Chapter 808: The Content of the Contest

Though frustrated, he was after all an old monster who had lived for nearly a thousand years. After his frustration, he began to think of countermeasures.

"Being able to pass the Wall of Difficulties means that difficult and complicated cases can't stump him!"

"Breaking through the Disease Stage shows that he has a profound understanding of new diseases..."

"Making the predecessors' spirits feel ashamed and willingly destroy the inscriptions indicates that his comprehension of the medical path has reached an unfathomable level..."

...

As his thoughts churned, You Xu's expression grew uglier and uglier.

No matter how he calculated, he had little chance of winning against the other.

"Unless..."

Suddenly, an idea struck him. A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and he clenched his fist.

"Alright, that's settled!"

Just as he made his decision, he saw Zhang Xuan across from him looking over: "Since Vice Dean You is so generous, I'll decide how to compete. My idea is..."

"Hold on!"

Before he could finish, You Xu, no longer caring about his earlier demeanor, raised a hand: "Since you challenged me, naturally I decide how we compete!"

No kidding, if the other party decided, he would be doomed!

"Is this what you call having class?"

The many senior students who had been full of support just now were all stunned, their faces burning as if slapped.

After talking about class, he immediately changed his tune. Can a dignified six-star master teacher keep his word?

"Fine, you say it!"

Not expecting him to change his mind, Zhang Xuan frowned.

He didn't care how the other decided; today's only goal was to... avenge Wei Changfeng!

"Alright, we are physicians. Physicians not only treat illnesses and save lives but also bear social responsibilities."

Vice Dean You looked over: "Among these... detoxification is also something physicians must learn and be able to handle. My request is simple: we compete in detoxification?"

"Detoxification?" Zhang Xuan raised an eyebrow.

Physician competitions, though not as varied as master teacher competitions with countless categories, could still easily number in the hundreds, and detoxification was among them.

Poison masters and physicians are natural enemies. To reach higher levels and gain recognition, one must know detoxification; otherwise, not only can one not counter poison masters, but one might not even know if they've been poisoned.

Throughout history, physicians poisoned to death are too numerous to count.

"Indeed, physicians must not only treat diseases but also know detoxification; otherwise, no matter how skilled, they are just an empty shell!"

You Xu looked over: "So this is also a form of medical skill, perfectly suitable for competition."

"Courting death! This scoundrel!"

Hearing You Xu suddenly change the subject and propose a detoxification contest, Zhong Dingchun, who was already furious and itching to go up and beat the guy, couldn't hold back his rage.

"What's wrong?" Elder Mi looked over.

"Detoxification contests are fraught with danger, life and death uncertain!" Zhong Dingchun explained.

"Life and death uncertain? What do you mean?"

Dean Zhao and the others were full of doubt.

They had heard of detoxification contests, but the specific rules were unclear.

"To detoxify, you first need poison, and second... you need a recipient! That is, someone must first be poisoned before you can cure them!" Zhong Dingchun said.

"Someone poisoned?"

Since it's a contest, they would surely use the most potent poisons. If they could cure it, fine; if not?

Wouldn't someone be poisoned to death on the spot?

"Yes, this kind of contest is too dangerous. Physicians rarely do it. This guy is violating ethical standards..." Zhong Dingchun gritted his teeth.

Is poison something to be trifled with?

A slight mistake could kill someone.

"Don't rush. Even if poisoning occurs, it might not be on humans; they could use trial beasts or something for experiments. Physicians heal the wounded and rescue the dying; how could they gamble with human lives?" Elder Mi said.

Even for poison testing, it doesn't have to be humans; spirit beasts work just as well.

"That's not it..." Zhong Dingchun was about to explain when Zhang Xuan's calm voice rang out from the stage.

"Fine, detoxification it is. Tell me the rules."

"Very simple!"

Seeing him agree, You Xu sighed in relief and smiled lightly: "Each of us prepares a poison and takes the other's... Whoever can detoxify within the time limit wins!"

"Testing poison on ourselves?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"Correct. I've proposed the rules. Dare you or not? If not... today's contest counts as your loss!" You Xu snorted.

"Taking each other's poison? If they can't detoxify, won't they be poisoned to death on the spot?"

"Yeah, these rules are too terrifying!"

"This is no longer a physician's life-and-death duel; it's a life-risking gamble..."

Hearing the rules, everyone was in an uproar.

Even Wei Ranxue, Dean Zhao, and the others were stunned.

No wonder Zhong Dingchun was so anxious when he heard about this contest; the rules were so ruthless!

Best case, they could cure it; worst case?

Many poisons kill on contact; once tainted, death follows. Curing them is no easy task.

Just as they were shocked and thought Zhang Xuan would surely refuse, his voice rang out.

"Alright, I accept."

"You can't accept! It's too dangerous..."

