One Poison, Two Uses

"Poison Astral Body..."

Lu Li withdrew his gaze, his eyes flickering slightly.

Without question, this technique demanded even greater talent than ordinary body-tempering arts.

Red Ghost Buddha's martial talent had been too poor, yet he had forced himself to cultivate it. In the end, his body had become covered in festering poisonous sores, leaving him capable only of spraying toxic blood.

He wondered whether the panel would react to this technique and record it.

As the thought crossed his mind, Lu Li did not care much. Poisonous body-tempering arts were difficult to cultivate because of the process of tempering one's physique with poison—something ordinary people simply could not endure.

But he possessed the Xiangliu Martial Dao Essence-Eroding Scripture and was completely immune to poison.

He could even absorb and use toxins to increase his cultivation.

One poison, two uses!

Seeing that Lu Li had remained silent for so long, Tong Xinghe hurriedly spoke.

"Young brother, please do not refuse. When punishing evil and upholding good, one must reward the good and punish the wicked. Otherwise, this world will be filled with nothing but evil men."

"I'll accept it."

Lu Li had not intended to refuse in the first place. In consideration of the gifted technique, he reminded him, "The force behind the Myriad Life Sect is powerful. You should be more careful from now on. The Crane Flower Sect Master may not be able to protect you."

Hearing this, understanding flashed through Tong Xinghe's heart. He had previously guessed that Lu Li likely knew something about the Myriad Life Sect, and these words only confirmed it further.

"The Myriad Life Sect has been abducting infants everywhere. Some commoners have left their homes in search of their lost children, while some women weep all day long. Since what happened in Gaoliu County took place under the Crane Flower Sect's jurisdiction, as a man of the righteous path, I cannot turn a blind eye and allow such evil to continue!"

Tong Xinghe's face was grave, and killing intent filled his voice. Clearly, he hated the Myriad Life Sect to the bone. He glanced at Lu Li and said,

"We have taken full responsibility for the Flow-Ring Blade and Red Ghost Buddha. We will never allow young brother to be implicated. We only hope you can tell us the details truthfully. No matter who stands behind this, I will uproot them completely!"

Lu Li's expression shifted slightly as he looked at Tong Xinghe.

Tong Xinghe had played a significant role in several side quests in the game's backstory. His talent was not poor, but in his youth, his chivalrous deeds had left him with lasting injuries. Though he cultivated diligently all his life, by the demon and monster era, he had not even reached the Meridian Opening Realm.

Yet he later became famous for his wits, becoming an honored guest of the major righteous sects. In the end, he joined numerous renowned orthodox sects and led a Storm the Mountains and Shatter the Temples!

He swept through the many wicked factions of the Jing Dynasty's martial world. Apart from a few scattered remnants, he had nearly exterminated every openly evil sect.

Later, he was secretly poisoned by the remnants of the evil path. Before his death, his laughter shook the wilderness as he shouted freely and joyfully,

'Worth it! Worth it! Worth it!'

Lu Li respected people like him.

Knowing the backstory, he understood just how many evil people there were in the martial world. Therefore, he understood even more clearly how difficult it was to be a good person in this world.

Especially one who held fast to a single belief and carried out good deeds throughout his entire life.

Lu Li was silent for a long while before slowly uttering three words. "Merging Cavern."

"Merging Cavern?"

Tong Xinghe froze, confused. He turned the name over in his mind, but he had never heard of such a force.

"The Myriad Life Sect abducts children everywhere, but it would not be easy for them to find buyers on their own. Everything is directed by Merging Cavern behind the scenes. They are merely working for Merging Cavern. If Merging Cavern is not eliminated, then even if you destroy the Myriad Life Sect, another 'Myriad Life Sect' will emerge."

Lu Li explained briefly and sighed softly.

This was the first time Tong Xinghe had heard the name Merging Cavern. He furrowed his brow. "What is the background of this Merging Cavern?"

