Chapter 123: The Poison of Metal

　　The giant sword ‘Molten Metal Fire Bell’ was a hundred feet in height. Its height was about seven to eight stories. However, most parts of the sword blade were already embedded into the ground, revealing only a small part of the blade and its humongous sword handle. It appeared to be an ancient remain left behind since the primitive ages, its mannerism was extensive yet eye-catching. Underneath the red-colored sword, there was a red-colored bug that was leaning on the sword casually. Every once in a while it would turn around twice as if it was scratching an itch.

　　‘You’ve Got Me’ was sunbathing leisurely. When it suddenly saw Wen Leyang coming out, it immediately performed a carp skip-up… It did not manage to get up. Wen Xiaoyi ran over smilingly, she bent over and picked it up on her palm. She cheered out in surprise, its body had already returned to its prior deep dark red color.

　　During the ‘Bronze Corpse Formation’, in order to save Little Chi Maojiu and resisting against the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream that was dispersed by the bronze ants, ‘You’ve Got Me’ almost exhausted all its strong poison of fire element. Its color turned greyish, akin to the skin color of a person with a fatal disease that was dying soon. Yet, unexpectedly, it only took half a day’s time to fully recover.

　　The fiery red bug rolling about on her palm that was of fair complexion and tenderness reflected into an unspeakable pleasing scene. Wen Xiaoyi could only feel that her palm was warm and ticklish, she chuckled as she asked Wen Leyang, “What happened to it? How did it recover in such a short time?”

　　Wen Leyang was still dragging along the giant pangolin’s tail. He was rather puzzled. His gaze swept here and there and finally stopped at the giant sword ‘Molten Metal Fire Bell’, speaking suspiciously, “Is it because of this?”‘You’ve Got Me’ favored feeding on the fire element. Back when they were at the Wen family village, it once pounced onto the Palace of Sun Dynasty senior brother disciple’s dragonfly short sword ‘Firetail’ and even stung a flame-striped tiger. Every time it fed, it was as energetic as it was now.

　　The moment ‘You’ve Got Me’ heard Wen Leyang’s words, it immediately ululated and cheered. Its body contracted and relaxed, and drew out a line of red-colored arc in midair. It leaped onto his shoulder in extreme agility, the exact opposite of its clumsy carp skip-up earlier.

　　The Qilian Immortal Sect’s disciples cultivated treasured weapons of flying sword of the fire element. However, when Wen Leyang first dashed into the stone forest, ‘You’ve Got Me’ almost exhausted its power of poison, its skin color was only slightly darker than a silkworm. Of course, it dared not provoke those raging Taoist priests, After considering, Wen Leyang decided there was only this ‘Molten Metal Fire Bell’ that was possible.

　　Wen Xiaoyi squinted her eyes and peered towards the giant sword in front of her, “Just by depending on this sword here?” The ‘Molten Metal Fire Bell’ was only the dwarf Taoist priest’s camouflage spell. It appeared majestic-looking but it had utterly no magic power. Within the eyes of Wen Xiaoyi, it was nothing but a humongous piece of iron sheet.

　　Wen Leyang laughed, “There is such a possibility after my careful consideration, it managed to escape from the Thunder Heart Sand’s attack. Who knows it is really not a mortal object after all?” He waved his hand quickly and warded off ‘You’ve Got Me’ that was lowering its head in preparation to charge forward to the side of his mouth. Ever since Wen Leyang spent almost a year in the earth-splitting toad’s stomach, ‘You’ve Got Me’ was always thinking about charging into his mouth all the time.

　　‘You’ve Got Me’ could not charge forward. It was lying on Wen Leyang’s palm dispiritedly at first, but when it heard his words, it immediately became high-spirited. Its entire body was akin to a small man intoxicated by success when it suddenly shook once strenuously. In the dialect of Northeast China, this was a fine example of one becoming highly conceited from a small success.

　　Following ‘You’ve Got Me’s shaking, the humongous ‘Molten Metal Fire Bell’ gave out a faint light hum in response! Wen Leyang was startled, he stretched out a finger and lightly flicked on ‘You’ve Got Me’ and asked while he laughed, “What happened?”

