The intimate, charged atmosphere within Bai Lianxin's boudoir slowly settled after she accepted Su Chan's Heaven Grade pill. An unspoken understanding, a fragile yet potent new bond, now existed between them, woven from sacrifice, shared secrets, and the nascent tendrils of an emotion neither was yet fully prepared to name. Bai Lianxin, her usual Saint King composure still slightly ruffled by a maidenly shyness, insisted Su Chan return to his courtyard to focus on his own recovery, promising to take the Soul Essence Restoration Pill immediately.
Su Chan, his heart filled with a warm, protective glow, respectfully acquiesced. He knew she needed solitude to properly refine such a potent elixir, and he himself desperately needed to consolidate his Foundation Building Fifth Realm and understand the lingering effects of the curse, now held in check by her Saint Yuan Yin.
Days turned into a week. Su Chan immersed himself in cultivation, using the Myriad Source Spirit Dew from his system reward to slowly, painstakingly recover the spiritual energy he had lost. The Grand Primordial Chaos Art, even with his physique partially suppressed, demonstrated its Emperor Grade might, refining the spirit dew into incredibly pure chaotic Qi that nourished his meridians and dantian with astonishing efficiency. He also dedicated time to truly mastering the 'Shadowless Steps,' its profound intricacies becoming second nature.
His martial sisters visited daily, bringing him nourishing spiritual foods and regaling him with news from the sect. The Chaos Vision, they reported, was still the primary topic of discussion, though the initial fervor had somewhat died down, replaced by a mixture of awe, speculation, and for some, a simmering undercurrent of envy.
It was during one such visit that Lin Ruo'er, her usually bright face creased with a slight frown, mentioned something offhand. "Senior Brother Su Chan, that Jin Yaoyang from Blazing Sun Peak has been asking a lot of questions about you in the True Disciple circles. Mostly about your past, your cultivation habits… it felt a bit… pointy."
Su Chan's internal alarms went off, though his outward expression remained calm. Jin Yaoyang. The arrogant True Disciple with the Solar Yang Physique, one of the prime contenders for the Holy Son position, and someone whose ambition was undoubtedly threatened by Su Chan's sudden, spectacular rise.
"Perhaps he's just curious, little sister," Su Chan said lightly, but he made a mental note.
A few days later, a senior Outer Disciple, one Su Chan vaguely recognized from the Scripture Pavilion registration, arrived at his courtyard with a respectfully presented, exquisitely crafted jade box.
"True Disciple Su Chan," the disciple said with a deep bow, "this is a gift from True Disciple Jin Yaoyang of Blazing Sun Peak. He heard of your recent miraculous awakening and your subsequent… slight indisposition. He wishes to express his admiration and offers this humble token of goodwill to aid in your recovery – a vial of 'Sun-Kissed Vitality Dew,' a unique tonic brewed on their Blazing Sun Peak, said to be excellent for recuperating spiritual energy and strengthening the physique."
Su Chan accepted the box, his expression polite but his mind instantly wary. Jin Yaoyang, offering a gift of goodwill? It seemed highly out of character given what Lin Ruo'er had mentioned, and what he knew of such arrogant "young masters" from the novel.
"Please convey my thanks to True Disciple Jin," Su Chan said smoothly.
After the disciple departed, Su Chan examined the jade box. It was beautiful, radiating a faint warmth. Inside, nestled on a bed of crimson silk, was a small, crystal vial containing a golden, viscous liquid that seemed to shimmer with captured sunlight. It smelled incredibly fragrant, a rich, potent aroma of concentrated Yang energy and rare spiritual herbs.
Sun-Kissed Vitality Dew, Su Chan mused. Sounds beneficial. Too beneficial, perhaps, coming from him.
He didn't open it immediately. Instead, he focused his spiritual sense, enhanced by the Chaos Divine Body's nascent perceptive abilities, and carefully probed the vial. The golden liquid pulsed with vibrant Yang energy, as advertised. There was nothing overtly malicious he could detect on the surface.
"Master," Ye Fan's ring grandpa would have said in such a situation, "be wary of gifts from rivals." Su Chan didn't have a ring grandpa, but he had his past life's knowledge of treacherous plots and a healthy dose of paranoia.
