Sword and Poison

The two brocade-robed men from the Lin family heard movement from the ship's cabin and rushed in without hesitation. The scene before them greatly shocked them: their young master's feet were bleeding profusely, and his face was pale, clearly poisoned and severely injured.

Xia Ruoxue, dressed in black, held a gleaming steel saber. Her beauty was unparalleled, and her cold elegance was intimidating.

She looked at the two brocade-robed men and said coldly, "Scram!"

The two brocade-robed men immediately drew their swords, their blades flashing, determined to avenge their young master.

"Don't kill her, I still have use for her." Although Lin Yunzhi was poisoned and had lost his combat ability, his mind was still clear. He reached into his robes, pulled out a jade bottle, and poured three Detoxification Pills into his mouth.

The two brocade-robed men nodded and attacked Xia Ruoxue with their swords.

Xia Ruoxue took out a packet of powder from her robes and scattered it into the air without hesitation. The powder dispersed in the air, quickly turning into an invisible poisonous mist that filled the cabin.

The two brocade-robed men were immediately enveloped by the poisonous mist. Their skin felt an intense burning pain; they were poisoned!

Even so, they did not retreat in the slightest, gritting their teeth and continuing to attack Xia Ruoxue.

Xia Ruoxue's heart tightened, not daring to be careless. She swung her saber, unleashing countless blade-light attacks towards the two brocade-robed men.

A brutal and fierce battle unfolded in the cabin. Xia Ruoxue's Falling Phoenix Thirteen Blades were incredibly sharp, and in moments, she had killed the two brocade-robed men.

The cabin was filled with the smell of blood, and the bodies lay quietly on the ground.

It was too easy...

After being poisoned, these two were no match for her. Their sword swings were weak and feeble, and they were easily cut down by Xia Ruoxue.

Inside the cabin, Lin Yunzhi, afflicted by two potent poisons, collapsed onto the floor. His face was as pale as paper, and his body was drenched in cold sweat.

At this moment, he only had a faint breath, like a dead man.

Outside the cabin...

At the stern of the small boat.

Lin Yuanren practiced his footwork, staggering and swaying. He felt somewhat seasick.

This isn't seasickness, it's poisoning!

I must end this fight quickly.

But that guy can move stealthily in the water. Even though the Azure Scale Beast is the overlord of the water, it can't exert any combat power.

Just then, Li Shuidao leaped out of the water again.

The Clear Pool Sword Dao was a sword art focused on a single strike upon emerging from the water.

A chilling sword light aimed directly at Lin Yuanren's neck.

Although Lin Yuanren was poisoned, his Magical Power circulated naturally within him. Stimulated by the cold aura of the sword's edge, patches of azure scales instantly appeared on his body. He mustered his strength to grab Li Shuidao's flying sword.

Ultimately, I'm poisoned. My speed and reaction are just a hair slower.

As the sword light flashed, Lin Yuanren's eyes were pierced, rendering him blind.

Seizing this opportunity, Li Shuidao plunged back into the water.

Water Surge Stealth Technique!

He disappeared again.

Azure Scale Beast: "..."

Facing this dire situation, Lin Yuanren, with blood tears streaming from his eyes, knew that the tide had turned against him. A fierce look flashed across his face, and he decided on a desperate gamble.

The Azure Scale Beast, which had been acting like a simpleton, received its master's command. Its eyes shone with cruel, bloodthirsty light.

The Azure Scale Beast swam directly towards the small boat. Its massive body breached the surface, and its huge claws pressed onto the deck.

Xia Ruoxue, hiding in the boat's canopy, was its target.

Li Shuidao was slippery and disappeared upon entering the water, but Xia Ruoxue was a clear target.

Attack what he must protect!

This was Lin Yuanren's method of mutual destruction.

Swish!

A silver light flashed.

Li Shuidao reappeared from the water and, with a single sword strike, severed Lin Yuanren's head. He was deeply poisoned and was decapitated before he could even activate his Azure Scale Armor.