　　‘You’ve Got Me’ lazily prepared to shake its body once more. Its constantly swaying huge head suddenly stiffened. It then ululated in a cheer, like a mischievous child that discovered a new toy. It bounced out of Wen Leyang’s palm all of a sudden and jumped onto the giant pangolin’s body. It rolled and crawled about seemingly pleased with itself, as it completely forgot about Wen Leyang and Wen Xiaoyi.

　　Wen Leyang and Wen Xiaoyi were deranged and joyous. While they were preparing to turn around and retrieve back the bug, the clanking sound of gong knocking suddenly echoed from underneath their feet.

　　It was from the two bronze ants ‘Mo Ya’. The stronger one was blocking the other one behind its back. Its strong lower jaw was knocking on the upper jaw, as smooth and clean as the knocking sound of the Chinese gong used in Chinese opera, crisp and pleasing.

　　Both of the Mo Ya was severely injured from the Thunder Heart Sand. Now their bodies were still the color of ghastly pale but their spirit had already recovered slightly. At least, they could start knocking on Chinese gong.

　　Wen Leyang squatted down excitedly and stretched out his hand slowly towards the ants, which are the size of a sparrow.

　　Wen Xiaoyi was so startled she grabbed on to his arm, “Do you want to die?”

　　Wen Leyang was laughing relaxingly, he retracted his arm as instructed, and pulled on Wen Xiaoyi’s hand, “It is alright, these two ants are extremely incisive at gathering and dispersing poison, but they are not that poisonous themselves. Moreover, they are already exhausted right now!”

　　Wen Xiaoyi stared towards the two bronze ants as if she was deep in thoughts but did not speak. The well-behaved child Luo Wanggen chimed in from the side, “Really?” As he was saying that he too squatted in front of Wen Leyang and stretched out his hand towards the two ‘Mo Ya’.

　　Wen Leyang was startled to the point of fainting. He used his shoulder to wedge Luo Wanggen to the side at one go, Wen Buzuo also ran over in quick strides to pull him away, he was scolding, “How can this little fellow be so daring!”

　　Wen Xiaoyi too pondered for a while, she rubbed on the skin in between her brows appeared to be troubled. She was too lazy to ponder until there was a correct answer, her little hand pinched hard on Wen Leyang twice, “Tell us, quick!” Mo Ya was the king of metal bugs, ‘You’ve Got Me’ will grow into the fire moth Buddha’s Light Guide, that was the ultimate bug in the fire element. However, these two types of bugs inherited two vastly different types of toxicity.

　　The larvae of the Buddha’s Light Bug, even though it was a rare species, but as compared to the larvae of ‘Mo Ya’, the number of prior species exceeded the latter species far by many folds. That was why a conscientious person that refined poison would have the opportunity to see a red-colored Buddha’s Light Bug once in a while, but the probability of a Buddha’s Light Bug to mature and broke out of its cocoon into a moth was extremely low. On the other hand, no one had ever seen the larvae of Mo Ya. The appearance of this creature was certainly the bug king of utmost metal with its Poison of Utmost Metal Stream flowing everywhere. An ordinary person who bumped into them was akin to touching the hand of Yama-raja. Even within the Wen family’s the Place of Birth, Life, Sickness, and Death, there was an extremely rare collection of recordings about them.

　　Wen Leyang pointed towards the bigger Mo Ya that was knocking gong in his direction, “When Leyang Shoujin first entered the stone forest, he first dashed past these two bugs’ Poison of Utmost Metal Stream. Following that these two bugs here were furious, they even injected the toxicity into their bodies into the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream, do you still remember that?”

　　Wen Xiaoyi nodded.

　　Back then the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream around Mo Ya immediately became thicker, while the surface area the poison was covering expanded as well. It was clear that their toxicity was also exceedingly ruthless and tyrannical.

　　Wen Leyang chuckled and nodded. After the stone forest disappeared, the sky brightened, the sunlight illuminated on the space to dilute the sharpness of the Gold-consuming Nest and shone on their bodies to create a warm and comfortable sensation, “I had the same thinking as well back then, but afterwards when they were injured by the big-muzzled weapon, the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream pounced back onto me…”

　　The brothers Bushuo, Buzuo and Xiaoyi were all experts in using poison. All of them gathered over, so they could listen to Wen Leyang’s words attentively.

