The Hunt After the Poison

The Ancestral God Corpse Poison proved utterly unmatched in lethality. In the blink of an eye, over a thousand elite cultivators were slain, dissolving into pools of corpse fluid—body and soul annihilated. The shock wave rippled through the entire Celestial Burial Valley. In that moment, every soul felt their hair stand on end, a chill crawling up their spines.

A thousand elite warriors, ten Perfected Man Heavenly Kings—only five had managed to break out. Such a result made hearts tremble with terror. How could this be anything less than horrifying? It was beyond shocking.

The cultivators guarding outside the palace initially had no idea what was happening. The dozens who had charged inside were annihilated in an instant, body and soul erased. Then the drifting Ancestral God Corpse Poison claimed another two to three hundred lives.

Everyone retreated at full speed. This was too terrible.

Boom—

The Celestial Burial Valley trembled. Deep within, the great battle for the Abyss seemed to have erupted. The half-ancestors had no knowledge of the horrific event unfolding here—an event that could shake all five worlds.

And at that moment, at the exit of the Celestial Burial Valley, light blazed brilliantly. The several massive, shifting divine palaces no longer moved; their tracks could now be traced.

The exit of the valley had become traceable. Cultivators rushed toward it, desperate to leave this deadly trap.

The drifting divine palaces came to a halt, fixed in place. The valley rumbled and shook violently as the path leading out opened.

Brilliant light shot into the sky. Flying swords and treasures filled the air. Though the high heavens were sealed, flight was still possible at low altitudes. People scrambled, racing toward the exit.

The forty-nine divine palaces radiated an oppressive pressure, forming the only path out of the valley. Everyone sped through them.

Fresh air rushed in to meet them. Everything outside the valley felt so vivid. In the distant mountain forest, the roars of beasts rose and fell, giving one the sensation of being reborn into another world.

Xiao Chen was naturally part of that great tide. He used the Eight Aspect Extreme to flash out of the valley, transforming into a streak of light that vanished into the mountains in the blink of an eye.

The Ancestral God Corpse Poison was too霸道. Though he had not been touched by even a wisp of the black mist, he still felt dizzy and lightheaded, on the verge of collapsing into the forest at any moment.

This unmatched corpse poison could kill even a half-ancestor if they were contaminated.

Though Xiao Chen had not been truly infected by the poison, a wisp of corpse miasma had attached itself to him—nearly fatal. After flying several hundred li, he grew faint among the immortal mountains.

The bright moon hung high, its pure light spilling over the mountain forest like great swaths of white feathers. On a several-thousand-meter immortal peak, a hundred-zhang waterfall cascaded down like a silver ribbon, thundering like ten thousand stampeding horses.

Xiao Chen rushed toward the great waterfall and sat cross-legged at its base. The hundred-zhang silver ribbon plummeted from on high, ceaselessly hammering his body.

The corpse miasma was not the full Ancestral God Corpse Poison, far less deadly, but it could still kill. Xiao Chen's entire body turned pitch-black. He sat motionless under the waterfall, letting the Ancient Stele Profound Art circulate. Spiritual essence flowed continuously, expelling the strands of black miasma from his body.

In truth, only a single wisp of the miasma had entered him, but after spreading, it caused such terrifying effects. At the Perfected Man realm, one should be nearly immortal and indestructible, yet his life was now under grave threat.

One could see that the silver waterfall turned black the moment it struck his body. The pool below and the river flowing away soon became completely black.

Fish and shrimp floated to the surface. All aquatic life in the river formed by the waterfall died.

From a distance, a black river rolled into the distance, a sight both terrifying and ominous.

For an entire hour, Xiao Chen did not move. He let the hundred-zhang waterfall pound down upon him, washing his treasure body as it continuously expelled the poison. The black color gradually receded, and a crystalline luster slowly emerged. His flesh and blood gradually returned to their original hue.

At last, the corpse miasma was completely purged. Xiao Chen's entire body sparkled with precious radiance. His skin was as crystal-clear as jade, gleaming like a precious gem under the moonlight, scattering pinpricks of light.

