The Chu Yun Empire was engulfed in smoke and fire.
Years of turmoil had long drained the empire's vitality. The strong no longer contributed to production, and in just a few short years, the land had been stripped bare—its people, its resources, all harvested to the roots. They had hoped to steal from another's fields to replenish their own, yet who would have expected the neighboring master to be so powerful—not only did they get driven out, they were chased all the way back home.
Such was the current state of the Chu Yun Empire. The Heavenly Poison King had originally planned to rely on himself and two other poison masters who had fought their way to power, to plunder resources and population from the Jia Ma Empire to mend the domestic losses. But who could have foreseen that Jia Xingtian, Hai Bodong, Fa Ma were all Dou Zong, and even Yun Yun was a Mid-Level Dou Zong.
At that moment, the Heavenly Poison King was completely dumbfounded. He could only roar in despair within his heart, 'Where the hell did four Dou Zongs come from?!'
After years of chaos, countless low-rank Poison Masters had perished in the Chu Yun Empire, leaving behind a hardened core of mid-rank experts. For a time, their fierce tactics had forced the Jia Ma Empire into repeated retreats. But on the Dou Qi Continent, strength ruled all. The duels between top experts always decided the outcome of a war.
Poison-type Dou Zongs possessed formidable power, but even that had its limits. Facing Yun Yun's overwhelming strength, the Heavenly Poison King could only retreat back into Chu Yun. The initiative was no longer in his hands—it was now a battle where one side could decide when to start, and the other could only choose when it would end.
Under the leadership of Yun Yun, Jia Xingtian, Fa Ma, and Hai Bodong, the Jia Ma Empire's elite forces marched deep into Chu Yun's poison-ridden lands, determined to slay the Heavenly Poison King once and for all.
In a ruined city, two armies were locked in fierce combat. The aftershocks of their Dou Qi shattered the surrounding houses to dust. Fortunately, there were no civilians left here—those who hadn't died had already fled. One side, fewer in number, wore black robes. Their expressions were numb or crazed, black mist seeping from their bodies and filling the air with a stench of rot and venom. The other side, greater in number, wielded radiant Dou Qi of every hue, coordinating in perfect formation as they slaughtered the Poison Masters one after another.
Before long, a final scream echoed, abruptly silenced. The last Poison Master fell, marking the end of the battle.
Seeing that every Poison Master had been slain, the soldiers collectively breathed out in relief. Poison Masters were never easy opponents—their venomous bodies made them as dangerous to touch as spiked beasts.
A man in his thirties exhaled heavily, lowering his blade and spitting onto the ground. "Hah, finally wiped out those Poison Sect bastards. Brothers, check the bodies. If anyone's still breathing, finish them off. Don't take any chances. Pile the corpses together and burn them—no need for toxins spreading into plague."
The soldiers nodded and went to work, dragging bodies together until they formed a small mountain. A torch was thrown, flames roaring high as thick, black smoke filled the sky with a nauseating stench.
"Damn it, what bad luck," the man muttered. "They say the Heavenly Poison King's been driven back to the Poison Swamp. Once he's dead, this war will finally be over."
Someone sighed softly. "That man's still something. In just a few years, he broke through to the Dou Zong realm. His poison flame techniques even gave Elder Jia trouble…"
"Yeah, but it was Sect Master Yun who descended from the skies, wind surging with her sword. She cleaved through his poison flames and wounded him, bringing the entire Chu Yun Empire to ruin."
This scene was but one of many across the empire. In retaliation for Chu Yun's invasion, the Jia Ma Empire launched a merciless purge of all Poison Masters. The Heavenly Poison King, who had only recently unified the Chu Yun Empire, was now hunted relentlessly, chased from the border all the way back to his cultivation ground—the Poison Swamp.
The Poison Swamp stretched vast and endless, its skies shrouded by gray-green clouds, with wisps of poisonous mists rising and twisting through the air, filling it with an unbearable stench.
"Yun Yun, Jia Xingtian, Hai Bodong, Fa Ma… must you truly drive me to death?! As long as you swear to withdraw today, my Chu Yun Empire will never again stand against the Jia Ma Empire!"
High above the swamp, a gaunt, corpse-faced man glared coldly at the four Dou Zongs surrounding him. His voice was harsh and cold—not a plea, but a threat.
Hai Bodong's aura surged with chilling frost, a mocking smile on his face. "Now you think of begging? Isn't it a bit late for that? Weren't you the one boasting that you'd destroy my Jia Ma Empire in three months? Such arrogance."
The Ice Emperor's temper was never gentle, and the title he bore had been earned through blood. Having swallowed his rage for long enough, he was now more than ready to unleash it.
Beside him, Jia Xingtian's expression was dark, his tone colder still. "Your Chu Yun Empire sent troops to slaughter and plunder, killing nearly fifty thousand soldiers and civilians along our borders. You left countless families homeless, scattered for ten years. If I don't kill you, how could I face the people of Jia Ma Empire?!"
Jia Xingtian's heart ached. Those were taxpayers—now not only did they pay no taxes, but the treasury also had to feed them as refugees to prevent further chaos.
Fa Ma stood silent. Alchemists and Poison Masters were natural opposites—one cured, the other killed. Though medicine and poison shared roots, they walked entirely different paths.
Yun Yun raised her jade sword, the air trembling as the sound of sword cries filled the sky. Wind Dou Qi surged and whirled violently around her. Her noble, icy face showed only disgust. "Evil arts must be purged by all."
"Good! Very good!" The Heavenly Poison King burst into laughter, his voice filled with madness. "Do you really think I'm easy to kill?!"
Not far behind him, a Chu Yun Dou Zong trembled at the sight of their hopeless situation and said weakly, "Heavenly Poison King, please, stop! If we surrender, maybe we can still negotiate—apologize, cede land, pay reparations—we can still live!"
The Heavenly Poison King turned his cold eyes on him and barked, "Xie Long, have you forgotten the vengeance of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Sect? It was them who killed Elder Xie Bi Yan! Because of that, the sect collapsed into ruin!"
Xie Long's face twisted in pain. "What difference does it make now? Even you can't defeat them! What's the point of fighting to the death? Better to live in shame than die for nothing!"
The Heavenly Poison King's lips curved into a sinister grin. His eyes gleamed with eerie, dark green light. "Who said I have no way? I came back to this Poison Swamp for one reason—to make this their grave!"
As his voice fell, green flames burst from his body, wrapping him in a blazing aura. The poisonous mists of the marsh began to surge toward him, drawn as if by an invisible force.
The moment he absorbed the poison fog, his aura erupted, surging violently as a crazed smile twisted across his face. "In this Poison Swamp," he laughed arrogantly, "I am invincible! Today, you'll all die here!"
(End of Chapter)
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