Chapter 80 Doesn't Senior Brother Dislike Me? (22) "--……

The man's handsome face, under the night sky, resembled a blooming spider lily, exquisitely beautiful yet containing deadly poison.

Fu Li was stunned.

But he wouldn't easily trust them. There was still some time before the ionization time ended, and he still had a chance to call for help...

"Oh right, I almost forgot." Zhongli Qianye raised his hand and shone a red light onto Fu Li's lips.

His movements were incredibly fast, and Fu Li was frozen in place before she could dodge. She tried to call out Zhong Li Qianye's name, but found that her jaw was clenched so tightly that she couldn't utter a sound.

Seeing his pursed lips and puzzled expression, the man couldn't help but laugh.

"Originally, I planned to take your people away directly. However, after thinking about it, I realized that would be too easy and not fun at all."

"I still want to see something more interesting."

His eyebrows and eyes were curved, as if he was planning a good show.

"That day in the secret realm, the poisonous gas from the Taotie combined with my blood must have given you and your senior brother quite a good time. I originally didn't want to use something that others had already used, but since you're the only one in the world with a naturally alluring body, I had no choice but to reluctantly do it this time."

"I heard you and your senior brother are about to merge your cultivation. Here's what we'll do: if you destroy his nascent soul and cripple his cultivation, I'll give you the antidote for the Lifeless Pill."

"So, what do you think? This deal is pretty reasonable, isn't it?" He had a mesmerizing smile on his face.

Fu Li spat coldly and said, "You're dreaming!"

Zhongli Qianye calmly dusted off his clothes and said casually:

"Once the poison of the Lifeless Pill takes effect, you won't think that way anymore."

"Let me remind you one more time: as long as I can cure the Nine Fragrance Life-Extinguishing Pill, even if you search the entire cultivation world for alchemists and herbalists, no one will be able to tell that you've been poisoned. If you don't get the cure within a month, you will surely die."

"By the way, I have already placed a silencing spell on you. If you try to say anything related to me, you will be forcibly silenced."

"Come find me here when you've figured it out. I'll be waiting anytime."

After saying that, he vanished like a gust of wind.

Fu Li stared blankly at everything before her until a cold wind brushed against her cheek.

He opened his mouth to call out Zhongli Qianye's name, but it didn't work.

Night fell, and the sky grew darker. There was no trace of demonic energy left in the air, no evidence that Zhongli Qianye had been there.

It felt like a dream.

But the faint heat in his dantian told him that this was not his imagination; he had been given a poison pill and was being coerced.

Zhongli Qianye claimed he possessed a naturally alluring physique and demanded that he destroy Chongjing Pavilion. Even though he disliked his senior brother intensely, Fu Li never considered doing such a thing.

After pondering for a while, he dressed, mounted his flying sword, and disappeared like a streak of light.

Xiaoyao Peak.

When Fu Li returned, she did not see Chongjing Pavilion. She only learned the next day that Xiao Qinghe had returned that night, seriously injured and poisoned by demon cultivators. He barely managed to fly back to Longque Mountain on his sword before collapsing unconscious in front of the blue bricks outside the council hall.

Several elders, along with Chongjingge, Li Weiyan, and Zhu Mingying, were summoned to protect the Dharma, so they did not return home that night.

Fu Li rushed to the spring in the backyard and desperately poured water down her throat, then lay on the stone platform and kept dry heaving.

The system reminded him in his mind: "It's useless. The Nine Fragrance Life-Saving Pill dissolved in your throat, and the toxins have now penetrated deep into your dantian and bones. Without an antidote, there's nothing we can do."

[As I mentioned, the plot has an automatic correction function. Why don't you take this opportunity to complete the plot missions? That way, you might get a reduced sentence in the final settlement.]

Fu Li: "Oh, I know. But we still have to put on a show, otherwise it won't fit the character and the plot."

system:......

At midnight, Fu Li lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

He had already been to the medicine hall, but the disciple on night duty said that Elder Meng Liyue of the medicine hall had gone to the sect leader's place. Furthermore, all the elders had rushed to the sect leader's aid tonight.

Fu Li had no choice but to return to the peak alone and swallow an entire bottle of antidote pills.

However, the burning sensation in the dantian became increasingly pronounced until a severe pain swept over, not only in the dantian but also in the bones and every inch of the meridians, as if burning. This pain was mixed with a slight itching, which was right there but could not be scratched with the hand. It was driving one almost crazy.

