A five-thousand-year-old soul bone, radiant with light and filled with the aura of a soul beast, is a rare and valuable item, perfectly suited for agility attack-type soul masters. It is as precious as a one-hundred-thousand-year-old soul ring, nearly impossible to find on the market.
Luo Qingsnow, graceful and generous, easily handed over such a soul bone. In the outside world, this could spark bloody conflicts among soul masters or become a treasure fought over by entire kingdoms, yet she gave it away without hesitation.
"Abandon your thoughts. This potion is highly toxic, seeping into your internal organs, and no one can cure you," she said coldly, warning her newly recruited subordinate.
"Once you're mine, without my permission, if you dare to join other forces, your existence will be unnecessary," Luo Qingsnow continued, her voice calm, but her words ruthless.
Chen Xuan stared at her coldly, saying nothing.
"Send him off," Luo Qingsnow ordered.
"Yes, my lady," a black-robed man answered respectfully, showing great reverence for the beautiful woman.
...
When Chen Xuan opened his eyes again, he found himself back in a familiar place—just outside Heaven Dou City, close to his home.
Instead of yelling or getting angry, he remained exceptionally calm.
Chen Xuan carefully assessed his body's condition. The toxins, like small dark spots, had taken root in his organs, lying dormant without causing any immediate harm.
At that moment, he didn't have the energy to speculate about that woman's true identity. His priority was to remove the deadly poison.
Cough!
Chen Xuan spat out blood, his face visibly losing color.
He attempted to use his soul power to circulate lightning through his body, trying to stimulate his organs and force the toxins out. But the dormant poison suddenly activated, as if countless tiny needles were stabbing him internally, causing more internal bleeding.
He quickly stopped, realizing that recklessly trying to expel the poison would only lead to more danger.
Fortunately, there was a small effect. He felt a tiny fraction of the poison had been expelled, giving him a sliver of hope.
As that woman had warned, the poison had already seeped into his organs. Over time, it would burrow into his bone marrow. If that happened, no matter what he did, he would not only fail to rid himself of the poison but could even die prematurely.
The idea of having his life controlled by someone else was something Chen Xuan couldn't accept. He would rather die in battle than live in humiliation.
"I need to go into seclusion!" he declared.
Instead of going home, he bought some supplies and left Heaven Dou City, heading for a mountainous area about thirty miles away.
The vast mountains stretched endlessly. Chen Xuan created a cave using his powerful spiraling sphere technique, then sealed the entrance with a large stone.
He began circulating his soul power, cultivating while using lightning to try and purify the poison from his body.
Two days and nights passed in the blink of an eye.
Heaven Dou City
At the Shrek Academy base, the students and teachers noticed that Chen Xuan hadn't been in the camp for two days. Yu Xiaogang wasn't concerned; in fact, he welcomed the thought of Chen Xuan never returning.
Chen Xuan was often out wandering, so the others were used to his absences and didn't think much of it.
Zhu Zhuqing, however, made a trip to his house, but only found Chen Yiyi, his sister, at home. Chen Yiyi had no idea where her brother had gone, mentioning that he hadn't been home much since the ranking competition started.
Zhu Zhuqing searched several other places but still couldn't find him. However, due to the ongoing competition, she had no choice but to return to the arena.
Day Five
Chen Xuan emerged from his stone cave. The bright sunlight hit his face, and he squinted, not used to the light.
After spending so much time in the dim cave, he felt as if he was going mad from isolation and desperately needed some fresh air.
Standing on a mountain peak, with a cool breeze brushing past him, Chen Xuan gazed out at the vast mountains and flowing rivers. The beautiful scenery helped lighten his heavy heart.
Day Six
Chen Xuan set up a tent by the river and resumed his seclusion. He continued using lightning to cleanse his organs, slowly trying to eradicate the poison.
However, the effect was minimal. The poison had already sunk deep into his organs, making it incredibly difficult to remove.
That night, he noticed his condition worsening. The poison was starting to seep into his bones.
According to the woman's warning, once the poison reached his bone marrow, it would be nearly impossible to remove unless he was reborn entirely.
He had ten years. Ten years wasn't long, but it wasn't short either. Yet he doubted that woman would let him go even after the time was up.
Day Seven
Chen Xuan continued his attempts, using wild bursts of lightning to stimulate his entire body. It was an aggressive method that caused damage to his body, yet yielded little progress in removing the poison.
Outside, the Continental Soul Master Tournament had been ongoing for ten days and was nearing its conclusion. The Shrek Academy team was the dark horse of the competition, undefeated so far.
Chen Xuan, exhausted physically and mentally, was ready to give up his fight against the poison.
His last hope lay in the mysterious "level-up gift pack," which always provided him with the thing he needed most. He believed it could offer a solution.
On the tenth day, the poison completely entered his bones, and something unexpected happened—a transformation began within his body.
"Hmm?"
Chen Xuan was startled. Did he just hear a low, muffled sound, like a drum?
He focused, trying to sense if it was real.
Boom!
Another deep sound, like a drum, echoed from within his body.
Soon, Chen Xuan felt a reversal. A warm energy flowed through his flesh and veins, slowly spreading throughout his body.
For the first time, he didn't feel like he was sinking deeper into a quagmire. Instead, dark, foul-smelling substances oozed from his pores.
Especially at his chest, where his heart emitted a dazzling red light, bursting with vitality. Each beat was strong and powerful, causing his entire body to resonate like a thunderous drum.
This transformation happened so quickly that Chen Xuan was left completely confused.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the scene in front of him distorted. In an instant, his consciousness was pulled inward, deep into his own body.
Chen Xuan steadied himself, stunned beyond belief. What had just happened? How had he arrived in this unknown world, with a vast red land stretching endlessly before him?
It was like a different world, with skies and earth similar to the real world, but the soil was red.
The Red Earth World was not hot; instead, it was refreshingly cool, making him feel so comfortable that he almost groaned.
The air was filled with thick, ethereal mist, like celestial vapors, giving the place an otherworldly, pure atmosphere. The life force here was rich, almost overwhelming.
In the center of this red earth, a green, glowing plant was rooted, shrouded in celestial mist, its vitality terrifyingly strong. The rich life force in the air seemed to come from this plant.
"Nine fruits?" Chen Xuan was shocked. The more he looked at the plant, the more familiar it seemed.
The plant, surrounded by celestial energy, had 36 green leaves and bore nine bright red fruits, each as large as a gemstone, exuding an enticing fragrance.
The fragrance mixed with the celestial mist, making the life force in the air even more intense. Chen Xuan took a deep breath, and his exhaustion disappeared, leaving him feeling refreshed and invigorated.
It was only then that he realized he wasn't physically present in this place. He was here in spirit form.
Chen Xuan grew worried—where was his physical body? Had he already died?
His spirit began to glow as it tried to reconnect with his physical form.
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