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Zhao Yang and Song Baliang arrived at a gorge, a desolate place devoid of the lush greenery typical of such locations. Instead, an eerie chill permeated the air, with the landscape dominated by shades of gray and yellow. Many plants were withered, exuding a sinister aura.
Within a cave in the gorge, a young man radiating dark energy sat cross-legged on a stone bed, his expression contorted in agony. His body trembled violently as he repeatedly struck his head with his fists, causing it to swell and blood to trickle down.
Zhao Yang and Song Baliang stood at the cave entrance, their gazes fixed intently inside. The cave was thick with deathly stillness and toxic miasma, making it nearly suffocating. Zhao Yang frowned slightly, enveloping himself in Chaos True Qi to dispel the poisonous barrier. Song Baliang similarly unleashed his golden body to ward off the toxins. Together, they ventured deeper into the cave, following the boy's aura until they reached a stone chamber.
Inside the chamber, the boy's body was mottled purple, dark energy swirling around his forehead, giving him an unsettling appearance. He writhed in pain and, upon seeing Zhao Yang and Song Baliang, asked, "Who are you?"
Zhao Yang sighed and replied, "Everything that has happened in Fengdu City is because of you. Countless people have died due to your Spiritual Root being an exceptionally rare Poison Spirit Root. This unique Spiritual Root is so powerful that your body cannot control your True Qi, causing the poisonous energy to leak out and resulting in widespread death."
"What? How many people died? But they all told me no one died!" Shock and anger flashed across the boy's face, quickly followed by deep self-recrimination. "It's all my fault!"
"Who told you that no one died?" Zhao Yang asked curiously, sensing that this boy might not be inherently malicious.
"My grandfather and my brother," the boy answered painfully.
Song Baliang attempted to step forward to provide aid but was stopped by Zhao Yang. The boy's Spiritual Root was too peculiar; any misstep could allow toxins to enter their bodies. Although both were Body Refinement practitioners typically immune to poisons, caution was still necessary.
Zhao Yang continued questioning, "Why would your grandfather and brother deceive you? Are they truly your blood relatives?"
"No, my grandfather raised me; he is my biological grandfather. But my brother came here six months ago when my grandfather was gravely injured and soon passed away. My brother helped me bury him and took care of me. Like my grandfather, he told me that my Poison Spirit Root is special and powerful, assuring me that it wouldn't harm others."
"Your Poison Spirit Root has already caused nearly all the residents of Fengdu City to die!" Song Baliang stated bluntly.
"How could this happen? I was told it wouldn't hurt anyone!" The boy's expression turned to shock as tears welled up in his eyes.
Zhao Yang observed closely, realizing that perhaps this young man truly did not wish to harm others, which is why he hid here, away from the crowd. However, he could not understand why the boy's grandfather would deceive him. Perhaps it was to protect the boy's life, fearing that he might feel guilty and take his own life. So, he lied to the boy, claiming that his Poison Spirit Root would not affect anyone else. Yet, to survive near the boy, one must at least possess cultivation at the Core Formation Stage or higher, especially considering the high level of cultivation exhibited by both the boy's grandfather and that young man.
What puzzled Zhao Yang was that while it was understandable for the boy's grandfather to allow his Poison Spirit Root to kill thousands in order to save him, it made no sense for that young man to do the same. He also deceived the boy, telling him that his Poison Spirit Root would not harm others. Zhao Yang could not fathom this.
Could it be that this young man had good intentions? Did he want to help the boy survive because they seemed to connect? Was he willing to let countless people die just to save one? Or did he possess some method to cure the boy? But Zhao Yang knew this was not an illness; it was a Poison Spirit Root. The boy was not poisoned but rather produced poison himself, which could not be cured by any medicine—even the Holy Medicine that could neutralize all poisons would be ineffective.
If Zhao Yang were to handle this matter, the best course of action would be to kill the boy and disperse his Poison Spirit Root, completely eradicating the source of disaster. Otherwise, even if the boy had good intentions in the future, once he grew stronger, he could easily cause countless deaths. Such a Spiritual Root was too powerful and unique; it should not exist in this world.
"If Master were here, perhaps there would be a way. His mastery of formations is exceptional; he could temporarily suppress the Poison Spirit Root within him and prevent its toxicity from leaking out and taking lives," Song Baliang said.
"I know a few formations for suppressing toxins as well, but they only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. They can only temporarily suppress your Poison Spirit Root and prevent it from going berserk. Once your Poison Spirit Root advances with your cultivation level, it will cause even greater destruction. At that point, lives will be lost again, and someone will still come after you," Zhao Yang replied honestly.
"Junior Brother, he has a kind nature. Perhaps if we bring him back to Xuanfo Temple, we can save him," Song Baliang said with rare compassion.
