A large mass of writhing flesh slowly coalesced, finally taking on the appearance of Wang Linchi.
Upon disembarking from the aircraft, he immediately sought out the highest echelons of River City's leadership and subsequently interrogated them to discover the whereabouts of the so-called nobles.
This group of nobles… they don't seem human? Wang Linchi arrived at the nobles' location. At first glance, they appeared human, but closer inspection revealed that, aside from their outward appearance, they seemed to have little else in common with humans. And where did this status of theirs come from?
Wang Linchi was completely befuddled. While the Martial Arts World didn't strictly adhere to the law of the jungle, the principle of respecting the strong still held sway. So why would these powerful individuals submit to nobles? Simply because they were born to a higher station?
This was utter nonsense. A group of Martial Artists subscribing to such a notion—did they fancy themselves Dragon Men?
According to the information Wang Linchi had extracted, River City's top leaders were profoundly shocked that he dared to lay hands on a noble. Their shock, in turn, surprised Wang Linchi.
After all, he had initially assumed these so-called nobles were the descendants or disciples of powerful Martial Artists from the Great Zhao Country. He presumed they naturally possessed formidable martial might to back their arrogance, which would have been understandable. However, the extracted information indicated this wasn't the case.
Thus, Wang Linchi decided to proceed with caution.
First, poison them to death, he thought. Wang Linchi didn't immediately begin investigating the nobles. As he saw it, this matter could be easily resolved once his main body arrived in this world. Killing a noble would also serve as a way to probe the Great Zhao Country's attitude towards them.
No matter how peculiar they were, they were still carbon-based lifeforms. And being weaker than even a Martial Student, how much capability could they truly possess?
However, considering their peculiar nature, if they could indeed resist Wang Linchi's potent poison, it would be somewhat understandable. After all, if they could lord over Martial Artists, it was conceivable they had undisclosed secrets or advantages.
"Who's there!"
Wang Linchi had barely made his move when he was discovered.
The Martial General personally protecting the noble roared and charged towards Wang Linchi's position.
Yet, before the Martial General could cover even a meter, he collapsed, poisoned on the spot.
"Useless! Quickly, protect me!" Seeing this, the noble showed no fear or sorrow, instead berating his protectors.
All the Martial Artists reacted, rushing towards Wang Linchi's position, only to meet the same fate as the Martial General.
"You dare kill me?" the noble demanded, his face contorted with rage. "If I die here, the entire Qin State will be buried with me!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Linchi wanted to scoff. You're bragging! As if the entire Qin State would be buried with you! The Great Zhao Country comprised only seventy-two states. For one to be laid to waste for your death would mean sacrificing one seventy-second of its entirety—a privilege not even an emperor possessed. Besides, you're not the only noble in Qin State. The other nobles certainly wouldn't stand for it.
Quite resilient, not to have fallen yet, Wang Linchi mused, his expression growing serious. The number of treasures on this noble was truly impressive. This was a poison that a Martial General couldn't withstand for even a second, yet this ordinary person had yet to succumb.
Noticing no further action, the noble smirked and elegantly stepped out from the shadows, apparently confident he had Wang Linchi cornered.
Wang Linchi was stunned upon seeing him.
The noble's appearance was androgynous, making it difficult to ascertain their gender. A high-collared, extravagant robe concealed their throat, further obscuring any clues. But one thing was undeniable: the noble was beautiful, beautiful to an almost inhuman degree.
Unlike the handsome or beautiful protagonists Wang Linchi had encountered, whose attractiveness often stemmed from their unique personal Charm, this noble's beauty was a pure product of features, physique, and air. In my eyes, it's somewhat like cosmetic surgery or genetic alteration, Wang Linchi thought.
"Come out," the noble said, voice dripping with disdain. "Kneel and beg for mercy. I can deign to spare your life. Otherwise, there will be no place for you in this world." He stood elegantly amidst the poison-laden air, utterly unaffected.
Immune? Wang Linchi, naturally, wouldn't reveal himself. He frowned.
