# Chapter 1103: Black Hands, Black Heart
As soon as he entered the stone room, an even more intense chill assaulted him. This was not the icy cold of suddenly falling into an ice cave, but a sinister chill like entering a ghost domain—definitely not from cold profound energy.
Moreover, although the stone chamber was clearly dilapidated with doors and windows wide open, the light was abnormally dim. Upon entering, there was a sudden feeling of stepping from daylight into the night. Combined with the abruptly changed atmosphere, even someone as strong as Lei Qianfeng felt his whole body tighten, and even his arrogance and sharp aura involuntarily shrank back.
Inside the broken stone room stood a person wearing a blue-black cloak, his upper body slightly hunched. His entire body was wrapped under the cloak, with only half his face barely exposed. And that half-face was as blue-black as his cloak, withered like rocks exposed to the sun for thousands of years—just one glance at it filled people with fear.
And whether it was an illusion or not, a faint black mist seemed to float all over his body... barely visible.
The abruptly changed atmosphere and the terrifying appearance all proved that this person before them was no ordinary individual.
Lei Qianfeng was originally burning with anxiety and extreme resentment. As a realm king, even if the "Blackhearted Poison Saint" were real, he wouldn't have taken him seriously—after all, what was a mere poison doctor to deserve the regard of a realm king? Furthermore, with his naturally suspicious nature, he didn't fully believe that this person truly was the Blackhearted Poison Saint.
Because the Blackhearted Poison Saint had never appeared in the Heiya Realm in recorded history.
But at this moment, his thoughts had drastically changed. The eerie aura from this "Blackhearted Poison Saint" genuinely made his heart tremble with fear... Someone who could make him feel such immediate wariness upon first meeting was definitely no ordinary person—no, he must be an extremely terrifying figure!
At the same time, his doubts about whether this was truly the Blackhearted Poison Saint also largely dissipated.
Lei Qianfeng quickly halted. The cold air recklessly surging through his body made him dare not approach the "Blackhearted Poison Saint" too closely. As he was inwardly bewildered, Xiao Qingtong spoke anxiously: "Senior... are you the renowned Poison Saint?"
"Hehehe..." The black-robed elder let out his extremely unpleasant hoarse laugh: "You've already come looking for me, yet you still ask such an unnecessary question? I am indeed the Blackhearted Poison Saint. Since you dare to seek me out to neutralize poison, don't blame me for having black hands and a black heart, hehehehe!"
Xiao Qingtong, worried about her son's safety, was about to kneel directly: "I beg the Poison Saint to save my son, as long as—"
"Wait!" Lei Qianfeng grabbed Xiao Qingtong, his eyes slowly narrowing: "How do you prove you are the Blackhearted Poison Saint?"
"...Prove?"
Beneath the blue-black cloak, a pair of eyes slowly revealed themselves. The moment their gaze shot toward Lei Qianfeng, it startled him so much that his whole body trembled—because these eyes clearly flickered with a frightening black light: "Who do you think you are, to deserve proof from me? If you don't believe, then get lost!"
Lei Qianfeng, who ruled the Heiya Realm with an iron fist, had never been insulted like this. He instantly flew into a rage, but the momentary fear under that gaze and the lives of his six sons made him dare to be angry but not to act. His profound energy erupted, an overwhelming pressure directly covering a thousand miles, and he spoke in a deep voice: "Do you know who I am?"
"Hehehe!" The aura Lei Qianfeng suddenly released did not bring fear to the black-robed elder, but rather a cold laugh filled with contempt... even pity. He raised his arm, and a withered hand slowly extended from under the long sleeve. This hand was also clearly wreathed in black mist. Everyone's eyes touching this black mist felt a chill throughout their bodies, and the cold already flooding their bodies frenziedly surged through both body and soul.
"Divine Sovereigns who have been poisoned to death by my hand—I can't even count them on this one hand. It's only been a few decades since I last walked around, and now even a mere Divine King dares to bluster before me. Tsk tsk tsk, no wonder they say lower star realms are full of fools."
