Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master

Chapter 1544: Chapter 636: Poison Technique for Saving Lives (3)

He raised his hand a third time.

This time, he spread his fingers open, palm facing downwards.

The purple-black poisonous smoke did not emerge from in front of him, but rose from the bottom of the entire Miasma Poison Martial Arts Arena.

Poisonous smoke rose from the grey-green puddles, from the blackish-brown muddy sludge, from the blue-black mountain walls, from the roots of dead trees.

Even amidst the remnants of Earth Cloud dispersed by Yue Qingshan, poisonous smoke arose.

Yue Qingshan’s face changed dramatically.

He suddenly realized that Tan Zhu’s poisonous smoke had long since infiltrated the entire arena!

Tan Zhu had been laying the groundwork all along.

But he did it so quietly, so gently, so defensively that everyone thought he was just diffusing the offense.

In haste, Yue Qingshan urged his techniques!

The Green Jade Round Mirror emitted Mirror Light, trying to expose the source of the poisonous smoke. The white short incense burned to its peak, the cold aroma nearly forming a white mist. The Silver White Sand Curtain rotated like snow, the Water Blue Light Shield rippled layer by layer, and the Platinum Talisman was affixed on his chest, protecting his vital organs and meridians with cleansing medicinal light.

The poisonous smoke advanced, colliding with the Sand Curtain outside, scraping off a layer.

As it touched the water shield, it was diluted somewhat.

Approaching the Platinum Talisman, it was repelled by medicinal light.

The single eye attempted to bypass the Green Jade Mirror Light but was extracted by the short incense.

A trace of joy emerged again in Yue Qingshan’s eyes.

But in the next instant, Tan Zhu gently clenched his outstretched hand.

No rumbling of earth and rocks, no collapsing mountain walls, no smoke screens turning the world upside down.

There was only a deathly stillness spreading from Yue Qingshan’s fivefold defense!

The Green Jade Round Mirror suddenly dimmed.

The poisonous path reflected inside suddenly transformed into countless black lines. Those black lines surfaced from within the mirror. Then, the mirror light trembled, as if its brilliance had been wiped away; the Green Jade Mirror surface instantly cracked with extensive web-like patterns.

The white short incense turned black immediately thereafter.

The incense tip still burned, yet what it emitted was no longer a clean fragrance, but wisps of grey decaying smoke.

The Silver White Sand Curtain was the third to collapse.

Each grain of clean sand seemed drained of spiritual nature, falling from mid-air in droves, turning into ordinary dust. The Water Blue Light Shield became turbid, with black-green spots emerging in the clear spring-like luster, like a pool dyed through by poisonous ink.

Finally, it was the Platinum Talisman.

The talisman was adhered to Yue Qingshan’s chest, supposed to protect his vital organs and meridians. However, at this moment, the platinum lines on the talisman abruptly lit up, revealing not external poisonous smoke, but the residual poison within Yue Qingshan’s body that had been suppressed by cleansing methods.

Those residues had already faded, yet they were drawn out by the Quasi-Divine Power of Poison Annihilation.

They appeared as if hearing a summons, emerging simultaneously from the meridian gaps, the depths of bones and flesh, the mana circulation.

Yue Qingshan was terrified!

He hurriedly opened his mouth, trying to concede.

But he could no longer make a sound.

In his throat, purple-black poison lines rapidly surfaced. His pupils dilated, his sclera was covered in black lines. Earth Cloud beneath him let out a mournful cry, attempting to support him backward, yet Poison Annihilation infiltrated along the Cloud Root, turning the entire Earth Cloud from yellow to grey.

Yue Qingshan tried to raise his hand to signal his concession.

His fingers just moved, yet instantly turned black.

His skin and flesh did not immediately rot but seemed drained of all vitality, becoming dry, brittle, and decayed.

In the next breath, the Platinum Talisman on his chest shattered into dead ash, the Green Jade Round Mirror fell, the short incense extinguished, the water shield disintegrated.

