace and the Nine Li Tribe had a complete falling out in Immortal Burial Town, the person Chen Wenwu feared seeing most was Cang Li. He knew Cang Li's strength too well; facing him meant certain death. Moreover, Chen Wenwu had killed many Five Sea Realm cultivators of the Nine Li Tribe in Immortal Burial Town, making Cang Li hate him to the core.

"Don't think you're invincible! Tonight, in the Land of Ancestral Weapons, you're not the only inheritor-level master. If you dare, come after me!" Chen Wenwu flung this threat, then turned and fled. He used the Spirit Smoke Obscurity technique, his body transforming into a wisp of smoke and vanishing into the night at top speed.

Li Weiyi chased for a while, then immediately changed direction and whispered, "How much strength do you have left? Can you still fight?" Jiang Ning's lips were black, and her pure immortal body, exposed by the armor, showed prominent veins and many black patterns. She was drowsy, her consciousness gradually fading. She murmured softly, "I was poisoned by the Night Emperor Toad in the Wraith's Nether Realm and have been suppressing it with pháp khí. But these past few days of continuous battles have made it impossible to fully suppress it. I fear I won't make it through the night!" "Li Weiyi, while I still have a last breath, I can help you hold back the Two Devas of Coffin Mountain for a moment. You should escape! Your kindness today is beyond words, I'm very touched..." "Don't get emotional; come forward, time is short," Li Weiyi said.

Jiang Ning mustered a little spirit, a bewildered look appearing in her eyes. Before she could react, Li Weiyi turned, grabbed her by the belt, and pulled her into his arms, not forgetting to cast a cold, mocking glance at the Two Devas of Coffin Mountain a mile behind them.

Jiang Ning sat facing him, her hairbun long since disheveled from battle. Her exquisite face was devoid of vitality, like someone gravely ill and dying, possessing a fragile beauty.

"First, take off your armor... I have a method to detoxify you," Li Weiyi said. Jiang Ning was skeptical but raised her arms. Her metal arm guards clicked together, light shimmered, and the soft armor covering her entire body quickly retracted into the two arm guards. Her clothes, permeated with black, viscous toxic blood, were revealed.

The poison wound was on her back. Li Weiyi reached out and gently touched it; the decay was severe. She was alive purely because of her high cultivation, having continuously used pháp khí to protect her body.

Li Weiyi gasped, losing all confidence. He pressed two fingers to her heart, releasing pháp khí to examine her. "Her heart hasn't been corroded by the poison. Perhaps there's still a chance to save her!"

He fed her a Twilight Dyeing Elixir and a mouthful of Golden Spring water. "If I truly save you tonight, you'll have to repay me ten times over for these medicines."

Li Weiyi instructed, "Circulate your pháp khí, move the poison towards your internal mark meridians, and reverse its flow towards the spring points." "This... if the Night Emperor Toad poison corrupts the mark meridians, my cultivation will quickly be crippled... Are you sure the Night Emperor Toad poison has no effect on the mark meridians?" No martial cultivator would joke with their cultivation. It was precisely for this reason that Jiang Ning had been using pháp khí to protect her internal mark meridians all this time. "Do you have any other choice now besides trusting me?" Li Weiyi asked. Jiang Ning, decisive, immediately performed breathing techniques, using all her mark meridians to move the Night Emperor Toad poison within her body as he instructed.

Li Weiyi took out a Spring-Piercing Needle, held it between two fingers, grasped her palm, and pierced the spring point in her palm. Next were the palm of her other hand, both feet, the Zhongshu, Tanzhong, Baihui, Fengfu, and Zutian points. All nine spring points had a tiny dot of blood.

Master Guan's method was for him to suck out the Night Emperor Toad poison. Li Weiyi understood exactly what the old man was thinking. A woman like Jiang Ning was clearly very serious. Truly provoking her would be nothing good; since they were adversaries, there was no need to get too deeply involved, making it easier to be ruthless when they met on the battlefield in the future.

Li Weiyi released seven Phoenix-Wing Moth Emperors, which landed on seven of Jiang Ning's acupoints. For some reason, the seven little moths were extremely fond of Jiang Ning, showing no fear of the Night Emperor Toad poison. They helped her by sucking out the toxins, which were being transported towards the spring points, bit by bit.