Every word was as dry and unpleasant as sandpaper rubbing. These words stunned Lei Tiangang and Lei Qiandu behind him, and Lei Qianfeng's expression changed sharply: "You—"
One word came out, but no further sound followed. Instead of raging forward, his body even swayed slightly backward.
People were like that—if this black-robed elder had been gentle and submissive, Lei Qianfeng would definitely have been overbearing and suspicious. But his few words—gloomy, disdainful, contemptuous, arrogant, sarcastic—made Lei Qianfeng's inner wariness increase layer by layer within just ten breaths of entering the stone room. Although furious inside, his momentum greatly diminished, and he dared not act rashly, not even daring to utter verbal abuse.
Xiao Qingtong, however, glared fiercely at him and quickly stepped forward two paces: "Senior Poison Saint, my husband has always been reckless, but he has absolutely no disrespect toward you in his heart. My husband is the Great Realm King of the Heiya Realm, with considerable family wealth. As long as you can save my sons' lives, the reward will surely satisfy you."
Lei Qianfeng was cautious and suspicious, but Xiao Qingtong was eager to grasp the last straw, not even thinking to distinguish true from false. Instead, she immediately revealed their background, as if afraid that this "Blackhearted Poison Saint" wouldn't bleed them dry enough.
The two spouses had very different personalities, and this was also the difference between most men and women when dealing with such major matters—especially matters involving children's safety.
The black-robed elder let out a sinister laugh: "Easy, easy. As long as you can pay Mysterious Stones, everything is negotiable. I've lived so many years; I wouldn't stoop to quarreling with an ignorant junior. Bring the people in."
Lei Qianfeng's expression changed repeatedly, but he said no more.
"Hurry! Hurry and bring Qian'er and the others in!" Xiao Qingtong said urgently.
Soon, more than ten Soul Sect disciples carried Lei Qianfeng's six sons in one by one and laid them neatly before the black-robed elder.
The black-robed elder remained sideways, not even turning his eyeballs. Only his nose moved slightly, and then he spoke slowly and eerily: "Oh, so it's Red Ghost Flame Poison."
From the black-robed elder's mouth came a name they had never heard before. Xiao Qingtong's face showed hope: "Senior Poison Saint, you recognize this poison?"
"Hehe..." Every laugh from the black-robed elder made people's bodies turn cold: "This poison originates from the Nan Shen Domain; it's rare here in the Dong Shen Domain. Those afflicted with Red Ghost Flame Poison will feel their whole body as if scorched by fire. When the poison attacks, their entire body is wreathed in red mist until they die from internal burning. After death, the poison mist does not dissipate but continues to burn and devour the corpse, leaving only a pile of red-black dry bones, without even a drop of blood. Hehehe."
Lei Guangmo's miserable death was still fresh in their minds. The black-robed elder's description matched the symptoms and death state exactly—not a single error. Lei Tiangang and Lei Qiandu showed strange expressions, and Lei Qianfeng's expression also shifted slightly.
All eyes were fixed on the black-robed elder. He had not bent down to examine, nor even glanced directly; at most, he had just sniffed, and yet he identified it immediately, describing it without a single mistake. Xiao Qingtong's face showed uncontrollable excitement: "Senior, since you recognize this poison, you must have a way to neutralize it, right?"
"Heh, very simple." The black-robed elder's low laugh even carried a hint of disdain. Those few words immediately filled Xiao Qingtong with great joy, and Lei Qianfeng's brows also twitched. The black-robed elder turned around at this moment. From under his cloak, his hand fumbled randomly somewhere and when it emerged, he was pinching six dirty-looking pills. The pills were the size of fingernails, dark green, wrinkled, and covered with gray-brown patterns that made people uncomfortable just looking at them.
With a flick of his withered fingers, the six pills flew to Xiao Qingtong: "One each. Once eaten, the poison will be neutralized."
The terrible poison that left the entire Soul Sect helpless and nearly drove Lei Qianfeng to madness was described lightly by him, and the act of casually tossing out the pills seemed almost dismissive. Xiao Qingtong caught them firmly, not even having time to say another word before she was about to rush over and feed them to her sons.
