Chapter 79

After a short while, the two arrived at a hidden cave.

Ning Qingjun seemed very familiar with the place, quickly blocking the cave entrance with several large rocks, then pressed her ear to the outside, listening for a long time. Seeing that there was no other sound from outside, she couldn't help but let out a slight sigh of relief, but her face remained pale.

"What's wrong with you?"

Tang Gu asked with concern. He also felt a wave of dizziness in his head, and his internal power seemed to be rapidly depleting, leaving him with a sense of weakness all over, though he didn't understand why.

Ning Qingjun's face was grim, and she didn't bother to respond, saying, "Try to gather your energy and you'll know."

After saying that, she ignored Tang Gu and walked straight into the cave, found a stone stool, sat down, and closed her eyes to gather her energy.

Soon, a layer of misty water vapor began to rise from her body, emitting a faint silver glow, and a powerful aura emerged, but it was quickly weakening.

In the blink of an eye, the silver turned to green, then blue, and finally green again...

Ning Qingjun opened her eyes, reached into her bosom, and took out a small white jade bottle, pouring out a few drops of a pale silver liquid and drinking it. However, it was useless, and the aura around her body continued to fade rapidly.

Seeing this, Tang Gu had a bad feeling. He then followed her example, walked to another stone stool next to her, sat down, closed his eyes, and quietly gathered his energy.

After a while, he opened his eyes with an extremely grim expression, just in time to see Ning Qingjun stop gathering her energy, put away the jade bottle, and sit quietly, her clear, watery eyes turning to look at him.

Seeing Tang Gu awake, she asked expressionlessly, "Did you feel it?"

Tang Gu nodded, silent for a moment, not knowing what to say.

In that instant, he was horrified to discover that the primordial energy in his body was weakening at a terrifying speed.

At first, it was at the fifth level of the Qi Dao, but in the blink of an eye, it had dropped to the fourth level, and then continued to regress, regress... In the end, in just a short time, the strength of his primordial energy had dropped to the second level of the Qi Dao.

In just a moment, it had dropped by three levels!

In an instant, he realized that this must be due to the poisonous smoke from earlier. But what kind of poisonous smoke could be so powerful, causing a person's strength to drop by three levels in an instant!

Ning Qingjun had now regained her usual cold and icy demeanor. She said expressionlessly, "This is the legendary 'Heavenly King Poison,' worth a thousand gold pieces. It can cause a person's strength to drop by more than three levels in a short time.

In other words, at this moment, our strength is only half of what it was. You are at the second level of the Qi Dao with yellow qi, and I am at the third level with green qi. Do you know what this means?"

Tang Gu nodded, answering without hesitation, "It means that in this dangerous, ancient Python Mountain range, where powerful beasts abound, with our current strength, any slight mistake could lead to our demise, and we might never be able to leave."

Ning Qingjun stared at the calm Tang Gu, slightly surprised. "Aren't you afraid?"

Tang Gu turned to look at her, shrugged helplessly, and said, "What's the use of being afraid? The only thing to do now is to think of a way to solve this problem."

Thinking of this, his eyes turned, and he suddenly asked, "By the way, did you see who released the poison? Why did they target us?"

Ning Qingjun fell silent for a moment, then nodded after a while and answered, "I saw clearly. It was the Dus Family's Great Elder, 'Ghost Blade' Du Tianao. However, I don't know why he did this. It seems I have no grudges with the Dus Family."

"Du Family, Du Tianao?"

Hearing this, Tang Gu's eyes flashed. Ning Qingjun had been staring at his expression and instantly understood, "They came for you."

Tang Gu didn't hide it, nodding and answering, "If what you say is true, then it's almost certain. I didn't expect that, despite having an agreement with the Dean not to attack me before the Upper Pavilion trial ends, he still acted. What a despicable person!"

"An agreement?"

Ning Qingjun had clearly not returned to the Martial Academy for a long time and hadn't even appeared at the last Inner Academy competition, so she didn't know about these matters. Tang Gu quickly recounted his grudge with the Dus Family, and Ning Qingjun finally understood.

She stared at Tang Gu, her eyes flashing with an unfathomable light. "So, I was dragged into this because of you?"

Tang Gu smiled bitterly. "If it's true, then that's probably the case."

Ning Qingjun: "..."

