Chapter 196: Chapter 156: Poison Duel!

To Tian Yun, the scene that followed was utterly bizarre.

A grayish-white mist gradually rose around them. It was unmistakably poison.

Meanwhile, Zou Feng seemed to be dancing gracefully in the toxic mist, his hands a blur as they conjured one “Fire Lotus” after another with dazzling finger movements.

These Fire Lotuses quickly scattered on the wind, leaving streaks of gold within the grayish-white poison.

Although Tian Yun found Zou Feng’s “Shaking Flower Hand” dance captivating, the thought that this was a remote duel between two expert Poison Cultivators made her break out in a cold sweat for him. She couldn’t focus on the performance at all.

And if Zou Feng were to lose this duel, Tian Yun knew with certainty that she would not survive.

That Brother Duan wouldn’t even need to appear. He could just wear her down with the poison mist until she died.

It made her sigh in amazement. The methods of a Poison Cultivator in situations like this were truly terrifying.

“Killing without a trace” wasn’t just an empty phrase.

Fortunately, Poison Cultivators were rare, especially in the Central Plains Region.

In truth, this was also Zou Feng’s first time dueling such a powerful Poison Cultivator.

The whole scene felt more like a competition of Skills.

’So, if a Poison Cultivator like me truly embarks on the path of Immortal Cultivation, just how formidable will my techniques be?’

As for the duel itself…

Initially, Zou Feng’s Five Poison Creatures were being soundly suppressed by Duan Wuya.

It couldn’t be helped. Duan Wuya was a genuine powerhouse at the Peak of Sixth Grade, and his Poison Skill had reached the level of Refined Skill.

Although he hadn’t brought any Cultivation Skill to the Peak of Perfection, the poisons he used were from the Southern Border—all new concoctions that Zou Feng had never encountered.

As a result, even though Zou Feng’s poison resistance was maxed out, his body still needed time to adapt, analyze, and neutralize the toxins.

Thus, Zou Feng struggled considerably in the initial phase of the duel.

Within the grayish-white poison mist, only an occasional glint of gold would flash. The “Fire Lotuses” created by his Shaking Flower Hand barely made a ripple.

Seeing this, Duan Wuya, who was hidden nearby, couldn’t help but sneer.

’A self-taught Poison Cultivator from the Central Plains Region actually dares to have a poison duel with me?’

’But this brat’s practice of the Five Poison Skill isn’t bad…’

As fellow practitioners of the Poison Dao, and since the Five Poison Palm originated from Biyou Palace’s own Five Poison Skill, Duan Wuya recognized it almost instantly.

Although Zou Feng had long since added his own flair to the Five Poison Skill and integrated other Cultivation Skills, its foundation was still the Five Poison Skill.

Duan Wuya had also practiced the Five Poison Skill, so when he saw Zou Feng’s hands, he nearly started drooling with greed.

’I never expected such a pleasant surprise today.’

’With these hands, my promotion to the Fifth Grade might be within reach…’

At this moment, Duan Wuya felt like a spider watching its prey struggle futilely in a web.

But just as he thought it was time to “close the net,” Duan Wuya noticed something strange. ’Why is this prey getting stronger the more it struggles?’

“Five Poison Fire Lotus Skill (Peak of Perfection), Progress: 7%”

Thanks to his Cultivation while fleeing and dueling with poison, his Five Poison Fire Lotus Skill had just increased by a full five percentage points.

Zou Feng was overjoyed to see this.

An increase of five points might not seem like much, but this was a Cultivation Skill at the Peak Realm. Even an increase of one or two points provided a significant boost to his combat power.

The improvement in his Cultivation Skill made his Shaking Flower Hand technique even more masterful.

’I don’t have a mirror, but I can tell from Tian Yun’s gaze—somewhere between admiration and worship—that I’ve definitely reached the ultimate state of the Shaking Flower Hand.’

’If this were my past life, a short video of this would definitely go viral.’

The golden light from the “Fire Lotuses” was no longer fleeting. It now lingered in the grayish-white poison mist for some time.

Eventually, the poison mist surrounding Zou Feng was completely dyed gold.

Tian Yun immediately felt the pressure on her decrease sharply.

She had been struggling to endure the effects of the poison mist.

But as Zou Feng began to gain the upper hand, Tian Yun immediately felt a great sense of relief.

