Chapter 183: Demonic Elixir

Hiss…

When his wide sleeve touched the curtain of water falling from above, it immediately emitted a wisp of black smoke and a hole appeared.

First the sleeve, then his finger, followed by his palm…

Wisp after wisp of black smoke rose from Mu Feng’s body. His right hand, which had first entered the water curtain, was corroded down to the gleaming white bone. In the next moment, perhaps not even his bones would remain, and his soul would scatter to the wind. Yet, not only did his body not stop, it accelerated even more, determined to force its way through!

The toxicity of the Ten Thousand Poison Spring was truly terrifying. A single drop could poison thousands of giant dragons. The curtain of water formed from the Ten Thousand Poison Spring was practically the end of all life. No matter what it was, upon touching the water curtain, it would immediately be corroded with holes or even vaporized on the spot.

The antidote that Murong Xue secretly gave him could only last for a short moment. When he passed through the first water curtain, his body was still unaffected. But when he forced his way through the second water curtain, Mu Feng suddenly experienced the horrifying power of the water.

“No…”

Watching Mu Feng charge forward like that, about to be utterly annihilated, Murong Xue and Jing Wushuang both cried out in alarm. Even the Sect Leader Murong, who had remained cold-faced and was dragging Jing Wushuang away, suddenly paused and turned around.

Without the antidote, even a peak Elite Realm expert would be completely destroyed if they barged into the water curtain. Although Mu Feng was exceptionally talented and already so powerful despite only having cultivated to the Mortal Realm, for him to rashly charge at the water curtain like this—was he ignorant of his own limits, or had he gone mad?

Thud…

Just as Mu Feng, fearless of death, was about to force his way into the water curtain, a long sleeve suddenly appeared before him, knocking him flying.

At the critical moment, the unfathomably powerful Sect Leader Murong made her move again. With an expressionless face, she coldly said, “Ignorant fool. How could you possibly force your way through my Ten Thousand Poison Spring, which I personally refined? Mu Feng, I’ll give you one more chance. If you still don’t know what’s good for you, don’t blame me for being ruthless. Our Poison Sect happens to be in need of a tough-bodied poison puppet!”

“No… please don’t! Sect Leader, no… Master, I beg you, for Shuang’er’s sake, please don’t…”

Jing Wushuang’s face changed color. Mu Feng didn’t know what a poison puppet was, but she had heard Ghost Mother speak of it. It was the most terrifying war machine of the Poison Sect, covered head to toe in deadly poison. Although the puppet remained conscious, its every move was not under its own control but entirely at the mercy of the Poison Sect disciples. To be refined into a poison puppet was a fate worse than death!

“Shuang’er, if it weren’t for you, he would have died long ago!” Sect Leader Murong said expressionlessly.

Looking at Mu Feng, covered in blood and lying in a pool of it, Jing Wushuang suddenly knelt before Sect Leader Murong, desperately pleading, “Master, I have already sworn never to betray the sect. Please release me, let me speak a few last words with Brother Mu Feng. Master, Shuang’er begs you!”

Jing Wushuang kowtowed several times, and when she felt the long sleeve wrapped around her wrist loosen, she quickly turned around. Through the countless layers of water curtains, she looked at the blood-stained Mu Feng at the other end of the stone steps. Crystal tears streamed down her face again as she sobbed uncontrollably, “Mu Feng… Brother Mu Feng…”

“Shuang’er…”

Hearing the call from afar, Mu Feng’s body stirred. Then, with great difficulty, he raised his head.

The two of them gazed at each other in silence, separated by countless layers of water curtains. A mere thousand meters apart felt like they were worlds away, visible yet unreachable. One was on her knees, weeping bitterly with tears pouring down; the other was gravely injured, having fallen to the ground, struggling to lift his head from the pool of blood.