　　After the Poison of Life and Death within Wen Leyang’s body combined with the giant toad’s Poison of Earth, it was not that he no longer absorbed any more toxins. He no longer absorbed any ordinary type of poison. The Poison of Utmost Metal Stream triggered Wen Leyang’s Poison of Life and Death. Just like his experience back in the earth-splitting toad’s stomach, his body started absorbing the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream madly.

　　The scene at that time was indeed a splendid sight. A huge stretch of Poison of Utmost Metal Stream’s undercurrent rolled into a raging vortex and tightly surrounded Wen Leyang as it spun around him madly. Wen Leyang drew out strands upon strands of poison. However, as compared to his last experience of digesting Poison of Earth and being trapped inside the toad’s stomach for more than nine months, this was different. This time, Wen Leyang could already move about in a short period of time. Moreover, the power of poison within his body did not increase as much as compared to the first time. He was only slightly stronger.

　　However, he surprisingly managed to control the huge stretch of Poison of Utmost Metal Stream dispersed by Mo Ya.

　　Following that was a series of scheming and adventures and battles. Wen Leyang did not even have the time to explain to his companions all along.

　　Wen Leyang stretched his body cozily. He released Wen Xiaoyi’s little hand gently. Following that he held out a finger and knocked lightly on the ground, a stretch of Poison of Utmost Metal Stream the size of his palm rapidly cruised onto his hand, akin to dark brass-colored mercury. Even though it was not as crystal clear yet, it was light and agile. Wen Leyang was playing with the poison as he said, “Even though the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream is ruthless and tyrannical, it is not the purest form of the metal element. The Poison of Life and Death within my body was not absorbing this! But it was…” As he said that he pointed towards the Mo Ya that was tired of knocking gong and was lying down to rest, “It was the strong poison that was expelled from their bodies into the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream!”

　　Wen Xiaoyi frowned again, “Her brows scrunched into a cute question mark, “The strong poison that belonged to Mo Ya is different from the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream?” They really did witness these two ants clenching their lower jaws onto the ground and injected their toxin into the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream, which became more and thicker.

　　Wen Leyang shook his head strenuously, “Of course it is different. The strong poison that is generated by two ants has less toxic but there is definitely another extra benefit! Look closely!” As he was saying that, that stretch of palm-sized Poison of Utmost Metal Stream flowed back onto the ground following his mind control, akin to being alive. It rapidly spread out of its body. The surface area spread further and further and became diluted. The size of a palm stretched all the way to the size of a millstone. Its color was almost transparent now. Wen Xiaoyi screamed out in surprise softly. Within the already diluted until almost transparent Poison of Utmost Metal Stream, strands upon strands of veins that were finer than a hair by countless folds appeared impressively. The continuous fibers were almost invisible to the eyes.

　　Wen Leyang did not reveal the answer in a rush, but he asked the few people around him, “So can you see clearly now?”

　　The Three-inch Nail Wen Bushuo and Wen Xiaoyi nodded their heads obediently, while Wen Buzuo stomped his foot in rage, “My ancestor, your patience is killing me!” The both of Mo Ya bronze ants that were initially exhausted on the ground started crawling, knocking gong anxiously as if they wanted to pounce into this stretch of the poisonous stream but they were filled with dread from the bottom of their hearts.

　　Wen Leyang gave a forced laugh, “Do I look like I’m afraid that all of you don’t understand me? Let alone all of you, even I am a little confused myself…” Before his voice died away, Three-inch Nail suddenly shouted loudly, “Stop talking nonsense and tell us quick!”

　　Wen Leyang gave a sigh. The Poison of Utmost Metal Stream that stretched into a huge patch before his eyes. Those strands of veins started cruising about rapidly. After a moment, the veins withdrew completely out of the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream and waited quietly in front of Wen Leyang. It was only a drop of water droplet slightly bigger than a green pea.

　　On one side, there was the diluted Poison of Stream. On the other side was a drop of four-colored venom.

　　Within the small water droplet, the four colors of pure black, pure white, pure golden, pure brown was entangled to one another yet distinct from one another.

