The two figures vanished swiftly, but the middle-aged man was left drenched in sweat, his entire body wracked with agony. To relieve his torment, he summoned all his remaining strength, drew his sword, and stabbed it straight into his own dantian, desperate for release.
He died with unwillingness and despair etched on his face. As his body collapsed, the blue lotus-shaped jade pendant at his neck flared with blue light, shooting off toward Rainbow Court like a beacon.
Gradually, the middle-aged man's body began to rot, dissolving into a puddle of pus and blood. Poison Maiden Tia's toxins were truly terrifying—no wonder the cultivators of Skysoar Sect dreaded her so much.
At that moment, inside Rainbow Court, Rainbow Court Mistress Elena Rainveil sat atop the main hall. Suddenly, a crimson light shot in and struck a nearby screen. Within a few breaths, the screen blazed with light, revealing a string of urgent characters.
Mistress Rainveil was deep in discussion with the sect elders about strengthening their defenses. The sudden flash from the screen startled everyone—whenever the screen glowed, it meant something truly critical had happened.
Mistress Rainveil rushed over. Dozens of red characters appeared on the screen: "Mistress, beware. Skysoar Sect's Poison Maiden is refining an absolute poison to target you. This toxin is nearly impossible to cure, unless you obtain the blood of the Primordial Dragon, Divine Phoenix, and Divine Roc. Take heed! Take heed!"
Mistress Rainveil's face went pale as she read the message. Poison Maiden was infamous throughout the God Realm—not for overwhelming cultivation, but for her deadly poisons that had claimed countless lives.
The fact that the warning came through Blood-Jade transmission meant the crisis was urgent beyond measure. The poison was monstrous, but acquiring those three bloodlines was nearly impossible. Only one was relatively 'easy'—the Primordial Dragon Blood, which Evan Chu possessed. She had to get word to him.
The other two bloodlines would have to be sought out slowly. Poison Maiden's move was so shocking, so unprecedented, that they needed countermeasures immediately.
"Mistress, how dare Skysoar Sect act so brazenly against Rainbow Court! We cannot just sit and wait for death—I am willing to lead our forces and wipe Skysoar Sect from existence!" an elderly woman shouted, her voice trembling with fury.
"There's no need to rush," Mistress Rainveil said calmly. "That kind of ultimate poison can't be refined overnight. During this time, we must strengthen our defenses. If necessary, activate the sect-protecting grand formation. Skysoar Sect is not to be underestimated. If we attack them before they've openly moved against Rainbow Court, the other sects will accuse us of provoking trouble.
They'll claim Rainbow Court is growing arrogant and picking fights. After Zoe Rainveil's Marriage Tournament, we've already made plenty of enemies—we can't afford to flaunt our power now. Everyone must be cautious, and secretly monitor Skysoar Sect's movements. Report any changes immediately." Mistress Rainveil's tone was grave and commanding.
"Mistress, rest assured—we'll protect Rainbow Court no matter what. If Skysoar Sect dares to cause trouble, we'll make sure they never return!" another elderly woman declared, her voice full of loyal fury.
For a moment, the main hall was filled with heated discussion. Everyone agreed that Skysoar Sect had gone too far—refining an ultimate poison to target Rainbow Court was blatant disrespect.
"Don't spread this matter outside," Mistress Rainveil ordered. "I doubt Skysoar Sect knows we've discovered their secret. We must prepare on two fronts: first, find a way to obtain the antidote to this ultimate poison; second, reinforce Rainbow Court's defenses. If the enemy attacks, we'll be ready."
"Mistress, strengthening our defenses is easy, but finding those three divine beast bloodlines is as hard as ascending to heaven. The Primordial Dragon fell in the War of the Gods—it's basically impossible. As for the Divine Phoenix, hope is slim; there are so few in the Phoenix Clan with true Divine Phoenix blood.
Besides, the Phoenix Clan's territory has long been sealed off, cut off from the God Realm. And the Divine Roc—it's been extinct for ages. I don't see how we can possibly obtain the antidote," an elderly woman said, shaking her head.
Mistress Rainveil fell silent, deep in thought. She remembered Evan Chu saying he carried the Primordial Dragon bloodline—that covered one ingredient. Another of his women, Roxanne Lin, possessed the Divine Phoenix bloodline. If she could be found, that would solve the second. The third was Evan's beast brother, Old Goldwing, a Golden-Winged Roc bound to him by Soul Contract.
According to Evan, once Old Goldwing ascended to the God Realm, he could evolve into a Divine Roc. If these three rare divine beast bloodlines could be gathered, Poison Maiden's ultimate poison would be resolved. But right now, the key was finding Roxanne Lin and Old Goldwing—without them, everything was just empty talk.
"Finding the antidote is difficult, but not impossible. As long as we locate two people—Roxanne Lin and Old Goldwing, both newly ascended to the God Realm—I want you to find them at all costs," Mistress Rainveil said sternly.
"Mistress, why do you want us to search for these two people? Are they related to the antidote?" an elderly woman asked, puzzled.
"Exactly. If we find them, we'll have the antidote. Skysoar Sect thinks they can threaten Rainbow Court, but I refuse to sit and wait for death," Mistress Rainveil replied, her voice resolute.
"Mistress, what are the identities of these two? We only have their names, no portraits—there must be countless people with the same name. At least give us some distinguishing features," another elderly woman said.
"That's exactly what I was about to explain. Roxanne Lin carries the Phoenix Bloodline, so finding her shouldn't be difficult. The Phoenix Clan are all fire-type cultivators. If you find a woman named Roxanne Lin with a fire-attribute body, that's almost certainly her.
Old Goldwing is an immortal beast, but after ascending to the God Realm, he'll be a divine beast. His true form is a Golden-Winged Roc, so tracking him down shouldn't be hard. This search must be carried out in absolute secrecy—if Skysoar Sect finds out, you know what fate awaits them," Mistress Rainveil warned.
Mistress Rainveil personally assigned several sect elders to handle this mission. She also mentioned Evan Chu's other women and his beast brother, Shadow the Bloodshadow Berserker Lion—whether they could be found depended on fate. Soon, the crowd dispersed, leaving only Zoe Rainveil and Mistress Rainveil in the hall.
"Mother, is this poison really that terrifying? I've hardly ever seen you afraid. And who sent the message?" Zoe Rainveil asked, her voice tinged with concern.
"Zoe, this poison has circulated in the God Realm for ages. It's an ultimate toxin known as God-Chasing Powder—a formula that appeared after the War of the Gods. Its toxicity is so fierce that even late-stage God-Venerables can't withstand it," Mistress Rainveil explained gravely.
Zoe was about to speak when suddenly a green-robed woman burst in, sobbing uncontrollably...