System Thinking

The cold centipede crawled around Li Shuidao's neck, and he could even clearly hear the sound of its leg joints trembling.

In the blink of an eye, the Giant Centipede went to harm others. More than twenty members of the Li Clan were all crawled over by the Giant Centipede.

The vast majority remained calm. Although their bodies were tense, they didn't make a sound.

After being crawled over by the venomous insect, Li Shuidao felt his neck itch intensely. It was obvious he had been poisoned.

Everyone present had been poisoned...

"You have all been poisoned by the centipede. If left untreated, you will die within half an hour at most," Li Tianliang said calmly, as if narrating an ordinary event.

The disciples present took out Detoxification Pills and put them in their mouths.

Detoxification Pills were rumored to cure all poisons. The characteristic of this pill was that it could dilute toxicity and temporarily enhance the Vital Energy of the user, allowing them to withstand deadly poisons. This was the principle behind the Detoxification Pill's ability to cure all poisons. However, if faced with the poisons of cultivators, Detoxification Pills would be completely ineffective.

After the Li Clan relocated to Black Mountain, there were many snakes, insects, rats, and ants. It was inevitable that clan members would be bitten by venomous creatures. If bitten, taking a Detoxification Pill usually caused no major issues.

After Li Shuilang and Li Shuiting took the Detoxification Pills, the skin crawled over by the centipede seemed to itch even more.

Centipede poison was classified as Wood Poison among the Five Poisons. Licorice could not cure it; instead, it would be counterproductive.

As the Five Elements dictate that Metal overcomes Wood, one must use Metal Poison to counteract it to resolve the centipede poison.

Li Shuidao looked at the plate Li Tianliang had not yet put away.

The Five-Colored Porcelain Plate was painted with five lifelike insects: a Golden Scorpion, an Earth-Colored Gecko, a Jade Toad, a Scarlet Viper, and a Dark Green Centipede.

This was actually the best hint!

Scorpion corresponded to Metal Poison; Gecko corresponded to Earth Poison; Toad corresponded to Water Poison; Viper corresponded to Fire Poison; Centipede corresponded to Wood Poison.

A small amount of Scorpion Venom could be used to counteract the poison, or Metal-Attribute Spirit Grass such as Golden Silk Grass, Golden Dew Fruit, Golden Leaf Vine, etc., could also be used for detoxification.

Even Metal-Attribute mineral stones like Gold Vein Stone, Mercury Sand... could be used.

If all else failed, the bones of Metal-Attribute Yao Beasts, ground into powder and applied to the wound, could also detoxify.

Li Shuidao's mind raced, and he had already thought of more than ten detoxification methods, but he did not speak rashly.

A twelve-year-old child didn't need to understand too much.

"Go to the mess hall, scrape off some pot ash, and apply it to the wound. That will detoxify you," Li Tianliang said unhurriedly.

"Doctor, we take our leave."

"Doctor, we'll be going ahead."

"Thank you, Doctor."

Many disciples left one after another, their expressions showing no sign of panic.

Li Shuidao secretly shook his head. Hundred Herb Ash could indeed detoxify Wood Poison; he had actually overlooked it.

On the first day, the disciples were toyed with by the centipedes. On the second day, Li Tianliang led the disciples to the Swamp Pond to catch toads.

Toads were incredibly weak compared to centipedes. Who among the disciples hadn't caught a toad before? Even poisonous toads were no problem, as they didn't bite.

The disciples eagerly jumped into the water, appearing extremely brave. Then, several brightly colored vipers darted out, and the disciples were all poisoned and fell to the ground.

Li Tianliang stood on the bank and shouted, "Everything in the world has its counter, and within ten paces, there is a cure. Rub the wound with the toad you caught, and you will be detoxified."

Toads were Water Poison, and snakes were Fire Poison.

Water overcomes Fire in the Five Elements.

The disciples all rubbed their wounds with the toads. A cool sensation spread through them, and their bodies, numbed by the snake venom, regained sensation.

"Since you are no longer afraid of snake venom, find a way to catch a snake each!" Li Tianliang instructed.

The third day.

