Chapter 216: Coincidental Encounter with Xu Gongtong · Fourth Stage Exotic Poison

Chapter 216: Coincidental Encounter with Xu Gongtong · Fourth Stage Exotic Poison

Yuandu Merchant Guild.

"Where can I get some demon cores?"

For the past half-month, Lü Jingfu had pondered this question during every spare moment.

Thanks to the guild’s network, he learned on the third day after the Spirit Herb Banquet that Xiao Chen had remained in Hundred Grasses City instead of departing immediately.

Since the Yuandu Merchant Guild was also preparing for a Tea Gathering, Lü Jingfu decided to seize this opportunity to court Xiao Chen.

The most effective way to court someone was, of course, to cater to their desires.

Based on prior observations, it wasn’t hard to deduce that what Xiao Chen needed was demon cores—specifically, large quantities of them.

In the Inner Sea region, however, this was no simple task.

Thus, Lü Jingfu activated his web of contacts to begin stockpiling demon cores, planning to strike with a precisely targeted offer.

But someone had acted faster than him.

When Xiao Chen reappeared on the streets a month later to investigate the Jin Clan’s movements,

he had barely reached the plaza when someone called out: "Golden Light Technique Fellow Cultivator, what a pleasure to meet you!"

"Never thought you’d still be in Hundred Grasses City."

Xiao Chen turned around. The speaker was Xu Gongtong, the very person who had sat directly opposite him at the Spirit Herb Banquet.

The man hadn’t spoken to him that day, yet here he was, greeting him unexpectedly in the plaza.

Xiao Chen felt puzzled but returned the gesture: "Ah, Fellow Cultivator Xu. Long time no see."

"I had some mundane affairs to settle here, so I stayed a few extra days. Fellow Cultivator Xu, how come you’re still in Hundred Grasses City?"

Logically, local cultivators should have already returned to their clans.

Yet Xu Gongtong smiled mysteriously: "Hehe, that’s a long story."

Then he paused, as if suddenly recalling something: "Look at the sun—it’s nearly noon. Fellow Cultivator Golden Light Technique probably hasn’t eaten yet?"

"I’ve reserved a feast at the Peach Blossom Pavilion. If you’re not too kind to refuse, why not join me? We can chat over the meal."

Xiao Chen considered: "Your generous invitation is too kind to decline."

Truthfully, he had considered befriending fellow cultivators before.

First, it would make gathering intelligence easier—especially about forbidden realms and relics.

Second, it would facilitate exchanging or disposing of surplus resources, like selling his large stock of Third Stage spirit herbs, or purchasing demon cores through their networks.

In short, more friends meant more paths forward.

Since he had coincidentally met Xu Gongtong, who seemed genuinely enthusiastic, he might as well start with him.

The two arrived together at the Peach Blossom Pavilion in the city’s eastern district, Hundred Grasses City’s most renowned restaurant.

Many visiting cultivators would stop here for a meal after shopping.

In a private room on the third floor, Xu Gongtong downed two rounds of wine before finally revealing why he had stayed in the city.

It turned out the Xu Family had previously arranged a partnership with a group of solitary cultivators to procure a batch of demon cores.

Now nearing the scheduled exchange date, however, the other party had grown wary of the Xu Family’s local dominance. They had not only insisted on conducting the transaction in the Jianhai Sea but also demanded both sides send only three people.

The problem was the Jianhai Sea’s chaos. The Xu Family distrusted their partners too, fearing both betrayal and ambushes by Bandit Cultivators en route.

Thus, they sought two skilled duelists to accompany them, just in case.

"Sigh, such bad luck."

Xu Gongtong sighed: "I’ve asked several fellow cultivators in the city, but none are available. Fellow Cultivator Lu is heading to Wanxian Archipelago, and Fellow Cultivator Lü is busy preparing the Tea Gathering."

He glanced at Xiao Chen, feigning nonchalance: "If just one person had time, this hassle would be resolved."

"This year, the clan is desperately short on spirit stones. We’re counting on this demon core deal to make ends meet."

The Xu Family’s recent shortage of spirit stones was genuine, so Xu Gongtong’s words carried a sliver of sincerity.

Xiao Chen’s interest spiked—so there were demon cores to be had!

Of course, the coincidence was striking: the Xu Family just happened to need someone to join their pickup, just happened to meet him, and the location was suspiciously convenient.

But it didn’t matter. After his duel with the Jin Clan cultivator and witnessing Red Peony’s performance,

Xiao Chen now had a rough grasp of his own strength.

He wouldn’t claim invincibility among Golden Core peers, but he was certainly in the top tier.

He could safely accompany the Xu Family to the Jianhai transaction.

