Sacred Staff Awakening? Poison and Heal Dual Ability

Sacred Staff Awakening? Poison and Heal Dual Ability

Dusk stained Shrek Academy's outline ink-black, while the dense forest behind the mountain seemed even darker than usual. Fine mist rose from the layer of rotting leaves, winding around thick tree trunks and blurring the once-clear paths. Ma Hongjun sat cross-legged atop a huge boulder, faint orange-red Soul Power steaming from his body. The sweat that had just beaded on his forehead evaporated in the heat—ever since Lin Che's speed had shocked him during morning training, and he had witnessed Lin Che's spectacular breakthrough to level 30, this "little fat bird" had been holding back a fierce urge to catch up.

"Damn it, the evil fire is still too restless." Ma Hongjun clenched his fists, and the Soul Power within him abruptly erupted. The glow of his second soul ring, Phoenix of Ablaze, flashed behind him. Scorching flames surged through his meridians, only to suddenly stagnate at his Dantian. An uncontrollable evil fire spread along his left arm, burning his skin crimson. Recently, he had constantly felt resistance whenever his Soul Power circulated. Especially after eating Oscar's newly developed Blazing Fire Sausage, the evil fire's agitation had become even worse.

To suppress the churning evil fire, Ma Hongjun instinctively shifted backward. His back suddenly crashed into a cluster of low-growing plants. The plants had dark purple leaves, their edges covered in fine fuzz. The instant they were struck, the fuzz fell away like dust and slipped through his sweat-soaked collar into his skin.

"What is this?" Ma Hongjun frowned and waved a hand to brush it off, failing to notice that the moment his fingertips touched the leaves, his nails had quietly turned bluish-black. Within a few breaths, numbness shot up his spine and into his head. He tried to raise his hand and summon flames, but his limbs suddenly felt as heavy as lead, while his eyelids seemed glued shut. The evil fire frantically surged back inside him, yet the strange toxin suppressed it so completely that it could not gather. At last, his vision went black, and he collapsed heavily into the pile of dead leaves. Before losing consciousness, he saw only that clump of purple-leaved plants glowing faintly in the mist.

"Hongjun!"

The others, preparing for a sparring match in the front courtyard, heard the dull crash from the back mountain. Lin Che was the first to charge towards the sound—the Universe Cauldron quietly appeared in his palm. He could vaguely sense a chaotic energy spreading through the back mountain, containing both the searing heat of flames and the sinister poison of vegetation. Dai Mubai and Tang San followed close behind. The former operated his Soul Power to split open the vines blocking their way, while the latter released Blue Silver Grass to scout the surroundings, his Purple Demon Eyes glowing with a faint violet halo in the dusk.

When they found Ma Hongjun beside the boulder, his face was blue-purple, his lips black, and his breathing so weak it was nearly imperceptible. Oscar hurriedly pulled out a Recovery Sausage and offered it to him, but Lin Che raised a hand to stop him. "Don't touch him. The toxin is spreading quickly. The sausage's energy will accelerate the flow of poisoned blood." He crouched down, gathering a thread of pure Soul Power at his fingertips and probing it into Ma Hongjun's body. The moment it touched the toxin, it was rebounded. "It's a paralyzing plant toxin. Very potent. It has already invaded his meridians."

"A plant toxin?" Tang San immediately looked at the plants behind Ma Hongjun. Blue Silver Grass cautiously wrapped around a purple leaf, only to tremble violently the instant it touched it. "This is Poisonous Mire Grass. Records say it only grows in dark, damp places. Its poison can lock down Soul Power circulation. An ordinary person poisoned by it would not survive a quarter of an hour." Sweat formed on his forehead in anxiety. Though Blue Silver Grass could absorb plant energy, it was helpless against such a vicious poison.

"Let me try!" Jiang Zhu hurried forward, the Seven-Colored Sacred Staff appearing in her palm. Ever since Lin Che had used an immortal herb to heal her last time, her Soul Power had stabilized at level 27, and the staff's healing light had grown much richer than before. She aimed its tip at Ma Hongjun's brow center. Gentle golden light flowed from the sacred staff, attempting to envelop the purple poisonous mist.

