The silent devotion, much like the fine threads of spring rain, had quietly seeped into the heart. A cup of hot tea, a word of concern, a piece of warm clothing—these seemingly ordinary yet utterly heart-warming small gestures had, without him realizing it, caused Teng Qingshan to develop special feelings for Li Jun, though he himself remained oblivious.
He sensed this unique feeling, but... in his previous life, his wife, Xiao Mao, had shared such a bond with him.
He had only assumed it belonged to his former wife.
Only now did he realize how profoundly important the girl who was willing to leave her homeland and cross the ocean for him truly was.
“Xiao Jun, you’ll be fine, you’ll be fine.” A single tear slipped down his cheek.
It dropped onto Li Jun’s face.
“She must be saved, she absolutely must!” Teng Qingshan’s mind was in turmoil. Suddenly, his body jolted. “Cloud Dream White Fruit! The Cloud Dream White Fruit that can bring the dead back to life!”
The Cloud Dream White Fruit was one of the Three Treasures of the Duanmu Continent.
It could revive even someone who had just died; surely it could help Li Jun, whose vital signs had not completely ceased.
However...
The Cloud Dream White Fruit was what Teng Qingshan had intended for his father, Teng Yongfan, to eat so he could stand again. And having witnessed Mu Yunji regrow both arms, Teng Qingshan understood that his father would probably need about three Cloud Dream White Fruits to fully regrow his legs. If he gave them to Li Jun...
His father’s legs might not fully regenerate.
What choice should Teng Qingshan make?
“Brother Teng, may I examine what poison has afflicted Miss Xiao Jun?” Elder Mu Mang approached.
Teng Qingshan glanced at him and nodded.
Mu Mang placed two fingers on Li Jun’s wrist. After a brief scan, he whipped his head around toward the Iron Sword Martial Saint, ‘Helian Haoyan,’ shouting fiercely, “This poison is ‘One Dream Century’! The Tianfeng Family’s unique poison, ‘One Dream Century’!”
“One Dream Century?” Teng Qingshan looked at the Iron Sword Martial Saint, ‘Helian Haoyan.’
“The antidote!”
Teng Qingshan roared and immediately lunged towards Helian Haoyan.
“If you don’t want Miss Xiao Jun to die, then stop right there,” Helian Haoyan commanded sternly.
But Teng Qingshan paid no heed to Helian Haoyan’s threat.
“Hmph!” Helian Haoyan’s giant iron sword transformed into a streak of silver light, stabbing toward Teng Qingshan. Consumed by rage, Teng Qingshan let out a low growl, and his right hand, like a sharp claw, snatched the giant sword from the side. With a surge of strength... Snap! His right hand, harder than any divine weapon, directly broke Helian Haoyan’s armament!
Whoosh!
Then, with a twist of his wrist, he clamped down directly on Helian Haoyan’s neck!
“Lost just like that.”
The Female Martial Saint and Mu Mang, witnessing this, were still shaken. Capturing the opponent alive after destroying his weapon in a single exchange was remarkable.
Whether in strength or speed, Teng Qingshan completely suppressed Helian Haoyan, making this feat effortless for him.
“Where is the antidote?” Teng Qingshan demanded, his voice low as he choked Helian Haoyan’s throat.
Helian Haoyan, held tight, showed no sign of panic, instead breaking into a smile. “Teng Qingshan, yes, Mu Mang is right. This poison is indeed the Tianfeng Family’s ‘One Dream Century.’ No other house in the world knows how to create this poison... However, I do not possess the antidote for this ‘One Dream Century.’”
“You want to die!” Teng Qingshan’s eyes chilled, and he glanced toward Mu Mang. “Brother Mu, how potent is the ‘One Dream Century’? How is it cured?”
Mu Mang replied, “‘One Dream Century’ is a colorless, odorless poison gas. If inhaled excessively, even a Xiantian expert will fall into a coma. To awaken... besides the spiritual treasure ‘Cloud Dream White Fruit’ that can save even the newly deceased, only the Tianfeng Family’s unique antidote will suffice.”