“Brother Mu Feng, please don’t chase after me anymore. Shuang’er is merely joining the sect leader’s school to become a disciple of the Poison Sect. There’s nothing to worry about. Besides, Shuang’er has swallowed the Demonic Elixir refined by Ghost Mother Granny. In all the world, only within the Poison Sect can its effects be undone.”

Jing Wushuang wiped the tears from her face, forcing herself to calm down. She looked at Mu Feng through the many water curtains and continued, “Once we obtain the Yang Soul Pill, Brother Sky Splitting Tiger will be saved. Brother Mu Feng, you are skilled in both literary and martial arts, brave and resourceful. In the future, you will surely become a great figure in our Tongtian Dynasty. You will… definitely find a woman a hundred times better than Shuang’er. When you return to Mu Manor, please give my regards to your mother. My brother is reckless and impulsive by nature, so please try to advise him more in the future…”

“Shuang’er, tell me, if it’s just about joining the Poison Sect, then why are you crying so sadly?” Mu Feng’s voice was hoarse as he stared unblinkingly at Jing Wushuang.

“It’s because… because…”

Jing Wushuang was at a loss for words. Looking at Mu Feng’s reddened eyes, she didn’t know how to explain.

After joining the Poison Sect and practicing the Manual of Extreme Poison, following the usual rules of the sect, one might never be allowed to leave the Hengling Mountain Range for life. Once the cultivation bore results, the toxicity could even spread through the extraordinary meridians, causing the face to become covered in pus and blood, turning one into an old woman like Ghost Mother—neither human nor ghost, forced to live underground all year round.

For a young woman in the prime of her life, turning into such a state was undoubtedly a fate worse than death. The person might live, but the heart would already be dead!

Back in Yinfeng Cave, before they even set out, Ghost Mother had already explained everything clearly. Jing Wushuang had known all along. But how could she tell Mu Feng these things? Knowing the truth, with his personality, how could he possibly leave alone and at ease?

“Once you become my disciple under Murong Bi, from then on, in life you are a member of the Poison Sect, in death a ghost of the Poison Sect. You may never set foot outside the Poison Sect for the rest of your life, unless…” Sect Leader Murong’s cold voice came from afar.

“Unless what?” Mu Feng’s eyes lit up. Clenching his teeth against the pain, he slowly stood up from the pool of blood.

His injuries were severe, especially his left leg, pierced by the four masked women, and his right hand, corroded to the bone by the water curtain. They trembled uncontrollably. For anyone else, even if they didn’t die from blood loss, the pain would likely make them faint. Yet he stubbornly managed to stand up. His sheer willpower and physical toughness even made Sect Leader Murong look at him with newfound respect.

So young, only at the Mortal Realm, yet with such strength—truly remarkable!

“Unless the heavens collapse and the world perishes! Otherwise, disciples of the Poison Sect are forbidden from setting foot outside this valley without permission, cut off from the world.”

Sect Leader Murong’s expression remained unchanged as her voice carried from afar through the countless water curtains. “However, seeing how deeply you care for each other, I’ll make an exception and give you one more chance. As long as you break through to the True Human Realm, you may come here to see Shuang’er again. Of course, whether she continues to train here in seclusion or leaves with you will depend on your own ability. We will have a contest. If you win, you may take Shuang’er away. If you lose, you will stay and become the guardian poison puppet of our Poison Sect!”

“Good, do you mean it?” Mu Feng pressed in a deep voice.

“Nonsense. Do I, Murong Bi, need to waste words with you? Shuang’er, time is almost up. If we don’t enter the poison pool immediately, the Demonic Elixir inside you will activate. Let’s go!”

With a cold snort, Sect Leader Murong lightly flicked her sleeve, which reached the ground, and it wrapped tightly around Jing Wushuang’s wrist. She turned and left, disappearing at the end of the stone steps. Only after their figures had completely vanished did the terrifying water curtains quietly recede.

“True… Human… Realm!”

Mu Feng uttered each word slowly. His blood and energy churned, and his pursuit and thirst for power grew even stronger!