Chapter 33: Not Worth Mentioning at All!

Although the fragments embedded in his flesh could be removed, the pain still caused him to gasp incessantly.

"No, this must be a one-time use spiritual treasure!"

As Shi Rongxuan analyzed the situation, he retreated rapidly while attempting to force the fragments out of his body. However, the moment his spiritual energy touched the fragments, his face turned deathly pale. "Something is wrong—there is poison in here! What exactly have you done?"

Shi Rongxuan sensed a toxin within the fragments spreading silently. Had his spiritual energy not made contact, he might not have even realized he had been poisoned.

"Have you ever heard of the Seven-Step Venomous Python?" Liang Chuan looked at Shi Rongxuan, who was not far away, with a mocking smile.

Upon hearing the name of the toxin, Shi Rongxuan’s expression turned to one of utter horror. He abandoned any thought of continuing the fight against Liang Chuan and began looking for a chance to escape.

The Seven-Step Venomous Python is a rare spirit beast known for its terrifying venom. Once released, the poison rapidly devours the victim's spiritual energy, multiplying and spreading throughout their system. Furthermore, these pythons reach the Core Formation stage upon maturity, making their venom particularly potent against those at that level. Once infected, the victim not only suffers the physical damage caused by the toxin but is also restricted from using spiritual energy; doing so only accelerates the spread. It can even follow the flow of energy into the Dantian and destroy it entirely. Because of this, even attempting to purge the toxin with spiritual energy is a long process that requires specialized antidotes.

"You treacherous, vile coward! To resort to such hidden weapons!"

Shi Rongxuan retreated in terror, planning to stabilize himself before fleeing back to the spirit boat. He reasoned that once his injuries were healed, it wouldn't be too late to return for revenge. After all, even if he wanted to use his spiritual energy to purge the venom now, it was nearly impossible, as the toxin had already begun to spread rapidly from his wounds.

"Do you even understand what technology is? Besides, this is a battle of life and death; it's either you die or I do."

Liang Chuan scoffed at Shi Rongxuan’s words. In a situation like this, only a fool would hold back. Moreover, since his opponent was a Core Formation cultivator, he would have to be out of his mind to engage in a fair, head-on confrontation.

"Senior Brother!"

The other disciples noticed Shi Rongxuan’s condition and, disregarding everything else, leaped off the spirit boat and rushed toward him. They were not moving so quickly out of any genuine concern for Shi Rongxuan, but because saving him would undoubtedly elevate their status within the sect. Furthermore, they figured such a powerful spiritual weapon must be a one-of-a-kind item, which only spurred them on further. Within moments, the remaining six disciples surrounded Shi Rongxuan, joined by the Foundation Establishment cultivator who had been dealing with the City Lord and the Qi Refining disciples.

Upon arriving, they immediately formed a protective circle around Shi Rongxuan.

"Form the formation to protect Senior Brother!"

"Understood!"

"The Nine-Lock Myriad Sun Formation!"

The surrounding Yangsheng Sect disciples arranged themselves into a triangle, with Shi Rongxuan at the center. As they activated their techniques, a crimson light instantly enveloped them, shielding them from the outside. The Nine-Lock Myriad Sun Formation was a foundational pillar of the Yangsheng Sect; once established, it could even withstand the assaults of a Core Formation cultivator for a short time.

Only when the crimson formation appeared did Shi Rongxuan finally breathe a sigh of relief. He scrambled to pull antidote pills from his storage bag, intent on forcing the Seven-Step Venomous Python’s toxin out of his body.

Meanwhile, Lu Kang, still on the spirit boat, wore a grim expression. While the Nine-Lock Myriad Sun Formation boasted strong defense and integrated offense, it was purely reactive. It lacked any means of long-range attack, and he had already realized that the opponent possessed a weapon capable of sustained long-distance bombardment.

"A bunch of idiots!" Lu Kang cursed inwardly. If Shi Rongxuan died, so be it—they could always return with their martial uncles and elders. But now, with all the disciples off the spirit boat, there was no way for him to leave. Gritting his teeth, he leaped into the Nine-Lock Myriad Sun Formation.

Lu Kang drew his sword and stood guard beside Shi Rongxuan. "Senior Brother Shi, how much longer do you need to purge the toxin?"

"How the hell should I know!" Shi Rongxuan’s face was deathly pale, and beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down his cheeks. The excruciating pain left him in no mood to answer Lu Kang.

"Senior Brother Shi, perhaps we should retreat to the spirit boat and rethink our strategy once you recover?" Lu Kang asked urgently, his eyes scanning the surroundings with suspicion. He felt certain the enemy must have more tricks up their sleeve.

"Give me one incense stick's time!" Shi Rongxuan replied, focusing entirely on dispelling the poison.

Liang Chuan watched their every move with keen interest. "So this is the Yangsheng Sect’s Nine-Lock Myriad Sun Formation? It’s nothing special!"

He knew full well that most of the Yangsheng Sect's techniques were geared toward offense. While the formation looked impressive, it had significant flaws—the most critical being that once activated, it severely restricted the disciples' ability to launch other attacks.

Shi Rongxuan heard this and cast a hateful glare at Liang Chuan. He regretted his earlier recklessness; had he fought cautiously, the opponent’s hidden weapons might not have been able to harm him.

"What are you staring at? You’re nothing but trash, struggling to handle a group of us Foundation Establishment cultivators!"

Despite his mocking tone, Liang Chuan was secretly astonished. Ancient cultivators were far stronger than those of the modern era. If he hadn't been wearing the third-grade protective silk garment, he would likely have died at Shi Rongxuan's hands. Furthermore, the antidote pill the man had produced demonstrated the profound resources of the Yangsheng Sect. Even a single pill was valuable; most cultivators were unwilling to purchase medicine unrelated to their direct cultivation, especially expensive antidotes that were rarely needed.

"All disciples, listen up! Fire at full speed!"

Liang Chuan gave the order without hesitation. If he waited for them to recover, he would be the one in trouble. At his command, bullets poured out as if they were worthless. Each time a bullet struck the crimson light barrier, ripples spread across it like stones thrown into a pond.

"You want to break through? Keep dreaming!" Shi Rongxuan gritted out with a twisted smile. These junior brothers of his were trained by his own hand and were masters of the sect's Nine-Lock Myriad Sun Formation. Each of them was intimately familiar with the formation, and he believed it was impossible to break.

However, Lu Kang’s expression suddenly changed to one of terror. As the one maintaining the formation, he could feel his internal spiritual energy draining away at an alarming rate!

Liang Chuan watched their efforts and let out a cold laugh.

"Compared to industrial power, your flesh-and-blood spiritual energy is simply not worth mentioning!"