"Wait!"
Lei Qianfeng shot out his hand like lightning, grabbing Xiao Qingtong and simultaneously snatching the six pills from her hand. Before Xiao Qingtong could speak, he suddenly reached out and grabbed—a Soul Sect disciple let out a startled cry as he was instantly sucked into Lei Qianfeng's hand.
"S-Sect Master?" The Soul Sect disciple was completely bewildered.
Lei Qianfeng said nothing, but a black short spike had somehow appeared between his fingers. Before the rapidly constricting pupils of the Soul Sect disciple, he stabbed it straight into the disciple's heart. As it pierced, the short spike melted and disappeared directly into his body.
"Thousand Soul Poison!" Lei Tiangang and Lei Qiandu both cried out in shock.
Thousand Soul Poison was the most terrifying and cruelest poison in the Soul Sect—and in the entire Heiya Realm. Once afflicted, one would feel as if haunted by a thousand ghosts, suffering in great pain for three full hours before dying miserably. Thousand Soul Poison had no antidote; only the profound power of the Divine King realm—in other words, only Lei Qianfeng in the Heiya Realm—could neutralize it.
Within the Soul Sect, Thousand Soul Poison was only used on traitors, regarded as the sect's cruelest punishment.
After being afflicted with Thousand Soul Poison, the Soul Sect disciple's heart quickly turned blue-black, and this terrifying blue-black color rapidly spread. Within moments, even his face turned ashen. He collapsed to the ground, his whole body frantically twitching and convulsing, letting out screams of extreme agony, as if enduring the torture of a thousand blades piercing his body.
Lei Qianfeng lifted him, forced open his jaw, slapped one of the dark green pills into his mouth, then threw him aside, eyes fixed intently on him... But immediately, his originally gloomy eyes gradually became dazed.
The moment the green pill was forced down and he was thrown aside, the Soul Sect disciple suddenly felt the Thousand Soul Poison aura begin to weaken—and weaken rapidly. Within a few short breaths, it had weakened by more than half. The disciple's struggles and screams also visibly lessened.
After ten breaths, the Thousand Soul Poison aura had completely vanished.
And the Soul Sect disciple, who had been personally afflicted with Thousand Soul Poison by Lei Qianfeng just ten breaths ago, tremblingly stood up from the ground on his own, his face full of fear and bewilderment.
Lei Tiangang and Lei Qiandu's mouths hung wide open, as if seeing ghosts. Lei Qianfeng was stunned for several breaths before he flashed forward, grabbing the disciple's chest. With his profound energy sweeping, he could find no trace of Thousand Soul Poison at all.
Lei Qianfeng withdrew his hand and stood there dumbfounded for a long time, not moving. The horror of Thousand Soul Poison was something he understood best; he had always believed it had no antidote, and even neutralizing it with profound force required considerable effort. Yet now, the Thousand Soul Poison he had personally administered, with a single inconspicuous pill, was completely neutralized in just a few blinks.
This all happened before his eyes, and he could hardly believe it.
"Sect Master!" The disappearance of the poison aura and Lei Qianfeng's unusual reaction naturally told Lei Tiangang and Lei Qiandu the result. Xiao Qingtong was so excited that tears streamed down her face, and she cried out, "Truly worthy of the... Poison Saint! Qian'er and the others really can be saved!"
"..." Lei Qianfeng slowly turned around. At this point, how could he still doubt that the black-robed elder before him was not the Blackhearted Poison Saint? On the contrary, he even began to find it hard to believe that the legendary Blackhearted Poison Saint's poison-neutralizing ability was so strong...
That was Thousand Soul Poison! Neutralized in just ten short breaths!
"Hurry... hurry and give it to them!" Having witnessed the miraculous effect of these green pills with his own eyes, Lei Qianfeng could no longer remain calm. He quickly handed them over to Lei Qiandu and Lei Tiangang.