The moment his body recovered, Xiao Chen immediately stood up and walked out from under the waterfall. White mist rose instantly, and his clothes dried in a flash. He did not waste a single moment, rushing deeper into the Immortal Mountains.

Wu Ming, the Yasha Queen, Mabaoo, and the Earth King had all escaped the disaster as well. They had used secret techniques to avoid the Ancestral God Corpse Poison's invasion, but they too had absorbed wisps of corpse miasma. Now, every moment was precious to Xiao Chen. He guessed that the other four were all purging the poison. If he could find them first, he could eliminate them without trouble. This was a golden opportunity.

Shua—

Xiao Chen flitted through the mountains like a ghost, using the Eight Aspect Extreme to its utmost. His divine sense swept in all directions, searching for the auras of the four.

It did not take long. Xiao Chen soon sensed the breath of corpse miasma. He had experienced it himself; he would never forget it in this life. He could not be wrong.

He sped through the mountain forest, his divine sense scanning in all directions. To his surprise, the four were not far from each other—only a few dozen li apart. He had located all four positions at once.

This was also within expectations. Those four were at a similar cultivation level to him; they could not have flown too far from the Celestial Burial Valley. All of them were now exhausting every effort to dispel the poison.

It had to be said that Xiao Chen's peerless martial body was extraordinarily resilient. Among the five, he was the first to purge the corpse miasma, seizing an absolute advantage at this life-or-death juncture.

Now, Xiao Chen had the Earth King and Wu Ming before him. Which should he kill first? His mind raced. In an instant, he made his decision: Wu Ming first. That man was deep, sinister, and dangerous. With the Undying Imperial Heaven Divine Bell and the Heavenly Thunder Hammer combined, he was both offense and defense—truly a formidable foe.

Shua—

Xiao Chen left an afterimage, charging into a valley several li away.

Now, the valley lay in desolation. A hundred flowers had withered, every tree had died, and mist hung thick in the air. The hot spring at the valley floor had completely boiled, turned pitch-black. Corpse miasma filled the air. All vegetation in the valley had withered.

At this point, no words were needed. Xiao Chen turned into a bolt of lightning, rushing into the valley. He stepped out with the Inverse Dragon Seven Steps. The void shattered as his feet came down toward the meditating Wu Ming.

Wu Ming's eyes snapped open. Two beams of light shot into the sky. His body blazed with golden radiance, and an immense golden divine bell manifested above his head.

Dong—

The bell's note resounded like a bell. Under that single strike, the bell wave shattered the surrounding mountains. Dust and smoke rose into the sky.

Blinding golden light blazed. The Undying Imperial Heaven Divine Bell was like an impenetrable divine wall, standing firm against Xiao Chen's Inverse Dragon Seven Steps.

The tens of thousands of jun of force did not harm Wu Ming. The divine bell's defense was unmatched.

Yet Wu Ming still showed a flash of shock. Xiao Chen had recovered before him—this was beyond his expectations. In a sense, his body-refining technique had similarities with Xiao Chen's peerless martial body, both being extremely tough.

Years ago, Xiao Chen had almost walked the same path, but he had ultimately abandoned the art of fusing weapons into his body and switched to the peerless martial body.

Of the two most formidable physical arts, in terms of recovery, Xiao Chen, who had switched to the martial body, had clearly gained the upper hand.

This made Wu Ming uneasy. He still had a trace of corpse miasma not yet expelled. If he fought like this, he would suffer greatly.

Wu Ming was deep and decisive. Without any hesitation, with the Undying Imperial Heaven Divine Bell above his head, he soared into the sky, refusing to fight any longer, and fled in defeat.

But he was not fleeing in panic. His mind remained clear. He charged straight toward the northwest, where the Earth King was purging poison in a lake twenty li ahead. He wanted to drag another powerful foreign king into the mess.

It had to be said that Wu Ming was no ordinary man. In the face of death, his mind stayed calm.

