"You, do you dare… dare to gamble with me?"
The overwhelming pressure transmitted through the tea made it difficult for Tang San to catch his breath. He gasped as he said, "Let me… recover… after I recover, we can have a fair, just duel!"
"Gamble?" Lin Rong sat on his chair, looking down at Tang San, who was kneeling on the ground, and sneered, "The situation is under my control. Why should I gamble with you?"
Tang San wanted to say more, but the weight of the tea in his palms suddenly increased, causing his hands to crash into the ground. The tea in his hands swayed, almost spilling onto the floor.
At this moment, Tang San's humiliation made him recall the events from when he was six years old and what he went through in the Haotian Sect.
"A soldier can be killed, but never humiliated. You have already sealed your death by insulting me!" This thought screamed inside Tang San's mind.
Soon after, due to the massive consumption of energy, soul power, and mental strength, along with the humiliation he was suffering, Tang San fell unconscious.
Drip~
Without the control of the "Qi He Qian Long" technique, the tea quickly spilled from Tang San's hand onto the floor.
"White Crane, look." Lin Rong gestured to White Crane to look at the unconscious Tang San, saying, "What has been said, and the completed transaction, is like water spilled from a cup, impossible to take back."
"This saying about spilled water may not be a universal truth, but in many cases, it is as close to the truth as it can get."
"It's because most people who try to go back on their word are the weaker party in the transaction."
"Without strength, but insisting on going against the flow, this is the outcome!"
"So, are you ready to die?"
"If you are willing to die with dignity, I can grant you a dignified death."
These words sounded like the whispers of a devil to White Crane's ears, and his face turned pale as fear of death made his body go limp. Though his pride screamed at him not to be so cowardly, the weak soul skill of his "Swallowtail Swift" destined him to be unable to escape his inherent inferiority.
Suddenly, the whispers of the devil kept echoing in his mind, and a thought struck him like a lifeline.
"You said that if I die willingly, you would grant me a dignified death."
"Then, can I choose my method of dying?"
This question caught Lin Rong a bit off guard. White Crane wanted to die voluntarily? This was beyond his expectations.
But soon, Lin Rong realized what White Crane was trying to do. He thought, "This old man wants to play a word game with me."
"Wanting to choose his death method after I agree, huh? Dream on!"
"No way!" Lin Rong immediately refused and quickly changed his tone.
"But… I suddenly have a better idea."
With that, Lin Rong took out a snow-white herb from the Dragon Mark Jade Orb.
After taking it out, Lin Rong gently pinched the crystal-clear leaves and lowered his head to sniff the tip of the herb, which resembled the neck of a swan.
This was the Snow Swan's Kiss, one of the legendary medicinal herbs.
Lin Rong used his soul power to extract a drop of colorless, transparent essence from the Snow Swan's Kiss and smiled gently as he said, "White Crane, as long as you drink a drop of this herb's essence, I will consider the matter of the Crystal Blood Dragon Ginseng as if it never happened, and I will never bring it up again. How about it?"
This sudden shift in attitude left White Crane hesitating, fear causing him to step back a few paces.
Seeing White Crane's pitiful display, Lin Rong decisively brought the essence to White Crane's lips, saying bluntly, "You can choose not to drink it. But as the price, I will have Uncle Yu waste your soul power, and you will lose your status as a Soul Master and become an ordinary person."
"White Crane, you'd better think carefully before making a decision!"
Although Lin Rong knew that threatening White Crane with the lives of the Minzhi Clan would be more effective, much like how one might threaten the famed Douluo Duolou with the lives of his family members, he had never intended to spare the Minzhi Clan. Additionally, Lin Rong wanted to establish himself as someone who followed through on his words in front of Duolou, so he discarded that idea.
For a Soul Master, having one's soul power crippled and becoming a mere mortal was something no Soul Master could bear.
After a long silence, White Crane finally spoke, "Gulp~" He swallowed nervously, closed his eyes, and drank the transparent essence in one gulp.
In that instant, White Crane's heart rate skyrocketed. He had prepared himself for excruciating pain.
