Chapter 95: New Talent – “Double Pupils,” A New Use for the Calamity Poison Body
Finally, it was time to improve her divine ability aptitude. Otherwise, Luo Xue’s current methods of dealing with enemies were too limited.
[Improving Divine Ability Aptitude: -100]
[Divine Ability Aptitude Improved: Almost None -> Barely There]
[Hidden Condition Met (Soul >= 100), Activated Special Divine Ability Talent: Double Pupils]
[Double Pupils: Vision becomes faster, cultivation speed and effectiveness of pupil-type divine abilities are increased.]
Double Pupils?
A special aptitude like the Calamity Poison Body…
The description seemed rather ordinary, weaker than the Calamity Poison Body.
Luo Xue blinked, trying to see if she had an extra pupil in each eye, but unfortunately, there was no mirror.
However, besides the newly acquired Double Pupils, after improving her divine ability aptitude, Luo Xue felt that her understanding of the Thousand Faces Cultivation Art had deepened, as if inspiration had suddenly surged, and she was not far from reaching the “Form Change” level.
And the divine abilities that were difficult to understand before gradually became clearer in her mind.
However, just like after changing her cultivation aptitude, the improvement in talent didn’t immediately increase her combat power.
Instead, after strengthening her soul attribute, not only had the strength of her soul reached another level, but a mysterious feeling also arose in Luo Xue’s heart. Her soul had reached the level where she could cultivate soul-related secret techniques.
However, the Peerless Summit Sect didn’t have such techniques, and neither did Luo Xue.
The prodigies of the Demonic Ghost City did, but she couldn’t steal them…
“Ugh…”
Sha Yiyi let out a soft moan and slowly opened her eyes.
She sat up unconsciously and rubbed her eyes.
As if out of habit, she raised her hand and slapped the still-unconscious Sha Keke in the face.
A crisp sound echoed, and Sha Yiyi yawned.
“Morning…”
Sha Keke rubbed her reddened cheek and replied lazily,
“Morning, Big Sis…”
Luo Xue and Nangong Mengxiang watched this scene in silence.
The way these sisters interacted was truly… harmonious.
After the initial confusion of waking up, the Sha sisters finally remembered what had happened before they fainted, and their expressions immediately turned tense.
This wasn’t their usual peaceful morning!
“It’s okay, we’ve escaped.” Luo Xue comforted the nervous Sha sisters. “Everyone’s fine. Nangong saved us.”
“Really?” The Sha sisters’ eyes widened in disbelief. “My lady, you actually managed to hold on against a peak Foundation Establishment prodigy until Nangong arrived with just your early Innate Realm cultivation…”
“Ahem… it’s nothing.”
Luo Xue touched her nose. Speaking of peak Foundation Establishment, she had killed one when she was still at the Post-Heaven Realm…
“Actually, two Core Formation cultivators came later, they seemed to be from the Tianhai Gang, I don’t know who they were looking for.”
Nangong Mengxiang added. She still didn’t know that Wu Hai was after her.
Missing one soul and three spirits definitely had an effect on her. This was the reason why Nangong Mengxiang was always a bit clueless; she was missing more than just a few screws.
Sha Yiyi was shocked again, then as if realizing something, her expression relaxed slightly.
“My lady, Nangong is joking, right?”
Luo Xue hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
“Yes… it’s a joke.”
Actually, three Core Formation elders had arrived later, but after the situation developed to that point, it didn’t have much to do with them anymore.
So Luo Xue thought for a moment and decided not to mention it.
“But it’s still amazing. To be able to hold on for so long against a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the Innate Realm, that’s the level of an immortal sect prodigy.”
Sha Keke said, her eyes filled with admiration.
“Prodigy” wasn’t a self-proclaimed title. Only those who reached Foundation Establishment within half a jiazi were qualified to be called prodigies.
Only those who met the basic requirements of a prodigy had the potential to reach Nascent Soul in the future. After all, if they reached Foundation Establishment too late, they might not even have enough lifespan to accumulate the necessary foundation for Nascent Soul.
The Everspring Pavilion had many Nascent Soul cultivators because their cultivation technique extended their lifespans, and many reached Nascent Soul through the accumulation of time, but their combat power wasn’t that strong.
The Sha sisters were already over a jiazi of age, yet they hadn’t even reached the Spirit Condensation Realm, so naturally, they couldn’t hope for the title of prodigy.
Their future was likely to barely reach Spirit Condensation, then sit and wait for their lifespan to run out.
