"How do you propose the duel? You'll be the one to set the rules! "
Hearing the other party's agreement, Zhang Xuan nodded.
Given the other party's temperament, even if he were to kill the other party, he might not be able to reveal the location of the Poison Temple. Besides, if he were to reveal a lie, he would be in deep trouble.
The best solution was for the other party to believe that he was a poison master and bring him there personally.
Besides, Wei Ruyan's condition was likely to require the help of the Poison Temple, so it would be best for him not to fall out with the other party.
"Alright. I'm unable to concoct any poison in my current condition, but I do have a few medicinal herbs on me. If you can neutralize the poison within them, I'll acknowledge you as a poison master!"
After a moment of contemplation, Elder Xu flicked his wrist, and eight ceramic jars appeared before him.
There weren't any words or annotations on them, only complicated seals. From the outside, it was impossible to tell what they contained.
However, through the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could clearly sense the overwhelming killing intent within them. It felt as if a river of blood would flow in the area as soon as the cork was opened.
Lethal poison, similar to spirit herbs, would develop a spirit within them. Once released, without an antidote, it could cause a huge disaster.
This was precisely the reason why poison masters were feared by the other occupations.
"These are... grade-6 pinnacle poisons!"
Zhang Xuan asked.
The poison in the ceramic jars had reached grade-6 pinnacle, comparable to that of the beetle he had encountered previously.
"Indeed, these medicinal herbs have reached grade-6 pinnacle. You can choose any of them, and as long as you can concoct the antidote within two hours, I'll acknowledge you as a poison master!"
Elder Xu said with a glint in his eyes.
"Alright, let me take a look at the medicinal herbs first!"
Seeing that the other party's rules were simple, Zhang Xuan nodded. He casually picked up the first ceramic jar, opened it, and lowered his head to take a look.
Seeing his actions, Elder Xu's complexion darkened.
In order to prevent themselves from falling into a trap, poison masters had to follow a specific procedure and method. Yet, not only did the fellow before him not follow any of the procedures, he even opened the cork and took a whiff of it, as if he was looking at some fine wine or delicacy...
Did he think that he was lucky, or did he really not know anything?
Even a 4-star poison master wouldn't be so reckless as to commit such a childish act.
Just when he thought that the other party would definitely be poisoned to death on the spot, he saw the other party shake the clay pot and pour out a pile of powder. He placed it on his palm and rubbed it lightly between his fingers.
"…"
The veins on Elder Xu's forehead throbbed.
That was no different from courting death. If a grade-6 pinnacle poison were to seep through one's skin and seep into one's meridians, putting aside a Nascent Saint cultivator, even a Saint 2-dan expert would find it hard to withstand it!
What kind of poison master would use such a method to test poison?
If that were to be the case, every single time the Poison Temple conducted a test on a poison, a bunch of them would die. After a few times, even without the master teachers making a move, the Poison Temple would be able to kill themselves.
Just as Zhang Xuan was about to see whether the other party would be poisoned to death on the spot, he saw the fellow not too far away take out a white handkerchief and hang it in front of his chest. After adjusting his posture, as if he had just arrived at a restaurant, he picked up a spoon and the poison in his palm, scooped them up slowly, and placed them into his mouth.
Elder Xu's lips twitched, and he nearly fainted on the spot.
Using one's finger to twist poison was already going overboard and going against one's principles... Tasting it directly?
Are you tired of living?
More importantly... hanging a handkerchief in front of your chest, adjusting your posture, and taking out a spoon?
I'm asking you to neutralize the poison, not to eat it...
Just as Elder Xu was contemplating whether he should take out the antidote to save the other party, the other party suddenly smacked his lips and looked at him in dissatisfaction. "Elder Xu, the poison you concocted doesn't taste too good, and the texture is terrible. I fear that many people will lose interest in eating it a second time. I'll give you a bad review!"
Elder Xu's body swayed weakly, and he nearly fell to the ground.
Brother, this is a poison, not a delicacy. You will die after eating it once... How can there be a second chance?
Bad review... Bad your head!
Eating poison meant that one would be poisoned to death at any moment. Who in their right mind would care about the taste?
Just as Elder Xu was about to lose his mind, the other party didn't stop. Instead, he opened the second clay jar and took out the poison inside. After taking a mouthful, he said, "This taste is still acceptable. If you stir-fry it a little more, it will taste even better."
Opening the third jar, he said, "This is a little sweet. Did you add honey in it? Sigh, I hate eating honey the most. You can consider adding some licorice next time!"
"This should taste pretty good in water, just that it's a little viscous. As for the taste, if you pair it with roasted meat and fine wine, I should be able to eat a bowl of it. Any more and I'll choke on it. After all, I find something sticky to be a little nauseating... "
...
While tasting the poison, Zhang Xuan commented earnestly.
"..."
Elder Xu clutched his hair in frustration.
The grade-6 poison that he had concocted could easily kill a Saint 1-dan pinnacle cultivator, so how could the other party eat it so easily? It was as if he had cooked a delicacy for him!
Could it be that the poison had lost its effectiveness after not being used for so long?
"That shouldn't be the case..."
Perplexed, Elder Xu casually picked up one of the jars that the other party had just eaten, dipped his finger in it, and placed it in his mouth.
"Pu!"
