After Li Yan stood up, he retracted the Spirit Power from his body and gazed calmly at his opponent.
As if sensing his gaze, the Elder Dragon Flood Dragon, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, abruptly opened them and looked over.
"Fellow Daoist, my poison has been cured!
Since you are unharmed and we have yet to determine a winner, let us continue. Please, make your move!"
As he spoke, Li Yan flipped his hand, and two more Qi Recovery Pills appeared in his palm.
The moment the crowd below the platform saw the items in Li Yan's hand, their breathing collectively hitched.
"More... more Qi Recovery Pills?"
But by now, everyone knew just how terrifying the Qi Recovery Pills in Zhang Ming's hand were. Even the Ghost Flood Dragon Clan, with their poison-cultivating bodies, had been reduced to such a state.
Many people quietly glanced again at a small, dark-green puddle on the platform, feeling a tightening in their stomachs.
The Elder Dragon Flood Dragon's eyes instantly went wide, and his face began to twitch uncontrollably. The aura on his body, which had just begun to stabilize, nearly spiraled out of control.
Sensing the danger, the Elder Dragon Flood Dragon forcefully suppressed his churning aura, but the violent turmoil in his soul intensified, and another wave of dizziness washed over him.
He could only shut his eyes again, gasping for breath.
On the other side, Xi Ye, who was lying flat, trembled the moment she heard Li Yan's voice. She struggled to turn her head.
"You... you..."
The world fell silent. A full five or six breaths passed before the Elder Dragon Flood Dragon reopened his aged eyes.
He was met by a pair of pitch-black pupils. The young man stood in his green robes, his face calm, his eyes devoid of any killing intent, yet it sent a boundless chill seeping into the old man's very bones.
Staring at the two Qi Recovery Pills in Zhang Ming's hand, the Elder Dragon Flood Dragon found them incredibly jarring.
Just a moment ago, his opponent had looked like he was on the verge of dying from poison, which was what had made him steel his heart and use the last half of the nameless pill.
But then, all of Zhang Ming's poison symptoms had vanished in an instant, and he had stood up, full of life and vigor.
He could sense the exuberant vitality radiating from his opponent; it was clearly not an act.
'He successfully detoxified himself long ago. He was clearly observing me in secret. He must have realized how potent my nameless medicinal pill was, which is why he wasn't confident of victory.
He was constantly making his final judgment, and only when I took out the remaining half of the nameless pill for Xi Ye, and made no further moves, did he see through my situation.
Now he's forcing a continuation of the duel, just to see if I have any more of the nameless pills. But how can I possibly hold on any longer? How can I swallow his poison pills for another round...'
With his experience and cunning, even though the turmoil in his soul was affecting his judgment, he still managed to figure out many things in that short time.
"What, are you two not planning to accept the challenge?" Li Yan asked, his tone flat as his eyes slowly swept over the Elder Dragon Flood Dragon and Xi Ye.
Looking at the Elder Dragon Flood Dragon's gaze, which seemed ready to spit fire, Li Yan already had a good idea of the situation.
'As I thought, he's out of those mysterious green pills!'
"When did Falling Star Valley become so proficient in creating and neutralizing poisons?" the third elder of the Four-Eared Macaque Clan wondered in astonishment, his old brows knitting together tightly.
According to the information he had on Falling Star Valley, they were at most capable of refining fifth-rank medicinal pills, and even then, the success rate was very low. Their daily production consisted mainly of second and third-rank pills, all of which were merely supplementary aids for cultivation.
Although Falling Star Valley did sell poison pills and antidotes, they were all common varieties, effective perhaps for dispelling some ordinary poison mists or barriers.
But he had never heard of their sect's pills possessing such unbelievably potent detoxification effects as seen today.
That was why, when the Elder Dragon Flood Dragon invited him here to lend support, he would have unhesitatingly stepped in if the duel required an assisting fist.
However, the move the Elder Dragon Flood Dragon had made was instead countered by the opponent's willingness to risk mutual destruction.
