Ruin-Part 4

The roar of the Mercury Poison Tortoise reverberated across the entire mercury sea, its colossal form slowly emerging from the toxic depths. The surrounding poisonous fumes billowed like dark clouds, carrying an overwhelming sense of dread and pressure.

Wang Quan's eyes narrowed as he prepared to move forward, but the Mercury Poison Tortoise suddenly churned up a massive wave of mercury. The wave, imbued with deadly mercury toxins, surged towards him like a collapsing sky, leaving no room for escape.

"Not good!"

Wang Quan had barely reacted before the powerful wave engulfed him, hurling his body dozens of feet through the air. He was slammed violently against the shore, shattering his protective spirit shield in the process. His spiritual energy scattered, and the mercury toxins instantly seeped into his body.

"Ugh!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling the paralyzing toxins rapidly spreading through his meridians. His face turned pale as a chill of panic gripped him. "The power of this Mercury Poison Tortoise is terrifying!"

Despite the pain coursing through his body, Wang Quan swiftly retrieved an antidote pill from his storage pouch and swallowed it. The pill dissolved into a cooling force that flowed through his meridians, temporarily suppressing the deadly poison. At the same time, he sat cross-legged and began circulating his Five Elements Technique, using the Water Spirit power to slowly neutralize the toxins within him.

As his spirit energy circulated, Wang Quan managed to stabilize his condition, but he knew that lingering too long in this mercury sea was too dangerous. He needed to find a way to cross it quickly.

Just then, the sound of footsteps reached his ears. Turning his head, he saw the three cultivators from Yunlan Mountain and the group of rogue cultivators arriving at the edge of the mercury sea.

The Yunlan Mountain disciples, upon seeing the toxic sea before them, wore expressions of grave concern. The lead disciple, who had reached the ninth stage of Qi Refining, immediately pulled out a spirit treasure—a small boat carved from spirit wood that emanated a faint aura of vitality.

"This Spirit Wood Boat can shield us from the toxins. We can use it to sail across the mercury sea," the Yunlan Mountain disciple said quietly. The three of them quickly boarded the boat, and as they infused it with spiritual energy, the boat trembled slightly before floating steadily atop the mercury sea.

On the other side, the rogue cultivators were led by the Foundation Establishment stage elder. He observed the Mercury Poison Tortoise with a calm smile and said, "Since this beast is blocking our way, let's show it the might of my techniques."

With a wave of his hand, the elder summoned a lotus-shaped spirit treasure that radiated a soft light. The petals of the lotus emitted a protective barrier that shielded the group from the poisonous mercury fumes.

"Let's go. We'll cross using the Lotus Treasure," the elder said with a calm tone. His companions immediately leaped onto the lotus treasure, which floated smoothly over the mercury sea.

Wang Quan, watching both groups begin their crossing, grew anxious. His spiritual energy had not fully recovered, and he still hadn't figured out a surefire way to cross the toxic sea. However, before he could devise a plan, the Mercury Poison Tortoise sensed the presence of the intruders and launched another wave of attacks.

The massive creature stirred the mercury sea into a towering wave, even more terrifying than before, and sent it crashing toward the Spirit Wood Boat. The small vessel rocked violently, and the faces of the Yunlan Mountain disciples turned pale as they hurriedly cast defensive spells to block the oncoming tide.

"Water Shield!"

One of the Yunlan disciples quickly formed a seal and cast a protective spell. A translucent water shield formed around the Spirit Wood Boat, managing to deflect the first wave's impact.

But the Mercury Poison Tortoise wasn't finished. It roared in anger, opening its massive maw and launching a poisonous mercury arrow directly at the boat. The deadly projectile hurtled through the air, aimed squarely at the Yunlan disciples.

"Watch out!"

The ninth-stage disciple shouted, channeling his spirit energy into his sword. With a mighty swing, he intercepted the poison arrow. Although he managed to block it, the arrow's toxic aura dispersed, weakening their defenses further.

At the same time, the Mercury Poison Tortoise turned its attention to the rogue cultivators on the Lotus Treasure. Its massive tail slammed into the mercury sea, creating a monstrous wave that surged toward them, laden with poisonous fumes.

The Foundation Establishment elder's face darkened. With a cold snort, he clasped his hands together, forming seals as he commanded the Lotus Treasure to unleash its protective powers. The lotus petals spun, creating a golden barrier that absorbed the brunt of the impact.

However, even though the Lotus Treasure held up, the sheer strength of the Mercury Poison Tortoise's attack was immense. The elder's expression grew increasingly serious as he continued to fend off the beast's relentless strikes.

While the Mercury Poison Tortoise focused its fury on the two groups of cultivators, Wang Quan seized the opportunity. Activating his Five Elements Technique, he channeled the Water and Earth Spirit energies into the mercury sea, carefully manipulating the flow to create a safer path.

He held his breath and advanced quietly, ensuring his movements were as inconspicuous as possible. With the tortoise preoccupied with its attacks on the others, it failed to notice Wang Quan slipping by unnoticed.

Step by step, Wang Quan slowly made his way past the range of the Mercury Poison Tortoise's wrath. After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the far shore of the mercury sea.

"Finally made it across…"

He exhaled in relief, thankful to have avoided a deadly confrontation. But he knew he couldn't linger. Both the Yunlan Mountain disciples and the rogue cultivators were still locked in battle with the tortoise, and if they realized he had crossed the sea safely, they might become hostile out of frustration.

"I need to move quickly," Wang Quan thought, his resolve tightening as he prepared to continue deeper into the ruins, where even greater challenges and rewards awaited.