After fully restoring his strength with a Qi Recovery Pill and a Stamina Pill, Wu Tian took to the sky. From above, he gazed down at the open stretch of land beneath him. With no trees obstructing the view, the area felt strangely calm—quiet, yet brimming with wild, untamed energy. Just as he leaned forward to inspect it more closely, the ground suddenly trembled. From the cracks in the soil, a massive scorpion emerged. Its scale-covered body shimmered with dense qi, marking it unmistakably as a Golden Core–stage beast.
Wu Tian immediately retreated, prepared to flee. But the pressure released by the scorpion was overwhelming, making it difficult for him even to rise higher into the air. He twisted around, forming a thin yet compact qi shield around his body to block the scorpion's lightning-fast tail strikes.
He attempted to pull back again, but the scorpion was simply too fast. Every time Wu Tian parried, the creature's tail lashed out with deadly precision. One strike grazed his shoulder, injecting venom directly into his bloodstream. Wu Tian quickly swallowed a Poison Antidote Pill—but it was merely a Qi Condensation–level pill, nowhere near strong enough to counter venom belonging to a Golden Core beast. Thankfully, it managed to suppress the poison for ten minutes. He swallowed a second pill, extending his time to twenty minutes.
"Unfortunately… I only brought two antidotes," Wu Tian muttered while dodging and keeping his distance. His thoughts raced. Escape to the nearest city was impossible within twenty minutes. His only option was to kill the beast…and extract its antidote directly from its body.
Wu Tian consumed a Strength Enhancement Pill. Power surged through his muscles. He summoned the Soul Reaver sword from his storage ring; the blade gleamed with a sinister aura that amplified every strike he delivered.
He leapt into the air, unleashing the first Wind Blade—a slicing gust of qi that cut toward the scorpion's flank. The creature twisted its body, narrowly avoiding the attack, then countered with a spiraling tail strike. Wu Tian spun midair, blocking with his sword, the impact shaking the ground below and scattering leaves in all directions.
The battle intensified. Wu Tian launched repeated aerial assaults, using his superior speed and qi control. Yet the scorpion moved with shocking agility for its size, utilizing the terrain, its tail, and its armored scales to attack from multiple angles. Wu Tian could hardly breathe from the constant pressure. He suffered several minor poison injections but held himself together thanks to the strength-boosting pill.
Wind Blades rained down, striking the scorpion's relatively softer underbelly. Some slashes cut deep, drawing pained roars from the beast. Seizing the opening, Wu Tian darted forward, his blade spinning with a ring of qi as it tore at the creature's body.
The scorpion retaliated fiercely—lunging, twisting, and whipping its venomous tail. Wu Tian nearly took a direct hit to his leg and shoulder. Poison continued to spread within him. He swallowed a Qi Recovery Pill, regaining a portion of his depleted qi. He exhaled sharply. He needed to finish the fight soon, or the poison would finish him instead.
Now fully focused, Wu Tian mixed physical combat with waves of qi attacks—Wind Blades from above, slashes that severed the scorpion's tail segments, cuts that crippled its legs, and piercing blows that split open its armored scales. The Soul Reaver sword pulsed with lethal intent, enhancing each strike. The scorpion roared in rage, striking again and again, but Wu Tian gradually adapted to its rhythm, parrying and countering more efficiently.
Slowly, Wu Tian began to recognize the creature's attack patterns. When it aimed its tail to sting, its body would rise. When he approached its belly, it would spit venom from its mouth. And if he slipped beneath it, the scorpion would abruptly roll across the ground, forcing him back.
After analyzing all possibilities, Wu Tian devised the most effective strategy. He retreated step by step, maintaining a safe distance while moving toward the treeline at the edge of the clearing. He parried the relentless tail strikes, waiting for the single opening he predicted would appear.
Then suddenly, the scorpion lunged with its tail aimed straight at Wu Tian's head—faster than lightning.
"Got you…" Wu Tian smirked. This was the moment he had been waiting for.