If the deal went smoothly, he could propose purchasing demon cores afterward. The Xu Family would sell to someone else anyway—why not him, especially if he paid fairly.

If trouble arose, he’d improvise. With his escape speed advantage and the Night’s Blade as his ace, safety was assured.

"Fellow Cultivator Xu, allow me to volunteer."

Xiao Chen proposed actively: "In terms of dueling, I dare say I’m no worse than others. If Fellow Cultivator trusts me, why not let us go together?"

Xu Gongtong feigned surprise: "Fellow Cultivator Golden Light Technique, you mean this?"

"At the banquet, I sensed your noble bearing—you’re a dragon among men. Naturally, I trust you."

"Your willingness to help is truly wonderful."

"Come, let me toast you, in advance, for our smooth journey."

The two struck a deal immediately, agreeing to meet at the southern city gate at Chen hour (7-9 AM) five days later to depart for the Jianhai Sea.

The meal lasted an hour. When they parted, Xu Gongtong’s face still beamed with joy.

He had every reason to be happy—this was a massive deal.

Once Xiao Chen was eliminated, they’d gain a bounty of Fourth Stage Spirit Herbs.

And since Xiao Chen hadn’t left the city in a month, the 32 demon cores he’d received earlier likely had plenty left—those would become spoils too.

For Xu Gongtong and the Xu Family, this was a fortune.

As the saying goes: wealth tempts the heart.

Meanwhile, after leaving the Peach Blossom Pavilion, Xiao Chen strolled the streets as usual, gathering updates on recent events.

"Didn’t you hear? A master from Pudu Temple of Mercy Sea gave a Buddhist sermon in the southern district a few days ago."

"Too bad I was out of town then."

"No need to regret. I went, but honestly, it was boring. That bald monk kept talking about the afterlife. Me? I cultivate this life, not the next!"

…

"Heard the recent influx of Golden Core Zhenren? What’s going on?"

"Hmph, they’re hunting Red Peony. Rumor says they’re all from Wanxian Archipelago, chasing the bounty."

"Wait, didn’t Red Peony flee to the Jianhai Sea?"

"Who knows? But six days ago, near Jining Island in the northwest, Red Peony clashed with the Jin Clan again."

…

In truth, escaping a swarm of same-tier cultivators wasn’t easy without a decisive speed advantage.

Red Peony had since pieced together the truth, realizing she’d been framed.

She tried explaining the misunderstanding, but the Jin Clan refused to believe her, instead summoning more reinforcements from Wanxian Archipelago.

After all, a Bandit Cultivator’s words were inherently untrustworthy.

In the end, Red Peony could only curse the unknown killer in her heart while continuing her desperate flight.

Five days passed in a flash.

On the tenth day of the fourth month, Xiao Chen arrived early at the southern city gate, meeting Xu Gongtong and the other cultivator he’d recruited, Ge Dongyan. The trio departed immediately.

Thanks to the Xu Family’s small Cloud-Piercing Spirit Shuttle, they reached the edge of the Jianhai Sea in three days.

After waiting half a watch (about an hour), a masked cultivator in blue robes appeared, exchanged secret codes with Xu Gongtong, then piloted the shuttle.

After weaving through the sea for a full day and night, they landed on an unremarkable desolate island.

Though barren, the island spanned thousands of zhang, with a small mountain at its center and a pavilion atop it.

Two more masked figures waited below the mountain.

The six cultivators gathered at the mountain’s foot. Xu Gongtong followed the other party’s leader to the pavilion to negotiate prices and inspect the demon cores’ quality.

The remaining four waited by a temporary bamboo hut at the base.

The negotiation lasted two hours. Midway, the blue-robed cultivator from the opposing side offered two cups of tea: "Apologies, my senior brother is meticulous."

"Fellow Cultivators, please be patient. I have premium spirit tea."

Ge Dongyan declined first: "No need for trouble. I’m used to my own tea."

He took out a teapot and two cups, poured himself a cup, then prepared to follow the plan—inviting Xiao Chen to taste his spirit tea.

But he saw Xiao Chen had already accepted the blue-robed cultivator’s cup: "Thank you for the hospitality, Fellow Cultivator. I won’t be polite."

He drank immediately: "Mm, excellent. Sweet and smooth—truly top-grade."

Many spirit teas and wines in the cultivation world offered immediate effects upon first sip.

Now, a stream of pure mana seeped into his lungs, making his breathing feel refreshingly unobstructed.

Xiao Chen’s unusual action stunned the three around him.

Shouldn’t he suspect the tea might be poisoned?

How could he drink it so recklessly?

They’d anticipated Xiao Chen might refuse the tea, even suspected he’d avoid drinking altogether.

But they never expected him to accept the first cup of spirit tea so naturally, leaving them no chance to spike it.

