Heavenly God Palace, Council Hall.
Vice Palace Master Yao and several immortals were in discussion.
“Vice Palace Master Yao, Lin Yun has been poisoned by the demon clan’s soul-severing poison. Urgent! Come quickly!”
Receiving the message, Vice Palace Master Yao’s expression changed drastically.
“Damn it, how could this happen!”
Vice Palace Master Yao shot up from his seat, his face filled with shock and rage.
Without a doubt, this news was a bolt from the blue for him!
He knew Lin Yun’s importance to the human race. Even if Lin Yun couldn’t broker an alliance with the dragon clan now, his presence offered hope for the future, at least ensuring the dragon clan wouldn’t oppose humans in a war against the demon clan.
“Vice Palace Master Yao, what’s wrong?” An immortal, seeing his distress, quickly asked.
Yao didn’t answer, only saying, “Everyone, I have urgent business. I’ll step out.”
With that, he swiftly left.
“Vice Palace Master Yao!”
The immortals watched his departing figure, utterly confused. What major event had occurred?
…
Meanwhile.
Beimen Prefecture, the plain outside Nanyang Temple.
Despite Lin Yun’s desperate efforts and unwavering resolve, under the toxin’s relentless assault, he slowly closed his eyes.
“Disciple!”
“Lin Yun!”
Seeing Lin Yun’s eyes close, Emperor Fire Cloud called out repeatedly, but Lin Yun didn’t stir.
“Disciple!!!” Emperor Fire Cloud roared in despair.
At that moment, a flying vessel approached at astonishing speed and landed.
It was the Beimen Prefecture Lord. Emperor Fire Cloud had notified him immediately after leaving the Divine Capital.
“Your Highness!”
The Beimen Prefecture Lord saluted Emperor Fire Cloud, accompanied by several Transcending Tribulation realm cultivators and an elite guard team.
“Lord Zhou, what are you doing! A celestial demon infiltrated Beimen Prefecture, and you knew nothing? How do you handle security!” Emperor Fire Cloud roared, his voice laced with immense pressure and boundless fury, like crashing waves, terrifying the Prefecture Lord and his men, their souls trembling!
“Your Highness, forgive me!”
The Prefecture Lord dropped to his knees, trembling in fear.
His subordinates followed suit, kneeling and barely daring to breathe.
Emperor Fire Cloud’s wrath was terrifying!
“If my disciple dies, you, Lord Zhou, will face punishment!” Emperor Fire Cloud’s eyes blazed with fury.
“This subordinate is incompetent! Incompetent!”
The Prefecture Lord kowtowed repeatedly, his hair standing on end. He had never seen Emperor Fire Cloud so enraged.
Then, another figure appeared from afar, arriving in an instant.
It was Vice Palace Master Yao of the Heavenly God Palace.
Emperor Fire Cloud’s expression softened slightly upon seeing him.
“Vice Palace Master Yao, please take a look!” Emperor Fire Cloud urgently sought his help.
As the Vice Palace Master, Yao was undoubtedly stronger than Emperor Fire Cloud and skilled in refining medicines, like the wine he once brewed for him. In healing and detoxification, Yao far surpassed Emperor Fire Cloud.
“Fire Cloud, don’t panic. Let me check.”
Yao approached Lin Yun, lifting him and probing his condition.
Emperor Fire Cloud held his breath, his gaze fixed on Lin Yun, filled with both hope and dread…
After examining him, Yao’s expression grew grave. “It is indeed the demon clan’s soul-severing poison. The demon clan pays a steep price to refine even a small amount of this precious poison. They used it on Lin Yun because of his ties to the dragon clan.”
Once injected, the soul-severing poison was a deadly threat, even to immortals!
The best defense was to block it from entering the body.
“Is there hope?” Emperor Fire Cloud asked anxiously.
Yao shook his head. “Normally, he’d have no chance of survival.”
Then, Yao continued, “But this kid hasn’t died yet. He’s only passed out from the poison’s torment. Fire Cloud, you used the Supreme Golden Crow Pill to protect him, didn’t you? It slowed the toxin’s spread significantly, or he’d likely be dead by now.”
“Also, his willpower is astonishing. The toxin hasn’t severely eroded his mind, thanks to his stubborn resistance. Combined with his robust physique, anyone weaker would’ve been fully consumed by the poison, and your pill wouldn’t have helped.” Yao sighed in admiration.
Yao knew how hard it was to resist the soul-severing poison with willpower. Lin Yun’s ability to do so was remarkable!
“So, there’s hope?” Emperor Fire Cloud looked at Yao.
“It was certain death, but his strong will and physique have earned him a sliver of a chance—maybe a ten percent shot at survival. But he’s still unlikely to make it. Prepare yourself,” Yao said.
With that, Yao took out a medicinal gourd, pried open Lin Yun’s mouth, and poured the medicinal wine inside.
“A sliver of hope is better than none,” Emperor Fire Cloud murmured.
After pouring the wine, Yao stored the gourd and said, “Now, it’s up to his fate. He’s in a deep coma. Over the next ten days, he could die at any moment. If he survives ten days, he might wake up.”
“Ten days?” Emperor Fire Cloud’s gaze hardened.
“Fire Cloud, I must be clear. Even if he wakes, the poison will remain. I can’t remove the soul-severing poison, nor can anyone in the human race, not even the Palace Master. If he wakes, his future is ruined, and he won’t live long. The poison will keep spreading until it kills him,” Yao said.
This was devastating news for Emperor Fire Cloud.
“I… understand. Let’s do everything to save him first,” Emperor Fire Cloud said, lowering his head in grief.
Lin Yun was, without doubt, his most prized disciple in tens of thousands of years, one he held in high esteem and pinned great hopes on!
He admired Lin Yun’s talent, character, steadfast will, and unyielding spirit…
But now, it was all ruined!
“Damn demon clan! Damn demon clan!!!” Emperor Fire Cloud trembled, a terrifying rage erupting from within!
