Martial Saint through Reading

Meng Zhen was momentarily stunned, yet unable to grasp the situation fully when suddenly his entire body started itching intensely.

”Take this.”

Chu Ming handed a medicine pill to Meng Zhen.

Even Meng Zhen, at the Refining Organ Realm, was poisoned, proving the potency of the invisible powder in the air.

The origin of this poison was likely the work of The Medicine Maniac.

”Is this... a Detoxification Pill?” Meng Zhen’s expression changed dramatically, ”I’m poisoned!”

”Yes.”

The Detoxification Pill is a high-grade elixir used to detoxify experts at the Refining Organ Realm, and it’s quite precious.

This particular Detoxification Pill was also obtained by Chu Ming at the Black Wind Stronghold.

”Thank you.”

Without wasting words, Meng Zhen swallowed the Detoxification Pill directly.

The medicinal power dissolved, a refreshing sensation spreading from his abdomen.

”Feeling better?” Chu Ming asked.

”A bit better.” The red spots on Meng Zhen’s face receded considerably, but his body still had many left.

The Detoxification Pill couldn’t fully neutralize this poison, only suppress it temporarily!

Currently, this poison only caused unbearable itching, but whether it was life-threatening, Chu Ming didn’t know.

His face turned cold, the Sword Gourd Spirit locking onto the hidden aura of Cangmu.

The safest approach was to find The Medicine Maniac and get the antidote.

But... the immediate threat needed resolving first.

The masters of the three Blood Evil Qi were here.

”Them...!”

Meng Zhen’s eyes focused sharply upon seeing the three.

The three of them expressionless, clad in blood-red armor, holding crimson scimitars, each exuding a cold, bloodthirsty aura that incited fear.

At the same time, a senescent aura lurked within the dark recesses of the mountain to the left.

Farther beyond, the Fortress Master of Blood Vine Castle, who had been outside the mining area, had also crept nearby.

This Fortress Master sniffed the air, his eyebrows twitching slightly.

”Soul-Catching Fragrance Powder... The Medicine Maniac, it really is you!”

The Fortress Master of Blood Vine Castle couldn’t sense the aura of the masked individual confronting the three Blood Guards, nor had he discovered The Medicine Maniac hiding on the other side.

Yet, from the poisonous powder in the air, he was already certain that the mysterious expert secretly guarding Chu Ming, who killed Black Pockmarks that night and later breached Black Wind Stronghold, was the notorious poison master, The Medicine Maniac.

Only The Medicine Maniac was known to make Soul-Catching Fragrance Powder in the entire Xirong County.

”Three Blood Slaughter Guards teaming up, even if I were to face them, I’d be seriously injured. Medicine Maniac, let’s see how you, a dying man, escape today!”

The Fortress Master of Blood Vine Castle watched the three Blood Slaughter Guards and the masked individual from afar.

Hidden on the other side, The Medicine Maniac was also focused on the scene below.

Even from a great distance, The Medicine Maniac hadn’t yet noticed the Fortress Master of Blood Vine Castle.

Below.

Chu Ming calmly stared at the three figures ahead.

Deathly aura, Blood Evil Qi, coldness...

He had an intuition that the three before him were not living beings.

”Be careful.” Meng Zhen clenched his spear tightly, stepping forward as if reluctant to hide behind Chu Ming.

With those words, the three Blood Slaughter Guards transformed into blood-red shadows.

Undaunted, Meng Zhen took the lead to strike first with his spear.

Boom—

A deafening sound erupted instantly, and the spear that had slaughtered countless Exotic Races shattered abruptly.

Subsequently, a terrifying force surged down the broken shaft toward Meng Zhen.

Meng Zhen was shocked, wanting to let go, but it was too late; the force charged forward relentlessly, like a ferocious beast, and instantly fractured his forearm.

If this force were to enter Meng Zhen’s body, he would either be dead or severely injured.

At this critical moment, Chu Ming acted.

He extended one hand, gripping Meng Zhen’s arm.

Boom—

Meng Zhen felt an even more terrifying power pouring in, instantly dissolving the bloodthirsty force and averting the crisis.

Then he heard words he hadn’t heard in a long time: ”Leave it to me.”

During a life-and-death battle with the Exotic Race decades ago, Commander Xiang Yue of the Tiger Armor Army had once said these words to him.