As soon as the poison entered his throat, he spurted a mouthful of blood, and his body trembled uncontrollably. It felt as if his meridians would explode at any moment.
He hurriedly took out the antidote and swallowed it. Only then did he feel much better. With a twitching face, he turned to look at the fellow who was still tasting the poison.
He was dumbstruck.
Soon, the other party had tasted all eight jars of poison, and an intoxicated expression could be seen on his face, as if he was still yearning for more.
Unable to hold himself back any longer, Elder Xu asked, "How is it?"
The other party nodded earnestly. "As expected of grade-6 pinnacle poison, it tastes pretty good. Right, if you could make the last two jars more crispy, they would surely taste better."
"..." Elder Xu's body stiffened.
He had spent his entire life forging these poisons, and he had thought that with them, he would be able to dominate the world and strike fear into the hearts of countless people. Never in his dreams did he expect that the other party would end up eating them as snacks... More importantly, the other party was even complaining about the taste...
Damn it, these were really poisons that would kill anyone who ate them!
I am a poison master, and a very formidable one at that! I am not a pastry maker...
Paying no heed to the other party's frenzied outburst, Zhang Xuan shook his head.
His previous actions weren't intentional. With the Heaven's Path zhenqi in his body, these poisons were completely ineffective on him. However, if he were to taste them carefully, he would realize that there were indeed some flaws in them that he needed to correct.
Since the poison was meant for others to consume, as long as it tasted better, it would at least alleviate the pain of death.
"Cough cough, you... Are you really fine after eating so many poisons?"
A moment later, Elder Xu noticed that the young man before him was still in a daze, showing no signs of being poisoned. His mouth twitched uncontrollably as he asked.
"I'm fine!"
Only then did Zhang Xuan recover from his daze. "How is it? Are you able to confirm that I am a poison master now?"
"Of course. If you can't even be a poison master, then I can just commit suicide..."
Elder Xu shook his head bitterly.
When he heard the other party say that he was a self-taught expert, he had thought that the other party was lying. However, after seeing the other party eating poison as though it was a meal, he immediately realized that... the other party must have taught himself!
Possessing a constitution that was immune to poison, he was able to test any kind of poison, so it wasn't a problem for him to teach himself.
"That's good. Hurry up and recuperate! I fear that we won't be able to hide this place from the other party for too long... "
Seeing that the other party had acknowledged his identity, Zhang Xuan nodded.
Even though this place could isolate all auras, it was unlikely that he would be able to hide from the other party for too long. It was only a matter of time before the other party caught up to him.
He had to head to the Poison Temple as soon as possible.
"Un!"
Elder Xu nodded. He took out some medicinal herbs from his storage ring, concocted them into a unique medicinal solution, and swallowed it.
His method of recuperation was different from that of physicians and apothecaries. While the latter used tonics to replenish the energy within their bodies, he used lethal poison to stimulate the circulation of his zhenqi so as to swiftly recover from his injuries.
The two methods were different, and it was hard to say which one was better.
However, the former could strengthen one's foundation, allowing one to walk further and further on the path of cultivation. On the other hand, the stimulation of poison could boost one's strength for a short period of time, but it would ultimately harm one's foundation.
Seeing that Elder Xu needed some time to recuperate, Zhang Xuan didn't rush him. He left the chamber, reverted back to his appearance as' Sun Qiang ', and went to look for Hu Yunsheng.
"Elder, earlier on, the city lord has released news that anyone who dares to compete with him would be making an enemy of the City Lord Manor. Thus, no one has bought it yet. Do you want me to continue spreading the news and hold another auction in a few days?"
Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Hu Yunsheng looked at him awkwardly.
Due to the news that the city lord had released, those who were interested in the Earth Silkworm Flower dared not make a move on it. As a result, while the other auction items had been sold, the Earth Silkworm Flower remained untouched...
"There's no need for that."
Zhang Xuan waved his hands.
Since he had already found the poison master, there was no point in auctioning the medicinal herb anymore.
"Yes!" Hu Yunsheng nodded as he passed the jade box containing the Earth Silkworm Flower over.
Grabbing the jade box, Zhang Xuan was just about to say something when a group of people suddenly walked into the auction hall. At the very front was the Violetleaf King whom he had met at the City Lord Manor.
At this moment, the Violetleaf King was still disguised as a human. Without the Eye of Insight, it would be impossible to see through his disguise.
"Boss Hu, this is an esteemed guest of the City Lord Manor, Elder Violetleaf. One of his valuables has been stolen, and he suspects that the culprit is hiding it here. Thus, he wishes to conduct a search on it. I hope that you can cooperate with him!"
A guard stepped forward and said.
"Conduct a search?"
Hu Yunsheng frowned, and his face turned livid.
In his view, stealing was just an excuse. Could it be that the other party was unable to afford the Earth Silkworm Flower, so they decided to resort to robbery instead?
"Indeed. I hope that you can cooperate with us. Otherwise, Inkcloud Quarter will be in deep trouble!"
The guard's tone was laced with threat.
Hu Yunsheng was so furious that he could explode at any moment. At this moment, Elder Sun Qiang's voice sounded.
"Valuables? May I know what it is? Why don't you tell us about it? Perhaps, we might be able to help you find it... "
Turning around, Hu Yunsheng saw Elder Sun Qiang smiling sincerely.
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