Chapter 281: Crimson Flame Lotus Seed

Silence.

The surroundings were utterly silent.

Gu Mu's face alternated between red and white.

He had carefully observed the speed just displayed by this 'Grandmaster Uncle'; if they were to fight at that speed, he probably couldn't hold on for even a single breath!

In other words... if he truly wanted to kill him, it would indeed be no harder than killing a chicken!

Thinking that he had just attacked such a person, cold sweat soaked his back.

Fortunately, he recognized him and there was some connection; otherwise, even the so-called special envoy would likely have become a corpse beyond saving.

A strongman of this level hadn't attacked earlier; how could he possibly deliberately knock him unconscious and then kill him, thereby lowering his own status?

'I was petty-minded. Please forgive me, Grandmaster Uncle!'

Understanding this, Gu Mu bowed.

Killing you is easier than killing a chicken; if he really wanted to act, he wouldn't play mind games with a chicken.

'I am a free spirit, passing through Red Lotus City. Seeing the Great Medicine King afflicted with a contract gu, I stepped in to save him. Thus, I learned that the esteemed Poison Hall branch, for the sake of a mere hall master position, is fighting to the death, not hesitating to harm brothers. Unable to bear seeing my poison master juniors harmed, I came here, hoping to resolve the conflict!'

Gazing at the sky, Zhang Xuan's eyes revealed an air of compassion.

'This...'

Hearing that he had come for this reason, Liao Xun and the others felt secretly ashamed.

So this senior's purpose was this; they had thought he was a swindler coveting treasures... now thinking back, it was ridiculous.

No wonder he immediately proposed an assessment upon arrival, with the strongest becoming hall master—this precisely avoided trouble and conflict.

Gu Mu also suddenly understood; he had wondered why this man, claiming to be his grandmaster uncle and of high status, would impersonate a special envoy. It turned out he couldn't bear to see poison master disciples harmed.

Understanding this, he was filled with admiration; probably only a true poison master, one who loved this profession to the extreme, could have such breadth of mind.

'Alright, since you, the real special envoy, have arrived, there's no point in me staying. I'll take my leave!'

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan said no more, flickered, and walked out.

His words relied on the deterrent effect of the Heavenly Dao Movement Technique just now; the others dared not overthink, but given time, they would find many loopholes.

However, for him, the purpose of coming to the Poison Hall was to read books. Now that the books were read and the real special envoy had arrived, rather than staying and risking exposure, it was better to leave immediately.

Once out of the poison gas range, he could summon the Sky Roaring Beast, and then the sky would be the limit.

'Please save me, Grandmaster Uncle...'

Seeing him turn to leave without mentioning saving him, Gu Mu's face turned pale. Knowing that his earlier doubt had offended the other, he stepped forward and knelt again.

Every strongman has dignity.

Having been attacked upon arrival, and then doubted when he offered help, how could he be pleased?

Not teaching him a lesson was already good-tempered.

'My treatment requires the patient to be unconscious. Given your concern for your own safety, it's understandable that you didn't believe me!' Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Hearing the obvious anger in his tone and that he didn't intend to act, Gu Mu hesitated, then gritted his teeth and transmitted his voice: 'Grandmaster Uncle, please wait! This time, the headquarters sent me here nominally to support the new hall master and stabilize the branch, but actually because the branch's [Crimson Flame Lotus Seed] is ripe!'

'Crimson Flame Lotus Seed?'

'Yes, the Crimson Flame Lotus Seed grows deep in volcanoes, absorbing the power of earth veins. Taking it can increase the chance of breaking through the Supreme bottleneck by twenty percent, allowing one to冲击 a higher realm! I am stuck at a bottleneck and unable to break through, so I volunteered to come.'

Having said this, Gu Mu held nothing back: 'I know that for someone of your strength, this item is useless, but if you could obtain it and give it to your disciples or students, it would be a great favor.'

'Increases the chance of breaking through the Supreme bottleneck by twenty percent?' Zhang Xuan was astonished.

Breaking through in cultivation relies on will, confidence, accumulation, techniques... medicinal pills are only supplementary, generally just aids. Therefore, most medicines are not very effective for cultivators.

This one having twenty percent—if he hadn't heard it himself, he wouldn't have believed it.

Though twenty percent may not seem high, in cultivation, such a probability is extremely逆天.

The Supreme realm is the highest realm for martial artists, but not the end of cultivation. The continent is vast and boundless, and there must be countless super-strong beings beyond the Supreme realm.

A single Crimson Flame Lotus Seed that increases the breakthrough chance by so much can truly be called a priceless treasure.

That this Poison Hall branch had such a good thing even surprised Zhang Xuan.

'Alright, state your terms!'

Knowing that the other had a purpose in revealing this, Zhang Xuan looked at him.

'I only ask that Grandmaster Uncle resolve the隐患 in my body. As for the lotus seeds, I need one to break through my realm! I dare not ask for more; the rest can all be offered to Grandmaster Uncle.'

