Stirring the Seas—Lethal Poison

Chapter 430: Stirring the Seas—Lethal Poison

“Is this Seven-Iris Flower famous? What’s it used for?” came Han Li’s unhurried voice from behind the other cultivators.

At the sound of his voice, the man named Jian and the others felt a chill in their hearts. Their minds cleared somewhat, and they turned to look at Han Li with slightly uneasy expressions.

They had all witnessed the power of the Gold-Devouring Beetles. Even if they joined forces, they likely wouldn’t stand a chance against those strange insects. Now that something so precious had been discovered, they couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of unease.

Even Jin Qing, who had personally invited Han Li to join them, showed a flicker of hesitation.

A man of Han Li’s cunning could read their thoughts from their expressions. A trace of self-mockery flashed through his eyes. But he quickly buried it, maintaining a calm expression as he continued:

“The name ‘Seven-Iris Flower’ is quite unique! I’ve read no small number of texts, yet I have no recollection of it at all.”

The cultivators across from him exchanged glances. Hu Yue cleared his throat and smiled, offering an explanation:

“It seems Brother Han has been focused on bitter cultivation and seldom touches matters beyond it. Even if you searched every compendium of spiritual herbs, you likely wouldn’t find the name ‘Seven-Iris Flower.’ It appears often in oral legends and folktales, however. A mortal who consumes it is said to be brought back from the brink of death, to have flesh regrown from bare bone. A cultivator who takes it can see their cultivation surge, even leaping an entire realm. It is a legendary immortal object.”

Even as he spoke, Hu Yue couldn’t hide the excitement on his face, despite the wariness that had begun to creep into his thoughts about Han Li.

“Truly? That miraculous?” Han Li narrowed his eyes, his tone tinged with skepticism.

“That’s hard to say. Had we not laid eyes on the Seven-Iris Flower today, none of us would have believed such an object truly existed in this world. But one thing is certain: there will be cultivators willing to spend a mountain of spirit stones to acquire it.” Hu Yue chuckled dryly.

“I see.” Han Li gave a faint nod, then turned his gaze away from the Seven-Iris Flower. Instead, he lowered his head to study the immaculately white skeleton nearby, wearing an expression of keen interest.

Seeing that Han Li seemed unmoved and had no intention of trying to seize the treasure alone, the others let out a silent sigh of relief.

“Brother Jian, go ahead and pick the Seven-Iris Flower. We’ll auction it later and split the spirit stones evenly. Miss Shi, please check the area around the pool for any formation restrictions.” Hu Yue shot a meaningful glance at Jian and Shi Die, seizing the opportunity to give the orders.

The two exchanged a thoughtful look at Han Li, then nodded in agreement.

Feeling that Han Li’s strength was too overwhelming, the group had unconsciously banded together, a subtle sense of exclusion forming against him.

Jin Qing’s face showed a flicker of hesitation, as if he wanted to say something, but after a moment’s thought, he held his tongue.

Meanwhile, Han Li had crouched down beside the skeleton, examining it closely with a calm demeanor. Hu Yue, who had been watching him carefully, felt his tension ease slightly.

“There are no restrictions near the pool. Brother Jian can pick it with confidence,” Shi Die announced after a brief check with several magical instruments.

Hearing this, Jian grinned and strode over eagerly.

“Be careful. I’ve heard that the Seven-Iris Flower cannot be touched by magical instruments; it must be picked by hand. Otherwise, it will wither immediately,” Hu Yue called out in sudden recollection, his expression shifting.

Jian waved a hand dismissively without turning back, signaling that he already knew.

His mind was entirely focused on the three-colored bud before him.

Standing at the edge of the pool—carved from gleaming, flawless jade—Jian bent slightly and reached out two fingers, carefully extending them toward the three-colored bud.

Shi Die and the others held their breath, their eyes fixed on his every movement.

“Huh?” He let out a sound of surprise.

“What’s wrong?” Hu Yue and Shi Die asked in unison, their faces full of concern.

Whether they were more worried about the man picking the flower or the flower itself was an open question.

“It’s a bit strange. This stem is incredibly tough. It feels hard to pull up,” Jian said, withdrawing his fingers and flexing them slightly, a puzzled expression on his face.

“If you can’t pull it, just snap it off,” Hu Yue suggested after a moment’s thought, his eyes darting.

