69: Chapter 69 A Triumphant Return: Preparations Before the Breakthrough

In the cavern above.

The Double-Headed Venomous Flood Dragon had already lost its patience to toy with its prey.

Its massive body reared up high, and its two hideous heads simultaneously opened their bloody maws.

The left head condensed pitch-black venom, while the right head churned with crimson fire.

"Roar!"

The Venomous Flood Dragon let out a roar, preparing to reduce the human before it to ash.

Su Qinghan despairingly closed her eyes. She no longer had even the strength to raise her sword.

Right at the moment when the Venomous Flood Dragon opened its mouth and was about to unleash its breath of ice and fire!

Boom!

The ground between Su Qinghan and the Venomous Flood Dragon suddenly burst open!

A jet of ink-black, high-pressure venom emitting a terrifying aura shot upward from below at an incredible speed, accurately blasting directly into the open left mouth of the Double-Headed Venomous Flood Dragon!

Pfft!

"Roar!!!"

The Double-Headed Venomous Flood Dragon let out a shrill, agonizing scream!

That high-pressure jet of poison, a blend of three lethal toxins, shot straight down its throat and into its internal organs!

This was a supreme venom capable of instantly melting even a Qi Condensation 11th Layer Cultivator!

Sizzle sizzle sizzle!

The Venomous Flood Dragon's massive body thrashed and struggled frantically on the ground, thick white smoke billowing from beneath its hard scales.

In just a few breaths of time, its powerful internal organs were completely corroded into a puddle of foul, bloody water!

Rumble!

The Double-Headed Venomous Flood Dragon's colossal body slammed heavily onto the ground, twitched a few times, and died completely.

In its crimson slit pupils, a thick terror lingered even in death.

Inside the cavern, there was only the sound of poison corroding rock with a hiss.

Su Qinghan snapped her eyes open and stared blankly at the Tier 1 Peak Yao Beast that had suddenly dropped dead in front of her, her mind going completely blank.

"This... what's going on?"

She struggled to push herself up, her gaze sweeping around her surroundings.

In the empty cavern, besides the corpse of the Venomous Flood Dragon, there wasn't even a ghost of a figure; only faint poisonous mist was still wafting from the fist-sized deep hole in the ground.

"Which Senior stepped in secretly to save me?"

Su Qinghan suppressed her weakness and bowed deeply toward the empty cavern.

Her heart was filled with shock.

To instantly kill a Tier 1 Peak Yao Beast in one blow, and using such strange and domineering Dao of Poison methods, this was definitely a reclusive Foundation Establishment Stage expert in the Dao of poison!

"Junior Su Qinghan, a Personal Disciple of Jianzhi Peak of Xuantian Sect, thanks Senior for saving my life! If Senior has any commands in the future, Junior will not hesitate even upon pain of death!"

Su Qinghan's voice echoed through the cavern.

But no one answered her.

Meanwhile, in the underground snake den, Qi Yang had long since erased all traces of that high-pressure tunnel.

He withdrew his perception and patted the dust off his clothes.

"Expert? The expert is in a rush to go home and farm."

After confirming that Su Qinghan was safe and had begun taking Medicinal Pills to restore her Spiritual Qi, Qi Yang didn't tarry any longer.

He used corpse-dissolving water to completely dissolve the remains of the Demonic Cultivator Leader and the Black-Scaled Python, then cast the Spirit Rain Technique to wash away the scene.

He then formed hand seals, wrapped his entire body in Earth-attribute Spiritual Qi, and directly escaped into the bedrock dozens of zhang deep underground.

Under the cover of a high-grade qi-suppressing talisman, Qi Yang quietly left Ten Thousand Snake Valley and sprinted all the way back toward the Xuantian Sect.

...

A few days later, Jianzhi Peak of Xuantian Sect's Inner Sect was completely abuzz.

The team that went to Ten Thousand Snake Valley to gather Spirit Medicine had returned alive.

Not only did they bring back a full quota of rare Spiritual Plants, but the team-leading Personal Disciple, Su Qinghan, had turned misfortune into a blessing.

It was said that while covering the rear to protect her fellow disciples during their retreat, she encountered the Tier 1 Peak Yao Beast Double-Headed Venomous Flood Dragon, and in a life-and-death desperation, she actually touched the threshold of the Qi Condensation 11th Layer!

She had a good chance of achieving a Breakthrough to the Qi Condensation 11th Layer at just eighteen years old!

Such talent was rare as a phoenix feather or unicorn horn across the entire Xuantian Sect Inner Sect.

Peak Master Wu Lie Elder of Jianzhi Peak was overjoyed and directly bestowed a massive amount of resources, ordering Su Qinghan to go into seclusion immediately and achieve a Breakthrough in one go.

Meanwhile, in the most remote Nether Grass Field of the Xuantian Sect Inner Sect.

Qi Yang, who had also returned not long ago, was hunched over, holding a water ladle and slowly watering the nether grass in the field.

