Chapter 1361: Did You Poison It?

The vines were withdrawn, and the spiritual vein river in the air, as if losing its support, exploded with a bang. The狂暴 spiritual energy swept through, causing countless ripples in the folded space.

Feeling the fluctuation of spiritual energy, the crowd was stunned for a moment, but they didn't pay much attention and continued their fierce beating.

Bang bang bang bang!

The four experts unleashed various techniques—longswords, broadswords, spears, hammers... many weapons fell upon it. Before long, the gourd was beaten to the brink of death, on the verge of collapse.

"If we keep hitting it, it'll turn into a ladle. Let's take a break!"

Returning to a short distance away, Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow and advised.

"Mm."

Nodding, Luo Xuanqing waved his hand, and the crowd stopped. At the same time, he grabbed the air, distorting the space before him into a bubble-like circle that enveloped the gourd.

"Alright..."

Having sealed the opponent, Luo Xuanqing seemed to have drained all the strength from his body, his face turning pale and weak.

Activating bloodline had a time limit. Back then, Zhang Qian could only use three moves before he couldn't lift his fist anymore. Luo Xuanqing had fought the gourd for so long, unleashing at least a hundred moves—it was already remarkable!

"Congratulations!"

Though envy flickered in their eyes, Yuan Xiao and the others still clasped their fists.

They had been invited to help capture the Voidgourd. Though they also desired the treasure, they would not break their moral principles and rules.

Moreover, Luo Xuanqing's status and position were not something they dared to offend.

"Without everyone's help, it wouldn't have succeeded..."

Nodding, Luo Xuanqing replied. Just as he was about to put the spatial bubble into his storage ring to refine the gourd completely after recovering, the gourd, which seemed on the verge of turning into a ladle, suddenly trembled violently.

Rip!

A tear appeared in the bubble, and the gourd shot straight out.

"Damn..."

His pupils constricted, Luo Xuanqing was filled with panic.

The power from activating his bloodline was exhausted. Though his cultivation hadn't dropped drastically, he was now weak and powerless. If it escaped now, he wouldn't be able to catch it!

"Stop!"

Yuan Xiao and the others tried to block it, unleashing their power simultaneously.

After all this effort, with their bodies covered in marks from the gourd's kicks, if they failed now, they would truly cry.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh!

The gourd seemed to know the trajectory of their attacks. It twisted its body lightly, dodging the rain of power, and in the blink of an eye, surpassing the speed of sound, it charged in one direction.

Straight toward Zhang Xuan!

"This..."

His scalp tingling, Zhang Xuan nearly fainted.

He had come this time without lifting a finger, hiding in a corner the whole time... Why are you coming to me?

"Master Zhang, be careful..."

The crowd shouted in panic.

Knowing it was too late to dodge, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth and, as before, met it head-on.

Whoosh!

As his palm touched it, he felt a fiery pain. The gourd tore a vicious gash in his palm, blood splattering.

Hum!

Blood splashed onto the gourd, but it didn't dodge. Instead, it shook again.

Swish!

It arrived in front of his abdomen.

If such a powerful gourd collided with him, it would surely pierce his intestines and belly, severely wounding him!

The wrongdoer has a debtor; those who wanted to catch you are them. Why come after me...

Zhang Xuan was about to cry, but he knew this wasn't the time to dwell on it. He circulated his true energy, trying to grab it, but grasped nothing. The gourd touched his abdomen, and instead of the expected pain, it simply vanished.

"This..."

Zhang Xuan was stunned, bewildered.

The others also looked over, puzzled.

"Where's the gourd?"

After searching around and finding nothing, Zhang Xuan turned his spiritual sense inward. Suddenly, his lips trembled: "How... how did it get into my dantian?"

There, in his dantian, lay a gourd, lounging lazily. When his spiritual sense swept over it, it deliberately wiggled its bottom, looking smug.

"What?"

Hurrying over and extending his spiritual sense, Luo Xuanqing sat down on the ground: "You... you've refined it!"

"Refined?"

"The Voidgourd can help its master comprehend the Void Realm. Once refined, it merges into the dantian..."

Luo Xuanqing was incredulous: "But refining is extremely complex. Not only does it require essence blood, but more importantly, one's cultivation must reach the peak of Saint Realm Seventh Layer to make it submit and willingly recognize a master. Your strength is only at the peak of the Out-of-Body Realm, a full two major levels lower. What's going on?"

Having spent countless resources and effort to finally find the Voidgourd, only to have it run into someone else's dantian before he could refine it, Luo Xuanqing clutched his chest, suffocating with frustration.

"I didn't mean to refine it... Gourd, come out..."

Zhang Xuan's face also turned pale as he urged.

He had truly come to help his brother-in-law obtain the treasure, not to snatch it. Why did you run into my dantian?

The noble and righteous image I've painstakingly built... you've ruined it!

Whoosh whoosh!

The gourd continued wiggling its bottom.

"You..."