He shifted sideways, letting the tail strike miss by a hair, then used the tree behind him as a springboard. Qi surged into his legs, generating an explosive burst of speed. In an instant, Wu Tian shot forward like a streak of light.
As he descended, he channeled terrifying qi into the Soul Reaver. With the momentum of gravity and his accumulated strength, he slashed downward, striking the scorpion's face.
The monster recoiled, rearing its body upward—exposing its underbelly.
Wu Tian didn't hesitate. He plunged in and tore through the scorpion's abdomen with a barrage of rapid, violent strikes. Scales shattered, flesh split, and internal organs spilled as the beast writhed in agony, spraying blood and venom in all directions.
Even mortally wounded, the scorpion refused to die quietly. It convulsed, flailing its tail and spewing poison, forcing Wu Tian to maintain his assault while dodging desperately. The battle devolved into raw brutality. Wu Tian was battered and exhausted, but the Soul Reaver's deadly aura and his relentless qi attacks steadily drained the creature's remaining strength.
Though its guts were exposed and its life fading, the scorpion still launched a final, desperate wave of attacks. Wu Tian steadied his breathing, focused, and gathered his last reserves of qi. One mistake could mean instant death.
With a final, decisive strike, he poured all his remaining qi into the Soul Reaver and executed a diagonal slash across the scorpion's head and abdomen.
The scorpion let out one last roar before its massive body collapsed.
Wu Tian immediately crouched down, eyes sharp as he searched for the antidote—specifically the venom gland beneath the scorpion's belly. It was the core of its Golden Core–level toxin, and the only thing capable of neutralizing the venom in his body.
He carefully shifted the beast's carcass aside, avoiding the still-twitching tail. His fingers trembled as he felt around until finally, he found it: a dark-purple gland, the size of a small pouch, still throbbing with potent venom.
Wu Tian squeezed it slowly, extracting the concentrated fluid. His intention was clear—consume it immediately to counteract the poison ravaging his veins. As he raised it to his lips, a sharp voice shattered the silence.
"Do you want to die?"
The voice was icy—bone-chilling, like frozen water coursing through his veins. Its tone carried a terrifying presence that tugged directly at his soul, gripping his heart with pure instinctive fear.
Wu Tian froze. He glanced around, but no one was nearby.
"Senior… is that you?" he asked cautiously, suspecting the newly awakened dragon spirit.
Then, without warning, the sword in his hand wrenched itself free. It floated before his face, suspended in midair.
"You are quite fortunate," the cold voice continued, now clearly coming from the sword itself. "That beast was already weakened, which is the only reason you managed to kill it. But let me warn you—if you dare to eat that venom gland, a single bite will kill you instantly."
Wu Tian stiffened. His fleeting relief was replaced by bitter disappointment. Even in victory, he had still been moments away from death.
"Senior… can you help remove the poison from my body?" Wu Tian asked, voice tinged with desperation. He stared at the floating sword as though it were his last hope.
The blade trembled faintly. "Of course I can. But remember—nothing in this world comes without a price. You will do something for me in return."
Wu Tian nodded without hesitation. "Senior, what must I do?"
"The requirement is simple," the sword answered calmly, though its tone held undeniable authority. "You will merge with me. Once you do, my power will flow through you. You will become far stronger than you are now."
"Senior… how do I merge with you?" Wu Tian asked. The original owner of this body had left him no memories concerning such things.
"Just open your sea of consciousness," the sword instructed. "Use your spiritual power to bind me. I will reside within your consciousness and assist in your cultivation."
"I see…" Wu Tian nodded slowly—the explanation felt strangely familiar. "Very well, Senior. But please… remove the poison first. If I try to merge with you like this, I might die during the process. And with the poison still inside me, I can't even guarantee I'll stay conscious."
For a moment, the sword fell silent. Then a soft glow pulsed across its blade before a stream of pure qi shot into Wu Tian's body. The energy burned away the venom, neutralizing every trace of it.
Wu Tian gritted his teeth as the energy circulated through his meridians. "This qi… it's Golden Core–level?" he whispered in disbelief.
Moments later, the sword's voice returned. "I have removed all poison from your body."