Ignaz withdrew his spirit and walked up to Yang Wudi, his expression serious. "The tip of my spirit spear is poisoned. While the toxin isn't powerful, given his current physical condition, he'll die within half a day if left untreated."
Regarding Iron Rust, Ignaz hadn't deliberately added poison-attribute spirit rings. Aside from his first spirit skill being snake-type, his other two spirit rings came from non-poisonous spirit beasts. However, even so, the bloodthirsty aura within his spirit had already seeped into the iron rust, forming a more potent toxin—Blood Rust Poison. The half-day timeframe was Ignaz's optimistic estimate; the actual onset would likely be much quicker.
Upon hearing this, Yang Wudi looked toward Yang Yong's wound and saw thick, black blood oozing from it. His mood grew tense. "Someone! Take Yong'er for treatment immediately! We absolutely cannot let anything happen to him."
After Yang Yong was taken away for treatment and Yang Wudi had calmed himself, he asked curiously, "Young Ignaz, that spirit skill you just used was incredibly powerful—far beyond what the first three spirit rings should be capable of. Could it be one of those self-created spirit skills?"
"Exactly, it's my self-created spirit skill!"
Since Yang Wudi had already figured it out, there was no need to hide it further. Besides, today's battle had only revealed a couple of basic moves—no big deal.
"A self-created spirit skill... no wonder your attack could directly penetrate our Breaking Clan's thick walls. We honor our bets—you can examine the herb knowledge first, and we'll provide the spear techniques afterward. But I must warn you: you absolutely cannot share our Breaking Clan's spear techniques with outsiders, or else—"
"Of course not. If I were to share them privately, may my spirit shatter and I die!"
Ignaz raised his left hand toward the sky, solemnly swearing by his spirit.
...
Ignaz was led to a building. As he pushed open the door, a rich herbal fragrance hit him. Inside were many dried flowers and plant specimens, along with detailed illustrations of the corresponding herbs. The place resembled a botanical museum.
Ignaz walked to row after row of inner bookshelves, browsing through book after book until he stopped before one that had been gathering dust for ages and was somewhat tattered. He carefully took it down.
"'Immortal Herb Compendium'—you're the one!"
He opened the compendium, flipping through its pages. It recorded various immortal herbs, and while some medicinal properties were only briefly described rather than thoroughly explained, it was sufficient.
Ignaz systematically recorded and transcribed the immortal herb information from the compendium into blank books. When he reached the last two pages, a puzzled expression crossed his face.
"Yin-Yang Life-Death Grass? Life and death oppose each other—the Life Grass can regenerate severed limbs for those who consume it, while the Death Grass can drag the consumer into hell. If taken simultaneously, the consumer will gain an opportunity to awaken a second spirit!"
That powerful? Could the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well also contain these two types of immortal herbs?
Eager to learn more, Ignaz quickly turned the page, but he was greeted by more than a dozen large characters written in thick ink: "The Yin-Yang Twin Grass is purely fictional—future generations must not believe it!"
"Damn it! Talked it up like it was amazing, but it's completely made up. Isn't this just the same old trick our predecessors used to fool kids? That's pretty low!"
Looking at the fake immortal herb, which didn't even have an illustration, Ignaz's expression darkened. He was about to slam the compendium onto the ground in frustration, but after a moment's thought, he decided against it. Why get worked up over some predecessor who'd been dead for who knows how long?
After organizing the immortal herb information, Ignaz also grabbed a few books on conventional pharmaceutical knowledge before heading out. During these three days, he'd master as much conventional pharmaceutical knowledge as possible!
Soon, Yang Wudi threw himself into the pill-refining process. Several hours later, instead of the Yang family spear manual being delivered, Yang Yong arrived at the courtyard where Ignaz was staying.
"Brother Ignaz, aside from the path of medicine, the spear manual is our Breaking Clan's final foundation for survival. The clan leader said to have me teach you move by move. As for how much you can remember and learn within these three days, that's entirely up to your fortune."
Ignaz wasn't surprised that there was no manual and that instructions would come through a person. In fact, he thought it was better this way—if he had questions, he could ask Yang Yong anytime. It was killing two birds with one stone.
"Come on, watch carefully..."
Under the moonlight, Yang Yong demonstrated several sets of spear techniques. Ignaz, who already had basic spear skills, quickly memorized the Yang family spear techniques and began practicing them in the same manner.
"Thrust, kill, swing techniques, counter-block, deflection, violent spear thrusts, butt-end strikes..."
Meanwhile, in the main hall of the Spirit Hall in Sky Star City, a black-robed bishop sat in the main seat, looking at the intelligence he'd gathered, his eyes filled with rage.
"So this punk is the one doing business with that Breaking Clan?"
"Vast Sea City, Iron Rust Spear spirit, third-level innate spirit power—this waste dares oppose our Spirit Hall? He's asking for death!"
A Spirit Ancestor executive below stepped forward and bowed respectfully, revealing a sinister expression. "Bishop, people like him who befriend the Breaking Clan deserve to die. Once he leaves the Breaking Clan, we'll immediately move to kill him and seize his wealth."
"Good, I'll leave this matter to you. While I can't directly destroy the Breaking Clan, anyone who helps them will certainly meet their doom."
The black-robed bishop closed the file. In this southernmost province of the continent, he was the local tyrant, and suppressing the four single-attribute clans served the Spirit Hall's development interests.
Three days later, while there weren't many additional spies around the Breaking Clan's vicinity, they knew the Spirit Hall bishop's character very well. It was highly likely that Ignaz had already been marked the moment he befriended the Breaking Clan.
Therefore, Ignaz quietly left the city under the Breaking Clan's arrangements. But shortly after Ignaz parted ways with Yang Yong and the others, as he was galloping at full speed on horseback, he was suddenly attacked by a sonic wave.
Ignaz leapt gracefully to the ground just before his injured warhorse collapsed. Six Spirit Grandmaster black-clad figures simultaneously activated their second spirit skills and bombarded him collectively.
"Sea Wave Phantom: Void Echo Overwhelming Sea Kill!"
A vacuum zone spread outward with Ignaz's war spear as the center, slowing their speed. Then Ignaz quickly executed his first spirit skill, spinning rapidly as the Blood Thunder War Spear's blade sliced through each Spirit Grandmaster's neck. Six heads fell in response, blood gushing forth.
"One strike—one strike took out all six of my Spirit Grandmasters!"
While the Spirit Ancestor executive was still in shock, he looked at the Blood Thunder War Spear in Ignaz's hand, his expression darkening as he suddenly realized something was wrong.
"I've heard of your spear before. Could you be the White Demon from two or three years ago?"
"I'm surprised someone still remembers me after all this time. Since you know who I am, you can die now!"