Meng Zhen looked at the figure standing in front of him, his expression somewhat dazed.

For a moment, he felt as if the boy in front of him were Commander Xiang, commanding three hundred thousand Tiger Armor soldiers.

Chu Ming moved like the wind, executing the Qi Blood Fusion martial technique, Blood Wind Palm.

Boom—

A Blood Slaughter Guard flew backward upon impact.

Then, with two consecutive palms, the other two Blood Slaughter Guards were also sent flying more than ten meters away.

But soon, he realized something was amiss.

No screams, no blood spat out, and the three weren’t even panting. In the blink of an eye, they stood in a triangular formation, seemingly about to form an array?

”They don’t feel pain?!”

Meng Zhen also noticed the anomaly.

Chu Ming furrowed his brows slightly.

The Qi Blood Fusion martial technique performed at the Meridian Unlocking Realm, yet the three, who hadn’t even perfected Refining organs, withstood it without issue.

Something wasn’t right!

Their auras... were merging, seemingly fusing together!

In an instant, the three Blood Slaughter Guards formed the Blood Evil Array.

”The strength of this aura...”

Chu Ming regained composure, staring intently at the three.

The intensity of the aura after their fusion was comparable to what he encountered with Yan Huan that night at Black Wind Stronghold.

Strong, but not sufficient.

Back when he was at the Refining Organ stage, he could seriously injure Yan Huan; now, it was incomparable to those days.

At a distance, where the Fortress Master of Blood Vine Castle was hiding.

”Three Blood Slaughter Guards forming the Blood Evil Array, a power equivalent to the Meridian realm with four meridians unlocked. Let’s see how you, an old relic, withstand it.”

”It’s a pity for the three Blood Slaughter Guards, though.”

The Blood Slaughter Guards performing the Blood Evil Array comes at a price: their death.

Perhaps it’s inappropriate to say death, but rather destruction, because the Blood Slaughter Guard were not living beings to begin with.

Nearby, the hiding place of The Medicine Maniac.

”The aura of those three... terrifying, even if I were to face them, I wouldn’t gain any advantage, might even be injured.”

On the battlefield, Chu Ming’s hands turned crimson, two streams of Qi and Blood Power burned within him.

Swish, swish—

Chu Ming and the three Blood Slaughter Guards moved almost simultaneously.

Boom, boom, boom—

The ground collapsed, debris scattering everywhere.

In the distance, the Fortress Master of Blood Vine Castle wore a look of astonishment.

”That old guy is so strong? Can he really fight evenly with the Blood Slaughter Guards setting up the Blood Evil Array?”

He made a slight movement, seemingly wanting to rush out to help, but paused for a moment and hid again.

”Too dangerous, better to wait until they’ve almost finished fighting.”

Nearby, The Medicine Maniac was visibly shaken.

”Who is that guy, such terrifying power!”

At the edge of the battlefield, even Meng Zhen at the Middle Stage of Refining Organs couldn’t see the silhouettes of the combatants clearly.

Just when the onlookers thought this fierce battle would continue for an unknown duration, in an instant, a broken body suddenly flew out, followed by a second and a third.

The dust slowly settled, and a figure stood there calmly.

Destroyed?

Just like that, the three Blood Slaughter Guards, who could rival the strength of the Four Meridian Unlocking, were destroyed?

Caught off guard by the destruction.

A raging storm surged in the heart of the Fortress Master of Blood Vine Castle.

Brief tremor, fear came with the wind.

”Run! Hurry and run!”

”The Medicine Maniac must have taken some Divine Medicine!”

Without any hesitation, the Fortress Master of Blood Vine Castle, who never revealed himself from start to finish, flickered rapidly and disappeared from the mining site in no time.

Chu Ming looked into the distance, then glanced at where The Medicine Maniac was hiding, choosing not to pursue the Fortress Master.

He could visit Blood Vine Castle to kill anytime, but Meng Zhen was afflicted with an unknown itch poison and couldn’t wait any longer.

Hidden in the dark recesses of the mountain, The Medicine Maniac gazed from afar at the three shattered corpses, then at the masked figure in the field, his face full of shock.

”Who is this person, able to so easily dispose of the three from the Blood Evil Sect, and not even get hurt...”

”Xiao Jianxin, or Xiang Yue?”

In Xirong County, there are only five experts in the Meridian Unlocking Realm...

