Only I am Venerable

The man with the square face asked again, "Senior Brother, what if those two leak the news..."

A savage look crossed the old man’s gaunt face. He said in a deep voice, "If I’m not mistaken, they will definitely go to the Four Great Perilous Lands as well. If we run into them, we’ll kill them on sight!"

The man with the square face and the other two were stunned for a moment. Then, their eyes filled with resolve, and they nodded.

The news of the Ancient Map could not be compromised. Anyone who knew about it had to be killed!

Half a day after the four of them had left, Qin Li and Shangguan Shiyu emerged from deep within the Qin Family’s ruins. Disbelief filled Shangguan Shiyu’s eyes as she looked at Qin Li. "If anyone’s to blame here, it’s clearly them. They were the ones who carelessly let it slip. How can they turn around and blame us for it now?"

Qin Li smiled faintly. "A moment ago, you sent me a mental message, telling me not to get any ideas about their Ancient Map. Do you see now? This is human nature. This is the Martial World. In the Martial World, people who are too kind are always the easiest to scheme against. We overheard them today only because we are so much stronger than they are. If it were the other way around, if they were much stronger than us... we would be the ones dead right now. They wouldn’t have hesitated for a second! This has nothing to do with hatred."

Shangguan Shiyu nodded, a thoughtful expression on her face. After a long moment, she sighed softly and asked, "So, what now?"

"The Soul-Devouring Swamp!" Qin Li said softly.

The Soul-Devouring Swamp was located east of Yellow Sand City, over 350 miles away. It wasn’t large, spanning only about seventy miles, but this small area struck fear into the hearts of many Martial Artists from the Mysterious Lands. This was also why the Array in this place had yet to be revealed.

The other perilous lands were like forbidden grounds to Mortal Martial Artists; the powerful Spirit Beasts within left them powerless to resist and unable to enter. But for the Martial Artists from the Mysterious Lands, it was no great challenge. Relying on their superior numbers, they could simply swarm in, and few Spirit Beasts could stand against them.

That was why after the Array at Phoenix Lake was revealed, the Arrays at Eagle’s Beak Stream and the Execution Ground were subsequently discovered as well.

Only with the Soul-Devouring Swamp, many were lulled into a false sense of security by their previous easy victories. They didn’t take the place seriously and still planned to use their old strategy: bulldozing their way through.

They never expected to run into such immense difficulties here.

First and foremost was the deadliest threat: the poisonous fog and miasma within the swamp. It didn’t matter if you were a Celestial Shattering Realm Martial Artist or a Supreme Martial Artist; unless you could go without breathing, you were at risk. For some of the toxic mists, even holding your breath was useless. The moment they touched your skin, they would begin to corrode your entire body!

If you were contaminated by even the smallest amount, death was the only option—unless you had the courage to immediately sever the affected limb.

The second threat was the various highly venomous creatures within the Soul-Devouring Swamp. Most of them weren’t even Spirit Beasts, just ordinary insects and small animals, but the potency of their venom terrified everyone.

Just a few days ago, a Celestial Integration Realm Martial Artist from one of the Mysterious Lands had arrived. Normally, at his level, his Protective Gang Qi should have been strong enough to make him impervious to the toxic fog, miasma, and attacks from most creatures. And yet, a nearly transparent swamp creature managed to penetrate his Protective Gang Qi and bite him. In less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, the Martial Artist’s entire body had rotted away, and he was dead.

No Antitoxic Elixir had any effect!

He was the sixth Martial Artist from the Mysterious Lands to die there. As a result, a large number of powerful Martial Artists now lingered at the edge of the Soul-Devouring Swamp, no longer daring to enter recklessly.

By now, the consensus was that the only way to uncover the secret of the Four Great Perilous Lands was to have all four of the giant Arrays completely revealed. Otherwise, everyone’s efforts would surely be for nothing.

This was because, in the other three perilous lands, they had found nothing of value besides the Arrays themselves. Therefore, many speculated that a breakthrough might occur once all four giant Arrays were revealed—or at the very least, a major clue would emerge. As for who would be capable enough to reap the benefits, that would depend purely on luck and strength.

When Qin Li brought Shangguan Shiyu here, many people were already gathered outside the Soul-Devouring Swamp. Impressively strong Martial Artists were everywhere, but there was very little interaction among them. By now, a number of bolder newcomers had already ventured into the swamp. Even though nothing had been found in the other three perilous lands, that didn’t mean the fourth was also empty. There were still plenty of opportunists hoping to get lucky.

In this kind of situation, no one would bother to stop them, much less warn them of the dangers.