Gu Mu said.

Hearing his own words, he knew that with his current physical condition, even if he found the lotus seed, he couldn't break through. So it was better to exchange it for treatment.

Moreover, although the Crimson Flame Lotus Seed was a good thing, it wasn't easy to obtain; otherwise, the old hall master wouldn't have died suddenly.

The old hall master's death—others didn't know the reason, but he knew it well. This branch had recorded the cause of death in a report and submitted it, and he had just seen the contents.

It wasn't an illness as rumored, but when the Crimson Flame Lotus Seed ripened, he went to pick it and was burned to ashes by the core fire.

Even a dignified Supreme realm expert couldn't withstand it; if nothing unexpected happened, they might need to rely on this person to obtain the so-called lotus seed.

Therefore, after much thought, it was better to reveal this information in exchange.

He also knew that such a strongman, upon learning the news, would not treat him unfairly out of self-respect.

'Alright!'

Zhang Xuan nodded.

He had originally planned to treat him; now that there was something to gain, why not?

'Then... when do we start?'

Seeing his agreement, Gu Mu's face lit up: 'Do we need to prepare anything?'

'No need to prepare; let's start now!'

Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

The longer the delay, the more chances for complications; it was better to act quickly.

'Good!' Hearing that treatment could begin immediately, Gu Mu's face brightened: 'I entrust this to Grandmaster Uncle!'

With that, he raised his wrist.

Smack!

He struck his own head, his body went limp, and he collapsed unconscious.

'Uh?'

Seeing him knock himself out, Zhang Xuan looked down at the [Numbing Soul Powder] he had just taken out, then helplessly put it back into his storage ring.

'I was going to have you use this, but you're even more reckless than the Great Medicine King...'

[Numbing Soul Powder] induces unconsciousness and is very useful for his 'special medical technique'. Before setting out, he had obtained a good amount.

Since it was cheap, the Great Medicine King was happy to oblige, giving him over twenty packets.

He had thought to try its effect this time, but before he could even take it out, this guy had knocked himself out.

Too fast!

But that was fine; unconsciousness was unconsciousness, saving him an extra step.

Stepping forward to the unconscious Gu Mu, he flipped his palm, and several silver needles appeared in his hand.

The library had already generated a detailed description of the other, so there was no need for another diagnosis.

With a flick of his finger, the silver needles flew; his hands moved swiftly, his whole body light and agile like a butterfly.

Gu Mu's condition differed from the Great Medicine King's.

The latter had his foundation damaged by a contract gu, leading to weakness, while the former had forcibly enhanced his strength by using poisons to stimulate acupoints, allowing poison gas to enter his body and destroy his vitality.

The former required nurturing with Heavenly Dao true energy; the latter only needed to locate the concentrated poison areas and use Heavenly Dao true energy to expel it from the body, completely resolving the issue.

Strictly speaking, it was even easier than treating the Great Medicine King.

Sizzle sizzle!

The silver needles, combined with Heavenly Dao true energy, pierced the areas where poison gas had gathered. Soon, a flowing sound came from Gu Mu's body, and black water oozed from his fingers and toes.

'Is this... the poison gas hidden in the body?'

'Expelled like this?'

Seeing this, Liao Xun and the others widened their eyes in disbelief.

Having dealt with deadly poisons daily, they knew the difficulty of expelling poison.

Some poison gas entering the body could not be neutralized even with countless medicines over a lifetime.

Because of this, although poison masters were fearsome, their lifespans were generally short; fifty or sixty was a hurdle.

They themselves, though outwardly symptom-free, had various problems inside from constant contact with poison, causing significant damage.

They had thought it incurable, but now this senior could easily resolve it.

If he could expel such potent poison from the special envoy, could he do the same for them?

Everyone looked at Zhang Xuan again, their eyes burning with fervor.

Ignoring their expressions, Zhang Xuan concentrated, precisely inserting silver needles into the deepest hiding places of poison in Gu Mu's body. After a moment, he flicked his hand and withdrew all the needles.

With a wave of his hand.

Gu Mu slowly regained consciousness.

'This...'

Opening his eyes, Gu Mu immediately sensed his condition.

Before, poison gas had swirled in his body, weighing him down like a huge shackle, making movement and behavior difficult. Now, he could clearly feel the shackle removed, his whole body light.

Even without testing with true energy, he knew that the shadow of death that had been hanging over him had been resolved.

'Thank you, Grandmaster Uncle, for saving my life!'

He knelt again, this time with utmost sincerity and admiration from the heart, not just out of fear of the other's strength.

Zhang Xuan waved his hand: 'Your condition is more severe than I observed; it may require three consecutive treatments to fully resolve. So don't be grateful yet; wait until you're completely cured!'

The Crimson Flame Lotus Seed had not yet been seen, and he wasn't absolutely safe here, so he had to leave some leverage, not cure him all at once.