Under the night sky, they moved like two streaks of lightning. A few dozen li was nothing for Perfected Man Heavenly Kings. In an instant, the two appeared over that lake together.

In the primeval mountains, wild beasts roared all around. The vast lake was surrounded by peaks. The Earth King's eyes snapped open, and he saw the two great experts locked in fierce combat.

"Earth King! If you don't want to end up like the Sea God King, come help me! Your greatest enemy, who wants to extract your soul, is right here!" Xiao Chen naturally knew what Wu Ming was planning. The other man wanted to use his strength. How could he let him have his way? He called out from far away.

Wu Ming's lips curled into a cold sneer, and he likewise shouted: "Earth King! I'll tell you only this: Xiao Chen has fully purged the corpse miasma, while we are all still plagued by it, our bodies not yet recovered. We are not yet out of danger. You should know how to choose."

Xiao Chen's words were provocative, inevitably stirring the Earth King's hatred for Wu Ming. But Wu Ming's words struck the heart of the matter, pointing out their current plight and forcing the Earth King to consider the threat.

The two fierce combatants each tried to win the Earth King over.

Xiao Chen yelled: "Earth King! You should know that I pose no threat to you. The Yasha Queen and Mabaoo are not far away. Have you forgotten the Sea God King, who died in vain? If you still have any blood in you, you know what choice to make!"

Dong—

Blazing golden divine light blazed. The bell waves shook the four wilds. The black lake water below surged into towering waves. The surrounding mountains shook violently, on the verge of shattering at any moment.

As Wu Ming fought Xiao Chen, he shouted to the Earth King: "For your sake, you all chased Xiao Chen from the Nine Provinces to the Cultivation World. How many foreign kings have died? They were nearly wiped out in the Celestial Burial Valley. Such a great enmity—how can you not avenge it? We should unite against the common foe. Cooperating with him is like seeking skin from a tiger. He has fully recovered his power now; only together can we survive. Otherwise, he will pick us off one by one."

Now, Wu Ming and Xiao Chen were locked in a life-or-death battle while simultaneously scheming against each other to win outside aid.

Dong—

The bell waves shook heaven and earth. The golden divine light swept in all directions. The mountains all around collapsed with a roar, dust and smoke rising to blot out the bright moon.

Xiao Chen used the Four Killing Moves to clash against the Undying Imperial Heaven Divine Bell. The four great steles manifested one after another, hammering the divine bell until it seemed to warp, shaking Wu Ming until he coughed up blood.

Wu Ming's eyes shot out two cold beams. At this moment, he had not yet purged the corpse miasma and could not unleash his peak strength. Gritting his teeth, he raised his left palm. A purple-gold divine hammer materialized.

Boom—

The Heavenly Thunder Hammer, supreme treasure of the Artifact Refining Sect, possessed unparalleled offensive power. It struck one of the great steles head-on, producing a deafening roar that tore through the heavens and echoed for over a hundred li. The earth below split open a chasm over ten li long, and many great mountains collapsed as a result.

The sky was filled with dazzling light. When everything calmed, Xiao Chen's lips were stained with a trace of blood, while Wu Ming coughed up blood in great gushes.

Shua—

Xiao Chen used the Eight Aspect Extreme to charge forward. At the critical moment, how could he show mercy? He could not let this opportunity slip.

Wu Ming's eyes flashed with cold lightning. He stopped resisting and instead charged directly toward the Earth King. His intent was clear: if this foreign king did not want to fight, he would be forced into it. Wu Ming was determined to drag him down.

But the Earth King was hot-tempered and far from a clear thinker. He launched a differential attack, causing yellow earth light to spread in all directions, rising from the ground and sweeping toward the two charging Heavenly Kings.

Boom—

The deafening sound tore through the night, shaking countless mountains. Wu Ming and Xiao Chen showed no hesitation, both unleashing heavy blows against the Earth King.

The Earth King spat blood and stumbled back.

At this moment, Wu Ming once again soared into the sky and fled into the distance. Since the Earth King could not shield him, he had to run again.

