The Imperial Martial Pill Venerable

"Do you really think you have everything under your control?"

Just then, an indifferent voice rang out. Facing the black-robed man’s demonic might, Qin Ya’s expression was completely fearless, his eyes filled with a confidence so innate and genuine it couldn’t possibly be faked. This took the black-robed man by surprise.

"Oh? And you think you have some way to turn this situation around?"

"I’ll admit, your strength is decent. But it’s only enough to dominate those at the Sky-Controlling level. Against a Celestial Human Martial Artist, you have absolutely no power to resist."

"So what gives someone like you the right to be so confident?"

In response to the black-robed man’s question, the corners of Qin Ya’s lips curled up. With a flicker of movement, he appeared before the Dark Dragon Guards, took out a few Elixirs, and gave them to the men to take.

The black-robed man sneered at the sight and shook his head. "You truly disappoint me. And here I thought you actually had a plan. That’s useless. The Poisonous Insect isn’t an injury. Healing Elixirs are completely ineffective against it. They are doomed."

"Not necessarily."

Qin Ya gave a faint smile. The moment he finished speaking, the wails of the Dark Dragon Guards began to die down. The black-robed man’s expression shifted at the sight. He looked down and saw the black insect in his hand emitting a faint, spectral glow. His heart lurched, and a look of utter disbelief spread across his face.

"How is this possible? The Poisonous Insects inside their bodies are dead!"

It wasn’t just the black-robed man. The three patriarchs and the others also stared at Qin Ya, their eyes burning with a fervent hope. He could cure it! He could cure this damned Poisonous Insect!

"Heh, what I gave them wasn’t any Healing Medicine."

"It was... poison."

"A poison specifically for killing insects!"

The corners of Qin Ya’s lips curled. To be sure, he had never encountered this Poisonous Insect before, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t neutralize its effects.

After obtaining one of the Poisonous Insects, he had spent a day studying it, finally developing the formula for an antidote and immediately setting out to refine a few Elixirs.

’Heh. Who was he?’

’The Pill Venerable! The one and only Pill Venerable!’

’What was a Poisonous Insect? It was a poison. And what was a poison? It was a type of medicine! As long as it was related to medicine in any way, Qin Ya was confident there was nothing he couldn’t handle.’

’If he didn’t even have this much skill, he would be completely unworthy of the title Pill Venerable!’

"How is this possible!"

The black-robed man was visibly shaken. He had obtained this black insect from a Secret Realm and had spent many years coming to understand its profound uses. It was no exaggeration to say that if even a King were afflicted by this Poisonous Insect, they might not be able to break free. And yet, Qin Ya had done it!

If the black-robed man had known that Qin Ya had figured this out in a single day, he would have gone absolutely mad. All his years of effort couldn’t compare to a single day of this man’s work—what a crushing blow that would be!

"Save me, Teacher Qin, save me!"

Just then, two of the Extraordinary Martial Artists on the black-robed man’s side ran over to Qin Ya, their expressions filled with desperation as they pleaded, "I know I was wrong! Teacher Qin, please save me!"

"Yes, that’s right! I’m willing to join you in fighting the Demon Race!"

Hearing this, the black-robed man’s face darkened, and he immediately activated the Poisonous Insects.

"Ah, no!"

"Save me, Teacher Qin!"

The two Extraordinary Martial Artists instantly lost control of their bodies. They collapsed, writhing on the ground with faces twisted in agony, all the while continuing to beg Qin Ya for help.

Qin Ya watched them, his expression unchanged, showing not a shred of pity. His tone was laced with indifference as he said, "Sorry, I’ve already used up all of those Elixirs."

He wasn’t lying. He had only had time to refine a few of the Elixirs, and the Dark Dragon Guards had just taken the last of them. He had no more.

"No, you’re lying to us."

"Please save us, you can’t be so heartless."

SWOOSH! Two Thunder Spears flashed into existence, instantly piercing through their heads. With a deafening POP, only two headless corpses were left on the ground. Qin Ya, having casually killed the two men, stated indifferently, "Putting you out of your misery is a form of salvation, I suppose."

