The villain also has spring 2

Chapter 1948-11947 The Poison Tester

Chapter 1948-1.1947 The Poison Tester

There is no time to lose, make a decision immediately.

Right Protector Xiahou Ying unleashed his sword technique, and nine swords behind him spread out like a peacock's tail.

The mist sword flew out on its own. After circling three times, a swirling cloud and mist python burst forth from the sword.

The Sword Spirit Beast proudly emerges, accompanied by the sounds of tiger roars, dragon cries, and the clanging of swords.

The term "sword's cry" originally referred to the sound made when a pair of swords, male and female, separated. According to the *Biographies of Exemplary Men*, the King of Chu ordered Mo Xie to forge a pair of swords. When the swords were completed, Mo Xie kept the male sword and presented the female to the King. The female sword in its scabbard often rang mournfully. The sixth poem in the Southern Song Dynasty poem *To My Old Friend Ma Ziqiao* by Bao Zhao describes this legend: "The two swords were about to part, first ringing in their scabbards. As evening approached amidst mist and rain, they suddenly separated. The female sank into the Wu River, the male flew into the city of Chu." Later, "the lonely sword's cry" became a metaphor for the intense longing after separation. In Li He's *Song of Releasing Sorrow* from the Tang Dynasty, "Strike the sword at the crossroads, and a bronze roar is produced," and in Mei Yaochen's poem from the Song Dynasty, "My heart is like a treasure box, roaring with bronze every night," they synesthetically express the metallic vibrations and the emotion of longing. In later poetry, "sword's cry" is often juxtaposed with "the heart of a flute," forming a rhetorical paradigm that combines strength and gentleness.

The Cloud-Swallowing Python is ten zhang long, with golden eyes and a single horn. Its golden scales are formed from the feather patterns on the sword's body, which have been refined a hundred times.

Forged through countless trials, it inspires awe.

The red letter hissed as it spit out its contents.

"This python can devour all the world's rarest poisons and transform them into its own." The healing master Cheng Lingsu looked up at the giant python and was overjoyed: "Even the poison that kills horses cannot harm it in the slightest."

"In the end, it's just poison coated on the sword." Princess's strategist Li Huixin said with a smile, "The sword spirit beast is born from a broken sword, which is extraordinary."

"The strategist is absolutely right." The healing master Cheng Lingsu carefully placed Yue Lingshan, the junior sister of the Huashan Sword Sect, on the ground. She took several golden needles from her sect's medicine box and began to use her unique acupuncture technique. She activated all the toxins hidden deep within her internal organs and bone marrow. Then, using the guiding method of the "Eight Acupuncture Techniques," she guided them into the eight extraordinary meridians.

The term "引法" (Yǐnfǎ) refers to acupuncture at points located at a distance from or opposite the site of the ailment. It aims to guide and regulate the flow of Qi (vital energy) through the meridians, and is a special method of "regulating Qi" by selecting acupuncture points to harmonize Yin and Yang. It can be broadly categorized into: Yin-Yang mutual guidance, Qi and blood separate treatment, root and branch deficiency, and upper and lower ailment locations.

Examples of Yin-Yang interaction: The "Suwen·Yin Yang Ying Xiang Da Lun" states: "Therefore, those skilled in acupuncture use Yin to guide Yang, and Yang to guide Yin." This means using Yin meridian points to treat Yang meridian diseases, and using Yang meridian points to treat Yin meridian diseases; it also includes treating upper body diseases by treating lower body diseases, and lower body diseases by treating upper body diseases; for diseases of the Zang organs (Yin diseases), the back Shu points (located in Yang) are selected, and for diseases of the Fu organs (Yang diseases), the abdominal Mu points (located in Yin) are selected, etc.

The treatment of qi and blood is based on the principle that "when qi is deficient, it should be guided; when blood is excessive, it should be drained." Ma Shi said, "This means guiding the qi." Draining means breaking up the blood. When qi is deficient, the qi of the meridians should be guided; when blood is excessive, the blood in the collaterals should be drained. These are the two major treatment methods of acupuncture.

Regarding the distinction between deficiency and excess in the root and branch, the *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot) states: "Deficiency in the lower body leads to fainting; excess in the lower body leads to heat and pain. Therefore, for excess (originally written as 'stone,' corrected according to the *Tai Su* and *Jia Yi Jing*), it should be cut off to stop the condition; for deficiency, it should be guided to start the condition." This explains that the root and branch of the twelve meridians each govern specific symptoms. For excess, the root should be cut off to stop the condition; for deficiency, the source should be guided to start the condition. Deficiency should be guided at the starting point (root), while excess should be cut off at the stopping point (branch).

Regarding the location of the disease, the *Ling Shu* (Spiritual Pivot), in the chapter "True and False Qi in Acupuncture Points," states: "When there is cold above and heat below... this is the method of pushing upwards. When there is heat above and cold below, observe the weak pulse and find the point where it is trapped in the meridian, then select the point. The Qi will stop when it descends; this is what is meant by 'drawing downwards.'" This refers to the method of drawing upwards from below when there is heat above and cold below. The *Ling Shu*, in the chapter "Five Evils," states: "When evil is in the liver, there is pain in both hypochondria... select the Xingjian point to draw downwards from below." This refers to selecting the lower acupoint Xingjian to draw downwards to treat upper hypochondria pain, which is an example of drawing downwards.