Xiao Chen pursued relentlessly.

The two flew like shooting stars, leaving two long beams of light across the night sky.

Shua—

Wu Ming rushed into a mountain forest dozens of li away. The scene here was bleak, as if deep autumn had come early. War King Mabaoo was using the vegetation across the mountains to purify the corpse miasma, causing several great peaks to become shrouded in deathly stillness.

"Mabaoo! Xiao Chen has already purged his miasma. Join me against him, or we will be killed one by one!" Wu Ming shouted as he charged forward, naturally hoping to use Mabaoo's strength.

Xiao Chen said nothing. He knew that Mabaoo was equally calculating; whether he spoke or not made no difference. This War King had his own judgment and could not be swayed.

Mabaoo let out a cold sneer. He circled far away from them, watching the battle while continuing to purge his miasma, maintaining an air of detachment.

Wu Ming was secretly irritated, but there was nothing he could do. Facing another deep schemer, he could only flee again, lest Mabaoo stab him in the back.

Bang—

Xiao Chen launched a killing strike. The Four Killing Moves shook the divine bell. Then, using the Weng sound technique to block the Heavenly Thunder Hammer, he struck fiercely at Wu Ming.

Clang—

Wu Ming raised his right hand high. Five divine swords flickered between his fingers, slicing toward Xiao Chen.

Bang—

Xiao Chen met them with the Eight Aspect Origin Worlds, opening the gates of the divine worlds. They directly swallowed the five divine swords, but the boundless power did not disperse. It swept toward half of Wu Ming's body.

Boom—

Wu Ming's entire body blazed with light. The right half of his body manifested numerous spiritual treasures—all the artifacts he had refined into himself. They emerged together to block his killing strike.

Crack, crack—

After the five divine swords in his right palm shattered, an exquisite pagoda in his right arm and a glazed divine lamp all burst. The bronze seal and divine shield that appeared on his right chest split into pieces.

Several of Wu Ming's treasures were destroyed in succession. These were spiritual treasures fused with his flesh. The moment they were annihilated, his flesh suffered severe damage.

Wu Ming roared at the heavens and transformed into a streak of fleeing light. Though deeply aggrieved, he had no intention of fighting to the death. Since he could not unleash his true strength, there was no way he would stop for a decisive battle.

"You have truly made me miserable. But it ends here. Farewell." Wu Ming suddenly stopped, his eyes shooting out two beams of sinister light.

His entire body was bleeding, turning him into a figure of blood in an instant. He shouted: "Thunder Light Evasion!"

The purple-gold Heavenly Thunder Hammer in his left palm appeared, stained with blood, emitting an eerie radiance that dyed the night sky blood-red.

Shua—

Wu Ming vanished into thin air, appearing directly dozens of li away.

Fortunately, Xiao Chen's divine sense was sharp. He detected Wu Ming's aura from dozens of li away and transformed into a divine rainbow to chase after him. But the moment Wu Ming materialized, he used the Thunder Light Evasion again, tearing through space to appear dozens of li further.

Xiao Chen pushed his speed to the limit, barely keeping up. His right hand expanded without limit. Just as Wu Ming tore through space again, a massive palm descended from the heavens, reaching for that golden divine bell.

Dong—

Xiao Chen grabbed hold of the Undying Imperial Heaven Divine Bell.

Wu Ming was greatly alarmed. He had not expected that the Thunder Light Evasion, which consumed a great deal of his vital essence, still could not shake Xiao Chen. There was now the danger of losing the divine bell.

Golden light flared. The Undying Imperial Heaven Divine Bell shone like a sun, illuminating the night sky.

The two great experts wrestled in the sky, both vying for control of the divine bell.

Chi—

Suddenly, a divine beam erupted, making the stars and moon seem dim. A dazzling sword light shot straight into the heavens, cleaving down with unstoppable force.

This brilliant sword light lit up the night, indomitable. Heaven and earth shook. One sword strike, and mountains and rivers lost their color.

