Chapter 700 701: Death by Poison

Long Yuan reminded them, "Everyone, the poisonous mist in this hazy land is terrifying. Ordinary Antitoxic Pills are completely useless. You must be careful."

After seeing the Pill the Lin family and the Xu family were about to take, Ye Xuan frowned and said, "Elder Lin Bo, Elder Xu Zhen, what you have are the most common Seventh Grade Antitoxic Pills. They can neutralize most poisonous mists, but they're completely ineffective against this Bone-Rotting Spirit Miasma."

Lin Bo and the others froze. Coming from the Celestial Capital Prefecture, they were well aware of Ye Xuan's skill in Alchemy. If he said it was ineffective, then it was definitely ineffective.

Just then, Yu Chi Bugong suddenly laughed. "Everyone, seeing as we're all families from the Celestial Capital Prefecture, how about this? My Yuchi family's Celestial Pillar Screen Light Umbrella still has some room. We can fit one more family. Whichever family is interested can speak with me. Of course, it will come at a small price."

Zhou Yuetian frowned. "And what price might that be, Patriarch Yu Chi Bugong?"

"Heh heh, that will depend on the sincerity you show."

Yu Chi Bugong's meaning was clear: he wanted the three great families to start a bidding war.

"Young Master Ye…"

The members of the Xu and Lin families, however, looked directly at Ye Xuan. "Young Master Ye… do you happen to have any spare Antitoxic Pills? Our two families are willing to purchase them."

Compared to Yu Chi Bugong, they trusted Ye Xuan far more.

Ye Xuan thought for a moment. "I do have Antitoxic Pills. If your two families need them, I can offer you the same price I gave the Xiao family's Patriarch: thirty percent of all your gains in this mysterious land."

The Xu and Lin families had helped him when the Li family was causing trouble, so Ye Xuan wasn't about to leave them to die.

"Thirty percent?"

The Xu and Lin families were stunned.

"That's right. This thirty percent doesn't just cover the Bone-Rotting Spirit Miasma before us. Should you encounter any other dangers that I, Xuan Ye, can handle, I will take care of them for you as well—at no extra charge," Ye Xuan said earnestly.

The other factions looked at Xiao Wuji in confusion. They knew the Xiao family must have paid a steep price to bring Xuan Ye along, but they'd never imagined it was thirty percent of their total haul from this mysterious land.

'Is this young man really worth that much?'

"Fine. We agree."

After only a moment's hesitation, the Xu and Lin families agreed. If even the Xiao family had accepted such terms, what grounds did they have to refuse?

Soon, all the experts from the Lin and Xu families had taken one of Ye Xuan's Antitoxic Pills.

Seeing this, the Zhou family hurried over. "Uh, Master Xuan Ye…"

Ye Xuan shot them a glance. "If the Zhou family wants Antitoxic Pills, you can have them. But it will cost you fifty percent of your haul."

"What?"

"Why is their price thirty percent, while ours is fifty?"

The experts from the Zhou family were stunned for a moment before their faces filled with rage.

Ye Xuan gave a cold smile. "That's my price. Take it or leave it. If you don't like it, you can leave."

The Zhou family had targeted him twice before; it would be strange indeed if Ye Xuan gave them the Antitoxic Pills so easily.

"Hmph! As if we can't proceed without your Antitoxic Pills," Ancestor Zhou Yuetian snorted, his face etched with displeasure.

"Heh heh, now that everyone has made their arrangements, shall we proceed?"

Long Yuan said blandly, giving Ye Xuan a deep look.

Just then, Yu Chi Bugong suddenly laughed. "Old Ancestor Zhou, if you're looking for a place to take shelter, the Yuchi family's doors are always open to you. As for payment... it's certainly a better deal than that kid's. I'll only take forty percent of your haul."

"Hmph!" Zhou Yuetian snorted, his expression dark, and ignored him.

The group continued forward, their figures quickly swallowed by the white mist.

The milky-white mist drifted around them, feeling both close and distant at the same time. The moment they stepped inside, they found the range of their Profound Sense was drastically reduced. The mist could actually block a Martial Artist's Profound Sense, causing everyone to become secretly vigilant.

The most cautious of all were the members of the Zhou family. They took their own Antitoxic Pills, raised their protective Profound auras to the limit, and tried their best to hold their breath.

One breath. Two breaths. Ten breaths.

Soon, dozens of breaths had passed. Zhou Yuetian and his men constantly monitored the Profound aura in their bodies. They found that the white mist seemed to have no major effect on them. Their Profound aura circulated smoothly, their breathing was steady, and there wasn't the slightest sign of poisoning.

"Haha! And you said ordinary Antitoxic Pills were useless. What alarmist nonsense."

After half an incense stick of time, feeling no symptoms of poison whatsoever, Zhou Yuetian completely relaxed. He sneered at Xu Guanglin of the Xu family and Lin Guangyuan of the Lin family. "Brother Xu, Brother Lin, you were completely duped by that kid. You gave away thirty percent of your haul for nothing."

The expressions on Xu Guanglin and Lin Guangyuan's faces turned a little sour. The other elders from their two families also began to feel uneasy.

"Ancestor, I trust Young Master Ye."

"This place is fraught with danger. With Young Master Ye here, the Lin family will surely suffer fewer casualties. We must think long-term."

