Sword Venerable Jinglin meant to force the man to flee. Only once he left the crowded area could the sword venerable fight at full strength. Then, whether he cut the man down on the spot or cast a long line to catch a big fish, he would have room to act.
But Nie Gui gave chase even faster than Sword Venerable Jinglin. He had been unhappy about letting the sword venerable make the first move, and he certainly wasn't going to let him steal all the glory now. Sword Venerable Jinglin pursued them too. He could not let the man escape.
Keeping the captives alive did not mean the people of the Profound Heart Sect were softhearted saints. They wanted to extract more information. Pei Ling's word alone was not enough. As he had said, they needed to dig deeper.
When Xi Lingge learned that Qiao Ranran had not yet developed an antidote to the Little Wooden Puppet's poison, but could force it out with an Acupuncture Technique, he brightened. "Excellent, excellent. Leave the detoxification to me."
Qiao Ranran: "..."
Xi Lingge's desire to use the two captives for research was written all over his face. This poison could knock out someone at the Void Refining Stage and leave someone at the Body Integration Stage unable to fight. With two ready-made test subjects as well, it would be a shame not to use them.
Ji Qingming nudged Xi Lingge aside and smiled at Qiao Ranran. "Nephew Qiao, will this poison affect their minds?"
Qiao Ranran shook her head. "No. They'll wake up soon, but if the poison isn't removed, it will slowly eat away at them. Their spiritual power will dry up, and their life force will be extinguished..."
That was how the poison afflicting Pei Ling worked. The Little