Mu Zixu's eyes were filled with killing intent as he watched Song Wanníng absorb the poison scattered in the air.
Once released, this poison was completely colorless and odorless. Even an alchemy grandmaster might not notice it. It was vicious, spreading through every corner of the body before erupting all at once, killing the victim on the spot.
He'd studied this poison pill for hundreds of years. There was no way it could fail. All he had to do now was wait for Song Wanníng to collapse and die. As for Wu Qingfeng, who'd been blasted away, Mu Zixu didn't spare him a glance. Dying for him was Wu Qingfeng's honor.
"Pfft—"
Wu Qingfeng spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes sliding toward Mu Zixu. Seeing his cold indifference, his heart went completely cold too. Good thing he'd made the right choice in the end. Otherwise, Mu Zixu would've killed him anyway.
From beginning to end, he'd only ever been a sacrifice. Every word Mu Zixu had spoken before was nothing but lies. Murderous rage boiled inside him. His eyes were bloodshot as he lunged toward Song Wanníng again. They'd already agreed, they had to make this act convincing. Otherwise, there was no way to fake their deaths.
Seeing him charge, Song Wanníng naturally slashed at him with her sword again, her cold gaze utterly indifferent. But the next second, she suddenly coughed up blood. Her whole body seemed drained, and she fell heavily to the ground.
Wu Qingfeng's eyes lit up, but a heartbeat later, he collapsed as well, sprawled across the dirt.
Both of them coughed blood nonstop, their auras fading at frightening speed.
"What's happening?"
Song Wanníng coughed violently, eyes wide as she glared at Mu Zixu.
"You… what did you do… cough, cough…"
Her face was full of shock, like she couldn't believe it. But her life force was draining away fast. In just a few breaths, she was like a wilting flower on the verge of dying.
Wu Qingfeng was even worse off. He was moments away from death.
"Hahahaha—"
Mu Zixu threw his head back and laughed, feeling an indescribable rush of satisfaction.
"You're just a little alchemist. Did you really think you could slip past my schemes? Tsk tsk, didn't you boast about being an alchemy grandmaster? And yet, you didn't even notice the poison?"
To him, Song Wanníng was laughable, short-sighted, and arrogant. She thought being able to refine pills made her invincible. In reality, she was just a brainless fool.
"I told you before, crossing me means no good end! Now do you understand? You and Dao Qing are nothing but losers in my hands. Don't even dream of rising again in this lifetime, hahaha—"
All the frustration of recent days vanished as he laughed.
One day, Dao Qing would die by his hands too.
All these annoying people deserved to die!
"Ancestor…"
Wu Qingfeng stretched out a trembling hand, eyes filled with both shock and desperate pleading. He looked like a man begging for his life.
Mu Zixu only gave him a cold glance. "Since you helped me remove a thorn from my side, I'll at least leave you a whole corpse."
"You—"
Wu Qingfeng's eyes bulged. His veins stood out, and he spat another mouthful of blood.
"Pfft—"
Song Wanníng also vomited blood, her body shaking with fury.
"Mu Zixu, you… you won't die ba good death!"
"Even if I become a ghost, I'll never… let you off…"
"Pfft—"
Another gush of blood spilled from her lips. Her body convulsed, eyes glaring wide open, until all her breath faded away.
Her Yuányīng didn't appear. Mu Zixu had designed this poison to invade the sea of consciousness, killing the Yuányīng outright.
Once it spread to every corner of the body, there was no surviving it.
Just then, two figures appeared—Luo Hantian and Liu Xingzhi.
"Song Wanníng!!!"
With furious shouts, they rushed over and swung their swords at Mu Zixu's phantom and Wu Qingfeng.
Mu Zixu gave a cold snort. After one last glance at Song Wanníng's "dead" body, he cut the connection. The smoke dissipated, and his projection was gone. But he was sure of it. Song Wanníng was dead. So was Wu Qingfeng. There was no way either of them had survived. His poison pill had been tested many times.
"Hahahaha—"
Mu Zixu roared with laughter, his expression filled with cruel satisfaction.
"All who stand against me have only one ending—death!"
No one could block his path to godhood. Dusting off his robes, he straightened his clothes and strode out in high spirits. He even made a trip to Dao Qing's mountain just to exchange a few taunts before leaving with a spring in his step. He looked utterly deranged.
Dao Qing stared blankly. "What the hell's wrong with him? Showing off for no reason?"
Mu Zixu was as unbearable as always.
"Hehe…"
From afar, Mu Zixu looked back, his smirk impossible to hide. Seeing Dao Qing still clueless only made him more ecstatic. If Song Wanníng had received Dao Qing's immortal furnace, that meant she was the chosen inheritor. But now, that inheritor was dead, and Dao Qing didn't even know it. The thought was delicious. After mocking Dao Qing, he finally returned to his quarters. He still had to keep sharpening his pill refining.
After all, Dao Qing was his true enemy.
…
"Junior Sister Song?"
Liu Xingzhi lifted Song Wanníng into his arms and quickly pushed a pill into her mouth. She hadn't been poisoned at all. She'd swallowed a fake-death pill earlier, and now he gave her the antidote.
Luo Hantian did the same for Wu Qingfeng. Only when both of their auras steadied did the two men finally breathe out in relief. Their timing had been deliberate. They'd cut the connection to Mu Zixu right on the spot. If they'd delayed too long, the ruse might've collapsed.
Thankfully, everything had gone off perfectly.
From this day forward, Mu Zixu shouldn't trouble Song Wanníng again.
After all, you can't guard against a thief forever.
"Cough, cough—"
Song Wanníng suddenly coughed, her lifeless body flushing with color. Her aura surged back in a rush.
In just a few minutes, she was completely recovered. She opened her eyes and saw the worried faces of Liu Xingzhi and Luo Hantian, then broke into a smile.
"We did it?"
Straightening, she leapt to her feet.
"Yeah, looks like it worked!" Luo Hantian nodded. "But watching you pretend to die scared the hell out of us."
She'd looked utterly lifeless lying there. Even though they'd known it was fake, their hearts had skipped a beat. Thankfully, it had all been an act.
Song Wanníng caught their concern and grinned. "See? I'm fine, aren't I?"
Then she turned to Wu Qingfeng.
He stirred awake slowly, pale and weak from her earlier strike.
But he was alive.