Zhao Yang shook his head and said, "I have read through One Hundred Thousand Volumes of books. In fact, Poison Spirit Roots have appeared in cultivation history before. There was once an extremely powerful individual known as the Venerable Master of Ten Thousand Poisons. In his youth, he was hunted by countless people until he achieved enlightenment and exterminated nearly everyone from that era. Whenever he acted, it turned into a barren wasteland where nothing could grow; all living things withered away. Many have tried to uncover the secrets of Poison Spirit Roots and transform them into ordinary Spiritual Roots but failed completely. Moreover, if even a trace of poison gas leaks from a Poison Spirit Root, it can lead to the death of cultivators.
The poison from a Poison Spirit Root is more toxic than any poison known in this world; even a single leak can result in millions dying. There is no need to risk countless lives for one person's survival—especially since this boy's Poison Spirit Root has already caused numerous deaths. Zhao Yang noticed that this boy had already reached Core Formation Stage yet had brought devastation upon an entire kingdom; if he advanced further, neighboring kingdoms would also suffer.
With a sigh, Zhao Yang said, "To tell you the truth, you have already caused many deaths. If you do not die now, you will cause even more in the future. Even if you do not wish to harm anyone or engage in cultivation, the more you try to suppress your Spiritual Root, the more your True Qi will circulate uncontrollably, causing your cultivation level to rise unknowingly. Additionally, all toxins that have permeated everything around you will eventually return to your body and accelerate your cultivation progress—it cannot be stopped. I never wanted to kill you; however, I find myself compelled to do so."
The boy looked up at Zhao Yang with hesitation on his face as memories of his suffering flashed through his mind—the pain endured since childhood and thoughts of his deceased grandfather overwhelmed him. Suddenly, he burst into tears and cried out: "I do not want to harm anyone! But I want to live! Why is it unfair that I possess a Poison Spirit Root? I refuse to accept this! I want to survive!"
Zhao Yang retracted his raised hand and instead formed a strange hand seal that transformed into a mysterious symbol which entered the boy's body. "This is a method I saw in an ancient text for suppressing toxic surges. I do not know how long it will keep your Poison Spirit Root suppressed—perhaps three years or three months or maybe just three days—but once your cultivation breaks through, my seal will disappear. You have a strong desire for life; I do not wish to kill you because everyone has a right to live. You have done nothing wrong by me; I will let you live—but you cannot leave this Gorge. Otherwise, your Poison Spirit Root will bring disaster upon others; at that point, even if I do not kill you, someone else will."
Zhao Yang finished speaking and turned to leave. Song Baliang sighed and followed suit.
After Zhao Yang and Song Baliang left Mountain Gorge, Song Baliang said, "Junior Brother, it seems we forgot something. He is indeed a Poison Spirit Root, but where should we look for clues about the missing child?"
"Oh no!" Zhao Yang slapped his forehead as if he remembered something and rushed back into the cave.
Song Baliang hurried to follow him, but when they reached the spot where the boy had been, he was already dead. There was not a trace of color on his face, and his body bore no wounds; only his abdomen was sunken in, which was nauseating.
"What on earth happened? Who could escape our Divine Sense detection?!" Song Baliang exclaimed in shock.
"Chase!" Zhao Yang shouted angrily, following a lingering scent in the air. As they ran, he explained, "Earlier, when I was in Pear Blossom Village, I sensed two people. But after arriving here, it turned into one person. At first, I didn't pay much attention, thinking he was just deliberately avoiding us. However, after we left, that person appeared again—not from the edge of my Divine Sense but suddenly. This is problematic. The deceased Poison Spirit Root cultivator had a kind nature and rarely interacted with others; he couldn't discern good from bad people. He easily trusted others and believed whatever they said. I suspect this person must have some ulterior motive. Seeing the state of his sunken abdomen after death reminded me of someone."
"Who? Could it be an old monster at the Nascent Soul Stage disregarding the rules of the cultivation world to devour others' Spiritual Roots?" Song Baliang questioned, puzzled. If that were the case, they might not be able to handle it alone.
"No, quite the opposite. He is a newcomer to cultivation, an obscure disciple from my previous sect named Shiyunsheng. Although I don't know what his Spiritual Root is, a friend told me he witnessed him devouring others' Spiritual Roots for himself, turning them into his own essence."
"Turning into essence? Are you sure it's turning into essence and not just cultivation?" Song Baliang had never heard such a shocking thing before. After all, a person's essence is essentially their Spiritual Root talent; each person's talent is fixed at birth. If someone could steal another's talent, their own would grow infinitely. How powerful could they become in the end? How pure would their True Qi be? A common Cultivation Method in their hands might turn into an unparalleled Cultivation Method!
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