187: Chapter 187 Poisoning

Although the periphery of the Ten Thousand Mountains was dense with Yao Beasts, most of them were First-Rank Low Grade and Medium Grade. With Zhao Qinghe leading the team, coupled with you supporting with First-Rank Low Grade Fireball Talismans from time to time, several encounters with Yao Beast attacks were without any real danger, and no casualties occurred.

The fifth day arrived.

Feeling that the timing was about right, during the midday rest, you made the excuse to walk around nearby and left the team's line of sight.

Walking behind a hidden cluster of bushes, you patted the Spirit Beast Bag at your waist.

A flash of white light passed, and Xiaowang's huge body appeared in the forest. Just as it was about to rub its large head against you, you pressed down on its forehead, transmitting an instruction through the contract: "Act like you don't know me, be a bit fierce, and then get 'beaten into submission' by me, understand?"

Xiaowang blinked its golden pupils, tilted its head to think for a moment, and then let out a low tiger roar.

You intentionally made some commotion, drawing Zhao Qinghe and the others to rush over.

When they arrived, they happened to see you holding the chi yan sword, confronting a Level One Qi Condensation white tiger with snow-white fur all over its body and golden fur at the tip of its tail.

Xiaowang bared its teeth and grinned, putting on a fierce pouncing appearance. You sidestepped to dodge, countering with a Water Mirror Technique to block its charge, and then struck its forehead with the back of the sword.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Xiaowang rolled twice on the ground, let out a grievance-filled whine, and lay motionless on the ground.

You walked forward, took out a Beast Feeding Pill and threw it into its mouth, then amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, you took out a blank Spirit Beast Bag and stored it inside.

"Guest Elder Lin, you... you subdued a Spirit Beast?" Zhao Qinghe widened her eyes, her face full of disbelief.

You put away your longsword, wiped the non-existent sweat from your forehead, and feigned a bit of luck: "I was lucky. This white tiger seemed to have just made a Breakthrough in the Qi Condensation stage and hadn't fully stabilized its Realm yet. I lured it with Medicinal Pills and barely managed to form a contract with it."

The two accompanying male Cultivators were filled with envy in their eyes: "This luck is simply too good. White tiger-type Yao Beasts have extremely strong combat power. Guest Elder Lin has truly made a huge profit on this mission."

You smiled and didn't say much, but breathed a sigh of relief in your heart.

Xiaowang finally had a legal identity. From now on in Qingyue Market, you could openly bring it along with you.

The search mission continued.

The night of the tenth day.

The camp was pitched in a leeward mountain depression. Sitting inside the tent, you were circulating the Burning Heaven True Art to meditate and Cultivate.

Suddenly, the spiritual power flowing within your Meridians abruptly stalled.

It was as if an invisible hand simultaneously cut off the circulation of all spiritual power within your body.

You instantly pulled out of your cultivation state, your eyes snapping open.

Spiritual power could not be mobilized.

Not even a sliver could be mobilized.

You quickly tried three times with the same result. The spiritual power in your Dantian seemed to be sealed by an invisible thin film; you could perceive its existence, but no matter how you urged it, it remained completely motionless.

"Poisoned?" This thought flashed through your mind.

Before you could think carefully, a burst of disorderly footsteps suddenly came from outside the tent.

Immediately after, someone was shouting, someone was running, and then there was the muffled sound of a miserable scream being cut short by a sharp blade.

"Everyone, get the hell out here right now! Otherwise, you die!"

A hoarse and cold voice exploded over the camp.

You cursed inwardly. Wasn't it just doing a search mission? How could such a shitty thing fall on your head?

You tentatively mobilized a wisp of Origin Qi. A warm surge of power gushed out from your Qi Sea, flowing along your limbs as smoothly as if directing your own arms.

Origin Qi was the product of martial arts cultivation, operating on a completely different system outside of the Meridians. The Qi Sea and the Origin Qi within the Dantian were unaffected.

