Chapter 259 Heretics
Red miasma mountains.
The area was filled with miasma, countless strange trees, and numerous swamps, stretching for miles.
Before the rather dark Blackfire Swamp, a tall, thin figure dressed in a black robe suddenly appeared.
At that moment, white steam billowed from the mud pit, followed by a huge clump of swamp mud that split in the middle.
In an instant, a young woman appeared, her figure thin and her face sallow. She was hardly beautiful, except for her eyes, which were strikingly beautiful and gleamed with malice.
She gave a chilling smile: "You've already escaped all this way, why are you still hiding?"
A tall, thin figure lifted his hood, revealing a handsome young man with a slightly wicked air.
"Fire Scorpion Granny, why are you waiting for me here? Aren't you going to keep your little darling company?"
The woman with dry wood sneered, "Even a stray dog can still bark! You brat surnamed Wei, if you fail to attain enlightenment this time, the ancestor will no longer pay attention to you! At that time, the Wei family will fight you to the death to erase you from the Heavenly Ranking!"
The tall, thin figure also smiled sinisterly: "So what? They can only ask some Fusion cultivators to hunt us down. Do you think I'm afraid of them? With just a handful of poison, even a Battle King would be at my mercy!"
The woman, like dry firewood, was about to make a few sarcastic remarks.
The next moment, several more strange figures appeared from all directions, and after landing, they all revealed rather unsavory faces.
These cultivators laughed:
"The poison that Master Wei used to attain enlightenment is truly formidable!"
"It will definitely succeed! Among those Sky King Pill Masters nowadays, those with some ability all have other commitments to attend to. None of them can spare the time to match Wei the Poison Master's ranking! They're all utterly useless!"
"Even those skilled in detoxification won't be able to accomplish anything within five days! We'll just stay here and celebrate with Master Wei! Haha!"
Many of his words were flattering, clearly intended to please.
·
That tall, thin, and sinister-looking young man was none other than the evil poison master Wei Li.
The many cultivators gathered here are all heretical cultivators who have hidden themselves in various parts of the mountains by taking advantage of the red miasma.
In the mountains, there are naturally more unorthodox martial arts practitioners, but there are also quite a few unorthodox alchemists and poison masters, who are highly sought after because they are good at refining various medicines needed by unorthodox practitioners.
Therefore, the evil fighters who are now approaching are all very polite.
The "Fire Scorpion Granny" who argued with Wei Li was actually an evil alchemist listed on the Sky Ranking. Even though her ranking was not as high as Wei Li's, and her talent was indeed not as good as Wei Li's, she had been immersed in the evil path for a long time and had many hidden tricks up her sleeve. She was quite capable of fighting Wei Li.
She was more envious than anything else of Wei Li's success.
After all, she really wanted to achieve enlightenment, but she had never been ready...
·
At this moment, one of the newcomers spoke up indignantly, "These days we all have to act with our necks hunched, and Wei the Poison Master's move is a rare sight in decades. It's really frustrating!"
Upon hearing this, the other unorthodox cultivators all looked gloomy. Being eccentric individuals themselves, they couldn't help but shout:
"Indeed! How powerful we were back then! And now we're being held so hostage!"
"If it weren't for those old geezers from the righteous faction, this entire area of tens of thousands of miles would be a source of supplies for us. Why should we cower in fear!"
"That's right! Back then, I only slaughtered a few dozen ordinary cultivators, and I was chased all the way by several Foundation Establishment cultivators. I was only at the Fusion stage! I almost lost my life! I regret that I didn't make it onto the Sky Ranking. Otherwise, I would have only had to face a few Battle Kings and wouldn't have been in such a sorry state!"
"Lady Hua is mistaken. Those hypocrites on the Sky Ranking have even more tricks up their sleeves. In my opinion, even if we face a few more Palace Constructors, we don't need to deal with Battle Kings!"
"I only hope that more cultivators like Wei the Poison Master will emerge, so that they can poison all those old fogies to death and stop them from following any rules!"
At this point, many of the evil cultivators looked at Wei Li and burst into laughter.
