Chapter 80: A Fateful Encounter

Chen Qi finally emerged from the poisonous swamp, his feet landing on solid ground. Seeing the landscape return to normal and a dense forest appearing in the distance, he let out a long sigh of relief. Even with the medicinal treasure protecting his internal organs, Chen Qi had not dared to breathe freely within the swamp, fearing that inhaling too much miasma would overwhelm the medicine’s potency. After all, he had witnessed Zhao Fan—a man who had seemed invincible—be driven to his death by that very same miasma.

The thought sent a shiver of lingering fear through him. He had a growing suspicion that the strength of the innate experts in this world far exceeded the first tier, reaching a level he could not hope to counter—or even react to before his own items could be deployed. Had it not been for a series of coincidences and diversions, he would have long since become just another heap of bones, a sacrifice on the path to power.

"I never imagined I would end up walking the path of a protagonist," Chen Qi mused to himself, pausing to rest and recover his strength. Feeling the vibrant life around him and the faint, natural sound of insects, he was nearly moved to tears, his breathing deepening. A place where one could rest anywhere was a luxury, unlike that hellish swamp where standing still meant sinking, forcing everyone to keep moving.

Taking advantage of this precious downtime, Chen Qi opened his storage space and examined the two items he had obtained from the decapitation treasure chest. The first was a scroll painted with six fierce beasts.

[Trial Scroll: Black Poison Swamp]
Origin: Cangxing Continent · Decapitation Treasure Chest
Quality: Purple
Category: Special Item
Requirement: User must be Tier 1; item becomes unusable upon breaking through to Tier 2.
Effect: Creates a realistic illusion. The user must face five rounds of challenges. Each victory grants basic skill points, and successfully completing all five rounds yields additional rewards.
Current Challenge Round: 0/5
Note: Death within the illusion will not cause physical harm but will drain the user's stamina and mental energy, proportional to their physique and intelligence.
Special Note: Soul-bound upon acquisition (can be unbound by completing all five rounds). Cannot be sold or traded.
Current Bound User: No. 2FD957
Rating: 300 (Rating slightly reduced due to difficulty constraints)
Description: Your arrival led to the demise of the Black Poison Swamp's masters. Though they died because of you, they have decided to teach you a lesson from beyond the grave.
Price: Cannot be sold!

Staring at the scroll made of unknown material, Chen Qi could see the lifelike eyes of the beasts, which seemed to radiate endless resentment. It made his skin crawl. Now was not the time to use it, so he tucked it away and turned his attention to the vial of unknown liquid.

[Bloodline Mixture: Poison Spirit Body]
Origin: Cangxing Continent
Quality: Purple
Category: Bloodline Consumable
Effect: Upon use, grants a chance to attain the Poison Spirit Body. Success probability is influenced by the user's current physical condition.
Selected User Success Probability: 47% to become a Poison Spirit Body, 41% chance of failure, 10% chance of immediate death, 1.94% chance of unknown mutation, 0.06% chance of awakening the Ten-Thousand Poison King Body!
Note: The Poison Spirit Body provides a significant boost in environments like swamps.
Note: Poison Spirit Body is a B-grade physique; Ten-Thousand Poison King Body is an SS-grade physique!
Rating: 251
Description: Drink it and become a Poison Spirit Body—it’s better than being a blank slate. Besides, if you gamble, a bicycle might turn into a motorcycle!
Price: 2,333 universal points

Chen Qi read the attributes twice, a cold sneer forming on his face. "This old alchemist is a real piece of work; I’m not drinking a single drop!" He was deeply skeptical of the so-called "Ten-Thousand Poison King Body," viewing it like a gambling jackpot—a mirage that only existed to bait the desperate. Regardless, he was in high spirits; he was certain he could sell this for a good price, as there was never a shortage of gamblers in this world.

With two purple-tier items in his storage, Chen Qi hummed a folk song from his hometown, tapping out a rhythm. It had been worth risking his life to set the trap for those beasts. Furthermore, his calculations had significantly advanced his title progression quest—something hinted at by the scroll’s description, reflecting the depth of the beasts' grudge.
[Current Beast Spirit Resentment: 237/300]

After a short rest, Chen Qi looked at the sky. Through the thick mist, he saw the sun sinking toward the horizon. Knowing he was not yet out of danger, he resumed his journey, searching for a way down the mountain. Following a winding path, he finally reached the backside of the mountain and discovered a downward trail hidden among the dense vegetation. It was easy to miss. Even though the slope was steep for an ordinary person and carried the constant risk of sliding, for a martial artist like him, it was practically a slide.

Tightening his scabbard to ensure his blade wouldn't be lost again, he leaned forward, ready to descend in style. That was when he saw a pillar of light erupt from the summit! Even from a distance, Chen Qi could feel that this pillar was far more powerful than the previous one; the vibrations shook him, leaving his mind momentarily dazed. He watched as the blast sent massive boulders—some the size of cars—tumbling down the cliff, gathering speed and posing a grave threat.

Fortunately, most of the falling rocks struck the long, slanted trees, breaking them and altering their trajectory, which brought him a measure of relief. After watching for a moment, Chen Qi pushed off. With his blood energy surging and his muscles tensed, he controlled his descent, dodging obstacles and leaping off natural footholds with the grace of a skier.

Suddenly, he spotted a flash of blinding cyan light amidst the falling debris. The light slammed into the slope, bounced, and pulverized everything it touched. The speed increased until it struck a spot at the foot of the mountain with a thunderous boom. Curiosity piqued, Chen Qi hesitated. "Could that be a treasure? Just one look from afar shouldn't hurt, right?"

After a few seconds of deliberation, he made his choice. Stomping his right foot and using the rebound force, he expertly maneuvered his body toward the cyan light. The motto that convinced him was simple: "People die for wealth, birds for food. Wait, no—the bolder the person, the greater the harvest!"

As he closed the distance, the light became clearer, revealing a human figure. Recognizing the silhouette, Chen Qi stopped holding back. Exhaling a cloud of white mist, he sprinted at full speed toward the light. Finally, he saw Yun Tianxin!

But she was not the high-and-mighty, cold, and elegant senior sister he remembered. She was on all fours, ignoring the dirt staining her delicate palms, her cute nose twitching as if she were tracking a scent. Her green robes were torn from the violent friction, revealing glimpses of fair skin that made Chen Qi’s heart race uncontrollably. Her long, straight hair, once pinned up, now hung in a messy, flowing cascade, giving her a wild and strangely untamed beauty.

The contrast between her usual graceful, dignified image and this primal state was jarring. Of course, there was also an instinctual, primal desire at play. It was as if an intellectual female teacher from his world had suddenly stripped off her uniform to reveal leather gear and dropped to all fours right in front of him—especially right after she had just finished teaching him a lesson and he hadn't yet recovered from her sharp criticisms.

Suddenly, Yun Tianxin lifted her head, her gaze locking coldly with the descending Chen Qi. The atmosphere froze. What Chen Qi saw were eyes devoid of emotion, glowing with such intense cyan light that it seemed ready to spill over. He felt a humanoid force of wind rushing toward him at breakneck speed...