Chapter Twenty-Six: Long Yun's Schemes

As these thoughts crossed his mind, a resolute expression flickered across Xu Lie’s face. At this moment, his inner energy was less than half of its usual strength. Facing Zhu Xuan, who matched his power, he had not the slightest confidence in victory.

“Well? Have you made up your mind? You only have one chance. The Heaven-Seizing Pill is important, certainly, but compared to your own life! Hmph!” Zhu Xuan stared unblinkingly at Xu Lie, unable to conceal the greed in his heart, as if he already held the winning hand.

“Do you still have the poisoned needles from earlier?” Long Yun lowered his voice and asked Xu Qing beside him.

Xu Qing said nothing—not because he didn’t want to, but because Long Yun had already struck his mute acupoint, rendering him unable to speak. The urgency showed plainly on his face.

Long Yun ignored him and rummaged through his belongings, finally extracting a delicate iron box from his waist. With a press of the mechanism, the lid sprang open, revealing a handful of blue-tinted silver needles.

“Damn it, it’s bad enough to use poison, but needles? And you have the nerve to use something women play with!” Long Yun unexpectedly flicked Xu Qing’s forehead, cursing playfully.

Xu Qing nearly burst into tears, his face full of grievance—this wasn’t his fault. He’d simply learned as his master taught him; he couldn’t change anything himself.

A gleam flashed in Xu Lie’s eyes, his aura suddenly vanishing. He let out a heavy sigh.

Zhu Xuan’s smile grew even more pronounced, a subtle murderous intent spreading. He had absolutely no intention of letting Xu Lie live. If Xu Lie survived, he would surely spread word of Zhu Xuan obtaining the Heaven-Seizing Pill, and trouble would come seeking him. Thus, whether Xu Lie handed over the pill or not, he was doomed to die.

Suddenly, Xu Lie’s wrist curved, and his sword swept out in a flash. Sword light surged, transforming into rolling waves that howled forth, reaching Zhu Xuan in the blink of an eye.

Zhu Xuan’s expression changed drastically. He had not expected Xu Lie to counterattack so abruptly. In his panic, he managed only to avoid a fatal blow, but his left arm was severed at the root.

“Ah—!” Zhu Xuan screamed, his face contorted with rage. His right hand’s sword, however, stabbed directly into Xu Lie’s chest, sinking to the hilt. Then, with a vicious kick, he sent Xu Lie flying!

A jet of blood sprayed from Xu Lie’s chest wound as his body was thrown through the air, crashing heavily into the grass. Blood gushed from his mouth in torrents.

Despair flickered in Xu Lie’s eyes. That strike had gathered all his inner energy, aiming to end it in one blow, hoping to catch Zhu Xuan off guard and kill him outright.

Yet Zhu Xuan’s reaction was unexpectedly swift. Though he lost an arm, he preserved his life, and all Xu Lie’s calculations came to nothing.

He sighed quietly, a bitter smile curling his lips. Now, he truly had reached the end; the only hope of the Small Pill Sect had been utterly extinguished.

Meanwhile, Zhu Xuan’s fingers moved like lightning, pressing several major acupoints to staunch the bleeding from his arm. His face twisted into a grotesque snarl as he slowly approached Xu Lie.

“Fool, I gave you a way out and you refused, insisting on this path to death. Fine, after I kill you, I’ll take the Heaven-Seizing Pill to avoid any unexpected troubles!” Zhu Xuan’s face was grim as he stepped towards Xu Lie.

Xu Lie reached into his robes and grabbed the Universe Flask, raising it high above his head. With stern resolve, he declared, “Zhu Xuan, the Heaven-Seizing Pill was crafted by the painstaking efforts of my Small Pill Sect’s predecessors. Do you think someone like you is worthy to possess it? Even if I must destroy it today, I will never let you succeed!”

With that, he moved to pull out the flask’s stopper. Zhu Xuan was more than twenty yards away; there was no way he could seize the pill before Xu Lie opened the flask, so Xu Lie had no doubt.

A trembling hum suddenly sounded. In Zhu Xuan’s hand, a fierce light shot forth, vanishing in a blink, piercing directly through Xu Lie’s palm!

Xu Lie hadn’t expected Zhu Xuan to have such a trick. Unable to exert any force with his hand, the Universe Flask fell to the grass.

