One wave subsided, another rose.
Jiang Chen's thoughts churned, but he did not immediately reveal the death aura infiltration.
He couldn't be certain whose scheme it was — speaking up would only alert the hidden manipulator.
But he couldn't let things continue as they were.
He organized his thoughts briefly and spoke: "Regardless, because of the Celestial Dragon Palace's unique nature, whoever triggered the killing intent erosion must be nearby. There are two possibilities. First, they're hiding right under our noses, but none of us can detect them — we can set that aside for now. If we can't find them, worrying about it is pointless."
"The second possibility — they're one of us, right here in this hall! In that case, they will certainly create another conflict to complement their scheme. Henceforth, anyone who attempts to start a fight will be treated as the mastermind. I will draw my sword and kill them without hesitation!"
Jiang Chen turned to Ji Xiu: "Brother Ji, since you have a way to counter killing intent erosion — how much time do you need to find the source of the technique? And perhaps, identify the person behind it?"
Ji Xiu considered briefly and said with confidence: "As long as no one interferes, I can find the source within a quarter of an hour. As for the person behind it — once we've uncovered the source, there will surely be clues."
When an Eastern King Valley cultivator made such a claim, it carried weight.
None of the people present betrayed anything unusual — whether they were hiding something or not.
Jiang Chen observed them covertly while speaking: "In that case, why don't we all wait outside the hall and watch each other? Once Brother Ji has found something, we can decide on our next move."
Lian Que immediately agreed: "Fine."
"A quarter of an hour is nothing — no need to leave. The killing intent can't affect you for now." Ji Xiu produced a needle case from his robes and prepared to begin his work.
"Let's wait outside," the woman cultivator said, a note of unease in her voice as she glanced around. "I keep feeling something strange about this hall."
Zhao Fangyuan, still gravely injured, was all the more cautious and eagerly seconded: "Better to wait out there. We can't help in here, and interfering with the Eastern King Valley's techniques would be unfortunate."
Even the cowled cultivator spoke: "Reasonable."
"As you wish." Ji Xiu drew a silver needle, flicked it with his finger, and said lightly: "If the opportunity happens to appear during this time, I hope you'll be grateful enough not to go all out against me."
That statement stopped everyone cold.
Indeed — what if the opportunity appeared while they were waiting outside?
The hall was dangerous, but had they not known this was a perilous place before entering the Celestial Secret Realm?
Leaving the opportunity behind out of fear of danger would be laughable.
No one was willing to leave the main hall anymore. Their feet seemed rooted to the ground.
The opportunity that remained hidden, never revealing itself, held them in an iron grip. It had drawn them into the Celestial Secret Realm and now trapped them within the Celestial Dragon Palace.
Jiang Chen had suggested leaving purely out of concern for everyone's safety, but seeing this, he couldn't press further — doing so might attract the hidden manipulator's attention.
He still couldn't determine whether the one wielding the death aura and the one who had set up the killing intent erosion were the same person. He couldn't even confirm whether they were in the main hall at all.
Ji Xiu held a silver needle between his fingers, raised before his eyes, while his other hand formed seals, channeling his secret art.
Then —
His hand trembled. The silver needle clattered to the ground.
He couldn't even hold a single needle. His expression contorted in pain as he dropped to one knee.
"How... how is this possible?"
His voice had become impossibly weak.
What happened?
Jiang Chen was about to move.
*Bang!*
The woman cultivator toppled backward!
Her limbs sprawled skyward, her face shrouded in gray-black. In mere moments, she had already drawn her last breath.
The second corpse in Dragon Palace Number Four.
Death aura eruption!
Jiang Chen's mind raced. He immediately slumped to the ground, feigning agony. At the same time, he stirred his Dao essence, making his vital signs barely perceptible.
Over there, Zhao Fangyuan spat a mouthful of blood — gray-black threaded through the crimson.
Already gravely injured, he now collapsed entirely, barely clinging to consciousness.
The cowled cultivator had long since fallen to the ground, life or death unknown.
Only Lian Que appeared to be in slightly better condition, still able to maintain his footing.
His entire face had turned a deep crimson, like glowing charcoal.
But visible gray energy was creeping up from his neck toward his face.
The crimson and the gray pressed against each other, locked in opposition.
Ji Xiu raised his head with effort, straining to look at Lian Que: "So it was you all along! The killing intent manipulation was your doing too, wasn't it? This whole self-sacrifice act?"
"No! It wasn't me!" Lian Que roared.
But the moment he spoke, the gray energy surged another inch up his neck.
He immediately fell silent, focusing all his strength on resisting the erosion.
His body burned like a furnace refining iron, using a secret art to combat the death aura consuming him.
But there was too much of it, erupting too suddenly. He could barely hold on.
In this moment, every cultivator in Dragon Palace Number Four seemed to have lost the ability to fight.
After a stretch of silence —
"Then who the hell is it?"
The voice grew from weak to strong.
Ji Xiu spoke as he slowly stood upright.
His complexion was normal, his steps steady — not a trace of having been affected.