There were even more compliments being showered upon them.
"I've heard that after Poison Master Wei successfully attains enlightenment, he will be taken in as a personal disciple by the Poison Toad Prince and receive intensive training. Perhaps in a few hundred or thousand years, it will be our day to turn the tables!"
"With Prince Poison Toad intervening, Poison Master Wei can now focus on improving his poison skills!"
"We have already prepared plenty of congratulatory gifts, and we will present them as soon as you achieve enlightenment!"
"I've heard that Poison Master Wei has long wanted to obtain the corpses of several geniuses with special physiques for research. I've spent several years finding one, which I can present to Poison Master Wei!"
"I've also stored up dozens of cultivators with Xuan-grade aptitude, all alive and well, which will surely satisfy Poison Master Wei!"
"Unfortunately, those Earth-grade proclaimers were already set by various local forces long ago, making them difficult to capture. But I was lucky enough to ambush a minor genius of mid-level Earth-grade in a dangerous place, which suited Poison Master Wei perfectly!"
·
Many of the unorthodox cultivators were eager to present Wei Li with the best "materials" they had managed to obtain, their enthusiasm making the Fire Scorpion Granny quite envious.
Although she, as a top-ranked evil alchemist on the Sky List, could obtain materials from other unorthodox cultivators if she lacked them, those who could "prove the Dao" were naturally different.
Especially since he was valued by the Prince... who was a highly accomplished cultivator!
If Wei Li can truly get close to the Poison Toad Prince, he will become even more extraordinary, and he will also have access to more excellent materials for research!
If even the Fire Scorpion Granny, who made it onto the Sky Ranking, felt this way, then those ordinary evil alchemists and evil poison masters who failed to make the list were naturally even more envious.
It's not easy for ordinary unorthodox cultivators to obtain good materials. Once discovered by the righteous forces, they're doomed! If they dare to plunder human settlements, they won't have the protection of geniuses on the Sky Ranking, who can wait for hypocrites of the same level to come and go—often, a single slap from a Nirvana or Heaven-Reaching cultivator will leave them all dead without a trace!
Such high-quality materials, obtained with great difficulty, would naturally only be given to the top evil alchemists and evil poison masters on the Sky Ranking. They wouldn't be given away so easily. Even the Fire Scorpion Granny can get a lot for free, while ordinary people can only trade with them and have to pay a heavy price!
·
All the heretical cultivators believed that they would surely succeed in attaining enlightenment this time.
Wei Li defected from a family of orthodox alchemists. He had already mastered the strengths of many schools and had a very strong foundation. In addition, he had extremely high comprehension and outstanding talent. After joining the evil path, he became ruthless and vicious, surpassing countless evil cultivators. After being supplied with a large amount of materials, he made rapid progress and his alchemy skills improved at an astonishing pace!
The deadly poison he meticulously concocted misled the world for seven days, poisoning hundreds of thousands of people!
Those Sky King Pills are certainly not bad, but I'm afraid we'll have to wait until Wei Li successfully attains enlightenment before we can slowly get results.
If it weren't for the powerful figures from the righteous faction watching from afar, they would have already started celebrating!
·
On the other side.
Under the protection of the puppet, Zhong Cai slept with her eyes closed, her breathing even.
Wu Shaogan had already quickly arrived in front of the living corpse hanging outside the house.
The antidote was poured into a gourd, and because it was prepared with great care, the dosage was determined long ago.
Following Zhong Cai's instructions, Wu Shaogan touched the gourd's mouth with his finger, drawing out a drop of antidote with his profound energy, which landed on the living corpse's lips.
In an instant, the antidote was swallowed by his lips.
Wu Shaogan did not stop, and continued to draw out three or four more drops, which landed on the lips of several corpses nearby.
Then, he waited quietly.
In Wu Shaogan's eyes, the eerie aura surrounding these zombies seemed to have been dispersed by some strange object, and they visibly became... more like living people.
Of particular note is that their breathing gradually increased from almost nothing to stronger, and one could even faintly see a slight rise and fall of their chests.