Even Xiao Chen's face changed. He quickly dodged to the side.

Dong—

The blazing sword light passed through Xiao Chen's afterimage and struck the Undying Imperial Heaven Divine Bell, sending Wu Ming flying back with blood spraying from his mouth.

A white-robed woman, ethereal as an immortal, materialized. In her hand, a divine sword blazed with boundless light. It was Ye Jing.

This took both Xiao Chen and Wu Ming by surprise. In the Celestial Burial Valley, they had not seen this woman break out. They thought she had already turned into corpse fluid. They never expected her to survive—she must have used a secret technique.

Clearly, Ye Jing had also purged her corpse miasma. Without any hesitation, her divine sword blazed with ten thousand beams. Seizing the moment when the Undying Imperial Heaven Divine Bell was unstable, she stabbed through Wu Ming's right chest, leaving a hole front to back.

Wu Ming was furious. His strength was in no way inferior to the two before him, yet because the corpse miasma had not been fully purged, he was constantly wounded. This filled him with rage.

"Fine. There will be another day." He knew when to cut his losses. Spitting out three mouthfuls of origin vitality, the Heavenly Thunder Hammer surged with purple light, carrying him as he tore through the sky and fled, his speed reaching an inconceivable level.

"If you don't leave the bell, you won't leave alive!" Though Ye Jing was as cold and pure as an immortal, she showed no mercy. Her divine sword had pierced through Wu Ming's chest, establishing a nameless connection between them.

The divine sword emitted a blinding light, linking to Wu Ming's chest as he fled at extreme speed. The two seemed to be connected, and Ye Jing was pulled forward as if dragged along.

Xiao Chen was deeply shocked. Not only had Ye Jing survived, but she also possessed such methods. She must have been watching for a long time. If not for the final moment when he was about to seize the divine bell, this woman might not have revealed herself.

He could not help but sigh inwardly. Both Wu Ming and Ye Jing were extraordinary figures.

The Thunder Light Evasion, fueled by burning life essence, was far too fast. Xiao Chen did not give chase. He guessed that one of the two would die.

Xiao Chen did not hesitate for a moment. He immediately turned back, seizing the rare opportunity.

As he passed the place where Mabaoo was hiding, he did not stop, because he sensed the Yasha Queen's aura. That stunning Yasha Queen had already purged her corpse miasma and had joined up with the War King.

"Not good!" The Yasha Queen sensed Xiao Chen's divine sense fluctuations as well. She shot into the sky and gave chase.

In the midst of flight, Xiao Chen pushed his strength to the limit. Gazing at the lake ahead, he had already spotted the Earth King's figure.

Without any hesitation, he unleashed his strongest attack, drawing on nearly half of his entire power. The Slay God, Collapse, Suppress Demon, and Reverse Chaos techniques emerged together, and the four great steles descended to suppress him.

Boom—

Earth and sky shook. The Earth King, still plagued by corpse miasma, resisted with all his might, but in the end, he was smashed into pieces, his body shattering into the lake.

Xiao Chen soared into the sky, evading the Yasha Queen, and charged directly toward where Mabaoo was hiding, planning to kill the War King.

But just then, a heaven-shaking sound came from the Celestial Burial Valley. The entire Immortal Mountains shook. Vast energy fluctuations from half-ancestors surged outward. Clearly, the great battle there was extremely fierce, and a half-ancestor had been thrown out of the valley.

Xiao Chen sensed a familiar aura. That person was the Yasha Half-Ancestor.

He was extremely decisive. Scattering his divine power, the power of the Death World appeared, and he fled directly back to the Dark Continent of the Dead.

Deep within the Celestial Burial Valley, sealed by several half-ancestors, the old Yasha was blasted out from the light curtain. His powerful divine sense immediately detected the lingering death aura of nearly twenty foreign kings drifting through the great palaces.

When he grabbed a cultivator, searched his soul, and fully understood what had happened, he let out a roar that shook heaven and earth.

The old Yasha's face turned completely green—so green it seemed ready to drip water.