Lu Li swept his gaze around before pulling him into the guest room.

Inside the guest room, he and Tong Xinghe stood facing each other, the door tightly shut. After using the Weapon Lord to make certain no one was watching nearby, Lu Li no longer concealed anything and said,

"Merging Cavern... consists of the descendants of the Qi Kingdom."

"The Qi Kingdom?!"

Tong Xinghe stood there in stunned disbelief.

A hundred years ago, the realm had been thrown into chaos. The founding emperor of the Jing Dynasty had raised his army and swept across the land. After ten years of war, he seized the throne of Qi, replaced it, and established Jing.

But the Qi Kingdom had been destroyed for two hundred years. There were still descendants in this world?!

If the Qi Kingdom still had descendants, and they were now abducting children in large numbers to train as deathsworn, did that not reveal their towering ambitions? They were secretly plotting regicide and seeking to restore their state.

Tong Xinghe instantly understood why Lu Li had been so cautious.

If word of this got out, it would surely bring death. The Myriad Life Sect had existed for nearly a century, which meant Merging Cavern had been laying plans for at least that long. How deep must its reserves and contingencies be?

And how terrifyingly far had the force controlling everything from behind the scenes infiltrated the martial world?

"Regarding what happened today, Tong will bury it in his stomach. I will absolutely not spread it and implicate young brother."

Tong Xinghe bowed solemnly.

Lu Li's face showed no particular expression.

As a boss faction in the martial world version of the game, Merging Cavern had committed countless evils and possessed vast treasures. If he were strong enough, Lu Li naturally wanted to destroy Merging Cavern and make a fortune.

Unfortunately, he was not strong enough yet.

He knew Merging Cavern's foundations well. It had many Astral Condensation Realm experts and had even recruited six Divine Intent Realm experts. Even if the entire martial world of the Jing Dynasty united, they might not be able to shake it.

Having received the answer he sought, Tong Xinghe clasped his hands slightly and turned to leave, only to hear Lu Li's voice behind him.

"If you intend to continue investigating the Myriad Life Sect, you can try looking into the three great local aristocratic clans of Xue, Fang, and Du. If you need to protect yourselves, you may seek refuge at Profound Heaven Temple."

The Jing Dynasty had already enjoyed two hundred years of rule. The aristocratic clans had long extended their influence into every aspect of life, with Xue, Fang, and Du foremost among them. All were relatives of the imperial family, with numerous retainers in the court.

They had undoubtedly played a role in the affairs of the Myriad Life Sect and had deep ties with Merging Cavern.

As the foremost Daoist sect, Profound Heaven Temple had two Divine Intent experts guarding it and could serve as a retreat.

Hearing this, Tong Xinghe clasped his hands toward Lu Li in gratitude.

Lu Li nodded lightly. Only after the man left did he withdraw his gaze and look at the booklet in his hand, whose ink had not yet dried.

Just as he was about to sit down and study the Poison Astral Body, Liu Yueling's crisp voice sounded beside his ear.

"Who was that man just now?"

Liu Yueling had opened her eyes at some point. She had not spoken earlier to interrupt their conversation, but now her lively eyes looked at Lu Li with curiosity.

"Him..."

Lu Li picked up the thin porridge and a plate of pickled vegetables from the table and placed them on the chair beside the bed. After a brief pause, he said,

"He is also a good person."

"Oh."

Liu Yueling lowered her head obediently, accepted the porridge, and ate it in small mouthfuls. As she ate, she sat up and pressed close against Lu Li, as though only this could give her a sense of safety.

"Eat properly."

Lu Li smiled and reached out to rub Liu Yueling's head.

He had initially been somewhat troubled by the thought of dealing with a child, but Liu Yueling was far more obedient than he had imagined. She was simply a little clingy.

"Your body is still rather weak. Rest after you finish eating. Later, we'll hire a carriage and head to the Southern Wastes."