The antidote worked!
Wu Shaogan could sense that the zombies who had taken the antidote could no longer be called "corpses." The antidote in their bodies was still neutralizing the poison, but they were slowly recovering with this neutralization... and with this process, their aura grew stronger and gradually stabilized... they could now be considered real living people.
Having confirmed that several zombies had also been saved, Wu Shaogan moved with lightning speed, quickly drawing out a large amount of antidote and dripping it into the lips of the zombies, observing that they were also recovering.
Before long, hundreds of people were recovering.
The first few who received the antidote now have wisps of hair hanging from their heads that have become soft and can no longer support their strength.
So when their tiptoed feet touched the ground, they went limp and fell to the ground—they were all cultivators, with thick skin and flesh, so this fall wouldn't hurt them.
Wu Shaogan was certain that nothing unexpected had happened, so he didn't stay there any longer.
He summoned a low-level puppet, handed it the antidote gourd, and gave the command "one drop for each person who is suspended, and another drop for those whose breath is stagnant." Then he flashed back to the house where Zhong Cai was.
The puppet naturally obeyed the order.
The gourd is very large and contains a lot of antidote; it can save quite a few people.
·
As soon as Wu Shaogan pushed open the door, he saw his wife, A Cai, lying asleep on the floor, and a look of heartache flashed in his eyes.
He quickly went over and hugged Zhong Cai to make him more comfortable to sleep.
At the same time, a small bottle appeared in Wu Shaogan's hand.
This is the antidote he separated out.
Wu Shaogan knew that A Cai had absorbed some of the poisonous fog during her research and had been slightly affected, but now that the antidote had been verified to be correct, A Cai could take some to neutralize it.
In his sleep, Zhong Cai felt himself fall into a familiar embrace and felt a bottle mouth brought to his lips. He was still asleep with his eyes closed, and subconsciously trusted it completely, so he opened his mouth slightly without hesitation.
The antidote was administered into Zhong Cai's throat.
Don't be fooled by the fact that each of those zombies only needs one drop. Those that Wu Shaogan rescued before were all cultivators at the Heavenly Guidance Realm, so one drop was just enough for them. If they were cultivators at the Palace Opening Realm, they would need to take more—meaning one drop wouldn't be enough, so they would need another drop.
If one reaches an even higher level, it's not enough to simply add one more drop; the feeding must be done with even greater care.
Zhong Cai was at the Suspended Illumination Realm, so Wu Shaogan patiently and slowly fed him the antidote while carefully sensing Zhong Cai's aura... The two had cultivated together for many years, and Wu Shaogan knew exactly when Zhong Cai would recover to his best state.
There will be absolutely no mistakes.
·
On other streets in Qingyu Town.
The alchemists were racing against time to conduct their research, and there were quite a few martial arts cultivators guarding them.
Unless it's a matter of negotiating with other alchemists and involving the alchemist himself, such as retrieving materials or other "trivial matters," these martial arts cultivators can also do a very good job.
It's similar to how Wu Shaogan provided Zhong Cai with the "errand-running" assistance.
The martial arts cultivators gathered materials at an extremely fast pace.
But as they approached a street corner, they were shocked to discover that a puppet was simultaneously feeding medicine to several zombies!
What surprised them even more was that the aura of these zombies was rapidly recovering!
At that moment, these martial arts cultivators heard some faint sounds again and immediately rushed to see what was happening—the next instant, they were even more shocked.
On one particular street, hundreds of townspeople had already detached themselves from their roofs and collapsed to the ground.
The townspeople were breathing steadily, clearly in the process of recovery!
Even more—
Several townspeople have already regained consciousness.
Looking at the strange scene all over the street, they were somewhat surprised and uncertain—some of them even started shouting!
Many martial arts practitioners rushed over and stopped the commotion.
The more composed townspeople showed great respect for these elders who were at least at the level of integration, and they barely managed to stand up and bow.
"Thank you all so much for saving my life."
The martial arts practitioners naturally inquired about it.
One of the most respected elders gave a wry smile.