“Snap it off? That would greatly diminish the flower’s value!” Shi Die shook her head, clearly disapproving.

“Wait. Let me try a Strength Increase Technique first.” Jian pulled out a yellow talisman and slapped it onto his body. Then, gripping the stem firmly with all five fingers three inches below the bud, he prepared to yank it upward with all his strength.

“Hold!” Han Li, who had been studying the bones, suddenly spoke up without lifting his head.

Hu Yue and the others felt a jolt of alarm, their hearts growing uneasy.

Jian, too, felt a chill run through him. But looking at the dazzling bud so close at hand, he steeled himself and, pretending not to hear, suddenly exerted force with his hand.

The Seven-Iris Flower remained as unmovable as if cast from iron.

This only made Jian more anxious. Acting almost on reflex, he tightened his grip and switched from pulling to pinching.

Finally, the bud reacted. It trembled slightly, then abruptly retracted into the pool and vanished without a trace.

A splash rang out.

Caught off guard, Jian was yanked into the pool by the immense force transmitted through the stem, sending milky-white liquid splashing in all directions.

Shi Die, being the closest, was struck by several droplets.

A scream of agony tore through the air!

“It’s poison! The water is poisoned!” the female cultivator shrieked in fury and shock, covering her face with both hands.

She frantically reached into her storage pouch, retrieved a red medicine bottle, and poured a handful of fiery-red pills into her mouth.

In that brief moment as she swallowed the medicine, Hu Yue and Jin Qing caught a glimpse of her face—now a溃烂, pus-covered mess. They gasped in horror.

Even Han Li’s expression shifted slightly.

If a few droplets had done this to Shi Die, what had become of Jian, who had fallen entirely into the pool?

At that thought, Jin Qing and the others turned their gazes to the jade pool filled with milky-white liquid.

Since entering the water, Jian had not made a sound. There had been no scream, no cry for help, no sign of struggle.

A sense of dread crept into their hearts.

Shi Die finally stopped moaning. She tore a strip of cloth from her robe and wrapped her head tightly, then let out a shaky breath and glared at the pool, her eyes filled with venomous hatred.

Gurgle, gurgle. A stream of bubbles rose from the depths of the pool. Then, a decayed, half-rotted corpse floated to the surface.

The faces of the onlookers turned ashen.

From the remnants of the clothing, they recognized it as Jian’s corpse.

It was riddled with holes, bones exposed and glistening wetly. Its eye sockets were hollow—the eyeballs had long since dissolved. The sight sent a chill down their spines.

“How could this happen? Since when is Thousand-Year Stone Milk lethally poisonous?” Hu Yue muttered in disbelief.

“Thousand-Year Stone Milk isn’t poisonous on its own. But if someone added poison to the pool beforehand, that’s another matter entirely.” Han Li rose to his feet, exhaling slowly as he spoke.

“Brother Han! You told us to stop earlier. Did you already know the water was poisoned?” Shi Die’s voice was hoarse, her words dripping with cold fury.

“I didn’t know if it was poisoned. But I did notice that this Seven-Iris Flower wouldn’t be so easy to pick. Take a look at the right hand of this skeleton.” Han Li tapped the bones at his feet with the tip of his shoe, his tone unruffled.

Hearing this, Hu Yue and the others squinted at the skeleton. Their expressions turned strange.

The entire right hand of the skeleton was pitch-black. The index finger was missing a chunk, and the broken edge was jagged—as if it had been bitten off.

Han Li didn’t wait for their puzzled looks to turn into questions. He said nothing further. Instead, his eyes glinted coldly as he fixed his gaze on the pool.

There, in the milky-white liquid, the “Seven-Iris Flower” had once again surfaced, still radiating its brilliant luster. But now, Hu Yue and the others looked at it as if it were a venomous scorpion.

Without a word, Han Li spread his five fingers. Five small fireballs flickered to life at his fingertips. With a flick of his fingers, they lined up in a row and shot toward the Seven-Iris Flower.

Jin Qing and the others were startled, but after what had just happened, they didn’t try to stop him.

Bang! Bang! A series of explosions rang out.

The Seven-Iris Flower swayed violently in the flames, then abruptly retracted into the water. A moment later, a dark shadow shot out from the pool like an arrow, hurtling straight toward Han Li.