Ge Dongyan’s mind buzzed: You’ve got zero caution—how are you still alive?

If you’re not a solitary cultivator, how did your elders let you travel alone?

He was supposed to handle the poisoning task, but how could he proceed now?

The blue-robed cultivator opposite was also stunned. He hadn’t expected this either.

He briefly considered adding a lethal dose of toxin to the tea, solving the problem outright.

But they weren’t panicking yet. Outwardly, it was three against three, but in reality, five against one.

As the saying goes: two fists can’t fight four hands. If needed, they’d gang up and kill him directly.

The reason they’d chosen poison over immediate force was Xu Gongtong’s fear that Xiao Chen might have hidden life-saving aces, so they wanted to minimize risks.

As the group silently exchanged spiritual sense messages, debating whether to lure Xiao Chen into a formation trap or attack directly,

Ge Dongyan suddenly had an idea.

He poured a second cup of spirit tea and offered it: "Fellow Cultivator Golden Light Technique, why not try my tea too?"

"Not particularly valuable, but it's one-of-a-kind", the blue-robed cultivator sneered, his eye twitching violently as he nearly cursed aloud.

"You're adding legs to a snake!"

Truth be told, this was Ge Dongyan and Xiao Chen's first meeting. Their forced interaction felt painfully contrived. Normally, even a suspicious cultivator wouldn't raise alarms yet, but this situation screamed artificiality.

Yet again, he miscalculated.

Xiao Chen genuinely couldn't fathom why Ge Dongyan was suddenly playing the role of a solicitous host. But that didn't stop him from accepting the spirit tea first—why miss the chance to enjoy a free tasting?

The moment the liquid touched his tongue, a richer surge of warmth coursed through his meridians, slightly thickening his vital energy concentration.

"Hmm, excellent. It's fragrant yet leaves a sweet aftertaste. Thank you, Fellow Cultivator Ge."

"What the hell?!" The two men across from him froze mid-sip. "This actually worked?!"

"Wait... this makes no sense!"

They'd spent over ten days meticulously planning every detail—from poison recipes to simulated conversations. Every word had been rehearsed like a theatrical performance.

Now, all their careful scripting had vanished into thin air. They'd been scheming against shadows.

The blue-robed cultivator spat a curse: "Grass!"

The black-robed cultivator glared at Xiao Chen. "If it's this easy, I should've handled it myself."

Their original plan had been clear: if they needed to kill him directly, they'd split the reward evenly. If the poison worked, Ge Dongyan would receive two shares, while the three "solitary cultivators" would each get one.

Now, the black-robed man couldn't help regretting his decision.

Ge Dongyan, however, smiled wider. "No need to thank me. If you like it, drink more."

He'd laced the tea with Fourth Stage exotic poison—Xiaochun Yeyu. Like spring rain soaking the earth, its effects were imperceptible. The victim's true mana would gradually dissolve, their organs liquefying painlessly. By the time they realized their fate, their insides would already be a pool of pus.

As he spoke, Xu Gongtong descended with another green-robed cultivator. Spotting Xiao Chen's empty teacup, both relaxed visibly.

Better to avoid conflict if possible. The cultivation world teemed with bizarre dangers—many masters had perished in the most mundane circumstances.

"Fellow Cultivator of the Golden Light Technique", Xu Gongtong began, estimating their time was short, "I haven't asked about your origins. You don't seem from our Eastern Territory—are you from an outsider sect across the sea?"

He dismissed the possibility of Southern Domain origins. That region was notoriously impoverished, incapable of producing Fourth Stage spirit herbs.

But instead of an answer, a fire lotus bloomed—a blazing, sudden eruption.

"First Transformation: Dragon's Claw!"

Faster than the Qiongtai Fire Lotus, Xiao Chen's Scarlet Gold Quadrangular Mace struck.

Uncertain who among them was weakest, he targeted the nearest—Xu Gongtong.

At such close range, rather than summoning the True Yang Fire Dragon, he activated the Nine Transformations Dragon Ascension Formula. After all, body cultivators thrived in close-quarters combat.

Before Xu Gongtong could react, the mace tore through his defensive spirit robe and pierced his dantian.

"Crack!"

His round, golden core shattered with a sound like splintering ice, fissures spiderwebbing across its surface.

Only the sudden activation of a jade pendant at his waist saved him—twenty-eight water veils erupted, deflecting the mace by half a foot. Otherwise, his core would've been obliterated.

No one expected Xiao Chen to strike after drinking Xiaochun Yeyu. Normally, even a last-resort artifact would trigger spiritual energy fluctuations—a grass figure substitution, for instance.

Xu Gongtong had approached confidently, detecting no anomalies.