His sallow, wrinkle-covered old face carried a numb, aloof indifference, yet a trace of surprise surfaced in his murky eyes.

"This girl's talent is truly enviable; she's already on the verge of the Qi Condensation 11th Layer."

Qi Yang muttered secretly in his heart.

Just then, a crisp sword chime echoed from the sky.

A moon-white sword light sliced through the clouds, landing steadily beside the fence outside the Nether Grass Field.

The sword light dissipated, revealing Su Qinghan's cold and exquisitely beautiful figure.

Although her clothes were fresh, her complexion still possessed a paleness like one recovering from a serious illness, yet the Spiritual Qi fluctuations emanating from her were several times stronger than before.

"Fairy is back! This old man's hanging heart can finally rest!"

Qi Yang immediately set down his water ladle, wiped his hands on his tattered hemp clothing, and limped forward to greet her, the wrinkles on his face squeezing into a cluster of smiles.

Looking at Qi Yang's eternal old farmer appearance, a rare trace of gentleness flashed in Su Qinghan's eyes.

Having experienced true life and death in Ten Thousand Snake Valley and seen through the selfishness and scheming among fellow disciples, returning to this remote Nether Grass Field and seeing this nominal husband of hers who had one foot in the grave actually brought a sense of peace to her heart.

"I'm fine. Though it was dangerous this time, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise."

Su Qinghan spoke calmly, casually pulling out a few jade boxes and a heavy bag of Spirit Stones from her Storage Pouch and setting them on a nearby stone table.

"These are some low-grade poisonous grass seeds with yin-cold attributes I conveniently gathered from Ten Thousand Snake Valley, along with five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

"I'll be returning to Jianzhi Peak shortly to stabilize my Realm and prepare for my seclusion to charge into the Qi Condensation 11th Layer. It will take three months at short, or half a year at long. Stay here obediently during this time, and if you lack anything, use the Spirit Stones to exchange at the Servant Hall. Don't mistreat your old bones."

Looking at the items on the table, Qi Yang felt a slight stir in his heart.

This girl really treated him as one of her own now, even remembering to bring him poisonous grass seeds.

"Thank you for the reward, Fairy! Fairy possesses immense good fortune; this seclusion will surely bring instant success!"

Qi Yang cupped his hands repeatedly in bows, putting on a show of tears of gratitude.

Su Qinghan hesitated, a trace of awe and yearning flashing in her gorgeous eyes, as she whispered, "Actually, my returning alive this time was all thanks to a reclusive Senior of the poison Dao who secretly stepped in."

"That Senior possesses profound cultivation and killed the Tier 1 Peak Double-Headed Venomous Flood Dragon. If my cultivation succeeds in the future, I will definitely find that Senior and properly repay his life-saving grace."

Qi Yang kept his head down, the corners of his mouth almost twitching uncontrollably.

Repay? Your husband here is worrying about how to achieve a Breakthrough to the Qi Refining Tenth Layer. If you really want to repay me, bringing me more top-quality poisonous grass would be far more practical.

"Fairy is blessed by Heaven; even an expert was willing to lend a helping hand. This is all Fairy's good fortune!"

Qi Yang followed along with her words, his tone full of marvel.

Su Qinghan nodded, saying no more.

Her top priority now was breaking through her Realm. After entrusting everything, she turned into a sword light that soared into the sky, heading straight for Jianzhi Peak.

Watching Su Qinghan disappear into the clouds, the foolish smile on Qi Yang's face slowly faded, and a terrifying glint erupted from his murky old eyes.

"My protective umbrella is getting sturdier and sturdier. I can't fall behind either."

Qi Yang turned and walked into the thatched hut, deadbolting the wooden door.

He pressed the mechanism under the bed and walked down the stone steps into the secret chamber fifteen zhang underground.

Qi Yang sat cross-legged on the bronze stone platform, impatiently pulling out the Demonic Cultivator Leader's Storage Pouch.

Clatter!

The contents of the Storage Pouch were dumped out all at once onto the stone platform, and Qi Yang's eyes instantly lit up like searchlights.

"Fucking fat jackpot! These demonic Cultivators do cost-free business, carrying all the good stuff on their bodies!"

Qi Yang quickly tallied his spoils of war.

There were over eight thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones alone!

Various poison-attribute Spiritual Plants rarely seen in the outside world were piled up like a small mountain.

Century-old Black Blood Vines, Corpse Rot Flowers emitting a pungent stench, and several inner neidan of Tier 1 Late Stage poison-attribute Yao Beasts!

If these things were given to an ordinary Inner Sect Disciple, they would definitely be deadly curses to avoid, but for Qi Yang, who Cultivated the Five Poisons Nourishing Spirit Art, they were the ultimate rations for breaking through his Realm!

However, Qi Yang didn't rush to touch these poisonous grasses; his eyes fixed tightly on the warm jade box placed right in the middle.

Opening the jade box, three drops of milky-white liquid lay quietly inside, emitting a pure Spiritual Qi that refreshed the mind and heart.

earth core jade marrow!