Death of the Green Poison

"Who's there?!"

The moment Xiao Ming made his move, the Green Poison Twin Ghosts noticed him. However, they were in their own room and had been unprepared. Moreover, Xiao Ming's attack had come too suddenly and from too close.

So their reaction was much the same as the Gaunt Old Man's had been when Xiao Ming attacked him yesterday.

They could only hastily raise a defensive barrier while covering themselves with a pale yellow suit of armor.

The massive shadow descended from above and struck the barrier formed by the two of them.

For an instant, the space seemed to freeze. Then, a thunderous boom like an exploding bolt of lightning rang out.

Energy ripples from the collision spread in every direction, whipping up fierce winds along the way. The table and chairs where the two had been sitting were sent flying, smashing against the walls and shattering into pieces.

"No! The other party's Fire Attribute Dou Qi restrains my Poison Dou Qi. I won't be able to hold on much longer!" Watching the Dou Qi barrier he had released melt rapidly like first snow beneath the blazing sun, Poison Ghost was filled with anxiety.

If this continued, he would be lying on the ground within seconds. He could not guarantee that he would survive such a terrifying attack unscathed.

Getting hit would mean death. No, I can't die! I haven't lived long enough!

Poison Ghost turned his gaze toward Green Ghost, who was also at the center of the energy ripples, his face flushed red as he desperately held up his trembling palms. A vicious glint flashed through Poison Ghost's eyes.

Suddenly, he reached out, grabbed Green Ghost, and threw him toward the Three Flame Ethereal Seal.

"Sorry, Big Brother. Go in peace. I'll help take care of Sister-in-law and the children back home. Hahaha!"

"Damned Poison Ghost, how dare you... Ah!"

Green Ghost had been focusing entirely on the seal above him, using all his strength to barely maintain his Dou Qi barrier. He had never imagined that Poison Ghost, who had grown up alongside him, would be so sinister as to use him as a shield.

Caught off guard, he was successfully ambushed by Poison Ghost. Upon hearing that Poison Ghost even intended to help look after his wife back home, he had no time to curse before the Pink-Blue Seal struck him in the back. With a miserable scream, he was blasted backward through the air and slammed heavily onto the floor in front of Poison Ghost.

The stone-brick floor was covered in spiderweb-like cracks, and at the center of those cracks lay Green Ghost, sprawled like a dead pig.

A scorched, roasted-meat stench rose from Green Ghost's back. Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth like water from a broken faucet, and he was breathing far more out than in.

"You... Urgh, you..."

Green Ghost, not yet completely dead, clearly wanted to say something. But after struggling for a while, his head finally tilted to one side, ending his sinful life.

"Ah, Big Brother, don't look at me like that. You died for your brother, so your death was not in vain. Go in peace. I'll take care of Sister-in-law." Looking at Green Ghost's unclosed eyes, Poison Ghost spoke shamelessly.

"Oh? Is that so? I'm afraid you won't get the chance."

A voice sounded beside Poison Ghost's ear. He showed no panic, instead revealing a sinister smile.

"Kid, I've been waiting for you to come close. Poison Mist Barrier." Gray Dou Qi surged from Poison Ghost's body and spread outward. One especially dense stream of poison gas shot directly toward Xiao Ming's face, though he had appeared beside Poison Ghost at some unknown point.

Xiao Ming had intended to kill Poison Ghost outright, but he frowned. Poison Ghost was indeed a Da Dou Shi who had spent many years in the Black Corner Region. After his initial panic, he could still calmly organize a counterattack.

Although Xiao Ming had taken a Detoxification Pill, it was better not to take such a poisonous move head-on.

With a stomp of his foot, he used Shadow Chasing Wind and retreated three meters away.

Xiao Ming was extremely fast, but some poison gas still brushed against his wide black robe.

Under the poison gas's corrosion, irregular little holes appeared in his black robe.

Poison Ghost's attack had failed, yet he was not angered.

He merely studied the short black-robed figure before him.

Judging by his aura, he should only be a One Star Great Dou Shi. The reason he could unleash such a sharp and terrifying attack earlier must have been because he possessed a high-tier Dou Skill, perhaps even a Profound Tier High Grade or Earth Tier Dou Technique. That kind of terrifying attack consumed an enormous amount of Dou Qi. With the strength of a mere One Star Great Dou Shi, he definitely could not use it repeatedly. Perhaps one strike was already his limit.

However, his Dou Qi Attribute greatly restrained my Poison Dou Qi. It would be better not to force an attack, or if I pushed him too far, things would not end well for me either.

Heh, once I stall for a while and the poison gas fills the room, it will be his death.

Thinking of the Dou Skill his opponent possessed, greed appeared in Poison Ghost's eyes.

Having made up his mind, Poison Ghost smiled and said, "Brother, I think there may be some misunderstanding between us. I haven't offended you before, have I? Presumably, my big brother must have harmed you somehow. I'm truly sorry about that, but I already taught him a lesson just now. How about we sit down and have a proper talk?"

