Chapter 19: The Transformation of the Venomous Eyes and the Human Poison Pill

Cao Chengyu pretended to have just regained his senses, took out the crimson plaque, and saluted respectfully.

“Lord Luo, I am Cao Chengyu, the one entrusted with this task.”

A tinkling laugh escaped Luo Yuzhu, her eyes circling around Cao Chengyu, assessing him. His physique was quite commendable.

“Raise your head.”

Cao Chengyu obeyed, lifting his gaze hesitantly, eyes flickering as if afraid to look directly at her. The image of a bashful, pure-hearted young man was perfectly portrayed. Of course, this was not entirely an act, as in this life, he truly was yet untouched.

Luo Yuzhu had caught a glimpse of his face earlier, and even that fleeting glance left a favorable impression. Now, observing him more closely—his refined features, the elegant curve of his nose, the depth in his eyes—each detail seemed to strike a chord within her.

“Not bad. You’ll do. How far have you advanced in the Venom Gaze secret art?”

“My lady,” he replied with deference, “I am able to consume poisons now, though I have yet to test the limits.”

“Good. Come with me.”

Setting aside her watering can, Luo Yuzhu led the way, Cao Chengyu following behind. His eyes darted toward her figure, only to quickly avert, and then repeat the motion.

With her cultivation at the peak of the Dao Body realm, Luo Yuzhu could easily sense the furtive glances from the young man behind her. She found it amusing. The juniors she usually encountered were always trembling with fear, terrified of being poisoned—her reputation as a venomous beauty was well known. Of those who had previously come to test poisons, some had developed festering boils, some were disfigured, and some were left impotent for life.

It was no wonder she was regarded with dread, though in truth, these outcomes resulted from inadequate mastery of the Venom Gaze art. Today, however, she had encountered a handsome young man who seemed attracted to her—a perfect candidate for honing her venom arts.

Her cultivation required a rather unique method, and in some aspects, she could not avoid certain practices. Thus, she would select attractive male cultivators to satisfy her needs for nurturing toxins.

In no time, she led Cao Chengyu into an underground chamber. From her storage pouch, she produced a collection of bottles and jars, arranging them in order of potency. Her breath was fragrant as she spoke.

“These are the poisons the Venom Gaze art can withstand. Take them from left to right, ingesting them one by one. Use your secret art to draw the toxins into the mystic patterns within your eyes.”

“If you notice gray blotches appearing on your body, stop immediately. Remember this.”

“After you have poisoned yourself for three days, you will meet the requirements. I will return then. Begin.”

Cao Chengyu felt a shiver of apprehension—so many predecessors had come to ill ends; it would be strange not to be afraid. Yet, gritting his teeth, he reminded himself that nothing ventured, nothing gained. Damn it, let's do this!

He grabbed the leftmost jade bottle and downed its contents in one gulp.

Immediately, he activated the Venom Gaze art. Purple light flickered in his eyes, and poisonous mist seeped from his skin, slowly gathering toward his eyes.

“Not bad. You’re quite adept at this.”

Seeing no adverse reaction, Luo Yuzhu left the chamber. She would return in three days, at which point she could extract the cultivated venom.

The first dose took Cao Chengyu a full hour to fully absorb. His eyes felt remarkably clear, as though an inner space had opened within. The toxins condensed into a sphere, resembling a pill—this was the hallmark of the Venom Gaze: nurturing and consuming poison. At its peak, this art allowed one to cast toxins through their gaze, delivering them directly to a target.

Such power seemed above the level of a low-grade secret art, but its classification was limited by the maximum potency of toxins it could hold. It could only contain poisons at the Refining Spirit realm; anything stronger would overwhelm the flawed mystic patterns, causing leakage and possible blindness.

After resting and finding no ill effects, Cao Chengyu continued his self-poisoning, unaware that the Yellow Court Dao Song within him was operating automatically. The mystic patterns in his eyes were growing more intricate and profound, though this progress was painstakingly slow. It seemed that the cultivation method alone lacked the force to drive further progress, except for brief surges whenever he consumed toxins.

Three days later...

The capacity for Refining Spirit toxins was reached, yet Cao Chengyu felt there was still room. He checked his attributes panel.

[Cao Chengyu]
Age: 14.7
Cultivation: Early Refining Spirit Stage (11%)
Cultivation Method: Yellow Court Dao Song
Skills: Basic Alchemy (Tier 1), Basic Artifact Crafting (Tier 1 Artifact)
Spells: Object Control, Wind Stride, Azure Flood Dragon Sleeve (Incomplete, Intermediate)
Secret Arts: Venom Gaze (Low Grade, 5%)
Divine Powers: None
[Evaluation]: A Refining Spirit White Guard of the Skydome Pavilion, possessing the authority to traverse the Great Yue Dynasty.

“Five percent? What does that mean?”

Unable to find an answer, he set the question aside. Before long, Luo Yuzhu descended the steps again.

Seeing Cao Chengyu unscathed, seated calmly upon his mat, she was delighted. At last, a candidate who met her standards. This time, she must not scare him away.

Cao Chengyu, too, fixed his gaze on Luo Yuzhu.

[Luo Yuzhu: Favorability 34]

Favorability below sixty was easy to raise—like new friends quickly growing closer. After that, it would take effort and time to deepen the bond.

“Cao Chengyu, take off your clothes and swallow this.”

Just as he was caught up in thought, Luo Yuzhu spoke bluntly.

What? She’s skipping straight to the final step? Does she think so little of me that she won’t even bother with pretense?

Perhaps sensing his thoughts, Luo Yuzhu showed not the slightest embarrassment. Instead, she hooked his chin, her fragrant lips drawing close.

“Little Chengyu, be good. Swallow this Poison Spirit Pearl, and your sister will be yours...”

His eyes lit up; without hesitation, he gulped down the small purple bead, his gaze burning into her.

Luo Yuzhu’s laughter rang out, finding the young man before her utterly amusing.

After some teasing, she grew serious. Her right hand struck his body, instantly dissolving his garments. Spinning him around, she pressed several points along his back.

At once, purple lines fused with his meridians, the Poison Spirit Pearl at his core radiating suction. From her pouch, she retrieved a precious medicine laced with poison, crushed it with spiritual energy, and used her fingers to paint arcane symbols upon his skin.

In less than three breaths, the markings were complete. Cao Chengyu immediately felt the toxins within his Venom Gaze—now blended—drawn out rapidly, gathering around the Poison Spirit Pearl to form a violet elixir.

The poison and medicine on his skin, through a special technique, were quickly absorbed, fusing with the purple elixir within. The toxins were clearly beyond what a Refining Spirit cultivator should endure, but the medicine swiftly repaired any damage.

Destruction and restoration in tandem—his body grew stronger, as did his resistance to poison. An unexpected boon.

He reflected that, as an official member of the Skydome Pavilion, it would make no sense to die on an internal assignment. Those disciples who suffered mishaps must have encountered other accidents.

Time passed. In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, a perfectly formed, pure violet elixir inscribed with silver patterns coalesced within his abdomen.

Luo Yuzhu could no longer contain herself; she leaned in, lips pressing to his body.

With a gentle suction, Cao Chengyu felt the elixir respond to her call, flying from his body into her waiting hand. She quickly sealed it in a jade bottle.

“A Human Poison Pill! At last, it is complete.”