Li Tianliang led everyone to a dilapidated courtyard to catch geckos. With the experience from the previous day, everyone cautiously entered the old house.

As expected.

There were no geckos in the broken house at all. More than a dozen brown scorpions, the size of palms, swarmed out. Twelve disciples were instantly subdued. Their wounds glowed golden, and they were in immense pain.

At this moment, Li Tianliang appeared again and announced loudly, "Everything in the world has its counter, and within ten paces, there is a cure. Drink snake blood to detoxify."

The disciples all took snake blood from their waist pouches and drank it down. The pain in their bodies immediately lessened.

The fourth day.

The disciples returned to the classroom. Li Tianliang took out the Five Elements Plate and began to explain the principles of the Five Poisons and their interrelationships according to the Five Elements.

Some seemed to understand, while others still looked bewildered.

After class, everyone rested.

"Doctor Tianliang, I have a question that I hope you can enlighten me on."

"Please, ask away."

"Doctor Tianliang, I've heard that there are venomous snakes in the great sea, known as sea snakes. Are sea snakes fire-attribute or water-attribute?" Li Shuidao asked, cupping his fists.

"Ah... this..." Li Tianliang frowned and pondered for a long time before saying, "Sea beasts are all Water-Attribute Yao Beasts. This indicates that venomous snakes are not necessarily all Fire Poison."

"I understand. Thank you, Doctor Tianliang." Li Shuidao, being perceptive, did not continue to inquire.

He actually had a guess about this issue. Asking Li Tianliang now was just to confirm his thoughts, but unfortunately, Doctor Tianliang didn't understand either.

As the saying goes, within ten steps, there must be an antidote. Everything in the world has a system. Within a system, there is Yin-Yang Balance and the Five Elements' mutual generation. Outside of this system, one cannot force connections; it's like comparing General Guan Yu to Qin Qiong—they belong to different systems and cannot be compared.

That Sea Beast was indeed a water-attribute Yao Beast, but if it were within the system of the ocean, it would still be considered Fire Poison.

Over the next few days, Li Tianliang continued to teach the disciples how to identify, distinguish, and detoxify poisons, as well as how to refine poison pills and antidotes...

During this process, Li Shuidao's understanding of the art of poison application deepened.

Within an isolated system, there will inevitably be Yin-Yang Balance and the Five Elements' mutual generation and restraint.

This is the fundamental reason why an antidote can be found within ten steps: because the antidote sought within ten steps is definitely found within that system, not outside of it.

Ever since he activated System Thinking, everything Li Shuidao saw was in a state of Yin-Yang mutual generation and the Five Elements' harmonious combination, each forming its own system.

If the Yin and Yang were disturbed or the Five Elements were mismatched, the system would spontaneously evolve towards Yin-Yang Balance and the harmonious combination of the Five Elements.

This is the Heavenly Dao!

If a person is also within this system, they must avoid the negative impacts of these changes; this is what is meant by avoiding poisoning.

It's like two armies at war, and one is watching from the sidelines.

Theoretically, during a war between two armies, one can not only watch from the sidelines but also reap the benefits.

If one can cleverly profit, they can then naturally improve their cultivation.

Perhaps this is the Way of Poison Cultivation!

While his classmates were still memorizing the formulas for Detoxification Pills and Purple Poison Powder, Li Shuidao was already standing at a higher level, contemplating the great Dao of Poison Cultivation...

Although they were all learning the same things, their level of thought and breadth of vision were completely on different planes.

Li Shuidao recorded his understanding and guesses in his personal notebook.

If Li Tianliang were to find it, he wouldn't be able to understand it, because the notes were written in Chinese characters.

Thus, Li Shuidao followed his classmates and studied the Art of Poison Cultivation for nearly two years.

During these two years, Li Shuidao, along with his classmates, spent day and night with poisonous insects and plants, identifying their medicinal and toxic properties, and refining poison pills and antidotes.

Although Li Shuidao had already read relevant Toxicology and Pharmacology in the family's Scripture Pavilion, learning from books alone is ultimately superficial; true knowledge comes from practice.

Only through repeated practical application can one truly master it.