·
The old man had experienced many things, but he never imagined that Qingyu Town would be chosen by a wicked poison master to "prove his Dao"... What's even more terrifying is that they were still conscious after being poisoned!
Some cultivators who had not originally drunk the poisoned well water were forced to drink the water by their poisoned relatives and friends, and then heard a dreamlike instruction to hang themselves up neatly.
Everyone is unable to control themselves, yet they all "watch" themselves do so.
At that time, they all wore eerie smiles, but the pain and fear in their hearts could not be expressed... It was terrifying, too terrifying.
Especially after poisoning them, the evil sorcerer revealed his true form, introduced himself, and reveled in the fear that welled up within them—
Many townspeople actually broke down during the time they were hung up.
The old man was of strong will, managing to maintain his composure and wait for the antidote to be developed.
Fortunately, Qingyu Town was also lucky. Even though the twenty-seventh person to prove the Dao was the one who survived, the townspeople still managed to live.
·
After the martial arts cultivators learned what had happened, they instructed the old man to comfort the townspeople who had regained consciousness, while they themselves went to report the news.
Since an alchemist has already developed an antidote, other alchemists naturally do not need to continue.
As for the alchemist who created the antidote, where is he now...?
Before leaving, the martial arts cultivators glanced at a tightly closed door, their spiritual senses briefly sweeping across the entrance.
The alchemist must be exhausted and is probably resting.
They went back and reported it first.
·
The alchemists who were still conducting research were all taken aback upon hearing this.
Most of the fifth-level alchemists who did not make it onto the Sky Ranking put down their research, and some felt a great sense of relief.
They couldn't help but sigh inwardly, realizing that their abilities were indeed insufficient. Even if they could find some ideas, according to their calculations, it would take at least another month or two to find a definite path... and that might not even be enough!
It's only been a few days, and someone has already succeeded?!
—Many of the zombies have regained consciousness and their breathing has returned, which shows that they have truly been cured of the poison!
I wonder what kind of highly skilled alchemist he is. He must be a fellow practitioner on the Sky Ranking. He truly lives up to his reputation and is incredibly powerful!
Right now, these level-five alchemists tidied themselves up and prepared to go and pay a visit.
·
The few alchemists on the Sky Ranking were naturally stunned – which one of them on the same ranking had accomplished this?
sharp.
The Sky Pill Kings naturally had more confidence, and their alchemy skills were far superior to those of other level 5 alchemists.
Although the four remaining are all ranked outside the top fifty, they all have some expertise in rather obscure pill formulas, and one of them is even a poison master!
·
Poison masters and evil poison masters are like alchemists and evil alchemists—they are fundamentally different kinds of people.
Poison masters are extremely interested in researching poisons, but whenever they discover a poison, they also create a corresponding antidote. If they cannot find an antidote for an extremely dangerous poison, they will report to their mentor and ask for their assistance in researching an antidote. They will not abuse poisons themselves.
At the same time, they were also very interested in overcoming the deadly poisons produced by other alchemists.
However, true poison masters are rare. Most alchemists can use poison, but to be called a "poison master," one must have achievements in poison that far surpass their other alchemy skills. There is also a strict requirement: one must master at least three famous poisons that they have independently researched!
·
In this study, the toxicologist found some insights.
The other three Azure Sky Pill Kings also found the right direction.
However, based on their abilities, it would take at least three or four days to deduce the correct ingredients for the poison formula. After that, they would need to deduce the method for refining the poison formula and then develop the antidote, which would take even longer.
They just refuse to give up.
Now I suddenly hear that someone has developed an antidote...
This is after defeating that evil poison master who was number twenty-seven!
Interrupting Wei Li's path to enlightenment was like slapping the evil path in the face, preventing them from being arrogant for a short time!
This is no ordinary achievement!
only……
Several Sky Pill Kings had also met each other while collecting materials.
Everyone's skill level is actually quite similar—so, who exactly has taken so many steps ahead?
It seems unlikely that either of them is possible, not even that drug addict.
Could it be that someone suddenly had a flash of inspiration?