For an entire night, Fu Li was engulfed in immense and intense pain. It felt as if he had been thrown into a cauldron of boiling water, constantly being swirled and stirred; every part of his body ached.

He rolled off the bed, howling in pain like a sheep on the verge of death.

The excruciating pain lasted for a very long time, until it shattered the boy's consciousness, leaving his eyes glazed and empty. Only a hoarse, painful groan escaped his throat.

The ordeal lasted for three hours until sunrise.

Fu Li stood up. His clothes, soaked with sweat and then left to dry in the shade, clung stiffly to his skin. But he had no time to care about anything else.

He went to the pharmacy and happened to run into Meng Liyue, who had returned to pick up her pills.

Because of the silencing spell, Fu Li couldn't reveal what happened last night. She could only subtly inquire about the Nine Fragrance Life-Extinguishing Pill that Zhongli Qianye had mentioned.

Meng Liyue paused, thought for a moment, and then gave him her answer:

"That is indeed a poison exclusively refined by the Four Seas Demon Lord, and it is said that no one can develop an antidote. Those who have ingested this poison pill are basically all dead. I have never seen it in the cultivation world."

Fu Li plopped down in the chair, her face grim, and rolled up her sleeves to let the other person take her pulse.

Seeing his pale face, Meng Liyue took a moment to examine him. She placed her fingers on his wrist and remained silent for a long time, but couldn't find anything wrong.

"Has Junior Nephew Yue recently encountered a bottleneck in his cultivation? Don't worry, there are no abnormalities in your meridians and dantian for the time being, so don't push yourself too hard."

In the past, Meng Liyue might have carefully observed Fu Li's expressions and words to discern something. But right now, she was busy healing Xiao Qinghe, and after only a few simple words of concern, she hurriedly left.

Fu Li remained seated, his face growing increasingly grim.

In the afternoon, he gathered a group of inner disciples to search for traces of the demon near the pool on the west side of the back mountain.

Of course, he couldn't say that he had encountered Zhongli Qianye here. He only said that he seemed to smell a demonic aura when he passed by last night.

An elder was among those who came with them. But no one noticed anything amiss.

The disciples scratched their heads and asked him, "Senior Brother Fu Li, are you sure you're not mistaken? There's a protective array outside the sect, how could a demon have sneaked in undetected?"

Fu Li stared at the deep green pool in front of him, remaining silent.

In the end, of course, they returned empty-handed.

That night, the poison took effect again.

Fu Li soaked in the hot spring to cool off, but was still tormented to the point of wishing for death and almost drowned in the pool.

The next morning, the first rays of sunlight pierced through the thin morning mist on the mountaintop and shone on the boy's pale and haggard face.

He collapsed by the pool, wearing only an undergarment. His beautiful, lively eyes were as still as stagnant water, and his slender white fingers, resting on the muddy ground, curled slightly before finally going limp and falling back down, as if he had no strength left at all.

As the toxicity subsides, the pain recedes like the tide.

The boy was finally able to catch his breath.

But what about tonight? If it drags on for another day, the same thing will happen. Just as Zhongli Qianye said, the poison's effects are truly worse than death.

At this moment, he hated that demonic dragon to the core. That person had cast a silencing spell on him and deliberately fed him a poison pill without an antidote. He must have been watching Fu Li's reaction from the shadows for the past two days, watching him struggle helplessly and suffer a fate worse than death, a sinister sneer on his face.

Everyone says that demon cultivators are cunning, treacherous, cold, and vicious, and now he has experienced it firsthand.

After lying on the ground in silence for a long while, Fu Li finally opened her eyes tremblingly. Her curled eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, and her gradually clearing gaze conveyed a clear and unambiguous will—

I want to live!

An hour later, he tidied his clothes and went alone to the back mountain.

Standing before the same pool, Fu Li shouted, "Hey, are you still there?! I came alone! I want to talk to you!"

The sound echoed through the valley. Ripples spread across the unfathomable surface of the pool.

Before long, a familiar figure appeared from the mountaintop and floated down lightly.

Elegant and dignified, her hem was spotless. Tall and graceful, with a face as handsome as jade, a gentle smile played on her lips, just as she had two days ago.

Two days ago, Fu Li dared to talk back and refuse to submit to his tyranny. But now, she can't.

Fu Li's face was ashen. He gritted his teeth and reluctantly said, "I agree to your conditions."