"Heh, you really are loyal and righteous."

Xiao Ming was deeply impressed by this fellow's ability to lie with his eyes open.

Clearly, Xiao Ming had ambushed them first, and then Poison Ghost had ambushed his own big brother to use him as a shield. Yet from Poison Ghost's mouth, it had become an entirely different story.

His skin really was thick.

However, Poison Ghost should know that he was four stars above me, yet he was still being so polite. There had to be a trick.

Glancing at the poison gas that had never stopped spreading, then at his black robe, Xiao Ming's face showed understanding.

So that was what he had been waiting for!

Having understood Poison Ghost's plan, Xiao Ming did not want to waste any more words.

You want to use Poison Dou Qi to ambush me? I'll burn away your poison gas and see what you do then.

He raised his arms. Deep blue and pink flames curled around his palms respectively. As the flames churned, the scorching heat they gave off caused the space around Xiao Ming to distort slightly and become illusory.

Seeing the two-colored flames in Xiao Ming's hands, Poison Ghost, who had been about to say something, fell silent. After a long while, he finally let out a terrified cry of disbelief.

"How can you summon tangible flames? Isn't that something only experts above the Dou Wang level can do?"

After his shock, Poison Ghost frantically shook his head, casting aside that absurd thought. If the other party were a Dou Wang, he would have slapped them to death already. There would have been no need for so much trouble.

"I definitely can't be mistaken about that aura. Alchemists can summon flames too. You're an alchemist!"

Poison Ghost's expression darkened. Damn it, he did not remember offending any alchemist. This unknown alchemist had most likely been drawn here by news of the Green Rock Profound Water.

At that moment, Poison Ghost truly wished he could return to the day he decided to use the Green Rock Profound Water as bait and give his past self a hard slap.

Fishing was one thing, but why had he made the bait so valuable? Now things had gotten out of hand.

"Um, Lord Alchemist, everything can be discussed. You came for the Green Rock Profound Water, didn't you? I can take you to get it." With his Poison Dou Qi restrained by the other party's flames, Poison Ghost felt that he should continue lulling his opponent into lowering his guard.

Xiao Ming could not be bothered to waste words with him. He had already learned the location of the Mysterious Water from the two of them.

Although it was somewhat troublesome that it was not on Poison Ghost, once he killed this fellow, he would be able to obtain it soon enough.

"No need. Go down and accompany your big brother."

The Blue-Pink Flame in Xiao Ming's palms suddenly surged. His ten fingers lightly touched, then pulled apart. Between them, ten tiny pink flames twisted around one another like little whips, nimbly intertwining into a single flaming strand.

Finally, they formed two round fire arcs of different colors. The arcs circled Xiao Ming's body like two spiritual fire snakes, swimming up and down as they protected him.

His foot twisted slightly, his heel lifted a little, and then dropped abruptly. In an instant, his body became almost a blur as he charged straight toward Poison Ghost.

"Hiss!" Seeing Xiao Ming rush toward him head-on, with the poison gas he released being burned away the moment it drew near, Poison Ghost's eyelids twitched as he hurriedly swung his arm.

"Poison Python Whip."

A gray whip immediately shot out as a blurred shadow.

The whip attacked with incredible speed. Yet just as it was about to strike Xiao Ming's body, the two Blue-Pink Flame arcs circling his body suddenly accelerated and crashed heavily into the gray whip. In an instant, countless sparks burst from the two-colored flames.

As the scorching heat tore through the air, it produced strange sounds like boiling oil meeting ice and snow.

Poison Ghost's attack was effortlessly neutralized.

Seeing Xiao Ming continue charging without slowing, Poison Ghost's expression changed drastically.

"You forced me to do this!" He took out a green medicinal pill and swallowed it, a pained look appearing on his face. Gritting his teeth, he consumed it, and his aura instantly surged as he collided with Xiao Ming.

Bang! Flames and poison gas surged upward.

As the fire waves erupted across the room, a white figure suddenly shot backward. After his feet scraped across the ground for several meters, he raised his head and looked toward the place where the fire waves were gradually fading. A moment later, the fire waves completely dispersed, but there was not a single figure within them.

Seeing this, Poison Ghost, whose aura had greatly increased, was briefly stunned. Just as he was about to look around, he suddenly felt a slight burning sensation in his arms and feet.

He hurriedly lowered his head, only for his pupils to shrink when he discovered that two bands of flame had somehow wrapped around his arms and feet.

The two flaming bands coiled around Poison Ghost's arms and feet like little snakes, radiating faint heat and hindering his movements.

"Three Flame Ethereal Seal!"

A voice came from behind him, and Poison Ghost's expression changed drastically.

A moment later, Xiao Ming removed a Na Ring from Poison Ghost's charred body, then took another Na Ring from Green Ghost. Without hesitation, he turned and left the room.