Fighting Poison with Poison; More Painful Than Poison

You've come into contact with this poison?!

The woman turned around, enduring the excruciating pain in her lower back, only to see You Su already clutching his upper arm and wincing in pain.

"Are you asking a question you already know the answer to?" You Su replied irritably, looking at his right palm, which had turned dark blue. He knew he had overestimated himself this time.

Even the strongest Tai Sui Power has its limits, and the poison was far more terrifying than he had imagined. At first, he felt nothing, but in an instant, he felt as if his right arm had been frozen stiff, as if it would crumble into pieces like a shattered mirror with the slightest touch.

"He brought this on himself." Ganlong Venerable sneered, seemingly retaliating against You Su's earlier revenge.

You Su twitched the corner of his mouth, looking at the deeper blue of the woman's shoulders and back, which was even more intense than his own, and decided not to bother arguing with her.

"You endured this pain and flew for so long?"

"How?"

"It's okay, you're really good at holding it in."

Ganlong Venerable wanted to get angry, but because his tense body aggravated his wounds, he couldn't say anything to retort. So he simply closed his eyes, regulated his breathing, and endured the excruciating pain.

You Su had no intention of chatting further, focusing instead on channeling his Mystic Qi into his shoulder to block the spreading blue poison. The two remained silent, as if they were competing to see who could endure the pain better.

"What kind of poison is this?"

The woman raised her eyelids. "Frozen Bone Green Cicada."

"Was it done by that old man, Venerable Ningshuang Shuang?"

Ganlong Venerable was slightly taken aback, not expecting You Su, a blind man, to have such keen insight, and couldn't help but think more highly of him:

"No living thing exists in ice, not only because of the cold, but also because it's not breathable. But frost is more porous than ice, and a kind of insect with extremely strong vitality can live in the frost, namely the Qingfu. But the Qingfu itself is not poisonous; it is the frost formed from various potent toxins that sustains the Qingfu. In this way, the Qingfu becomes a highly active and poisonous creature, extremely difficult to remove once it burrows into the flesh and bones."

"He's truly insidious." You Su felt a chill run down his spine; no wonder he felt those deep blue poisonous patterns were like living things.

"They're all Void Realm cultivators, how could they not have some ruthless methods?" the woman said in a tone of utter indifference.

"Didn't you say you had a way to detoxify? How?"

Ganlong Venerable paused, sighed, and seemed to realize that there was no point in being stubborn. "I have it, yet I don't. The Azure Fu is an insect unique to the Northern Ao Continent; it can survive frost and ice, but it fears fire. If attacked with fire poison, it wouldn't pose much of a threat."

Seeing You Su shoving her arm into the fire, she quickly stopped her. "The fire won't help. It's embedded in your flesh and bone; the fire can't reach it. It'll probably only feel a little pain when your skin is charred. It'll just waste your arm anyway; it's pointless."

"So, according to you, this old man Ning Shuang's poison is only effective against those within his own ranks?"

The Northern Ao Continent is frigid, so those skilled in fire magic are rare and therefore helpless against this freezing poison. However, in the other four continents, those skilled in fire magic are the most common, so this poison is not so frightening.

It's likely that low-level fire magic wouldn't be able to threaten this Azure Dragon. Otherwise, given Ganlong Venerable's cultivation level, although she specializes in ice magic, she would surely have some knowledge of other Technique Method of magic as well. Why would she allow this poison to corrode her for so long?

"Most cultivators in the Northern Ao Continent spend their entire lives here. If they don't turn against their own people, who else would they turn against...?"

The Ganlong Venerable spoke with a heavy sigh, then glanced at the young man again, parting his slightly pale lips as if to say something, but hesitated, finally closing them, and after a long while uttering a single sentence:

"Come here. Ice won't kill the Qingfu, but it can at least immobilize it. I'll freeze your right shoulder for you. We'll figure out a way to remove the poison when we get back to the mountain."

