Chapter 459: Thunder Mountain City Duel
Thunder Mountain City.
In the early morning, Thunder Mountain City was filled with the scent of medicinal herbs. Qin Mu sniffed the air and could tell that many of these medicinal smells were toxic mists emitted by highly poisonous substances. He immediately refined several detoxification pills and had Dragon Qilin and Xiong Qier hold them in their mouths.
Poison Master Mu Yingxue's city was unlike any other. All kinds of poisonous herbs, flowers, and insects could be seen everywhere, planted by the residents of Thunder Mountain City in their own gardens. Venomous bugs crawled all over the ground, some people even raised poisonous birds and beasts that ran around freely. The houses were covered in poisonous vines, and from time to time, a bluish-green snake would poke its head out from the green creepers, letting out a hissing sound.
Rustling sounds came as a group of scaly, big-eared possums ran past them, chasing after several large centipedes about two or three feet long.
The early morning in Thunder Mountain City was quite lively, with occasional arguments coming from the streets.
"Damn it! Whose poisonous bees are these? My face is swollen! Get the antidote over here!"
"Which heartless bastard dumped medicine dregs on the street? My leg is numb, turning black... it's about to rot! Who dumped the dregs? Say something, and see if I don't poison you to death!"
...
Qin Mu walked along the streets of Thunder Mountain City. On both sides, many vendors openly displayed the poisons they had refined, hawking them loudly. The cries of vendors were incessant.
"Sister Mu's Thunder Mountain City is quite prosperous."
He looked around and discovered many rare medicinal ingredients here, so he bought some. Some of the poison pills sold by the vendors were of decent quality and could be used as base toxins to refine even stronger and more lethal poisons, so he also purchased a few.
Before long, he arrived at the center of Thunder Mountain City, which was even more bustling. There were many large circular arenas where some poison-refining cultivators were competing.
Qin Mu stopped to watch for a while. He noticed that the cultivators in the arenas fought in a unique way. They had jars placed around them, along with various green leaves, flowers, and plants.
The cultivators on both sides activated their spells, causing the poisonous insects and creatures inside the jars to fight and kill each other. The victor would crawl out of the jar and gnaw on the green leaves, evolving. The cultivators would then quickly plant seeds inside the evolved insects, using strange spells to catalyze the seeds, making them grow rapidly, bloom, and bear fruit.
The cultivators would use the roots, stems, or fruits to feed other poisonous insects, using the "All Things Have Spirit" technique to make these insects grow rapidly and spew poisonous mist or fire at each other. The two poisonous insects would engage in a fierce battle, while the cultivators on each side would dodge the opponent's attacks and prepare antidotes.
"These arena battles involve refining poisons on the spot, using identical insects and toxins. It's fair enough, but the cultivators here are mediocre in skill, not much to see."
Qin Mu continued walking forward when suddenly, with a loud crash, an arena split open. A massive creature emerged from the crack, taking up most of the arena. The creature was a giant spider with the upper body of a beautiful woman. It roared fiercely, shaking its body, spewing clouds and mist, forcing the onlookers to retreat repeatedly.
Qin Mu showed a look of surprise. "Using the limited poisonous herbs, flowers, and insects available in the arena to cultivate such a creature—this cultivator's skill is extraordinary!"
A woman in black stood up from the giant spider's body. She wore a black veil, but from the exposed skin, it was clear that her face was covered in toad-like poisonous bumps. She shouted harshly, "Mu Yingxue, I'm back! Get out here, you wretch! Today, I will compete with you again!"
Qin Mu became interested and went to the foot of the arena to watch the fight. The other cultivators of Thunder Mountain City also surged over, surrounding the arena in a tight crowd.
A woman said excitedly, "The Poison Master is going to make a move!"
Another woman also jumped with joy. "I haven't seen the Poison Master fight in a long time! I heard that ever since the Poison Master met the Demon Lord of the Central Plains' Heavenly Demon Sect, who is also a great master of the poison path, the two of them fell in love at first sight, had a spark, and shared an indescribable romantic past. After the Poison Master returned, her poison path skills greatly increased, advancing to a level of unfathomable mystery! Who would dare to oppose her?"
"Don't you recognize this woman? She is a great poison path expert from the True Heaven Palace, named Yu Qingchan. She is also a top figure in the poison path. She once competed with our Mu family's Poison Master for the title of Poison Master and lost. Her face was ruined by the Poison Master!"
...
Qin Mu blinked. How did he and Mu Yingxue have an indescribable romantic past?
He had clearly only competed in poison with Mu Yingxue, and both of them had ended up looking disheveled and ugly, even deformed from the poison. That was hardly romance, though one could call it mutual admiration.
"She did kiss me, though."
The young man's heart pounded wildly at the thought, stirring up a strange feeling and emotion. He suddenly realized with alarm: "Damn! My heart is racing, blood is rushing to my face, I'm blushing, my breathing is getting faster and heavier. Just thinking about her gives me a warm feeling inside. Could this be the lovesickness poison Sister Mu gave me acting up? But this poison doesn't seem harmful. Hmm, no need to worry about it..."
He shifted his thoughts to Ling Yuxiu, Si Yunxiang, He Yiyi, and other girls, and the warm feeling immediately disappeared.
"It seems the lovesickness poison isn't hard to deal with." The young man remained calm and composed.
"Mu Yingxue, are you afraid to show your face?"
The black-clad woman on the arena, Yu Qingchan, sneered, "You're not some little man, so hiding your head and tail isn't your style!"
