“Wuu wuu…” Long-browed Daoist suddenly clutched his throat with both hands, face turning crimson, eyes rolling back, clearly choking.
“What’s wrong with the Daoist?” Yun Xi cried out in alarm.
“He’s choking.” Ye Qiu stepped forward, pressed a finger to Long-browed Daoist’s throat, and sent a surge of true qi through. Then he delivered a powerful slap to the old man’s back.
“Waaah!”
Long-browed Daoist’s mouth flew open and, whoosh, the demon core shot out.
He snatched it mid-air and gulped down huge breaths of fresh air.
Two minutes later, his complexion returned to normal. He exclaimed, “This poor Daoist nearly died because of that demon core!”
Ye Qiu asked irritably, “Still planning to eat it?”
“Why not?” Long-browed Daoist answered. With a sudden squeeze of his hand, he crushed the core in half and stuffed both pieces into his mouth.
Still eating?
Ye Qiu nearly exploded with anger. Yun Xi had just said the core could be refined into top-grade spiritual pills, yet the old man was devouring it raw.
“Damn it, we finally got a demon core and you wasted it like this. What a heavenly waste!” Ye Qiu snapped. “You’d better pray it isn’t poisonous, because if it is, don’t expect me to save you.”
Long-browed Daoist chuckled. “Little brat, don’t be mad. This is the first demon core I’ve ever seen. I just wanted to know what it tastes like.”
“And you know what? It’s actually delicious. Soft yet springy, sweet with a hint of milky fragrance. Exactly like jelly.”
“Something this tasty can’t possibly be poisonous…”
Before he could finish, his face drained of colour, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he clutched his stomach with both hands.
“Aiyo, it hurts…”
Long-browed Daoist let out a pained howl and collapsed, rolling on the ground.
While rolling, he yelled, “Little brat, it’s all your crow mouth… aiyo, it hurts so much… save me…”
“Serves you right for being greedy!” Ye Qiu did not rush to help. He stood aside and said, “Let you suffer a bit longer. Maybe you’ll learn your lesson.”
“Little brat, please, save me, I’m dying…” Long-browed Daoist started foaming at the mouth, limbs convulsing, looking at Ye Qiu with pleading eyes.
Worse still, his face turned purple in the blink of an eye.
“Hm?” Ye Qiu’s brows shot up. He stepped forward quickly and grabbed the old man’s wrist to check his pulse.
The commotion drew everyone’s attention. The Azure Cloud disciples who had been drinking and eating all stopped and hurried over.
Lin DaNiao asked Mo Tianji, “What’s going on?”
“Master ate a demon core. Looks like he’s poisoned,” Mo Tianji replied.
Lin DaNiao’s eyes widened. “So this is the legendary ‘disaster comes from the mouth’?”
Yun Xi came up behind Ye Qiu and asked, “Changsheng, how is the Daoist?”
“Seriously poisoned. If we don’t treat him now, he won’t last an hour.” Ye Qiu swiftly produced golden needles and began inserting them into Long-browed Daoist’s body.
His needling was lightning-fast, perfectly accurate, and rock-steady.
Swish, swish, swish!
In moments, dozens of golden needles covered Long-browed Daoist’s body. Ye Qiu flicked the tail of one needle.
Buzz!
Every needle vibrated violently at once, humming in unison. A golden stream of qi flowed between them like a little golden dragon.
The Azure Cloud disciples were stunned.
“What incredible acupuncture!”
“His medical skills are extraordinary!”
“No wonder the saintess chose him!”
“…”
After finishing the needling, Ye Qiu placed his right palm above Long-browed Daoist’s dantian.
True qi poured from his palm into the old man’s dantian.
Ten seconds later, the convulsions stopped and the pain on Long-browed Daoist’s face vanished.
Smack!
Ye Qiu pressed down hard. A torrent of true qi surged forth. Long-browed Daoist’s mouth gaped wide and he vomited a mouthful of black blood, then gasped for air.
Ye Qiu swept his palm and retrieved all the golden needles. “How do you feel?”
“This poor Daoist nearly met his maker.” Long-browed Daoist glared at Ye Qiu. “It’s all because of your crow mouth. If not for you, how could I have been poisoned?”
Ye Qiu retorted, “You’re blaming me? Knowing you, I shouldn’t have saved you at all. The dog bites Lü Dongbin and doesn’t recognise a kind heart.”
Mo Tianji added, “Master, you can’t blame big brother for this. If you hadn’t greedily eaten the demon core, how would you be poisoned?”
Long-browed Daoist whipped around and glared at Mo Tianji. “Are you still my junior brother or not?”
“Of course I am,” Mo Tianji answered.
“If you are, why aren’t you taking my side and instead helping the little brat?” Long-browed Daoist grumbled.
Mo Tianji said, “I’m only speaking the truth.”
“Hmph!” Long-browed Daoist snorted and climbed to his feet.
Yun Xi asked, “Daoist, are you all right now?”
Long-browed Daoist, now aware of Yun Xi’s background, replied very politely. “Thank you for your concern, fairy. This poor Daoist has great fortune and a tough life. I’m fine now. Not only fine, after eating that demon core I feel incredibly light. It’s simply indescribab… ah…”
He suddenly yelled, startling everyone again.
“What are you screaming for?” Ye Qiu asked.
“So hot! This poor Daoist feels like his body is about to explode.” Long-browed Daoist’s skin burned, his blood boiled, his face turned scarlet, and steam rose from his body as though he were being roasted in flames.
Ye Qiu’s expression changed slightly.
“Could there still be poison left in him?”
He was about to check the pulse again when Yun Xi spoke. “A demon core contains immense life force and energy. It is the essence of a demon beast’s entire lifetime. Consuming it raw can greatly boost one’s realm.”
“Daoist, hurry and circulate your qi to absorb the power of the demon core.”
Long-browed Daoist immediately sat cross-legged and began circulating his true qi. Instantly, waves of heat erupted from him like a volcano spewing lava in all directions.
The surrounding temperature soared.
“Fall back,” Yun Xi ordered gravely.
Everyone quickly retreated, putting distance between themselves and Long-browed Daoist.
Soon, red light radiated from his body. He became a blazing bonfire, dazzling and blinding.
Everyone could clearly sense the tremendous surge of life force within him, and his cultivation was skyrocketing.