“Coma? For how long?” Teng Qingshan asked.
“This poison is named ‘One Dream Century.’ As long as the unconscious person receives proper care, they can indeed live through a century in their slumber... but their body will gradually age until they pass away from old age in that very coma,” Mu Mang explained.
Teng Qingshan understood.
Being afflicted with ‘One Dream Century’ was akin to being in a persistent vegetative state.
“Helian Haoyan,” Teng Qingshan said grimly while maintaining his grip, “I know your Tianfeng Family desires the Flame Red Lotus... But you could have competed for it fairly. Using poison is truly contemptible! You, Helian Haoyan, are a future leader of the Tianfeng Family.”
“I believe your life should be worth far more than a single dose of the antidote.”
“Hand over the antidote, and I’ll let you go. Otherwise... you won’t see the sun rise today,” Teng Qingshan’s voice dropped, heavy with suppressed fury.
The Iron Sword Martial Saint looked at Teng Qingshan, smiling faintly.
Ever since seeing the few drops of tears Teng Qingshan shed for Li Jun, the Iron Sword Martial Saint had gained greater confidence.
“Teng Qingshan, I told you, I don’t have the antidote! I never carry it on me... The antidotes are all stored within my Tianfeng Family compound. If you want to save this Miss Li Jun, it’s simple: give me the Flame Red Lotus, and I swear on behalf of my family that I will definitely provide the antidote.” The Iron Sword Martial Saint chuckled calmly. “As for killing me? You can try, but if I die, not only will Miss Li Jun perish, and you will die, but those little brats floating in the air will also die!”
Teng Qingshan narrowed his eyes and glared coldly at the Iron Sword Martial Saint.
The Iron Sword Martial Saint continued to smile faintly.
“Sister Xiao Jun.” On the back of the Gale Eagle in mid-air, Fu Yuping was weeping hysterically.
“Sister Xiao Jun,” Yang Dong’s eyes were also wet with tears. Teng Beast, however, remained silent, his gaze fixed on the Iron Sword Martial Saint, flashing with savage ferocity.
“Little Gray, go, leave first,” Teng Qingshan called up, waving his hand simultaneously. “A’Shou, look after those two.”
The Gale Eagle possessed intelligence no less than a human’s.
“Screech~~”
It let out a cry, immediately carrying Teng Beast, Yang Dong, and Fu Yuping swiftly away from Ox Head Mountain, flying towards the direction of Divine Axe Mountain.
Seeing them depart, Teng Qingshan secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Flame Red Lotus, antidote. If you want to save her, give me the Flame Red Lotus,” the Iron Sword Martial Saint said with a light smile.
“Helian Haoyan, you’re truly shameless for demanding the Flame Red Lotus,” Mu Mang, standing nearby, burst out laughing in anger. “The Nine-Leaf Red Lotus... how precious! You’d trade it for an antidote? The antidote your Tianfeng Family possesses is likely worth less than a single lotus seed. You truly have no sense of shame.”
The Iron Sword Martial Saint glanced at Mu Mang, then turned back to Teng Qingshan: “Teng Qingshan, I’m not forcing you. You are free to kill me right now.”
Teng Qingshan’s face was ashen.
He knew that a Martial Saint of the Xiantian Golden Core realm, with such a firm will, would not be easily swayed by mere verbal threats. Moreover, truly killing the Iron Sword Martial Saint ‘Helian Haoyan’ would plunge the situation into irreversible disaster.
“Helian Haoyan,” Teng Qingshan growled, “You are also the foremost Martial Saint of the Northern Cold Domain. You are likely the one most capable of stepping into the Void Realm and becoming a War God within the Tianfeng Family. Perhaps in the future, you will be the next Tianfeng War God!”
A flicker of yearning crossed the Iron Sword Martial Saint’s eyes. The next Tianfeng War God? Of course he wanted that; he dreamed of it.
He quickly suppressed that expression.
