Chapter 15: This Generation’s Master of Penglai Island Has a Serious Problem

Then, shall I do it?

No matter how perilous the situation, having the Penglai Island Master by one’s side brought a sense of safety and reliability. It undoubtedly added a layer of security to everyone’s hearts.

Though, they were very curious—where did the Penglai Island Master get those dozen or so Golden Cores? Had she cut them out of other cultivators and taken them for herself?! In an instant, the others looked at Cheng Huan with eyes full of fear and shock.

After surviving that ordeal, they left the area Cheng Huan had turned into a wasteland. After walking for half an hour, they found a relatively safe and peaceful pebble beach by a pool of water.

This entire journey, Lu Qing’an had been tightly clutching Cheng Huan’s hand. Cheng Huan assumed the Female Lead was still in shock and hadn’t recovered yet, so she just let her hold on.

Cheng Huan noticed Lu Qing’an’s right arm was still bleeding. It must have been injured earlier.

“Your arm is injured. Do you still have any blood-stanching medicine?”

Because of her second Persona Card, Cheng Huan’s entire person was bare, with nothing hidden.

Lu Qing’an looked at Cheng Huan, her gaze deep and penetrating, as if she wanted to see right through her. Seeing Lu Qing’an unresponsive, Cheng Huan assumed she hadn’t heard and repeated herself. “Your wound is still bleeding. Do you have any medicine? I’ll apply the medicine and stop the bleeding.”

Lu Qing’an blinked. Her lips moved, and her voice was a little low and hoarse. “I…”

Before she could finish, Gu Chuan interrupted. “Qing’an’s right arm was cut by an unknown stalk of Spirit Grass. Although the scratch is small, the edges have turned purplish-red. It won’t stop bleeding, and no matter how many times we applied Golden Wound Powder, it wouldn’t heal.”

Gu Chuan glanced at Cheng Huan and turned to You Luan. “Sect Master, Elder, with your vast experience, you can surely identify the strangeness of Qing’an’s wound.”

You Luan walked to Lu Qing’an’s side and examined the wound on her right arm. It was just as Gu Chuan said: the cut was small, the edges were red and swollen, the color was purplish-red turning black, and fresh blood was constantly flowing from the wound.

Initially, when they saw the blood on Lu Qing’an’s sleeve, they hadn’t thought much of it. After all, the Secret Realm was incredibly dangerous; everyone had blood on them, more or less. So seeing her sleeve soaked in blood didn’t raise any immediate alarm.

But now, seeing the severity of Lu Qing’an’s wound, You Luan reached a conclusion in his mind.

“It’s poison.”

The Little Hedgehog: [It’s poison.]

Cheng Huan raised an eyebrow. “You know it?”

The Little Hedgehog nodded. [Host, every time we arrive at a new scene, I upload all the data content into my database for archiving. So just by looking at the Female Lead’s wound, I was able to find a matching world entry in the database.]

Cheng Huan: “You have that function?”

[I thought the Host knew?] The Little Hedgehog pouted, looking aggrieved. [Host, all those Spirit Treasures you brought out from the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss were screened by me by comparing their value and utility against the database.]

Cheng Huan laughed awkwardly. “Haha… really? Our Newbie System is so awesome and amazing!”

Back then, she’d been too busy “slaying beasts and robbing goods” to pay attention to where the Little Hedgehog’s data was coming from!

The Little Hedgehog: Even with its simple emotional range, it could tell Cheng Huan was being dismissive.

Speaking of the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss, Cheng Huan’s eyes lit up. “Among those Spirit Treasures I brought out from the Ghost Flood Dragon Abyss, is there anything that can cure the Female Lead’s poison?”

The Little Hedgehog: [There is a Linked Heart Spirit Flower that can cure a hundred poisons. The Host can use it to detoxify the Female Lead.]

Cheng Huan exhaled in relief. “Alright, I understand.” As long as it could cure the poison. Otherwise, if the Female Lead she’d worked so hard to train got poisoned to death… just thinking about it made Cheng Huan feel frustrated.

