Seeing her like this, Xiao Baichuan added another remark.
"Although the Woeful Poison Body is dangerous, it isn't without its benefits."
"As long as you absorb poisons, your cultivation can rise rapidly, many times faster than an ordinary person's."
Xiao Yi Xian raised her head, her eyes full of disbelief.
"Absorb poisons... to cultivate?"
"Yes." Xiao Baichuan nodded. "The Woeful Poison Body is an extremely rare constitution in itself. Cultivating with poison gets you twice the results for half the effort."
"But as the poisons accumulate, the poison body will erupt completely one day..."
Xiao Yi Xian fell silent for a moment, then spoke in a strained voice.
"Then... is there a way to fix it?"
Looking at her nervous expression, Xiao Baichuan softened his tone somewhat.
"There is a way."
"It's just that the process is very troublesome and takes a great deal of time."
At his words, Xiao Yi Xian's fingers slowly loosened their tight grip on the hem of her clothes. Most of the tension on her face faded, replaced by a faint smile.
"I'm still young, anyway. I have plenty of time."
Her tone was relaxed, as though she hadn't been the one who had just learned there was a ticking time bomb hidden inside her.
Xiao Baichuan glanced at her, feeling a measure of admiration.
This girl really did have a good mindset.
Then he spoke.
"For now, I can help you complete the initial stage of awakening."
"How are you feeling right now?"
Xiao Yi Xian checked her body's condition and nodded.
"No problems."
Xiao Baichuan stood up.
"All right, then. I'll undo the seal, and you can guide the poison body's awakening yourself."
"Just stay here until the awakening is complete."
Xiao Yi Xian froze.
"You're leaving?"
Xiao Baichuan pointed outside the cave.
"The Woeful Poison Body will release a great deal of poisonous mist when it awakens. If I stay here, I'll get caught in it."
"I'll wait for you ten li away."
Xiao Yi Xian understood and nodded in agreement.
Xiao Baichuan raised his hand and tapped her dantian a few times, undoing the Dou Qi seal. Then he turned and left the cave, pushed off with his toes, and shot out of the valley.
He came to a stop on a hillside ten li away and looked back.
"Should I move a little farther away?"
Floating in midair, Yao Chen shook his head.
"No need. It's only the initial awakening. It won't be that powerful."
Xiao Baichuan stayed where he was and waited quietly.
Before long, a disturbance came from the direction of the valley.
First, startled birds rose from the woods, flying out in flocks.
Then came the beasts-hares, deer, foxes, and wolves-darting out of the valley one after another and racing into the distance without looking back.
Xiao Baichuan watched with his own eyes as the trees in the valley began to wither, their leaves curling and blackening, their bark cracking and peeling away.
On the ground, dark purple puddles seeped out of the soil and gathered together, slowly forming pools of murky poison.
Poisonous mist rose from the pools, spreading throughout the valley.
Watching this scene, Xiao Baichuan marveled silently.
So this was the power of the Woeful Poison Body?
A girl in her teens could turn an entire valley into a swamp of poisonous pools with nothing more than an initial awakening.
Just then, Yao Chen suddenly spoke.
"Kid, look over there!"
Xiao Baichuan followed his gaze.
At the edge of the poisonous mist, a little snake, pinkish-red all over, was slithering out of the grass, fleeing into the distance at tremendous speed.
Yao Chen's tone was urgent.
"Quick, catch that snake!"
Without hesitation, Xiao Baichuan pushed off with his toes and shot forward.
He caught up to the little snake in a few bounds and reached out.
Then his expression changed.
The snake whipped its head around and spat out a cloud of pink smoke. At the same time, its body sprang forward at an absurd speed.
Xiao Baichuan sidestepped the smoke, gathered Dou Qi in his palm, and struck at the snake's head.
The snake twisted, nimbly avoiding the force of his palm strike, then turned back for another bite.
Xiao Baichuan retreated two steps, his face darkening.
"Old man, you set me up!"
"This is a peak second-rank magical beast!"
Yao Chen floated leisurely behind him, stroking his beard.
"Relax. This snake isn't strong. Just strike it seven inches behind the head and avoid the smoke it spits out, and you'll be fine."
Xiao Baichuan gritted his teeth and readjusted his stance.
He took a deep breath and poured Dou Qi into his legs. Cloud-Shocking Step!
He shot forward, closing in on the pink snake in an instant.
The pink snake spat smoke again, but Xiao Baichuan was ready. He tilted his head aside to dodge it and thrust out his right hand, precisely clamping down seven inches behind the snake's head.
The pink snake struggled desperately, its tail coiling around his arm with tremendous force.
Xiao Baichuan brought his left hand up and twisted with both hands.
Crack-! Bones snapped.
The snake went limp and stopped moving.
Xiao Baichuan caught his breath and walked back, carrying the snake's corpse.
"What did you want me to catch this snake for?"
Yao Chen floated down and pointed a translucent finger at the snake's belly.
"Cut out its magic core and venom sac."
"Be careful. Don't rupture it."
Xiao Baichuan took out a dagger, carefully slit open the snake's belly, and removed the magic core and venom sac separately.
The magic core was pale pink, while the venom sac bulged, filled with pink liquid.
Holding up the venom sac, he asked curiously.
"What's this thing good for?"
Yao Chen stroked his beard, looking inscrutable.
"This snake is called the Thousand Illusion Dream Snake. Its venom sac is one of the main ingredients in the Illusionary Love Pill."
Xiao Baichuan had never heard of this pill, so he pressed further.
"The Illusionary Love Pill? What does it do?"
Yao Chen cleared his throat, his tone suddenly growing somewhat evasive.
"This pill is essential for seducing respectable women... pfft, I mean, for protecting yourself when traveling."
Xiao Baichuan understood instantly, a look of disdain appearing on his face.
"Isn't that just an aphrodisiac?"
Yao Chen waved a hand, his expression perfectly serious.
"That's not the same thing."
"With ordinary aphrodisiacs, you can expel the poison using Dou Qi or administer an antidote. Those with higher cultivation can even tough it out."
"But this stuff can't be expelled with Dou Qi, and no Detoxification Pill works against it."
He paused, a touch of pride entering his voice.
"And its effects are terrifyingly potent. Even a Dou Zong expert who gets exposed can't escape disaster."
Xiao Baichuan's eyes widened. He looked down at the venom sac in his hand and exclaimed that it was fucking incredible.
"No wonder you wanted me to catch this snake."
Then something suddenly occurred to him, and he asked another question.
"Does this stuff only work on humans?"
"Or..."
Yao Chen gave him a meaningful look.
"It works on any living creature."
"Even if the Thousand Illusion Dream Snake itself gets exposed, there's no cure."
"Then even the queen of the Snake-People Tribe would be helpless?"
He turned to look at Yao Chen.
Yao Chen was looking at him too.
Their eyes met, and then both broke into knowing smiles.
Xiao Baichuan carefully put the Thousand Illusion Dream Snake's magic core and venom sac into his Storage Ring, washed the blood off his hands, and quietly waited for Xiao Yi Xian to complete her awakening.
Just then, the Twin Fish Jade Pendant against his chest suddenly grew hot.
A soft glow seeped through the fabric of his clothes, pulsing again and again.
Xiao Baichuan's eyes lit up.
After days of anxious waiting, the jade pendant had finally lit up!
He immediately sank his consciousness into the jade pendant.
Before you continue