Teng Qingshan noticed and continued, “But you don’t even fear death for the sake of the Flame Red Lotus. Haha... Very well! Since your Tianfeng Family intends to hunt me down for the Flame Red Lotus anyway, even if I spare you now, they will still pursue me. Why not kill you first? Even if I die later, it won't feel like a total loss!”
The Iron Sword Martial Saint’s pupils contracted.
“One sentence—”
Teng Qingshan stated grimly, “The antidote or your life. Choose! You have three breaths to consider. If there is no answer, I will kill you.”
“I truly have no antidote on me,” the Iron Sword Martial Saint insisted. “It’s only at the family compound.”
“One!” Teng Qingshan counted coldly.
Only at the family compound? Teng Qingshan refused to believe that someone like the Iron Sword Martial Saint wouldn’t carry a contingency plan when cornered.
“Teng Qingshan, I really don’t have it. You are forcing us all into a death trap,” Helian Haoyan said urgently.
“Two!” Teng Qingshan sneered. “Don’t worry, your Tianfeng Family isn’t capable of killing me... The Tianfeng War God hasn’t reached the Great Accomplishment of the Void Realm yet; he can’t fly. I’m on the Azure Luan; how can he chase me?”
“You...”
The Iron Sword Martial Saint trembled internally. Truthfully, he was terrified that Teng Qingshan would kill him.
He still aspired to become the new Tianfeng War God.
Even if he had to die... dying over a mere antidote truly wasn’t worth it.
“Three!” Teng Qingshan shouted coldly. The Iron Sword Martial Saint’s heart leaped.
“Indeed a resolute man. Then, prepare to die,” Teng Qingshan said indifferently, applying force with his right hand.
“Wait a moment!”
The Iron Sword Martial Saint called out, then looked at Teng Qingshan with a bitter smile. “You win!”
Teng Qingshan secretly relaxed. If he had actually killed the Iron Sword Martial Saint, he would truly have walked onto a path of no return.
“Where is the antidote?” Teng Qingshan asked.
The Iron Sword Martial Saint hesitated slightly.
“Quick, produce it,” Teng Qingshan commanded, applying a little more pressure with his right hand.
“I’ll get it for you,” the Iron Sword Martial Saint sighed, pulling out a piece of silver that looked entirely ordinary from his robe. “This silver is fake; it’s just a silver foil coating. The antidote is hidden inside.”
Teng Qingshan finally breathed a sigh of relief and accepted the antidote.
“Brother Teng, how did you know he carried the antidote?” Mu Mang asked in astonishment.
Teng Qingshan stated calmly, “Helian Haoyan would never willingly trade his life for an antidote, so he surely carried one as a failsafe!”
Teng Qingshan turned and walked towards Li Jun, gently peeling back the silver layer to reveal a dark green pill inside. He didn't worry it was a fake antidote... unless Helian Haoyan wanted to die. What he failed to notice was the strange, cryptic smile that bloomed on the face of the Iron Sword Martial Saint, ‘Helian Haoyan.’
Whoosh!
Helian Haoyan suddenly retreated at high speed.
“What?” Teng Qingshan spun around, his expression changing drastically. “Helian Haoyan, you seek death!”
He simultaneously gave chase after Helian Haoyan, whose escape immediately made him suspect the antidote was actually poison.
“Hahaha, the antidote isn't poison, but... that Miss Xiao Jun won’t be needing it anymore,” Helian Haoyan laughed madly. “I stalled for time, and you didn't even notice. Hahaha...”
Amidst his laughter, Mu Mang and the Female Martial Saint, Jiang Yan, saw their complexions turn pale.
Teng Qingshan’s face also turned deathly white as he looked up—
A colossal eagle, entirely snow-white without a single fleck of impurity, its body faintly enveloped by strange silver and grey light. Perched atop this massive bird was a cold-faced man in black robes with silver hair, who looked down below. His icy gaze plunged Teng Qingshan, Mu Mang, and Jiang Yan into an abyss of ice.
A single look sent a terrifying pressure washing over Teng Qingshan.
“The Tianfeng War God!” Teng Qingshan realized with a sickening lurch—he had fallen right into the Iron Sword Martial Saint’s trap!