The Capital's Dragon Doctor

SPURT!

A spray of fresh blood arched through the air.

"This is bad! Let's run!"

The crowd roared in panic. They tried to use the chaos to escape, but the venomous insects behind them swarmed forward and engulfed them.

"There's no escape! We have to fight them! It's our only chance of survival!"

Suddenly, a young man roared, his eyes bloodshot as he charged into the swarm of insects with his blade raised. In the blink of an eye, he was devoured down to his bare bones.

"Damn it!"

"Aaargh!"

The crowd was terrified. Some fought back bravely, while others fled in desperation.

But soon, the entire area descended into a bloody slaughter.

Hiding in the distance, a man watched the scene unfold. His eyes held not a trace of pity, only excitement.

'The Red Flame Fruit is about to ripen. These people will make the perfect final batch of fertilizer.'

As Zhang Yue thought this, a cold smile crept onto his lips. He whistled continuously, and the swarms of venomous insects responded to his tune, devouring every last Martial Artist who tried to flee.

"Aaargh!"

Another bloodcurdling scream rang out as one more Martial Artist was consumed by the insects.

Li Tian dodged the venomous insects, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. His heart was pounding, THUMP-THUMP-THUMP.

The number of insects was growing, and their attacks were becoming fiercer. Some even lunged straight for his face.

"Not good!"

Li Tian cursed under his breath. His eyes turned icy as he tapped his toes on the ground. A surge of Spiritual Power erupted, and his speed skyrocketed, allowing him to narrowly dodge a venomous scorpion.

"Heh heh heh, run! Why'd you stop running? I just love the terrified look on my prey's face!"

Zhang Yue watched Li Tian's desperate dodges and laughed mockingly.

WHOOSH!

Li Tian stared coldly at his foe, and his figure suddenly vanished from sight.

"Heh."

Zhang Yue seemed accustomed to Li Tian's tricks. With a flick of his right arm, three jet-black centipedes shot out from his sleeve.

The centipedes were long and slender, as thick as chopsticks. They slithered upward section by section, their tails moving like snakes. Their bodies were a dark green and emitted a foul stench that was unbearable to behold.

The struggle finally ended after a full ten minutes.

Zhang Yue was panting heavily. He looked at the corpses strewn across the ground, which were emitting a strange, sweet smell, and then at the few remaining insects. An expression of fury crossed his face.

"Damn it, my swarm is completely wiped out."

Zhang Yue gritted his teeth, his chest heaving, a clear sign of his inner turmoil.

"These useless fools actually managed to wipe out my insects! What a pain!"

He swore viciously. It had taken him a great deal of effort to cultivate these insects.

But what was done was done. There was nothing he could do to remedy it now.

'But it's fine. These people were quite strong. Even though the insects ate a few, the rest will be enough.'

With that thought, he began dragging the corpses, which were already starting to rot and fester from the poison, over to the base of the Red Flame Tree.

'As long as the Red Flame Fruit ripens, losing these insects is no problem at all!'

His eyes glinted as his gaze fell upon the Red Flame Tree. He licked his lips, his expression filled with desire.

"The Red Flame Fruit... Heh heh, today, it's as good as mine!"

Zhang Yue let out a laugh and turned to leave, but his body suddenly went rigid. He had no idea when, but a young man had appeared behind him. The man was even crouching on the ground, studying the corpses of the dead insects.

"Who are you?"

Zhang Yue's brow furrowed tightly. He didn't dare to be the least bit careless.

His greatest asset was gone, and he had suffered some minor injuries during the fight. For this young man to appear behind him without him noticing, he had to be skilled.

"Your methods aren't very sophisticated, are they?"

Lin Feng poked at the insect corpses on the ground with a tree branch, offering his placid critique.

"Where did this little bastard come from? Such arrogance!"

Zhang Yue's face turned ashen, but he retained his composure. He didn't attack rashly, instead choosing to first survey his surroundings.

"I don't know who you are, but do you really think I can't handle you?"

"Hmph. Since you've delivered yourself to my doorstep, I'll be happy to oblige you. Let me give you a taste of what I can do!"

The moment Zhang Yue finished speaking, a strange fragrance began to fill the air, spreading in all directions.

"Hm? Intestine-Breaking Powder?"

"But your technique is truly awful. You shouldn't add so much sunflower root to Intestine-Breaking Powder. It makes the smell too obvious and even reduces the poison's potency."

Standing his ground, Lin Feng showed no sign of panic. He even took a deep breath and began to critique the components of the poison mist.

His tone was relaxed and carefree, as if he were tasting a fine wine.

"You're courting death!"

Zhang Yue's face was as dark as a storm cloud. This brat who had appeared out of nowhere was speaking to him like a teacher, and what's more, everything he said was correct!

Rage flared within him. His figure shot toward Lin Feng like a phantom, a cluster of purple powder suddenly appearing in his palm.

"Die for me!"

Zhang Yue roared as his hand formed a claw. The purple powder swirled, emitting a bizarrely sweet, metallic odor.

"Hm... this poison is decent, but the formula is a bit simple."

Unflustered, Lin Feng's expression didn't change in the slightest. He raised his branch and swung it at his opponent.

Zhang Yue never imagined he would be so utterly ignored. He grew even more furious, increasing the power of his palm strike as the purple mist spread.

"Hahaha! Let's see if you're dead now!"

Zhang Yue's face was filled with malice. If this strike had landed on an ordinary person, forget the ferocious power behind it—the poison alone would have been enough to corrode them completely!

THUD!

With a muffled sound, the purple mist dissipated, and a figure slowly emerged. It was Lin Feng.

"You're not dead! How is that possible? That was Soul-Severing Powder, which I specially refined! You..."

Zhang Yue spoke in disbelief, but Lin Feng didn't give him any more time to think. A fist slammed into his body, sending him flying backward into a tree. His face was now a shade paler.

"How dare you name such a trash poison 'Soul-Severing'?"

Lin Feng shook his head, his eyes filled with contempt.

"Provoking me again and again... Brat, do you really think you're that strong?!"

Zhang Yue slowly regulated his breathing, his eyes filled with hatred. This guy had ruined his plan!

The full power of the Peak of Late Stage Innate erupted from him, and a gentle breeze rippled outward from his position.

"Not bad. Just what I'd expect from a Poison Cultivator."

An interested look appeared on Lin Feng's face. Zhang Yue's strength was far greater than he had imagined.

"Do you think you can defeat me?!"

Zhang Yue roared and shot forward. His fist flew straight for Lin Feng's head, and the force of the attack whipped his clothes about, making them snap in the wind.

Lin Feng narrowed his eyes. With a shift of his legs, his body moved as swiftly as a fish in water to dodge. Zhang Yue's attack missed its mark, his fist slamming into a rock and blasting it to dust.