Qin Yang's face darkened. "Damn, I forgot something crucial..."
He'd been continuously using the Ice Heart Art to counteract the Hot Snake Flower venom, yet he'd overlooked this life-threatening detail.
But he was no longer the same person he'd been before!
Qin Yang glanced to the side, where Lou Mengyu stood quietly, fully dressed.
His mind raced with wild speculations.
This was the precursor to the poison's full manifestation!
If his sweat were to transform into steaming blood, it would be too late.
Qin Yang pushed the Ice Heart Art to its limits.
"Clear as ice, merciless as heaven..."
Unnoticed by him, the bloodied sweat that had seeped from his chest earlier had soaked into the family heirloom - the dragon-shaped jade pendant.
The moment they touched, the pendant absorbed every drop of blood.
The lifelike divine dragon, its eyes once blank, now bore vivid crimson pupils that pulsed with unnatural life. They even rolled in their sockets!
Lou Mengyu watched Qin Yang with smug satisfaction, her voice dripping with mockery. "I witnessed everything. You're poisoned by the Hot Snake Flower, aren't you?"
"Since you know, you should understand the danger of being here now," Qin Yang ground out through clenched teeth.
"Danger? What danger?" Lou Mengyu scoffed, unconvinced.
Qin Yang snapped, "While I still have my senses, you'd better leave now! And I didn't deliberately spy on you bathing. Why are you hounding me so relentlessly, trying to drive me to my death?"
The mention of bathing made Qin Yang's heart flutter with uncontrollable desire.
Lou Mengyu's expression hardened, her voice stiffening. "Hounding you? You've taken my kindness for granted!"
Qin Yang's heart skipped a beat. Could she be offering to cure me?
He shook his head violently, bitter laughter escaping him. The Hot Snake Flower's venom is no ordinary poison...
Realizing her words had been too harsh, Lou Mengyu's cheeks flushed crimson. "Though I wanted you dead, I couldn't bear to let you suffer so. I stayed to save that Outer Sect disciple. Since you've escaped and haven't harmed her..."
She paused, her gaze softening as she reassessed Qin Yang. His nature isn't truly wicked; it's just that he witnessed something he shouldn't have.
"...I'll grant you a swift death instead," Lou Mengyu declared.
"Chuckles. You couldn't kill me before, but you can now?" A vicious grin flashed across Qin Yang's face before vanishing. I'm losing control!
Lou Mengyu's temper flared. "Before it was because... because..."
"Is it because you're not wearing clothes that your movements are hindered?" Qin Yang shook his head, his tone turning provocative. "Why wasn't your movement hindered when you kicked that Windstorm Kick earlier?"
Lou Mengyu gritted his teeth in fury. "Are you looking to die?"
With that, he charged forward using the Pursuit Wind Step. "I'll show you the true power of the Windstorm Kick!"
A gust of wind surged as overwhelming pressure bore down.
Legs moved like wind, yet carried murderous intent.
"Clear Breeze Swipes Willow!" Qin Yang deployed this technique again to counter the Windstorm Kick.
Lou Mengyu found it laughable. "I won't let you grab my leg this time!"
"Only if I don't want to grab it!"
Qin Yang laughed, crossed his arms, and directly grabbed Lou Mengyu's thigh. With a twist of his waist, he flung Lou Mengyu flying.
Mid-air, Lou Mengyu was utterly shocked. In such a short time, how had this brat's strength grown so formidable?
No, it wasn't just strength. This Clear Breeze Swipes Willow technique could actually be used like this? His mighty Windstorm Kick had been deflected as easily as a gentle breeze?
"Let me show you what true Windstorm Kick looks like!"
Qin Yang growled, accelerating his movements with the Pursuit Wind Step.
In an instant, Qin Yang's figure became ethereal, his movements completely unpredictable.
Lou Mengyu's eyes widened. This... this was identical to what Teacher Wu had demonstrated! Had this brat truly cultivated his martial arts to such heights? Could he be the one Teacher Wu had been nurturing?
Lou Mengyu's mind reeled as she realized something even more crucial.
This brat was no longer at the peak of the Qi Refining Realm—he had already reached the initial stage of the Qi Gathering Realm!
The leg strike arrived before the wind itself.
Lou Mengyu hung suspended in mid-air like a leaf caught in a gale. Her genius instincts kicked in as she activated the Ice Heart Art to stabilize her mind, then executed the Willow Breeze Technique.
"Returning your own methods against you? Pity, your mastery falls short! You'll never match me." Qin Yang shook his head imperceptibly, landing his leg strike squarely on her outstretched palms.
Numbness flooded Lou Mengyu's arms. Unable to replicate Qin Yang's technique, she had no choice but to pivot and flip backward, landing smoothly yet losing sight of her opponent.
"Behind me? When did this happen?" Lou Mengyu's muscles tensed as she whirled around, only to find Qin Yang frozen mid-motion in the Wind Piercing Finger stance.
"I... I've lost?" Lou Mengyu's voice trembled. In the blink of an eye, she'd been defeated by this brat.
It wasn't that Qin Yang held back—he couldn't risk it. The poison within him had erupted, sending his true qi into chaos. Forcing the Wind Piercing Finger now would mean losing control of his energy. Should it tear through his meridians, the resulting damage would haunt him for life.
Lou Mengyu also recognized why Qin Yang had stopped. Her face turned frosty. "If that incident hadn't occurred, we might have become friends."
After a pause, she spoke again, "You should give up. Let me end it quickly for you. It'll spare you further torment. You must understand—even if you survive by chance, your life will be worse than death."
"That cultivation method can't save you! Hot Snake Flower venom... tsk, how intriguing." A voice suddenly appeared in Qin Yang's mind.
"Who's there? Who's talking in my head?" Qin Yang froze. "Is this my inner demon?"
"Stop lying to yourself. Even if you survive, your life is ruined!"
"Damn it! What kind of fucking inner demon is this?" Qin Yang felt himself losing control.
"The cure's right in front of you! Stop hesitating—take it! Take it! Take it!"
"Shut up!" Qin Yang roared inwardly.
After a moment of silence, the voice, now weathered by time, spoke again: "How tragic that the Qin family's descendants have fallen to such depths—to meet this wretched end, to face extinction. What a waste... The Eight Divine Clans..."
The voice gradually faded until it vanished completely.
Qin Yang called out repeatedly, but there was no response. The dragon jade pendant at his chest, its demonic eye, began to dim.
Seeing Qin Yang's conflicted expression, Lou Mengyu said, "It seems you're ready. If that's the case, I'll grant you your wish early."
With that, she thrust her Wind Piercing Finger forward, striking directly at Qin Yang's chest.
Qin Yang's true qi surged wildly, but he dared not circulate it. He staggered backward, yet escape proved impossible.
The finger struck the dragon jade pendant on his chest with such force that it nearly embedded itself into his flesh.
His skin cracked, and blood that had been seeping out now gushed forth, all absorbed by the dragon jade.
The demonic eye flared to life again, this time with even greater vitality!
"Attack!" The voice from before sounded again.