Now, according to the agreed-upon rules of the duel, even if he wanted to intervene, a glance at the Qi Recovery Pills in Zhang Ming's hand made the third elder of the Four-Eared Macaque Clan feel his heart clench.
"He should be considered more of a Poison Cultivator than a Body Cultivator," the patriarch of the Jade Water Crocodile Clan said with a grave expression.
He was a friend of Jiao Wuxing and had become interested when he heard the opponent was a Body Cultivator.
Unexpectedly, Jiao Wuxing had perished in just a dozen breaths, giving him no chance to even try and rescue him.
By now, he had long since abandoned any thought of avenging Jiao Wuxing in the future. He would rather engage in a bloody, ferocious battle than face a Poison Cultivator.
When faced with notoriously difficult Poison Cultivators, ordinary cultivators would do anything to avoid them. The options were to either kill them in a single blow or befriend them, much like how no one wished to offend the Ghost Flood Dragon Clan.
For a moment, the atmosphere grew somewhat strange. Even the typically cold gazes of the Demon Guard Army flickered with a hint of emotion.
They all fixed their eyes on Li Yan, sizing him up.
One against three, and in a matter of dozens of breaths, he had forced a sect's three great experts into a state of one dead and two injured.
Although neither side had thrown a single punch in today's duel, this kind of contest was even more terrifying, like a silent thunderclap, killing without a trace.
The medicinal power and toxins were still warring within the Elder Dragon Flood Dragon's body; the nameless pill had not completely purged the Fragmented Poison.
He had originally only needed to hold on until his opponent collapsed, but now Zhang Ming was standing there, brimming with vitality, demanding they continue the duel.
As for Xi Ye, forget about taking another poison pill; even contact with the most common poison or venom now carried a seventy percent chance of instant death.
After Xi Ye consumed that half of the nameless pill, the Elder Dragon Flood Dragon estimated that she was still severely drained of her Vital Qi.
It would take fifty or sixty years, perhaps even a century of seclusion, for her to recover to her peak state, mainly because her demonic core had already reached a state of semi-petrification. He himself was in a similar state, his soul unsettled. He estimated that to completely purge the poison from his body, even with his physique that was already resistant to a hundred poisons and his Pseudo-Nascent Soul Realm cultivation, and aided by the residual power of the half-pill, would still require at least a year to recover.
This time, they had suffered a loss of epic proportions. Not only had they lost the final twenty percent share of their trade with the Sacred Demon Palace, but Jiao Wuxing's death had also greatly weakened the Ghost Flood Dragon Clan. With Xi Ye severely injured, even after his own recovery, he would be powerless against Falling Star Valley.
His opponent had a cultivator like Zhang Ming, whose depths were impossible to fathom, in addition to the equally Pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivator, Tianxingzi. He had no confidence at all.
Their greatest advantage lay in their use of poison, but the sudden appearance of this Zhang Ming had completely suppressed their strongest asset.
The Elder Dragon Flood Dragon's heart was bleeding. Had he known of his opponent's formidable pill-refining ability, he would never have chosen this method.
He would have insisted on a direct combat duel. He was a Pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivator; even if Tianxingzi had come, the outcome would have been uncertain.
However, if he knew that Tianxingzi was actually still severely injured and had not yet recovered, he might have choked on his frustration and spat out a mouthful of blood.
This was all thanks to Xing Ming, who had secretly spread the news that Tianxingzi was in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul stage. Even Li Yan had almost believed it to be true.
"Fellow Daoist Zhang, your methods are formidable. We are not your match!"
The Elder Dragon Flood Dragon felt a pang of regret over his decision, but he was a man who had weathered countless storms and was equally decisive.
The most urgent matter now was not dealing with Falling Star Valley, but returning to the sect as quickly as possible to make arrangements. If word of what happened here got out, many would be eager to move against them.
Although he could still muster the strength to fight, it would only worsen his injuries, which would in turn drag down the entire sect.
'This old fellow is quite decisive. It seems my chance to kill him has passed!' Li Yan thought to himself as he slowly lowered his outstretched hand.
