Chapter 201: Seal Backlash

The thin black‑robed man held a purple‑light dagger whose eerie glow flickered unpredictably; a wave of yin‑cold evil energy surged toward them, and even the tip of the dagger dangled a bead of dark‑purple venom that had not quite fallen, filling the air with a faint fishy sweetness that made the scalp tingle just from smelling it. Zhang Jun's protective pure yang energy was actually being slowly permeated by this evil energy, his skin feeling needle‑like pricks, as if several icy poisonous insects were crawling on him.

"Zhang Jun, be careful! That dagger is highly poisonous!" Lin Xue shouted low, snapping her wrist as several silver flashes tore through the air!

The silver needles, coated with numbing medicine, were fine and swift, whistling as they flew straight for the thin black‑robed man's wrist and eyes where he held the dagger. The black‑robed man gave a feral grin, not expecting a woman hidden in the dark; his reaction was quick. He twisted his body strangely, tilting his head at an odd angle to dodge the needles aimed at his eyes, but his wrist twitched slightly—with a soft 'hiss', one silver needle pierced his wrist's Yangxi acupoint, instantly numbing half his arm and slowing his dagger's attack.

Zhang Jun, veteran of many battles, would not let this chance pass. He deliberately let out a muffled groan, his feet seeming unsteady as he swayed a few times, appearing as if he had truly been poisoned and could not gather his true qi.

Sure enough, the thin black‑robed man fell for the trick. Seeing Zhang Jun's appearance, a flash of ferocity crossed his face; he exploded forward, closing in, his purple‑light dagger turning into a toxic rainbow that shot straight for Zhang Jun's chest, while he snarled triumphantly, "You little pest, die!"

"I've been waiting for you!" Zhang Jun thought with a cold smile.

Just as the poisoned dagger's tip seemed about to pierce his chest, the Pure Yang Infinite Art that Zhang Jun had been suppressing erupted! A surge of pure yang inner force, hotter and fiercer than before, burst from his dantian and instantly flooded his meridians.

"Pure Yang Smite Evil!"

Zhang Jun neither retreated nor advanced, neither dodged nor evaded; his right fist blazed with golden light, the fist wind howling, carrying an aura capable of melting metal and sweeping away all evil, and he slammed it straight toward the strange purple‑light dagger.

"Clang!"

A deafening clang of metal on metal echoed through the cavern.

The thin black‑robed man's arm shuddered violently; a rolling hot force laced with fierce righteous energy surged along the dagger into his meridians, making the vessels in his arm feel like they were on fire, causing excruciating pain as his tiger's mouth split open on the spot and blood spattered. His proud poison dagger emitted a strained 'buzz' and nearly slipped from his grip. What made his soul flee was that, after the hot fist wind dispersed the poison on the dagger, its force did not wane but struck his chest heavily. He felt as if hit by a raging bull—his breastbone caved in, his viscera churned, and he could no longer hold back a mouthful of blood, which spurted out as his body went limp and flew backward.

Such a commotion instantly startled the black‑robed men surrounding the altar who had been watching the Heart of the Earth Vein Stabilizer!

"Who goes there! Dare to intrude on this forbidden ground!"

"Over there! Kill them!"

The tall man and the poison‑mist person cast sinister glances that swept over like blades, their undisguised killing intent almost freezing the air.

"Finish it fast!" Zhang Jun barked low, giving the thin black‑robed man no chance to catch his breath. Seizing the moment before he could steady himself and before his new strength arose, Zhang Jun closed in, his arm muscles bulging, the edge of his palm faintly glowing gold; he delivered a refined palm‑blade, sharp as splitting stone and breaking gold, landing precisely on the man's fragile neck.

"Crack!"

The sound of breaking bones made teeth ache. The thin black‑robed man could not even utter a scream; his eyes bulged, his pupils instantly scattered, his throat emitted a few gurgling "ke‑ke" noises, and he went limp on the ground, silent.

As Zhang Jun moved, Lin Xue's bare hand also sprang into action. She flung several packets of differently colored special medicinal powder with skillful force; they burst in mid‑air with a series of "peng‑peng‑peng" sounds, quickly forming a large area of five‑colored smoke that gave off a strange mix of pungent, sour‑stink, and a hint of sweet cloying odor. The smoke instantly blocked the sight of the black‑robed men charging forward, and the foul smell left them unable to react—some gagged on the spot, others had tears and snot streaming, all covering their noses and mouths, their assault slowed and their formation fell into disarray.

"Go!" Zhang Jun snarled, grabbing Lin Xue's hand and pushing hard with his feet.

Taking advantage of the chaos caused by the powder, the enemies dazed by the foul smell, the two turned into blurry shadows, their feet tapping the protruding rocks as they sprinted straight for the octagonal altar in the cavern's middle, which kept flashing an eerie black‑red light; their target was precisely the black‑red crystal at the altar's center that radiated evil energy—the Heart of the Earth Vein Stabilizer!

In the blink of an eye, they had reached the edge of the altar.

Lin Xue's composed visage showed no hesitation as she slipped her hand into her bosom and produced a small ointment box containing a pale‑green salve. This salve was prepared exactly according to the recipe left by Guardian One True Person on his jade slip, using several special spirit‑infused herbs gathered earlier from the hidden cave, meticulously blended with a special method; its properties mutually enhance and counteract, specifically aimed at the aberrant energy of the Heart of the Earth Vein Stabilizer.

She dipped her fingertip in the salve and, following the ancient medical classic's "Seven Star Sealing Acupoint Hand," infused with profound yin energy, she swiftly, fiercely, and accurately struck several hidden energy nodes on the surface of the black‑red crystal.

The moment the pale‑green salve touched the stabilizer—

"Hum——!"

The black‑red crystal, stimulated, burst forth with black‑red light several times stronger than before, the light almost devouring all illumination and carrying a terrifying repelling force and aura of destruction that made one's scalp tingle, like a provoked beast ready to tear apart anyone who intruded.

"Pfft!"

Lin Xue, facing it directly, was hit by a massive force that slammed into her chest, making her internal organs feel displaced, a sweet taste rose in her throat and she could not hold back a mouthful of blood that spurted out; she flew backward like a straw‑man struck by a hammer, still mid‑air a thin line of bloody crimson traced her lip, her face instantly turning as white as paper.

"Xue'er!" Zhang Jun's heart jolted, a surge of heat rushing to his head; he instinctively lunged to help Lin Xue, but the violent outward blast of energy shoved him hard, making him stagger, his chest surging with qi and blood, unable to reach her for a moment, and he could only watch her drift down like a falling leaf.

"Vermin! Dare to touch the holy object! Seek death!"

A roar exploded, shaking the entire cavern! The tall man erupted with a terrifying aura far surpassing any of the Shadow organization's guardians; that pressure was black as ink, solid as a real thing, bringing a chilling, evil cold that made breathing difficult, pressing down from all sides— the cavern walls trembled with a soft rustle as pebbles rained down! His eyes, already gloomy, now burned with twin ghost‑green flames, locked fast.