First, they gave the pill to his sixth son, Lei Yuanbai. Under their watch, the red mist on Lei Yuanbai's body quickly disappeared, and along with it, the poison aura that had been haunting him like a nightmare. In less than twenty breaths, Lei Yuanbai's body and face lost their unnatural red color. Although his aura was still somewhat weak, he sat up on his own, no longer showing any signs of pain.
With a sweep of profound energy, the poison aura inside him was completely gone—not a trace!
"This... this is a miracle!" Lei Tiangang exclaimed in admiration. "The name 'Poison Saint' is truly well-deserved."
Witnessing Lei Yuanbai shed the terrible poison, the other five who were still enduring the torturous agony of the poison all stared wide-eyed, struggling and shouting: "Father King... save me... save me..."
"Hurry, hurry and neutralize their poison! Hurry!" Lei Qianfeng urged repeatedly.
Seeing Lei Yuanbai's poison completely removed with her own eyes, Xiao Qingtong wept with joy. She quickly pulled Lei Yuanbai over and said excitedly, "Yuanbai, hurry, kneel and thank the Poison Saint! If not for him, you six brothers would have..."
Lei Yuanbai did not hesitate and immediately knelt: "Junior Lei Yuanbai thanks the Poison Saint for his great life-saving grace."
Only after he finished kneeling did the black-robed elder speak leisurely: "You need not kneel in thanks. Just settle the price properly, hehehehe."
Lei Qianfeng turned around. His gaze toward the black-robed elder was now completely different. The poison that he had been helpless against, even driven to the brink of despair and collapse, had been casually neutralized by this man. His ability to handle poison was unimaginable. Therefore, his earlier claim of having poisoned several Divine Sovereigns to death and not caring about Divine Kings was most likely true as well.
Thinking of this, and recalling his earlier words and actions, his heart skipped a beat, and cold sweat broke out on his back. He leaned forward and involuntarily made a respectful gesture: "Senior Poison Saint, rest assured. For such great kindness, our Soul Sect will surely repay it tenfold."
The black-robed elder glanced at him sideways but let out a disdainful sinister laugh: "You? Hehehe... Realm King of Heiya? From your big talk, I thought you had great ability, but you can't even neutralize such a little poison. A self-important, blind fool like you probably won't live long."
At any other time, hearing someone speak to him like this would have made Lei Qianfeng's murderous aura explode. But now, he straightened his expression and said, "Senior is correct in his lesson. I have been a frog at the bottom of a well for too long and almost failed to recognize a true master."
Behind him, two more sons had their poison aura disappear. Greatly relieved, he continued: "How about this: I heard that some days ago, when the Poison Saint first arrived in Heiya City, he saved three people from the Black Feather Chamber of Commerce, neutralizing their severe poison and charging each one million Mysterious Stones."
"Our Soul Sect is deeply grateful for your great kindness... and is willing to repay five times that amount!" Lei Qianfeng said with utmost sincerity. "One pill, five million Mysterious Stones! You saved six of our Soul Sect members, so we offer you thirty million Mysterious Stones! Does the senior find this satisfactory?"
Six casually tossed pills, and they were voluntarily offering thirty million Mysterious Stones—thirty million, a figure ordinary people wouldn't dare dream of in a lifetime. He thought that even if this Blackhearted Poison Saint were as black-hearted as they came, this astronomical price would surely make him overjoyed.
"Xixixixi..." The Blackhearted Poison Saint laughed, a laugh piercingly harsh. "Just a realm king of a small realm after all, hehehehe."
"..." Lei Qianfeng was utterly bewildered.
"Those three people, one million Mysterious Stones each—their lives are worth about that much," the black-robed elder said darkly. "But these six people are different. They are the sons of the Great Realm King of Heiya. Their lives are far more valuable than ordinary people's, don't you agree?"
"...Please enlighten me, senior," Lei Qianfeng said, a sense of unease rising in his heart.
The black-robed elder slowly raised a withered finger and said in a sinister tone: "One hundred million Mysterious Stones—each."
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[Why does this character Xiao Qingtong appear? What is the meaning of her existence? Hmm...]