"Eh? I… I feel fine…"
White Crane's face showed relief, as if he had narrowly escaped a calamity. But before he could enjoy the feeling, an excruciating pain exploded throughout his entire body—his flesh, bones, and every part of him burst with countless, unimaginable agonies.
The essence from the Snow Swan's Kiss had instantly spread throughout White Crane's body, and all the tiny viruses lying dormant in him began to multiply at an incredible rate.
These viruses, which were once harmless due to their small number and low toxicity, were now multiplying a thousand-fold, enough to threaten White Crane's life.
Had there been only one or two kinds of viruses, White Crane could have used his soul power to eliminate them. But now, millions of viruses exploded within him.
This was thanks to White Crane's close friendship with Yang Wudi, who was passionate about alchemy and often worked with poisons. Every time Yang Wudi handled poisons, some remnants would inevitably stick to his skin.
Because White Crane often visited Yang Wudi's house, he had absorbed these toxins to a certain degree. On normal occasions, these toxins wouldn't have any impact due to their minuscule amounts. But now, coming into contact with the Snow Swan's Kiss—a rare and potent herb—had amplified these toxins to a fatal degree, with no chance of survival.
"Ah Ah Ah…"
The horrific, chilling screams echoed throughout the banquet hall.
In just a few seconds, White Crane's hair fell out, and multi-colored spots began to appear on his skin. Soon, his entire body began to rot, his flesh and blood turning to pus.
Millions of toxic gases flooded the air around him, causing even Duolou, who was known for his expertise in poisons, to tremble in fear.
Niu Gao quickly moved away from White Crane, and Titan also pulled Luo Gao and Tang Yuehua to safety, making sure they weren't exposed to any of the poison gas.
The toxins spread so rapidly that within moments, White Crane's flesh was completely corroded, leaving nothing but a skeletal frame. But even the bones quickly dissolved into the poisonous gas, leaving no trace behind.
"Old, old white bird…"
Titan and Niu Gao stood there, dazed, muttering in disbelief. They couldn't accept that a single drop of an herb's essence could reduce a Soul Douluo to nothing in mere seconds.
"What on earth was that!"
Duolou's eyes locked onto the Snow Swan's Kiss in Lin Rong's hands, filled with a mix of fear and apprehension. As someone who had spent decades mastering the art of poison, he knew this herb had no poison at all.
But as he thought deeper, a terrifying conclusion dawned on him—a conclusion that he couldn't dare to believe.
Before he could act, Lin Rong spoke once again in a calm voice.
"I've heard of you, Duolou. You're called the 'Poison King of the World.'"
"Would you like to drink a drop of this essence too?"
"Don't worry, it's not poisonous. If you don't believe me, I can drink it myself or have Uncle Yu drink it for you to see."
Duolou, instinctively clutching his granddaughter in his arms, felt a storm of conflicting thoughts. His reputation and experience in poison made him hesitant to act rashly.
But seeing the unease in his granddaughter's touch and the overwhelming strength Lin Rong exuded, Duolou's resolve quickly shattered. He could no longer summon the courage to resist.
After a brief internal battle, Duolou knelt on one knee in submission, saying, "I, the old man, am willing to pledge my allegiance to the Duke. Please spare my granddaughter's life."
"Really?" Lin Rong looked at Duolou kneeling before him and asked, "Then what about your sincerity?"
Duolou, having expected this question, responded without hesitation, "To show my sincerity, I will ensure the complete annihilation of the Minzhi Clan, not leaving a single survivor."
"In that case, hurry up and get it done. I'm waiting for your sincerity," Lin Rong said.
Upon hearing this, Duolou stood, glanced at his granddaughter, and then turned to leave the banquet hall.
Now, even though the Minzhi Clan's people were scattered throughout the city on reconnaissance missions, Duolou needed at least an hour or two to finish his task.
As Duolou left, Lin Rong once again turned his attention to Tang Men's people.
"Everyone, White Crane is dead, but your Sect Leader's offense toward me should also come to an end, don't you think?"