Chapter 618: The Ying Feng's First Cry Slays the Poison Venerable

"That's more like it. Since playing dead didn't work, you've switched to bluffing."

Lu Zhigang would not be deceived by him; whether it was playing dead or putting on a brave front, the opponent's true nature had already been seen through.

Although the puppet's self-detonation failed to kill him, it ultimately caused Du Taiyue's injuries to compound; his overall strength was now only a little over the Strong Martial First Heaven.

Considering that Lu Zhigang's Strong Martial realm was artificially ripened, it belonged to the weak Strong Martial First Heaven.

Du Taiyue still held the advantage; his feigned behavior just now was still an attempt to ensure a sure-fire victory and ambush him.

After his disguise was torn away, the failed ambush turned into a forceful attack.

"Swallow this Ghost Fetus Pill, and you will surely die."

Du Taiyue took a deep breath and tossed a pill that was squeaking and squirming into his mouth—the kind that had a nose, eyes, and even grew hair.

Visible to the naked eye, the color returned to his face, and his wounds slowly healed.

Now he was nearing the Strong Martial Second Heaven.

"Du Taiyue, do you think this is all the ability I have!"

Lu Zhigang said in a deep voice, "I am a Poison Goose; I am destined to be a Poison Goose in this life, not a poisonous insect."

He took a step forward, raised his arm, and swung his palm, easily elevating to the 'Poison Dragon' level.

However, after the Poison Dragon condensed, it did not fly out to harm anyone, but instead...

An oval egg appeared in the void, and it swallowed the Poison Dragon completely, leaving not a trace behind.

This time was exceptionally different from the many previous rehearsals; the Ying Feng egg did not just swallow a phantom, but the poison technique realm represented by the Poison Dragon form—the Strong Martial level of the Seven Step Poison Sand Palm, the Poison Dragon.

Lu Zhigang's entire body's blood, Essence Energy, and strength—every observable power—was wiped to zero in an instant.

The scene was extremely bizarre; he plummeted straight down from the Strong Martial First Heaven, becoming a prisoner with weak limbs in the blink of an eye.

This act was practically crippling his own martial arts.

Du Taiyue did not think so; he felt increasingly terrified and forcefully drove the Nine-Rule Poison Spirit Profound Art, "Lu Zhigang, no matter how you scheme, you cannot defeat me, the old poison master."

A palm wind rushed toward his face, suddenly shattering something, and the sound of cracking spreading out creaked and groaned.

It was not Lu Zhigang who cracked, but the giant egg before him; after swallowing the Poison Dragon-level poison technique and being stimulated by Du Taiyue's Poison Palm, it finally broke through the final hurdle.

The Ying Feng took shape, pecked through the giant egg, and appeared under the bright daylight.

"Chirp!"

A phoenix cry rang out, sounding like the first cry of a newborn baby, yet it was extraordinary.

The meridians and blood vessels in Lu Zhigang's body, which had been drained dry and left empty, were now filled with a massive amount of blood and Essence Energy; the returning power made his meridians ache and tingle.

The numbers and text on the panel were also jumping and rewriting frantically.

"Name: Lu Zhigang (Zhou You).

Essence Energy: 15700.

Lifespan: 640.

Profession: Martial Artist, Poison Witch (Not yet lit).

Level: Strong Martial First Heaven (Ying Feng Swallows Dragon Art's Ying Feng).

Skills: Seven Step Poison Sand Palm Lv50 (Attributes: Corrosion, Stealth, Zhangduhuaxue), Poison Pet into Palm Force.

Cultivation Method: Boneless Heart Method Lv50, Nine-Rule Poison Spirit Profound Art (Incomplete), Ying Feng Swallows Dragon Chapter Lv10.

Ultimate Move: Poison Fiend Poison Aura Lv4 (Thousand Snake Ten Thousand Scale Robe / Poison Feather).

Talent: Sleep in Poison Eat Dragon, Startling with a Single Cry."

After this rebirth, the cultivation paths within Lu Zhigang's body all transformed into the Ying Feng Swallows Dragon Art.

Furthermore, because of the transformation gained from nurturing the Ying Feng, the foundation damage and overdraft caused by his previous forced elevation to the Strong Martial realm were healed, his Essence Energy returned to its peak state, and his lifespan increased by over a hundred years.

The cultivation method had changed, but the related skills were still that same set of Poison Palm techniques; that would be discussed later.

