[Ninth Reincarnation.]
[Though you inherited the extraordinary medical skills of your past life, you concealed them, presenting yourself merely as a prodigious talent.]
[With the aid of past memories, you grew rapidly.]
[Upon reaching adulthood, you entered the Alchemy Commission as desired, preparing to leverage the intelligence gathered in your previous life to pave your way to promotion.]
[Your first step was to secretly gain control over the Luofu's Dragon Elders.]
[Your initial target was Elder Taoran.]
[This man was ambitious, held immense authority, and was obsessed with power.]
[Through covert investigation, you discovered he was an elder of the Vidyadhara, having already been one of the Dragon Elders during Dan Feng's era. A millennium had passed, yet he remained in his position. You surmised he had either risked preserving his memories through reincarnation or struck some dark bargain with the Abundance Emanators.]
Solon remembered this man's constant meddling in later major events—colluding with the Abundance Emanators in secret, assisting the Borisin in releasing the Thunder Legion, and more.
Due to Dan Feng's "Sedition of Imbibitor Lunae," the status of the Luofu's Vidyadhara had plummeted.
Under the pretense of "ensuring the Vidyadhara's survival," Taoran had tempted the Alliance's higher-ups with the "Draconic Transformation," proposing to convert soldiers of other species into Vidyadhara to eradicate the Abundance's followers.
This would solve both the Vidyadhara's inability to reproduce and elevate their standing within the Alliance.
Of course, the unspoken benefit was that the Dragon Elders' influence would rise alongside it.
In the end, it was just another power struggle disguised as righteousness.
How pathetic.
[You merely leaked a vague, unverified rumor—that you had developed a method to restore the Vidyadhara's reproductive abilities.]
[Elder Taoran took the bait immediately.]
[Leading six Pearlkeepers, he stormed into your residence in the dead of night, intent on forcing you to surrender your "method."]
[Pearlkeepers were elites tasked with guarding Vidyadhara eggs, and these six were Taoran's handpicked best—each a master who had stepped upon a Path.]
[Perhaps believing you, a junior with no backing, would be easily subdued, Elder Taoran stood with his hands behind his back, arrogance dripping from his voice as he commanded, "Brat, hand over that method you developed. In recognition of your contribution to our people, I shall grant you a lifetime of wealth and honor."]
[The corner of your lips curled into a mocking smile.]
[Self-awareness was a virtue, but this fossil, whose mind had long since calcified from living too long, clearly lacked it.]
[Your expression made Elder Taoran frown. "Brat! What is that attitude!?" he barked.]
[You couldn't be bothered to respond. With a snap of your fingers, poison dust silently dispersed into the air.]
[The wily old dragon noticed your movement instantly and barked an order.]
["Seize him!"]
[The moment he spoke, an overwhelming weakness struck. He and the six Pearlkeepers collapsed where they stood.]
[Your mastery of toxins had long reached perfection. In past lives, you had already developed poisons tailored for the Abundance's followers and the Vidyadhara alike.]
[This particular toxin—volatile in air, capable of penetrating skin, and fast-acting—was but one of many.]
[Whether Xianzhou native, Foxian, Vidyadhara, Borisin, or Wingweaver—no matter how strong, even if they were an Emanator—once they stepped within ten paces of you, their lives were yours to control.]
Damn… Solon couldn't help but marvel.
He hadn't even begun opposing the Xianzhou Alliance's powerhouses yet, and he was already preparing countermeasures. Is this the self-discipline of a final boss?
Compared to him, Solon felt as pure as a little white flower.
[After poisoning them, you forced another toxin down their throats.]
[Once done, you leisurely returned to your seat.]
[Elder Taoran snarled, "Brat! What did you feed us!?"]
[You replied coolly, "Nothing much. Just something to ensure your obedience."]
[Their faces paled instantly.]
["You—!" Taoran began to curse, but the poison chose that moment to take effect.]
[This toxin, inspired by a certain martial arts classic, induced a creeping itch—starting from the organs, growing more unbearable by the day. After eighty-one days, the agony peaked, as if ten thousand ants were devouring their hearts. Then, the torment waned over another eighty-one days, cycling endlessly until either an antidote was taken or death claimed them.]
[However, based on your experiments, no one had ever endured the full eighty-one days. Most clawed themselves to death long before then.]
[The current record was fifty-four days, held by a Borisin.]
Solon couldn't help but whistle.
First Batman's script, now the Heavenly Mountains' Child Elder? That's quite a leap.
The Life-Death Sigil's effects reminded him of an enhanced version of drug withdrawal.
It just proved the old saying: No one tortures their own kind better than humans.
[You explained the poison's effects. By now, the seven were in utter disarray—faces streaked with tears and snot, writhing like worms.]
["From now on," you said, looking down at them, "you must take the antidote I provide on time to suppress the effects."]
["What do you want!?" Taoran demanded, scratching frantically like a monkey.]
[You smiled faintly.]
["Relax. As long as you obey, I'll give you the antidote promptly."]
[You knew human hearts were fickle, so you withheld critical details.]
[For instance, while the antidote seemed to neutralize the poison temporarily, each dose also reinforced the toxin's grip.]
[The more antidotes consumed, the deeper the poison rooted itself, eventually becoming irreversible.]
Solon sucked in a sharp breath. This is even more insidious than the Child Elder's Life-Death Sigil.
At least the sigil could be undone with the right method.
But this? He never intended to let them escape.
Now this is what you call the makings of a true overlord.
Ruthless.
[You tossed the antidote onto the ground. Taoran hesitated, pride warring with desperation, but the six Pearlkeepers scrambled on all fours like dogs, fighting for the rolling pills.]
[One Pearlkeeper, seeking to curry favor, offered his seized antidote to Taoran. The elder accepted it without shame and swallowed it whole.]
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