The world of cultivation was always like this.
“Are we going back now?” Sha Yiyi asked. “It’s getting late. I’m afraid there might be guests at the inn…”
“No rush, I’m worried that the Medicine Gang might be searching for us. Let’s stay here for a while longer.” Luo Xue shook her head, then added, “Besides, I’m already your patron now, what’s the point of running an inn?”
Sha Yiyi paused, touched the Immortal’s Kowtow in her storage pouch, and nodded repeatedly.
“Right, right, I almost forgot. After selling this bottle of Immortal’s Kowtow, it’s enough for us sisters to live for hundreds of years!”
“This thing is so valuable… And it’s only the ninth most potent poison. I wonder what the value of the Calamity Poison Body’s blood, the sixth most potent poison, is…”
Luo Xue couldn’t help but mutter. She was even considering selling some of her blood. After all, losing a bit of blood wouldn’t be a big deal.
“The blood of the Calamity Poison Body isn’t valuable.” Sha Yiyi said. “More accurately, it’s the ‘expired’ blood of the Calamity Poison Body that’s not valuable.”
Sha Yiyi emphasized the word “expired.”
“What does that mean?”
Luo Xue quickly asked. She suddenly remembered that Sha Yiyi was from the Everspring Pavilion, the sect that specialized in the study of poisons and medicines.
“The blood of the Calamity Poison Body gradually loses its potency three hours after leaving the body, eventually becoming no different from ordinary blood. It can’t be stored, so naturally, it’s not valuable.”
Sha Yiyi patiently explained, “If one could obtain Calamity Poison Body blood that retains its long-term potency, its value would depend on the cultivator’s level.”
Although she had left the Everspring Pavilion at a young age, Sha Yiyi had memorized many of the sect’s records, as it was a basic skill for every Everspring Pavilion disciple.
Luo Xue: “…”
Wait…
“So, what I gave Senior Sister Li… is actually just a bottle of ordinary blood…”
Luo Xue murmured softly.
If Senior Sister Li used her blood to fight an enemy in a moment of crisis, wouldn’t that be sending her to her death?
This was due to Luo Xue’s lack of understanding of the Calamity Poison Body. Although she possessed this physique, she had never systematically studied it.
Most of the records about the Calamity Poison Body within the Peerless Summit Sect focused on its harmfulness. Even Senior Sister believed that the Calamity Poison Body was essentially a disaster.
Only her convenient mother, Luo Huaxin, knew a bit more, but not much.
“My lady, what did you say?”
Sha Yiyi asked curiously.
“Nothing.”
Luo Xue shook her head and sighed.
She hoped Senior Sister Li wouldn’t use that bottle of blood.
However, Luo Xue overlooked one point. Even if her blood lost the potency of the Calamity Poison Body, it wouldn’t be ordinary blood.
As her cultivation increased, the drop of True Phoenix blood essence gradually integrated into her body.
In other words, it might be even more valuable…
“By the way, Sha Yiyi, how much do you know about the Calamity Poison Body?” Luo Xue asked.
She had realized that her lack of understanding of her own physique might cause trouble in the future.
She should learn more about it while she had the chance.
“Not much. Even within the Everspring Pavilion, there isn’t much research on the Calamity Poison Body, after all, there are very few samples, only that great demon from thousands of years ago.”
Sha Yiyi shook her head and said, “Besides its toxicity, the most well-known characteristic of the Calamity Poison Body is that poisonous substances affecting spiritual power can directly increase the cultivator’s cultivation without any side effects.”
“So powerful? No side effects?”
Luo Xue was startled.
She had heard Luo Huaxin mention this before, but she hadn’t mentioned anything about side effects.
According to Senior Sister, the previous Calamity Poison Body died from the backlash of their own power, which was why Luo Xue had hesitated to use poison to increase her cultivation.
“That’s right, the previous Calamity Poison Body who appeared in the world massacred mortals on a large scale to use their resentment to refine the second most potent poison, ‘Plague’.”
Sha Yiyi said, “Although he ultimately died from the backlash, it was actually because of the karmic burden formed from refining the ‘Plague,’ not from consuming poison to increase his cultivation.”
Then, Sha Yiyi slapped her forehead and said,
“By the way, ‘Immortal’s Kowtow’ was originally a poison discovered by that Calamity Poison Body, and he used it extensively to increase his cultivation. It’s a pity that ‘Immortal’s Kowtow’ is too rare and precious, and it couldn’t help him advance quickly.”
