"Add another hundred sacrifice points!"
Huo Feng mentally calculated his earnings. His total sacrifice points should be getting close to five hundred now. Once he reached a thousand, he could finally exchange them for something worthwhile in the system's shop.
The clearing around him was a complete mess. The ground was torn up, and the massive body of the Mandrake Snake had vanished, leaving only signs of a brutal fight.
"Ugh…"
A faint groan sounded from nearby. Huo Feng turned his head and saw Yu Xiaogang, who had been unconscious, twitch slightly. It seemed to be just an involuntary reaction, but it was a sign he would be waking up soon.
"Already? So soon?" Huo Feng muttered to himself, surprised. Yu Xiaogang's martial soul had been severely damaged, and he had been knocked out cold. Huo Feng had expected him to be unconscious for much longer. Since he was about to wake up, Huo Feng knew he had to act quickly.
He moved away from the area where the Mandrake Snake had died and found the corpse of the Nether Wolf they had fought earlier. He gathered some of its dark blood, mixed it with mud and crushed leaves, and smeared the foul-smelling paste all over himself. He paid special attention to his face and chest, making it look like he had sustained serious injuries. To complete the look, he tore several large holes in his clothes.
Once he was satisfied with his appearance, Huo Feng found a patch of tall grass nearby and lay down, making sure to position himself as if he had been thrown there. Now, he looked even more badly injured than Tang San.
About fifteen minutes later, Yu Xiaogang's eyes shot open as if waking from a terrible nightmare.
"Xiao San!" he yelled, his voice rough.
When his senses returned, he found himself lying on the cold ground in a strange, twisted position.
"Hiss…!"
Even the slightest movement sent waves of tearing pain through his body. The sun had set, and the forest was pitch black. An eerie silence had fallen over the area; not even the chirping of insects could be heard. He looked around frantically, but Tang San and Huo Feng were nowhere to be seen.
Panic began to set in. Yu Xiaogang wasn't a man with a deep conscience, but he had some. If Tang San and Huo Feng disappeared on his watch, it would be impossible to explain to Notting College. More importantly, they were the two perfect test subjects for his theories!
He ignored the pain and struggled to his feet, his eyes scanning the darkness.
"Ah—!"
A shrill scream suddenly pierced the silence. The strength left his body, and he collapsed to the ground again. His face had turned a sickly, dark color, and beads of cold sweat covered his forehead. A terrifying stiffness was spreading through his limbs. He looked down at his right arm and gasped. It had swelled to twice its normal size, the skin turning a bruised, blackish-purple.
Poison. It was the venom of the Mandrake Snake.
"Gulp…" Yu Xiaogang swallowed hard, his throat dry. He remembered it clearly now. Just before he lost consciousness, the Mandrake Snake had bitten Luo Sanpao on its right front leg. Because a beast martial soul and its master were one, when the soul was poisoned, the master was poisoned as well.
He tried to circulate his spirit power, but his face only grew paler. He had been unconscious for too long, and the poison was already running rampant through his body. His weak spirit power was no match for the powerful venom of a thousand-year spirit beast. Worse, his vision was blurring, and his consciousness began to fade again. He knew he was about to pass out.
With the last of his strength, Yu Xiaogang tore a strip of cloth from his robes and tied it tightly around his upper arm, just below the shoulder, hoping to slow the poison's spread.
Not far away, Huo Feng lay perfectly still in the grass, hearing nothing. The gentle evening breeze was perfect for a nap.
Some time later, Tang San's consciousness slowly returned. The first thing he did was check his body, not celebrating the fact that he was still alive. He circulated his Mysterious Heaven Skill, carefully assessing the damage inside and out. After a moment, he let out a long sigh of relief.
Just two broken ribs. The rest were only minor cuts and bruises. Nothing fatal.
With a focused expression, he began to treat his own injury. Combining his Mysterious Heaven Skill with his Mysterious Jade Hand, he placed a palm against his chest, found the dislocated ribs, and sharply pushed them back into place. He then grabbed two sturdy branches and used another strip of cloth to fashion a simple splint, securing it tightly around his torso. Even with his advanced skills, the intense pain almost made him black out again. He felt incredibly weak.
"Teacher…!"
Suddenly, the image of Yu Xiaogang filled his mind. Tang San looked around and realized he wasn't in the same spot where he had fallen. The Mandrake Snake was also gone. He vaguely remembered being struck by the snake's powerful tail, and then nothing.
He staggered to his feet, anxiety gripping him as he searched the dark clearing. Activating his Purple Demon Eye, his vision cut through the darkness. Soon, he spotted a figure lying motionless on the ground.
"Teacher!" Tang San's heart sank.
He remembered his teacher falling unconscious before he had even started fighting the snake. Huo Feng had been with him at the time, but now he was also missing. Tang San didn't have time to worry about Huo Feng's fate. He ignored the sharp pain in his chest and rushed to Yu Xiaogang's side.
"Teacher, what happened? Are you alright?" Tang San called out, but there was no response.
He looked at Yu Xiaogang's face and his blood ran cold. "Poison!" he whispered in horror.
A dark, black energy seemed to cling to his teacher's face. His body was stiff, and he was completely unconscious. His right arm was swollen to three or four times its normal size, its color a necrotic, purple-black.
"It's the Mandrake Snake's venom," Tang San concluded, his memories of the fight becoming clearer. He recalled Luo Sanpao being bitten on its right front leg. A beast spirit was connected to its master; the teacher had been poisoned too!
He quickly checked the pulse in Yu Xiaogang's left wrist and felt a small sense of relief. The cloth tied around his upper arm had slowed the venom's spread, otherwise, it would have already reached his heart. Not even a Titled Douluo could have saved him then.
But the situation was still critical. Thanks to his knowledge from the Tang Sect in his past life, Tang San knew a great deal about poisons. Too much time had passed. The venom had completely saturated his teacher's entire right arm. Simply trying to draw out the poison was impossible now.
There was only one way left. Amputation. To save his life, the arm had to go.
Tang San made the decision instantly. The conditions here were terrible, but he had no other choice. If he waited any longer, Yu Xiaogang wouldn't survive.
"I hope the teacher won't hate me for this when he wakes up," he murmured to himself.
He first built a small bonfire, its flames pushing back the darkness. Then, he took out his dagger, its blade gleaming in the firelight. He held the blade in the flames, heating it until the metal began to glow a bright, angry red.
When the dagger was ready, Tang San tore another piece of cloth from Yu Xiaogang's robes and stuffed it firmly into his mouth.
Everything was prepared.
He began to circulate his Mysterious Heaven Skill and Mysterious Jade Hand simultaneously. He gripped the hot dagger tightly, his own forehead breaking out in a cold sweat. Activating his Purple Demon Eye, he focused intently on the base of Yu Xiaogang's upper arm, just below the tourniquet.
He gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and hardened his heart. With a fierce swing, he brought the glowing blade down.
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