The flickering lightning illuminated Qin Ya’s ruthless face. The onlookers couldn’t help but gasp, a chill shooting up from the soles of their feet to engulf their entire bodies.

CLAP. CLAP. CLAP. At that moment, the sound of applause rang out.

"Good, ruthless enough!" the black-robed man praised.

"Heh, I wasn’t lying to them. I really am out of Elixirs."

"Oh?" The black-robed man’s eyes narrowed. "Then why didn’t you use your limited supply of Elixirs to save Lu Lihuang and the other patriarchs? Their combat strength is far greater than that of those crippled Dark Dragon Guards."

Lu Lihuang and the others looked towards Qin Ya, their eyes filled with resentment and confusion.

’That’s right, why hadn’t he saved them?’

’They were Half-Step Celestial Beings! If he had cured them, they could have immediately formed a formidable fighting force, greatly increasing the odds of defeating the black-robed man!’

’Why didn’t he save them first? Why?!’

"Heh. They’re my Elixirs. I’ll give them to whomever I please."

Qin Ya smiled as his eyes swept over Lu Lihuang and the others, a cold glint within them. ’Even if I had more Elixirs,’ he thought, ’I would never waste them on traitors who betrayed the Human Race to become lapdogs for the Demon Race. That would be an insult to the name of Pill Venerable.’

"Willful, perhaps. But..."

The black-robed man’s words trailed off, and his eyes suddenly blazed with killing intent.

"Today, you will die!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the black-robed man shot toward Qin Ya. He moved so fast he was nothing but an afterimage; even Huaa Que, a Celestial Human Realm expert, couldn’t react in time.

The killing intent in the black-robed man’s eyes burned fiercely. Demonic Qi surged from his hand, and the sheer force of its aura was enough to blast the Extraordinary Martial Artists near Qin Ya hundreds of feet away.

’Qin Ya was too much of a threat!’

’The black-robed man had been interested in playing with him a little longer, but after Qin Ya neutralized the Poisonous Insect, he realized there were far too many uncertainties surrounding him. Alarm bells screamed in his mind. This boy cannot be allowed to live!’

Facing the immense palm strike, Qin Ya’s expression remained fearless.

"I told you, you’re too confident."

"Besides the Poisonous Insect, you’ve misjudged one other thing."

"And that is... my combat strength!"

A sky-shattering aura erupted from Qin Ya. The Ting Xiao Sword at his hip flew from its scabbard. In that instant, the faint roar of a Thunder Beast echoed as Sword Qi shot across the Nine Heavens!

’I have faced Kings!’

’I have escaped encirclements by Celestial Humans unscathed!’

’I have plundered the Three Great Noble Families of the Southern Hundred Cities in the Celestial Dragon Sea Region!’

’Assassins at Celestial Human Realm Perfection have hunted me to no avail!’

’A mere member of the Demon Race, a puny Celestial Human Middle Rank Martial Artist, who doesn’t know his own limitations, dares to speak of killing me? You are underestimating me far, far too much!’

Qin Ya stood with the Ting Xiao Sword in hand, his aura soaring to the Nine Heavens. A storm of violent Thunder erupted around him, and in the glow of the purple lightning, he looked like an inviolable Thunder God!

ROAR!!!

The roar of a beast, accompanied by the thrum of the sword, echoed through the air. A violent blast of Thunder Sword Qi slashed horizontally. Ripples formed in the very fabric of space where it passed, its power absolutely terrifying!

At the sight, the black-robed man’s pupils contracted to pinpricks.

He pushed his Demonic Qi to its limit, blasting an immense wave of Palm Qi toward the Thunder Sword Qi. Instantly, a deafening explosion, like a clap of thunder from the Nine Heavens, rocked the area. A powerful shockwave of energy radiated outward in concentric circles. The ruins of the Gong Family estate were ravaged yet again as countless tiles and clouds of dust were kicked up by the Qi Force, creating a veritable storm.

"Fall back! Fall back now!"

Everyone scrambled to retreat at the sight. But the few Extraordinary Martial Artists from the Noble Families closest to the collision were caught in the shockwave. They felt an irresistible force crash over them, grievously wounding them in an instant and flinging them hundreds of yards away, their fate unknown.