Jiang Ke’er had always thought of herself as incredibly stupid—pitifully so.
So, when Luya asked her about her progress in Poison Technique cultivation, all Jiang Ke’er could do was shamefully recount the recent poison duel and her predictions for the aftermath.
“Sorry, Luya-jie, I’ve really let you down.” Jiang Ke’er lowered her head in disappointment, looking like she was about to burst into tears.
“……”
Luya stood there with her mouth agape, not knowing what to say.
—Let down? You sly fox, are you mocking me?!
But to Jiang Ke’er, Luya’s expression looked like one of bitter disappointment, as if she hated her for not living up to expectations.
Luya-jie must be really unhappy with my performance… Sigh, I’m just too useless.
“Uh, well, it’s okay,” Luya said, forcing a dismissive look.
Wuwuwu—I’m really trash. Jiang Ke’er, Jiang Ke’er, you’re so useless, you’ve wasted so many opportunities Heaven and Earth have bestowed upon you!
Jiang Ke’er felt sad and cursed herself for being worthless.
How was she supposed to stand against the terrifying Tribulation Immortal Hall like this?
Luya watched Jiang Ke’er wallowing in self-pity and grew increasingly annoyed.
She wasn’t sure exactly how skilled Jiang Ke’er was in Poison Technique, but one thing was clear: if it were Luya, she absolutely couldn’t have achieved the same results.
Poison Technique is far too demanding of creativity and calculation.
The difference between a master of Poison Technique and a deadbeat lies in these flashes of genius…
Everyone can learn the theory in a few days, but the crucial “strangeness” is something that no amount of effort can compensate for.
Luya once poisoned an opponent using Mahjong tiles, killing a formidable enemy—a feat she could brag about forever, which she considered the pinnacle of her life…
Yet Jiang Ke’er’s skill in poison application left her utterly envious.
Every step seemed absurd on the surface but was actually laying the groundwork for the final chain reaction.
The masterstroke was the fungal warfare that the Wild Dragon Hall disciples hadn’t noticed—the war between fungi!
Different species of fungus evolved and mutated constantly, battling for territory and nutrients, eventually forming a strange symbiotic state that controlled the poisoned body and manipulated it to infect other cultivators!
The compound changes were incredibly complex, almost impossible to predict… but Jiang Ke’er had calculated it!
Never mind the creativity—what kind of terrifying computational ability is this?
This kind of calculation not only aids Poison Technique but can strengthen a cultivator’s overall power!
In other words, it’s a talent too immense to be quantified by things like spiritual root quality—yet extraordinarily powerful!
“I’m such trash, I’m such trash.” Jiang Ke’er crouched in the corner, mumbling to herself frantically.
Luya’s teeth itched, and she barely restrained the urge to throw a punch.
“So, what are we learning today?” Jiang Ke’er blinked and asked.
“Learn what? Nothing!” Luya suddenly lost it, grabbing a dry branch and furiously beating Jiang Ke’er with it.
“Waaah! Luya-jie, I know I was wrong!”
Jiang Ke’er screamed miserably under the blows. “I know I’m trash, my skills aren’t up to par, I’ve wasted Luya-jie’s teachings… I promise I’ll work twice as hard from now on!”
“Work twice as hard my ass!”
“Ahhh! Why are you hitting me harder now?!” Jiang Ke’er was at her wit’s end.
Facing a powerhouse like Luya, Jiang Ke’er had no strength to resist.
Though Luya wasn’t actually hitting hard—it didn’t hurt at all—Jiang Ke’er purposely screamed loudly to express her shame and repentance…
And somehow, the more Jiang Ke’er repented, the harder Luya hit.
Luya chased Jiang Ke’er around the cave, beating her for quite some time until the little stick broke.
Only then did she calm down, grinding her teeth and saying, “Today, we’re learning Pill Refinement.”
Jiang Ke’er hastily sat upright.
Pill Refinement was vast and profound. Unlike Poison Technique or Sacred Light Technique, the mysteries embedded in it couldn’t be grasped even with a day of study.
Because it wasn’t just about destruction like Poison Technique; Pill Refinement involved the Heaven and Earth Laws, cultivation principles, and various truths beyond words, which required time and experience to personally comprehend.
After studying for the entire night, even Jiang Ke’er felt dizzy and overwhelmed, unable to digest everything quickly.
Fortunately, the Wild Dragon Hall hadn’t caused any trouble recently.
The morning lesson proceeded as usual.
If there was any unexpected event, it was a figure that caught Jiang Ke’er’s attention after class.
A breathtakingly beautiful woman with a gentle demeanor came to deliver a letter to Yiqin Shifu.
Because she was completely different in style from Jiang Ke’er, she couldn’t help but steal a few extra glances.
Her name was Qian Yue, the new junior sister who had arrived at Starfall Peak yesterday, on the same generation as Jiang Ke’er.
Seemingly sensing Jiang Ke’er’s gaze, Qian Yue turned and smiled warmly, greeting her.
That smile was like a thousand flowers blooming on the mountain; her eyes seemed to hold a flowing spring, intoxicating Jiang Ke’er utterly.
Oh no!
Qian Yue’s gentle temperament was exactly the type Jiang Ke’er found irresistible!
Her cheeks flushed crimson, and she covered her burning face, letting out a mournful cry.
It was over, over!
This was what it felt like to have a crush!
One day earlier—
Iron Prison had been brooding for two days and nights, finally coming to terms with the reason for his defeat.
He had gotten reckless.
Completely lost his mind!
But there was a reason behind these reckless outbursts.
It was all that little monster from Lingyin Valley’s fault!
Don’t be fooled by her innocent and harmless appearance—her mind was far darker than the dirtiest old monsters he’d ever met!
Moreover, the bastard played the fool to hide her true strength, making it impossible for him to grasp her reality, luring him into a trap.
Exactly—he hadn’t lost to the Taiming Sect; he had lost entirely to that little monster!
So the solution was simple.
Just kill her!
He couldn’t do it personally—it was impossible with the Taiming Sect always on guard.
Besides, after those two incidents, the Taiming Sect would be protecting that little monster like a Sect-treasured Relic.
So the task had to be handed to a professional…
A professional?
Hehe, luckily he already had ties with the Assassins Guild!
He was an A-rank member customer! He could even assign the legendary number-one-ranked assassin in Shenzhou—Blue Shadow—to take on the task and carry out the assassination personally!
Blue Shadow had disappeared for years but recently reemerged, immediately pulling off a shocking feat—the assassination of the King of Ao Lai!
She had struck thousands of times, completing countless S-rank assassination missions without a single failure, boasting a legendary killer record!
In that case, the assassination of that little monster from the Taiming Sect would be entrusted to Blue Shadow!
He just didn’t know if the proud Killer King would accept the job; if she refused, there was nothing he could do.
Iron Prison sent the assignment via communication. By evening, he received the reply from the Assassins Guild.
[Blue Shadow has accepted the mission. Please await good news.]