Chapter 286: Chapter 207: Path of the Fake Pill
BOOM!
A dim, blurry, blood-red Sword Talisman manifested on Qin Xuan’s Lifebound Longsword.
"Blood Talisman: Demon Slaying!"
The Sword Talisman flickered, transforming into an Ancient Fierce Beast with the body of a goat, the face of a man, the teeth of a tiger, and the hands of a human. It radiated an intent of slaughter and plunder.
The moment the beast appeared, the Five Poison Toad froze in place!
"CROOOAK!"
Sensing a mortal threat, the Five Poison Toad’s abdomen swelled as it let out a panicked cry and struggled desperately.
SNAP! SNAP!
Overwhelmed, the [Binding Silk] Sword Net began to snap, one strand after another.
"What a fierce beast! Fellow Daoist Qin, I’ll hold it off! Activate the Demon Slaying Sword Talisman, quickly!"
Xiong Hanshan’s eyes narrowed, a dark glint flashing in their depths. He slapped his chest hard, spitting a mouthful of Essence Blood onto his greatsword.
WHOOSH!
The greatsword turned from green to crimson as if ignited by blood-red flames, its power surging dramatically.
"Vile beast, taste my blade!"
Xiong Hanshan roared as he swung his sword, unleashing a violent, crimson Sword Gang.
It slashed viciously at the toad’s raised foreleg.
SQUELCH!
The blood-red flames of the Sword Gang flared, and the sound of it tearing through flesh was sickeningly clear.
As if slicing through a melon, it easily carved a gash into the toad’s tough foreleg, so deep that the bone was visible.
"Junior Brother Qin, it’s up to you!"
After using [Burning Blood], Xiong Hanshan’s face went pale. His aura weakened noticeably as he leaned on his greatsword, panting lightly.
Miao Hongrui urged in a sweet voice, "Fellow Daoist Qin, this is your chance! Activate the Demon Slaying Sword Talisman now!"
"Alright!"
Qin Xuan gave a solemn nod.
WHOOSH!
In the next instant, Qin Xuan’s Lifebound Longsword pierced through the flesh near the wound and, with a sharp PING, struck the Five Poison Toad’s Inner Elixir Poison Sac!
BANG!
The enormous Inner Elixir Poison Sac exploded, spraying black venom everywhere.
"Croooak..."
The toad’s massive body stiffened. It let out one last, mournful cry as the light in its eyes faded, and then it collapsed with a thunderous crash.
"It was all thanks to Fellow Daoist Qin’s final strike. The [Demon Slaying] Talisman truly lives up to its name."
Miao Hongrui slithered forward, her face pale and her expression weak, but she still managed a charming smile.
"Fellow Daoist Qin, as we agreed, the Five Poison Toad’s Essence Blood and Inner Core are yours. The Demon Corpse belongs to our Corpse Refining Hall..."
She spoke in fits and starts, as if maintaining the [Binding Silk] Sword Net had utterly exhausted her.
"Junior Brother Qin, hurry and take the core. Don’t even think about taking advantage of our weakness to seize the Demon Corpse."
Xiong Hanshan said in a rumbling voice, though he made no move himself.
Qin Xuan gave the pair a meaningful look, a barely perceptible smile flashing in the depths of his eyes.
’Your little act is over already? You couldn’t wait to show your hand.’
’Trying to trick me? Do you really take me for a fool?’
Feigning greed, Qin Xuan threw his head back and laughed. "Heheheh... Are you two in any position to bargain with me now? All this surging Demon Qi... it should all be mine!"
Xiong Hanshan flew into a rage. "Qin Xuan, are you going to betray our agreement?!"
Qin Xuan’s face was full of contempt. "Hilarious. I’m a Demon Cultivator. You want to talk to me about honor?"
SWOOSH!
A blood-red rune of a fierce beast appeared on Qin Xuan’s Lifebound Longsword.
Like a living creature, it began to voraciously devour the Five Poison Toad’s Demon Corpse!
As the image of the goat-faced, human-bodied beast grew more defined, streams of pure Demonic Essence flowed back into Qin Xuan. Meanwhile, the Five Poison Toad’s Demon Corpse vanished at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"What a bizarre Sword Talisman... It can actually devour a Demon Corpse..."
Xiong Hanshan and Miao Hongrui exchanged a look, unable to hide their shock.
But in the next moment, that shock was replaced by elation.
If they could just kill Qin Xuan, his Lifebound Longsword would return to the Blood Pool Sword Tomb. Then perhaps this [Demon Slaying] Sword Talisman could be theirs!
Qin Xuan felt his Demonic Essence growing ever more abundant, but he had a nagging feeling that something was missing.
’Something’s wrong. This Essence Blood is far too weak and thin. It’s not even at the level of an Early-stage Purple Mansion cultivator. How could this be from a Purple Mansion Peak Demon Beast?’
The thought had barely crossed his mind when Qin Xuan let out a muffled grunt. He staggered, and a trickle of black blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
’This Five Poison Toad is a fake! It wasn’t a living creature, but a trap set specifically for me...’
Qin Xuan’s eyes burned with rage. A strange, cyan-black aura enveloped his face as he jerked his head up, staring at Miao Hongrui and Xiong Hanshan in disbelief.
"When did you poison me!"
"Fellow Daoist Qin, surely you know the saying: the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. I happen to understand that principle far better than you do."
Miao Hongrui’s smile was ice-cold, her slit pupils glinting with the triumph of a successful scheme.
"So, how do you like the taste of my Thousand Spider Poisonous Miasma?"
Xiong Hanshan also straightened up, all trace of weakness gone. He sneered, "Brat, my sister and I have cultivated in the Holy Sect for a century. We’ve killed more people than you’ve ever seen. Did you really think you could outsmart us?"
"Surrender quietly. Don’t struggle. That way, you’ll at least leave a pretty corpse behind."
A perfectly pitched expression of despair and terror appeared on Qin Xuan’s face. He stammered frantically, "No, don’t kill me! I can give you the cultivation method for the Positional Divine Techniques! I can give you Spirit Stones..."
"BLECH!"
Before he could finish, Qin Xuan coughed up another large mouthful of black blood.
His aura withered, and he collapsed limply to the ground, apparently lacking even the strength to speak.
’Positional Divine Techniques?!’
Miao Hongrui and Xiong Hanshan exchanged a look, and both saw the flicker of temptation in the other’s eyes.
"Forget it. The Dunzang Flame Demon’s Five Elements are incompatible with our Corpse Refining Hall anyway. Master Sun needs your perfect Flesh Body... You’re better off just dying peacefully!"
Xiong Hanshan shook his head forcefully, casting the momentary flicker of greed from his mind.
He brandished his Lifebound Longsword and advanced on Qin Xuan, his movements exceedingly cautious.
Qin Xuan secretly tightened his grip on the Six-winged Cyan Cicada, ready to activate [Cyan Cicada Shell] at a moment’s notice, just in case.
’This old fox is pretty sharp. A shame I couldn’t bait him into revealing more...’
’And the divination slip said I’d have to adapt to a sudden change.’
’So where’s the change?’
"Brat, die!" Xiong Hanshan roared.
