Chapter 369: Chapter 368: Speculation
Yi Tianyun helped Ren Zhirou into the bedroom. It was a very normal room, lacking any particular style—just an ordinary chamber. After helping her lie down, he said, "This poison seems quite potent. Just a tiny bit has weakened your aura so much."
"This is Dragon Slayer Poison. It has a powerful suppressive effect on the Dragon Race. Though not fatal, it can drastically reduce one’s strength. Dragon Slayer Poison is quite rare; I didn’t expect the Dragon Chancellor to actually formulate it." Ren Zhirou shook her head, her face pale. "But it’s not a huge problem. I just need to rest for a bit and let it subside. It won’t cause me any lasting harm."
"Let me see exactly what kind of poison this is. You might be fine for now, but it’ll be a problem if you’re hit with it again." Shaking his head, Yi Tianyun reached out and made a small cut on Ren Zhirou. A drop of black blood dripped down into his palm, and he began to analyze it.
"Ding! Analyzing Dragon Slayer Poison... Analysis successful. Components identified: one tael of Dragon Soul Flower, two taels of Dragon Poison Grass..."
’I already have a sample of the Dragon Slayer Poison, but I want a more accurate look at the toxin in Ren Zhirou’s system to see how severe it is. That will help me determine what potency of Antitoxic Pill to refine. Different degrees of poisoning require Antitoxic Pills with different effects. Making it too potent wouldn’t be a good thing.’
"That’s very difficult to analyze. Dragon Slayer Poison is quite rare, and the formula varies depending on who refines it. As long as I rest for a bit, the situation will improve..." Her face was slightly pale. Thankfully, the dose was small, or her expression would be much worse.
"Just lie down and be quiet," Yi Tianyun said, giving her a look that told her to stay put. He then took out the Purple Fire Divine Furnace and began preparing for alchemy.
Due to a previous incident with a Poison Pill, he now carried a good supply of Spirit Medicine Materials. They weren’t particularly precious, but they were enough to handle most deadly poisons. Though the Dragon Slayer Poison was potent, he had already found a way to neutralize it.
Hushed by his command, Ren Zhirou slowly lay back on the chaise lounge. A faint smile graced her lips as she gazed at his focused expression, enjoying the brief moment of tranquility.
A moment later, he finished refining an Antitoxic Pill. Handing it to Ren Zhirou, he said, "Take this. It will neutralize the poison."
"You’re already done?" Ren Zhirou was stunned. She thought it would take a long time, but he had succeeded in the blink of an eye.
’With Eight-Times Alchemy Mode, it’s hard *not* to be fast. It was definitely worth spending some Madness Value to cure Ren Zhirou’s poison quickly.’
"Alright, hurry up and take it," Yi Tianyun urged.
Ren Zhirou didn’t hesitate, popping the pill into her mouth and swallowing. A moment later, the poison in her system was rapidly purged. The effect was strikingly obvious.
"It’s really gone! This is so effective... Brother, how in the world did you do that?" Ren Zhirou was utterly shocked.
"Simple. I can figure out how to neutralize a poison just by analyzing it. Impressive, huh?" Yi Tianyun said with a faint smile. "I’ll refine a batch of Antitoxic Pills for you to carry for self-defense. It’ll be a hassle if you fall for their tricks and get hit with this Dragon Slayer Poison again."
He started refining another batch as he spoke, this time making pills with a more balanced effect. If one wasn’t enough to completely neutralize the poison, she could just take another.
"Brother, are you leaving already?" Ren Zhirou knew Yi Tianyun wasn’t her real brother, but for some reason, the address just rolled off her tongue.
’Yi Tianyun feels as close as my own brother. He’s always taking care of me, and now he’s come to save me. I could have broken through the siege on my own, but at least he came to help.’
"Of course not. I came here to ask for your help," Yi Tianyun said as he continued his alchemy.
"Help with what?" Ren Zhirou asked, taken aback.
"To fight against the Netherworld Empire together!" Yi Tianyun said bluntly. "But looking at things now, your situation isn’t great either. You’re being ostracized, and that Dragon Chancellor has his predatory eyes on you. What’s more, I suspect he’s colluding with the Netherworld Empire."
"What?!" Ren Zhirou was stunned for a moment before saying in a grim tone, "That can’t be right. The Dragon Chancellor may covet the Great Emperor’s throne, but he wouldn’t go so far as to collude with the Netherworld Empire. He’s killed many of their people."
"Perhaps it’s just a ploy to gain trust. The men in black I dealt with earlier all knew the Absolute Skills of the Netherworld Empire’s Shadow Guards. If those Martial Arts are commonly known, then I suppose my guess is wrong," Yi Tianyun said.
"This..." Ren Zhirou fell silent. This was beyond what she had expected. After a moment of thought, she sighed. "It seems I can’t help you fight the Netherworld Empire right now. My internal affairs are too much of a mess. Let’s talk again after I’ve sorted things out. The Netherworld Empire must be destroyed. We have always been their mortal enemies!"
"Mm. I suspect Emperor Ren was likely plotted against by the Netherworld Empire," Yi Tianyun said after a moment’s thought. "Can you tell me what exactly happened to him?"
Ren Zhirou fell silent, saying nothing.
"If you don’t want to talk about it, then don’t," Yi Tianyun said.
"It’s not that it’s inconvenient. I just don’t know the details myself. I’m only going by guesswork," Ren Zhirou sighed. "By the time I returned, I heard my older brother was already dead. The official story is that he went to a dangerous region on the Celestial Dragon Continent to eliminate Demon Beasts and put down an uprising there. He never came back. They say he was killed by Demon Beasts. He has never been seen since..."
"My brother wouldn’t have died so easily! Even if the Demon Beasts in that region were powerful, they could never have trapped him there. Now that I’m back, the Dragon Chancellor doesn’t say anything overtly, but from these recent incidents, I’m almost certain he’s the one behind it!"
"In a way, the Dragon Chancellor is my uncle. The Great Emperor’s throne should have originally been his, but he couldn’t control the Celestial Dragon Treasure. My older brother could, however, so the Dragon Chancellor could only serve as chancellor."
"So, you’re saying he could kill Emperor Ren and ascend the throne anyway, even without being able to control the Celestial Dragon Treasure?" Yi Tianyun asked, puzzled.
"The Celestial Dragon Empire cannot go a single day without an emperor. So, even without controlling the Celestial Dragon Treasure, one can still take the Great Emperor’s throne as long as they have enough prestige," Ren Zhirou said with a frown. "However, I suspect my brother isn’t dead. He’s just trapped in that dangerous region."
"What makes you say that?" Yi Tianyun asked, raising an eyebrow.
"They were trying to capture me earlier, largely for the pure Essence Blood in my body. If they were to forcibly extract it and have the Dragon Chancellor absorb it, it might not be impossible for him to control the Celestial Dragon Treasure!" Ren Zhirou said grimly. "No matter what, the Dragon Chancellor will never give up on the Celestial Dragon Treasure!"
Yi Tianyun fell silent. ’What exactly is this Celestial Dragon Treasure?’
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