Elder Mi's face turned pale, and he couldn't help shouting.

He had heard from Mo Gaoyuan about Teacher Yang's deeds. If Teacher Zhang were poisoned to death, the entire Master Teacher Academy might not withstand the other's wrath!

"Despicable, going too far! He's a Saint-domain expert, and Zhang shi is a completely different life level. Swapping poisons... Even if Zhang shi tries to poison him, it would hardly have any effect!"

Wei Ranxue's face flushed with anger.

The potency of poison is closely related to the cultivator's level and strength, just as a drop of water can drown an ant but has no effect on an elephant.

For a Saint-domain expert, whose life level has changed, even poison that easily kills a Silkworm Sealing realm expert might do nothing if ingested.

But if given to a Bridge Heaven realm person, they would surely die.

Different levels, different strength, different resistance—how can it be fair?

"Zhong Dingchun? Is this your Physician Academy's vice dean? A six-star high-grade master teacher?" Zhao Bingsu's face turned ashen as he turned around.

Earlier, he thought the other's backtracking was beneath a master teacher, but since the herbs were his, if he didn't want to sell, no one could say much.

But now, using his status as a Saint-domain expert to challenge someone to a poison duel, intending to kill, was no longer about selling but about character!

Because they belonged to different academies, he hadn't interacted much with You Xu and didn't know his character, but hearing him try to kill a student—was he really a master teacher?

Master teachers, even if some have poor character, wouldn't do something so undignified!

"I..." Zhong Dingchun's face flushed. Although the other's actions didn't violate the rules, they lost the dignity a master teacher should have.

It was utterly disgraceful.

"Don't blame Dean Zhong. I've dealt with this You Xu before, and he wasn't like this. But now that he's old and increasingly fears death, as long as he can survive, dignity and class mean nothing!"

Elder Mi interjected.

This You Xu was already at the end of a Saint-domain's lifespan. A man who could die at any moment—how could he reason with you as long as he could live?

Living is the most important thing!

"Some people, facing death, would rather choose fame and maintain a lifelong image; others live one more day at a time, fame being just a posthumous matter—once dead, you know nothing!"

Elder Mi snorted: "This guy, to extend his life, hunts spirit beasts everywhere and extracts their blood. Out of consideration for our colleagues and because of the old dean's death, I didn't cause trouble. I didn't expect him to remain unrepentant!"

"Hunting spirit beasts?" Zhong Dingchun heard this for the first time and looked over.

A physician has a parent's heart. Learning medicine means not only healing the wounded and saving lives but also helping injured spirit beasts when encountered.

Hunting spirit beasts everywhere just to survive—is this the act of a physician?

"Yes, I learned this while investigating the matter of Senior Ziyang Beast a few days ago. It's said that in the past year alone, your Vice Dean You has hunted over twenty half-sage level sacred beasts!"

Elder Mi said.

"Over twenty? Why kill so many half-sages?" Zhong Dingchun was startled.

Even as the dean of the Physician Academy, he was unaware of this.

"I don't know either!" Elder Mi shook his head.

To be honest, when he first learned this, he was also puzzled, but since they were colleagues and no major harm had been done, it wasn't convenient to investigate further.

"Half-sage sacred beasts, even in the Hongyuan Mountain Range, can be considered kings. Even if he is a sage, hunting them wouldn't be easy! About twenty in a year..."

Zhong Dingchun still found it hard to believe.

Half-sage sacred beasts can hold their own against Cong Sheng level experts; even if not as strong as Zhong Dingchun, they could still escape.

How could he hunt so many in about a year?

Besides, finding that many sacred beasts in the Hongyuan Mountain Range would be difficult!

"It seems to be related to Cloud Mist Ridge. But the news about over twenty half-sage sacred beasts is accurate. If you don't believe me, you can ask him alone after the contest!" Elder Mi said.

"Hmm!" Suppressing his doubts, Zhong Dingchun nodded.

Cloud Mist Ridge houses all the sacred beasts of the Hongyuan Mountain Range. If it's related to that, the news is likely true.

"Never mind that. In the current situation, as the dean, can you stop this?" Seeing the two still discussing sacred beasts, Wei Ranxue couldn't hold back.

The urgent matter was their duel; it could end in death.

"A physician's life-and-death duel is approved by the Physician Guild headquarters. Once started, it cannot be stopped! If we interfere, it could easily cause conflict..." Zhong Dingchun shook his head.

It wasn't that he didn't want to intervene, but he couldn't!

The life-and-death duel, communicated to headquarters through the badge, meant stopping it would be opposing the entire guild. Even as one of the top ten master teachers, he couldn't do that.

Rules are rules; they cannot be broken.

If not for this, would he have let You Xu swagger on stage?

He would have rushed up and beaten him up long ago!