　　Wen Leyang continued to explain to them, “The ant’s poison is supposed to be pure golden-colored. Now that it has entangled with the Poison of Earth and Poison of Life and Death, it turned into four colors.”

　　Wen Xiaoyi appeared to understand now, “Mo Ya can disperse the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream’s as it wishes because it uses its strong poison of the metal element to knit the veins?”

　　Wen Leyang nodded strenuously, he used the fluent Sichuan dialect to speak loudly, “That is correct! Mo Ya’s own toxicity is not considered overly fierce but it is capable of gathering all the toxicity of metal element and knit into one. So, the poison will follow them as they disperse the poison to harm their enemies and this is the most incisive part about them! After Leyang Shoujin broke through the poison, Mo Ya vomited out all the toxin within its body, while drawing in and gathering more Poison of Metal, since this is supposed to be the center of the Gold-consuming Nest, there is an unknown huge amount of Poison of Utmost Metal Stream drifting within the soil and rock that was knitted together into one by them at that time. Naturally, it became more and thicker!

　　The more Wen Leyang said the happier he was, “The Gold-consuming Nest’s Poison of Utmost Metal Stream’s undercurrent was insufficient. It is worthless to me so I refused to absorb it, as for this two Mo Ya’s toxin, it is quite alright…”‘You’ve Got Me’ was rolling and leaping about on the giant pangolin’s body delightfully. Upon hearing Wen Leyang’s laughter, it followed along and shook its body proudly, a human and a bug shook with great efforts within the giant sword ‘Molten Metal Fire Bell’s’ gentle hum.

　　Wen Xiaoyi was also beaming with delight, as she felt happy on behalf of Wen Leyang, “How about your Poison of Life and Death…it can flow out of the body now?”

　　Wen Leyang nodded and shook his head, “I can only circulate and knit it into the vein system when the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream of the metal element is nearby me, such that I can control the circulation of this stretch of Poison of Utmost Metal Stream with my mind. However, when the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream’s undercurrent is not in front of me I can’t do it. I tried it earlier when we were in the stone forest earlier. I couldn’t make the Poison of Life and Death flow out of my body.” Upon saying that, he burst out laughing, and pointed towards the huge stretch of Poison of Utmost Metal Stream occupying the space next to him, “Be contented!”

　　Ever since Wen Leyang trained in the domineering method of practice left behind by his ancestor Wen Lazi, whenever he met a master cultivator, he could only battle at close range with his body. Whereas when he met a master cultivator with similar cultivation base as his, for example, Qing Niao of Jilong Taoist, once the opposing party released his treasured weapon, Wen Leyang was at a loss. So this time in the Gold-consuming Nest, he absorbed the toxin of Mo Ya, which was capable of dispersing and joining the huge stretch of Poison of Utmost Metal Stream. It was considered a buy one free one deal for him. Even though his actual power for a close quarter fighting did not improve much, he could circulate the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream with his mind control. It could surge, it could jump, it could spread soundlessly, it was very useful. When he was faced with the dwarf Taoist priest’s Dharmachakra stamp of fire element recently he did not suffer any loss, so he was considered a person with magical abilities right now.

　　There was still a fixed ratio in between the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream and the vein system. Once the vein system was knitted into completion, the Poison of Life and Death could no longer flow out, unless it met with a new stretch of Poison of Utmost Metal Stream.

　　Wen Xiaoyi continued to ask him, “A portion of the Poison of Life and Death within your body flows outside to disperse the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream’s undercurrent, so will it affect you when you are in a close range battle?”

　　Wen Leyang pondered for a moment before he answered, “Not much of discernible effect. The five elements complemented one another. After the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream, the Poison of Earth and the Poison of Life and Death entangled as one, it is definitely stronger than the pure Poison of Utmost Metal Stream being added to the Poison of Earth and the Poison of Life and Death. Now that a portion has been divided, it is still a little stronger than before, if I were to gather all together, it should be even stronger…” As he was saying that he pondered for a moment, before he continued, “Now that the Poison of Life and Death includes all the five elements, it can disperse this stretch of Poison of Stream’s undercurrent. I am only guessing that the Poison of Life and Death that is dispersing the undercurrent, mostly takes up about one-quarter of the Power of Poison within my entire body…”

　　Wen Buzuo burst out laughing as he took over the topic of conversation, “It is done then, you have gained extra advantage here!”

