Translator: CinderTL
When Qi Liang led the group back to the Phoenix Tree Forest, they found Jiang Qinqin leaning against a tree trunk. She had torn off her clothes to bind her abdominal wound and tied a tight knot. She hadn't left.
Hearing their footsteps, a faint smile appeared on Jiang Qinqin's pale face. She met Qi Liang's gaze without flinching, her curved eyes surprisingly endearing.
But Qi Liang had no time for appreciation. His face was flushed with fury as he roared, "Jiang Qinqin, how dare you poison me!"
"Heh..." Jiang Qinqin shook her head and chuckled. "I intended it for Mengdie, but she was unharmed. Instead, you fell victim."
"Enough talk. Give me the antidote, and I'll spare your life." Qi Liang stood before her, towering over her.
"Spare my life?" Jiang Qinqin pointed at her abdominal wound with a cryptic expression. "Do you think sparing my life will keep me alive?"
The Holy Son Competition had reached its final stage. She had failed, her subordinates were dead or wounded, and she herself was critically injured. She could no longer compete with the others. Even if she survived now, it would only be a matter of time before she succumbed.
Qi Liang took a deep breath, suppressing his rage. "What kind of poison is this?"
"Guess," Jiang Qinqin said with a toothy grin.
"You're courting death!" Qi Liang narrowed his eyes. He had enjoyed a smooth cultivation journey until now, never facing such mockery. If it weren't for the leverage she held over him, he would have crushed her long ago.
Behind him, Sima Xin lowered his head slightly, his heart filled with melancholy. That fool, always stirring up trouble.
Originally, once Qi Liang was safely escorted out, his mission would have been complete, and he could have started planning his own future. But at the last moment, this incident had occurred, adding countless unforeseen complications.
As he pondered, he already guessed Jiang Qinqin's intentions.
Qi Liang possessed an innate arrogance, his gaze a mixture of disdain and indifference. He tilted Jiang Qinqin's chin upward, his tone condescending. "Give me the antidote, and I'll take you out."
He still had five slots for followers, and he could use this method to smuggle her out.
Jiang Qinqin shook her head gently, a smile playing on her lips. "I want a Holy Son Token and safe passage out."
She knew she had already offended Qi Liang. If she couldn't secure the position of Holy Son and elevate her status, she would still face certain death once they left.
Qi Liang could crush her easily.
Only by becoming the Holy Son would she have the right to negotiate with him—but even then, it would only be a right, not a guarantee.
"Impossible!"
Qi Liang shook his head without hesitation. There were only five Holy Son Tokens, and he needed one for himself, while Sima Xin required another as part of their agreement.
If he gave one to Jiang Qinqin, wouldn't that mean their side would end up with three Holy Son Tokens?
This was an impossible task. If Qi Liang were to truly do this, he would be forcing the others to unite and eliminate him first.
Even as the Sect Leader's disciple, he wouldn't dare provoke such universal outrage.
"Hehe, Senior Brother Qi should think carefully. My humble life is nothing, but if I could share the journey to the underworld with you, that would be quite wonderful," Jiang Qinqin said with a smile, her expression one of utter indifference to death.
She had nothing left to fear. No matter what, she was doomed. Why not go out with a bang?
Qi Liang pursed his lips. He wasn't worried about his safety. Once he returned to the sect, he could ask his Master to detoxify him. With the Sect Leader's cultivation level, such a minor poison would be easily dispelled with a wave of his hand.
But he didn't want to do that. Constantly running to his Master for help would make him look like a complete failure.
Qi Liang's eyes flickered as he glanced at Jiang Qinqin's storage pouch. Her next words shattered his illusions. "There's no antidote in there, you know. Do you think I'm stupid enough to keep the antidote in my storage pouch?"
"Fine, I agree," Qi Liang said, forced to concede. He would have to find an opportunity to detoxify himself later.
Sima Xin's eyes darkened as he took a deep breath.
The others behind Qi Liang wore varied expressions, but they dared not speak out due to his status. Forced to participate in the Holy Son Competition, they were merely there to make up the numbers. All they wanted was to survive and leave alive.
Not far from the Divine Tree, the two sides were already locked in fierce combat. Tu Wanshan, wielding a blood-red greatsword, charged ahead, his blade unstoppable.
On the other side, the Bald Woman had unleashed some unknown secret technique, her entire body covered in black fur, resembling a man-sized bear. She seized demonic beasts, tearing them apart and devouring them raw—a truly savage sight.
Yet despite their valiant efforts, the situation remained grim. The demonic beasts, controlled by Ma Changjie, showed no fear of death, often trading their lives for wounds, heedless of losses.
Tu Wanshan's men had already suffered casualties, forcing many to reveal their true forms to defend themselves, depleting their Spiritual Power even faster.
"Senior Brother Tu, are you truly willing to watch your Junior Brothers die for a mere Holy Son Token?" Ma Changjie's words were meant to strike at Tu Wanshan's heart.
"Ma Changjie, when I get out of here, I won't let you off!" Tu Wanshan cleaved a second-tier demonic beast in two with a single stroke, its foul blood splattering across his body.
"Hehe, we'll see if Senior Brother even makes it out," Ma Changjie sneered.
Ma Changjie grew increasingly anxious. He hadn't had enough time to prepare, and most of the demonic beasts under his command were only Tier 2 or Tier 3. He had only one Tier 4 beast, and their survival thus far had been entirely due to their superior numbers.
If the fighting continued, he would soon be exposed.
Eight people stood beside Ma Changjie, silently listening to the fierce roars echoing from the distance.
They were the smallest group among the Ten Great Talents, but from another perspective, they were also the largest.
"Junior Brother Chu, you and the others should join the fray. I'll cover you," Ma Changjie said, sweat beading on his forehead.
"Understood."
The eight people didn't hesitate. They had been prepared for this all along. Having entered the Holy Son Competition, they knew they couldn't avoid the inevitable bloodshed.
As the eight entered the arena, Tu Wanshan felt the pressure intensify. The demonic beasts accompanying them made them even more formidable opponents.
The brutal fighting filled the air with a thick, bloody stench that gradually wafted up to the Divine Tree. The countless demonic beasts living in the tree were stirred by the scent, growing increasingly restless.
Even the Divine Tree's extraordinary power was slowly failing to suppress the demonic beasts' bloodthirsty nature.
"Squeak! Squeak!"
The Bald Woman had already been driven mad by the surrounding carnage, her mind consumed by a single-minded desire for slaughter. In her dazed state, she suddenly heard a tiny squeaking sound at her ear. For a brief moment, her sanity returned.
She looked down and saw a small, weasel-like beast standing at her feet. Its round, beady eyes were filled with a human-like urgency as it squeaked frantically at her.
The Bald Woman was astonished. This was the very weasel she had fed earlier. She never expected it to brave such dangers to reach her side.
"What are you doing here?" she asked, wiping the blood from her face and lifting the small creature.
"Squeak!"
The weasel grew even more agitated, raising a forepaw and urgently pointing toward the Divine Tree.
The Bald Woman was puzzled. She set it down and patted its rump. "Go away. This isn't a place for you."
But the weasel refused to leave, continuing to squeak insistently. Slowly, the Bald Woman began to understand. "Are you telling me to follow you?"
(End of the Chapter)
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