Amidst surprise and doubt, a gaze suddenly shot forth like an icy sharp sword.

”Not good, I’ve been discovered!”

In an instant, The Medicine Maniac was filled with fear, just as he wanted to flee, a figure flashed before him.

Chu Ming’s robe flapped in the wind, his eyes deep like a black abyss.

”Xiao Jianxin? Xiang Yue?” The Medicine Maniac feigned calm briefly after momentary panic.

”No, you’re Xiao Jianxin.” The Medicine Maniac realized something, observing Chu Ming’s hands.

Xiao Jianxin used a sword, so initially, he didn’t figure it out, but thinking carefully, using a sword here would expose him.

Moreover, he heard Xiang Yue had already led the Tiger Armor Army to attack another nation, making his presence here unlikely.

”Antidote.” Chu Ming remained unaffected, his voice cold.

The more suspicious the other, the murkier the water.

The murkier the water, the more advantageous for him.

”What antidote?” The Medicine Maniac was initially unresponsive, then suddenly recalled the Soul-Catching Fragrance Powder he had previously spread.

”Tell me, are you Xiao Jianxin?” The Medicine Maniac remained bewildered, unsure how Xiao Jianxin’s strength had suddenly become so formidable.

”Give, or die.” Chu Ming did not want to waste words.

If that Fortress Master of Blood Vine Castle hadn’t fled, with the two Meridian Unlocking level experts teaming up, plus the three just now, he might have had some scruples.

But now, with the three from the Blood Evil Sect slain, and the Fortress Master fled, a single Medicine Maniac posed no significant threat.

Killing intent!

This person genuinely intends to kill!

With his heart shaken, The Medicine Maniac’s eyes fluctuated continuously before he finally pulled out a white porcelain bottle from his sleeve: ”This contains half the antidote for the Soul-Catching Fragrance Powder.”

”The other half of the antidote requires you agreeing to a condition.”

”Speak.”

Chu Ming did not fear The Medicine Maniac, but he also didn’t want to provoke a poison expert of the Meridian Unlocking Realm for no reason.

This renowned expert might have some hidden tricks, so caution was warranted until the antidote was secured.

Besides, piecing together everything before, Chu Ming guessed that this Medicine Maniac wasn’t aligned with the Blood Evil Sect.

Possibly... the Blood Evil Sect mistook him for The Medicine Maniac.

Perhaps he could let this poison expert of the Meridian Unlocking Realm battle against the Blood Evil Sect?

”Let me go, and I’ll give you the rest of the antidote.” The Medicine Maniac said.

”How will you give it?” Chu Ming asked.

Hearing this, The Medicine Maniac pointed to the distant mountain, saying: ”I’ll place the other half of the antidote on the mountain top. You can retrieve it after I leave.”

”No.” Chu Ming directly refused.

Such an action would be equivalent to gambling, and he wouldn’t gamble with Meng Zhen’s life on the integrity of someone skilled in poison.

”Then what do you want to do?” The Medicine Maniac grew slightly anxious, but dared not show it at all.

In a clash between experts, whoever shows fear will fall into a disadvantage.

”Give me the formula for the Soul-Catching Fragrance Powder and its antidote formula.” Chu Ming’s voice was icy.

With his current insight, just having the poison and antidote formula would allow him to discern the truth after a few glances.

On hearing this, The Medicine Maniac widened his eyes in rage: ”The Soul-Catching Fragrance Powder is my unique formulation, regardless of whether you’re Xiao Jianxin or Xiang Yue, don’t think you can get the formula from me!”

”Is that so?” Chu Ming’s eyes were cold as ice. ”Then let’s fight.”

As he spoke, he was about to make his move.

”Wait,” The Medicine Maniac’s face was uncertain as he turned his thoughts quickly, finally seeming to compromise, ”I can give you the formula, but you must swear not to attack.”

With his life nearing its end, he would rather avoid fighting if possible.

The formula could be researched again, but life was singular.

”Take it.” The Medicine Maniac flipped his hand, revealing a somewhat disorganized bound book in his palm, ”This contains my pharmaceutical insights, including the formula for Soul-Catching Fragrance Powder.”

He had no separate formula, only this notebook of notes, freshly made and full of poison.

This poison couldn’t kill someone in the Meridian Unlocking Realm, but it could certainly buy him enough time to escape.