99: Chapter 99: Offense and Defense Made Easy

Xiao Ran was just about to rise and enter the cultivation room when he suddenly frowned.

Outside the courtyard gate, a strange fragrance drifted in.

It was not the fragrance of flowers, nor the scent of pills, but a kind of... poisonous fragrance.

The highly poisonous kind.

"Is Junior Brother Xiao here?"

"I've come uninvited. You wouldn't mind, would you?"

A charming voice rang out.

Xiao Ran stood up and looked toward a dark corner inside the hall.

Standing under the dim light was a woman in colorful robes, her figure alluring, with faint, colorful mist swirling around her.

Poison Lady, the Third Demon Child of the Eternal Night Demon Sect.

"Senior Sister Poison."

"What brings you here?"

Xiao Ran cupped his hands in greeting; this was a fellow Demon Child, so he still had to give her some Face.

Poison Lady did not answer upon hearing this, merely staring at him.

Her nose twitched slightly, as if she were sniffing something.

Xiao Ran was alert in his heart.

What is this woman smelling?

Poison Lady sniffed for a moment, and a strange look flashed in her eyes.

"Junior Brother Xiao, on you... there is the scent of poison."

Xiao Ran's heart sank.

Poison Lady possessed the Ten Thousand Poisons Spirit Body, and her sensitivity to poison was truly terrifying.

He had indeed obtained the Legacy of the Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable in the Ancient Battlefield. This was the first Legacy he had refined, so a trace of its aura remained on him.

He hadn't expected that even such a faint trace of aura could not escape Poison Lady's nose.

"Senior Sister Poison, you are joking."

"How could I be tainted by poisonous objects?"

Xiao Ran's expression remained normal.

Poison Lady stared at him and suddenly laughed.

"Junior Brother Xiao, stop pretending."

"I have been cultivating poison techniques for decades. When it comes to sensitivity to poison, no one in the entire Sect can compare to me."

"The poisonous Qi on you, although extremely faint, cannot deceive me."

"Furthermore, there were four Demon Children who entered the ruins, four Demon Venerable Legacies... We are all Demon Children; Senior Brother Bai wouldn't hide such a secret."

It's White Bone Scholar again.

Xiao Ran felt resentful; he didn't know what exactly White Bone Scholar was trying to do.

"So the poisonous Qi on you is not ordinary poison; that is... the aura of the Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable."

Poison Lady continued.

Xiao Ran was silent.

Poison Lady looked at him, her gaze gradually becoming burning hot.

"Junior Brother Xiao, did you obtain the Legacy of the Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable in the Ancient Battlefield?"

Xiao Ran thought for a moment and nodded.

In any case, this matter couldn't be hidden anyway.

If they know early, so be it!

Upon seeing this, a startling brilliance instantly erupted in Poison Lady's eyes!

"It really is the Legacy of the Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable!"

"Junior Brother Xiao, can you... can you let me see it?"

She was so excited that her voice was trembling.

Xiao Ran raised an eyebrow.

"See what?"

"The Ten Thousand Poisons True Scripture!"

Poison Lady blurted out.

"No, I don't want you to teach it to me, I just want to see... I have been obsessed with the Dao of poison for many years, and the Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable is the Senior I admire the most. If I could take one look at his True Scripture, it would be worth dying for!"

Xiao Ran looked at her.

Poison Lady had completely lost her usual alluring and charming demeanor; in her eyes, there was only fanaticism and longing.

A true poison fanatic.

A thought suddenly arose in Xiao Ran's heart.

Ten Thousand Poisons Spirit Body, the Legacy of the Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable...

The two are simply a perfect match.

If he could use poison to control Poison Lady... wouldn't he have gained another helper?

This thought surprised even him.

But thinking about it carefully, it didn't seem impossible.

Xiao Ran pondered for a moment and suddenly laughed.

At this moment, the tables have turned.

"If Senior Sister Poison wants to see the Ten Thousand Poisons True Scripture, it is not impossible."

Poison Lady's eyes lit up.

"However, I have two conditions."

Xiao Ran smiled with a playful expression, holding up two fingers.

"Speak!"

Poison Lady didn't hesitate at all.

"First, you cannot tell anyone about today's events."

Poison Lady nodded like a chicken pecking at rice: "That goes without saying!"

"Second..."

Xiao Ran looked at her, the corners of his mouth curling into a playful smile.

"Senior Sister Poison, having cultivated the Ten Thousand Poisons Spirit Body for so many years, you should know that the most important aspect of the Dao of poison is the word 'balance'."

Poison Lady was taken aback.

"All things in the world generate and restrain one another, and poison is no exception."

"Some poisons are highly toxic when used alone, but if paired properly, they can instead become a great supplement."

"For example... there is actually a natural complementary relationship between the Ten Thousand Poisons Spirit Body and the Legacy of the Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable."

Xiao Ran said slowly.

Poison Lady listened intently.

He continued:

"In the Legacy of the Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable, there is a Cultivation Technique called the Ten Thousand Poisons Heart-Devouring Great Method. To Cultivate this technique, one needs to use ten thousand poisons as a catalyst, supplemented by special methods to succeed."

"And the person most suited to Cultivate this technique..."

He looked at Poison Lady.

"Is the Ten Thousand Poisons Spirit Body."

Poison Lady's breathing became rapid.

"Junior Brother Xiao, are you... willing to teach me?"

Xiao Ran laughed.

"It's not that I can't teach you. But..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Poison Lady.

"Senior Sister Poison, what will you trade for it?"

Poison Lady was stunned.

Looking into Xiao Ran's eyes, she suddenly understood something.

In those eyes, there was appreciation, playfulness, and a kind of... determination of a hunter looking at prey.

Poison Lady was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.

It wasn't that kind of seductive smile, but a smile filled with deep meaning.

"Junior Brother Xiao, what do you want?"

Xiao Ran did not answer directly.

He only said: "Senior Sister Poison, it is getting late; why not come inside to discuss it in detail?"

Poison Lady looked at him, her gaze complex.

After a moment, she nodded.

The two of them, one after the other, walked into the inner courtyard.

The courtyard gate.

Slowly closed.

...

That night, the lights in the Guixu courtyard remained lit for a long time.

...

The next morning.

Xiao Ran opened his eyes, looking at Poison Lady, who was still fast asleep beside him, and the corners of his mouth curled into a smile.

Refreshing!

Who said Poison Lady has a heart of a scorpion? Isn't she quite good at serving people?

Of course, regarding the Ten Thousand Poisons Heart-Devouring Great Method he promised yesterday, he only taught her the beginning.

And Poison Lady was indeed as he expected; her obsession with the Dao of poison far exceeded everything else.

She was even willing to explore more knowledge and scenarios in exchange for his guidance on the Dao of poison.

"Interesting."

Xiao Ran whispered to himself.

He got up, dressed neatly, and walked out of the bedroom.

In the courtyard, the morning mist swirled.

He sat cross-legged on the stone platform and began to regulate his breathing.

In his Dantian, that vortex of Chaos rotated slowly.

Last night's Dual Cultivation with Poison Lady allowed his Guixu Body to absorb a new type of aura.

The Origin poison of the Ten Thousand Poisons Spirit Body.

Although weak, it indeed existed.

"As expected, the Myriad Dao Guixu can swallow anything."

Xiao Ran was secretly delighted.

Behind him, soft footsteps could be heard.

Poison Lady walked to his side, looking at him with a complex expression.

"Junior Brother Xiao, about last night..."

Xiao Ran turned his head and looked at her.

"Senior Sister Poison, what happened last night?"

Poison Lady was stunned, then immediately laughed.

"Right, nothing happened last night."

She paused and asked again: "What about the rest of the Ten Thousand Poisons Heart-Devouring Great Method..."

"Wait until Senior Sister has mastered the beginning, and I will naturally teach you the rest."

"Rest assured, I keep my word."

Xiao Ran said with a smile.

Poison Lady looked at him, a trace of complexity flashing in her eyes.

After a moment, she nodded.

"Okay, then I will leave."

Xiao Ran nodded: "Senior Sister, you must come often to ask for my guidance on this Cultivation Technique in the future, so that you can reach Major Achievement."

Poison Lady naturally understood the meaning behind his words.

She turned and left, but when she reached the courtyard gate, she suddenly stopped.

"Junior Brother Xiao, you are... quite interesting."

Then she pushed the door open and left.

Xiao Ran looked at her retreating figure and smiled.

In the Soul connection, Li Changsheng's voice came through.

"Xiao Ran, what were you doing last night? I couldn't reach you through the Soul connection."

Xiao Ran's mouth curled up.

"Nothing much, just gave some guidance on Senior Sister's cultivation."

"Guidance on cultivation? You?"

"Why, is that not allowed?"

Li Changsheng was silent for a moment.

"..."

"Xiao Ran, you didn't sleep with another one, did you?"

Xiao Ran smiled without answering.

A sigh came from Li Changsheng's side.

"Fine, you're awesome."

"I'm still here dealing with all sorts of social obligations, and you've already..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

Xiao Ran said with a smile: "Don't rush, take it slow."

"Once things stabilize on your end, we'll talk again."

"Good."

The Soul connection was cut off.

Xiao Ran looked up, watching the rising morning sun.

Eternal Night Demon Pool, two opportunities.

Twenty-three Legacies, slowly digesting them.

And... the line with Poison Lady, perhaps it can continue to develop.

Ten Thousand Poisons Spirit Body, the Legacy of the Ten Thousand Poisons Demon Venerable, and then striking from both sides...

Xiao Ran was very much looking forward to it.