Zhu Xuan dared not hesitate any longer; in a flash, he lunged towards Xu Lie!

Xu Lie’s face changed slightly—he had failed after all. Seeing Zhu Xuan’s form darting ever closer, and glancing at the Universe Flask beside him, his heart filled with sorrow.

“Ah—!” Another scream rang out, but it was not from the prostrate Xu Lie, for he had already closed his eyes, awaiting death in silence.

Hearing the scream, Xu Lie opened his eyes, only to find Zhu Xuan slumped before him, his face ashen, his right foot raised, with several shining silver needles embedded side by side.

The exposed parts of the needles glowed with a blue aura—they were soaked in deadly poison!

Xu Lie felt no joy at Zhu Xuan’s injury. These poisoned needles had clearly been set deliberately, calculated with utmost precision, likely during the moment he was thrown through the air.

They had been expertly launched, buried in the grass, each spaced perfectly to match Zhu Xuan’s possible steps.

Intent on killing Xu Lie, Zhu Xuan paid no heed to the danger beneath his feet. The needles were designed to penetrate inner energy defenses, and multiple factors conspired for him to fall victim.

“Damn you, so you had such methods—I underestimated you!” Black qi began to swirl around Zhu Xuan’s face; whatever poison this was, it possessed extraordinary potency.

Zhu Xuan, at least a master of the innate realm, could not force out the toxin. Long Yun, watching from the side, secretly clicked his tongue and gave Xu Qing a fierce flick.

This bastard—he actually used such deadly poison against me earlier. Even Zhu Xuan can’t expel it, let alone myself. That scoundrel obviously intended to kill me!

A storm raged in Zhu Xuan’s heart. He had no idea what the poison was, but it clung to his body like a maggot to bone, unable to be forced out by any amount of inner energy.

He dared not delay further, barely able to suppress the toxin with his energy, preventing its spread, while he slowly advanced towards Xu Lie.

He believed Xu Lie was behind it all. After all, aside from pill crafting, the Small Pill Sect was also infamous for its poisons.

“You think a mere poison can stop me? Once I kill you and take the Heaven-Seizing Pill, I refuse to believe this poison cannot be purged!” Zhu Xuan gritted his teeth, his face twisted with madness.

Zhu Xuan gripped his sword hilt, trying to muster a thread of inner energy, but the earlier blow and kick had shattered his organs. Even now, freed from immediate danger, he was close to death. Unable to summon his energy, he could only let out a bleak laugh, watching helplessly as Zhu Xuan drew closer!

“Xu Qing, tell me, what is this poison?” Long Yun asked Xu Qing.

Xu Qing pointed to his mouth, signaling for Long Yun to undo his mute acupoint. Long Yun obliged, tapping several points on Xu Qing’s neck.

“This is a venom my master extracted from a deadly snake found in the mountains. It’s extremely potent. My master said that even an innate realm expert cannot escape its effects. He named it ‘Ten Steps Down’!” Xu Qing quickly whispered.

“Ten Steps Down?” Long Yun was startled.

“It means the victim can take at most ten steps before dropping dead!” Xu Qing explained.

“Ten steps?” Long Yun glanced at the staggering Zhu Xuan. Upon close inspection, he saw Zhu Xuan had already taken nine steps—only one remained!

With a rush, Zhu Xuan finally took the last step, his body swaying slightly, but he did not collapse as Xu Qing had described. Instead, he regained his composure.

Eleven steps! With the eleventh step, Long Yun felt another wave of disappointment—Zhu Xuan had not fallen. Unable to hold back, he raised his arm to give Xu Qing another flick.

But he forgot that Xu Qing’s mute acupoint had been released. Seeing Long Yun about to hit him, Xu Qing instinctively cried out!

“Who’s there?”

“Damn!” Hearing Zhu Xuan’s wary shout, Long Yun’s face changed dramatically. And then, a tidal wave of force swept over him—he did not dare pause, immediately moving sideways with Xu Qing!

Although he dodged Zhu Xuan’s attack, before he could land, the vast power of Zhu Xuan’s spirit enveloped him instantly.

Simultaneously, an overwhelming pressure descended, completely immobilizing Long Yun, leaving him utterly unable to move.