Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

”Could there really be something strange about it?”

This thought emerged in many people’s minds. In fact, if Yun Xiao hadn’t poisoned Yao Tiansha with a Spiritual Rank Advanced pill earlier, they might not have entertained such an idea.

After all, the Golden Jade Tassel had been touched by Yun Xiao. It wasn’t entirely impossible to suspect that some trick had been played on it. Now, everyone was eager to see how the coarse-clothed boy would explain under such questioning.

”Even at this moment, you still insist it is the Golden Jade Tassel? This insight...tsk tsk, are you really the genius from Spirit Fighting Commerce?”

Yet, under the gaze of everyone, Yun Xiao turned his head with a peculiar look, shaking his head at the angry Li Gongnian, seemingly quite disappointed.

”Actually, this thing indeed resembles the Golden Jade Tassel, but it is drastically different from the kind of medicinal herb beneficial to the human body. Strictly speaking, it is called the ’Golden Poison Tassel’!”

At this point, Yun Xiao finally stopped being mysterious. When the words ”Golden Poison Tassel” were uttered, everyone’s face changed, as they seemed to have never heard of such a name before.

The previous Golden Jade Tassel, though many had not seen it firsthand, had its description mentioned plenty in the words of elders or some ancient books as a rare item.

However, ”Golden Poison Tassel” and ”Golden Jade Tassel” differ by one character, yet their effects are starkly opposite. Didn’t the Poison Testing Beast get poisoned to death by its venom?

At this moment, many unconsciously believed Yun Xiao’s words, as although the young man was extraordinary, merely touching it to produce venom potent enough to kill the Poison Testing Beast was too unbelievable.

If this were true, wouldn’t the decades of Meridian Refining Technique cultivated by these Meridian Refining Masters have gone to waste?

”Golden Poison Tassel?”

Even Qian Sanyuan and Guan Rufeng, seated in the north, looked puzzled, evidently unfamiliar with this name. They turned their eyes towards Sky Poison Institute’s Dean, Qingmu Wu.

Although Qian Sanyuan was the Vice President of the Meridian Refining Master Association, in terms of understanding of the Poison Meridian Path, he was somewhat inferior to Qingmu Wu, who spent his life dealing with numerous poisons, surpassing Qian Sanyuan in both experience and toxin resistance.

”Indeed, there is such a thing!”

Qingmu Wu’s knowledge of toxic substances was superior to Qian Sanyuan’s. Upon hearing that name, his eyes lit up, and he rose from his seat, applauding.

In a certain ancient book, Qingmu Wu had indeed seen descriptions of the Golden Poison Tassel, but he had never seen the real Golden Poison Tassel in his life, having more understanding of the Golden Jade Tassel.

Thus, Qingmu Wu, like other ordinary Meridian Refining Masters, mistook it for the Golden Jade Tassel, unaware that he had made such a significant error in the end.

”Master Yun is indeed Master Yun!”

Though Qingmu Wu didn’t say this second sentence aloud, after this incident, he felt even more admiration for the boy named Yun Xiao, who ultimately didn’t disappoint him.

”If Brother Li still doesn’t believe, take a look at this!”

In the center of the square, Yun Xiao looked at the glaring Li Gongnian, aware that without substantial evidence, this Spirit Fighting Commerce genius might not believe. He chuckled softly once more.

Pop!

The next moment, everyone clearly saw Yun Xiao peel off a grain from the Golden Poison Tassel. With a slight move of his nail, he removed its shell.

Perhaps Li Gongnian himself had never seen what a deshelled grain looked like, but at this moment, when he saw the grain exuding a special aura, he couldn’t help but take two steps back, his face horrified.

”It’s actually... truly not the Golden Jade Tassel?!”

Everyone saw it clearly. The grain, once deshelled, was entirely blue-black, vastly different from the description of Golden Jade Tassel grains in books.

From the understanding of these Meridian Refining Masters, the real Golden Jade Tassel grains were full, uniformly sized, golden yellow, subtly sparkling with crystalline jade light, entirely unlike the current blue-black appearance.

”That boy’s anti-toxin ability is indeed extraordinary!”

Watching Yun Xiao hold the bluish-black tassel grain on his right index finger, the deadly poison that had just killed the Poison Testing Beast didn’t affect him at all, astonishing everyone present.

”Well? Do you believe now, Brother Li, that this isn’t the Golden Jade Tassel?”

Yun Xiao stepped forward two steps, attempting to pass the bluish-black grain to Li Gongnian, so he could see it more clearly. He then saw this genius of Douling Commerce hastily retreat two steps, keeping a safe distance.

”I... I...”