[But…]

Before the Little Hedgehog could finish its sentence, Cheng Huan heard You Luan begin to speak. “This poison comes from Rainbow Ripple Grass. Its toxicity isn’t strong, but it causes the victim’s consciousness to grow chaotic, leads to unstoppable bleeding, and ultimately, they lose themselves and die from blood loss. Wherever Rainbow Ripple Grass grows, its antidote will always be nearby.”

Gu Chuan frowned deeply. “We can’t turn back now. Sect Master, can this poison be forced out with Spiritual Power?”

You Luan shook his head. “This poison only appears to exist on the surface. In reality, it rapidly seeps deep into the marrow, contaminates the Spirit Sea, and corrodes the cultivator’s Golden Core. It cannot be forced out.”

Hearing it would corrode the Golden Core, Gu Chuan panicked and looked at Lu Qing’an. “Qing’an, quickly check if your Golden Core has been corroded!”

Lu Qing’an shook her head. “I don’t have any of the severe symptoms Master described.” Her current experience was simply unstoppable bleeding and slightly muddled consciousness. Her Spirit Sea and Golden Core remained as normal.

You Luan thought for a moment and speculated, “Likely Qing’an hasn’t been poisoned long enough for the toxicity to reach her marrow.”

Gu Chuan’s eyes lit up. “Then… then can it be forced out?”

Cheng Huan and You Luan both shook their heads.

“No,” You Luan said. “The poison of Rainbow Ripple Grass adheres to the flesh, blood, meridians, and bone marrow. Forcing it out would be no different from skinning someone alive or breaking their bones.”

Gu Chuan’s face went pale. “Th-then what do we do?” Going back to find the antidote was impossible. Could they only sit here and wait for death?!

Cheng Huan looked at Lu Qing’an. She saw her expression was calm, as if death meant nothing to her.

Curious, Cheng Huan asked, “Aren’t you afraid? This poison probably can’t be cured. You’ll die.”

Before Lu Qing’an could reply, Gu Chuan started shouting, accusingly: “Is the Penglai Island Master deliberately causing trouble? Qing’an is poisoned with no cure, and you’re still kicking her while she’s down, mocking her? Do you even deserve to be human? Do you even deserve to like Qing’an?”

“…” Cheng Huan frowned. The moment she lifted her gaze, an icy, heavy aura crushed into everyone’s hearts. “Have I been too lenient with you, to the point where you’ve forgotten I really will kill you?”

True, the collapse of the world caused by the Male and Female Leads’ deaths would affect Cheng Huan’s retirement. But Cheng Huan wouldn’t let anyone bully her time and time again. She still had some Points left, barely enough to shoulder the penalty for world collapse. If someone truly pushed her too far, she was fully capable of disregarding all consequences and perishing together with them.

Seized by Cheng Huan’s stare, Gu Chuan felt as if a hand was griping his throat. His face flushed crimson, and his body trembled involuntarily.

This terrifyingly oppressive might, this soul-shaking aura—even Guan Zhengping, a Mid Void Insight Stage cultivator, couldn’t help but hold his breath.

Cheng Huan narrowed her eyes and said coldly, “If I hear one more word of disrespect from you, I’ll…” Her pupils dilated slightly. She looked down at Lu Qing’an, who had grabbed her hand. The softness in her palm instantly dispersed the dark gloom in her heart.

Lu Qing’an’s face was pale, her voice weak, a faint air of illness lingering between her brows. She whispered, “Cheng Huan, I feel terrible…”

“Don’t be afraid. You won’t die.” Cheng Huan reined in her coldness. She raised her hand and, from the Storage Ring on Lu Qing’an’s finger, retrieved the Linked Heart Spirit Flower.

Seeing Lu Qing’an’s Storage Ring, You Luan’s expression flickered. When he saw Cheng Huan take out the Linked Heart Spirit Flower, he exclaimed, “That’s a Heaven-Rank Grade Five Linked Heart Spirit Flower?!”

