The broad-faced man muttered an incantation, channeling a continuous stream of Magical Power into the Treasure Bead before him. Instantly, the Barrier expanded, enveloping the entire painted boat.
For a short time, no one outside would notice anything amiss.
"This poison can disperse into the Spiritual Energy, causing cultivators to be temporarily paralyzed and fall unconscious, leaving them at our mercy..."
Emperor Xia noticed the strange mist drifting over. With a flick of her sleeve, an invisible wave pulsed outward, isolating all of the mist outside her private room.
Meanwhile, chaos erupted on the rest of the painted boat as a series of thuds echoed—people collapsing to the floor.
One after another, cultivators and courtesans who had yet to grasp the situation crumpled to the ground.
"Now's the time."