The most eye-catching were the talents: Sleep in Poison Eat Dragon and Startling with a Single Cry. Ying Feng Swallows Dragon, as the name suggests, uses the Poison Dragon as food and is naturally endowed with the ability to be immune to the Hundred Poisons and restrain the Poison Dragon; as for Startling with a Single Cry...

Lu Zhigang suddenly felt an itch in his throat and couldn't help but open his mouth, a burst of energy surging out from his chest.

"Chirp!"

The phoenix cry rang out, but it was more murderous than the initial cry, carrying the clanging force of metal colliding.

Du Taiyue bore the brunt of it and was solidly 'startled,' with two lines of blood flowing from his ears.

The next moment, Lu Zhigang opened a Storage Pocket and grabbed the pair of Divine Goose Hooks, "Strong Martial Divine Weapon."

Du Taiyue was astonished; the opponent had been active right under his nose, so when did he acquire such a treasure?

This child hid too deeply; he had the inheritance of Baiqin Laoren, the Strong Martial Golden Body, and a divine weapon.

Looking back, it wasn't that he was using Lu Zhigang as a supplement, but that Lu Zhigang was using him as a stepping stone to climb higher.

"Du Taiyue, surrender your life!"

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Lu Zhigang's pair of Divine Goose Hooks, driven by the Ying Feng Swallows Dragon Art, crossed and slammed down, covering the area where Du Taiyue was located.

Boom—dust and smoke rose everywhere; a hundred-segment bone chain flew out, blocking the downward trend of the Divine Goose Hooks.

This hundred-segment bone chain was a Strong Martial Golden Body divine weapon that Du Taiyue had refined himself after killing a Strong Martial opponent and digging out their bone segments.

Even when the old guy was at his wit's end, he still had a trump card; he was truly hard to kill!

"Sleep in Poison Eat Dragon!"

Lu Zhigang took advantage of the stalemate between the two divine weapons and suddenly opened his mouth to shout.

This divine ability naturally restrained Du Taiyue's poison technique; his poison technique was refined using the power of ten thousand poisons, and the core Nine Insects power also fell within the scope of the Eat Dragon's consumption.

Du Taiyue's mind wavered, his poison technique was scattered as if by a sledgehammer, and the hundred-segment bone chain went limp like a poison snake with a broken spine.

Golden light burst forth.

A pair of Divine Goose Hooks struck his left and right ribs like lightning, stabbing into his skin, flesh, and bone, and tearing violently; blood splashed everywhere.

"Du Taiyue, we were master and apprentice once, I shall send you on your way!"

The Divine Goose Snatcher was stained with Du Taiyue's blood, appearing even more demonic and brilliant, and was retracted like a bolt of lightning.

Du Taiyue's corpse, torn into two halves, landed on the ground with a thud, yet under the pull of the blood, it drew together; the two broken halves of the body attracted each other like magnets, and even though the person was dead, the physical body continued to grow and mend until the blood completely lost its warmth...

Lu Zhigang confirmed repeatedly that Du Taiyue was indeed thoroughly dead; after his death, the two pieces of the corpse actually finished growing, just as they were in life, without the slightest wound or missing part.

One has to say, the Strong Martial Golden Body is truly miraculous.

"Hahaha!"

Lu Zhigang let out a sigh of relief, his heart feeling incomparably gratified; he had won this round.

"Trial Project (Seven-Star): Master-slaying completed, Experience Points +100,000."

How many days had he spent walking on thin ice, trembling with fear, only to finally receive his reward; he now possessed the strength of the first level of Qiangwu Yichongtian and carried the orthodox cultivation method of the Infant Phoenix Swallows Dragon Art.

As for what comes next...

Lu Zhigang glanced at Du Taiyue's corpse, intending to find a place to use the Corpse-Punishing Whip to interrogate the corpse and find out the location of the Medicine Field.

Hmm, the commotion just now likely alarmed the surroundings, and the manpower of the Thousand Faces Hall would arrive soon; he must leave immediately, find a quiet place to stay, and incidentally release Chan Juaner and the others.

He calculated that it would be better to revisit his old haunts and return to the Cloud-Touching Stronghold, which was now abandoned, and the back mountain still had countless charms, naturally suitable for Zang and hiding his tracks.

Settled!

That is what he will do!

Lu Zhigang made up his mind and was just about to set off when suddenly, an unusual colorful glow rose in the sky not far away, multicolored and brilliant.

The Great Venerable of the Thousand Faces Hall, Kongque Laoliu, had arrived.

(End of this chapter)