You Su was taken aback that her voice was no longer so arrogant or unrestrained, but rather somewhat evasive and even weak. It gave You Su the feeling that when Bai Ze had caused a great disaster, he would try to alleviate his guilt with a little obedient behavior.

You Su thought to herself that her mentality was probably the same, like a child, but damn it, she was hundreds of years old, no one would forgive her like a child. Even if she was the one being used, as the highest-ranking manager, she naturally had an inescapable responsibility.

"If you can stop its spread, why don't you freeze yourself?"

"This poison can't harm me," the woman said, her arrogant tone returning.

You Su shook his head, thinking to himself, "Is this woman missing a stick? How come she's more concerned about her reputation than a man?"

"You're afraid that freezing most of your meridians will leave you without enough strength to complete the second path. But if you keep pushing yourself like this, I think the poison will soon spread all over your back, and then your whole body."

The woman, her thoughts exposed, paused for a moment, then frowned, a resolute look forming on her face.

"This trouble arose because of me, and I will not die until it is over."

"After it's done, you can die?"

You Su understood the unspoken meaning behind Ganlong Venerable's words. This woman probably felt ashamed to face the elders of Bei'ao and wished she could atone with her death. So she said softly:

"Actually, you didn't want to get rid of this poison, because the more painful it was, the more at ease you felt, as if the pain was the punishment you deserved. You went to save people while suffering from this poison, and died because of it afterward. You couldn't shirk responsibility, but you could still be considered to have redeemed yourself and acted with righteous indignation."

Although you didn't intend to die from poisoning, after being poisoned you felt that this ending might be a good one for you, so you accepted it. But you're taking it too lightly...

"Enough!"

Ganlong Venerable roared, his words clearly filled with anger, yet You Su could sense that his figure had become even more dejected. "Whether I live or die is none of your business, you outsider! If you want to seal the poison, come here; if not, set off immediately!"

The firelight flickered in the cave. You Su sighed and walked up to the woman.

Ganlong Venerable had already turned around, his expression cold and stern. "Give me your hand."

You Su did as instructed, extending her right hand.

The moment the female immortal saw You Su's right palm, her pupils constricted sharply. "You weren't poisoned?!"

"I just cured myself of the poison." You Su raised his hand, which was now completely healed. "Turn around, I'll give you the antidote."

Ganlong Venerable's beautiful eyes widened as she stared incredulously at the blood-stained youth, only then realizing that she had underestimated him:

"You, a Sword Cultivator, also know advanced fire magic?"

"I was so angry because you beat me up and wouldn't listen to reason," You Su waved his hand.

Ganlong Venerable's face turned ugly after being rebuked. He bit his lip, wanting to retort, but looking at the wounds all over the boy's body caused by ice spikes, he was too ashamed to speak.

"Turn around, what are you dawdling about? If this little bit of pain can lessen your guilt, I'll be the first to object. Why should there be such an easy way to atone for your sins? I'll make you suffer in vain."

Seeing that the woman seemed stunned by his words, You Su continued to urge, "Your life may not concern me, an outsider, but the lives of everyone in the world are. I'm not saving you, I'm saving them. Turn around."

Ganlong Venerable raised his eyes and looked directly into You Su's eyes. You Su's eyes were clear and bright, with distinct black and white, and her gaze was extremely complex, but it no longer had that aggressive quality.

Without further hesitation, she gracefully turned around and sat upright with her back to the boy.

Her dragon-patterned skirt cascaded down the ice platform. Even though her beautiful back was still a grotesque mess, she sat upright as if she were not afraid of pain, like a lone sword stuck in the snowfield.

The fragrance of blood mingled with the scent of perfume floating in the cold mist. You Su had no mind to identify a woman by her fragrance, as was his habit. As he himself said, he only wanted to save the refugees of the Northern Ao Continent. And the best way to do so was naturally not to take her as a member of his family.

When You Su heard about the antidote, he only tried it out, but found it to be very effective. Of course, he had not practiced any advanced Fire Element Cultivation Method; all he had was the fire energy he nurtured in his body using the Sun Yang Sword Nurturing Art.