The moment Guan Zhengping saw the flower, his eyes filled with shock. “Linked Heart Spirit Flower. A hundred years to break through the soil, a hundred years to bloom. Its growth is exceedingly difficult. It can cure a hundred poisons. If refined, it can raise one’s cultivation by one or two levels.”

Hearing this, everyone stared in disbelief at the unassuming little yellow flower in Cheng Huan’s hand.

Cheng Huan didn’t care how miraculous or powerful this Linked Heart Spirit Flower was. She only cared about one thing: whether this herb could cure Lu Qing’an’s poison.

Just now, the Little Hedgehog had briefed her. The medicinal potency of the Linked Heart Spirit Flower resided in its four petals. Given Lu Qing’an’s current level of poisoning, consuming just one petal would be enough to cure her.

But Cheng Huan worried there might be residual poison affecting Lu Qing’an’s future cultivation. So she directly plucked all the petals, crushed them lightly, and brought them to Lu Qing’an’s lips.

Watching Cheng Huan “ruthlessly destroy the flower,” everyone’s expressions held a trace of pain and regret. That was a once-in-a-century Linked Heart Spirit Flower, just ruined like that.

Seeing Cheng Huan remove all the petals, Guan Zhengping was deeply pained. “Only one petal was needed.”

Cheng Huan was indifferent. “Doesn’t matter. As long as it cures the poison.”

She saw Lu Qing’an wasn’t moving and urged, “Eat it. Didn’t you just say you felt terrible? Once you eat it, you won’t feel bad anymore.”

A soft, gentle light tinged Lu Qing’an’s pure eyes. She opened her mouth to eat, but You Luan spoke up to stop her: “Wait a moment.”

Lu Qing’an paused and looked at You Luan, puzzled. “Master?”

Cheng Huan asked, “What is it?”

You Luan explained: “To deal with Rainbow Ripple Grass poison, you must first suck the Floating Poison out from the skin’s surface. Then, you consume the Linked Heart Spirit Flower to cure the internal poison within the flesh, blood, and meridians. Otherwise, even if the Rainbow Ripple Grass poison is neutralized, the wound will fester due to the remaining Floating Poison. Cutting away the flesh would be needed for it to heal.”

Cheng Huan frowned. “If the Linked Heart Spirit Flower can cure a hundred poisons, it should naturally be able to cure the Floating Poison of the Rainbow Ripple Grass too, shouldn’t it?” Otherwise, wouldn’t that be contradictory?

You Luan said, “That the Linked Heart Spirit Flower can cure a hundred poisons is true. But the residual poison of the Rainbow Ripple Grass has already eroded the flesh and blood. Even if the poison itself is neutralized, the eroded flesh and blood must be cut away. However, if you first suck out the Floating Poison of the Rainbow Ripple Grass, the eroded flesh and blood can be completely healed by the Linked Heart Spirit Flower’s medicinal effect.”

Cheng Huan: “…” She didn’t trust You Luan alone. Turning to the Little Hedgehog, she asked, “Is that true?”

The Little Hedgehog nodded. [Correct. To use the Linked Heart Spirit Flower, the Floating Poison of the Rainbow Ripple Grass must be sucked out first. The Linked Heart Spirit Flower’s nature is intensely potent and fiery. It will only neutralize the toxin of the Rainbow Ripple Grass. It will not heal the rotten flesh eroded by the grass. In fact, due to the intensity of its medicinal effect, it could worsen the decay. Therefore, one must first suck out the Floating Poison, then take the Linked Heart Spirit Flower.]

So she had to suck the poison first before applying the medicine?!

[That’s right,] The Little Hedgehog, sharing Cheng Huan’s mood, said, [Although, there’s one thing that’s rather strange?]

“What?” Cheng Huan thought there was a problem with the Female Lead’s poison.

The Little Hedgehog said, puzzled: [The Rainbow Ripple Grass’s toxin is only adhering to the Female Lead’s flesh and blood. Her Spirit Sea and Golden Core haven’t been affected by the Rainbow Ripple Grass at all. It’s already been six hours since she was poisoned. Logically, half of her Golden Core should be corroded by now.]

