Chapter Twenty: The Power of Lethal Poison

“Here it comes—the essential trial segment of any fantasy novel.”

From the moment Chen Ming saw the training ground, he had steeled himself. Hearing Qin Ming’s words only deepened his sense of inevitability.

Chen Ming bowed respectfully to the three instructors beside him, then stepped about twenty paces away from Qin Ming. He summoned his Martial Soul and adopted a guarded stance.

A yellow and a purple soul ring floated around him, radiating the unmistakable aura unique to top-tier Martial Souls. Watching this, the three instructors exchanged quiet words, their faces filled with satisfaction.

“Teacher Qin Ming, be careful. My Jade Scorpion King’s venom is extremely potent. The first two soul rings were obtained from top-tier venomous spirit beasts, and their combined toxicity is formidable. Please exercise extreme caution. If you feel unwell at any point, inform me immediately. Once the poison spreads, it will be very difficult to neutralize.”

To prove the venom’s potency, Chen Ming concentrated soul energy at the scorpion’s tail, forming a tiny droplet of venom. He carefully let it fall onto the ground.

Under the astonished gazes of the other four, the specially crafted surface was swiftly corroded by the venom with a sizzling sound. Within a few breaths, a hole roughly the size of a man’s fist appeared. The corroded area glowed a deep green, faintly sizzling as the rock continued to dissolve slowly.

Staring at the fist-sized hole, Chen Ming felt a twinge of nostalgia. In his memory, his venom should be far stronger than this. When he used to spar against stones, a single drop of his venom could carve out a corrosion about thirty centimeters wide.

As expected of the Royal Academy of Tiandou. Their resources are immense and their materials solid; even the stones here are much tougher.

Qin Ming, who had intended to maintain a composed demeanor, swallowed nervously as he looked at the corroded pit. He braced himself fully.

Is this really Jade Scorpion venom? Not something like molten lava?

Why does it feel like, even among poison users, Chen Ming—the Great Soul Master—is leagues ahead of Dugu Yan, who just enrolled? Who truly is the heir of the Poison Douluo?

***

“All right, if there’s any problem, I’ll let you know.” Qin Ming answered honestly, not daring to underestimate the situation.

After watching Chen Ming’s movements carefully, Qin Ming took a deep breath.

“Chen Ming, I’m about to attack.”

“First soul skill, Fire Wolf Transformation! Second soul skill, Wolf’s Flame!”

Qin Ming unleashed two amplification soul skills in succession, activating them on himself. As the first and second soul rings glowed, his aura noticeably intensified, and the flames around him surged fiercely.

If he could avoid using his skills, Qin Ming would prefer not to. After all, even a Soul King faces a vast gap in physical strength and experience when confronting a Great Soul Master, despite his soul power being suppressed.

But seeing the still-smoking pit, Qin Ming had no desire to test the venom’s effects on a living body at the cost of risking himself. He had to amplify his firepower in combat to avoid contamination by the poison.

With the soul skills activated, Qin Ming charged toward Chen Ming. Deliberately holding back, his speed as a swift-attacking Soul King was only about thirty percent of his true capability—comparable to an ordinary Great Soul Master.

Watching this laughably slow pace, Chen Ming felt somewhat helpless but remained focused.

As Qin Ming’s charge closed in, Chen Ming assumed a defensive stance. His slender tail swayed gently behind him, as if to counter motion with stillness.

When Qin Ming closed to within three paces, Chen Ming struck. His long tail whipped forward like a whip, the first soul ring glowing as deep green poisonous mist rapidly surged around him.

“First soul skill, Poison Cloud.” Chen Ming’s voice came a beat late, just as Qin Ming fully entered the attack range.

The tail’s strike was powerful and could not be ignored, but the sudden emergence of toxic mist was even more perilous.

***

Qin Ming’s flame-tinged palm just managed to block the tail strike, but he was immediately engulfed by the poisonous cloud. Despite being wrapped in roaring flames, his body still felt sharp stings.

Part of the toxin was neutralized by the fierce flames, and most of the rest was suppressed by his soul power. Yet the remaining poison still had strong corrosive effects. Within mere breaths, his formal attire began tearing, and his beast-like skin—transformed by his Martial Soul—could not resist. His long hair visibly shrank.

A small amount of poison entered Qin Ming’s respiratory tract through the air. Even this tiny quantity inflicted intense pain.

As a soul master with a fire attribute Martial Soul, this was the first time Qin Ming felt the agony of his internal organs being set ablaze. No matter how strong his will, his body spasmed instinctively, nearly collapsing to the ground, curling up like a shrimp.

Seeing his Soul King opponent falter so quickly, Chen Ming’s expression darkened. He whipped his tail sharply, sending Qin Ming flying far beyond the range of his soul skill. Then he dispelled his soul skill and Martial Soul, hastily reaching into his inner garment to fetch a prepared antidote.

Qin Ming did not fall to the ground but was caught midair by the Azure Vine Martial Soul summoned by Instructor Zhilin, skillfully absorbing the impact.

Gentle, robust, and vibrant soul power flowed into Qin Ming’s body through the Azure Vine, which bore no scorch marks despite the raging flames on Qin Ming.

As the soul power infused him, Qin Ming’s mind cleared slightly, though his organs still ached and his skin burned with pain. For a long moment, he couldn’t summon much strength.

Chen Ming quickly approached and pried open Qin Ming’s mouth, pouring the powdered medicine from a small gourd inside.

Though without water, Qin Ming’s saliva-filled mouth instinctively swallowed, and the saliva rapidly carried the powder into his stomach.

A cool sensation spread from his abdomen, easing the pain in his organs somewhat. After regaining a bit of composure, Qin Ming finally had the energy to assess his current condition.