The moment the Azure Scale Beast climbed onto the boat, the small vessel swayed violently, almost capsizing.

The boat was not large to begin with, and with two holes pierced in the deck, river water slowly seeped in. Sinking was inevitable.

Xia Ruoxue vaguely saw the massive body of the beast on the deck through the canopy.

The foul stench could be smelled even through the fabric.

The wooden boat swayed precariously, and her body trembled involuntarily, her heart filled with fear.

"Xia Ruoxue!" Li Shuidao's anxious voice called from behind.

Xia Ruoxue no longer hesitated and exited the cabin from the rear.

The Azure Scale Beast had just climbed onto the ship's bow when Xia Ruoxue rushed to the stern.

At the stern lay a headless corpse, that of Lin Yuanren, whose head had just been severed.

Li Shuidao, clad in black, stood beside the headless corpse, Lin Yuanren's head rolling at his feet.

"Jump!"

Li Shuidao leaped into the Flowing Cloud River with Xia Ruoxue in his arms.

Water splashed everywhere as Xia Ruoxue twisted her body, struggling to swim towards the bank.

Having grown up in Cangzhou, she had been a traveling heroine since childhood, and her swimming skills were quite impressive.

The Azure Scale Beast, which had just boarded the small boat, saw its prey jump into the river and plunged in after it.

The Azure Scale Beast was a ruler of the water, and its speed was faster than on land.

Xia Ruoxue swam with near madness. She heard the Azure Scale Beast enter the water and felt the surging waves behind her.

She had a feeling that the giant Azure Scale Beast would bite off half her body the next moment and tear her to shreds in the river.

Her feeling was not wrong!

At this moment, the Azure Scale Beast had already opened its massive maw, ready to swallow Xia Ruoxue whole.

Puchi!

Li Shuidao thrust his sword through the beast's lower jaw. The skin of its lower jaw was soft and not covered by scales at all.

"Roar!"

Stung by the pain, the Azure Scale Beast turned and lunged at Li Shuidao underwater.

The calm surface of the water suddenly exploded, and Li Shuidao engaged in close combat with the giant beast in the water.

Xia Ruoxue swam desperately towards the shore. When her feet touched the land, she turned back to look.

The waters of the Flowing Cloud River churned, and the figures of Li Shuidao and the giant beast were completely intertwined.

He desperately held the beast's lower jaw, preventing it from opening its mouth. The beast's short, thick claws swung wildly, striking Li Shuidao's body, hitting his chest, and tearing open flesh on his shoulders.

Li Shuidao was not to be trifled with. He stirred the sword lodged in the beast's lower jaw, and blood splattered everywhere.

"Roar—"

The beast roared, trying to fling Li Shuidao off.

But Li Shuidao clung to its body as if glued, unable to be thrown off no matter how it struggled.

"Brother Dao, be careful!" Xia Ruoxue cried anxiously, her voice quickly swallowed by the river.

She stomped her feet in desperation, but it was of no help to the battle.

After a stalemate of dozens of breaths between man and beast, the giant Azure Scale Beast suddenly swung its tail with force.

The next moment.

The giant beast charged ashore with Li Shuidao.

The ten-foot-long beast pinned Li Shuidao beneath it, and then Li Shuidao kicked the beast over.

The giant Azure Scale Beast fell onto its back and died.

Li Shuidao's first sword strike had been fatal.

His sword was coated with his potent Toad poison. The blade pierced the lower jaw, and the poison directly entered the beast's brain. Furthermore, Li Shuidao had stirred the sword vigorously, accelerating the beast's death.

Li Shuidao got up from the ground, covered in blood, his body riddled with wounds, his face deathly pale.

Dao technique: Water Moon Flowing Pearl.

Crystal-clear pearls materialized around Li Shuidao, and then these water droplets entered his body.

The water pearls exuded a rich vitality, and Li Shuidao's body was soon enveloped in green light. The massive tearing wounds on his chest and shoulders healed at a visible rate, and his originally weak aura recovered somewhat.