Chapter 80

On the ninth day, as Long Chen crossed a small stream and entered a dense forest, he suddenly felt a strange movement above his head.

Long Chen looked up and his face changed drastically: "I'm done for!"

At the top of a large tree, there was a monkey, not very big in size, but with a very thick throat, looking at Long Chen with a wary expression.

Long Chen immediately dared not move, feeling extremely regretful. He had been toying with Ying Hou for several days and had become careless.

It was a howler monkey, just an ordinary beast with no real offensive capabilities, but even such a harmless monkey had put Long Chen in a great predicament.

Howler monkeys are social animals, and this forest was clearly their territory. The monkey was probably on guard duty.

When they detect an intruder or sense danger, they would howl to alert their companions.

Long Chen, who had not noticed the surroundings, entered their territory and immediately knew he was in trouble. He quickly backed away, indicating that he would leave immediately.

However, it was too late. The monkey suddenly opened its throat and let out a loud howl. The sound traveled for several miles from the tall tree.

Long Chen's face darkened. If he could get close to the monkey, he would definitely cut it into pieces with one sword strike.

After the howler monkey's howl, the entire forest was filled with continuous howls, like an alarm, causing great distress.

Long Chen's pupils suddenly constricted as he looked into the distance. Sure enough, a figure came rushing towards him like a meteor.

He saw the murderous eyes of Ying Hou, who had already discovered him. Running now was useless.

Long Chen gave up on escaping. Since his whereabouts had been discovered, other tactics were no longer useful. Now, he had no choice but to fight.

"Long Chen, if I don't grind your bones to dust, I won't be named Ying!" Ying Hou was right in front of him, gritting his teeth and gnashing his jaw.

At this moment, Ying Hou's eyes seemed to be spitting fire. These eight days had been like a living hell for him, especially the "gift" Long Chen had given him, which almost drove the cleanliness-obsessed Ying Hou to suicide.

During these eight days, although he had not eaten anything, he had been vomiting nonstop, even to the point of vomiting bile. He was still vomiting.

One could say that Ying Hou's hatred for Long Chen had far surpassed his hatred for Long Tianxiao. Now, seeing Long Chen standing alive before him, his entire body began to tremble uncontrollably, for reasons known only to himself.

"Whether you are named Ying or not is none of my business. I'm not your father, so I can't control that." Long Chen shook his head, and a broadsword appeared in his hand.

At this moment, words were meaningless. He had been on edge for days, but now, facing Ying Hou, his mind became calm.

Long Chen felt his spirit and energy reach an unprecedented peak. He was fearless, as if his realm had been elevated to a new level.

It was a mysterious feeling, indescribable, but under Ying Hou's pursuit, he constantly sensed the smell of death, making him feel as if he was undergoing a transformation.

"Hahaha, by angering me so, do you want me to give you a quick death? Don't dream! I will make you wish you had never been born!" Ying Hou said with a sinister smile.

"I don't need to anger you. How did you find the taste of the gift I gave you last time?" Long Chen said calmly.

At the mention of the "gift," Ying Hou's face turned pale, and his stomach began to churn again.

"Go to hell!"

Ying Hou roared, his long sword trembling as it cut through the air, aiming for Long Chen.

Long Chen was already prepared. Seeing Ying Hou move, he swung his sword.

"Bang!"

A loud explosion echoed as Long Chen was forced back several steps, his chest feeling a surge of blood.

Looking at Ying Hou, he had only retreated three steps. Long Chen sighed; the realm of Yi Jin was indeed formidable, and the gap was too large.

Even with his strength nearly restored to 90%, he was still no match for Ying Hou, even in his area of expertise—strength.

This was the difference, and this was why, among the countless cultivators in the Phoenix Cry Empire, Ying Hou stood at the peak of the strong.

Seeing that Long Chen had blocked his attack, Ying Hou's eyes narrowed. Indeed, the background of an alchemist was rich. When Long Chen had escaped, he was almost dead, but now he had almost fully recovered.

Clearly, Long Chen had taken many pills. Ying Hou, not being an alchemist, and with the scarcity of high-level pills suitable for his cultivation, felt deep envy.

If he were also an alchemist or had pills on him, he wouldn't have been in such a state for so many days, still not recovering to 70%.

Thinking about this, Ying Hou felt that the heavens were unfair. Among his peers, he had always been overshadowed by Long Tianxiao, making it difficult for him to stand out.

And Long Tianxiao had a remarkable son, who at a young age had become a pill apprentice and showed terrifying talent in martial arts.

Compared to Long Tianxiao, he felt like a failure, his eyes turning red, and his veins bulging. He roared, and his long sword, enveloped in a wave of sword energy, shook the sky as it rushed towards Long Chen.

Long Chen took a deep breath. At this moment, Ying Hou was like a madman, attacking with all his might, unstoppable. He couldn't withstand a few moves.

He reached into his ring and took out two pills, swallowing one quickly.

