The gaze of a cultivator above the fifth layer of Qi Refining brought immense pressure down upon Zhou Luo.
Fortunately, Lin Zhishou stepped forward, shielding him from the oppressive stare.
“The Lu Family wouldn’t go back on their word, would they?” Lin Zhishou asked coldly.
“Hmph, it is merely a Magical Artifact. My Lu Family can still afford to lose it,” Lu Chen scoffed, tossing the precious sword over.
Lin Zhishou caught it cleanly, smiling cheerfully as he set it aside.
“This matter is not over,” Lu Chen barked sharply, flicking his sleeves as he strode away.
The Lu Family disciples quickly followed him out.
“Like dogs driven from their den,” Lin Zhishou remarked with disdain.
With the written exam concluded, the first day of the Alchemy Gathering drew to a close, and the alchemists who were merely there to make up the numbers left in disappointment.
Li Shuntian, however, requested the members of the Longevity Families to remain, intending to host a banquet for them.
Aside from the Lu Family, everyone else proceeded to the core area of the Li Family estate.
Along the way, Lin Zhishou looked at Zhou Luo with great gratification. “You did exceptionally well. When we return, I will ensure the family rewards you handsomely.”
“Thank you, Uncle Shou,” Zhou Luo replied gratefully.
In truth, he coveted that Magical Artifact.
But it was obvious that an item of such caliber was not yet his to wield.
At the banquet, the other Longevity Families first offered their congratulations on Lin Zhishou’s breakthrough, and then praised the Lin Family for recruiting such an exceptional son-in-law.
After today, the other Longevity Families would likely begin making their own preparations to heavily recruit matrilocal husbands.
The banquet lasted late into the night.
Only then did Lin Zhishou lead Lin Nian and Zhou Luo back to the Tianxia Inn.
Entering his room, Zhou Luo was about to drink some water. He had just picked up the cup when he suddenly frowned.
He stared at the rim of the cup, his expression turning grave.
The water was poisoned!
As a peak Rank One poison master, he recognized the tampering at a single glance.
Furthermore, it was a Rank One Middle Grade poison: Confusing Soul Powder.
This poison dissolved instantly in water, leaving no color or scent, and could effortlessly knock out a Qi Refining cultivator.
If he hadn’t sharply detected a faint trace of residue on the rim, he would have undoubtedly fallen victim to it.
Who had slipped into his room to poison the water?
Zhou Luo sat in his chair, sinking into deep thought.
Soon, he locked onto Lu Chen as the prime suspect.
The entire tenth floor was reserved exclusively for the Longevity Families. Only the Lu Family, who had skipped the banquet, had the opportunity to pull this off.
They hadn’t used a lethal poison, only the Confusing Soul Powder.
It seemed their goal was to steal back the Magical Artifact.
They might even take the opportunity to wipe him out in the process. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
After all, his actions today had thoroughly infuriated them. To suppress a bitter rival, the Lu Family was entirely capable of such underhanded tactics.
Since his own room had been tampered with, Lin Zhishou’s situation was likely the same.
Zhou Luo abruptly stood up, intending to stop them.
But on second thought, if he spoke out to warn the others, there would be no way to explain how he had discovered the poison.
Zhou Luo fell into a dilemma.
He stared at the tightly shut door, his mind racing.
Since the Lu Family used Confusing Soul Powder, they clearly didn’t want to alert the other Longevity Families. Therefore, they likely wouldn’t act personally, and whoever they sent would absolutely not possess a high cultivation base.
In that case, it was entirely possible for him to kill the intruder.
At this thought, Zhou Luo couldn’t help but glance at the Spirit Burst Pill sitting in his system storage.
Under the current circumstances, he could only take matters into his own hands.
Having made up his mind, he stepped out of his room and knocked on Lin Zhishou’s door.
No one answered.
It seemed Lin Zhishou had already been drugged.
Fortunately, to facilitate communication and instruction, Lin Zhishou had given him a room token.
Opening the door, Zhou Luo walked in to find Lin Zhishou slumped over the table.