Zhongli Qianye tilted his head slightly, his expression so indifferent it was repulsive.

"You figured it out so quickly? I thought you'd struggle with it for a while longer."

Fu Li's eyes darkened: "I can't stand the feeling of the poison taking effect anymore. If it happens again, I might really go crazy."

"But you only want a furnace cauldron, I can help you find one. The largest black market or underground auction house in Eastern Continent have them..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhongli Qianye shook his head: "No, the person I want is you. You are the only one in this world with a naturally alluring body, and no one is more suitable to be my furnace."

Fu Li's eyes reddened slightly, and she couldn't help but shout, "I already said I'm not!"

Zhongli Qianye sneered, "You have a red mole between your eyebrows, and your appearance is both male and female, elegant and outstanding. You have a natural affinity for those around you. Of course, these are not enough to prove that you are the naturally alluring body I am looking for. However, I have already confirmed this in the secret realm."

"Do you know what place I took you to in the secret realm? It is the tomb built by the fairy Hehuan, who ascended to heaven in ancient times, for her Daoist partner."

"The Hehuan Fairy's Daoist partner was an ancestor of my Black Dragon clan, and she herself, like you, possessed a naturally alluring body. After her partner's death, the Hehuan Fairy designated a section of the Celestial Palace as a burial site, placed her Black Dragon Pearl within it, and buried her in the mortal realm. Therefore, to enter, only the blood of two people with both Black Dragon bloodline and naturally alluring bodies can open the teleportation array."

"And since you succeeded with Yue Fuli's blood, you naturally possess the same alluring physique as Fairy Hehuan!"

Fu Li's expression grew increasingly grim, eventually turning into shock.

When Zhong Liqianye said that only the blood of "the destined one" could open the door, they didn't think much of it, but it turned out to be a test.

"Actually, from the first time I saw you, I was basically certain of your identity. However, I still need to confirm it further. As for now, whether you like it or not, there is only one path: to become my furnace." Zhongli Qianye gently turned the folding fan in her hand, smiling charmingly.

The last trace of color drained from the boy's face. His gaze gradually darkened, becoming as desolate and indifferent as a fallen star.

As Zhongli Qianye admired his unwilling and dejected expression, he said, "However, my Four Seas Immortal Palace has never admitted a human cultivator. If you want to come back with me, you will need to provide a pledge of allegiance."

Fu Li looked up in astonishment, almost laughing in anger: "You really want me to destroy my senior brother's cultivation with my own hands? You're already here, if you want to, go do it yourself!"

Zhongli Qianye, however, revealed a thoughtful expression and said, "That kid from the Chong family can use the Dragon-Slaying Sword Technique. Keeping him around will always be a problem. Besides," he raised his eyes, raised his eyebrows, and smiled at Fu Li, "he was the first person to use you. As long as he's still here, I'll feel uncomfortable. Only by getting rid of him will I not feel so uncomfortable when we cultivate together in the future."

His tone was flippant and indifferent, as if Fu Li were nothing more than a trinket, casually dismissing him as a "second-hand item."

Such a direct and powerful humiliation made Fu Li clench her teeth.

His face was somber: "What if I don't do it?"

Zhongli Qianye laughed heartily: "Just like you said, I can find other furnaces without you, but you are the best choice among them. Or you can exchange your life for his, if that's the case, then I'll wait and see a good show of someone willing to sacrifice themselves for love."

His smile was serene and elegant, but the words he uttered were incredibly malicious.

Fu Li was naturally unwilling to sacrifice himself. Even though he knew that Zhongli Qianye wanted to see him make a fool of himself, he could only choose from the options given to him.

He lowered his eyes.

On one side is her senior brother, with whom she is about to become Daoist partners, and on the other side is the lifeless poison within her body.

From his gradually cooling gaze, Zhongli Qianye saw his choice, and the smile on his lips deepened.

"Do you really have the antidote?" Fu Li raised his eyes, his pupils as dark and cold as if they were lacquered.

Zhongli Qianye smiled faintly and said, "Of course."

Fu Li silently turned around, stepped onto his flying sword, and left.

---In this world, nothing is more important than one's own life.

Author's Note: The next chapter will feature dissecting the nascent soul, gouging out eyes, and cutting out the tongue. We'll then enter the Four Seas Immortal Palace, where the Demon Lord and Xiao Yue will take center stage.

If you want to criticize someone, criticize the villain, not the protagonist or the author. [Facepalm emoji]