After a long silence, she finally said coldly, "Regardless of whether they came for you, since they dared to release the poison even with me here, they must have intended to eliminate me as well. This grudge cannot go unavenged. If I, Ning Qingjun, have the chance to leave, I will definitely attack the Dus Family and avenge today's humiliation!"

Tang Gu smiled. "And me."

"Hmph!"

Ning Qingjun coldly snorted, clearly not in a good mood with Tang Gu. Thinking of the current predicament caused by him, she was even more displeased.

However, Tang Gu was not anxious, smiling slightly. Indeed, after a while, Ning Qingjun finally had to turn back and ask Tang Gu, "Do you have any good ideas?"

Tang Gu shook his head and answered, "No, I've never even heard of Heavenly King Poison, so how could I have a solution? But you, Miss Ning, are well-informed. Since you know about this poison, do you have a cure?"

Ning Qingjun stared at Tang Gu for a long time, as if she wanted to kick him over, but thinking that both of their strengths had greatly diminished and they would likely need to work together to survive in this jungle, she finally had to swallow her anger.

She answered helplessly, "Although Heavenly King Poison is rare, it does have a cure. I know that eight miles from here, there is a secluded valley called the 'Yinming Valley.' At the center of the valley, there grows a 'Thousand-Year Orchid,' which is the perfect cure for this poison."

Tang Gu was immediately overjoyed. "That's great! Let's go quickly!" He was about to get up.

But Ning Qingjun glanced at him coldly. "I'm not finished. The Thousand-Year Orchid can indeed cure this poison, but to get there, we must pass through the territories of at least three fourth-level beasts and one fifth-level beast.

With our combined strength, we might have a chance against the three fourth-level beasts, but the fifth-level beast...!"

Tang Gu's heart sank at this, and he fell silent.

If it were before, with their strength, either of them could have a chance against a fifth-level beast. But now, one was only at the third level, and the other at the second level. Facing a fourth-level beast would be very difficult, and a fifth-level beast would be almost suicidal!

Ning Qingjun fell silent for a moment, seeming hesitant. Tang Gu saw that she had a plan but was reluctant to say it, so he didn't urge her and waited quietly.

Finally, the desire to live overcame her inner struggle, and Ning Qingjun suddenly turned, looking at Tang Gu solemnly.

"Junior Brother Tang, in this urgent situation, if we want to survive, we must cooperate wholeheartedly. I do have a way to deal with the fifth-level beast, but it requires your help and cooperation."

Hearing this, Tang Gu was overjoyed and quickly nodded. "Miss Ning, please speak. Whatever you say, Tang Gu will do his utmost, even if it means facing fire and water, and will not hesitate to die a thousand deaths."

Ning Qingjun's face stiffened, then she said coldly, "It's not that serious, but before this, I need you to take a solemn oath. Everything that happens in this cave today must be completely forgotten once we leave the ancient Python Mountain range.

The secret technique I will teach you must never be used again in your lifetime. Are you willing to agree? If not, I would rather die in this mountain than reveal that method to you."

At this moment, Ning Qingjun's expression was unusually serious, and Tang Gu could see that she was still struggling, indicating that the method she spoke of must be extraordinary.

He nodded without hesitation and immediately answered, "Alright, I agree." He then knelt on one knee, raised one hand to the sky, and took the oath:

"I, Tang Gu, swear here today that no matter what happens in this cave, I will forget it all once we leave and will never mention it to a second person. If I break this oath, may I be destroyed by heaven and earth, and forever trapped in the cycle of rebirth!"

After taking the oath, he looked at Ning Qingjun and asked, "Miss Ning, is this acceptable?"

Ning Qingjun's expression eased slightly upon witnessing his oath, and she nodded faintly. "It's acceptable."

Hesitating for a moment, she finally said, "It is said that in the world, there is a strange poison called 'Lover's Poison.' If one dies, the other cannot live alone. Later, someone created a unique technique based on this, called 'Heart of a Thousand Knots.'

'Heart of a Thousand Knots' is a unique technique that requires a man and a woman to open their hearts to each other, planting a seed of thought in the other's heart. From then on, their hearts will be connected, and their strength will greatly increase.

In a person's lifetime, they can only plant one seed of thought in one person of the opposite sex. This connection cannot be changed or erased, no matter where they go or through how many lifetimes."

Now, I will teach you this secret technique. Remember your oath. Everything that happens today is only for survival. Once we leave the ancient Python Mountain range, you must forget everything, and we will have no further connection!"