His poison wasn't merely a simple Toxin, but rather a concoction of pathogens, chemical agents, and the like. In terms of classification, it couldn't strictly be equated with ordinary poison. For instance, a laxative isn't classified as a poison but as a medicine; such concepts are human constructs.
While he was mulling this over, the noble's complexion suddenly changed.
Wang Linchi heard the other party's stomach start to RUMBLE loudly.
The laxative is taking effect... Wang Linchi's eyes widened. He hadn't expected that to be the first to work. Good, it's working. Now for the sustained effects.
His poison was a complex agent, capable of attacking from multiple angles. Once the target's Defense in any area was breached, all the Toxin's effects would surge through that breach simultaneously, manifesting progressively.
For now, the noble had succumbed to the laxative, but that wouldn't be all. As for which effect would kick in second, Wang Linchi couldn't be sure. Too many variables were involved, including physical constitution, absorption efficiency, and so forth, all of which could differ.
Oh, it's vomiting now, Wang Linchi observed as the noble violently threw up a large quantity of undigested food.
Then, with a slight movement, the noble collapsed to the ground.
Paralysis and weakness, possibly accompanied by hallucinations.
As the noble collapsed, his bowels gave way, and fluids burst out with a SPLATTER.
Utterly mortifying... Wang Linchi thought with a hint of regret. What a pity no one saw it; otherwise, the noble would have lost all dignity.
Fortunately, after the initial gush, the noble managed to regain control for a moment. But it wasn't long before he started to cough.
This was becoming critical.
But it hardly mattered. As the Toxin's effects gradually manifested, the noble could no longer care about dignity. Convulsions, frothing at the mouth, fever, internal bleeding—a cascade of symptoms followed.
Something's not right; it's not some kind of treasure, Wang Linchi's expression turned grave. There was something unusual about this noble's body. A poison that even Martial Generals couldn't withstand, yet this ordinary person was still alive. Even a treasure couldn't grant such resilience. The issue lay with the noble himself.
The convulsions gradually subsided, but he was still alive, his life force dwindling to its lowest point. He was still grappling with the Toxin, even showing faint signs of a desperate counter-offensive.
No wonder they became nobles. Even a Martial King couldn't have resisted for this long, Wang Linchi mused, observing his subject. He hadn't anticipated such a finding today. There's a fundamental reason why nobles can act so tyrannically.
Wang Linchi pondered: if a noble possessing such formidable vitality were to practice Cultivation, how powerful would they become? If an ordinary person's starting point is 1 and a genius's is 10, then a noble's starting point must be at least one million. With even casual Cultivation, they could easily kill those of higher levels, perhaps even achieving invincibility across three major realms. This was no exaggeration.
The reason they didn't cultivate was simple: they were already at the apex of the societal pyramid; there was no need for them to endure such hardships. The purpose of Cultivation is to become strong and live a better life. But since they already enjoyed the best treatment without it, why bother? They could just skip Cultivation and enjoy life.
The noble struggled for nearly half an hour before finally succumbing to the deadly poison, breathing his last.
Wang Linchi waited another half hour, wary that the noble might somehow revive.
He's really dead, Wang Linchi confirmed, looking at the noble who had now dissolved into a pool of clear liquid. A sigh of relief escaped him.
Naturally, his poison also had a corpse-dissolving effect. Not only the flesh and blood but even the bones melted away, leaving only the noble's opulent clothes soaking in the foul water—a mixture of the clear fluid and filth.
Having done all this, Wang Linchi reverted to a grotesque, writhing mass of flesh.
It's still a bit imperfect. Once the micro-ecological body is further refined, I'll be able to transform into bacterial particles and simply drift away.
Wang Linchi was still somewhat troubled. Although transforming into writhing flesh, much like a Slime, allowed for more convenient movement—navigating sewers or ventilation shafts without losing speed—his tangible form still risked detection.
It'll probably take about another month. With this noble dead, there shouldn't be any major incidents for a while, right?
Currently, Wang Linchi was heading towards the airport. He checked the time; there was a flight scheduled to land in Eastern State in half an hour.
