Ning Chuan had now broken through to the Spirit Sea Realm, and spiritual energy flowed endlessly within him. Combined with his powerful mental strength, it allowed him to bring the wondrous effects of the Thirteen Life-Taking Needles to their fullest potential.
Even so, it was still extraordinarily dangerous.
The God-Devouring Gu Poison came from a gu insect that constantly released toxic fumes. It lurked between Luo Luo's brows, feeding on her blood essence, and was extremely difficult to deal with.
Ning Chuan used the Thirteen Life-Taking Needles to weave a net that spanned heaven and earth, steadily drawing the poison out of Luo Luo's body while confining the gu insect behind a spiritual energy barrier to prevent another outbreak.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The silver needles descended continuously, radiating brilliant light as they sank into her acupoints, shook her meridians, expelled the gu poison, and sealed the gu insect...
Within moments, Ning Chuan was drenched in sweat!
Using the Thirteen Life-Taking Needles was even more exhausting than fighting Li Yunfei and the others had been. He remained utterly focused, not daring to relax for an instant.
Whoosh!
Just then, a black-robed old man came hurtling over from the distance.
It was Luo Luo's grandfather. Having finally shaken off those two third-tier demonic beasts, he had immediately rushed toward the Ten-Li Pavilion.
"You brat, how dare you?!"
Seeing Ning Chuan doing something to Luo Luo with silver needles, he flew into a rage. Thinking Ning Chuan meant to harm her, he struck out fiercely with his palm.
But the mighty palm imprint stopped instantly behind Ning Chuan, for the old man had noticed the God-Devouring Gu Poison erupting within Luo Luo.
"The God-Devouring Gu Poison has flared up again?!"
The old man stiffened, his eyes filled with desperate anxiety.
Only then did he realize that Ning Chuan was not harming Luo Luo-he was saving her!
Watching Ning Chuan's miraculous Acupuncture Technique, he stared wide-eyed in disbelief, and a glimmer of hope involuntarily rose in his eyes.
Could this mysterious young man truly save Luo Luo?
"What are you standing there for? My spiritual energy is almost depleted. Transfer some to me, or I won't be able to hold on!"
Ning Chuan spoke irritably.
"Oh, yes, yes! Young man, please, you must save Luo Luo! As long as you can save her, I'll agree to anything you ask!"
The old man pleaded as he hurriedly mobilized his vast spiritual energy and poured it into Ning Chuan's body.
Boom!
With the old man's spiritual energy flowing into him, Ning Chuan's nearly depleted reserves immediately became abundant again.
Moreover, the Chaos Gods and Devils Art began circulating on its own, continuously converting the old man's spiritual energy, refining and devouring it before merging it into the Spirit Sea in Ning Chuan's dantian.
How vast was the spiritual energy of a Dao Foundation Realm martial artist?
Ning Chuan could feel the spiritual energy in his Spirit Sea growing ever more abundant. Even his cultivation had begun to rise.
How domineering the Chaos Gods and Devils Art was! It could even devour another person's spiritual energy?
With his spiritual energy replenished, Ning Chuan immediately dismissed his stray thoughts and continued using the Thirteen Life-Taking Needles, steadily expelling wisps of black poison from Luo Luo's body.
Before long, Ning Chuan had drawn out all the toxic fumes released by the God-Devouring Gu Poison. The gu insect was sealed within the sea of consciousness between her brows and gradually fell dormant, no longer thrashing about.
A trace of color gradually returned to Luo Luo's face.
Ning Chuan breathed a sigh of relief and retrieved all the silver needles. Only then did he discover that the Chaos Gods and Devils Art had devoured so much of the old man's spiritual energy that his cultivation had reached the second level of the Spirit Sea Realm.
The old man was also deeply shocked. Any other Spirit Sea Realm martial artist would have burst long ago under the immense spiritual energy he had poured into Ning Chuan. Yet Ning Chuan's body was like a bottomless pit, continuously swallowing vast quantities of spiritual energy.
Even he had nearly been unable to keep it up.
At that moment, however, he paid no attention to those details. His attention was entirely on Luo Luo, and his eyes were filled with overwhelming delight.
"Young friend, has Luo Luo's God-Devouring Gu Poison... been cured?!"
Even the old man's voice trembled.
"How could it be that easy? The gu poison is easy to clear, but the gu insect is difficult to remove! The insect inside her must have been frightened just now and released its poison. All I did was expel the poison from her body and temporarily seal the insect!
"But the spiritual energy barrier I set up can only seal the insect for one month! If we can't kill it within that month, the poison will erupt again, and I fear it will be even more dangerous!"
Ning Chuan spoke with a soft sigh.
"I see!"
The old man was somewhat disappointed, but he refused to give up. "Since you have the ability to seal the gu insect, young friend, do you have a way to remove it completely?"
"Yes!"
After considering it for a moment, Ning Chuan nodded.
"Really?"
The old man was overjoyed, his eyes brimming with excitement.
He had only asked on the off chance, never expecting that Ning Chuan would actually have a solution.
"I need to refine a spirit pill and use it alongside my Thirteen Life-Taking Needles to destroy the gu insect completely! However, the medicinal herbs required to refine this pill are rather rare. I wonder whether you can gather them all?"
Ning Chuan asked.
"Please tell me, young friend! Whatever you need, I'll find it for Luo Luo, even if I have to turn all of Flame Dragon City upside down!"
The old man replied hastily.
"Then listen carefully! I need a Five-Colored Spider, an Ice Toad, a Thousand-Hand Centipede, a Red-Flower Venomous Snake..."
In one breath, Ning Chuan listed over a hundred medicinal herbs and various other treasures he needed.
After hearing the list, the old man's expression involuntarily changed. Half the treasures Ning Chuan needed were poisonous insects and plants, though there were also some exceptionally rare medicinal herbs.
Had Ning Chuan not just saved Luo Luo, the old man would almost have thought he intended to harm her!
"All right! Rest assured, young friend. Give me seven days, and I'll gather everything! May I ask your name, and where I should go to find you?"
The old man asked hurriedly.
"My name is Ning Chuan, and I'm from the Shen family in Flame Dragon City! Once you've gathered everything, senior, just come to the Shen residence to find me!"
Ning Chuan replied with a faint smile.
"Ning Chuan? Very well. Thank you, young friend Ning!"
A trace of surprise flashed through the old man's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and nodded to Ning Chuan.
"Senior, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave! Luo Luo should wake up after resting for a while!"
Ning Chuan cupped his fist in farewell.
"Take care, young friend Ning!"
The old man nodded and watched Ning Chuan leave until his figure disappeared at the end of the road.
"Ning Chuan? He's that useless live-in son-in-law of the Shen family? Interesting. It seems this Ning Chuan has fooled everyone. Not only has he reached the Spirit Sea Realm, but he also possesses such transcendent medical skills. You truly can't judge a man by his appearance! I wonder whether the Ning family of Jade Capital City will regret it?"
A look of keen interest appeared in the old man's eyes as he murmured to himself.
He was none other than Zhao Songzhai, the lord of Flame Dragon City!
He had taken Luo Luo out of the city that day to lift her spirits, never expecting to encounter a rampage of demonic beasts from the Great Wilderness Mountains. Luo Luo had nearly ended up in a beast's belly.
Fortunately, they had encountered Ning Chuan!
This left him intensely curious about Ning Chuan as well.
Before you continue