Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

Chapter 207: 207 Could it be a Poison Vein Master?

Ling Wan, although no longer the little outcast nodding and bowing within the family, still felt some awkwardness under the gaze of so many people, including several Great Elders.

For some unknown reason, when Ling Wan heard Yun Xiao’s words, he suddenly felt an inexplicable touch of emotion, a heartfelt emotion towards that big brother Yun Xiao.

This emotion, different from the previous time when Yun Xiao helped him control the exotic energy of the Mixed Element Qi, seemed to create a bond akin to kinship between him and Yun Xiao from this moment onwards.

In Ling Wan’s own heart, as long as it was on the stage of the Outer Sect tournament, whatever Shen Xiao did to him was permissible, even fatal poison. If one died on the stage where life and death were not forbidden, it would be fate.

Yet Yun Xiao had remembered in his heart what even Ling Wan himself thought was the natural outcome of the battle. At this moment, Ling Wan suddenly found yesterday’s words from Yun Xiao to be profoundly memorable.

”He is my big brother Yun Xiao. He said he would avenge me!”

Ling Wan was shouting in his heart. Before today’s tournament battle had even started, although Ling Wan had great confidence in Yun Xiao and thought of his big brother Yun Xiao defeating Shen Xiao and winning the championship of the Outer Sect tournament,

Ling Wan had never imagined that Yun Xiao would use such an alternative and mysterious method to avenge yesterday’s grudge for him. This was truly a case of giving someone a taste of their own medicine.

Thinking deeply about Yun Xiao’s words, Shen Xiao, with the poison deep in his system, did not have the luxury to ponder. All he wanted now was to survive, and Yun Xiao’s words were undoubtedly his last lifeline.

”Ling... Ling Wan, I was wrong yesterday, I shouldn’t have harmed you with such poison. Please... please spare your fellow disciple’s life...”

Shen Xiao started with a strong will, but as he kept speaking, the intense poison took over, making his speech slurred.

But as those words were spoken, everyone present realized how ruthless Yun Xiao was. His revenge was thorough indeed.

Perhaps making these talented youths from Xuanyue Empire’s prominent families beg for mercy on their knees was even more painful than killing them directly.

Yet Shen Xiao, who was always proud and considered the second genius on the Mortal List, who even looked down upon someone like Feng Hang, was now crawling at the feet of a Meridian Gathering Realm Peak child, continuously uttering pleas for mercy.

What an immense humiliation that was. At this moment, not only the Outer Disciples but even some Inner Sect Disciples at the Meridian Rushing Realm Early Stage began to regard the shabbily dressed youth with a hint of fear, thinking it best not to provoke Yun Xiao.

Of course, this did not include the outstanding Inner Sect Disciples like Bi Luo and Yin Huan. They already harbored special thoughts or resentment towards Yun Xiao.

For example, Bi Luo, who had deep grudges with Yun Xiao. The greater the latter’s talent, strength, and ruthlessness, the greater the threat to him.

So at this moment, Bi Luo’s killing intent towards Yun Xiao deepened, thinking if this kid was so powerful at the peak of the Meridian Gathering Realm, if he truly broke through to the Meridian Rushing Realm, he might become unstoppable even by him.

What Bi Luo did not know was that while he was making his wishful plans, what happened next might not be something he could control, because his teacher was also present.

”Ling Wan, it’s up to you to decide this matter. If you say spare him, then I will immediately detoxify him!”

Seeing that Ling Wan was somewhat indecisive, Yun Xiao seemed to want to dispel his hesitation, speaking coldly again, his words emphasizing the plight of Shen Xiao, showcasing his own dominance.

Ling Wan was indeed in a dilemma because today’s battle was won by Yun Xiao. Although he had come to regard him as his own brother, he did not quite understand the big brother’s nature.

With Yun Xiao’s shrewdness, how could he not know what Ling Wan was thinking? And so he continued, ”Ling Wan, don’t worry. Shen Xiao, poisoned severely, even if his life is saved, his cultivation will be wasted and he will not dare to trouble you again!”

The outward meaning of Yun Xiao’s words was plain, but in truth, he knew that Ling Wan was not afraid of Shen Xiao causing trouble, but rather that he feared breaking his own plans to take Shen Xiao’s life, if his wish for mercy interfered.

The underlying meaning of these words was to assure Ling Wan that he had nothing to fear. Sometimes, stripping a highly talented individual of their cultivation might be an even greater torment than death.

Ling Wan was simple, not foolish; grasping the essence of Yun Xiao’s words, he promptly said in a loud voice: ”Big brother Yun Xiao, then let’s spare him his life!”

”Thank you so much!”

Listening to Ling Wan’s words, Shen Xiao finally let out a huge sigh of relief. However, unbeknownst to everyone, a trace of spiteful venom flickered deep within his eyes as he uttered those words of gratitude.