But the moment the golden light touched the poison, an unexpected change occurred. The Poisonous Mire Grass toxin inside Ma Hongjun seemed enraged and suddenly swelled. Purple mist flowed backward along the sacred staff's golden light, instantly coiling around Jiang Zhu's wrist. "Not good!" Dai Mubai reached out to pull her away, only to see Jiang Zhu's sacred staff erupt with dazzling green light. The seven-colored gemstone atop the staff trembled violently, then automatically left her palm and floated in midair.

"This is... a Martial Soul protecting its master?" Ning Rongrong covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock. She had seen many Martial Soul mutations in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but she had never seen a Support Soul Master's Martial Soul react so intensely on its own.

On the surface of the floating Seven-Colored Sacred Staff, the golden vines that had originally coiled around it began to writhe. Green light surged through the vines like a tide. Jiang Zhu felt the Soul Power inside her pour uncontrollably into the sacred staff, while countless pieces of information about herbs and toxins suddenly flashed through her mind—the hidden healing mysteries within the sacred staff's inheritance, which had remained locked due to her insufficient Soul Power. When the green light reached its peak, the vines suddenly split into two streams. One turned deep green, leaf-vein-like patterns appearing over its surface; the other became pure gold, flowing with a warm halo.

[Detected that Jiang Zhu's Martial Soul has completed its second awakening. Rare ability unlocked: Poison and Heal Dual Ability]

[Detoxifying Green Pattern: Can analyze and purify plant-, animal-, and Soul Power-based toxins. Has a special suppressive effect against Spirit Hall's secret toxins.]

[Healing Golden Pattern: Strengthens basic healing abilities and can repair meridian damage left behind by Soul Power circulation.]

The System Prompt flashed through Lin Che's mind, and a look of understanding flashed in his eyes—so Jiang Zhu's sacred staff truly was extraordinary. This Poison and Heal Dual Ability was likely the key to countering Spirit Hall's deadly poisons.

By then, the sacred staff had turned into streams of red and green light. The vines of the green pattern slipped into Ma Hongjun's brow center like spiritual snakes, while the golden pattern coiled around his wrist. Everyone clearly saw the purple-black toxins inside Ma Hongjun forcibly dragged out by the green pattern, condensing into droplets along the surface of his skin. The droplets turned into wisps of black smoke and dispersed the instant they hit the ground. Meanwhile, the golden pattern repaired the meridians burned by his evil fire, and his formerly blue-purple face visibly regained its healthy color.

"Cough, cough..." Half an incense stick later, Ma Hongjun suddenly began coughing and spat out a mouthful of black blood. His eyes gradually cleared. "I... I'm not dead? What the hell was that thing? It nearly poisoned my soul out of me." He pushed himself upright and found that his Soul Power was circulating incomparably smoothly. Even the evil fire that had been agitating inside him for so long had calmed considerably.

Jiang Zhu caught the slowly descending sacred staff. Though her Soul Power left her slightly breathless, she could not hide her excitement. "The sacred staff awakened a new ability. It can detoxify and repair meridians." She waved the staff, and green and golden patterns flowed over its body. Its original seven-colored light now carried an added touch of holiness.

"Detoxify?" Dai Mubai suddenly frowned. The arm that had brushed against the poisonous mist earlier was faintly aching. "Hongjun's poison was so powerful. Could those of us who got close to him have been poisoned too?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Oscar suddenly clutched his stomach and crouched down, his face turning pale. "Something's wrong. Why does my stomach feel like it's turning upside down..." He operated his Soul Power in an attempt to suppress the discomfort, only to discover a faint current of black energy darting wildly through his body.

Lin Che raised a hand and pressed it against Oscar's shoulder, the Universe Cauldron emitting a faint golden halo. "It's not Poisonous Mire Grass poison. These are latent toxins left behind by your past cultivation." He looked at Dai Mubai. "You have spent years using Assault System Soul Power to clash head-on with opponents, so your meridians have accumulated a great deal of residual feral toxin from soul beasts. Oscar, your sausages require the fusion of many herbs. Long-term contact inevitably leaves medicinal impurities behind. Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda can provide boosts, but it also leaves trace toxins from Soul Power backlash."

Everyone's expressions changed. They had all noticed these problems to some extent, but none of them had ever imagined toxins were the cause. Tang San operated his Purple Demon Eyes and looked at the group. Sure enough, he saw faint toxins of different colors inside each person. Even around the roots of his own Blue Silver Grass was a trace of murky energy absorbed from the soil.

