112: Poison King Peak? No, it's my Spice Shop!

Deep within Medicine God Valley, Poison King Peak.

This place was shrouded in vibrant, multicolored miasma year-round; even birds dared not fly overhead. The mountain was filled with jagged rocks and devoid of grass—or rather, it lacked ordinary vegetation, replaced only by various hideous, brightly colored poisonous spirit plants.

"We've arrived... this is it."

Poison Granny landed on the Peak with Gu Yang, her face looking as miserable as if she were at a funeral.

Her heart bled as she looked at the "treasures" covering the mountain, but the large hand on her neck ensured she didn't dare act out in the slightest.

"That's more like it."

Gu Yang let go of her and took a deep breath of the air, which was potent enough to kill an elephant.

"Cough, cough... quite flavorful!"

He rubbed his nose, a satisfied expression appearing on his face.

"This air is incredibly spicy; it's a bit like I accidentally snorted chili powder."

[Environmental Detection: High-concentration mixed poisonous miasma.]

[Five Elements Primordial Body—Toxin conversion in progress... weak energy growth.]

Gu Yang looked out and saw a medicine field not far away, filled with Spirit Medicines emitting an eerie glow.

There were Bone-Corroding Flowers that looked like human skulls, pitch-black Heart-Severing Grass, and Purple Fiend Vines laden with purple fruit that seemed to be dripping blood.

These poisonous items, which would strike terror into the hearts of those in the outside world, automatically had an inviting filter applied to them in Gu Yang's eyes.

"That red fruit looks quite festive, like a small tomato."

Gu Yang strode over and reached out to pick a Blazing Poison-Heart Fruit.

The surface of this fruit burned with faint poisonous fire; an ordinary person would have their skin charred upon contact.

But in Gu Yang's hand, it was like a docile toy.

He wiped the skin, opened his mouth, and took a bite.

*Sizzle—*

A stream of scalding red juice exploded in his mouth.

Gu Yang's eyes widened instantly, and then his entire face turned bright red, with a wisp of white smoke even rising from the top of his head.

"Hiss—ha—!"

He kept his mouth open, gasping for air desperately.

"Spicy! It's so damn spicy!"

"How is this a poison fruit? This is clearly a heaven-facing chili pepper that's attained spirit-hood!"

[Devoured Rank 4 Poison Fruit (Blazing Poison-Heart)!]

[Strong fire poison stimulated cell activity... blood boiling!]

[Energy +1000!]

Although his mouth felt like it was on fire, Gu Yang felt comfortable all over; that warmth burning from his stomach to his entire body made him want to let out a roar.

"Delicious! This stuff would go great with rice!"

He picked another handful and stuffed them into his mouth like he was eating grapes.

Poison Granny's face twitched as she watched from the side.

That was the primary ingredient she used to refine Peerless Grade poison pills! A single one could poison an Early Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator to death!

This savage... was actually eating them like fruit?

"Don't stop, keep leading the way."

Gu Yang urged her while chewing on the "chili peppers," "Is there anything... with a more refreshing texture? To cool down the spice."

"There is... there is..."

With trembling hands, Poison Granny pointed toward a nearby pond that radiated a bone-chilling cold.

The pond water was dark green, with several white lotuses floating on the surface.

The Icy Ghost Lotus, a poison of supreme Yin and cold.

Gu Yang walked over and reached out to fish out a lotus seed pod.

He peeled a lotus seed and tossed it into his mouth.

*Crunch!*

An extreme chill instantly diluted the fiery spice in his mouth.

"Whoa! This is refreshing!"

"It's like mint-flavored ice cubes, nice and crunchy!"

[Devoured Rank 4 Poisonous Herb (Icy Ghost Lotus)!]

[Cold toxin neutralizes fire poison... Yin and Yang harmony...]

[Energy +1200!]

Just like that, Gu Yang began a unique "buffet" on Poison King Peak.

With a handful of "chili peppers" (Fire Poison Fruit) in his left hand and a handful of "mints" (Cold Poison Herb) in his right, he ate to his heart's content.

And Ergou wasn't idle either.

Although it didn't eat plants, it discovered that the mountain protection array's foundation on Poison King Peak was actually made of a rare Ore called myriad poison profound stone.