Just as people are like firewood, the Sword Nurturing Art left behind by Sun Yang Venerable, a master of fire magic, nurtures the fire that fuels the fire. This is not some heaven-defying, fate-altering technique, but it truly enhances the power of You Su's sword moves and is integrated into every swing of his sword.

Furthermore You Su already possessed excessive Yang energy, and after indulging with Qianhua Venerable, he had not released it for a long time. The fire suppressed within him was even more intense than that of some great cultivators who specialized in Fire Element Cultivation Method. With a slight urging, he burned the Qingfu to ashes, without even having time to unleash the Tai Sui Power.

"If you're afraid of pain, just scream," You Su in a clear, melodious voice.

Ganlong Venerable sneered, his black hair falling to obscure half of his face. "When I roamed Northern Ao, you hadn't even formed your Dao Embryo yet. Mere cold poison—"

Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly let out a muffled groan. Taking advantage of her distraction, You Su placed a burning hot hand on the wound that had first appeared on her shoulder.

The moment it came into contact with the deep blue poisonous pattern, white mist rose from the festering flesh, emitting a sizzling sound like a branding iron being quenched in water. The visible toxins surged and fled wildly like living things, proving quite effective.

You Su had been secretly clenching his teeth as he used his internal energy to expel the poison, but the poison in this woman's body was far more than what he had just touched with a finger. Moreover, the poison was mixed with such a large area of external wounds, and the pain she was experiencing was indescribable.

Even if this woman is Void Glimpse Venerable, it doesn't mean she's forever immune to pain. Pain is the body's warning mechanism, and even Void Glimpse Venerable can die.

You Su noticed that the woman's ten fingers were digging deeply into the ice platform, her knuckles turning bluish-white. He sighed softly, "I said if it hurts, just yell. Don't play the stubborn card. If you don't yell and your body stays tense, the internal Mystic Qi will keep resisting me from entering. How am I supposed to remove the poison?"

Ganlong Venerable turned his head away from the boy's burning gaze, but the panting breaths from his lips betrayed his pain. "Do you take me for a crying child in the brothels of Shuo City?"

You Su caught a glimpse of the icy beads that had formed in her hair—the marks of cold sweat freezing instantly upon contact with the extreme cold.

He suddenly remembered the image of Bai Ze curled up beside him, and his fingertips unconsciously loosened their grip. "You're more troublesome than a child; at least they know to cry out in pain when they get a tap on the head."

Ganlong Venerable was even more furious upon hearing this. In the eyes of this young man, she was truly inferior to everyone else, yet she had no choice but to endure it in silence.

You Su thought she would at least turn around and glare at him, but she didn't expect her to just obediently endure it. He was satisfied to see her back arched into a restrained curve, which meant that she knew the pain and was no longer pretending to be tense.

However, You Su could not see that the female fairy's originally pale face was now rosy and radiant, and her eyes were veiled with a thin mist of tears.

She wasn't being coy or shy; it was simply an uncontrollable instinctive reaction.

She was solely focused on revitalizing Bei'ao and had no interest in matters of men and women. Let alone rubbing her shoulders or touching her back, even men found it difficult to get close to her. Although the young man was treating her injuries, he did indeed come into contact with her. But this wasn't the reason for her embarrassment or anger; the reason was that she discovered the fire You Su was cultivating within her was not a proper fire at all!

So rather than saying that Ganlong Venerable couldn't bear the pain, it's more accurate to say that she couldn't bear this strange feeling that was both painful and warm.

"Hurry up! I didn't cry out in pain!" Ganlong Venerable gritted his teeth, secretly annoyed that You Su's movements had actually become feignedly gentle.

As the pain subsided, another sensation became more prominent, which actually made it more unbearable for her.

However You Su only thought that she was putting on a brave face and did not increase the force.

Ganlong Venerable was in unbearable pain. The thought that he had been made so miserable by a mere boy made him feel even more aggrieved. He thought that You Su was right; pain was indeed the easiest way to atone for his sins.

