151: Seven Days Later (Part 2)

"Revered Master, I can't do it, I really can't!"

Inside the Tiangang Sword Formation, facing the four-sided onslaught of the Tiangang Absolute Formation, Su Mengyao despairingly closed her eyes, simply giving up resistance. She slowly sat down cross-legged, quietly awaiting death.

"I'm so useless. I can't even break such a small sword formation. How can I still dream of reaching the Peak of the Sword Realm? It's laughable, truly laughable."

"It's better to let go of everything and just die like this."

As she let go of everything, Su Mengyao's taut nerves suddenly relaxed, and the oppressive feeling of the approaching contrary gale and thunder also quietly receded.

"Huh? Why don't I feel the pressure anymore?"

"Am I already dead?"

When she opened her eyes again, she saw that all the scenery before her seemed to be frozen in that instant.

The four forces of wind, thunder, water, and fire were close at hand but motionless.

"This is..."

Turning her head, she saw herself, covered in wounds, sitting cross-legged in the center of the four forces, calmly awaiting death.

"What exactly is going on?"

Just as Su Mengyao felt surprised, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck her mind.

"Mind and sword as one, sword moves with the heart, free from desires, orderly and unburdened..."

As she murmured the Heart Sword incantation, Su Mengyao suddenly felt completely clear throughout her body.

"I understand!"

Opening her eyes again, facing the surging four forces, hope rekindled in Su Mengyao's eyes, without a trace of confusion.

"Heaven and Earth can be swords, nature can also be a sword, everything before me can be a sword!"

With a grip of her sword art, the nameless edge immediately spun into the air.

"Heart Sword · Shifting Force · First Cloud Brilliance."

In an instant, a brand new Sword Intent bloomed. The attacking four forces immediately paused three feet in front of her, then were completely controlled by Su Mengyao's Heart Sword, all merging into the nameless sword edge.

With the crisis resolved, Su Mengyao stepped off the ground, and a trace of Dao Rhyme fluctuation was generated as her true essence boiled.

"Sword Formation, break!"

The nameless edge stabbed into the Void Realm, and a pure, ultimate invisible Sword Qi shot forth.

Where the cold light passed, it hit the core of the formation eye a hundred zhang ahead.

As Su Mengyao landed, the nameless edge returned to her back in an instant.

The Tiangang Sword Formation shattered in response.

Feeling the fresh mountain breeze, Su Mengyao's injuries had long since recovered, and her cultivation had also broken through to the Core Shaping Realm in this ordeal.

"I succeeded!"

A trace of joy was evident on Su Mengyao's face.

"Revered Master, I didn't disappoint you, did I?"

On the other side, Du Bingyan, slumped in the corner of the alchemy room, felt the toxins in her body begin to erupt wildly.

However, she seemed not to notice, merely gazing silently at a spiderweb on the beam.

A moth was entangled in the spiderweb, struggling fiercely, while the spider nearby slowly approached, as if it had already decided to eat the moth.

Eventually, the moth was injected with venom and paralyzed, becoming nourishment for the spider.

After watching the entire process of the moth's struggle, a trace of confusion arose in Du Bingyan's heart: "Why isn't the spider afraid of its own venom? Is it because the venom is part of its own body?"

In an instant, her previously chaotic mind seemed to grasp a crucial point.

"Wait, if I am the spider, and the venom in my body is the venom I possess, then if that's the case, won't I die?"

"In the 'Heavenly King's Compendium of Medicinal Principles,' whether it's Spirit Medicine, Immortal Plant, or poison, their original intention is all a type of medicine. Immortal Plants can also produce different effects depending on different Physiques. For some, they are life-saving elixirs, but for others, they are soul-severing poisons."

"Conversely, poisons follow the same principle. One should not differentiate based on their growth environment. If used properly and appropriately, they can be even more effective than some Spirit Medicine."

"I was so foolish, why did I only realize this now? Why resist the potent poison in my body? If I transform it into a part of myself, wouldn't it be resolved?"

With this thought, Du Bingyan was no longer confused. She stood up, walked to the medicine counter, and grabbed several Spirit Medicine ingredients.

"Six qian of Heavenly Heart Grass, two qian of Peony Chrysanthemum, one qian of Silver Scale Flower..."

She no longer cared about her own condition and began to meticulously prepare a Medicinal Pill.