You thought for a moment and decided not to act rashly. It was best not to use your trump cards unless necessary. Although your spiritual power was sealed, the Origin Qi within your body was still abundant. Origin Qi could equally drive Talismans and Magical Artifacts, coupled with your extraordinary Physical Body strength; this was your greatest backing.

You stood up and checked the state of Xiaowang inside the Spirit Beast Bag. Its spiritual power was similarly sealed at the moment, but it looked to be in no major trouble. Immediately afterwards, you straightened your collar, lifted the tent flap, and walked out.

You lifted the door curtain and walked out.

The campfire in the center of the camp was still burning, its light reflecting seven or eight figures wearing pitch-black masks. They were dressed in dark gray martial attire with long sabers hanging at their waists, their spiritual power fluctuations steady and powerful, reaching at least Mid Qi Condensation.

Lying on the ground were three corpses, one of which you recognized as a young disciple from a collateral branch of the Zhao family. His chest was pierced by a sharp blade, his eyes wide open in unresigned death, and fresh blood stained the grass red.

In the open space at the center of the camp, more than a dozen Cultivators had already gathered, all driven together.

Zhao Zhanyuan was also being escorted by two masked men. His face was ashen, with bloodstains at the corner of his mouth, clearly having already exchanged blows but defeated due to being poisoned.

Soon after, several masked men seemed to discuss for a few moments, and Zhao Zhanyuan was taken away by one of them.

Seeing Zhao Zhanyuan being taken away, the scene instantly plunged into chaos, and a sentiment of panic spread through the crowd.

"Seniors, spare our lives! We are just Loose Cultivators here to do a mission; we don't have many Spirit Stones on us!" A Guest Elder knelt on the ground, loudly begging for mercy.

The leading masked man stepped forward without any nonsense, directly and heavily kicking the man in the face.

Accompanied by a teeth-gritting sound of bone cracking, that Guest Elder flew backward with a face full of blood, spitting teeth mixed with bloody water all over the ground.

"Shut up. Dare to say one more word, and you die." The leading masked man's voice was icy.

The entire scene instantly quieted down, everyone so terrified that they even suppressed the sound of their breathing.

At this time, a tall and thin figure beside the leading masked man stepped forward and transmitted voice via sound transmission.

"Big Brother, why keep these trash around? It's better to just kill them all cleanly."

The leading masked man shook his head slightly: "Keep them for now. In case we really can't find him, these living captives might still be useful. Anyway, they've all been hit with my 'Spirit-Dispersing Soft Tendon Powder'. As long as their Realm is below Foundation Establishment, within three days their Dantian will be like iron, unable to use a single trace of spiritual power."

The leader paused and continued giving instructions: "Check if there are any Body Cultivators among these people. Body Cultivators have formidable Physical Bodies and can suppress the poison. If there are any, kill them directly."

The tall and thin man nodded, his eyes suddenly lighting up with a dim green glow. This was a special investigative pupil technique.

His gaze swept across the crowd one by one, lingering on you for a split second before quickly moving away. What you cultivated was mortal martial arts; inside your body, there were none of the spiritual power fluctuations unique to Body Cultivators of the Cultivation World. Under his pupil technique, you were no different from an ordinary weak woman.

"No Body Cultivators." The tall and thin man put away his pupil technique and reported.

Today is six updates already, family! Isn't this worth a Power of Love vote and a good review from you guys?!

Thanks to Ke Ke Ai Ai Ne for the explosive update flower shower, Cao Jun Who Loves Coconut Chicken for the Update Request Talisman * 2, Xue Luo Hong Yue for the Update Request Talisman, Huang Di Who Likes Hawk Chickens for the Update Request Talisman, Youshiniang for the Bobo Milk Tea, Ni Zhen Chi Ah for the Bobo Milk Tea, as well as everyone else's other gifts and Power of Love. Mwah! Still the same as before, every one hundred gift value adds one update; however much you guys gift, I will update that much! Let's get those Power of Love votes going! Twelve thousand words a day is still not my limit!