After shouting an ecstatic "Success!", Zou Feng couldn’t stop laughing maniacally.
It was as if he were the mastermind who had been plotting everything from the start and had finally succeeded.
Yang Yanpeng used all his remaining strength to force his eyelids open and look over.
He saw that Zou Feng’s palms were now bright red, his sleeves and hair fluttering without any wind. Invisible currents of air seemed to surge faintly around his body.
Of course, Yang Yanpeng knew what such a sight meant.
Not only had his Five Poison Palm broken through to the Refined Skill level, but as a natural consequence, he had also broken through into the Inner Qi Realm in one fell swoop, successfully Entering Grade!
And judging by the signs on Zou Feng’s body after Entering Grade, this was without a doubt an Upper Grade Entry.
It might even be the higher level of... Enlightenment Entry!
In the future, the difficulty for him to advance to higher levels would be greatly reduced.
No matter how bitter and resentful Yang Yanpeng felt, he had to admit one fact.
And that was... this young man’s future was limitless!
And because Zou Feng cultivated an Evil Skill, another thought had to be added: he absolutely must not be left alive!
’Damn it all!’ Yang Yanpeng was overwhelmed by a tidal wave of resentment.
’All of this should have been mine.’
’I was the one who orchestrated all of this in the first place.’
’Limited by my Talent, I originally had no hope of Entering Grade. But then, I unexpectedly discovered I had an exceptional aptitude for Poison Skills.’
’So I secretly practiced Poison Skills, carefully laid my plans in the dark, and patiently waited in hiding.’
’In the end, though, I just ended up doing all the work for someone else...’
"PWAAH!!"
Yang Yanpeng suddenly spat out a mouthful of foul blood, then collapsed to the ground, completely still.
It was hard to say whether, in his final moment, the man died from the poison or was simply angered to death.
Meanwhile, Zou Feng was still cackling with wild abandon.
He was truly on a high, and besides, no one else was around.
"Five Poison Skill (Refined Skill), Progress: 1%"
"Chaos Finger (Integration and Mastery), Progress: 7%"
"Drunken Immortal Moon Gazing Step (Integration and Mastery), Progress: 4%"
"Materia Medica of Herbs (Slightly Accomplished), Progress: 100%"
"Available Transfer Targets: Yang Ling, Li Li."
The more he looked at his current panel, the more incredible it felt.
Especially the Refined Skill level of his Five Poison Skill. This was a level that ordinary Entering Grade Martial Artists, and even some Eighth Grade Martial Artists, might never be able to reach.
Not to mention the immense changes to his body after advancing to the Inner Qi Realm.
’This Inner Qi stuff... how should I describe it...’
’It’s like the power in my body has suddenly come to life!’
’Or like I’ve grown a new organ.’
It was worth noting that because Zou Feng had primarily used the Five Poison Skill to advance to the Inner Qi Realm, his Inner Qi was naturally poisonous.
Now, when fighting an enemy, if a strike landed, his poisonous Inner Qi would penetrate their body, and its destructive power would be devastating.
If an opponent’s Inner Qi Protection wasn’t strong enough, then even a mere graze could be enough to send them into a world of hurt.
Zou Feng took another careful look at his palms.
His palms were no longer a shade of purplish-green or blackish-blue.
Instead, they were a solid, bright red.
Furthermore, due to the Golden-Scaled Plague Serpent’s poison contained within, the red was tinged with a faint golden shimmer.
To Zou Feng’s pleasant surprise, the faint, sweet scent that had always lingered, no matter how subtle, had now vanished completely.
Before, if he encountered a Martial Artist with an especially keen sense of smell, getting too close carried the risk of accidentally exposing himself.
But now, he no longer had that concern.
Even when he circulated his skill to attack, because his hands would just look bright red, no one could determine he was a Poison Cultivator based on appearance alone.
After all, there were countless Cultivation Skills in the world. What was a pair of red hands? There were even skills that could turn one’s "weapon" down below black or green.
At this, Zou Feng had another realization.
No wonder Yang Yanpeng, who had already mastered his Five Poison Palm to the level of Integration and Mastery, had been so reluctant to attempt Chong Meridian Entry.
Even when he was suddenly afflicted by that "strange illness," he insisted on waiting for Xu Haoran, the "Human Gu," to mature.
His most desired goal was to have what Zou Feng had now: a pair of hands that, in both appearance and scent, no longer gave away that he practiced a Poison Skill.
In the Yang Mansion, having an Entering Grade expert who cultivated an Evil Skill was, at least on the surface, a major disgrace.
Although being discovered practicing a Poison Skill wouldn’t lead to formal punishment, one would forever be guarded against by others.
If a major or unsolved case involving poison occurred in the city, it went without saying who the constables from the Government Office would suspect first.
Everyone knew that cultivating a Poison Skill involved tormenting one’s own body with various poisons. It was extremely easy for one’s mind to be gradually corrupted, leading them to torment others.
And secretly experimenting on living people was all too common.
Therefore, even if a Poison Cultivator hadn’t harmed anyone yet, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t in the future.
Thus, it was perfectly normal for them to be shunned by the Renowned and Righteous Sects.
But if Yang Yanpeng had appeared to have Entered Grade using a normal Cultivation Skill, the treatment he would have received would have been worlds apart.
Coupled with his high-quality breakthrough, the Yang Mansion would have immediately produced another Martial Dao genius.
In fact, a genius like that—one who had no hope but suddenly defied fate through a "sudden enlightenment"—would have been an even greater topic of discussion and admiration.
His arrogant sister, Yang Qianqian, would have to re-evaluate her "useless" brother...
The next moment, Zou Feng strode over to a wooden table in the corner.
He then circulated his Inner Strength, grabbed a corner of the table, and unleashed a Dark Force.
CRACK! The table remained unharmed, but two stools leaning against the far side of it shattered to pieces.
’Having Inner Qi is so convenient...’
Zou Feng was immensely satisfied. Now, he would even dare to meddle in the affairs of the Eastern Depot or the Western Depot.
’If anyone asks in the future, I’ll just say my hands are like this from practicing Flame Palm, Red Flower Palm, or some other Cultivation Skill I make up on the spot. That shouldn’t sound too out of place, right?’
In any case, after finding a suitable opportunity soon, he too could openly reveal that he had Entered Grade.
But he couldn’t show off too much "Talent." For someone like him, without any backing, that would only invite all sorts of trouble.
He had to be measured in how he revealed his Talent.
He glanced out the window. The hour was growing late; it wasn’t wise to linger here.
He didn’t know if the family who originally lived here had been killed by Yang Yanpeng or simply sent away, but in any case, no one else was around.
Still, Zou Feng found a bedsheet, wrapped the corpse in it, and prepared to dump it in the wilderness.
The large earthenware basin used for the Gu Poison Refinement also had to be disposed of.
It wasn’t that Zou Feng was being overly cautious; one simply could not underestimate the Martial Artists of this world.
Heaven knew what sort of unimaginable investigative techniques might exist.
No matter how unpopular Yang Yanpeng had been, he was still the third young master of the Yang Mansion. The Patriarch, Yang Wu, would never just let the matter drop.
Not only would the Government Office mobilize, but even the Yang Family’s eldest young master, Yang Zhengfei, who was currently serving in the Great Yan Dynasty’s army, might make a special trip back.
’All in all, this mess I’ve made is no small thing.’
But thankfully, the heavens were on his side today. It had been raining nonstop, which would help him better conceal all traces.
The best part was that, recently, everyone knew the Blood-handed Butcher was hiding in the shadows, waiting to strike at any moment to avenge his son.
’Who better to be the scapegoat?’