In Bao Shan’s view, a sect like Azure Dragon Temple is unlikely to have anyone specializing in the Poison Dao.
Because it’s not worth the trouble.
The Poison Dao is easy to learn but hard to master, and it consumes a lot of time.
Meanwhile, practicing the Martial Dao is like a race against time, where one cannot afford any slackness.
If one cannot achieve something before the age of forty, there’s no hope for a breakthrough for the rest of their life.
This means the time left for a person to cultivate is incredibly short, and any slight negligence might cause them to miss their chance, leading to all their previous efforts going to waste.
Not to mention others, Bao Shan himself is an example.
Due to delving into the Insect Poison Technique, he was ultimately too late to breakthrough to the Fifth Realm, and his martial potential was thus exhausted, leaving him with no chance to open his meridians.
Because of this, Bao Shan started specializing in the Poison Dao, and later joined the Separation Tower, becoming a local steward.
Although Azure Dragon Temple is declining, only young talents can join it; who would want to waste time on something like poison, delaying their future?
So beyond doubt, Azure Dragon Temple must have invited external help this time.
However, when facing Bao Shan’s questioning, there was no response from the forest, but instead a faint commotion came from afar.
Upon taking a closer look, the people rushing towards him were indeed from Azure Dragon Temple.
Bao Shan’s expression changed drastically, instantly understanding that even the larva’s fluctuations he perceived were a deception.
The people of Azure Dragon Temple were perfectly fine!
All of this was an illusion created by someone from behind the scenes.
The Jade Dragon City Lord Qiao Le and the others were very likely already dead.
Thinking of this, Bao Shan broke out in a cold sweat.
At this point, he couldn’t run, nor could he stay.
If he ran, the Poison Dao master hiding in the shadows, who hadn’t shown up yet, would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to attack.
If he didn’t run, once the people from Azure Dragon Temple arrived, he would be doomed.
But after only hesitating for a moment, Bao Shan made a decision.
He gritted his teeth hard, "Friend, I don’t know who you are, nor have I had any past grudges. Now even my cousin has died by your hand, but I will not seek revenge, I only ask for you to spare me."
"As they say in the Jianghu, always leave a line for future meeting, farewell."
After uttering these words, Bao Shan waved his hand vigorously, and a large cloud of white mist instantly enveloped his figure, then he turned and fled madly into the distance.
This was his trump card for escaping.
The seemingly dangerous white mist was actually just a mixture of flour and lime, specifically used to bluff people.
But it was quite effective.
After all, many knew that he specialized in Poison Dao, and who would dare to rush in recklessly?
But this time, the usually infallible trick failed.
Bao Shan, who was fleeing with all his might, felt as though someone was following him unhurriedly from behind.
This made him feel terrified, yet he didn’t dare to look back.
Because he feared that any moment of slackness might cost him his life, so he could only run forward even more desperately.
Simultaneously, Zhao Ya, following behind Bao Shan, calmly neutralized the poison he was laying while fleeing.
Zhao Ya wasn’t in a hurry to kill him, otherwise, even if Bao Shan had ten lives, he’d have lost them all by now.
The reason for not killing him was twofold: firstly, Zhao Ya was curious about how many odd and bizarre insect poisons Bao Shan possessed.
Secondly, Zhao Ya wanted to see if Bao Shan had someone to back him up.
After running some more distance, Bao Shan felt his heart was about to leap out of his chest.
Bear in mind, he was a Fifth Realm Martial Artist, so logically, he shouldn’t have become so exhausted after running a short stretch.
But this chase was unlike any other time.
Having someone pursue him from behind, with a single moment’s relaxation likely leading to death, kept Bao Shan’s nerves highly strung.
Under such circumstances, one’s physical exhaustion would multiply.
At this point, Bao Shan’s speed inevitably began to slow down.
This filled him with despair.
What frightened him even more was that the poisons he laid along the way didn’t even slightly slow the person behind him, being casually neutralized instead.
It was at this moment that a light chuckle sounded in his ear.
"Run faster, if you keep dawdling like this, I’ll slash you every ten counts to see how long you can last."
With those words, Bao Shan felt a sharp pain in his back, his muscles instantly tightened, and his previously heavy footsteps became lighter.
A sudden burst of speed made Bao Shan even faster than when he started.
But this state couldn’t last long; first, the wound on his back kept bleeding, and secondly, his vitality was being excessively exhausted.
At that moment, Bao Shan felt like his lungs were about to burst into flames.
He wasn’t even breathing air anymore, but scorching magma.
His vision blurred, wishing he could collapse to the ground the very next second.
In this situation, even if Zhao Ya swung his blade again, it couldn’t make Bao Shan run any faster.
Suddenly.
Bao Shan stumbled and then fell to the ground with a thud, panting heavily.
Zhao Ya stopped, "Can’t run anymore?" he asked coldly.
"Can’t run anymore, just kill me," Bao Shan completely surrendered.
At this point, not even the threat of death could get him to stand up.
Zhao Ya chuckled, squatted down, and deftly grasped the poisonous insect Bao Shan had prepared in his sleeve to make his escape, gently pulling it out.
Seeing Zhao Ya so casually touching the poisonous insect he raised with bare hands and no protection, Bao Shan showed a look of astonishment.
What kind of Poison Dao cultivation did it take to dare do such a thing?
"What an interesting little thing, where did you get it?" Zhao Ya asked, fiddling with the plump white poisonous insect while smiling.
Watching the poisonous insect tremble in Zhao Ya’s hand, not daring to move, Bao Shan felt his entire worldview was overturned.
Even for him, who raised it since childhood, he had to handle it cautiously, fearing it would turn against him.
Yet in this young man’s hands, it didn’t even dare move.
Bao Shan, shocked, finally spoke after a long pause, "I... I caught it in the Far West Wilderness."
Knowing that being stubborn wouldn’t lead to anything good in this situation, Bao Shan wisely chose to cooperate.
People in the Poison Dao had no shortage of cruel means when it came to tormenting others.
So, rather than suffer, it was better to comply obediently.
This way, there might be a sliver of hope for survival.
The Far West Wilderness again.
Zhao Ya was slightly moved.
Previously, the mysterious Wu Bao’Er who nearly gave him trouble also came from the Far West Wilderness.
According to Guo Luming, it’s a place teeming with sects and mysterious tribes.
Now it seemed indeed to be a peculiar place.
Meanwhile, Bao Shan was carefully observing Zhao Ya’s expression. Seeing him in deep thought, he couldn’t help but speak.
"Sir, this poisonous insect I’ve nurtured for years has formed a bond with my mind and spirit. If you want it, I can tell you how to raise it and where to acquire it."