This is the "external acupuncture method" passed down in traditional Chinese medicine.

The "internal acupuncture" techniques of the martial arts world involve injecting true qi, supplemented by acupuncture methods that sever meridians and block acupoints, guiding toxins to specific meridians. This clears toxins accumulated in the internal organs, limbs, and bones. Just as meridians are divided into blood vessels and qi vessels, "internal acupuncture" simply guides toxins from the blood vessels into the qi vessels, then circulates the qi throughout the body, expelling them. It does not participate in the body's metabolism and therefore does not damage vital organs. This is the true meaning of the complementary relationship between qi and blood.

The most deadly part of the "Touch and you die" poison, which is said to cause instant death and inevitable demise, is the moment it is forced out of the body by true qi.

The key to preventing the spread of toxic gas and harm to others lies in the "Cloud-Swallowing Mist Python".

After the healing master Cheng Lingsu finished guiding the needles, the right protector Xiahou Ying pointed with his finger, and the Cloud-Swallowing Python opened its blood-red maw and swallowed Yue Lingshan, the junior sister of the Huashan Sword Sect. However, it didn't put her into its stomach, but held her in its mouth. Its forked tongue coiled around her, its venomous fangs hanging loosely. The suction from the venomous holes in its fangs increased sharply, drawing in all the poisonous energy squeezed out by its upper and lower jaws and forked tongue.

As the poisonous gas was injected, the one-horned golden eyes rippled with green light. The Cloud-Swallowing Mist Python was neutralizing the strange poison and bringing it under its control. In a short while, after the poisonous gas dissipated, Yue Lingshan was sent to the ground by the Cloud-Swallowing Mist Python's coiled forked tongue.

The healing master Cheng Lingsu personally fed her a medicinal pill, a tonic for strengthening the body and replenishing vital energy, recorded in the "Divine Treatise of the Medicine King." A moment later, Yue Lingshan, the junior sister of the Huashan Sword Sect, slowly awoke.

"Who are you?"

"The poison has just been neutralized, so do not move around lightly." The healing master Cheng Lingsu and Yue Lingshan, the junior sister of the Huashan Sword Sect, are each other's alternate counterparts. Du Shiniang, the manager of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion, has experienced three major tribulations in her life, all in order to save her alternate counterparts, which she refers to as her "past and future lives."

As she said, "The Three Realms and Four Continents, the Six Paths of Reincarnation. My past life and your future life are all within this cycle. Unless one attains immortality and transcends the Three Realms and is not bound by the Five Elements," no one can escape.

In other words, what Du Shiniang, the manager of Baibaoge, sought in her life was to "transcend the Three Realms and be outside the Five Elements".

And the rescue of Cheng Lingsu, Huang Cuifeng, and Yue Lingshan was all for this purpose.

Little did she know, it was someone who told her that by combining her past and future lives, she could escape the timeline of the "Martial Arts World: Prison City Conquest" storyline.

"The one who tested the poison." After calming down Yue Lingshan, the junior sister of the Huashan Sword Sect, the healing immortal master Cheng Lingsu whispered to the sisters of the Demon Hunting Sect, "It must have been the work of that great demon."

Right Protector Xiahou Ying frowned slightly: "Were all the people that the scorpion demon abducted turned into medicine subjects to test her horse-reversing poison?"

“Exactly so.” The healing master Cheng Lingsu was always right: “The poison that causes a horse to fall is not a single poison. Just as a mixture of ‘Blue Silkworm Poison,’ ‘Crane Crest Red,’ and ‘Peacock Gall’ is colorless, odorless, and incurable, this scorpion demon also uses ‘medicine humans’ to cultivate its extraordinary poison, elevating the ‘Scorpion Tail Poison Needle’ to a deadly poison that is unparalleled in the world and incurable.”

“In that case, we must act swiftly. If we wait until the ‘Scorpion Tail Poison Needle’ is completed, all will be lost.” Right Protector Xiahou Ying thus made his decision.

"Yes, ma'am." The sisters were of one mind and shared weal and woe.

"Manager Du, the three trials are over. Please grant me the 'Mingyu Gong' and 'Yihua Jieyu' as well as the quick-acting elixir." After Yue Lingshan was unharmed, Princess's strategist Li Huixin immediately asked Manager Du Shiniang of Baibaoge to fulfill her promise.

"Alright." Du Shiniang, the manager of Baibaoge, muttered to herself, and treasure drawers flew out one after another from the mountain of treasure drawers piled up like exquisite pagodas, landing steadily.

It contained one bottle each of the "Mingyu Gong" and "Yihua Jieyu" techniques, as well as the Marrow Cleansing Pill, the Greater and Lesser Rejuvenation Pills, and the Returning to Origin Pill.

"The transaction is complete." After handing over the martial arts manual and elixirs to Princess Li Huixin, Du Shiniang, the manager of Baibaoge, smiled charmingly.

"Thank you, shopkeeper." Although there are still many side quests to attend to, the most important thing right now is the Flower Pavilion's quest for glory. This is the main storyline that must be pushed forward with all our might. It is also the key to the development of the plot. It concerns whether we can eliminate the differences and escape from the Painted Wall Realm. The entire Demon Hunting Sect must not be careless.

The group returned to Yonghua Village via the same route.

Bai Xueji, the leader of Yonghua Village, and others eagerly awaited the arrival of the newcomers.