After speaking, the Elder Dragon Flood Dragon snatched Xi Ye from the ground. Without another glance at Li Yan, he nodded expressionlessly to the Demon Guard Army, and the platform's formation restriction was immediately deactivated.
Only then did he turn to the third elder of the Four-Eared Macaque Clan and the other three with an apologetic look.
"Xi Ye's injuries are quite severe. I must return immediately to help her recuperate, so I cannot invite you all for a chat. In a while, I will invite you all to discuss the Dao over tea. For today, I shall take my leave!"
With that, his body shot into the air, not pausing for a single moment.
Just as he took to the sky, the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of Zhang Ming slowly walking down the platform. He also saw the green puddle in a certain spot on the platform—all that was left of the boneless Jiao Wuxing.
A trace of venomous hatred and ruthlessness flashed in the depths of his eyes. This was the nature of a poison duel; the outcome was often tragic, far more terrifying than the typical blood-splattering, gut-spilling scenes of a physical fight.
Without waiting for a response from the four who had accompanied him, the Elder Dragon Flood Dragon, enveloping Xi Ye, transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the distance, as if afraid someone would try to join him.
He didn't even ask Li Yan for an antidote. His opponent would, in all likelihood, make an outrageous demand, a price he was unwilling to pay, and might even take the opportunity to humiliate him.
Since the nameless pill could suppress the poison in both his and Xi Ye's bodies for now, it was best to rush back immediately. Detoxification should be possible, but the resulting injuries would require time to nurse and recover from.
The third elder of the Four-Eared Macaque Clan exchanged glances with the others. For a moment, their eyes flickered with uncertainty, their expressions varied.
They too took a deep look at Li Yan before nodding towards Great Master Wanxiang and the others.
"Fellow Daoist Zhang has won this duel. I hope you will offer a generous discount when I visit your shop in the future!"
"Those Qi Recovery Pills in your hand are excellent, Fellow Daoist Zhang. I'd like to discuss them with you in detail later..."
"Great Masters, now that this matter is concluded, there are still affairs in my sect that require my attention. I shall take my leave!"
After a few brief pleasantries, the four hurriedly summoned their escape lights and departed.
Watching them leave in such a hurry, Great Master Wanxiang chanted a Buddhist proclamation.
"Amitabha. Do good and avoid evil. Once a human life is lost, it cannot be recovered for ten thousand kalpas!"
Jie Fengkai of the Light and Dark Saint Lion clan, however, roared with laughter.
"Great Master, at such a fine opportunity, what are you talking about 'doing good' for? Does your Longhua Temple want a piece of the action? I'm certainly going to go have a look!"
His eyes roamed, shooting out sharp glints of light.
"Benefactor Jie, this poor monk will not participate!" Wanxiang said, pressing his palms together and gently shaking his head.
The Ghost Flood Dragon Clan's strength had plummeted. The Elder Dragon Flood Dragon's actual condition was surely not as fine as it appeared; the residual poison was likely not yet cleared.
The Ghost Flood Dragon Clan's "good friends" were already getting impatient, following closely behind the Elder Dragon Flood Dragon as he left.
Taking advantage of someone's misfortune and kicking them when they are down was a common occurrence in the cultivation world, especially on the Forsaken Continent. Of course, Jie Fengkai also wanted to get involved and take a share of the spoils.
Just then, Li Yan descended from the platform and walked over to them. Jie Fengkai cupped his hands in greeting.
"Fellow Daoist Zhang, although I did not get to witness your heaven-defying abilities today, your other methods are truly remarkable. That poison in the Elder Dragon Flood Dragon's body... I assume it hasn't been completely neutralized, has it?"
He gave off an extremely frank and direct impression, and his question was just as direct.
Li Yan chuckled lightly.
"I must thank you for coming to support me, Fellow Daoist. The residual poison in his body has likely not been cleared. He must be using at least thirty to forty percent of his power to suppress it."
Li Yan's reply was equally blunt.