The elder who had been scratched by Lizarius golden scales stood tall, gripping his spear tightly. His eyes were wide with alarm. Suddenly, he coughed, a wet, ragged sound—then blood splattered from his mouth.
"Huh... poison?" he muttered, teeth clenched in pain.
His mind reeled. When... when did I get poisoned?
His gaze dropped to the shallow cut on his arm—the mark left by the creature's claw.
His thoughts sharpened like the edge of his weapon.
Its scales... they're poisonous...
---
[ System ]
The system mechanic voice echo
Mountain-Suppressing Formation
Grade: Mortal Grade – Mid Tier
When activated, this formation generates a powerful gravitational field, drastically increasing the downward force on all objects within its range — crushing them as if a mountain were falling from the sky.
This formation array consists of 8 flags:
7 pillars that channel and circulate spiritual energy through the formation, and
1 core flag, known as the array's eye — the control center of the formation, managing the flow of energy.
Note: Destroying the core flag will collapse the formation and release anything trapped inside.
---
Lizarius's jaws clenched tightly. The one with the most energy... His glowing golden eyes darted rapidly, scanning each flag in the formation. His gaze finally stopped on one — that had to be the core, the source of the greatest energy.
If I can just destroy it... he thought, but his body was still pinned, crushed by the overwhelming force of the formation.
His whole body trembled as he struggled to stand. His jaws clenched harder, tiny sparks of lightning crackling along his golden scales.
"Hmmm..." he muttered
Above, countless Qi swords hovered in the sky, their edges gleaming with spiritual energy. More continued to appear, forming an ever-growing storm of blades. Alongside them, massive chunks of earth—each the size of a small hill—floated weightlessly, torn from the ground ready to descend.
The elder controlling the formation remained suspended mid-air, watching.
---
the poisoned elder, stared down at the beast.
guess It's already dead, he thought. There's no escape. But this poison…
He gritted his teeth. I need to get rid of it—fast.
With a single step, he leapt back, landing beside another elder.
"Elder Sun," he said, voice strained, "I was poisoned by the demonic beast's scale. There's something unusual about its venom—unlike anything I've seen before. We need to stay alert. I'm going to begin detoxifying it. I need you to guard me."
Sun Qian nodded firmly. "Rest assured. Focus on purging the poison. I'll protect you."
He reached into his robe and retrieved a talisman. With a swift flick of his wrist, he channeled spiritual energy into it. The talisman glowed and rose into the air, forming a shimmering protective barrier around them.
Best to be cautious, he thought. Can't take any chances.
This was a Mid-Tier Mortal Grade Defensive Talisman, capable of blocking one—maybe two—attacks from a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
---
He sat down cross-legged, slipping his hand back into his robe to pull out a small pill bottle.
Opening it, he withdrew a single High-Tier Mortal Grade Detoxification Pill, tossed the bottle aside, and placed the pill in his mouth.
Closing his eyes, he began circulating spiritual energy through his meridians, initiating the process to purge the poison from his system.