Chapter 105: Chapter 105, Shattered Snow Blade, Emerald-eyed Golden Toad
The hissing sound behind gradually vanished, and for some reason, those poisonous snakes had stopped their pursuit. But just as Shi Xiaole was about to catch his breath, an immense army of creatures reared up in front of him again.
This time, it was poisonous spiders.
In some ways, dealing with spiders was even tougher than snakes. Spider silk was extremely sticky and carried a fearsome venom.
By the time he had made it through the spider horde, only three Detoxification Pills remained from the bottle.
The deeper he ventured, he encountered none other than poisonous scorpions.
The venom of the scorpions was even more potent than the previous two creatures, fortunately, their strike range was limited. After swallowing the last three Detoxification Pills, Shi Xiaole managed to navigate this peril narrowly.
"What’s next, toads and centipedes perhaps?"
Despite being quite unsophisticated, Shi Xiaole had heard about the Five Poisons.
However, given his current state, if he had to face two more waves of threats, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Running his strength to the limit, Shi Xiaole didn’t encounter anything for half a 2-hour period. Having no pursuers behind, he was able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Before long, a pile of bones appeared up front.
The jade bracelet on his wrist seemed to tremble violently.
Shi Xiaole looked towards the blood stains in front of the bones, a tarnish that was almost dissipated.
If he guessed correctly, this discreet blood stain must contain traces of his parents’ blood.
What had actually happened back then?
After calming himself down, Shi Xiaole counted the bodies and found there were thirteen corpses. Judging by the size and thickness of their bones, two of them seemed to be women.
"Could this be... a Revenge Token?"
Next to one of the skeletons, Shi Xiaole found a small token, which took him by surprise.
The top forces in Qingxue State were widely known to include two great Demon Palaces, three great Gangs, four great Powers, and eight great Sects.
The Revenge Token originated from the Revenge Gathering, one of the three great Gangs.
Legend has it that the Revenge Gathering, established hundreds of years ago, had only nine Revenge Tokens, each falling into the hands of nine mysterious individuals.
Once this token was presented, everyone from the Assembly Master to ordinary gang members of the Revenge Gathering were obligated to act according to the commands of the token holder.
Shi Xiaole never thought he would find a Revenge Token, a treasure coveted by many in the Martial World, in such a mysterious passage.
Besides the Revenge Token, he also found a blade and a porcelain bottle.
The blade was twenty-three inches long. As it was unsheathed, the reflected light illuminated the surroundings as if they were under daylight, a delicate chill rushed towards him, with the feel of a snowstorm.
Shi Xiaole carefully observed that the blade was straight, and there was a curve and reverse edge at the pointy end, which should be a type of Goose Feather Blade. The word "Shattered Snow" was engraved at the bottom of the blade handle.
"Shattered Snow Blade?"
As Shi Xiaole swung the blade lightly, a flicker of light flashed from the blade, leaving an afterimage in the air. The illusion gave the impression of countless tiny snowflakes falling, cold, desolate and deeply chilling to the bone.
He drew out the Hundred Battles Blade and lightly clinked the two blades together. Then, an astonishing thing happened.
The blade of the Shattered Snow penetrated the Hundred Battles Blade by over an inch. A bit more force could have broken the Hundred Battles Blade entirely.
Since ancient times, weapons have been graded in four levels of power: Mortal, Amazing, Spiritual, and Divine.
Among those of Amazing quality, there were further divisions into three classes: lower, middle, and upper.
Lower-class Amazing cut with a hair’s touch.
Middle-class Amazing cut through iron as if it were mud.
Upper-class Amazing can endure a thousand battles without damage.
This Shattered Snow Blade was clearly a middle-class Amazing blade, cutting through iron as if it were mud, a rank higher than the lower-class Amazing sword, the Green Peak Sword.
Shi Xiaole couldn’t help but feel delighted.
It is important to note that measuring a warrior’s strength was not only about his own capabilities, but the weapon he wielded was also a crucial factor.
Among two warriors with similar capabilities, setting aside environmental factors, the one with the better weapon would undoubtedly have the advantage.
One could say that a stronger weapon makes the warrior stronger.
Looking at the countless notches on the Hundred Battles Blade, Shi Xiaole knew that it was time for the blade that first accompanied him on his journey to be put to rest.
"I am ever grateful for your Shattered Snow Blade, my senior. I will cherish this gift and never let this amazing blade collect dust," Shi Xiaole said sincerely, bowing to the skeleton in front of him.
As he put away the Hundred Battles Blade, he attached the elegant Shattered Snow Blade to his waist beside the Green Peak Sword. Even by looks alone, it was much superior to the samurai-like Hundred Battles Blade.
Shi Xiaole then picked up the porcelain bottle and uncorked the stopper.
In an instant, a unique, refreshing fragrance wafted into his nostrils, revitalizing his somewhat faint senses.
It needn’t be mentioned, although unknown, the elixir within the bottle was certainly precious.
After carefully stowing it away and bowing again to the skeleton, Shi Xiaole noticed some words etched into the ground beneath the bones.
"He Bugui."
The handwriting was sloppy, engraved three inches into the stone, likely the last words of the deceased.
Shi Xiaole remembered this name, pondering to look into it if he could get out. It might lead to some clues about his parents.
At this point, he didn’t think any further and started to practice while sitting cross-legged.
The battle with the Ghost Mountain Three Evils had left Sha Xiaole injured. Moreover, his journey through the Three Poisons had added venom to his injuries. Failure to treat them promptly could lead to serious repercussions.
One 2-hour period.
