This woman had already attached herself to the most coveted and sought-after patron.
With Si Jianye by her side, she could easily navigate Jinling.
Feng Qingcheng narrowed her eyes, her beautiful face filled with ruthless calculation. "Only when the Underworld King is not around can we make a move against her. Otherwise, we'll have no chance. Rest assured, she's already been poisoned by the concoction I meticulously prepared, and she's about to die."
Once this woman was dead, she would have a chance to get close to Si Jianye.
Feng Ninghe was merely arrogant for a while.
Tang Zun finally remembered the poison, and his expression visibly brightened. "Perhaps we'll never have the chance to see her again. The poison is extremely potent; even with the Underworld King by her side, he might not be able to cure it."
As soon as he said this, the surrounding cultivators breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Baili Yang quickly approached her, his strong, resonant voice cutting through the air. "Qingcheng, no matter what you intend to do, I will lend you my full support. Just tell me if there's anything I can do for you."
Looking at the man before her, Feng Qingcheng felt a chill in her heart, a hint of disdain.
This man had fallen into the same snowdrifts as Feng Ninghe, yet he couldn't kill her within them.
In the end, he was just a useless person, utterly incomparable to the high and mighty Underworld King.
Feng Qingcheng's gentle face curved into a seductive smile, her voice softening considerably. "Then I shall trouble you, King Zhenyang."
Even though she disdained Baili Yang from the bottom of her heart, she would never show it.
He was, after all, a prince with considerable status in the Li Kingdom, supported by the kingdom. There would always be a time when she could use him.
Baili Yang, unaware of the woman's true thoughts, was already captivated by her smile, silently cheering himself on.
He was determined to personally snap Feng Ninghe's head off. Only then could Feng Qingcheng look at him with newfound respect.
"Elder, who exactly was that imposing man who appeared earlier?"
Mei Ziling approached the elder of the Xuanqing Sect, voicing all her doubts.
The elder's features were tightly furrowed. "The wine gourd at that man's waist looks very familiar, but I can't recall where I've seen it before..."
Mei Ziling instinctively looked up in the direction Feng Ninghe had departed.
A sense of foreboding crept into her heart at that moment.
She had a bad feeling.
Not only was that woman's cultivation profound, but she could also tame an ancient Qilin as a spirit beast. How could such a prodigy fall so easily?
At this moment, Mei Ziling's heart was filled with unease. She bit her lip, unsure of what to do.
She could see the vast difference between Feng Ninghe and herself. To deal with this woman and avenge Di Wenbin would likely be very difficult...
*
Elsewhere.
Deep within a dense forest, Feng Ninghe could no longer support herself and collapsed onto the ground.
"You've been poisoned."
Si Jianye's brow furrowed, a baseless unease settling in his heart. He placed his hand on her wrist, his divine sense scanning Feng Ninghe.
The poison had already spread throughout her body, wantonly invading her system.
If this continued, she would perish within a day.
Si Jianye's brow knitted tighter, his ink-dark eyes tinged with a hint of worry.
Xiao Zhao transformed into human form, his azure eyes filled with urgency as he hastily asked, "How is Master?"
The man opened his lips, his deep voice slowly stating, "This poison is called Hei Li."
"Hei Li?"
The burly man placed his hands on his hips, clicking his tongue. A hint of emotion flickered across his face. "What kind of hatred or grievance would lead someone to use such a poison? This poison is a mixture of the world's most potent toxins and the resentful spirits of the deceased. As the poison infiltrates the marrow, the pain will only intensify, and in the end, one might be unable to bear it and take their own life."
Feng Ninghe was drenched in sweat. She casually took out a Bai Fu Bead and placed it within her body.
As the Bai Fu Bead entered her, a wave of coolness instantly washed over her, and the heat in her body subsided.
In just a moment, the Bai Fu Bead was surrounded by a mass of black energy.
Even the Bai Fu Bead was of little use; at best, it could protect her heart and give her more time to react.
The burly man sighed softly, his face filled with regret. "Having been poisoned by Hei Li, the soul is indestructible and will never reincarnate, becoming a resentful spirit forever wandering the secret realm."
He had finally found such a promising talent, and now he was told that Feng Ninghe's life was nearing its end.
Xiao Zhao's eyes welled up with tears, which streamed down his face. He reached out his small, fleshy hand to wipe them away. "What are we going to do! Master is still so young. If she's gone like this, what will become of me!"
Seeing Xiao Zhao's uncontrollable tears, Feng Ninghe managed a smile that was more like a grimace. "Xiao Zhao, I'm resilient. Anything that doesn't kill me will only make me stronger. What is Hei Li? I want to see just how powerful it is!"
Her eyes sharpened, and enduring the burning pain all over her body, she cast a formation.
The formation enveloped her, protecting her firmly and continuously absorbing the surrounding spiritual energy for her use.
Feng Ninghe closed her eyes at this moment.
The burning sensation felt as if it would set her ablaze, yet she patiently sought a way to purge the Hei Li.
Si Jianye's expression turned cold, a few wisps of dark light flickering wildly in his eyes. "Feng Ninghe, if you die, I will make the entire secret realm pay with their lives! None of them will be able to leave this place."
The Xuanjing Secret Realm was open, and it would close in a month.
With Si Jianye's abilities, it wasn't impossible for him to forcefully seal the realm...
The burly man shivered beside them, rummaging through his spatial pouch as if searching for something.
Suddenly, the burly man scooped up large handfuls of snow and began to pile it onto Feng Ninghe, bit by bit.
Si Jianye looked at the burly man with a hint of surprise. "What are you doing?"
Although surprised, he did not intervene.
Hei Li was like fire, burning the body from within. Using snow could provide some temporary relief, but it was not a cure.
In a short while, Feng Ninghe was covered in snow, with only her nose exposed.
Xiao Zhao cried even harder, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably. "Master is already suffering enough from the poison! What are you doing now? Do you think Master isn't dying fast enough?"
At this moment, Xiao Zhao appeared like a child, a stark contrast to his imposing and valiant demeanor just moments ago.
If the burly man hadn't witnessed it himself, he would never have associated Xiao Zhao with the majestic ancient Qilin.
Seeing Xiao Zhao weeping uncontrollably, the burly man quickly tried to comfort him. "Don't cry, I'm helping her! This isn't ordinary snow; I dug it up from the secret realm. It never melts and can alleviate her pain. Hei Li burns from within, causing unbearable agony, and this is all I can do."
Hei Li was practically incurable. While one could find medicine to detoxify the body, the resentment could not be resolved by mere remedies.
Xiao Zhao finally stopped crying, sobbing, "Then is there any way to heal Master? Even if medicine is needed, just say the word. I can travel ten thousand miles a day and find any rare medicine for Master!"