After a full hour, a freshly refined purple Medicinal Pill lay quietly in her palm.

"Time is running out. I'll use this to test if the Heavenly King's Medicinal Principles are feasible!"

With her mind made up, Du Bingyan directly consumed the Medicinal Pill.

The moment the Medicinal Pill entered her body, a scorching wave of Qi immediately bloomed from within.

"My meridians are automatically filtering the toxins!"

"Ah~"

With a deep cry, a brilliant green light erupted from Du Bingyan's body.

The next moment, all the Five Poisons Smoke Veil within her body were completely expelled with her boiling true essence.

"Hoo~"

Sweat drenched Du Bingyan's body. The instant the toxins were cleared, she felt a profound sense of lightness throughout her entire being.

"I succeeded!"

"But..."

She felt the meridians running within her body and realized that the Five Poisons Smoke Veil had not merged with her body.

"Why didn't the toxins merge? Instead, they were all expelled."

"Wait, why has my cultivation broken through to Qi Gathering Realm fifth level? Isn't my talent supposed to prevent me from ever entering the Qi Gathering Realm? How can this be..."

Just as she fell into a state of doubt and confusion, Su Mengyao quickly ran into the alchemy room.

"Senior Sister, are you alright?"

Du Bingyan looked at Su Mengyao and smiled, "I'm fine, Mengyao. You also passed the trial?"

"Mm."

"That's truly wonderful."

Both women were extremely relieved. Their four hands clasped tightly together, their eyes filled with joy.

"Have a small achievement made you so complacent?"

Helplessly, Shen Lian's cold voice mercilessly shattered the sisters' self-satisfied mood.

"Greetings, Revered Master!"

This time, both of them looked at Shen Lian as if he were a god.

"Hmph."

Shen Lian snorted coldly, glancing at the two of them.

"I'll give you two ke of time to get yourselves ready. Two ke later, I'll be waiting for you in the front courtyard."

With that, he turned and left directly.

The two women exchanged glances and smiled at each other.

Two ke later, the two women, dressed in new clothes, stood respectfully behind Shen Lian.

"It seems you haven't wasted your time during this period. Since you both have made new Breakthroughs, it's time to repay me."

Su Mengyao: "Revered Master, please instruct. What does this Disciple need to do?"

Shen Lian: "I'm setting off for the Spirit Realm. You two will come with me."

"Yes."

Although a trace of confusion flashed in the women's eyes, they still respectfully agreed.

Shen Lian turned around and first looked at Su Mengyao: "Your Heart Sword has entered a new Realm, and your current sword techniques are sufficient to deal with some experts of the same Realm.

But your footwork is still too poor. Having been tempered by the Tiangang Sword Formation, you should also understand that the importance of movement techniques is indispensable in a duel."

Su Mengyao lowered her head and replied, "Thank you for your guidance, Revered Master."

Shen Lian waved his folding fan, and a wisp of Dao Rhyme directly entered Su Mengyao's mind.

"This Four Symbols Tiangang Steps, you must comprehend it well. Combined with your existing sword techniques, even against experts beyond your Realm, you will be able to handle them with ease."

"Thank you, Revered Master."

Su Mengyao was extremely grateful for Shen Lian's teaching, even knowing that the price of each lesson was excruciatingly painful.

Shen Lian then looked at Du Bingyan: "And you, Du Bingyan, you have a deep understanding of the Heavenly King's Medicinal Principles. Do you have any questions that need my answers now?"

Du Bingyan: "Revered Master, why couldn't I fuse the Five Poisons Smoke Veil in my body according to the Heavenly King's Medicinal Principles?"

"Because the Five Poisons Smoke Veil in your body was evolved by me using Yin and Yang Qi. With your current cultivation, how could you possibly fuse it?"

"Ah, Revered Master..."

"Don't look at me with such a confused expression. You being poisoned by the Five Poisons Smoke Veil was fake, but if you hadn't managed to concoct an antidote within seven days, you would have died nonetheless. Alright, my explanation is complete. Now it's time to listen to what I have to say. This trip to the Spirit Realm, I want you, Du Bingyan, to become the new Valley Master of Medicine King Glazed Valley!"

"What!"

Du Bingyan was instantly so shocked by Shen Lian's words that she couldn't utter a single sound.

Du Bingyan was instantly so shocked by Shen Lian's words that she couldn't utter a single sound.