He surveyed the hall, examining each person in turn, his gaze sharp: "I'm genuinely curious. Who was behind the killing intent trick? Now that you've all tasted my Nine-Death Poison, how does it feel?"
Zhao Fangyuan, collapsed on the ground, his face twisted in panic: "...What poison?"
"You heard me." Ji Xiu chuckled softly, clearly pleased that someone recognized it. "Many people know the Nine-Death Poison by name, but few know its true nature. It actually has nine different manifestations. I've only used one of them."
He glanced at Tian Yong's corpse on the floor: "Using this unfortunate dead man's body as a medium, I channel his death aura as the poison, triggering the death aura within the poisoned — causing sudden death. Aside from the woman who had a hidden ailment, you've all held up remarkably well. But this poison has no antidote. Because the death aura it uses already exists within every living body. The death-aura form of the Nine-Death Poison simply brings your death date forward."
This poison was terrifying — virtually impossible to guard against, carrying almost the flavor of fate rewritten.
Under Zhao Fangyuan's terrified gaze, Ji Xiu continued: "Now then, I've satisfied your curiosity. Who will satisfy mine? Who was behind the killing intent erosion? Tell me, and I'll let you die painlessly."
Simple curiosity alone didn't drive his repeated questioning. In truth, he was interested in the killing-intent secret art itself.
Using killing intent was more covert than death aura — perhaps he could upgrade the Nine-Death Poison into a Ten-Death Poison.
Silence from all.
"Is it because you fear the killing intent erosion, and even with my killing-intent snakes, I can't openly display my own killing intent — so you think my Nine-Death Poison at least gives you a fighting chance? Is that why you're not afraid of my threats?"
Ji Xiu shook his head, as if lamenting the hidden person's naivety.
He drew a silver needle between his index and middle fingers: "This is a Severing-Vein Needle."
A flick. The silver light streaked like lightning, piercing straight through the ceiling.
Above the hall, crimson lines rapidly etched themselves into formation, combining into a complex, chaotic pattern.
Without anyone knowing, the ceiling had been inscribed with array runes!
And Ji Xiu had already discovered them.
He hadn't lied — he truly could find the source of the killing intent erosion.
The concealed runes now revealed their form. But they were already fractured, every crimson line severed.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk — the craftsmanship of these runes is truly extraordinary. The method of triggering killing intent erosion — ingenious beyond measure." Ji Xiu sighed.
"But now they're gone."
"Now, I can kill whomever I please. However I please."
"So I'll ask once more — who was it?"
"Step forward, hand over the killing intent erosion technique, and I promise not to kill you. If you don't trust me, I'll swear a blood oath."
Only silence answered.
Ji Xiu lost his patience.
"Very well. Then I'll ask each of you individually..."
He flicked a finger. A silver needle shot forth, punching clean through the cowled cultivator's heart.
"Hmm, doesn't seem to be you."
Ji Xiu murmured to himself.
He now held absolute power — the fate of everyone in this hall rested in his hands.
At first, he had tacitly agreed to help eliminate Lian Que — the fewer survivors, the fewer complications.
Then Jiang Chen spoke, and he changed his mind.
First, Tian Yong's death was genuinely suspicious. Though he was confident in the Eastern King Valley's techniques, he feared the unexpected. After all, anyone who dared enter the Celestial Secret Realm was no weakling. So he examined the corpse personally, to understand the root of the problem and prepare his defenses.
Second, the corpse provided the perfect medium for his Nine-Death Poison. Whoever the hidden manipulator was, a single dose of poison would eliminate them all.
The one behind the killing intent erosion was truly skilled — even Ji Xiu had to admit it. If he hadn't happened to carry snakes capable of devouring killing intent, he might have fallen victim.
But in the end, he was the one who had played the better game.
Now he was the butcher, and everyone else was meat on the cutting board.
The opportunity in the Celestial Dragon Palace would naturally be his without further incident.
But if he could also obtain the killing intent erosion technique — that would be perfection.
The cowled cultivator, mysterious and secretive, had been his prime suspect. So without a second word, he killed first.
In his view, since the person still hadn't spoken, they must have another card to play.
But it didn't matter. The Nine-Death Poison was already in effect. No one could escape.
As for his next target...
He glanced at Lian Que. The big man was nearly done — collapsed on the ground, gray consuming most of his face, pressing toward his eyes.
Anyone could see he was about to break.
This was a simple-minded fool who had been manipulated by nearly everyone from start to finish. No need to worry about him — he could be killed last.
Zhao Fangyuan... his injuries were real, he was in terrible shape, and his chance of turning the tables was slim.
Ji Xiu naturally turned and fixed his gaze on Jiang Chen — who had been slumped on the ground, silent, seemingly having given up all resistance.
He couldn't quite gauge this one's depth.
So he'd kill him to find out.
Ji Xiu's lips curled slightly. He plucked a silver needle, ready to strike.
But then he looked down at his own chest.
Because a hand had emerged from behind him, silent, thrusting through to his front.
It was a rigid, blue-black hand — not the hand of a living person.