C26 Poison

The black caltrop slashed through Ye Tian's clothing, but fortunately, his quick reflexes saved him from injury.

Zi Hanyue witnessed the young man's facade crumble and, concerned for Ye Tian's well-being, quickly moved to his side.

"Hehe, so you've realized I never intended a fair trade. What does it matter now? Today's issues won't be resolved amicably..."

The young man's demeanor towards Ye Tian shifted from calm to menacing, his true, sinister nature emerging.

From the start, he had no intention of peacefully negotiating with Ye Tian. Aware of Ye Tian's vigilance, he had resorted to haggling over the price merely to buy time.

"Kneel and surrender the inner core to me, and I might spare you. Defy me, and the outcome won't be so pleasant!"

His tone was imperious, and his gaze shifted to Zi Hanyue with a licentious glint in his eye as he licked his lips suggestively.

"Offer this woman to me, let her attend to me for a few days, and you may avoid kneeling."

The young man's desire for Zi Hanyue was palpable. Before Ye Tian could even voice his outrage, the man had already launched a ferocious assault.

"Ice and Snow Cold Sky!"

Zi Hanyue, repulsed by such a libertine, immediately executed the Crystalline Feathers Technique's Ice and Snow Cold Sky move.

In an instant, the temperature plummeted, the air around them nearly solidifying before the young man could close in.

He scowled, realizing that Zi Hanyue's incantations were the source of his hindrance.

Seizing the moment, Ye Tian charged at the young man, his fists flying with such rapidity that they created a howling wind.

Such physical prowess was rare even among those at the Qi Profound Stage Level Nine, a testament to Ye Tian's Indestructible Battle Body.

Unfazed, the young man retaliated, his palm striking out and sending Ye Tian soaring through the air.

Yet, Ye Tian merely staggered backward without sustaining injury, leaving the young man bewildered by his formidable Qi Profound Stage strength.

"Spirit Profound Stage!"

Upon witnessing the young man's prowess, Zi Hanyue's anxiety spiked. The energy he wielded belonged to the Spirit Profound Stage, suggesting he might even surpass her in strength.

As Ye Tian was hurled backward, the young man seized his chance and launched an attack on Zi Hanyue. The chilling effects of the Crystalline Feathers Technique were in full swing, leaving Zi Hanyue with no choice but to do her utmost to shield Ye Tian.

Distracted by her concern for Ye Tian, Zi Hanyue's movements lost their usual precision. The young man capitalized on this, flinging a triangular hook her way!

"Rip!" The hook slashed through Zi Hanyue's garments, gashing her pale skin and causing blood to gush forth instantly.

But the blood that spilled was eerily black. Zi Hanyue staggered, nearly succumbing to unconsciousness.

"She's been poisoned!" Realizing Zi Hanyue's peril, Ye Tian's alarm surged. He dashed toward the young man and struck out once more.

"Do you really think you can oppose me with such feeble strength?"

The young man dismissed Ye Tian with a contemptuous glance, effortlessly batting him aside with a single palm strike, sending him flying once again.

Yet, this played right into Ye Tian's strategy. As he was propelled backward, he swiftly embraced Zi Hanyue, determined to keep her from the young man's clutches.

"Ye Tian, get out of here! You're no match for him. Forget about me for now. Your survival is all that matters to me—it's what will bring me the most joy!"

Zi Hanyue clung to Ye Tian, her priorities clear in this dire moment. She urged him to make a swift escape.

Poison sapped her strength, leaving Zi Hanyue languid and nestled against Ye Tian's chest, a stark contrast to her usual formidable demeanor.

"Hahaha, I'd love to see you try to fight back. If only you had heeded my command earlier, none of this would be happening!"

The young man watched Ye Tian and Zi Hanyue with smug assurance, his grip on victory unshaken by any potential twists.

He had no qualms about eliminating the disobedient, and not even Zi Hanyue's beauty could grant her a reprieve from his ruthless intent.

"Do you really think you can kill us? Maybe you had the strength before, but can you be so sure now?"

Ye Tian cradled Zi Hanyue in his arms, adjusting her position to offer some comfort, yet her furrowed brows betrayed her ongoing discomfort.

As Ye Tian challenged him, the young man was about to retaliate with a lesson when he suddenly felt an undeniable weariness in his body.

His senses were in disarray, as if he were walking on clouds, an unsettling and disorienting sensation.

Recalling Ye Tian's seemingly random assault, the young man quickly pieced together the cause.

"You little rat, what have you done to me? You've poisoned me, how utterly low!"

His words spilled out in panic, a stark contrast to his earlier composure. He stumbled and collapsed, unable to muster the strength to rise.

"Hehe, you call me despicable? Poisoning a woman is the true vile act here, and it's utterly repugnant!"

Ye Tian looked down at the young man sprawled on the ground, his expression one of sheer contempt for the cowardly act of poisoning a woman.

Without further ado, Ye Tian exposed Zi Hanyue's shoulder, located an acupoint, and channeled his Genuine Qi through his fingertips to contain the poison coursing through her veins.

"In six hours, you may circulate your Genuine Qi to neutralize the poison. Until then, do not recklessly manipulate your Genuine Qi!"

Ye Tian's instructions were meticulous, for such toxins were trivial to him, who had once been the Heaven Soaring Great Monarch.

To Ye Tian, neutralizing the toxin was a simple task. The poison afflicting the young man was from a grass Ye Tian had harvested earlier, known to grow near the habitat of the Silver Scaled Snake. The ancient texts revealed that while this plant could paralyze humans, it was a prized delicacy for the snake.

Ye Tian had extracted the toxic juice from the grass and applied it to the young man, who was now suffering the consequences.

"You dare to poison me? There's no settling this matter amicably now. Even death won't absolve you of this crime!"

Despite his weakened state, the young man on the ground did not succumb to panic, even as the tables had turned against him.

Instead of backing down, he exuded an even more overpowering dominance than before, leaving Ye Tian with no choice but to confront it head-on.

Ye Tian advanced, his leg rising to pin the man's chest beneath his foot, his gaze icy as he looked down at him.

"Heh, I must say, your talent for tall tales is impressive, but do you really think you can intimidate me?"

Applying more pressure, Ye Tian bore down with his foot on the young man's torso, eliciting two stifled groans as the man hastily fished out a black wooden token from his pocket.

Carved into the token was the ancient character for "hunt"!