By the time they reacted, Xiao Chen had already swung his third strike. The second blow shattered the jade pendant. The third crushed the golden core.

"No!" Xu Gongtong finally screamed, activating a protective talisman. A violent repulsive force hurled Xiao Chen backward—but too late.

Xu Gongtong swallowed a spirit pill, its vibrant vitality surging to repair his ruptured true mana. He survived, but his combat ability was gone.

"Big brother!"
"Third Uncle!"
"Third Uncle!"

Shouts erupted around him.

Ge Dongyan stood frozen, mouth agape.

He'd never imagined Xiao Chen would attack instead of fleeing after detecting the poison. The brief shock left all four unable to intervene.

But fury followed swiftly. Four pairs of eyes burned with rage.

"You're asking for death!"

The black-robed cultivator hurled a spear, ninety-nine phantom blades streaking toward Xiao Chen.

The blue-robed cultivator retreated, chanting a heart sutra to prepare his true mana secret technique.

Ge Dongyan activated talismans that became golden threads and silver lines, weaving a net to trap Xiao Chen.

The green-robed cultivator landed, raising a spirit shield to protect Xu Gongtong before drawing a small seal for attack.

Meanwhile, Xiao Chen used the repulsive force to retreat, summoning the True Yang Fire Dragon to counterattack.

Though he'd eliminated one threat, four remained. He needed to seize the initiative, leveraging his spell advantage to thin their numbers. A stalemate would favor them.

"Go!" He pointed at the black-robed cultivator. The fire dragon surged through the spear phantoms.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Each phantom pierced a hole in the dragon, stripping a zhang of its length. Yet even shortened by ninety-nine zhang, the dragon remained, coiling tightly around the black-robed cultivator and his shield, wrapping him dozens of times.

"What?!" The blue-robed cultivator's eyes bulged. "Instant-cast true mana secret technique?!"

Impossible!

The Xu Family's true mana secret techniques amplified spell power at the cost of massive mana consumption and preparation time. Xiao Chen had just used an artifact—no time to prepare.

Yet he'd summoned this monstrous fire dragon?

The blue-robed cultivator's ice phoenix, barely eight hundred zhang long, seemed puny by comparison.

No time to ponder. He directed the ice phoenix to rescue his ally while biting his finger to activate a jade talisman.

"Boom!"

Golden metal spirit thunder erupted, engulfing Xiao Chen. Twenty-four fire lotuses shredded instantly.

But the Qiongtai Fire Lotus had a hundred layers—seventy-six remained.

The blue-robed cultivator stared, stunned. Had he bought a counterfeit?

A Golden Core Late Stage-level strike, amplified by family bloodline techniques, had no effect?

"Heaven-Tier spell!"

Ge Dongyan, having completed his net, realized Xiao Chen wasn't fleeing. Even the metal spirit thunder failed to breach his defenses.

He turned to the green-robed cultivator. "Something's wrong. Attack together!"

But Xiao Chen relaxed.

The battle revealed their true strengths. Besides himself and the black-robed cultivator, the others were merely Golden Core Middle Stage. The only Late Stage cultivator—Xu Gongtong—had been neutralized.

So the initial plan relied on poison because they were all weaklings.

Objectively, it wasn't entirely Xu Gongtong's fault. Even two Golden Core Late Stage cultivators would likely perish in a fair duel.

Their numbers were their strength. Plus, Xu Gongtong and his nephew both knew true mana secret techniques. They should've routed even someone like Red Peony.

But they'd faced Xiao Chen. The poison failed, lulling Xu Gongtong into carelessness. He'd approached within dangerous range.

Worse, Xiao Chen had done the unthinkable—shattered spirit robes and protective talismans with a direct mace strike.

Xu Gongtong would swear on his life—he'd never heard of such a thing.

He watched helplessly as his nephew and son-in-law turned to ash in the fire dragon. His fourth brother, ensnared by a Soul-Forged Puppet, was torn apart by the mace.

Ge Dongyan tried fleeing, but a distant scream sealed his fate.

Xu Gongtong wept, regret gnawing at him. If only he'd kept his distance!

As Xiao Chen returned, Xu Gongtong staggered up. "Fellow Cultivator of the Golden Light Technique, wait! Before death, I have—"

The Donghua Wind Sword flashed.

"Whoosh!"

He split into two.

Xiao Chen had no habit of chatting with enemies.

"Boom!"

An explosion erupted beneath Xu Gongtong, shaking the entire island. The shockwave, spanning hundreds of zhang, shredded twenty-two fire lotuses.

"My storage ring!" Xiao Chen's face paled.

He dashed into the flames, searching desperately.

Thankfully, though blackened and warped, the sealing formation on his storage ring remained intact.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end