　　Wen Xiaoyi also laughed as she nodded, by the time the Poison of Life and Death that was controlling the undercurrents was retrieved, Wen Leyang could gain twenty percent more of combat power. However, if he was to use this twenty percent more of Poison of Life and Death to disperse the undercurrent, the increased combat power was at least equal to half of Wen Leyang. Needless to say, ihe was even stronger.

　　Wen Leyang was grinning from ear to ear. In his view, the biggest advantage of this journey was not that he managed to receive a huge patch of Poison of Utmost Metal Stream’s undercurrent that was even stronger than using a treasured weapon, with tremendous power, but it was as if he had finally understood the knack of his method, about the encroachment of five elements. Within the Poison of Life and Death, the most amazing effect was produced when the earth cultivated metal, if he then used the metal to generate water, used the water to moisten the wood, used the wood to make fire, then what would become of the final product. The moment he thought of it he inhaled a deep breath happily. He wished that he could hastily find a set of Poison of Water with utmost softness disposition to try out.

　　They were engaged in a conversation here happily, when the gong knocking sound next to their ears became louder and louder. Two bronze ants were itching with the urge to try out that little stretch of Poison of Utmost Metal Stream that lost its Poison of Life and Death’s vein system, but their antennas continued to touch one another’s repeatedly, the clanking sound of gong knocking was almost akin to an argument, and the more they argued the fiercer they were. Wen Leyang watched for a while curiously before he was suddenly enlightened, Mo Ya were trying to offer this little stretch of Poison of Stream to one another.

　　Wen Xiaoyi pouted, she looked towards Wen Leyang piteously. Wen Leyang was the poor man that became wealthy now, he burst into laughter as he waved his hand once, directly from the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream’s undercurrent nearby, he dispersed a huge stretch of poison with the diameter of dozens of meters in preparation to withdraw his vein system, when Wen Xiaoyi was startled and immediately stopped him, “Too much!”

　　Wen Buzuo too was stomping his foot in rage, “You’re such a stingy little girl!”

　　Wen Xiaoyi rolled her eyes towards Wen Buzuo once, “Not that we are greedy but the Power of Poison of the Mo Ya here is almost exhausted, you are giving them too much of the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream, they cannot bear with it, perhaps the Poison of Utmost Metal Stream might countercharge, and kill them!”

　　Wen Leyang gave an ‘oh’. Under Wen Xiaoyi’s direction, he stripped away a stretch of about palm-sized Poison of Utmost Metal Stream, he spread it apart, withdrew the Poison of Life and Death’s vein system. Following that he stretched out his hand and dipped into the poison, two drops of four-colored entangled Poison of Life and Death immediately dissolved from his fingertip into his body.

　　Mo Ya cheered once, each of the ants raised its buttock, staggered and ran into a stretch of unowned Poison of Utmost Metal Stream.

　　While Wen Leyang was speaking, one of his hands was still holding on to the giant pangolin’s tail firmly. He waited until he had completely explained about his situation, only then he turned around and looked at the comatose giant pangolin, “Senior, you have been awake for the past five minutes, stop pretending that you have still fainted.”

　　The well-behaved child Luo Wanggen was confused, “How did you know he was awake?”

　　Wen Xiaoyi laughed and answered on behalf of Wen Leyang, “Look at him, once ‘You’ve Got Me’ is moving even by a little, those goosebumps on his body that are bigger than steamed buns scurry in two sides like waves…” As she was saying that, the big-muzzled weapon in her hands was already aiming towards the pointy head of the giant pangolin.

　　The giant pangolin realized that his act was revealed. It could no longer pretend to be dead, it suddenly opened its huge eyes, slowly turned around its head, and stared at Wen Leyang peculiarly, “I don’t eat cooked (familiar) people, don’t you force me into breaking that rule!”

　　The well-behaved child Luo Wanggen was startled, he used an extremely low voice to ask the three-inch nail next to him, “He likes to eat people raw?”