Only Lin Bo and Xu Zhen, who still had complete faith in Ye Xuan, secretly sent these messages to their respective ancestors.

'I suppose we'll trust him for now.'

Now that their promise had been made, Xu Guanglin and Lin Guangyuan had no way out. It was too late to back out. They could only hold their noses and swallow this bitter pill.

"Huh? A Dragon-Patterned Red Stem Leaf!"

"Here's an Ancient Marrow Pool!"

"This is… an Ink-Scented Gnarled Stone!"

Treasures were clearly far more abundant in this mist-shrouded land than in the outer regions. The group had only been traveling for an hour, yet they had already found many good things, with each of the great families reaping frequent rewards.

'This land of haze is truly filled with treasures,' Ye Xuan thought. 'Something like this Dragon-Patterned Red Stem Leaf takes at least a millennium to mature. That means no one has set foot here for at least a thousand years.'

Ye Xuan was secretly astounded. He had no idea how this mysterious land had been formed, but its abundance of treasures was comparable to a massive hoard.

Back in the outer areas, the Little Purple Mink had relied on its agility to snatch up all the High Tier treasures, leaving the other families with almost nothing.

But in this region covered by the Bone-Rotting Spirit Miasma, there were simply too many treasures. Even with the Little Purple Mink's speed, it couldn't gather everything, leaving plenty behind for the other families to find.

"Haha, three Muyan Flowers!"

The Zhou family elders, having gone so long without incident, had gradually let their guard down and started searching along the group's periphery.

One of the Zhou family's elders happened to glance at the back of a boulder and his face lit up with ecstasy. He instantly plucked three grey, rock-like flowers from it and presented them to Zhou Yuetian.

The Muyan Flower was a Tier Eight Spirit Medicine that grew within rocks, absorbing Heaven and Earth Profound Qi. It could dramatically increase a Martial Artist's physical strength, and its unique Muyan component enhanced the resistance and defensive power of one's protective Profound aura.

Seeing this, the Martial Artists from the other factions couldn't hide the envy in their eyes.

The major factions had all found some Tier Eight Spirit Medicines, but even among them, there was a difference in quality. The Muyan Flower was undoubtedly one of the most superior Tier Eight Spirit Medicines they had seen, its value was astounding.

"Haha, well done! I'll give you one of these three Muyan Flowers when we get back," Zhou Yuetian said, ecstatic. He then added mockingly, "It's a good thing I didn't agree to that brat's terms like the Xu and Lin families. Otherwise, I'd have to hand over one and a half of these! Only a fool would give away a percentage of their treasures for free."

The faces of Lin Guangyuan and Xu Guanglin immediately darkened.

"Thank you, Ancestor."

The Zhou family elder who had found the Muyan Flowers was overjoyed. With one Muyan Flower, his strength would surely increase by twenty percent.

But before his joy could even settle, his body suddenly swayed.

"Zhou Jun, you… your face…"

A look of horror crossed Zhou Yuetian's face. His eyes bulged as he stared at the elder, his voice filled with terror.

"Ancestor, what's wrong with my face?"

Zhou Jun numbly reached up to touch his face. SPLAT! Like a slab of rotten meat, the skin of his face sloughed right off. Before it even hit the ground, it dissolved into a puddle of pus.

Everyone recoiled in horror at the sight, the hair on their bodies standing on end as they gasped collectively.

"I… I…"

The man, Zhou Jun, stared at his own hands in confusion. With a light touch, the flesh on his hands sloughed off, revealing the stark white bones beneath. But then, the glistening bones began to turn pitch-black. Within a few breaths, the bones of his hand crumbled away section by section, dissolving into more pus.

His entire body started to putrefy. With a THUD, he collapsed to the ground, unable to even stay upright.

"Ancestor, save… save me…"

He struggled to lift his head and reach out a hand. Before everyone's horrified eyes, his body dissolved from a living person into a puddle of viscous fluid within seconds, leaving nothing behind. If not for the pile of clothes left on the ground, no one would have believed that the man who had been standing there just moments ago was a mighty Tier Eight Second Layer Martial Emperor.

A chill ran down everyone's spine. They were terrified to their very core, an unstoppable dread welling up inside them.

Compared to being killed by the Sand Gravel King, the state of Zhou Jun's death inspired a much deeper, more primal horror.

The faces of the Zhou family experts were drained of all color. "Ancestor," they stammered in horror, "this… Zhou Jun… he's…"

Zhou Yuetian, his own face a mask of terror, had no idea what had just happened. He roared, "Who?! Who killed Zhou Jun?! Show yourself!"

But the forest remained silent, every person present still reeling in shock.

"The Bone-Rotting Spirit Miasma… It truly lives up to its name. The line between a living person and rotting bones is razor-thin."

It was then that Ye Xuan spoke, his eyes gleaming with fascination.

"What? What did you just say?"

Zhou Yuetian whirled on Ye Xuan, his voice shrill with panic.

Ye Xuan said calmly, "It wasn't a person who killed your Zhou family's elder. It was the Bone-Rotting Spirit Miasma in this very forest."

"Impossible!" Zhou Yuetian said, both shocked and furious. "We all took Antitoxic Pills and have been monitoring our conditions constantly. We haven't been poisoned!"

"Is that so?" Ye Xuan's eyes held a trace of pity. "Perhaps you should all roll up your sleeves and have a look."