She wanted to mock You Su to provoke the boy into using more force in his revenge, but she couldn't bring herself to say it because of her overwhelming guilt. Without You Su, she might not have discovered the truth until it was too late, and the boy was even saving her now, disregarding past grievances.

She hadn't even uttered a word of thanks, so how could she possibly scold him? She simply remained silent, enduring the pain. She secretly thought how furious that old man Ning Shuang would be if he knew that the poison he had painstakingly placed on her body had been so easily neutralized by a mere youth.

She found it ironic that an Evil Demon wanted by the entire world was the only one willing to bring the truth to her and awaken her.

Previously, she only regarded him as an enemy who hindered her path, but now that they were companions, she could observe him more closely. From this hand, she could sense that the young man's energy was complete and his spiritual platform was abundant; he could break through to the Feather Transformation Realm at any time.

Feather Transformation Realm truly commands her admiration.

After a long while, Ganlong Venerable changed into a simple long dress, covering his smooth, beautiful back. You Su wiped the thin layer of sweat from his forehead and also changed into clean clothes.

A sudden gust of wind arose outside the ice cave, its mournful howl seeming to urge them to set off.

Ganlong Venerable gazed at the cave entrance, his voice as soft as snow falling into a deep pool:

Are you still feeling unwell?

"It hurts all over, please give me more medicine."

You Su had no intention of being polite to her. His injuries weren't serious, but his Universe Bag was practically empty.

Ganlong Venerable glanced at him, pursed her lips, and as the instigator, she was not stingy. She took out a bunch of loose pills from her Universe Bag and threw them all over him.

You Su took them all, smelled them, and said, "Not even a single jar of high-grade pills?"

Ganlong Venerable took a deep breath, seemingly suppressing his anger. "It seems you are also a pampered young master. I usually just consume these kinds of pills. Do you think you can find top-grade pills everywhere?"

Although You Su had eaten a lot of good things, he still knew the difference between expensive and cheap. However, he did not expect that a person of such high status would not have a jar of high-grade pills on him.

He thought Bai Ze was right; this Ganlong Venerable was indeed the stingiest woman on the Divine Mountain. But he also vaguely guessed that her stinginess wasn't because she was miserly or poor, but because she didn't want to keep valuable resources in her own hands.

After all, high-grade pills are rare in any continent. Powerful beings like to hoard them even if they don't need them, while those who truly crave immortal pills find them extremely difficult to obtain. On this point alone, she has nothing to criticize, You Su would never harbor resentment for not being able to extort a high-grade immortal pill.

With a word of departure, Ganlong Venerable once again lifted You Su and ascended into the sky. This time, however You Su no longer felt the cold wind blowing on her face from the high altitude; she had actually erected a barrier for him.

They flew until dawn, when the two finally saw the devastated land.

It took You Su nearly two days to fly to the sacred mountain in his flying shuttle, but in just one day he witnessed the rampage of Evil Demon, indicating that their influence had spread to a wider area.

The deathly aura permeating the air made Ganlong Venerable's expression stiff as ice. Evil Demon, like ink, invaded the pure white snow. You Su could even feel the hand gripping his waist tighten even more.

It wasn't that she was afraid he would fall, but rather that she was trying to suppress the trembling in her body.

"How does it feel?" You Su asked with ill intent.

"More painful than poison."

The woman answered sadly, then leaped into the crowded horde of evil.

Some readers commented that the story felt too oppressive, but I didn't really feel that way myself. I already had the exciting parts in mind, so I couldn't empathize with readers who didn't know the later plot. This was my mistake, and I'll learn from it and speed up the pace, making the climax come faster and arranging the exciting moments later on more logically. In fact, I'll soon be on the path to invincibility. However, I probably won't kill off Ganlong Venerable. My idea has always been to avoid writing about a flawless, innocent, and pure woman. Besides, Ganlong Venerable and Bai Ze are one big and one small, yet they are born from the same body, so there's still a lot of room for creative development. ^^