"Here it comes, the inevitable trial section from a fantasy novel."
From the moment Chen Ming entered the training field, he had been mentally preparing himself. When he heard Qin Ming's words, he couldn't help but feel a sense of inevitability inside him.
Chen Ming gave a respectful bow to the three committee members by his side before stepping about twenty paces away from Qin Ming. He summoned his martial soul, taking up a defensive stance.
Two soul rings, one yellow and one purple, appeared beside him, and the potent aura only a top-tier martial soul could exude became apparent. The three committee members exchanged quiet words among themselves, their faces full of satisfaction.
"Teacher Qin, be careful. My Jade Scorpion King is extremely toxic. The first two soul rings were obtained from top-tier poisonous soul beasts, and the poison they create when combined is very potent. You must be extremely cautious. If you feel unwell, please tell me immediately. Otherwise, if the poison spreads, it will be extremely difficult to remove."
To demonstrate the toxicity of his martial soul, Chen Ming gathered soul power at the tail of his scorpion and created a small droplet of poison. He controlled the droplet, allowing it to fall onto the ground.
The committee members watched in astonishment as the unique ground material was easily corroded by the drop of poison, making a sizzling sound. In just a few breaths, a hole the size of a grown man's fist appeared in the ground. The corroded area emitted a deep green glow and continued to sizzle, as if the rock was slowly melting away.
Seeing the hole that had been created, Chen Ming couldn't help but feel a bit emotional. In his memory, the power of his poison shouldn't have been this weak. When practicing with stones in the past, a single droplet of poison would have caused a corrosion of about 30 centimeters.
It was clear now that the materials used by the Tiandou Royal Academy were far sturdier than normal. No wonder the academy was known for its wealth and resources.
Looking at the corroded hole, Qin Ming, who had originally wanted to maintain a composed demeanor, swallowed nervously. He couldn't help but feel a growing sense of concern.
Could this truly be the Jade Scorpion's poison? It didn't feel like magma or anything similar.
Is this kid really a match for that so-called "Poison Douluo"? From the way he handles his poison, he seems far more powerful than the new student, Dugu Yan. Who exactly is the real inheritor of the poison legacy?
"Alright, if anything goes wrong, I will speak up," Qin Ming responded, now fully alert.
After briefly observing Chen Ming's actions, Qin Ming took a deep breath.
"Chen Ming, be prepared. I'm coming now."
"First soul skill, Fire Wolf Transformation! Second soul skill, Fire of the Wolf!"
Qin Ming activated two enhancement-type soul skills, boosting his own power. As his first and second soul rings lit up, his aura visibly intensified, and flames erupted around his body, growing more ferocious.
If he could, Qin Ming would have preferred not to use his soul skills. Even though he had suppressed his soul power, the difference in physical abilities and experience between a Soul King and a Great Soul Master was still vast.
However, seeing the smoke still rising from the hole in the ground, Qin Ming didn't want to risk his life to test the poison's effect. He had no choice but to ramp up his fire power through soul skills to protect himself from the poison.
With his enhanced power, Qin Ming charged at Chen Ming. However, despite his speed, Qin Ming's movements were intentionally restrained to about 30% of his true capabilities, reducing his agility to that of an average Great Soul Master.
Seeing Qin Ming's somewhat laughable speed, Chen Ming couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness, but he didn't let his focus slip.
As Qin Ming closed the gap to just three steps, Chen Ming made his move. His long scorpion tail whipped in front of him, like a lash, and his first soul ring immediately lit up. Dark green poison mist quickly spread out from him, surrounding his body.
"First Soul Skill: Poison Cloud!"
Chen Ming's voice came just as his skill took effect. By now, Qin Ming had fully entered Chen Ming's attack range.
The scorpion tail struck with immense power, forcing Qin Ming to block it. But just as that happened, a violent poison mist engulfed him.
Qin Ming's fiery hands barely managed to fend off the tail strike, but the intense poison cloud swallowed him up completely. Even though his body was surrounded by raging flames, the toxic mist still caused intense pain.
The flames resisted some of the poison, and his soul power nullified most of it. However, the remaining toxins were still potent enough to cause damage. Qin Ming's clothing started to tear within moments, and his beast-like skin, enhanced by his martial soul, couldn't protect him from the effects. His once-long hair began to shrink visibly.
A small portion of the poison entered Qin Ming's respiratory system, and despite being a minute amount, it caused excruciating pain. As a Soul Master with a Fire Elemental martial soul, this was the first time Qin Ming felt the agony of his internal organs being burned. No matter how strong his willpower, his body involuntarily spasmed, causing him to almost collapse, curling up like a shrimp in pain.
Seeing Qin Ming, a Soul King, fall into such difficulty after just one confrontation, Chen Ming's face changed drastically. His tail whipped fiercely, knocking Qin Ming away from the poison cloud's range. He quickly deactivated his soul skill and martial soul and reached for the antidote he had prepared earlier, hidden inside his clothes.
Qin Ming was caught midair by the Heavenly Green Vine martial soul summoned by Committee Member Zhi Lin, cushioning the impact and easing his fall.
A warm, life-infused soul power entered Qin Ming's body through the Heavenly Green Vine. Miraculously, the flames surrounding him didn't burn the vine.
As the soul power flowed in, Qin Ming felt his consciousness clear up slightly, but his internal organs still ached, and his skin felt as though it was being burned. For a moment, he was completely drained of energy.
Chen Ming quickly closed the distance, walked up to Qin Ming, and opened his mouth. He poured the powder from his small gourd into Qin Ming's mouth.
Although there was no water, Qin Ming's body, still coated in saliva, instinctively swallowed the medicine, and the coolness from his stomach began to ease the pain in his internal organs. Slowly, he regained some mental clarity and could start to focus on his condition.
(End of Chapter)