Although Shen Xiao was in unbearable pain during the exchange between Yun Xiao and Ling Wan, he heard everything clearly. He knew that even if he managed to survive this time, his lifelong Meridian Qi Cultivation was beyond saving.

Shen Xiao was once the second-ranked among the Outer Disciples on the Mortal List, and the first place had been intentionally or inadvertently ceded to Feng Hang by him, allowing the latter to face the brunt of all the challenges and jealousy, while he reaped the benefits as an opportunist from behind.

One could imagine Shen Xiao as a deeply strategic individual, always in control of the overall situation from behind the scenes, and one could infer just how proud a person he was.

But on the stage today, Shen Xiao utterly lost to Yun Xiao in eloquence, wisdom, and Meridian Qi combat prowess. To make matters worse, Yun Xiao acted smug despite gaining the advantage, humiliating him in such a manner.

A person like Shen Xiao would never look for reasons within himself; he only knew that it was Yun Xiao who had caused his current plight, and given the chance, he would surely tear the detestable lad to pieces.

However, Shen Xiao was now truly incapable of doing anything. If he had any integrity, he could have refused to beg Ling Wan or ignored Yun Xiao’s humiliation, letting nature take its course.

But when a former genius has been corroded by the severe poison for so long, with the toxins already in his chest, how important is dignity really?

Compared to dying with righteousness, perhaps preserving his life was Shen Xiao’s most urgent obsession at that moment. Once the desire to survive emerged in his heart, the thought became indelible.

Even if surviving meant losing all his Meridian Qi and becoming a cripple, it’s better to be alive than dead. Perhaps this was the last clinging thought of Shen Xiao’s, figuratively saying ”As long as the green mountains remain, there is no fear of having no firewood.”

However, after Ling Wan’s two sentences, everyone’s gaze in the arena converged on Yun Xiao, starting to harbor a different kind of expectation.

Even the Great Elder and Second Elder had declared Shen Xiao was beyond help, so how was Yun Xiao going to save him? Could it be that he had prepared an antidote in advance?

This was the true thought in most people’s minds, as well as in Lu Zhan and Fu Du’s. But when they saw Shen Xiao’s pitch-black chest, they couldn’t help but shake their heads.

The consumption of antidotes also had a time limit; if Shen Xiao had been poisoned less severely and taken the antidote in time, perhaps he could have kept his Meridian Qi Cultivation. But now, wasn’t it too late?

Lu Zhan and Fu Du were genuine Spiritual Rank Intermediate Meridian Refining Masters, with extraordinary Meridian Refining Technique. In such a situation, they truly did not believe that Yun Xiao could save Shen Xiao.

Particularly the Great Elder Lu Zhan, who was increasingly intrigued by Yun Xiao. At that moment, he widened his old eyes, hoping to learn another Detoxification Meridian Array from Yun Xiao’s actions, similar to the Evil Exorcism Pulse Array, which would be a great enhancement to his Medical Pulse Technique.

However, Yun Xiao’s actions this time disappointed Lu Zhan. All saw the robed youth swipe at his waist, and then a round pill suddenly appeared in his hand before being fed into Shen Xiao’s mouth.

Nearly everyone thought it was the antidote for the severe poison that had struck Shen Xiao, but only Yun Xiao himself knew that it was not an antidote at all but a common Mud Pill.

This Mud Pill was clearly prepared by Yun Xiao in advance and lacked any detoxifying effect; his actions at that moment were merely for show. His real plan was only just beginning to unfold.

After feeding the Mud Pill to Shen Xiao, Yun Xiao moved his right hand downward, lightly pressing his middle finger on the latter’s chest. Immediately, everyone saw the black severe poison swiftly winding around Yun Xiao’s right middle finger.

Seeing this scene, many thoughtfully pondered if the poisonous liquid was actually concocted by Yun Xiao himself; otherwise, how could he dare to touch the black poison with his body?

”Could it be that Yun Xiao is actually a Poison Vein Master?”

This was the thought that arose in everyone’s minds, even the nearby Lu Zhan furrowed his brow. He always believed that since Yun Xiao knew both Small Cosmos Meridian Array and Evil Exorcism Pulse Array, he was more likely to become a Medical Pulse Master, but now it seemed he didn’t know Yun Xiao well enough.

Generally, a Meridian Refining Master would not belong to any specific school immediately after activating their Ancestor Vein and receiving guidance from a Meridian Master; over time, they would discern which school they are more skilled in, focusing their future Cultivation on either Poison Vein or Medical Pulse Technique.

In fact, by reaching the Mortal Rank Middle Level Meridian Refining Master, one’s school tendency starts to manifest. Hence, when people saw how adept Yun Xiao was at handling the severe poison, they couldn’t help but think this way.