He stepped forward, moved the elder to the bed, and then took a seat at the table to wait in silence.
He had already formulated a plan.
He would simply slay the Lu Family’s assassin right here in Lin Zhishou’s room.
That way, the Lu Family would assume Lin Zhishou was the one who struck, keeping suspicion far away from himself.
Once the deed was done, he would slip away unnoticed.
Although Lin Zhishou would undoubtedly realize something was amiss, he wouldn’t say much since he hadn’t suffered any losses.
The mere thought that this would be his first true battle since arriving in this world made Zhou Luo’s body tremble slightly.
It wasn’t out of fear, but excitement.
He had imagined this exact scenario countless times before falling asleep, and now, it was finally happening.
…
The night deepened. In the silent, pitch-black room, Zhou Luo only grew more alert.
Creak-
Suddenly, his ears twitched. He seemed to hear the sound of a door opening.
“He went to my room first.”
Zhou Luo’s body tensed. In an instant, a crimson pill appeared in his right hand.
He then feigned unconsciousness, slumping over the table with the pill in his right hand resting right by his mouth, ready to swallow at a moment’s notice.
Time trickled by. Outside the room, a dark silhouette abruptly materialized.
The next second, the door was gently pushed open, and a figure slipped inside.
Zhou Luo silently slipped the Spirit Burst Pill into his mouth. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
The Spirit Pill dissolved the moment it touched his tongue.
In the blink of an eye, he felt an endless torrent of power welling up within his body.
The usually calm Dantian flared with restless agitation.
Soon, boundless Spiritual Qi surged outward, sending an incredibly powerful force coursing through his entire body.
Perhaps seeing that the occupants of the room were unconscious…
A sharp dagger appeared in the dark figure’s hand as it crept silently toward Zhou Luo.
Closing the distance and confirming the target, the dark figure raised its right hand, aiming the blade straight at Zhou Luo’s neck, and plunged it downward.
Right at that moment, Zhou Luo suddenly whirled around, a scorching aura erupting from his right palm.
The dark figure froze. Before it could even react, a blazing fireball blasted outward, smashing directly into its face.
Bang-
With a loud boom, the dark figure was instantly sent flying by the fireball, crashing heavily to the floor as the roaring flames ignited its clothes.
Zhou Luo’s gaze burned like a torch. He lunged forward, his right hand clenched into a fist wreathed in crimson spiritual light, and smashed another punch into the intruder.
The pitiful assassin had just regained his bearings when the heavy fist caved into his face.
Blood immediately sprayed through the air, splattering hotly across Zhou Luo’s cheek.
Zhou Luo didn’t stop. Bolstered by his surging spiritual energy, he rained down punch after punch. He didn’t relax until the dark figure’s face was a mangled, bloody ruin and he had completely stopped breathing, finally collapsing onto the floor on his backside.
“It’s dealt with.”
He glanced at the corpse beside him, his expression thrumming with adrenaline.
But the very next second, a wave of intense psychological discomfort washed over him, accompanied by a sudden, violent surge of nausea.
Urgh-
He couldn’t stop himself from dry heaving a few times before his stomach gradually settled.
Despite having lived two lifetimes, this was his first time taking a human life, and in such a brutal, bloody manner at that.
Even with all his mental preparation, he still hadn’t fully adapted to the reality of it.
After a long while, he picked himself up off the floor and activated an illumination talisman.
Taking advantage of the light, he quickly cleaned up the traces of the struggle.
As for the corpse, he temporarily left it where it lay.
While the pill’s effects were still active, he had one more thing to take care of.
He slipped out of the room like a ghost, heading straight for the ninth floor.
The ninth floor of the Tianxia Inn was strictly off-limits to guests, serving as the living quarters for the inn’s staff.
For the Lu Family to successfully slip poison into their drinking water, they absolutely needed inside help from the inn.
Furthermore, to ensure nothing went wrong…
The person who had aided them was definitely still awake.
Since that was the case, he might as well settle all accounts at once!