*Crunch, crunch!*

Ergou lay on the array foundation, gnawing until stone chips flew everywhere.

Poison Granny watched this man and dog—one destroying her medicine garden, the other dismantling her home. Her heart ached so much she could barely breathe, and her vision went dark as she nearly fainted.

"What a sin... what did I do to deserve this..."

As a large amount of poison herbs entered his stomach, Gu Yang's body underwent another change.

Although his skin remained jade-colored, a faint layer of purple Qi flowed subtly beneath the surface.

That was the manifestation of toxins accumulating to the extreme and fusing with his blood.

Now, if a single drop of his blood fell on the ground, it could probably cause all vegetation within a ten-mile radius to wither.

[Congratulations Host! Poison energy saturated!]

[Myriad Poison Impervious Body—Advanced to Major Achievement!]

[Obtained New Trait: Calamity Poison Body (Pseudo)—Your blood, saliva, and even sweat contain lethal poison; you can freely control the release of toxicity.]

*Burp—*

Gu Yang let out a satisfied burp, exhaling a cloud of purple mist.

When this mist drifted onto a nearby large tree that required three people to encircle it, the tree's leaves instantly turned yellow, and half of it withered away.

"Oh, sorry, I couldn't hold the flavor in."

Gu Yang waved his hand, dispersing the poisonous smoke.

He felt that his First Transformation of the Divine Demon Golden Body Realm had reached complete Perfection, and he was even faintly touching the threshold of the Second Transformation (Nascent Soul Mid-Stage).

"Just eating vegetarian is still missing something; I need some meat."

Gu Yang looked around and suddenly spotted a Green Phosphorus Poison Python (a Rank 4 Peak Yao Beast) with a fleshy crest on its head swimming in the nearby poison pond.

"You're the one!"

Gu Yang's eyes lit up, and he jumped directly into the pond, grabbed the poison python's tail, and swung it onto the shore.

The poison python was about to resist when it was knocked unconscious by a single punch from Gu Yang.

"Old lady, lend me a fire!"

Gu Yang skillfully set up a grill (made from poison wood), pulled a large black pot from his Storage Pouch, and squeezed the juice from the Blazing Poison-Heart Fruits he had just picked to use as chili oil on the snake meat.

*Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—*

A moment later, the aroma of roasted meat with a peculiar spicy fragrance wafted through the air.

"Mmm, it's done!"

Gu Yang tore off a piece of golden, crispy snake meat, blew on it, and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Now this is living! Eating things raw is for savages; we civilized people care about the perfect balance of color, aroma, and flavor."

Just as Gu Yang was enjoying his meal...

A violent fluctuation of spiritual energy suddenly erupted in the sky.

Several powerful Auras streaked toward them from the distance, instantly locking onto Poison King Peak.

"Who dares to make such a racket here?!"

"Poison Granny! What on earth are you doing? Why is there a hole in the mountain protection array?!"

A majestic voice boomed like a clap of thunder.

Following that, a serious-looking middle-aged man wearing green Alchemist robes descended upon the Peak, accompanied by a squad of enforcement Cultivators.

The Valley Master of Medicine God Valley—Dan Chenzi (Late-stage Spirit Transformation)!

He frowned deeply as he surveyed the devastated medicine field, the half-gnawed array foundation, and the despairing Poison Granny slumped on the ground.

Finally, his gaze landed on the shirtless Gu Yang, who was radiating terrifying poison gas while devouring a skewer of roasted poison snake.

"Who are you? How dare you trespass into my Medicine God Valley's Forbidden Ground?!"

The Valley Master shouted sternly, his pill fire rising as the pressure of a Late-stage Spirit Transformation Cultivator exploded outward.

Gu Yang stopped eating.

He unhurriedly swallowed the roasted meat in his mouth and then wiped the grease from his lips with the back of his hand.

He looked up at the aggressive middle-aged man in the sky.

Gu Yang grinned, revealing a set of teeth that shimmered with purple light, and shook the skewer in his hand:

"Oh, you've all arrived."

"What? Did you smell the aroma... and come to join me for a late-night snack?"