Chapter 44: Poison Master

"Little brat, since you're looking for death, I'll grant it!" At Xiao Yan's words, Zhang Chuanwu flew into a rage, let out a sharp roar, and swept his hand—scattering a cloud of Poison Powder, within which lurked a Poison Arrow that shot from his sleeve.

Xiao Yan stepped back slowly and gracefully, dodging the Poison Powder, then tilted his head slightly to avoid the hidden Poison Arrow as well.

Xiao Yan lightly patted his coat, as if the Poison Powder had soiled his clothes.

"Where did this mad dog come from? Your mouth is sharper than your Poison Master skills."

Xiao Yan's tone and demeanor screamed for a beating.

Zhang Chuanwu's face twisted with fury as he roared: "Don't think your Soul Force makes you superior! The methods of a Poison Master will make you beg for death!"

Xiao Yan understood internally: Zhang Chuanwu had likely failed to become an Alchemist because his Soul Force was too weak.

To become an Alchemist, possessing Fire and Wood Dual Attributes of Dou Qi is merely the foundation; what matters far more is innate, powerful Soul Force.

Without cultivation methods to train the Soul, whether one possesses the necessary Soul Force strength to become an Alchemist truly depends on whether Heaven deigns to feed you.

"Poison Cloud Palm!" Driven by jealous murderous intent, Zhang Chuanwu's entire body surged with Poison Dou Qi. His right hand condensed into a Poison Palm and thrust toward Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan swung his hand, unleashing the invisible Flame Wave of the Flame-Splitting Wave Ruler—the searing heat incinerated all the Poison from the Poison Cloud Palm.

Seeing his Dou Technique so easily shattered, Zhang Chuanwu roared, and black-purple Dou Qi erupted across his body's surface.

"Poison Qi Gauze Garment!!" The Poison Dou Qi gradually burst from his body, finally forming a thin, outer layer of Poison Dou Qi Gauze Cloak.

This was far stronger than Lü Xing's Dou Qi Gauze Garment from the Xuan Jie Class—no one dared touch this Poison Qi Gauze Cloak.

Seeing his provocation had worked, Zhang Chuanwu launched an offensive; Xiao Yan, without hesitation, drew his Xuan Heavy Ruler to meet him.

Though he possessed a Two-Rank Detoxification Pill, a Two-Rank Detoxification Pill could not neutralize all Two-Rank poisons; the pill only provided a basic foundation. Once an Alchemist was poisoned, he must tailor the antidote—adding Medicinal Materials to the base Detoxification Pill to quickly craft a suitable one.

Zhang Chuanwu let out a low shout, stomped hard on the ground, and gathered threads of Poison into his palms, guarding against further disruption of his Poison Cloud Palm, then lunged toward Xiao Yan like a missile.

Zhang Chuanwu's dual-palm assault came like a tidal wave, striking with cunning and venom at Xiao Yan's heart, throat, and face—vulnerable targets. One hit, and the Poison would enter Xiao Yan's body—his victory. Xiao Yan would die from the poison. He had full confidence in his Poison Cloud Palm.

Zhang Chuanwu was no ordinary man; his cultivation realm reached Six-Star Dou Shi, and with his mysterious poison powder and hidden weapons, he was far stronger than Lü Xing.

Facing Zhang Chuanwu's vicious attacks, Xiao Yan continually retreated slightly, using the broad surface of his Xuan Heavy Ruler to block every strike of the Poison Cloud Palm.

The Xuan Heavy Ruler was forged from a Heavenly Meteorite to pair with the Earth-Class Dou Technique Flame-Splitting Wave Ruler—it naturally could not be harmed by poison.

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!"

The two exchanged offense and defense; as they moved, each clash between the Poison Cloud Palm and the black ruler sprayed a trace of Poison into the air, which Xiao Yan inhaled with every breath.

After close-range combat and prolonged entanglement, Zhang Chuanwu finally grasped Xiao Yan's true strength—he wasn't even a Dou Shi, merely a Star Eight Dou Zhe.

The more Zhang Chuanwu fought, the more his heart trembled: a Star Eight Dou Zhe was holding his own against a Six Star Dou Shi!