From behind, Miedi said, "Cang Li seems to be helping Jiang Ning detoxify." "That's just futile! From what I see, Jiang Ning is too deeply poisoned; she can't be saved by medicine or pháp khí alone. Perhaps only the Second Palace Master of Lingxiao Palace, coming in person, could reverse her fate," Daodi replied. Miedi then said, "I still feel something is off. Why is Cang Li returning towards Great Marsh City? Isn't he arrogant and fearless, even of the Young Venerable?" "Do you really think he's foolish? He's merely proud, not without wisdom. Would he clash with the Young Venerable while carrying a severely injured Jiang Ning?" Daodi paused, then added, "Lord Qi should also be rushing back now that she's discovered our deception!"

Time passed. Most of the Night Emperor Toad poison in Jiang Ning's body was quickly cleared. The Twilight Dyeing Elixir revitalized her flesh, and the Golden Spring water was absorbed into her bloodstream, circulating throughout her body. Even the wound on her back was enveloped in golden light and immortal radiance, and the pain almost vanished. Her skin and eyes quickly regained their luster, no longer looking so sickly.

"So, my approach was wrong from the start. To expel the Night Emperor Toad poison, it's not through the physical body, but through the mark meridians. How did you know?" Jiang Ning closed her eyes slightly, her voice imbued with a newfound strength. "Instead of thinking about that, you should think more about how much you owe me as payment," Li Weiyi said, glancing back. Behind them, the Two Devas of Coffin Mountain surged forward several times, closing the distance. They had clearly sensed something was wrong and were eager to test them.

Li Weiyi frowned, realizing that Jiang Ning had very little pháp khí left, and even after clearing the Night Emperor Toad poison, her body was extremely weak and needed time to recover. "What rank is your pháp khí?" he asked. "Six-tier... They're coming. Those two are still preparing to risk an attack; they won't let us return to Great Marsh City. You go first. The toxins in my body are now very diluted and controllable; dealing with them won't be difficult."

Jiang Ning stopped clearing the toxins and soared into the air like a wisp of wind, hovering several feet above the sea. "Whoosh!" She reactivated her soft armor to cover her entire body, stood proudly in the air with her sword, her luminous wings unfurled on her back, and a magnificent palace-like structure suspended above her head, her combat intent reaching its peak. With a horizontal slash, a flurry of feathers accompanied by sword qi and a sharp arc of light tens of feet wide, struck Miedi and Daodi, who were charging across the sea, forcing them to retreat.

"The Night Emperor Toad poison in my body is cleared. Are you two eager to die?" Jiang Ning's expression was cold and beautiful, her aura comparable to her peak state. Li Weiyi knew she was bluffing, so he raised his silver spear high. "Then it's one each. Miedi is mine. Let's see who can kill their opponent first."

Miedi and Daodi turned and fled, their pháp khí surging as they plunged directly into the seawater, intending to escape underwater.

Jiang Ning landed back on Ma Wu's back, her face devoid of joy. She gazed towards a direction in the night. "She's here! This bluff might scare off Chen Wenwu and the Two Devas of Coffin Mountain, but it won't scare her. This is a battle I must face; it has nothing to do with you. You should leave quickly." Li Weiyi saw the blue-robed figure approaching on a small boat across the sea—it was indeed Lord Qi, wearing Zhuang Yue's skin. "In your current state, I doubt you're her match," Li Weiyi said. Jiang Ning replied, "Do you think you can escape by running? Fleeing without fighting means certain death. Fighting, perhaps, offers a sliver of hope!"

Upon Lord Qi's arrival, Miedi and Daodi, who had submerged underwater, immediately resurfaced, positioning themselves on her left and right, forming a fan-shaped encirclement. Lord Qi smiled, her voice identical to Zhuang Yue's. "Not only is Fairy Yu's beauty unparalleled, but her figure, accentuated by this soft armor, also pleases this servant greatly."

Jiang Ning had long realized that Zhuang Yue was a fake, and of course, understood that the real Zhuang Yue must have died by Lord Qi's hand. Her usually cold and ruthless eyes now held complex emotions—a mix of killing intent, hatred, and loyalty. Never before had her resolve to kill someone been so firm as it was at this moment.

"I can lend you a treasure for now! Can I trust you?" Li Weiyi finally asked. The word "trust" sometimes carries significant weight. Jiang Ning was slightly puzzled. "For others, I can only say I'll do my best. For you, I can make an exception this once; you can trust me completely." After a moment's thought, she added, "I won't use it for free; I'll pay!"

Li Weiyi took out the Ghost Banner and handed it to her, feeling a degree of anticipation for how powerful the ghost's strength within the banner would become when activated by a six-tier qi.