It was as thick as a chopstick, at least a foot long, and its entire body glowed bright red.
"Blazeworm!" Grace's eyes widened in shock.
On the Ten Wilds Continent, each of the five elemental creatures carries its own deadly toxin.
The Winterbane is the most notorious of cold poisons.
This strange insect is called the Blazeworm, the undisputed king of fire poison.
Even a whiff of its breath is enough to kill you instantly.
Grace's first instinct was to run for the door.
But... the barrier was sealed. She couldn't escape for another four hours!
The Blazeworm's body was as hard as iron—impervious to blades and bullets, scorching hot and lethally toxic.
And judging by its size, its cultivation must be formidable.
Grace darted to the farthest corner from the Blazeworm and drew her Celestial Sword, slashing at it with all her might.
The blade—razor-sharp, able to split a hair—landed on its body, but the Blazeworm didn't budge an inch.
Just as expected—completely impervious to weapons!
Grace tried an ice-based spell attack next.
But this bug's cultivation was on a whole other level—her magic didn't even scratch it.
She tried hidden weapons and poison too.
None of it worked. Not a single thing.
The Blazeworm moved slowly, but it kept closing in.
A terrifying aura—the unmistakable breath of the fire poison king—crept closer and closer.
The whole room was shrouded in its oppressive presence. There was nowhere to hide.
Grace's heart clenched. Was she really about to die here?
...
Outside, Ruby Ji and Vice President James watched the chamber from afar.
"Uncle, she's definitely going to die, right?"
"Yes," Vice President James replied. "That Blazeworm has lived for over a thousand years. She can't possibly escape!"
"Hmph!" Ruby Ji sneered. "She actually thought she could challenge our Ji family? She must have a death wish!"
"Once she's dead, I'll open the barrier and the Jade Permit for the Celestial Library will be yours!" Vice President James said.
"Thank you, Uncle!" Ruby Ji beamed with pride.
But just then, Ruby Ji's face suddenly changed color—from porcelain white to a sickly yellow.
Her meridians lit up like molten iron, glowing red as the heat surged upward.
Vice President James was horrified and stumbled backward.
A blazing red insect crawled out from under Ruby Ji's skirt and started heading toward Vice President James.
Vice President James whipped out a black pouch, scooped up the Blazeworm, and sealed it inside.
But when he looked at Ruby Ji—she was already dead!
Her whole body was crimson, her meridians blackened—a truly gruesome death.
"How could this happen?" Vice President James stared at the chamber, his eyes wide with terror.
How did Grace manage to unleash the Blazeworm?
There was supposed to be a barrier in place!
"Were you trying to kill Grace?" A cold voice rang out behind them.
Vice President James whipped around and saw Byron White. "President..." he stammered.
"Do you know who she really is?" Byron White asked.
"Isn't she just a Spiritual Alchemist from the Vermilion Kingdom here for advanced training?"
Byron White gave a cold laugh. "If I were you, I'd back off now. Even I wouldn't dare mess with her life!"
"Does she have some kind of powerful background?"
"Don't ask," Byron White said. "Just clean up the body—make sure no one sees!"
Vice President James stared at his niece, once beautiful as a flower, now a corpse with blackened veins. His face twisted with grief.
...
Inside the barrier, Grace patted her chest, still shaken.
Cutie Pie was nestled in her arms, silently watching the rise and fall of her chest.
"Cutie Pie, thank goodness your dragon aura worked," Grace said. "Otherwise, I'd be toast!"
In her panic just now, Grace remembered Cutie Pie and bit down on its dragon scale.
With a flash of dark light, Cutie Pie appeared instantly.
It swam right up to the Blazeworm.
At first, the Blazeworm refused to back down.
Then Cutie Pie's dragon aura surged, finally forcing the Blazeworm to retreat and turn away.
Of course, Grace couldn't see Cutie Pie's dragon aura swelling.
Nor did she know Cutie Pie ordered the Blazeworm to slip out through the barrier's gap and kill Ruby Ji.
She just hugged Cutie Pie, grateful to have survived.