"No, you practiced it correctly. You're very good at it. But that's exactly why I have to make you stop."
"Do you remember what I told you before?"
"You can study and improve all the other techniques as much as you like, but not Poison Refining."
Tang Jiaren sighed. He had made Qin Qi stop not because Qin Qi had practiced it incorrectly, but because he had practiced it too well.
"I remember. You told me that Poison Refining has to be used together with the Five Treasures Body Protection Method. Otherwise, something bad could happen."
Qin Qi nodded. He had held Tang Jiaren's words firmly in mind.
"That's right. The Five Treasures Body Protection Method is what keeps us from being harmed by the Qi Poison we refine ourselves."
"If you refine poison too efficiently, the Five Treasures Body Protection Method won't be able to keep up, and the toxins will enter your body."
"Ah, I suppose this is my fault, too. Back when I practiced Poison Refining, I always used external medicines to assist me. I didn't have a Martial Soul or Spirit Rings."
"Your situation is unusual as well, so I misjudged things."
Tang Jiaren sighed. He hadn't noticed anything unusual about Qin Qi before, and only realized it now. He felt he had failed in his duty.
"Does that mean I'm going to kick the bucket?"
Qin Qi looked down at himself. He had inherited nearly all of the Datura Snake's poison.
According to his tests, anyone poisoned by him would be dead within ten or so minutes.
"It won't come to that. The Five Treasures Body Protection Method has contained most of the toxins."
"At worst, the excess toxins will be eating away at you. But don't worry. Just don't practice Poison Refining for the next few days."
"Practice the Five Treasures Body Protection Method diligently, and that'll be enough. Once it improves, you'll be fine."
Tang Jiaren spoke.
"You scared me. I thought I was going to kick the bucket."
Qin Qi breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at Tang Jiaren, he silently felt fortunate to have a reliable granduncle to teach him.
"I'll write you a prescription in a moment. It'll nourish your body and drive out the poison. Take it for two days, and it'll flush out any toxins in your body."
Tang Jiaren spoke.
"Mm."
Qin Qi nodded. At that moment, he clearly felt how important it was to have the knowledge passed down to him!
If he'd been practicing on his own, he definitely wouldn't have noticed this.
In the future, he might even have become another Dugu Bo!
"The person who invented the Five Treasures Body Protection Method was a genius!"
Qin Qi couldn't help exclaiming.
"Indeed, a genius."
Tang Jiaren echoed him.
"Mm. Little Qin Qi, do you know the history of the Five Treasures Body Protection Method and Poison Refining in our Tang Sect?"
Tang Jiaren suddenly asked.
"I don't."
Qin Qi answered.
"Ah, young people these days. Never mind. Sit beside me, and I'll tell you about it."
Tang Jiaren patted the spot beside him. He wanted Qin Qi to rest a while; there would be no more training today.
He needed to adjust his physical condition and state of mind.
Qin Qi sat down beside Tang Jiaren, watching him curiously.
"At first, our Tang Sect didn't have Qi Poison. We used ordinary poisons back then, too."
Tang Jiaren began telling him about the history of the Tang Sect's development.
"But later, we realized that ordinary poisons weren't powerful enough, and they were easy for others to detect."
"Back then, a genius had a sudden inspiration. Other sects could turn Qi into flames or thunder, so why couldn't we turn Qi into poison?"
"That would make poisoning more discreet, and the poison would be much easier to carry around."
"I don't know the details of the research, but in the end, they succeeded. The Qi Poison back then was several times more powerful than it is now!"
"Why do you think that was?"
As Tang Jiaren spoke, he looked at Qin Qi and asked him.
"Um... Maybe they used all five kinds of Qi for Poison Refining? The Five Elements generate one another, so the power of the Qi would increase, too."
Qin Qi thought for a moment before answering. He had wondered before why Poison Refining only used Lung Metal, Kidney Water, and Heart Fire.
Wouldn't it be even more powerful if all five kinds of Qi were used to refine poison?
"That's right. Using all five kinds of Qi to refine poison naturally made it very powerful. But before long, that genius died."
"The poison was too potent, and his talent was too great. In the end, he poisoned himself to death."
Tang Jiaren shook his head as he spoke. "Remember this: your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness."
"Mm."
Qin Qi nodded and committed the words to memory.
"After that happened, the Tang Sect kept quiet for a while. But later, people began researching Qi Poison again."
"There was no helping it. Qi Poison was just too convenient—countless times more convenient than ordinary poison."
"For the Tang Sect back then, it was a powerful tool. People weren't willing to give it up."
"But nobody wanted to die, either, so the Tang Sect members began researching how to protect themselves from Qi Poison while refining it."
"After who knows how many people had researched it and made sacrifices, the Five Treasures Body Protection Method was created."
"Qi Poison became less powerful, but it was much safer. At the same time, they developed a desperate secret technique called Earth-Wood Flow."
Tang Jiaren had told the story in just a few words, but they contained the hard-won wisdom of countless Tang Sect members who had faced death without flinching.
"We're walking a road paved with the bones of our predecessors."
Qin Qi spoke.
"I'm glad you understand that. Every rule in our Tang Sect was learned by our predecessors at the cost of their lives."
"Every one of those rules serves a purpose. They're all there to help us stay alive."
"So, you must be steady in everything you do. Don't be impatient. Step by step, with a solid foundation—that's the right path."
Tang Jiaren looked at Qin Qi and solemnly reminded him again.
Qin Qi was very talented, but young people tended to get carried away. Tang Jiaren worried that Qin Qi's recklessness might get him into trouble.
That was why he had told Qin Qi this story.
"Mm."
Qin Qi nodded. Having lived three lifetimes, he was no child. He understood how precious life was.
That evening, Qin Qi spent the remaining time in the Study Space practicing the Five Treasures Body Protection Method.
He also worked on improving his control over the Qi Poison—the Datura Snake's poison—and briefly studied the moves of Instant Strike.
The next morning.
Qin Qi had just finished breakfast and was about to head to his first culture class when Teacher Zhao stopped him.
"Teacher Zhao, what's wrong?"
Qin Qi asked.
"There won't be class today. The graduating students are holding a graduation sparring event. After considering it, the principal decided you should take part, too."
Teacher Zhao answered.
"Graduation sparring? What's that?"
Qin Qi asked.
"It's a tradition at our school. Once students obtain a Spirit Ring, they spar with one another."
"They also spar with students from other grades. The principal says it's a way to encourage everyone to study."
Teacher Zhao sighed as she spoke.
"The principal sure has a lot of business."
Qin Qi couldn't help saying.
"Don't say that. He's the principal—though he really does have a lot of business."
Teacher Zhao reminded Qin Qi, then couldn't help complaining about the principal herself.
"Ah, Teacher Zhao, let's go. We can go take part in that sparring event."
Qin Qi spoke.