Reborn as Xu Xuan, Plundering Perks & Flooding the Mountain Ling - Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Lord of a Hundred Poisons! We can’t stay here another moment!

“What is that?”

She Ji trembled all over, unable to control herself. She couldn’t make out who that small figure was, but that massive shadow, if not the missing Scorpion Spirit, then who could it be?

Only now, the Scorpion Spirit was already without its massive pincers, claws, and tail. Its bare form looked just like a giant rock. Ji hadn’t yet recovered from the shock when she saw someone scatter something into the air. The next second, a terrible scream rang out. First, the Scorpion Spirit’s demonic aura was corroded, and then, even its once impenetrable carapace was eaten away by some unknown substance, leaving pits all over.

Gulp. She Ji swallowed nervously. Heavens! She had lived for over 300 years, and had been cultivating for 200 of them, but never in all that time had she seen or even heard of — a poison this terrifying. But just when she thought that was the end of it, a gut-wrenching cry echoed from the distance:

“Master, stop trying to save me! Just let me die…”

She Ji’s whole body shuddered as she looked toward the figure crouching beside the Scorpion Spirit. She used to think of humans as nothing more than food, but what she witnessed today completely overturned that belief. Compared to herself, wasn’t this human the real monster?

“Too terrifying. Way too terrifying! No way. We can’t stay in Ganzhou anymore. We must leave, right now!”

She Ji was panic-stricken and slowly began to back away. At a time like this, she couldn’t care about anything else. She had to escape while the man’s attention was still on the Scorpion Spirit. Though the snake spirit moved cautiously, her retreat still caught Xu Xuan’s attention.

“Hmm? I think something just slipped away?”

But in the moment he looked away, the Scorpion Spirit committed suicide.

“Sigh… why so stubborn? I said I’d let you go if you could endure it. Why didn’t you believe in my sense of honor?”

Xu Xuan sighed, then casually dismembered the corpse. The scorpion’s flesh, long since corroded by all kinds of poisons, was clearly inedible but could still be refined into deadly poison pills. Xu Xuan figured that even a Golden Core cultivator might lose half their life if they swallowed one.

“Hmm? What’s this?”

To his surprise, inside the Scorpion Spirit’s body were three pearls, each the size of a walnut, vivid green and eerily glowing. Even more surprising — these pearls came with attributes:

[Scorpion Pearls]

[Grade: Acquired Treasure]

[Trait: Poison & Miasma Immunity (Green)]

[Effect: Worn on the body, grants immunity to all worldly poisons.]

Xu Xuan was quite pleased with these brilliant green Scorpion Pearls. Though he had no use for them himself, they’d make excellent gifts or trade goods. After cleaning up the mess, he returned to the courtyard arranged by the Wang family. He had barely entered the courtyard when he was stopped by Elder Xuan Zhen.

“Nephew Xu, today we fought a demonic fox. Jing Xu and Jing Xuan both got injured. Since you’re here, help treat them.”

Though Jing Xu and Jing Xuan were arrogant and liked to mock the differences between the Combat and Alchemy Sects, they were still fellow disciples of Mount Longhu. There was no real enmity. Xu Xuan naturally didn’t refuse such a small favour.

“It’s just some scratches from the demonic fox, nothing serious. Wash the wounds with Bixin Elixir, then take Bone-White Pills for three days — they’ll recover just fine.”

Jing Xu and Jing Xuan felt a bit awkward. Though they didn’t apologize outright, out of pride, their attitude became much friendlier. They even pulled Xu Xuan aside to excitedly retell recent events.

“That was a transformed demonic fox! People always say foxes are seductive. But after transforming, every fox becomes alluring beyond compare.”

“Junior Brother Xu, it’s a pity you weren’t there to see it!”

“Don’t listen to his nonsense. That was a transformed great demon. Even gravely injured, it wasn’t something we could handle. If Elder Xuan Zhen hadn’t been with us, we might already be crossing the Naihe Bridge.”

They chatted late into the night. Xu Xuan heard many stories of slaying demons and gained valuable experience. Just as Jing Xu was telling him how he killed a green-furred zombie, a sudden thunderclap rang in their ears, followed by an oppressive force surging in. Before they could react, Elder Xuan Zhen’s voice came through:

“A transformed great demon is approaching! Jing Xu, Jing Xuan! Protect Lord Wang!”

The two disciples showed visible shock. Even Xu Xuan found it hard to believe. Transformed great demons… were they that common these days?

“Junior Brother Xu, don’t just stand there!”

The three of them rushed outside, only to see green light flickering in the black sky, with a tall, hunched figure hovering in the air. That eerie green light shone from the figure’s pupils.

“I am the Lord of a Hundred Poisons from the One-Horn Ridge. Tonight, I’ve come only for the Moonlight Pearl. Hand over the demonic fox and the treasure—and I swear not to harm a single blade of grass.”

Below the sky-bound “Lord of a Hundred Poisons,” She Ji coiled her long tail atop a high building. Ever since meeting Xu Xuan, she had been utterly terrified. She knew she had no chance at the Moonlight Pearl, and was afraid of staying near Ganzhou and getting captured. So, She Ji took a gamble and surrendered her freedom, choosing to pledge allegiance to this fellow snake spirit, the Lord of a Hundred Poisons.

But asking for protection was never free. Without anything valuable, how could the Lord of a Hundred Poisons help her? With nothing else to offer, She Ji betrayed the location of the Moonlight Pearl as her entry fee. Xu Xuan scanned the sky and lines of text appeared before his eyes:

[Lord of a Hundred Poisons]

[Race: Demon — Golden-Ringed Snake]

[Realm: Transformed Beginner (Golden Core, 2nd tier)]

[Traits: Wind Control (Red), Poison Mist (Blue), Copper-Skin Iron-Bones (Blue), Pierce through the Mountain (Green), Blade Mastery (Green)]

Xu Xuan frowned slightly. Honestly, this Lord of a Hundred Poisons was underwhelming. As a transformed great demon equivalent to a second-tier Golden Core cultivator, he technically surpassed Xu Xuan’s master, Xuan Mu, in cultivation. But aside from one red trait, the rest were low-grade, rather pitiful.

Xu Xuan and the others quickly reached the Wang family’s rear courtyard. There, Wang Hongzhi and his family were huddled together in fear. When the trio arrived, Elder Xuan Zhen gave them a nod and transformed into a streak of golden light, flying into battle.

“Lord of a Hundred Poisons? Never heard of you! I am Xuan Zhen, Elder of the Combat Sect at Mount Longhu’s Celestial Master’s Mansion. If you know what’s good for you, retreat now! Or don’t blame my sword for being merciless!”