It's not entirely impossible.
Or perhaps the Sky Pill King, who was ranked extremely high, came later?
If that's the case... then who would it be?
Out of curiosity, these Sky Pill Kings naturally went out to find out more.
·
Gradually, the alchemists in the town gathered together.
Many level-five alchemists were surprised to discover that none of the four Sky Kings were the developers of the antidote.
The Azure Sky Pill Kings also discovered that they were not the same people on the same list whom they had already met before.
So……
Who is inside this house?
Many townspeople helped each other, and the weaker ones returned to their homes to rest. Other townspeople only dared to watch the situation from a distance and did not dare to approach rashly.
The alchemists and martial arts cultivators who came to help were all of a very high level. Even if they had encountered them by chance in the past, they would not have dared to disturb them, let alone now.
These elders clearly had no intention of paying attention to them, and many cultivators from the same town had not yet received the antidote and recovered... So, at the behest of the elders, they all remained silent and waited obediently.
·
After a while, the door opened.
A very familiar figure walked out from inside—it was none other than the Third Fighting King!
Some of the alchemists seemed to have already guessed it, and remained calm; others, who hadn't paid attention before, were now somewhat surprised.
But in any case, we can have a discussion first.
Wu Shaogan handed over a piece of paper and said, "This is the prescription for the antidote. Many townspeople still haven't been cured, and Acai is too weak to continue refining it. I'll have to trouble you all to help."
After he finished speaking, he gently pushed the paper, and it floated to the front of everyone.
Wu Shaogan quickly turned around and went back into the house, closing the door tightly once again.
The many alchemists were taken aback.
The leading Sky Pill King quickly caught the prescription and, along with the others on the list, swiftly scanned it.
After reading it, they passed the prescription on to other alchemists for review.
The alchemists all took a look, and after reading it quickly, they immediately passed it on to their fellow practitioners.
Time is still very tight.
Such a large town needs far too many antidotes; we certainly can't just rely on the alchemist who just developed the antidote and devoted countless hours to it.
Without hesitation, many alchemists went back to try it.
If it were a new pill formula, it might take longer to learn and be difficult to produce a finished product... But these alchemists have already studied it for a long time, and the method of refining the antidote formula is not difficult. They can quickly understand it by comparing it with their own research and try it out very quickly.
Next, the alchemists selected the medicinal herbs they possessed—if they didn't have any, they quickly exchanged them with other alchemists.
In order to produce the finished product as quickly as possible, most of the level 5 alchemists gathered together, and those who mastered it faster could provide guidance to their fellow practitioners...
However, for the several Pill Kings on the Sky Ranking, replicating this prescription was quite easy.
It only took a few hours, and although there were a few failures along the way, it didn't take long before the antidote was produced in large quantities!
The townspeople breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this.
Many of the townspeople's relatives and friends are still in a state of poisoning. They know that time is running out and they are not sure if they can recover within the deadline... But the alchemists have already made great efforts, and they dare not urge them. They can only wait anxiously.
Now, they finally wept with joy.
There's hope! There really is hope!
Whenever an alchemist concocts an antidote, the accompanying martial arts cultivators immediately take the antidote and feed it to the numerous living corpses.
The townspeople who recovered relatively quickly, as well as the sons of some powerful figures in the town, also sent people out to assist the many martial arts cultivators...
In this way, more and more townspeople recovered.
·
The town went from being completely desolate to gradually coming to life and showing signs of vitality.
After the townspeople were gradually saved, some newly discovered antidotes were sent into the underground river by the martial arts cultivators to clean up the local water source.
The poisonous fog that permeated the city was dispelled by the alchemists using various methods.
The areas inside and outside the town, ravaged by the toxic fumes, also need to be cleaned up...
·
Countless townspeople were extremely grateful to the alchemists who came to their aid. After recovering, they helped with the treatment and would also take time to come to this closed room without disturbing the peace, only expressing their heartfelt gratitude.
It was the alchemist in this room who developed the antidote... and saved them all!
This time, they finally escaped unharmed.
Finally... they all got their lives back.
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