Chen Huaian sneered the moment Xiao Yifeng made his selection.
In fact, he still had the option to instantly swap the pill—for just 6 yuan a pop.
If Xiao Yifeng really defied the odds and picked the one clean pill, Chen could still pay to swap it out with a poisoned one.
But as things stood?
No need to spend a dime.
This guy clearly wasn't some heaven-defying lucky dog.
The very first pill he picked was already laced with fire poison.
Chen tapped the voice transmission talisman lazily.
"Well, you've made your choice. So eat it—what are you waiting for?"
[The result has been decided. Ingest it and see.]
"Xiao Yifeng, what are you hesitating for?"
Elder Qingxuan shot his second disciple a sideways glance, impatience thick in his tone.
He was already itching to see Xiao Yifeng slap that so-called senior in the face.
As for the tortured look on Xiao's face? He assumed the kid was just nervous about being near the mysterious expert.
"Yes, Master."
Xiao Yifeng inwardly prayed to every god and immortal he could name, then clenched his jaw and swallowed the pill whole.
BOOM—the pill's medicinal power erupted instantly.
Xiao Yifeng groaned, clutching his chest as his face turned a deep, suffocating purple-red.
His eyes were bloodshot, his breathing ragged—classic signs of fire poison flaring up.
And not just a trace—this dose was loaded.
To prevent his meridians from burning out, he immediately dropped into a meditative stance, circulating his Qi.
Only his Yimu spiritual root gave him the ability to barely restrain the poison.
If it had been someone else? They'd have to gobble antidotes or beg a senior for help.
---
Wu Duantian glanced at Qingxuan beside him—
And was startled to see the old man's face darken to the shade of his hat, hand trembling within his sleeve.
He was livid.
[You still have two chances.]
The calm voice echoed again from the void behind Li Qingran.
The entire sect square watched in silence.
The first attempt had clearly failed.
Xiao Yifeng barely suppressed the poison enough to stay conscious.
Face pale, lips tight, he raised his hands and respectfully bowed toward the void.
"Senior… forgive my rudeness, but… may I ask—are you certain that one of the ten pills is truly clean?"
[What? You think I'm deceiving you?]
The voice dropped cold as death.
A wave of pressure crashed down. The stone steps beneath Xiao Yifeng's feet shattered to dust.
A sliver of killing intent leaked into the air—
[Just for asking that question… I could kill you, and I wouldn't need a reason.]
"Forgive me, Senior!"
Xiao Yifeng hurriedly dropped to a full bow, cold sweat soaking his back.
Out the corner of his eye, he glanced at Qingxuan…
But saw that his master now sat coldly, eyes shut—out of sight, out of mind.
And Sect Master Wu? He was smiling amiably at Li Qingran, like she were his own daughter.
No one would help him.
Neither his master, nor the sect leader, dared to offend that mysterious senior.
Xiao Yifeng had no choice but to rely on himself.
He took a deep breath…
Then picked a second pill.
Swallowed it.
BOOM—again, fire poison exploded inside his body.
[You have one last chance.]
He crushed the poison again, barely holding on.
His hand, veins bulging and trembling, reached for the remaining pills.
He had never imagined that fire poison would be this unbearable.
It was as if a brush made of steel needles was scrubbing every bone and meridian in his body.
Not in one place—but crawling, slithering through his flesh like a venomous serpent.
And this was with Yimu spiritual Qi helping suppress it.
Li Qingran had no such advantage.
So this… this was what she had endured for three whole months?
The mysterious cultivator's pillcraft… was terrifying.
Even when Xiao Yifeng scraped off samples, even when he tasted them—he couldn't tell which pill was clean.
If that's the case…
Might as well pick randomly.
He closed his eyes.
No more fighting.
No more thinking.
He reached out, grabbed one at random, and—
"Huh. Kid's luck ain't half-bad," Chen Huaian muttered, seeing the result on his phone.
8-to-1 odds, and the little bastard actually picked the right one?
No problem.
Ding! 6 yuan deducted.
The clean pill in Xiao Yifeng's hand silently swapped with a poisoned one.
The black cat beside Chen narrowed its eyes suspiciously.
[What's with this brat mumbling to that little black box? Don't tell me he's lost his mind…]
[Or is that black box some kind of demonic artifact that controls minds? Intriguing! I wonder… between that box and my true form, who's more evil? Kekeke…]
The cat's tail lifted high, clearly amused by the thought.
---
Xiao Yifeng took the final pill.
Once again—fire poison erupted.
But this time…
It wasn't just a flare-up.
The accumulated toxins from the first two pills detonated with the third like a chain explosion.
"Urgh…"
His skin turned yellow-white, then blotchy red.
He stumbled down three steps—then collapsed to his knees and vomited a mouthful of black blood.
The blood vaporized into a foul mist, pungent with charred dregs and rot, forcing nearby disciples to cover their noses.
At the center of the square, the proud figure fell to the ground—
Convulsed twice—
And went still.
[Qingxuan Daoist… it seems your disciple is not quite the prodigy he believes himself to be.]
A lazy, mocking voice echoed from the void.
[Seven pills remain. Will you feed them to him? Or shall I?]
Chen Huaian didn't feel even a sliver of sympathy.
Li Qingran had endured this for ninety-three days.
Her meridians had been burnt, rotted, blackened by poison.
What Xiao Yifeng had suffered… was nothing in comparison.
---
"Senior," Wu Duantian finally stepped forward, seeing Qingxuan on the verge of erupting.
"Xiao Yifeng has been punished. His condition is dire. Please—don't force him to take the remaining pills…"
[Did I give you permission to speak?** Sit down.]
"You go too far!"
Elder Qingxuan shot to his feet—his sword already out, blade raised.
But the sword wasn't aimed at the void.
It was aimed at Li Qingran.
"Don't think I don't see through your scheme! All ten of those pills were poisoned! My second disciple never stood a chance!"
"You only did this to vent your anger on Li Qingran!
And besides—where is the proof he gave her a toxic pill in the first place?!"
---
"Elder Qingxuan."
Li Qingran stepped forward, face pale, but her spine straight despite the pressure of a late-stage Nascent Soul's aura.
Her eyes met her former master's with cold, lifeless determination.
"Since the tournament, I received no help.
The only pill I took—was the Great Rejuvenation Pill given to me by Xiao Yifeng."
"Lies!" Qingxuan roared.
"If I lie—"
Li Qingran raised three fingers to the sky,
"—may Heaven strike me down with divine thunder."
Boom!
A wave of heavenly pressure swept across the sect.
Storm clouds gathered in the sky.
Lightning flashed within the dark clouds—searching.
But it found nothing.
The clouds dispersed.
Qingxuan stared into his former disciple's eyes—
Her sword of truth pierced his heart far deeper than any blade.
To swear an oath to Heaven—twice in one day—was to gamble her fate itself.
And now it was clear:
The poisoned pill had been given on purpose.
Even the other so-called "healing pills" he'd sent to her…
Had never reached her hands.
---
A pill box floated from the remaining pile—drifting quietly toward Qingxuan.
The pressure on Li Qingran lifted.
Then came the voice from the void:
[Not sure if it's poisoned? Then why don't you try it?]
Qingxuan's eyes flickered.
He hesitated.
"How do I know you—" he started.
Thwip!
The pill shot into his mouth before he could finish.
[Eat.]
The voice was cold, amused, and absolute.