Seeing the gourd's smug demeanor, Zhang Xuan trembled with anger but was helpless. He looked up at the young man before him: "Brother Luo, I really didn't mean to refine it..."

"I know."

Luo Xuanqing shook his head: "Treasures have spirits. It seems this item is not meant for me. I can't force it..."

Though he was so frustrated he could vomit blood, he had come to terms with it.

Treasures have spirits. After all this effort, it still wouldn't recognize him as master, instead rushing into this Master Zhang's dantian—it clearly didn't fancy him!

"I..."

His face flushed red, Zhang Xuan didn't know how to explain.

What kind of situation was this? He had only come to help, and now this happened. Who would dare to invite him to search for treasures in the future?

"Brother Luo's purpose in refining the gourd was to break through to the Void Realm. If I can help you break through, would it matter whether you have the Voidgourd or not?"

After a moment, Zhang Xuan looked over.

Seeing how stubborn the gourd was, it probably wouldn't come out anytime soon. But he felt guilty for taking what was meant for the other.

"Help me break through?"

Luo Xuanqing was taken aback, then shook his head: "Breaking through to the Void Realm is extremely difficult... Countless people are stuck at this level, unable to cross it. Without the Voidgourd, how could it be so easy to succeed!"

It wasn't that he didn't believe Zhang Xuan, but the Saint Realm Eighth Layer Void Realm involved the Dao and was incredibly hard. Even countless Nine-Star Master Teachers couldn't achieve it through guidance; one had to rely on their own comprehension. How could a mere peak Out-of-Body Realm nobody do it?

"Since it's come to this, why not give it a try?"

Zhang Xuan said.

Before, without having read books on the Saint Realm Eighth Layer, even if the library pointed out flaws, he wouldn't know how to correct them or give guidance.

But now, his understanding of space had reached the third level of the Void Space Scripture, and he had refined the Voidgourd and vines, giving him some insight into the power that only Saint Realm Eighth Layer could master.

With the flaws provided by the library, perhaps he could truly help him break through to a higher level.

"Try? In my current state, how can I try?"

Luo Xuanqing smiled bitterly.

Having just activated his bloodline, his body was weaker than an ordinary person's. He couldn't even walk normally, let alone attempt a breakthrough.

"I'll find a way to help you overcome the effects of activating your bloodline..."

Returning his mind to his sea of consciousness, Zhang Xuan carefully examined the book he had just obtained.

The book had formed while the group was fighting the gourd. He hadn't been spying on them, but rather studying the effects of bloodline activation in sage clans, preparing for his future trip to the Zhang clan to seize the bride.

"Activating bloodline consumes essence, energy, and spirit. Once used, the body enters a state of extreme depletion, unable to use power. Forcing it not only fails to maximize combat strength but also causes cultivation to regress, wasting years of effort..."

Reading the book's records, Zhang Xuan's brow furrowed deeper.

A person's potential, vitality, and energy are limited. Activating bloodline is like borrowing from the future; without time to accumulate, recovery is nearly impossible.

"Heavenly Dao true energy can heal injuries, clear blocked meridians, and restore damaged essence, energy, and spirit... Would it work for bloodline activation?"

A thought suddenly struck him.

The true energy he cultivated was extremely pure, able to easily enter a person's meridians and cells to repair damage. Bloodline activation seemed different, but in essence, it also consumed the source. Perhaps it could work.

With this in mind, he looked over: "Brother Luo, I've thought of a method that might help you recover from your weakness quickly."

"Oh? What method?"

This guy had brought too many miracles along the way. Though he thought quick recovery was impossible, Luo Xuanqing still looked over.

If such a method existed, the sage clans would have used it long ago, and no one would be helpless.

"Very simple!"

Flipping his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a jar and handed it over, looking confident: "Drink this wine..."

"Drink wine?"

Thinking he had come up with some method, only to hear this, Luo Xuanqing couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Luo Xuanqing's strength is exhausted, and his vitality is greatly depleted. He can't even move. Drinking wine would harm his body. I think we should forget it."

Bi Hongyin stopped him.

He couldn't even stand after fighting, and now you want him to drink wine... You can't be serious!

"If Master Zhang really wants to drink, I'll join you."

Yuan Xiao stepped forward.

"I'm trying to help him recover from the damage caused by bloodline activation..."

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan stared at Luo Xuanqing: "Brother Luo, if you trust me, give it a try. If it works, I can help you break through to the Saint Realm Eighth Layer today. If it fails, at most it's just a jar of wine, and it shouldn't have much effect on your body."

"This... alright."

After a pause, seeing Zhang Xuan's insistence, Luo Xuanqing nodded, took the wine jar, and tilted his head to drink it down.

Gulp gulp gulp!

As the wine went down his throat, a spicy sensation hit him. Luo Xuanqing was just thinking the young man was being foolish when suddenly his pupils constricted, and his body trembled involuntarily: "This wine... is problematic!"

"Did you poison it?"

Yuan Xiao's face darkened, and his aura surged.

"..." Luo Xuanqing.

"..." Zhang Xuan.