The Capital's Dragon Doctor

The countless toxic mists combined in the air, undergoing a strange transformation. 'It's as if... they're being refined and enhanced?'

"Heart-devouring Powder?!"

Hiding in the shadows and biding his time, Lin Feng froze. An expression of great interest crossed his face.

He had been on guard for Heart-devouring Powder ever since entering the mountains, but he never expected it to manifest in this way.

"Heheh, another group of people blinded by greed."

"The Red Flame Fruit just happens to need a little more nourishment to ripen. Since you've delivered yourselves to my doorstep, you've saved me the trouble."

Just as Lin Feng was pondering this, a strange laugh suddenly echoed through the air.

All eyes turned toward the sound. There, at the top of the Red Flame Tree, sat a thin middle-aged man in tattered clothes. He was filthy and disheveled, and a messy mop of half-white hair obscured his face.

But his high cheekbones gave him a treacherous and cunning look.

"Weren't you all looking for the Red Flame Fruit?"

The middle-aged man's voice was hoarse and deep. He looked at the crowd in the distance, a faint smile on his lips, as if toying with his prey.

"Who are you? You're the one controlling these poisonous insects! Make these damn things back off, now!"

"Heh."

The middle-aged man didn't answer them, instead just scoffing contemptuously.

"Do you really think these are just ordinary poison insects?"

"What do you mean by that? Are you deliberately toying with us?"

Some of them immediately cursed, their eyes flickering with fear and panic as they watched more and more poisonous insects gather.

"You must be tired of living, daring to ambush us. You're courting death!"

"I advise you to make these damn things back off and hand over the Red Flame Fruit, if you want to avoid a world of pain!"

Li Tian's expression was grave. He kept his eyes fixed on the poison insects; his body was already starting to feel numb and weak.

This told him that these poisonous insects were no ordinary creatures. They were even... stronger than the average Cultivator.

"Heh heh, you're just a bunch of ants. What makes you think you're qualified to negotiate with me?"

The middle-aged man snorted coldly at their words, his face a mask of disdain.

He finished speaking and leaped down from the tree. With a wave of his arm, the poisonous insects surged forward again.

"You!"

"I'm going to kill you!"

The crowd was burning with fury, wishing they could tear the man before them to shreds, but their rage seemed insignificant and powerless before the swarm of insects.

"Haha! You think you can resist the poison insects I've painstakingly cultivated?"

The middle-aged man gazed at his insects and let out a wild laugh, his voice dripping with arrogance.

Everyone gritted their teeth as they watched the scene unfold. They were already exhausted, and the unbearable pain of the venom corroding their bodies was becoming too much to handle.

But they still persevered through gritted teeth. They had to get the Red Flame Fruit and escape, no matter the cost.

"THUD!"

A Martial Artist collapsed, kicking up a cloud of dust. The crowd looked over in shock.

"It's Zhao Wu! He couldn't hold on!"

"How is that possible? Zhao Wu is at the Late Stage of Innate! What in the world is this poison?!"

"Cough, cough... I don't think I can make it either... Help me, I don't want to die! Help me!"

A few more Martial Artists finally collapsed. Black blood flowed from their mouths and noses, their breathing ragged. The poisonous mist drifting down from the sky left them with no escape.

"Screw it, I'm going all out!"

Under the threat of death, no one dared to hold back. They pushed their Inner Strength to the absolute limit, swinging their weapons in a frenzy.

Supported by their Inner Strength, each strike took the lives of dozens of poison insects, but to the endless swarm, such losses were less than a drop in the bucket.

Li Tian also joined the fight, but he continuously observed his surroundings. With a flicker of concentration, the Sword Qi from his hand slashed out in all directions!

"CLANG!"

The sound of metal on metal rang out continuously. Li Tian's form flashed about like a phantom dragon, his every step landing on a precise point.

Perhaps because his movements were so fast, everyone thought his footwork was profound and unpredictable. But Li Tian knew that what he was doing was just a drop in the bucket.

"Cough, cough... I remember now! This guy's poison is Heart-devouring Powder!"

"What the hell is Heart-devouring Powder?"

"I heard from my family's elders that this potent poison was created by the Poison King of Nanling, specifically to kill Ancient Martial Artists!"

"What! Doesn't that mean..."

"That's right. Heart-devouring Powder is something only Poison Masters would research. You'd never see a poison like this unless it was from some demonic heretic!"

Everyone drew in a sharp, collective breath. Heart-devouring Powder was infamous. Once afflicted, not even the most profound medical arts could save you. In the end, a person would slowly turn into a withered corpse, with not even bones left behind.

"Hahaha, so there is a knowledgeable one among you!"

Hearing their chatter, the disheveled middle-aged man laughed out loud, his voice full of ridicule.

"You dare to openly use Heart-devouring Powder to harm people? Aren't you afraid of retribution?!"

Someone pointed at the man and roared, their eyes burning with fury.

Hearing this, the middle-aged man slowly raised his head, revealing a face covered in wrinkles.

"I'm already all alone. I'm going to die sooner or later. Retribution? I've been waiting for it!"

His voice was sinister and eerie, chilling them to the bone.

"Who exactly are you?"

Li Tian narrowed his eyes and asked. Someone who could concoct Heart-devouring Powder from hundreds of types of poison insects could not possibly be a nobody.

"Haha, then I'll let you die knowing!"

"Remember this! I am from the Poison Prison Sect, and my name is Zhang Yue!"

The man's arrogant and domineering voice echoed throughout the area, and his words made everyone's face turn deathly pale.

"The Poison Prison Sect!"

"So he's from the Poison Prison Sect!"

The crowd was horrified and they all retreated, their eyes filled with profound dread.

The Poison Prison Sect was infamous in Nanling. Although it had been in seclusion in recent years, it was still not to be underestimated.

It was said that the Sect Leader of the Poison Prison Sect was a Cultivator who had defected from a major secluded sect. His power was heaven-defying, and he had once swept through a generation of prodigies, his name shaking the world!

Unfortunately, after he advanced to Martial Venerable, there was no more news of him. But his past achievements were unforgettable.

Hidden in the dense forest, Lin Feng raised an eyebrow. As the sole heir to the master of Immortal Doctor Valley, he had never heard of this name.

'They must be a power that's emerged in recent years.'

However, he didn't pay it much mind. After all, his seven senses had been sealed for five years, so it was natural for some things to have happened.

"All of you small fry can just lie down and die!"

Zhang Yue laughed wildly. He blew a whistle, and the swarm of poison insects, as if summoned, suddenly accelerated into the air.

They opened their savage maws, their sharp fangs glinting with a cold light that made one's scalp tingle.

"Aaaah!"

A bloodcurdling scream rang out, and the previous cries of agony were abruptly silenced.