啪!

Just as Yun Xiao watched the Ling Wan return to his room to refine the Mixed Element Pill in hopes of breaking through further, the gate of his courtyard was suddenly being knocked on urgently from outside.

"Yun Xiao, are you there?"

Along with the urgent knocking, a voice that Yun Xiao was not too unfamiliar with rang out, carrying a trace of urgency that stirred his heart.

Creek!

Yun Xiao opened the courtyard gate and indeed saw standing outside was Si Mo, the Poison Meridian genius of Sky Poison Institute. His Poison Meridian Skill was second only to Ye Ku, known as the Son of Thousand Poisons, and he was the esteemed disciple of Elder Feng Qiyun.

Yun Xiao had previously had interactions with Si Mo in Refining Treasure Hall and Xuanyin Cave, and although Si Mo was a Poison Vein Master, like Ye Ku, he was someone Yun Xiao found straightforward and worthwhile to associate with.

"Si Mo... uh, Junior Brother, what brings you here in such a hurry?"

Yun Xiao originally intended to address him as "Senior Brother," but reconsidered due to his current status in Lianyun Mountain, opting instead to call him "Junior Brother," before directly asking the question.

In Yun Xiao’s impression, although this second genius of Sky Poison Institute was somewhat impatient, within Lianyun Mountain, there weren’t many young individuals who could surpass him in Meridian Refining Technique.

Moreover, this place was the stronghold of the Meridian Refining Master Association. Surely, no one would dare to cause trouble here, Yun Xiao thought, immediately speculating on a possibility.

"Yun Xiao, hurry and come to the rescue, or else our Lianyun Mountain’s reputation will be trampled on the ground!"

Si Mo indeed seemed anxious, as the situation that had occurred this time left not just him but even his Senior Brother, Ye Ku, the top genius of Sky Poison Institute, feeling helpless.

"Don’t panic, just explain slowly!"

Yun Xiao remained composed, with his mind becoming clearer, responding calmly, though Si Mo became even more anxious as a result.

"How can I not be anxious? It’s already almost too late, those people... Sigh, Yun Xiao, let’s talk while walking!"

After saying a sentence, Si Mo hurriedly stepped forward, grabbing Yun Xiao’s sleeve and pulling him outside, leaving Yun Xiao amused but still keeping pace.

Following Si Mo in a specific direction, Yun Xiao learned about the entire situation along the way, and a peculiar sharpness flashed in his eyes.

It turned out that with the upcoming Meridian Refining Conference, many Meridian Refining Masters of Heavenly Rank had arrived in Lianyun Mountain over the past few days.

The older generation seemed to have a mutual understanding, causing no trouble before the conference. However, some of their disciples felt restless and rebellious.

While the heavenly rank Meridian Refining Masters quietly cultivated, these young geniuses frequently challenged the local Lianyun Mountain talents in meridian refining techniques.

Initially, everything seemed peaceful, especially in the Medical Pulse matches, which focused on healing and medicine, making the victories and losses merely a matter of reputation.

But when the Lianyun Mountain Poison Vein talents also faced challenges from external geniuses, the situation differed, as Poison Meridian Skill often endangered lives, causing potential chaos if mishandled.

In the previous Poison Meridian Skill matches, both parties restrained themselves, resulting in no one suffering incurable toxicity. However, as time passed, tensions grew, and the poisons used by both sides became increasingly potent.

In one instance, a genius from Sky Poison Institute was affected by a rare poison, almost resulting in his death. Only a Sky Poison Institute elder intervened in time to save him, though recovery would likely take months.

The Sky Poison Institute’s poison vein geniuses were all indignant, leading to Si Mo, the second senior brother, stepping in personally to recover some face for the institute.

Yet, when a poison vein genius named Xie Tianwan suddenly appeared, Si Mo lost decisively.

In that Poison Meridian match, Si Mo barely had any opportunity to counter, as Xie Tianwan was indeed an Earth Rank Advanced Meridian Refining Master.

Despite being the second poison vein genius of Lianyun Mountain’s Sky Poison Institute with Meridian Qi Cultivation reaching the Early Stage of Earth Bending Realm, Si Mo’s Poison Meridian Skill remained at Earth Rank Middle Level.

If Si Mo hadn’t conceded promptly, he would have ended up like the previous junior brother, resulting in a loss of face for Sky Poison Institute.

Moreover, that Xie Tianwan arrogantly declared that he would challenge all Poison Vein geniuses of Sky Poison Institute, stating that if anyone could defeat him, he would leave Lianyun Mountain voluntarily.

After his defeat, Si Mo, knowing his strength was lacking, didn’t act rashly; instead, he quietly inquired about the background of Xie Tianwan, and this investigation left him utterly shocked.

It turned out that Xie Tianwan was the direct disciple of the Heavenly Rank Meridian Refining Master Lu Tianwen from the Spirit Fighting Commerce. This time, he followed his teacher to Lianyun Mountain to join in the festivities, yet he first provocatively challenged these young generations of the Meridian Refining Master Association.