Just then, a light laugh came from the city. A green vine rapidly grew from a mansion in the city center, extending outward. The vine grew thicker and thicker, coiling like a green dragon, quickly sprouting large leaves and longer tendrils in midair.
In no time, the vine stretched for three or four li, reaching above the arena.
With a soft pop, the vine grew a large flower bud that hung over the arena. The flower bloomed, and a girl with skin as white as snow jumped out from the flower. Before she even landed, seeds on the arena sprouted and grew branches, and another large flower blossomed.
Mu Yingxue stood on the flower's stamen, barefoot, not wearing shoes, and didn't touch the ground. She laughed, "Yu Qingchan, you lost to me last time and couldn't even remove the residual poison I left on you. That's why your once charming face is still covered in bumps. Coming here today—are you just asking to die?"
Yu Qingchan chuckled lowly, "Hehehe, do you think I haven't improved over the years? Last time I lost to you, you ruined my face. Since then, at every marriage gathering, what man dared to look me in the eye?"
Mu Yingxue felt a pang of sympathy and said, "As poison refiners, it's true that no man dares to get close to us, because if they displease us even slightly, we poison them to death. Sister Qingchan, we are in the same boat. However..."
The girl showed a proud expression and said crisply, "I already have a sweetheart! My sweetheart is also a poison path master, the third best in the world! My sweetheart has already entered the Western Lands for me, coming to find me! Sister Qingchan, I'm afraid I can't stay single with you anymore!"
Qin Mu couldn't help but laugh. This Mu Yingxue was always so clever and quirky. However, his coming to the Western Lands wasn't entirely to find her.
Yu Qingchan cackled, "You have a lover? Lucky me, I have one too! My old flame is a hundred times better than yours. He is the Great Venerable of the Loulan Golden Palace, a poison path master who has reached the divine level! With his guidance, I've refined my poison path to the level of the soul. Mu Yingxue, you little wretch, today I will not only take your title of Poison Master but also make you die a miserable death!"
Mu Yingxue's expression changed slightly. "The Great Venerable of the Loulan Golden Palace? The one famous for witchcraft poison and soul poison? No wonder you dared to come to Thunder Mountain City to find me. That Great Venerable does have some skill."
Yu Qingchan sneered, "Scared now? Little wretch, today I want to make a bet with you!"
Mu Yingxue smiled, "Scared? Not quite. Ever since I gambled with my little lover, my progress on the poison path has been advancing by leaps and bounds. I'm no longer what I used to be. Even if the Great Venerable himself came, I could poison him with a flick of my finger. But since you've come to challenge me, I can't refuse. What kind of bet do you want?"
"Let's bet on your little man!"
Yu Qingchan suddenly pointed down at the arena, pointing at Qin Mu, and cackled, "Your little man's life!"
With a whoosh, the area around Qin Mu emptied out as the crowd scattered to avoid being caught in the crossfire, leaving Qin Mu standing alone. Even Xiong Qier was grabbed by the scruff of her neck by Dragon Qilin, who carried the little girl far away.
Qin Mu looked quite innocent as he gazed up at the stage, giving the girl on it a helpless smile. He thought to himself, "The tracking techniques of the Western Lands are too strong. I've never been able to shake off the True Heaven Palace's pursuit."
Mu Yingxue let out a cheer and was about to jump down from the stage, but then she stopped.
She was now standing on the arena. If she jumped down, it would be an automatic forfeit, giving up the title of Poison Master without a fight.
"Fine, let's bet on my little man!"
Mu Yingxue was excited and hopping with joy. She turned back and laughed, "You've combined soul poison with the Western Lands' spirit-summoning technique, using the poisonous creatures on the arena to refine this giant beast. That's truly extraordinary, much better than before. I'll also use the poisonous creatures on the arena to counter you."
She lightly tapped the stamen with her bare foot, and instantly, the surrounding poisonous flowers and plants bloomed wildly, while poisonous insects and toads grew at an alarming rate. She said leisurely, "Sister Qingchan, you're only practicing poison techniques, but I've begun to understand the Way, comprehending the incredible mysteries of the poison path. You think you've taken the initiative by striking first, but you haven't realized that in the poison path, there is never such a thing as taking the initiative."
A marvelous thing happened. The physiological forms of those poisonous flowers, plants, insects, and toads began to transform, changing from one species to another, evolving from one type of toxicity to another. The art of creation was truly wondrous.
Qin Mu couldn't help but admire her. Since her defeat at his hands, Mu Yingxue's mastery of the "All Things Have Spirit" technique had deepened greatly, and her skill in the art of creation had improved immensely. It was truly astonishing.
Yu Qingchan let out a sharp cry, and the giant spider beneath her began to move its claws. The arena was already small, and the giant spider took up most of it. Now that the spider was moving, there was even less room for Mu Yingxue!
Under the spider's belly, countless poisonous eggs burst open, and as they hit the ground, they turned into thousands of tiny spiders that covered the arena, swarming toward Mu Yingxue.
But before these poisonous creatures could reach Mu Yingxue, they suddenly turned to charcoal and shattered into pieces. The giant spider also let out a piercing shriek and burst apart with a bang.
Yu Qingchan quickly leaped into the air, shouting harshly, "I'll come back for you!"
"Sister, maybe in your next life."
Mu Yingxue flicked her finger, and Yu Qingchan in midair turned into a pool of blood that splattered to the ground with a splash.
Afternoon off, chapters will be updated together in the evening!
Zhaizhu got stuck on the plot. I only wrote over 1,600 words by noon, and everything after that felt off. I deleted and revised several times, but I can't finish this chapter by noon. I'll update two chapters together in the evening.
Apologies.