C7 Exotic Detoxification

Bai Jutian's mastery over elemental energy was unparalleled; he could transmit messages through it, audible only to Bai Tianyu, while others remained oblivious.

Such a feat required one's control of elemental energy to reach the exalted realm of the Pure Fire Cauldron!

"Puff~~"

Bai Tianyu spat out a mouthful of blood, flecked with broken teeth. He lay prostrate on the ground, biting back his anger, well aware that his cousin was meticulous and unforgiving.

Bai Jutian cast a cold glance at the prone Bai Tianyu, memories stirring, a flicker of malice crossing his mind.

A decade ago, the Qiao family's influence in Great Flame City was unassailable, casting a long shadow under which even the dominant Bai family struggled to exist. Under Qiao Batian's leadership, the Qiao family had left their stronghold for the bustling capital, seeking to plant new roots.

Great Flame City, the Qiao family's ancestral home, had been a bastion of power that the Bai family barely clung to, nearly facing annihilation. Bai Jutian's father had endured humiliation at the hands of Qiao Batian, living a life of frustration.

When the Bai family was on the brink of relocating to a desolate town on the fringes, Qiao Batian vanished without a trace, and for ten years, he remained missing. Without their formidable genius, the Qiao family's decline was inevitable.

Rumors swirled about Qiao Batian's fate—some claimed he had perished in battle, others whispered he had crossed a Peerless Expert in the capital and was forced to flee.

Bai Jutian, who had grown up in the Qiao family's oppressive shadow and endured countless hardships, harbored a deep-seated hatred for them. It was this animosity that drove him to exploit Bai Tianyu in sabotaging Qiao Gao during the outer court examination.

What Bai Jutian hadn't anticipated was that Qiao Gao, once deemed a mediocre talent and as timid as a mouse, had not only risen from the ashes but also achieved remarkable prowess in the art of Medicine Pills.

Bai Jutian watched as Qiao Gao vanished from sight, his expression shifting between light and shadow, a vicious glint of murderous intent flickering in his eyes.

...

The Devil Dragon Mining Area had been excavated for countless years, its interior a labyrinth of intersecting tunnels.

Venturing dozens of meters in, Qiao Gao stumbled upon a dry, clean cave that appeared to have served as the miners' resting quarters, complete with a wooden bed and chair, though both were ancient and decayed.

"Senior, you need to take off your clothes first," Qiao Gao stated upon discovering the cave.

"What did you say?" Hwang Ningxue asked, her pretty face clouded with confusion.

"I said you need to take off your clothes first," Qiao Gao repeated earnestly.

"You scoundrel, you philanderer! How dare you try to take advantage of me!" Hwang Ningxue fumed, her delicate frame quivering with rage. Her Origin Energy burst forth, the formidable presence of the Vein Connecting Stage filling the cave with a suffocating, murderous aura.

Unfazed by Hwang Ningxue's lethal glare, Qiao Gao remained composed. "How can I set up the formation to detoxify you if you're clothed? Plus, if you don't suppress your elemental energy soon, the corpse poison will seep into your marrow!"

"If we don't act now, your skin will gradually darken and then decay. By that point, not even I can help you," Qiao Gao added with a shrug.

Upon hearing this...

Hwang Ningxue's face paled. She was, after all, a young woman who valued her appearance more than life itself—she'd rather die than witness her own face succumb to rot...

With gritted teeth, Hwang Ningxue chose to trust Qiao Gao. She hesitantly shed her coat, revealing swathes of her porcelain skin.

Despite the taint of the Corpse King Poison, her skin was as white as snow, seemingly delicate enough to break at a touch. Her impressive figure and the curves it boasted caught Qiao Gao's attention, his eyes gleaming appreciatively.

Indeed, she was of a hidden noble lineage, with unparalleled talent and extraordinary beauty. Her physique was exceptional, a rarity even among the exalted ranks of the Nine Heavens in the Upper Realm.

Hwang Ningxue's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She had never undressed in front of a man before, and she could sense Qiao Gao's unabashed stare out of the corner of her eye. Just as she was about to chastise him for his impudence, she was stunned to see that Qiao Gao had also stripped, baring his chest.

"Why are you taking off your clothes?" she demanded.

If her disrobing was for the sake of detoxification, what was Qiao Gao's intention in shedding his garments?

Fury bubbled up inside Hwang Ningxue, along with a sense of humiliation. Her gut told her that Qiao Gao was nothing but a lascivious fraud. How could a martial artist, who had barely tapped into his elemental veins, have any hope of curing the Corpse King Poison?

Overcome with rage, Hwang Ningxue's first impulse was to lash out and disable Qiao Gao. But the effects of the Spirit Cleansing Pill had worn off, the corpse poison was taking hold, turning her skin black as she collapsed, weak and trembling, to the ground.