However, what puzzled both Si Mo and the other geniuses from the Sky Poison Institute was how Xie Tianwan, previously unknown, suddenly reached the level of an Earth Rank Advanced Meridian Refining Master; it was simply too strange.

For the older generation of Lianyun Mountain’s strong, they focused only on the high-end Meridian Refining Masters, while for the young generation like Ye Ku and Si Mo, they naturally valued the young Meridian Refining geniuses from other forces more.

Among the many super forces or first-class forces, Ye Ku, Si Mo, and others were well aware of the Meridian Refining geniuses, yet they had never heard of anyone named Xie Tianwan.

Especially with Xie Tianwan coming from the Spirit Fighting Commerce and previously being unknown, it was almost as if he suddenly emerged from a crevice in a stone, and even the second genius of the Sky Poison Institute, Si Mo, was not his match.

Though they found Xie Tianwan’s appearance somewhat odd, the dignity of the Sky Poison Institute could not be lightly insulted. This time, Ye Ku, the senior brother of the Sky Poison Institute, finally took action.

Ye Ku was also a true Earth Rank Advanced Poison Vein Master. It was worth mentioning that his rapid breakthrough to the Earth Rank Advanced Poison Vein Master level in just a few short years was inseparable from Yun Xiao. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Because the Poison Vein Cultivation Method that Yun Xiao passed on to Liu Hanyi was also given to Qingmu Wu with Yun Xiao’s consent for cultivation. Regarding his treasured disciple, Qingmu Wu naturally showed no stinginess.

Therefore, Ye Ku’s mastery of Poison Meridian Skills now could even rival some elders of the Sky Poison Institute.

Si Mo’s teacher, Feng Qiyun, had privately said that in due time, his position as the first under the Dean of the Sky Poison Institute would have to be given to Ye Ku.

Ye Ku did not bother with the minor skirmishes of those Poison Vein geniuses, but after Si Mo’s defeat, to uphold the dignity of the Sky Poison Institute, he had no choice but to step in.

Both sides agreed to compete with Poison Meridian Skills on an internal small plaza. The method was brutal and straightforward: they would poison each other and see who could endure longer to determine the ultimate winner.

This competition method undoubtedly carried great danger. Both being Earth Rank Advanced Poison Vein Masters, the lethal toxins administered by Ye Ku and Xie Tianwan naturally reached Earth Rank Advanced levels.

In the rampage of such toxins, the longer one held out, the more severe the erosion on bodily functions, possibly having an extremely serious impact on future cultivation if the limit was surpassed.

However, while this battle was said to be a friendly spar, in reality, it concerned the reputation of both Lianyun Mountain and the Spirit Fighting Commerce. Neither side wanted to lose.

Yet, the initially confident Si Mo and others discovered something was amiss after both sides unleashed their toxins. Xie Tianwan seemed quite assured.

In contrast, on Ye Ku’s side, his expression was grave from the very start. Understanding this, Si Mo realized instantly that the brother known as the Son of Thousand Poisons had encountered a formidable foe.

Though Ye Ku had yet to show signs of defeat, Si Mo remained worried, quietly leaving the scene to seek reinforcements from Yun Xiao.

Now, in Si Mo’s mind, Yun Xiao was likely the most formidable of all, not only among the young generation but even among the older generation; only the President might surpass him.

Thus, Si Mo first thought of Yun Xiao, believing that if he could persuade this brother to come, everything would be settled, even if something unexpected happened to Ye Ku; this person could turn the tide.

What Yun Xiao and Si Mo didn’t know was that as they rushed towards the small plaza, the situation had already changed. Ye Ku, the so-called Son of Thousand Poisons, was near his breaking point.

......

Meridian Refining Master Association, Internal Small Plaza!

This small plaza, belonging to the Sky Poison Institute, was bustling today. It not only attracted many young talents from the Sky Poison Institute but also gathered many geniuses from the Heavenly Hospital.

Aside from these local talents from both institutes, the Meridian Refining disciples who followed their teachers here and other distinguished talents like Nie Xiaosheng were all watching this unique Meridian Refining competition from the sidelines.

One side of the competition featured Ye Ku, the first Poison Vein genius of the Sky Poison Institute, known as the Son of Thousand Poisons, while his opponent was unfamiliar to many.

Even Nie Xiaosheng, the reputedly all-knowing genius of the Shenxiao Sect, didn’t know much about this Xie Tianwan who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

Although Xie Tianwan wasn’t well-known, his Poison Meridian Skills were extraordinarily impressive. At this moment, all the surrounding geniuses knew it was him who defeated the Sky Poison Institute’s second genius, Si Mo, forcing Ye Ku to respond.

No matter what, Xie Tianwan was indeed an Earth Rank Advanced Poison Vein Master, and as time passed, the conditions of both sides in the competition became increasingly apparent.