Cheng Huan’s lips curved up slightly. She didn’t answer the Little Hedgehog’s confusion.

“Then just suck it out,” Cheng Huan looked at the others. “Who among you will do it?”

They were all her fellow Disciples. Sucking out poison was such a simple little task, right?

Everyone: “…”

You’re asking us?

Lu Qing’an stared at Cheng Huan in astonishment. “…”

You’re asking them?

Cheng Huan was baffled by their stares. “What are you all looking at me for? Hurry up and suck the poison out for your Eldest Senior Sister. She’s saved your lives so many times. You wouldn’t be unwilling to do something as simple as sucking out poison, would you?”

Seeing everyone wearing strange expressions and no one moving, Cheng Huan thought: Has the Female Lead saved a bunch of ingrates? She looked at Gu Chuan and assigned the task directly. “Hurry up, you do it!”

After all, he was supposedly the official match chosen by the Heavenly Dao, and he was constantly eager to dual cultivate with the Female Lead. Helping suck out the poison wasn’t too much to ask, right?!

Gu Chuan: “…”

He wanted to do it too, but Lu Qing’an’s face was now as dark as ink, showing not a trace of happiness or peace at the prospect of being saved. The others were also too scared to open their mouths, frightened by Lu Qing’an’s gloomy expression.

Seeing even the Male Lead wasn’t moving, Cheng Huan immediately became dissatisfied. “I said, are you…”

“No need to suck it out,” Lu Qing’an looked at Cheng Huan. “When the time comes, just cut the flesh out directly.”

Cheng Huan: “Aren’t you afraid of the pain?”

Lu Qing’an: “I am, but I can endure it.”

“Endure my ass! This is clearly a problem that can be solved by just sucking out the poison. Why suffer the pain of cutting out flesh?” Cheng Huan looked at the others with a gaze that screamed “ungrateful wretches.” “Lu Qing’an saved you in your moment of crisis, and this is how you repay her?”

Everyone: “…”

Why don’t you turn around and see the knife-sharp glare and sinister expression on Lu Qing’an’s face before you lecture us?

A female Disciple finally couldn’t withstand Cheng Huan’s condemnation. Braving Lu Qing’an’s icy stare, she raised her trembling hand. “I… I can suck the poison out for Eldest Senior Sister…”

Cheng Huan smiled slightly. “Now that’s more like…”

“No need!” Lu Qing’an said coldly.

She reached for the Linked Heart Spirit Flower in Cheng Huan’s hand and opened her mouth to eat it. Seeing this, Cheng Huan immediately snatched it back, exasperated. “What are you doing? Your junior sister is willing to suck out the poison for you. Why are you insisting on suffering needlessly?”

Lu Qing’an’s eyes reddened. She said stubbornly, “No need!”

“Why?” Cheng Huan was so frustrated by the Female Lead that she placed her hands on her hips, feeling like she was dealing with someone who refused to be helped.

Lu Qing’an turned her face away. “No reason.”

Cheng Huan’s short temper flared up. She pulled Lu Qing’an around. Facing her slightly red eyes, she looked utterly wronged. Cheng Huan didn’t understand. Someone was clearly willing to suck out the Floating Poison for her. Why was this girl so determined to have her flesh cut out?

“You don’t want your junior sister to do it, then how about letting Gu Chuan do it?” After all, they were childhood sweethearts.

Lu Qing’an was silent.

Gu Chuan rolled his eyes.

Seeing her attitude, it was clearly a no. “Then let your Master do it?”

Lu Qing’an’s eyes widened in disbelief.

You Luan gave an awkward laugh.

“Then let Elder Guan do it?”

Lu Qing’an’s eyes grew redder, glistening with unshed tears.

Guan Zhengping turned his back, withdrawing from worldly affairs.

Cheng Huan was speechless. She probed, “Then… shall I do it?”

Lu Qing’an: “Alright.”

Cheng Huan: “…”

Cheng Huan: So you were lying in wait for me here all along?!

Lu Qing’an smiled faintly.