This was thanks to the Antitoxic Elixir Zou Feng had given her earlier, which was designed to resist the poison of his Five Poison Fire Lotus Skill.

Furthermore, after her recent period of intimate and in-depth “exchange” with Zou Feng, she had naturally developed a certain resistance to the poisons in his body.

The combination of the Scorpion Poison and the grayish-white poison mist released by Duan Wuya created a “Melting Furnace”-like environment for Zou Feng.

This allowed him to both practice his Skill and be “refined” by the Melting Furnace at the same time.

With all these favorable factors, the shackles of the Gang Qi Realm were gradually being broken, bit by bit…

Seeing this, Duan Wuya, who had been certain of his victory, was completely dumbfounded.

He couldn’t understand it at all. ’How did I, who had the clear upper hand in this poison duel, suddenly lose my advantage?’

Duan Wuya could rack his brains and never figure it out. His impending defeat wasn’t just due to Zou Feng’s increased strength from his Cultivation progress.

It was also because he was suffering the side effects of Zou Feng’s practice, which unknowingly prevented him from maintaining the intensity of his own poison.

As one’s power waned and the other’s waxed, the outcome of this poison duel was sealed.

“KEKEKE…”

Having turned the tables, Zou Feng began his Heart Attack Technique, letting out an eerie laugh.

“Duan, you must be able to tell that I’m about to break through, right?”

“You’ve already botched this, but I’ll tell you what. You still have one last chance…”

“Hurry up and think of another way to stop me from reaching the Sixth Grade, or just get the hell out of here. If you do, you might still have a chance to live!” Zou Feng shouted, his hands a blur as he continued the Shaking Flower Hand.

The process of Inner Qi converting into Gang Qi was obvious, so of course, Duan Wuya had noticed.

He was already preparing to attack directly. After all, he had lost the poison duel. Dragging this out any longer would only put him at a greater disadvantage.

’Fortunately, even if I have to fight him head-on, with my power at the Peak of Sixth Grade, I should still have the advantage. I’ll win!’

However, Zou Feng’s brazen challenge, giving Duan Wuya a choice, actually made him hesitate.

’It’s as if… he’s deliberately baiting me into attacking…’

Filled with suspicion, Duan Wuya quietly retracted the foot he had just moved forward.

’But I can’t just leave with my tail between my legs. I’m not willing to accept this.’

For a moment, Duan Wuya stood there, utterly conflicted.

This was precisely what Zou Feng wanted: to make Duan Wuya paranoid and indecisive.

The fact that Duan Wuya had chosen to hide and use poison first, despite clearly having superior strength, showed that the man was overly cautious.

Therefore, Zou Feng deduced that Duan Wuya would likely be caught in a dilemma and wouldn’t choose to attack right away.

This bought him more time for his Inner Qi to convert into Gang Qi.

’After all, if Duan Wuya had attacked just now, my breakthrough would have been interrupted, and the consequences would have been unpredictable.’

“Time’s almost up. Still not going to make a move?”

Zou Feng had to keep up the bluff. If he focused solely on his breakthrough, Duan Wuya would soon realize something was amiss.

But a bluff could only last so long. After a moment, Duan Wuya finally saw through the ruse. With a cold snort, he furiously attacked.

The next moment, a poison spike made of Gang Qi shot up from the ground beneath Zou Feng’s feet with almost no warning.

Fortunately, Zou Feng had been on constant alert for Duan Wuya’s attack. He leaped high into the air without a moment’s hesitation, narrowly avoiding the blow.

Not far away, Duan Wuya used the cover of the poison mist to constantly shift his position, rapidly closing in on Zou Feng and Tian Yun.

He was like a giant venomous creature concealed in the mist, finally baring its fangs at its prey.

“Sister Yun, I’m going to have to trouble you!”

“Stall him! I just need a little more time!”

His earlier bluff had bought him some time, but it wasn’t enough.

Fortunately, Tian Yun was in good shape. Even if she was no match for Duan Wuya, she should be able to hold him off for a little while without much trouble.

Zou Feng was indeed on the verge of a breakthrough. Since he was already at the Half-Step Gang Qi Realm, the conversion of his Inner Qi was proceeding smoothly.

Duan Wuya’s decision to track him down and engage in a poison duel had, ironically, accelerated the process.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep