Breaking the Deadlock

Fengyun Wuji had long suspected something was wrong. With Leng Ruoshuang's cultivation, ordinary poisons should've been expelled almost instantly. Even the more aggressive ones would only take some effort, but could still be dealt with. Yet she had remained unconscious all this time, her mind clouded and unresponsive.

"Poisons are classified into three tiers, each divided into six levels. Though I'm known as a divine physician, I'm also a master of toxins. Any true healer in the martial world must understand poisons to some degree. I dare say, among all those who walk this path, I am the most proficient—not that others know this, since the title 'divine physician' tends to overshadow 'poison doctor.'"

"I figured as much. Those venomous creatures outside your valley already speak volumes about your skills. But we didn't come to hear a lecture. Just get to the point," Helian Nanshan interrupted with a wave of his hand. He glanced sideways at Fengyun Wuji, who remained expressionless, yet his silence clearly signaled approval. Helian let out a quiet breath of relief.

"Very well, I'll speak plainly. The symptoms she exhibits aren't purely those of a poison—they resemble a gu curse. You probably don't know much about gu, but suffice it to say this is a hybrid: part toxin, part parasite, part something else entirely. What's most troubling is that it bypasses even internal energy defenses. Although you've sealed her vital meridians, the poison has already begun spreading through her body. With such immense true energy in her system, it's only a matter of time before the poison takes full control. Right now, it's seized about eighty percent of her qi. The longer it remains, the stronger its hold becomes. If we don't act soon… she won't survive."

Fengyun Wuji trembled. This was the one outcome he least wanted to hear. With a flick of his right hand, Ghostface was suddenly pulled into the air by an unseen force, legs stiff, body suspended.

Though Wuji never laid a finger on him, Ghostface floated as if caught by some invisible hook. The handmaids nearby gasped in terror, screaming as they fled the room.

"Are you saying there's no cure?!" Fengyun Wuji finally erupted. Ever since entering this dimension, strange events had unfolded one after another. Leng Ruoshuang's poisoning—an impossible thing. Then came the encounter with Guyue Tian, and the complete disappearance of Mo Liyue. From the growing number of millennia-old cultivators appearing one after another, it was clear a hidden power was manipulating events behind the scenes. All signs pointed to the terrifying possibility that Mo Liyue had already been captured by that force.

The loss of his followers had always weighed on Wuji's heart. With his strength, he had thought he could protect them. But reality proved otherwise. Now, hearing this devastating news, guilt and fury surged uncontrollably through him.

Ghostface writhed in the air, face pale. "Please—please let me finish! Though I've never encountered this poison before, and it's not recorded in any of the classic texts, based on my knowledge of toxins and medicine, no illness is truly hopeless. As long as it's a toxin, it can be restrained. I can't guarantee I'll fully remove it, but I can delay its spread significantly. Given time, I swear I'll find a way."

Thud!

Ghostface crashed to the floor as the unseen force vanished. He sprang up nimbly, his agility belying his age.

"Helian Nanshan, I'm leaving Ghostface and Leng Ruoshuang in your care," Fengyun Wuji said, thoughts racing. Then he turned to Ghostface. "You must leave this place immediately. With Helian protecting you, you'll be safe for now. Later, I'll send someone to retrieve you both."

"Ah—leave? But I thought—" Ghostface saw Wuji's displeasure and quickly corrected himself. "Of course, no problem. Just a small house anyway."

"Helian Nanshan, guard them well. If danger comes, I'll sense it and intervene. If Ghostface succeeds in saving Ruoshuang, your contribution won't go unnoticed either. I'll reward you handsomely. But for now, I have other matters to attend to. I won't be staying here. Just in case, find a hidden place to lay low. Don't reveal yourselves. In about a month, head for the imperial capital—I'll find you there."

"Yes, Master," Helian Nanshan replied eagerly. Now that his power had increased by tens of thousands of years' worth of cultivation, he feared neither heaven nor earth. Even if dozens or hundreds of ascended warriors surrounded him, he wouldn't flinch.

"Excellent. Ghostface, cure Ruoshuang, and I'll give you the remaining half of the ancient diagnostic scroll. Now go. Leave at once."

With those final words, Fengyun Wuji's figure flickered and vanished without a trace—like a ghost in broad daylight.

Though the rivers and mountains may change, the world may shift, and names may be forgotten, the imperial court had stood for over four hundred years. As long as the court remained, the capital would still be where it had always been.

Fengyun Wuji now understood—whatever force had entered this dimension ahead of him had likely already seized control of the martial world. The enemy lurked in shadows while he remained in the light. Without knowing their full strength, he had no intention of making a move. Though he could easily slaughter every ascended warrior in this realm, doing so would defeat the mission's purpose. Each of those warriors was a precious resource—for the Temple, for Wuji, and for the entire Primordial Realm.

With so many ascended warriors manipulated or deceived by this hidden force, Wuji's only option was patience. He needed the right moment to reveal his identity and win over the martial world—while simultaneously crushing the enemy in the dark.

But to truly break the trap set before him, Wuji knew he had to step outside the game. Only from beyond the board could he clearly see its shape.

Since the martial world had already fallen under enemy influence, he could no longer rely on it. Only one force remained capable of counterbalancing the situation: the imperial court.

For centuries, martial artists had followed the unwritten rule: never get entangled with the government. But Wuji had concerns. Since his return to this plane, it was clear the emperor's influence had waned. Soldiers were being slaughtered by rogue martial artists, and chaos ran rampant. Evidently, even the court itself was being infiltrated.

He soared through the skies and arrived at the golden, radiant imperial city just before sunset. Lanterns glowed across the grand palace grounds, where elite guards in ornate armor patrolled with strict discipline. To the average martial artist, the city was impenetrable.

Fengyun Wuji smiled faintly, then took a step toward the palace. In an instant, he vanished like a meteor across the sky. Below, the patrolling guards noticed nothing.