Tears circled her eyes as she wallowed in self-pity and regret for having believed the nonsense spouted by Qiao Gao, this backwoods charlatan.

Yet, facing her own grave illness and certain death, it was the indignity of being shamed by such a man that she couldn't bear, and with that thought, she slipped into unconsciousness.

Qiao Gao was oblivious to the turmoil in Hwang Ningxue's mind. After disrobing, he applied the Emperor Body Ointment to his skin and began performing a sequence of ancient and intricate exercises.

"The Emperor Body Ointment, truly worth every bit of ten thousand yuan, is far superior to those hundred-crystal Body Tempering Ointments," he mused.

The ointment's energy penetrated his limbs and bones, igniting a warmth throughout his body as if he were submerged in a hot spring, catalyzing profound transformations.

Qiao Gao felt as if he was undergoing a metamorphosis, his bones popping, his vital energy surging skyward, imbued with elemental force. With his bare hands, he could now split stones, possessing the might of a tiger!

The ancient movements he practiced were part of a body tempering technique from the Nine Heavens, known as the Demon God Body Refinement. This method could fortify the flesh to an invincible state, rendering one as formidable as a demon god, capable of slaying mighty beasts with nothing but his hands.

The Demon God Body Refinement is a divine technique, far surpassing the basic martial arts commonly known throughout the Ten Earths. It is not something that Human Rank Martial Arts can even begin to compare with.

In the vast expanse of the Ten Earths, martial arts are typically categorized into basic martial arts, Human Rank Martial Arts, Heaven Rank Martial Arts, and Holy Rank Martial Arts. Beyond the Holy Rank lies the realm of Divine Rank cultivation methods.

The Fiendgod Body Refinement, however, is merely an introductory divine technique within the Nine Heavens. Its level is quite low, so much so that even Myriad Tribulation Senior, esteemed as a Pill Emperor, has never bothered to practice it. It was, in fact, a gift from one of his followers.

With the Fiendgod Body Refinement, phantoms shift, blood surges powerfully like a bull, and skin becomes as tough as wild beast hide, impervious to blades and spears. Qiao Gao felt capable of shattering a martial artist who had opened three Origin Meridians with a single punch.

To wield the strength of a tiger, one would need to open at least five Origin Meridians.

"Still not enough," Qiao Gao murmured, taking out the half of the Blood Soul Flower and swallowing it whole.

The Blood Soul Flower, with its subtle scent of blood, dissolved instantly upon touching his tongue. Unlike the Body Refinement Elixir that toughened the flesh, the Blood Soul Flower purified and elevated the soul.

Qiao Gao's eyes sparkled with clarity and brilliance, a clear sign of his enhanced soul power.

Only by mastering the Fiendgod Body Refinement, significantly boosting his essence, energy, and spirit, could he assist Hwang Ningxue in setting up the formation to neutralize the poison.

Qiao Gao's gaze was electric as he rapidly deployed over a hundred Origin Crystals, swiftly arranging a formation within the cave. His movements were a blur of speed, enough to astonish anyone watching—if Hwang Ningxue had not been unconscious, she surely would have been astounded.

"Buzz~~"

The Detoxification Formation, the Minor Cleansing Spirit Formation, was complete, radiating a glow as if Hwang Ningxue were basking in sunlight.

"This Minor Cleansing Spirit Formation easily dispels the aura of death, making light work of the so-called Corpse King Poison," Qiao Gao declared with confidence.

"I'm still not strong enough, though. Otherwise, there would be no need for her to disrobe."

Qiao Gao's abilities were still insufficient; the minor Cleansing Spirit Array he had deployed wasn't potent enough. To fully purge the Corpse King Poison, he had no choice but to remove his clothing. It wasn't that he was incompetent or looking to take advantage; it was simply a necessary step.

The minor Cleansing Spirit Array was a formidable formation from the Nine Heavens, far surpassing the detoxifying power of the Spirit Pill. In no time at all, Hwang Ningxue's skin, once darkened by the poison, began to regain its healthy glow, becoming fair with a hint of pink.

The expelled poison manifested as wisps of black smoke.

Chu, ever resourceful, didn't let the opportunity slip by. He transformed the seemingly useless corpse poison into a weapon, crafting poison gas grenades for self-defense. These grenades could easily incapacitate experts at the Vein Connecting Stage. And for those at the Soul Connecting Stage, they might not be lethal, but they would certainly wreak havoc.

Just when Qiao Gao thought his work was complete and began to retract the minor Cleansing Spirit Array, he discovered that Hwang Ningxue was suffering from another ailment. She was chillingly cold, and the temperature within the mine plummeted rapidly, as if she were trapped in an ice vault...