119: Chapter 119 Taking Stock of the Gains, The Third Path

Second Grade Medium Grade poison Gu, the Hundred Poison Ganoderma.

Though called a ganoderma, it lacked any of the fragrance of orchids or fungi; it was shaped like a curled infant's hand, its five fingers slightly clenched as if reaching for something.

Fine grey lines spread across its surface, forming an eerie pattern.

Xu Changsheng did not dare to be careless, for Lu Yuanze had reached for his Storage Pouch just now precisely to release this Gu.

The poisonous gas would have filled the grotto, countering both his illusion techniques and the escape techniques Lu Yuanze had suspected him of using.

He secretly felt lucky that he had acted quickly; otherwise, the outcome of the battle would have been uncertain.

Holding the Hundred Poison Ganoderma in his hands, his face was filled with joy.

This item could not only release poison but also absorb toxins; true to its name, it could absorb a hundred poisons.

In this way, he would no longer fear most insidious and poisonous things in the future.

With this thought in mind.

He released his vast Divine Sense to suppress the Hundred Poison Ganoderma.

The poison Gu possessed no intelligence and was easily brought under control.

His fingertips flicked a streak of spiritual light into the Hundred Poison Ganoderma.

In the next moment.

A seductive purple glow emanated from the surface of the Hundred Poison Ganoderma.

"Whoosh, whoosh."

The gravel on the ground moved with the wind, yet no unusual color appeared in the air; the toxin was colorless and invisible.

His nose caught a hint of a faint, delicate fragrance.

Xu Changsheng immediately felt his spiritual power circulation stall slightly; had he still been in the middle of a battle, he likely wouldn't have noticed.

He closed his eyes and continued to sense it.

Suddenly.

The toxins accumulated to a threshold, and the spiritual power throughout his body abruptly came to a standstill; looking inward at his Dantian, he saw it was already shrouded in a mass of pale purple mist.

Even when forced, only thirty percent of his original spiritual power could be mobilized, but after using the True Solar Fire to burn it away, it immediately recovered to ninety percent.

Lost in thought, he took out the antidote from Lu Yuanze's Storage Pouch and swallowed it.

"The toxicity is average and easy to neutralize; it still needs to fuse with more toxins."

After making his assessment, Xu Changsheng put away the Hundred Poison Ganoderma, planning to test its ability to absorb toxins when he had the chance.

Besides that.

In Lu Yuanze's Storage Pouch, there was also a small stack of Second Grade Low Grade Talismans and nearly ten types of Second Grade Medium and Low Grade spiritual materials, all of which he pocketed.

Finally, he pulled out a silver-glowing Talisman from a corner.

A talisman treasure—the Mother-Son Cold Iron Daggers.

Holding it in his hand, seven points of cold light on the silver Talisman were scattered like the Seven Mansions of the East, circling incessantly.

"This is a talisman treasure made by stripping a top-tier Magic Treasure!"

Xu Changsheng had read about a powerful talisman treasure in Lu Yuanze's memories; it must be this one.

He injected spiritual power, sensing the immense might within.

His smile carried a hint of regret.

This was because although the talisman treasure had a powerful aura, it was actually hollow inside with insufficient spiritual energy; it likely had only one use left.

No wonder Lu Yuanze had been reluctant to use it.

Once these daggers were unleashed, they would deliver an offensive equivalent to a quasi-Third Grade attack, with power exceeding the quasi-Third Grade Five Elements Talismans he had yet to refine; it gave him the chance to kill anyone below the Golden Core stage!

He silently placed it at the bottom of his Storage Pouch to serve as a trump card.

The harvest from a Foundation Establishment Cultivator was beyond expectations.

Lu Yuanze's net worth alone was at least five hundred thousand Spirit Stones!

He couldn't help but sigh, "Being a Robber Cultivator is truly profitable."

Chu Linger, also at Foundation Establishment, was much poorer, though after the Spirit Talisman Workshop got on the right track, he could also earn hundreds of thousands of Spirit Stones a year.

With that in mind, he began to clean up the scene.

He erased the traces of the fight inch by inch and summoned a fireball to incinerate Lu Yuanze's remains completely.

He took out the quasi-Third Grade painted skin of Lu Yuanze he had obtained in Donglin Fortress.

"I can finally use it."

From Lu Yuanze's memories, Xu Changsheng learned of a third path to escape Broken Cloud Ridge.

His heart settled.

As long as he took this path, he would definitely be able to get out.

...

At this moment.

The entire lower level of Broken Cloud Ridge had fallen into chaos; countless Qi Refining Cultivators were scurrying about, trying to find the mysterious intruder.

At the only two exits of Broken Cloud Ridge, dozens of eyes were staring intently at the ridge, and the same was true in the Image Recording Room.

However, the Cultivator surnamed Liu that Martial Uncle Gou had mentioned seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Gou Jiao looked at the empty shelves and the churning subterranean fire in the Artifact Refining Room, his expression shifting unsteadily.

Being able to walk out of the Artifact Refining Room out of thin air meant the intruder must have teleported in.

But there were no teleportation formations set up in the Artifact Refining Room at all.

"This Artifact Refining Room belongs to Liu Bai, and the teleportation Talisman the Sect gave him also transports to the hall not far from here."

He quickly formed a theory.

Either Liu Bai had a slight mishap during teleportation and was sent here.

Or someone else had tampered with the path in the teleportation Talisman, intentionally teleporting here.

Combining this with Xu Changsheng's strange behavior in the Shadow Recording Wall, he leaned toward the latter.

He took out a communication token: "Send someone to Yellow Ox Immortal City immediately to see what happened at Huangniu Mountain!"

...

One quarter-hour later.

Wearing Lu Yuanze's painted skin, Xu Changsheng walked out from behind the bronze gates.

This place seemed to have already been searched.

The path was clear all the way.

He arrived at the Heavenly Fiend Hall.

Three Qi Refining Cultivators remained on guard in front of the hall.

Seeing a strange face.

They immediately became alert, extending their spear Magical Artifacts to block him: "Who are you? Why have you trespassed into this hall?"

Xu Changsheng laughed arrogantly: "Mere Qi Refining ants, how dare you block this seat!"

The aura of Foundation Establishment Great Perfection spread out, instantly suppressing the group of Qi Refining Cultivators so that they couldn't even lift their heads.

Waves of shock surged in their hearts; they had already mistaken Xu Changsheng for the mysterious intruder.

"That intruder really is at the Foundation Establishment stage! We are in grave danger today."

The leading Disciple, whose cultivation had reached Qi Refining Perfection, barely managed to withstand this powerful pressure.

Gritting his teeth, he said, "Senior, I'm sorry, but if you want to enter the Heavenly Fiend Hall, you'll have to step over our corpses."

To him, if he let Xu Changsheng into the hall without authorization and was later caught by the Sect, it would be a death sentence anyway.

Dying in front of the hall might at least secure some welfare for his wife and children.

Xu Changsheng chuckled sinisterly: "You have some spine, but this seat will not show mercy!"

He lunged forward.

He grabbed the Cultivator's neck and slowly lifted him up.

"Look closely at this seat's face! Will you let me in or not?"

The Heavenly Fiend Hall had to be opened by Ghost Shadow Sect Cultivators using special methods.

The Qi Refining guard's face turned beet red, his eyes wide as he stared at Lu Yuanze's ruggedly handsome face, and he shook his head with all his might.

"Useless!"

Xu Changsheng threw the man down and looked at the two followers behind him.

*Thud.*

Terrified, they fell onto their butts on the ground and shook their heads repeatedly: "Senior, we really haven't seen you before. Please, spare us."

"I'll ask one last time: will you open the door for this seat or not?"

Xu Changsheng seemed to have lost his patience, his tone urgent and lacking in forbearance.

But the few people before him remained silent, acting like dead pigs that didn't fear boiling water.

The situation suddenly reached a stalemate.

If he killed them, not only would he be unable to enter the Heavenly Fiend Hall, but it would also arouse the suspicion of the Ghost Shadow Sect.

And just at this critical juncture.

The Senior Brother guard of the Ghost Shadow Sect returned to the Heavenly Fiend Hall.

From a distance, he saw Xu Changsheng, and a flash of panic immediately appeared on his face.

He hurried over and gave Xu Changsheng a deep bow.

"You... you are?"

Xu Changsheng raised an eyebrow. "Have I seen you?"

"N-no, I once saw your heroic bearing from afar during the Demonic Path Grand Competition!"