Two 2-hour period.
Thanks to the conditioning of Fuyang Qi Skill, Shi Xiaole’s injuries gradually healed. Combined with the timely consumption of a Detoxification Pill, the poison did not pose a significant threat.
Ribbit Ribbit.
Just as he was about to finish his practice, he suddenly heard a peculiar light call that made his skin crawl.
Without thinking, Shi Xiaole instantly retreated.
The next moment, the spot where he had been seated burst into a sizzling white smoke, corroded into pits.
Blinking open his eyes, Shi Xiaole finally made out the culprit.
It was a toad.
This toad of average size, with golden skin and a pair of distressingly green eyes, sparkled like diamonds in the dark, emanating a sense of eeriness and evilness.
"Emerald-eyed Golden Toad."
Taking a deep breath, Shi Xiaole didn’t know whether to cry or laugh.
The Emerald-eyed Golden Toad is one of the rare poisonous creatures rumored in the Martial World.
It is said that this creature can only live in Yin places, and is known as the king of poisons. From birth, it carries a strong toxicity and can control other poisonous creatures.
The previous three poisnous creatures must have been the result of this Emerald-eyed Golden Toad. However, because of the distance, it was unable to control them for long.
Legend has it that the toxicity of the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad deepens as it grows. If it grows to fifty years old, a drop of its poison can kill tens of thousands of people.
Even a Xuanqi realm expert would have no way to survive.
Of course, if you can kill the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad and consume its Dan, it is said that not only can enhance one’s martial arts, but also become immune to all kinds of poisons, making all venomous creatures shy away.
Looking at the pits on the ground, all about three inches deep, Shi Xiaole sighed in relief.
This Emerald-eyed Golden Toad did not appear to be more than ten years old. Otherwise, he would have been corroded into a skeleton long ago.
Ribbit Ribbit.
With a malicious gleam in its eyes, the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad leapt towards Shi Xiaole like a bullet, emitting a stench that was dizzying.
If ordinary people were here, this stench alone would be enough to lead them to the Yellow Springs.
That’s not all, the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad spat out a turbid yellow liquid in midair, causing the air to emit a burning sound.
Mobilizing the Golden Goose Skill, Shi Xiaole narrowly passed by the poison liquid and the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad.
Sizzle sizzle sizzle...
The speed of the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad was too fast. After several jumps, it almost created illusions in the air.
If not for Shi Xiaole’s application of the Dai Sect’s Stone Touching Qi Cyclone, he would have been dead by now.
But even so, in the face of continuous attacks and poisonous liquid, Shi Xiaole felt somewhat overwhelmed, showing a rare awkward state.
Clutching his sword with both hands, Shi Xiaole seized the opportunity to launch his secret weapon.
With a hiss.
The Emerald-eyed Golden Toad was sent flying. On its golden skin, there was only a shallow cut.
"So tough?"
Shi Xiaole furrowed his brows.
Seemingly enraged, the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad started to cry wildly. Ribbit Ribbit. Its loud cries echoed throughout the tunnel.
Soon, there were rumbling sounds echoing from afar.
"Damn, it’s summoning the three poisonous creatures."
Thinking of countless snakes, spiders, and scorpions rushing here, Shi Xiaole’s heart sank. He wanted to run into the tunnel, but was entangled by the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad and almost got hit multiple times.
His heart filled with killing intent, Shi Xiaole was persistent. Knowing that if he didn’t deal with the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad, he would be dead today, he decided to stop running.
The secret weapon was undoubtedly a killing move, but since the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad reacted quickly, it could only hit once in every five attempts, which made Shi Xiaole feel depressed.
For him, time was extremely precious. If he failed to kill the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad before the arrival of the three poisonous creatures, he would inevitably be consumed.
After another close encounter, Shi Xiaole suddenly pulled out his Shattered Snow Blade and executed a Bloody Chaos Kill.
Bang.
In the midst of strange calls, the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad fell to the ground, its golden skin bearing a deeper wound.
"Indeed, when dealing with such creatures that haven’t opened their spiritual wisdom, the killing power of Bloody Chaos Kill is actually greater than that of the secret weapon."
Bloody Chaos Kill excels in its unexpectedness, coupled with the integration of Chaotic Intent Realm, it is highly efficient against creatures with low intelligence. Although its power is not as great as the secret weapon, aided by the Shattered Snow Blade, it will eventually break through the defense of the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad.
After finding the trick, Shi Xiaole wouldn’t be polite anymore. He mustered all his strength and kept executing his attacks. In an instant, the jumping Emerald-eyed Golden Toad became a moving target, repeatedly getting knocked to the ground.
Ribbit Ribbit.
Yet the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad was cunning. Knowing it was losing, it immediately dashed towards the tunnel, seemingly planning to wait for the three poisonous creatures to arrive and launch a pincer attack from both sides.
"Think you can escape?"
Shi Xiaole had been expecting this move. He activated the Heaven and Earth Net Force, causing the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad to slow down. A Bloody Chaos Kill attack forced it back to its original position.
Hearing the grinding sounds on the ground, the hissing noises were getting closer. Shi Xiaole almost exhausted his blood power, repeatedly knocking the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad flying back.
Hiss!
In the end, a large wound was cut open on the skin of the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad, splashing fresh blood around.
"Die for me."
Once its skin was broken, the flesh inside was no different from ordinary animals. Shi Xiaole changed to Wild Wind Blade Technique and launched a fierce attack, chopping the Emerald-eyed Golden Toad into minced meat.
