Volume One, Chapter Ten: The Poisonous Wind Unleashed

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Yun Qianbai sat motionless in his slum dwelling, his eyes vacant like a puppet bereft of a soul. His sister’s disappearance was a sharp dagger, ruthlessly gouging out a piece of his heart, leaving a raw, bleeding hole through which cold winds howled.

He began to frantically absorb the surrounding toxic fumes, desperate to transform his grief and rage into strength. With the dual blessings of the Divine Feedback System and the Poison Soul Cultivation Method, the toxin levels in his body soared rapidly, and all his physical attributes rose in tandem.

Strength, agility, constitution, and mental power all spiked at a rate visible to the naked eye. He could clearly feel his body undergoing earth-shattering changes, as if an ancient, primal force was awakening within him, ready to burst forth at any moment.

Yet, the concentration of poison gas in the slum was simply too low. It was like pouring water into a bottomless pit; no matter how hard he tried, he could not fill the immense void. He was like a parched traveler in a desert, desperately searching for water but only finding a few drops of dew—nowhere near enough to quench his thirst.

“Not enough! Far from enough!” he gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.

His current poison resistance was only 10%. Forget provoking the enigmatic Hidden Sect; he couldn’t even defeat the elder brother of the bald man he had killed—a powerful innate realm superhuman. He was like an ant facing an elephant, utterly outmatched.

“Damn it! Am I really going to sit here and wait for death?” He slammed his fist into the ground, creating a fist-sized crater in the hard earth.

His thoughts turned to the fat merchant—the greasy smile on his face and the cryptic words he had spoken. Could it be that he really had to find him? But that fat man was clearly no benevolent figure; seeking him out was like bargaining with a tiger.

“To hell with it! I refuse to believe in such evil!” he suddenly stood, determination flashing in his eyes.

He resolved to leave the city. Only by venturing beyond the city walls could he encounter denser poison gas and rapidly increase his power. Only by becoming stronger could he find his sister and protect those dear to him.

Unbeknownst to him, his frantic absorption of poison gas had purified the air around the slum. Even the perennial gloomy clouds that hung in the sky dissipated, revealing long-lost sunlight.

The slum’s residents were astonished to find the toxic fog that had haunted them for years had vanished! They greedily breathed the fresh air, basked in the warm sunlight, and smiles, long absent, returned to their faces.

“What’s going on? The toxic fog is gone?”

“No idea. Maybe heaven finally opened its eyes?”

“Whatever it is, it’s a good thing!”

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Word spread quickly, cheers erupted, and the entire slum was immersed in a sea of joy. The once dull eyes of its residents gradually brightened, as if glimpsing the dawn of hope.

An elderly man in tattered clothes shuffled into the sunlight, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Tears streamed down his face as he whispered, “After all these years... I can finally smell fresh air again...”

A young mother cradling her child smiled blissfully, “Look, the sky is clear! We no longer have to live in that toxic fog!”

A gaunt teenager ran excitedly across an open space, shouting, “I feel so strong! I can run faster now!”

They did not know that all this was because of a boy named Yun Qianbai. Nor did they know that this boy was about to embark on a thorny path—to find his missing sister and confront a formidable enemy.

News of the slum’s strange phenomenon soon reached the Hidden Sect. As a colossal power controlling Asia, the Hidden Sect’s tendrils reached every corner; no disturbance escaped their notice.

“Report to the Sect Leader: the poison gas in the slum has suddenly disappeared. Cause unknown,” a black-robed disciple knelt before the Sect Leader seated high in the grand hall.

The Sect Leader, a middle-aged man clad in purple-gold robes with a jade crown, was resting with his eyes closed. Hearing the report, he slowly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing within.

“Oh? The poison gas has vanished?” His voice was low and magnetic, sending chills down the spine. “Is this a natural occurrence, or man-made?”

“I do not know,” the disciple lowered his head, avoiding the Sect Leader’s gaze.

“Investigate! Find out immediately!” The Sect Leader’s voice rose sharply as a powerful pressure suddenly filled the hall. “If natural, does it mean the apocalypse is ending? Will our rule be threatened? If man-made, who is this person? What is their purpose in absorbing the poison gas? Could they be cultivating their powers through it?”

The disciple broke out in cold sweat at the barrage of questions. He knew this was no trivial matter—mishandling it could spark a major upheaval.

“Yes, Sect Leader! I will investigate at once!” The disciple responded hurriedly and then left the hall.

The Sect Leader sat alone, deep in thought. Stroking his chin, he murmured, “If there really is someone who can cultivate by absorbing poison gas, then the Hidden Sect must control him! If he cannot be used by us, then... he must be eliminated!”

A murderous gleam flickered in his eyes, and the temperature in the hall seemed to drop several degrees.

Meanwhile, branches of the Hidden Sect received orders to investigate the disappearance of the slum’s poison gas. Across Asia, undercurrents surged—an approaching storm was brewing.

And the instigator of it all, Yun Qianbai, remained unaware he had become a target of the Hidden Sect.

He was preparing to leave the city, seeking denser poison gas to boost his strength.

Yun Qianbai skillfully arrived at the Mercenary Guild, still bustling with noise. He strode directly to the task board, scanning the bounty missions but found no sign of the fat merchant.

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“Strange, the fat man isn’t here today?” he muttered, frowning slightly.

Based on what the fat merchant had said, Yun Qianbai was certain he would seek him out again. Now that his sister was missing, the one thing he most wanted to clarify was about the Hidden Sect and the innate realm. But the fat man was nowhere to be found.

“Could he know I’m coming and is deliberately avoiding me?” Yun Qianbai touched his chin, increasingly convinced it was possible.

He did not believe in coincidences. The fat merchant was clearly no good; perhaps he had been watching Yun Qianbai—or even both him and his sister—all along.

“Damn it, what do these people want?” he cursed inwardly, frustration boiling.

He had thought awakening the system would allow him and his sister to live a better life, but instead, it had brought even greater trouble.

He tore off a task sheet without looking and stuffed it into his pocket, turning to leave. A group of mercenaries chatting nearby immediately surrounded him.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the poison gas canister. Back again looking for death?” sneered a burly mercenary, blocking his way.

“Poison gas canister? Hahaha, that nickname fits perfectly!”

“Kid, I suggest you crawl back to your slum and stop embarrassing yourself here!”

The surrounding mercenaries burst into laughter, looking at Yun Qianbai as if he were a joke.

He was notorious in the slum for being a poison gas canister, often spending entire days in the toxic fog. Others saw it as courting death, but to Yun Qianbai, it was the only way to grow stronger.

Yun Qianbai cast them a cold glance, saying nothing. He silently drew a dagger from his pocket and toyed with it in his hand.

The dagger gleamed coldly in the sunlight; its sharp blade was chilling to behold.

Seeing the dagger, the mercenaries’ smiles froze, and their arrogance faded considerably.

Though they looked down on Yun Qianbai, they knew he was a ruthless fighter. If things turned violent, they might not come out on top.

“What’s the matter? Not laughing anymore?” Yun Qianbai’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “You were having such a good time just now. Come on, keep laughing—I’d like to enjoy it too.”

“You...” The burly mercenary’s face flushed with rage and fear, but he dared not speak, only glaring at Yun Qianbai bitterly.

“A bunch of cowards!” Yun Qianbai spat disdainfully and swaggered out of the Mercenary Guild, leaving the mercenaries exchanging helpless glances, angry yet silent.