His body fell from Earth Cloud.

Before hitting the ground, his breath was already cut off.

Bang.

Yue Qingshan crashed into the muddy sludge at the valley bottom, splashing a circle of grey-black muddy water.

Dead.

The Jade Chime did not immediately ring out.

The guardian cultivators responsible for deciding victory seemed stunned.

The entire Miasma Poison Martial Arts Arena fell into a moment of frozen silence, even the wind seemed to pause.

A moment later, the announcing cultivator finally tightened their voice to declare: "Third match, Tan Zhu of Nanming Village wins!"

When the word "wins" fell, there was no cheer from outside.

In the Nanming Village seat, many cultivators’ faces turned pale.

Tan Zhu had won, but the victory was too complete, too overpowering, too brutal.

Though Five Victories Martial Arts Competition did not forbid death, the first two matches ended merely with serious injury and victory-defeat. At the third match, Yue Qingshan died on the spot, and the nature of the situation changed entirely.

In the Territorial Expansion Alliance seat, Qiu Lei suddenly stood up, the yellowish hue of his complexion tinged with dark blue-green. Several alliance cultivators glared with rage but were held back firmly by companions beside them.

In the White Cloud Village seat, You Yunshou’s wide sleeves halted in mid-air, the white clouds within them congealed unmoving. He gazed at Tan Zhu in the valley bottom, for the first time revealing unmasked apprehension in his eyes.

Chun Yangzi’s expression changed as well.

His posture remained upright, but the golden light in his eyes had sunk. Tan Zhu’s fierce might in this battle was far more intimidating than the previous two matches. It was not a victory of an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator, but akin to the terror of a dying Demon Old Monster dragging someone into the abyss.

As the Great Village Chief, he stood at the forefront.

Thus, the repercussions of this battle must be borne by him.

Besides him, who else could be counted on?

Count on Ning Zhuo, a mere Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage minor cultivator?

Ning Zhuo’s heart trembled.

"What a poison!"

Poison smoke transformed stones.

Poison smoke shattered mountain snakes.

Poison smoke destroyed clean treasures.

Poison smoke killed Nascent Souls.

Tan Zhu stood by the black stone at the valley bottom, his grey-black deep garment hung silently.

From beginning to end, he had not moved his steps once.

Three moves, crushing throughout!

Tan Zhu

did not glance at Yue Qingshan’s corpse nor at the Territorial Expansion Alliance seats, only raised his hand, slowly recalling the pervasive purple-black poisonous smoke.

Poison smoke returned to his sleeve.

The miasma at the valley bottom also faded.

As he walked out of the Martial Arts Arena, his steps slow, bearing an air of weakness and sickness. No one would think he was anything but an elderly man nearing the end of his lifespan, about to fall apart!

The valley of the Miasma Poison Martial Arts Arena plunged into deathly silence.

Territorial Expansion Alliance cultivators descended, cleaning up the battlefield.

Outside the protective light curtain, cultivators from all three parties slowly retreated, no one raised their voice in discussion.

From this moment onward, the Five Victories Martial Arts Competition truly saw blood.

Tan Zhu’s face remained pale, devoid of any expression.

No one knew, hidden beneath the shriveled skin of the Poison Annihilation Wanderer lay the span of life of Zhong Limei.

Lifesaving during a landslide, Danxia as home.

Exploded furnace debt, senior brother protected him.

Ingested poison to save teacher, poison bone formed method.

"I once exploded a pill furnace at Danxia Peak, and my senior brother recompensed for me. A drop of kindness, a fountain of repayment! For the remainder of my days, I shall strive earnestly to retrieve Nanming Fire Furnace, to repay this kindness."

Today, he used this body laden with Pill Poison to secure a victory for Nanming Village, also placing another piece for Danxia Peak.

But with this piece placed, blood had already stained the chessboard.

Everyone understood, the next two matches would be entirely different from the previous ones!