He thought for a moment. Directly consuming it was out of the question. Showing it to his master? Bai Lianxin was still recovering, and he didn't want to bother her with his suspicions unless absolutely necessary, especially if it turned out to be a genuine, if unexpected, gesture.
Then, an idea sparked. The system! Could it analyze items? He hadn't tried before.
"System," he mentally commanded, focusing on the vial, "can you analyze this 'Sun-Kissed Vitality Dew' for any harmful properties?"
Ding! Analyzing target item… Requires minor expenditure of Host's spiritual energy for detailed scan… Proceed? (Y/N)
Yes! Su Chan thought immediately. A wisp of his chaotic Qi flowed into the system.
Ding! Analysis complete.
Item: Sun-Kissed Vitality Dew (Adulterated).
Primary Components: Concentrated Solar Essence, Vitality Boosting Spirit Herbs (Earth Grade). Promotes recovery and strengthens Yang-aspected physiques.
Hidden Adulterant Detected: 'Soul-Scorching Serpent Venom' (Trace Amount – Odorless, Tasteless, Spiritually Masked).
Effect of Adulterant: Upon ingestion, the venom remains dormant initially, masked by the potent Yang energy of the dew. Over a period of 7-10 days, it will slowly, almost imperceptibly, begin to corrode the recipient's soul foundation. For ordinary cultivators, this would lead to cultivation deviation, madness, or a slow, agonizing death with their soul withering away. For a physique like the Chaos Divine Body, which is intrinsically linked to the soul's primordial state, the effect would be catastrophic, potentially reigniting and catastrophically amplifying the existing curse, or causing direct, irreparable damage to the physique's core essence, making future recovery or advancement impossible. The venom is specifically designed to be insidious and almost untraceable by conventional spiritual sense probes below the Saint King realm, especially when mixed with such potent Yang ingredients.
Su Chan's blood ran cold. His hand, holding the beautiful jade box, trembled slightly. Soul-Scorching Serpent Venom! Designed to corrode the soul and be undetectable! If he had naively consumed this, thinking it a gesture of goodwill or even a thinly veiled challenge he could overcome…
Jin Yaoyang! That arrogant bastard wasn't just trying to hinder him; he was trying to destroy him, to cripple him from the soul outwards, in a way that would likely be attributed to complications from his "miraculous awakening" or the existing curse. It was a vicious, cowardly, and terrifyingly well-thought-out plot.
A murderous glint flashed in Su Chan's eyes, cold and sharp. So, the games had already begun. And his rivals were playing for keeps.
He carefully placed the jade box on his table. He wouldn't destroy it. Not yet. This… this was evidence. And perhaps, it could be… repurposed.
A grim smile touched his lips. Jin Yaoyang, you want to play with poisons and plots? You have no idea who you're dealing with. This was no longer just about countering Ye Fan. Internal enemies within the sect, far more immediate and perhaps just as dangerous, were already making their moves.
He needed to get stronger, faster. And he needed to be much, much more careful. The path of a Chaos Divine Body was indeed paved with both unparalleled opportunity and deadly peril.
Su Chan took a deep breath, the initial shock giving way to a cold, calculating fury. He immediately focused his mind and began to write in his diary, detailing this insidious plot, this first taste of the "bloody schemes" that were undoubtedly part of this cultivation world's brutal reality. He knew this information would be vital for his own planning, and perhaps, just perhaps, the heroines reading it might also learn a valuable lesson about the true nature of some of their "esteemed" fellow disciples.
[System Notification to all Heroines (Appearing shortly after Su Chan finished his diary entry detailing the poisoned gift)]
System Alert: Diary Host Su Chan has uncovered an assassination attempt via a cleverly disguised poisoned tonic ('Sun-Kissed Vitality Dew' adulterated with 'Soul-Scorching Serpent Venom') gifted by True Disciple Jin Yaoyang of Blazing Sun Peak.
Details of the poison's insidious nature and its potential catastrophic effects on Host Su Chan (and especially his Chaos Divine Body) have been recorded in the latest diary entry.
Host Su Chan successfully avoided ingesting the poison due to timely system analysis.
The heroines received this notification, and upon reading Su Chan's detailed diary entry about the poisoned gift, a wave of cold fury, shock, and protective outrage swept through them. The internal strife of the Holy Land, the jealousy and ruthlessness of ambitious rivals, had just become terrifyingly real and personal.