Chapter 615: Stay or Leave

One month later!

Nan Li and the other seven demonic race prodigies arrived in succession.

At this moment, He Pingsheng temporarily abandoned his pursuit of poison comprehension and stepped out from the edge of the passage.

Sometimes, information is crucial.

Previously, I obtained fragments of speech from Nan Li; it seemed she had some understanding of the Sixth Zone.

Let's hear what she has to say—perhaps it will offer some insight!

Besides, when cultivating the Dao, one breaks through Dao obstructions.

But He Pingsheng's cultivation base remains stuck at Soul Transformation Level One; to break through, he needs a fifth-rank elixir: the Spirit-Consolidating Pill.

He Pingsheng wants to trade with others for the main ingredient to craft the Spirit-Consolidating Pill: the Ascension Seed.

With the Spirit-Consolidating Pill, he could also multitask—break through the Dao obstruction while also breaking through the flesh obstruction, wouldn't he?

"Dragon friend, aren't you afraid of the toxicity inside this passage?" Nan Li looked at He Pingsheng with curiosity.

He Pingsheng said: "Afraid? If I weren't afraid, I'd have already entered the very center of the passage to cultivate!"

"Precisely because the toxicity here is too intense, I can only test at the edge!"

"Oh…" Everyone nodded.

Nan Li said: "Fellow cultivators… the heavenly treasures of the Fifth Zone have basically been gathered by us!"

"Now, we can return!"

"Return?" He Pingsheng looked puzzled: "But… isn't there still a Sixth Zone?"

He pointed to the passage behind him.

"Hehehe…" Nan Li smiled. "Don't worry—the Sixth Zone is inaccessible!"

"Inaccessible?" He Pingsheng was confused.

"It's like this!" The young girl from the Celestial Fox Clan, Bai Yuyu, looked at He Pingsheng with sincerity. "The toxicity here… isn't entirely unavoidable!"

"With high-grade Anti-Toxin Pills, you can shield yourself from the poison!"

"Using anti-toxin methods to enter the passage is fine!"

"In the past, countless cultivators thought of this method and tried to enter the Sixth Zone!"

"But while this method works for entering the passage, it still fails for entering the Sixth Zone!" Bai Yuyu held up two fingers. "One is poison, the other is comprehension!"

"To comprehend, you must draw the poison's Dao law into your own body!"

"But if you carry anti-toxin treasures, you cannot draw the poison's Dao law into your body!"

"That's the contradiction!"

"So there's no solution!"

She spread her hands.

Qiao Hui Zhu asked: "Since ancient times, has no one ever comprehended the poison Dao law here?"

"Not quite!" Nan Li took over. "It is said that tens of thousands of years ago, a Wood Clan cultivator with the unique Divine Root—Poison Divine Root—entered this Imperial Palace. With extraordinary insight, he comprehended one layer of the Poison Dao law within this poison rule!"

"Then he tried to use that poison Dao law to open the barrier behind, but failed."

"So some speculate that at least two layers of Poison Dao law must be comprehended to succeed."

"Others speculate that one must comprehend a poison spiritual technique here to open the barrier behind."

"Thus, for countless years, no one has entered it."

Nan Li's words caused everyone to nod in agreement.

They had already known these things before entering the Yinming Imperial Palace.

"Then…" He Pingsheng bowed. "May I ask, Nan Li fellow cultivator, what treasures lie within the Sixth Zone?"

"We don't know," Nan Li shook her head.

"Indeed," spoke Bai Yutang, the male Celestial Fox Clan member. "No one has ever entered the Sixth Zone, so everyone only guesses. Some say it holds eighth- or even ninth-rank heavenly treasures!"

"Some say it contains a supreme Spirit Vein Soul!"

"Others say it holds one of the Yinming Emperor's personal imperial weapons from his lifetime!"

"But no one truly knows!"

He Pingsheng shook his head: What nonsense about eighth- or ninth-rank heavenly treasures? What nonsense about an imperial weapon?

Inside, there's only one alchemical material.

Hongmeng Purple Gold.

But what exactly is Hongmeng Purple Gold?

For the past month, He Pingsheng had searched extensively through the Grand Mystery Immortal Artifact Manual, flipping through every material entry—but found no record of Hongmeng Purple Gold whatsoever.

Strange indeed.

"Regardless of what's inside, I must try. Otherwise, how can I be satisfied?"

The Golden Rhinoceros Prince stepped forward, staring at the passage.

"Impressive!" The Bone Clan Prince raised his thumb. "Rhinos are cattle too—too bad you're not a cow, Golden Rhinoceros friend, or you'd be truly awesome."

"Still, I hope you don't end up crying and screaming inside!"

"Hmph…" The Golden Rhinoceros Prince sneered. "Coward!"

Then he stepped into the passage.

At first, there were no major issues.

But after about half a stick of incense, the Golden Rhinoceros could no longer hold out.

He transformed into his true form and dashed out from the edge of the toxic gas, thudding heavily.

Everyone stared in shock as green vapor spewed from his mouth and nostrils with each breath.

After reverting to his Dao body, the Golden Rhinoceros's face was deathly pale.

"Can't… can't…"

"The poison here is too strong—I can't take it!"

"Huff… huff…"

The Golden Rhinoceros collapsed onto the ground.

Nan Li said: "I have a fifth-rank detoxifying pill here—take it and try!"

The Golden Rhinoceros swallowed the pill in one gulp.

But the detoxifying pill did nothing.

The poison here is a rule—not mere toxicity.

"Fellow cultivators… save me…"

"I can't… I feel my magic power draining away!"

"My vitality is draining too!"

"Help…"

"Who has any pills left?"

The Golden Rhinoceros was on the verge of tears.

At this moment, he regretted bitterly.

If given another chance, even death would be preferable to entering again.

He Pingsheng walked over, pressed his palm against the Golden Rhinoceros Prince's palm, and activated the Nine Poisons Golden Body technique. In one cycle, he drew out the rule-based poison from the Golden Rhinoceros Prince's body.

The Golden Rhinoceros Prince was so grateful he nearly bowed his head to the ground.

"It's fine," He Pingsheng said calmly. "We're allies—I can't just watch you die."

Nan Li said: "Dragon Zhe fellow cultivator… you… you… you actually… can absorb the poison Dao law here?"

Everyone stared at He Pingsheng in astonishment.

They had all seen He Pingsheng inside the passage earlier.

But none thought he was cultivating—they assumed he was using some anti-toxin treasure to study.

Turns out, he used nothing but his own body.

"Uh…" He Pingsheng rubbed his forehead. "I suppose so… but I still can't comprehend the deeper poison Dao!"

Denying it wouldn't work.

Because he'd have to go back in to continue cultivating!

"What now?" Nan Li looked at He Pingsheng. "We all intend to leave. Dragon Zhe, do you plan to leave here—or stay to cultivate the poison Dao rule?"

He Pingsheng thought for a moment, then said: "I want to try. I'm sorry, fellow cultivators—I won't be leaving with you."