Honestly, Li Gongnian felt a mix of fear and frustration, with a hint of unspeakable reluctance. Being the genius of Douling Commerce, admitting defeat was indeed quite humiliating for him.

But now the truth was evident; Li Gongnian even mistook the item from his own Waist Storage, whereas his opponent recognized its true nature, making him lose face thoroughly.

This competition in discerning eyesight and identifying herbs was proposed by Li Gongnian himself. He instantly recognized the item Yun Xiao produced, yet fell for his own herbal trick - a truly lamentable situation.

No one could have predicted such an outcome; perhaps even more than after recognizing many herbs, Yun Xiao’s eventual defeat of Li Gongnian might make the latter feel even more aggrieved?

Regardless, whether Li Gongnian verbally admitted defeat or not, the final result of this competition was crystal clear. The rough-clothed youth, Yun Xiao, ultimately claimed the first place in the Refining Cloud Mountain disciple selection with a novel approach, well-deserved.

From the first round in Refining Cloud Mountain, Yun Xiao had already showcased his extraordinary talent. Then, through the second round’s random assessment and this third round of self-defined competition, his performance was virtually flawless.

Especially in today’s final round, he used a Spiritual Rank Advanced pill to poison Earth Rank Middle Level Poison Vein Master Yao Tiansha, and then defeated a genius of Douling Commerce with herbs Li Gongnian himself presented.

One could say that Yun Xiao was the biggest dark horse in this year’s Refining Cloud Mountain disciple selection, and he stood out completely, leaving all the Meridian Refining Masters participating in the selection with no confidence left to compete with him.

”Perhaps only the top Meridian Refining geniuses of Refining Cloud Mountain could rival Yun Xiao now?”

All of a sudden, many people turned their gaze toward the gathering place of young Refining Cloud Mountain disciples, spotting Bai Wushuang, Liu Qingchen, and even Sky Poison Institute’s ”Son of Thousand Poisons,” Ye Ku, which sparked this thought in their minds.

Yun Xiao’s displayed meridian refining technique was so advanced that some even thought that, despite their skills, the geniuses of Refining Cloud Mountain might not match Yun Xiao, having witnessed only Yun Xiao’s methods and knowing little about the other talented individuals.

”Hmph, do these foolish people really believe that such petty victories can make one a champion in Refining Cloud Mountain?”

It seemed as though Bai Wushuang sensed the crowd’s gazes. With a gloomy face, he silently cursed, before turning his eyes to the rough-clothed youth in the arena.

In his view, a country bumpkin from Hidden Dragon Continent did not deserve such dazzling honor.

Or perhaps, the first genius of the Heavenly Hospital, Bai Wushuang, saw a hint of threat in Yun Xiao’s recent performances. Coupled with Mo Qing’s feelings towards Yun Xiao, this stirred a murderous intent deep within his heart.

Jealousy can truly change a man’s nature sometimes. Bai Wushuang had merely been proud previously, yet there were countless cultivators whose lives were saved by his hands as a Medical Pulse Master.

Alas, once Mo Qing entered Refining Cloud Mountain, her display of both cultivation and meridian refining talents inflamed Bai Wushuang’s heart, leading him to believe that such a genius woman should be worthy of his extraordinary bearing alone.

Yet, unexpectedly, a kid named Yun Xiao emerged, capturing not only Mo Qing’s constant thoughts but also stealing the limelight in the Refining Cloud Mountain disciple selection. Now, everyone knew of Yun Xiao but not Bai Wushuang, a sentiment not easily understood by the average person.

”I can’t wait for the clan competition; I must see that kid dead!”

As he turned and noticed the foreign brilliance in Mo Qing’s eyes fixed on the rough-clothed youth, Bai Wushuang’s jealousy peaked, desiring nothing more than to rush forth and slice that rough-clothed kid in half.

”Brother Wushuang, every first-place disciple selection winner at Refining Cloud Mountain gets a chance to enter the ’Refining Treasure Hall’ with talents from the two institutions to seek treasure. By then...”

Beside him, Liu Qingchen, understanding Bai Wushuang the best, caught the latter’s mutterings. His words caused Bai Wushuang’s eyes to light up immediately.

”Heh, the Refining Treasure Hall is filled with mechanisms, and there have been cases where overambitious individuals died for treasures before. Yun Xiao, enjoy your brief moment of happiness!”

A low voice sounded from Bai Wushuang’s mouth, heard only by the nearby Liu Qingchen. With such a decision, the mood of this first genius of the Heavenly Hospital improved dramatically.

Meanwhile, Yun Xiao, the person in question, remained unaware that he had just defeated Li Gongnian and achieved first place in the Refining Cloud Mountain disciple selection, only to be plotted against by some notables, concerns he currently had no time for.