“There’s even such a backstory…”
Luo Xue murmured.
So, the gourd of poison Luo Huaxin stole for her was actually an elixir?
And an elixir without side effects?
…It seemed that when she had free time, she would have to drink some and see if she could quickly break through to Spirit Condensation.
The Innate Realm was still a bit too weak.
“But my lady, why are you suddenly interested in the Calamity Poison Body?”
Sha Keke popped up and asked.
“Because… I’m interested.”
Luo Xue still didn’t reveal her secret. She knew that revealing this physique, which had already caused her so much trouble, might bring unnecessary risks, so it was better to keep it hidden for now.
“I thought you were one, I was so scared.” Sha Keke patted her chest. “The Calamity Poison Body is so terrifying. It’s said that just a touch of their blood can instantly turn someone into bones!”
Luo Xue’s eyelids twitched. It wasn’t that exaggerated.
“It’s getting late, we should head back to the inn.”
Nangong Mengxiang had been vigilant, in case of any unexpected incidents like before.
It seemed that the Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang had stopped their pursuit. At least, from Nangong Mengxiang’s perception, there were no groups of cultivators patrolling, and everything had returned to normal.
However, to avoid being recognized, Luo Xue still used the Thousand Faces Cultivation Art to change her appearance, becoming a black-haired girl, using the same ghostly appearance that Li Guijiao had used.
Luo Xue thought this appearance was quite good. Li Guijiao’s disguise skills were quite impressive. She would use this appearance in the Demon Abyss from now on.
She wondered what Senior Sister Li would think if she came to the Demon Abyss and found that someone was already using her “skin”…
Sha Yiyi and Sha Keke just needed to use their talent again to change their appearance. Nangong Mengxiang was a bit more troublesome, so she simply put on a black cloak. After all, there were quite a few people dressed like this in Ghost Demon Pass.
…
Night fell, and the stars and moon hung high in the sky.
After the afternoon’s commotion, the Youxiang Restaurant had become a pile of rubble.
Almost half of the restaurant had been destroyed by the aftershocks of the Core Formation battle, many rooms were in ruins, but strangely, the pavilion in the center remained unscathed.
However, for cultivators, rebuilding the entire restaurant would only take two or three days.
Besides, this was the borderlands, and such conflicts were not uncommon.
As long as both sides were willing to compensate for the losses during this period, including the cost of rebuilding the restaurant and the lost business revenue, it would be fine.
The Youxiang Restaurant even had a dedicated accountant to calculate such amounts, making everything clear and transparent.
If they refused to compensate…
The Youxiang Restaurant also had its own ways of getting the money back.
Needless to say, the Medicine Gang and the Tianhai Gang each sent people to deliver compensation. They had already made preparations before the meeting.
Although this entire incident had been unexpected, the result… seemed to be not much different from what they had anticipated. The Tianhai Gang and the Medicine Gang had clashed, and the grudge between them couldn’t be resolved so easily.
Of course, this had nothing to do with the Youxiang Restaurant.
“Master Qin, this subordinate is deeply sorry for disturbing your peace.”
The manager bowed his head and apologized to the Zither Witch, but his expression didn’t show any remorse, only confusion.
“Manager, you’re a veteran of the Temple. You know these minor disturbances are nothing.” The Zither Witch said faintly. “If they were truly disturbances, they wouldn’t be able to leave.”
“Naturally.” The manager quickly replied. “But today, you…”
“Because of my intervention?”
The Zither Witch opened her eyes slightly, revealing a hint of terrifying white.
The manager remained silent.
“My actions require no explanation to others,” the Zither Witch closed her eyes and said in a deep voice, “Or, if the Sha Master lineage no longer wants to manage this restaurant, that’s also fine.”
“It was this subordinate’s presumption, but this matter is of great importance,” the manager said in a low voice. “You represent the Holy Maiden, intervening at this time…”
Before the manager could finish, the Zither Witch opened her eyes, her pure white gaze fixated on him.
In that instant, the manager felt like the sky was falling.
Panic finally appeared on his face, his heart almost stopping, only recovering after the Zither Witch closed her eyes again.
The manager quickly lowered his head again and retreated respectfully, saying,
“This subordinate knows his mistake. I will apologize to you another day, please forgive me…”
With that, the manager hurriedly left the room.
The Zither Witch remained silent for a long time, then sighed softly.
“Troublesome.”
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