"No—it's his Soul Force! How could his Soul Perception be this strong?!"

Every one of Zhang Chuanwu's ambushes was dodged, as if Xiao Yan had foreseen his next move.

If a Poison Master's ambushes fail, Zhang Chuanwu is weaker than many Six Star Dou Shi.

His eyes sharpened; in the instant Zhang Chuanwu was stunned, Xiao Yan whipped his Xuan Heavy Ruler toward him, then instantly teleported behind him as Zhang Chuanwu dodged.

"You don't think I truly dare not touch you, do you?" Xiao Yan's cold, chilling laugh sent a chill through Zhang Chuanwu's entire body.

"Eight Extremes Crash!"

Xiao Yan's fist suddenly brimmed with terrifying, ferocious power. Clenched tightly, it tore through the air with a crushing sound and slammed hard into Zhang Chuanwu's back.

Xiao Yan had waited for this exact moment—when Zhang Chuanwu truly believed he dared not touch the Poison Qi Gauze Cloak, and let his guard drop.

The sudden, violent force striking from behind caused Zhang Chuanwu's face to pale in shock. His Poison Dou Qi surged wildly, thickening the Poison Qi Gauze Cloak on his back immensely.

Pang! A dull, muffled sound echoed across the Arena Stage—low, yet brimming with undeniable, crushing force.

The full power of the perfected Eight Extremes Crash turned Zhang Chuanwu's face instantly white. His body lurched forward, rolled violently through the air, and finally staggered to a halt several meters away.

Xiao Yan looked at the wound on his fist—Zhang Chuanwu wore Poison Armor that had absorbed part of the Eight Extremes Crash's blow, preventing a one-hit kill.

Without hesitation, Xiao Yan swallowed a Pill—not to detoxify, but to delay the poison's onset; he would detoxify after the battle.

Zhang Chuanwu rose trembling, stared at Xiao Yan, and burst into wild laughter: "Hahahaha! Even if you have a Detoxification Pill, it's useless! Your hands are coated in my poison—you're finished!"

As he spoke, Zhang Chuanwu suddenly vomited—countless tiny black insects burst from the vomit, swarming out like countless ant-sized Poison Ants.

Xiao Yan frowned tightly; even he felt nauseated at the sight.

The Chu Yun Empire had the most cultivators of Poison Attribute Dou Qi. From books describing Poison Masters, Xiao Yan had read of a special Poison Attribute Cultivation Method: using one's own Poison Dou Qi Qi Whirlpool as a breeding ground to nurture Poison Ants inside the body.

Like raising poison insects, these Poison Masters became the insects themselves; although this method could breed powerful poison ants, the toxins secreted by the insects accumulated relentlessly within the Poison Master's body—until they either died from toxin buildup or their Poison Dou Qi could no longer sustain the insects, and they were devoured alive by their own creations.

Xiao Yan hadn't expected to meet one today. No wonder Zhang Chuanwu's face was so pale—paler than a corpse dead three days. Now he understood why.

"Hehehe, my Poison Water Ants will relentlessly attack anything tainted with Poison Dou Qi. Once bitten, you'll beg for death—your body will go numb, then slowly rot, enduring a full day and night of torment before finally dying." Zhang Chuanwu wiped the vomit from his lips, grinning with a twisted, insane smile.

It was horrifying, nauseating.

Countless Poison Ants spread their wings and surged forward like a rainstorm of water ants, filling the sky.

Facing the overwhelming swarm, Xiao Yan remained calm, flipped his right hand, and pulled three Alchemy Furnaces from his Storage Ring—the ones he'd won at the Wutan City auction.

He slapped the furnaces, pouring Dou Qi into them—whooosh! Flames erupted violently inside. Xiao Yan still couldn't manifest flame in physical form—he needed the furnaces.

Xiao Yan hurled a Rank Two Fire Attribute Magic Core into one furnace—but this time, he didn't intend to refine a Pill. He opened the furnace and detonated the Magic Core. Instantly, flames erupted skyward like a phoenix, rushing toward the swarming Poison Water Ants.

(End of Chapter)