The Martial Artists gathered here were almost all from the various Mysterious Lands. Qin Li’s Divine Sense swept through the crowd and detected several extremely powerful individuals. Their Primordial Power fluctuations were incredibly faint, but their actual cultivation levels were similar to his own. Qin Li knew in his heart: ’I can’t underestimate the world’s masters. Profound Island may be a major Mysterious Land, but that doesn’t mean that other places are all inferior. That kind of thinking is a grave mistake.’

’As the secret of the Four Great Perilous Lands unravels, even stronger Martial Artists might appear. Shiyu and I must be cautious every step of the way.’

Qin Li and Shiyu had put on new Disguises before arriving. Shiyu had taken on the appearance of an exceptionally beautiful young woman. Dressed in lavish clothes, and with her innately aloof aura, her arrival immediately drew the eyes of nearly everyone present.

Qin Li, meanwhile, disguised himself as a nobleman in his early thirties. He wore a sapphire-blue long robe, and at his hip hung an incredibly ornate Treasure Sword. Its scabbard was encrusted with all kinds of colorful, sparkling gems.

His handsome features and graceful bearing immediately caught the eyes of many women in the crowd. But when they saw Shangguan Shiyu at his side, even with a woman’s natural tendency toward jealousy, they couldn’t help but sigh in admiration. ’What a perfect pair!’

In the crowd, the gaunt old man watched Qin Li and Shangguan Shiyu with a puzzled expression. He felt that the handsome young couple looked somewhat familiar, yet he couldn’t recall where he might have seen them. Moreover, the young man seemed incredibly perceptive, immediately noticing he was being watched.

The gaunt old man gave Qin Li an awkward smile and a slight nod before looking away, but the suspicion in his heart didn’t diminish in the slightest. He thought to himself, ’Why are there so many young couples showing up lately?’

Someone in the crowd shouted, "Damn it! This godsforsaken place... my junior sister was poisoned, and she’s been unconscious ever since! Friends, does anyone have a high-quality Antitoxic Elixir? The Hongyan Sect is willing to pay a high price for one!"

Another person in the crowd retorted, "If there really were a cure for this poison, our people wouldn’t be dead. Brother, not to be cruel, but you’d better start preparing for your junior sister’s funeral."

"Sigh, that’s right. The poisonous fog and miasma in this damn place are too powerful. Damn it all, there’s nothing in this godsforsaken place, and it’s cost us dearly! If we’d known, we never would have come!"

Similar murmurs rippled through the crowd. Most people were ready to give up. If there were a clear reward in sight, no one would back down. But as it was, there was nothing to be seen but grave danger. Who would be foolish enough to walk willingly to their death?

The members of the Sect whose junior sister had been poisoned all had grim expressions, but they knew the others were speaking the truth. Everyone who had died these past few days had been killed by poison.

Only now did they truly appreciate the terror behind the name "Soul-Devouring Swamp." It truly lived up to its reputation.

"Senior Brother, our junior sister... she’s fading fast!" a young man said urgently, his voice choked with tears.

Many people began to gather around. Though most were strangers to one another, as people of the Martial World, they felt a somber kinship, a shared sorrow for one of their own.

"Sigh, what a pity. Such a beautiful young woman, about to die right before our eyes... Forget it, I can’t watch this," someone muttered, pushing their way out of the crowd with a look of regret.

"It’s true. This place is too dangerous. Who said the Mortal Realm was ours for the taking? Dangers like this can kill you just as easily!"

"Master, maybe we should just go back. It’s too dangerous here, and there’s nothing to be found..."

Qin Li and Shangguan Shiyu walked over as well. On a blanket spread on the ground lay a beautiful woman in her twenties. Her eyes were shut tight, her face was pale, and her lips had a blackish tint. She was completely still. If not for the fact that one could still sense her life force, which was as faint as a silk thread, they would have thought she was already dead.

Shangguan Shiyu, being kind-hearted, glanced at Qin Li and asked softly, "Can she be saved?"

Even before Shiyu spoke, Qin Li had already used his Innate Purple Qi to examine the girl’s condition. The poison was severe, but for him, saving her wouldn’t be too difficult. Although he had transplanted the Nine-Turned White Jade Lotus to the Golden Palace, he had kept several of its leaves. A fingernail-sized piece should be enough to neutralize the girl’s poison. However, doing so would make it very difficult for the two of them to maintain a low profile.

Especially when no one else had a solution for the toxic fog and miasma, they would inevitably become the center of attention.

To save her or not to save her. That was the choice facing Qin Li. From a humane standpoint, no one would want to watch such a beautiful young woman perish. But on the other hand, saving her would invite a great deal of future trouble.

Qin Li didn’t consider himself a benevolent saint, but he wasn’t a villain beyond redemption either. After a moment of thought, meeting Shangguan Shiyu’s expectant gaze, Qin Li cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Let me take a look."