The other pill he attached to his broadsword using his soul power. When he swallowed the pill, Ying Hou thought Long Chen was injured and taking a healing pill.

However, the second pill, hidden by the first, silently adhered to the back of the broadsword, and Ying Hou didn't see this action.

Seeing Ying Hou's sword coming with the force to split mountains, Long Chen roared and swung his sword.

In terms of sword techniques, Ying Hou could outperform Long Chen by a wide margin, but Long Chen's broadsword, seven feet long, could counteract the finesse with its brute force, rendering Ying Hou's skillful techniques ineffective.

"Boom!"

The two weapons collided, and a loud explosion echoed. After the explosion, a pale red gas instantly spread, enveloping a ten-meter radius, swallowing both of them.

"Ah!"

Ying Hou let out a scream as the red gas invaded his body. His exposed skin felt as if it were being branded, causing unbearable pain.

Not only that, the red gas seemed alive, desperately trying to penetrate his body, even though he held his breath.

Moreover, the red gas had a terrifying corrosive effect. His skin began to blister and rot at an alarming rate, emitting a foul odor.

"You used poison?" Ying Hou said with shock and anger.

"What do you think?"

Long Chen sneered, but he was also in pain. The poison pill made from Heartrot Grass was powerful, and he couldn't resist it either.

Although he had taken an antidote pill beforehand, it couldn't completely neutralize the gas, and his body was burned, turning red like a cooked shrimp.

However, he had one advantage over Ying Hou: he had the antidote pill, so he didn't have to worry about the poison attacking his heart, which was the most terrifying aspect of the poison pill.

This was the first poison pill he had made, and it was his strongest means of self-preservation. Ying Hou was too powerful, and he had no choice but to use it.

"Brat, you're asking for death!"

Ying Hou was furious. Just as he was about to launch a full attack to kill Long Chen, his face suddenly changed. As he channeled his spiritual energy, the poison that had just entered his skin suddenly rushed into his body, heading straight for his heart.

This discovery almost made Ying Hou lose his mind. Such a potent poison, if it entered his heart, would kill him in a matter of moments, even as a Yi Jin realm cultivator. He quickly took a pill from his ring and swallowed it.

Seeing the pill, Long Chen's face changed. He hadn't expected Ying Hou to have such a pill.

From its luster and the medicinal fragrance, Long Chen knew the name of the pill—Snow Toad Pill.

The Snow Toad is a very rare magical beast. Unlike other magical beasts, it has no crystal core, only an inner core, which is the essence of its body.

The Snow Toad is also a poisonous beast. An adult Snow Toad is a second-stage magical beast, and the poison mist it emits can instantly cover a radius of several hundred meters.

After the poison mist covers the area, magical beasts die from poisoning, and plants wither, making it extremely terrifying. However, because its poison is so potent, even the Snow Toad can't withstand it, and its inner core helps it detoxify.

The Snow Toad is one of the few magical beasts that combines poison and antidote. The Snow Toad Pill, made from the inner core of a Snow Toad, can neutralize all poisons.

It was a very precious pill, and Long Chen couldn't believe that Ying Hou had such an opportunity, with such a strong constitution.

Pills that claim to neutralize all poisons usually only neutralize a part, but that part is enough to turn the tide.

"Long Chen, you made me use a treasure pill I've kept for half my life. Give me your life!"

Ying Hou roared, his face distorted. The pill was something he had obtained in his youth and had cherished until now, but it was wasted on Long Chen, a mere Qi Gathering realm novice, making his heart bleed.

Seeing that the Snow Toad Pill had temporarily suppressed the poison, Long Chen was shocked. As Ying Hou rushed towards him, his entire body's aura exploded, and the twelve qi spirals spun wildly. His broadsword danced, meeting Ying Hou.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Continuous collisions and explosive auras spread like waves, breaking the surrounding trees, creating a terrifying scene.

Under Ying Hou's full attack, Long Chen's arm went numb, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his internal organs were injured.

However, Long Chen gritted his teeth and persisted, knowing that the Snow Toad Pill couldn't permanently suppress his poison pill.

"Bang!"

Another intense collision sent Long Chen flying, spitting out a mouthful of blood. However, there was no joy on Ying Hou's face, only shock.

"Hehe, finally noticed? My poison pill isn't that easy to neutralize!" Long Chen wiped the blood from his mouth and sneered. The moment he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

The Snow Toad Pill can neutralize all poisons, and its effect is very strong, but it mainly targets animal poisons. Long Chen's poison pill, made from Heartrot Grass, significantly reduced the effectiveness of the Snow Toad Pill.

Ying Hou's eyes were filled with killing intent. He took a deep breath, pointed his long sword at the sky, and a terrifying aura swept out, spreading in all directions.

"Even so, you will still die!"

A sword cut through the sky, a terrifying force slicing through space, making a tearing sound, carrying endless killing intent, aiming for Long Chen.

"Void-Cleaving Slash"