"Jiang Zhu, can you try purifying these toxins?" Tang San looked at Jiang Zhu expectantly. He knew that if these latent toxins accumulated over time, they would sooner or later affect their Soul Power breakthroughs.

Jiang Zhu took a deep breath and raised the Seven-Colored Sacred Staff. This time, she actively guided her Soul Power. The green-patterned vines first wrapped around Dai Mubai's arm. With a gentle tap of the sacred staff, Dai Mubai immediately felt a cool sensation flow through his meridians, and the stabbing pain accumulated over many years instantly vanished. "That feels amazing! Better than soaking in a medicinal bath for three days!" Dai Mubai moved his arm and discovered in delight that even his Soul Power circulation had sped up.

Next came Oscar. After the green pattern analyzed the herbal impurities in his body, the golden pattern immediately followed and repaired the damage to his stomach and intestines. Oscar felt the cramping pain in his belly disappear, and even his sense of smell sharpened. "Making sausages will definitely be much easier from now on!"

When it was Ning Rongrong's turn, the sacred staff's green pattern glimmered faintly and directly purified the toxins from Soul Power backlash within her body. Ning Rongrong operated the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, and its amplification effect visibly increased. "This is incredible! Even the healing Soul Masters in the sect can't do it this thoroughly."

Finally came Tang San. When the green pattern touched the murky energy inside him, it suddenly lit up with dazzling radiance, instantly decomposing the foul energy. Tang San was surprised to discover that the growth speed of his Blue Silver Grass had increased, while the Mysterious Heaven Skill circulated more smoothly as well.

"Jiang Zhu, this ability of yours is practically the team's treasure!" Dai Mubai could not help praising her. "From now on, if we get injured or encounter problems in cultivation, we won't have to tough it out anymore."

Flender appeared behind them at some unknown point, and a rare smile appeared on his normally stern face. "Not bad, not bad. For a Support Soul Master to possess such an ability, she would be considered top-tier even in Spirit Hall. From today onward, Jiang Zhu will be Shrek's Chief Healing Soul Master. Team resources will be prioritized for you." He had long seen that Jiang Zhu's sacred staff possessed extraordinary potential, but he had not expected its awakening to be so heaven-defying.

Jiang Zhu gripped the sacred staff, her heart filled with excitement and responsibility. She had once always felt that she played little role in the team, but now she could finally protect everyone for real. She looked at Lin Che with gratitude in her eyes—if Lin Che had not used an immortal herb to save her last time, the sacred staff might never have awakened.

Lin Che gave a slight nod, but his thoughts were elsewhere. Jiang Zhu's Poison and Heal Dual Ability could neutralize Spirit Hall's deadly poisons. If word of it spread, it would likely invite even more attempts on her life. On the system panel, the light point of the [Immortal Herb Coordinate Fragment] brightened a little more. Perhaps the next immortal herb could help Jiang Zhu strengthen her ability further.

In the distant forest, Ghost Douluo Ghost Mei hid in the shadows, looking at Jiang Zhu's sacred staff in the Crystal Ball with a face as dark as water. "His Majesty the Pope, Jiang Zhu's Martial Soul has awakened an ability that counters toxins. Our plan may need to be adjusted."

On the other end of the Crystal Ball, Bibi Dong scoffed. "Counters them? Then let her try Spirit Hall's Soul Corroding Poison. Send the order. Set an ambush in Suotuo City tomorrow and lure out Shrek's people. I want to see whether this Poison and Heal Dual Ability is really that powerful."

As night deepened, warm light shone from Shrek Academy's wooden cottages. Ma Hongjun practiced controlling his evil fire in the courtyard, Oscar researched new sausage recipes, Dai Mubai and Tang San sparred, while Jiang Zhu, under Lin Che's guidance, tried using the sacred staff to cultivate healing-type spirit grass—the gentle guiding methods of the Spirit Grass Cultivation Method were perfect for helping her control the Poison and Heal Dual Ability.

Lin Che watched the harmonious group as the Universe Cauldron quietly turned in his palm. He knew this peace was only temporary. Spirit Hall's pursuit would arrive soon enough. But as long as the team worked together, and with Jiang Zhu's healing ability, they would have the strength to fight even a Titled Douluo.

And this Martial Soul awakening caused by the Poisonous Mire Grass not only elevated the Shrek team's strength to a new level, but also gave them a crucial trump card on their path to oppose Spirit Hall.