Chapter 390: Complete with All Five Poisons

Chapter 390: Five Poisons Combined

The Sick Prince stood on the deck with his hands folded behind his back.

His gaze swept across the ship, scanning everyone aboard before finally settling on Zhou Wenjing. He gave a slight nod and said,

"You really picked a great spot for me."

Yet as soon as he finished speaking, he broke into a coughing fit, a trickle of blood visible at the corner of his lips.

Hearing this, the others couldn't help but glance at Zhou Wenjing.

Zhou Wenjing, however, her brows shot up in anger:

"What the hell are you talking about?

"Who the hell found you anything?"

She was tempted to snap, "Settle this between us—keep others out of it."

But on one hand, Su Mo had previously expressed his intention to invite the Sick Prince aboard as a guest.

On the other, Su Mo and his companions were impossibly strong—perhaps they truly had no fear of the Sick Prince.

If she were left alone to face the Sick Prince, it would be a death sentence.

But if she could rely on Su Mo and his group to escape death, how could she easily give up such an opportunity?

Thus, after much hesitation, she bit back the words.

With death on the line, who could truly claim they would go willingly to their death?

It was precisely because she couldn’t pretend to be that brave that she had earlier tried to slip away on a skiff—to avoid dragging others into danger at this critical moment.

The Sick Prince, however, ignored Zhou Wenjing’s words outright. Instead, he turned his attention to Su Mo and the others:

"Who’s calling the shots here?"

Su Mo cupped his hands and took a step forward:

"That’d be me."

"Good."

The Sick Prince nodded lightly. "Not anymore."

"Oh?"

Su Mo smirked. "You get to decide that?"

"Yes."

The Sick Prince placed one hand behind his back and took two slow steps on the deck before nodding in satisfaction.

"Moreover, only this way will you be able to survive on Dragonwood Island."

"Oh?" Su Mo raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"How come?"

Sick Prince frowned, perhaps because Su Mo's pretending not to know was too transparent, provoking his anger. He gave Su Mo a cold glance:

"If you obey...

"On Dragonwood Island, with my protection, you will at least not be harmed by your companions.

"Otherwise, hah, you’ll inevitably be thrown to the wolves."

"I see." Su Mo shook his head with a smile. "But from what I can see, sir, you're barely holding your own right now. How can you possibly protect us?"

Sick Prince narrowed his eyes at Su Mo:

"What did you say?"

"Just calling it like I see it." Su Mo replied with a smile:

"First, you’ve got some strange poison in you—have you even cured that yet?

"Second, your poisoner will likely also be on the island this time. If you encounter them, how’s that protection working out?"

He paused slightly before continuing:

"Third, who’s in charge here isn’t settled. You walk into danger unaware.

"To spout such nonsense here is truly a joke."

"How dare you!" Sick Prince exploded. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Su Mo.

He raised his palm and went straight for Su Mo's heart.

Su Mo smiled:

"Once aboard, you are our honored guest."

As he spoke, he reached out with one hand and snagged Sick Prince's wrist.

In that instant, Sick Prince's face went pale.

Su Mo's technique appeared clumsy yet was unexpectedly precise—his movement seemed slow but was lightning-fast. Despite Sick Prince's precautions and the three backup moves in his palm strike, he couldn’t pull off a single one before Su Mo had already secured his wrist.

Shocked and furious, Sick Prince transformed his palm into a finger strike, like a striking viper, aiming to graze Su Mo's forearm.

"No need for this." Su Mo's next words finally came now.

The moment he finished speaking, he released his grip on Sick Prince's wrist.

He sidestepped the finger thrust with ease.

But the Sick Prince pressed on relentlessly. With a flick of his other sleeve, a loud *swish* rang out. As his sleeve unfurled, his fist shot through the shadow, streaking toward Su Mo’s face.

But his fist met only air.

Whirling around, he found Su Mo already behind him—foot lashing out.

The Sick Prince, too slow to turn, countered with a backward kick of his own.

Their kicks clashed—the impact sent the Sick Prince stumbling forward several steps, while Su Mo recoiled as if flung back.

When the Sick Prince spun around, Su Mo was already gone.

Then a voice cut through from nowhere:

“What do you call that kick?

“I’d heard you practiced the Five Transformations Demonic Art, Sick Prince.

“Like that Five Corrosions Life-Severing Palm, which was what killed Ling Yuanke.

“But that finger jab and this kick don’t match.

“Could they also be derived from the Five Transformations Demonic Art?”

As he spoke, the Sick Prince whirled around, yet found nothing behind him.

Only the voice echoed from all directions, filling his ears.

Dread coiled in his gut, even a faint sense of fear.

For all his years in the martial world, even after lying low seven years, he had never lost touch with its affairs.

Yet this master came out of nowhere.

His Five Transformations Demonic Art laced every strike with deadly venom.

But this man, exchanging blows with him, remained utterly unaffected—phasing in and out like a specter.

Such a figure had not existed seven years ago, nor had he heard of anyone like this emerging in the South Sea during his absence.

His horror was plain to see, though most onlookers were utterly baffled.

Zhou Wenjing just gaped, baffled.

She almost yelled—*What’s he even looking at?*

Su Mo hadn’t moved an inch.

Yet every time the Sick Prince turned, Su Mo seamlessly shifted to the opposite side.

They were close enough to touch. Had Su Mo struck then, this South Sea overlord might have been finished then and there, right on the Ziyang Escort’s grand vessel.

“You wretched coward!!!”

Blindly swiping at air, the Sick Prince finally erupted in fury:

“Skulking in shadows—some hero you are!”

"If you truly believe your martial arts are superior, why not show yourself and fight?"

"Alright then."

With a smile, Su Mo took a single step and was already right in front of Sick Prince, said with a grin:

"Please, make your move."

The moment Sick Prince saw him, he wasted no time and lunged without hesitation.

His martial arts were indeed extraordinary.

The so-called Five Transformations Demonic Art was essentially channeling myriad poisons throughout the body and releasing them through his moves.

It consisted of five stages: decay, scorch, congeal, scatter, and erode.

In truth, it comprised five distinct sets of techniques.

These were a leg technique, a finger technique, a fist technique, a grappling technique, and a palm technique.

The five techniques merged with the myriad poisons within the body.

Even without being struck down by the moves, one would still succumb to the lethal toxins.

And even disregarding the poison aspect, the five sets of techniques themselves were devious and vicious, and each had its own strengths.

By this point, Sick Prince had already deemed Su Mo his greatest rival.

He wielded his techniques effortlessly, using both moves and poison to their fullest.

For a while, the display was breathtaking.

The two fought with such speed and fluidity that it was nothing short of extraordinary.

They exchanged several rounds on the deck before leaping onto the roof of the cabin.

Then, with a single step, they moved to the side of the mast, climbing higher and higher until they stood atop the lookout platform, dueling in that tight space.

To observers, it seemed like an evenly matched battle.

Zhou Wenjing, however, watched anxiously.

On one hand, she was stunned by Su Mo’s martial prowess—that he could hold his own against a master like Sick Prince without faltering.

Yet she also worried, for Sick Prince’s skills weren’t limited to mere strikes.

More terrifying still was his unfathomable mastery of poison.

While the standoff was good news, what if Su Mo unknowingly fell victim to his toxins?

As these thoughts crossed her mind, she reached for her golden silk gloves, ready to join the fight.

But the moment she took a step forward, Yang Xiaoyun stopped her.

Surprised, she turned to look at Yang Xiaoyun:

"Mrs. Su... what's this about?"

Yang Xiaoyun smiled:

"Miss Zhou, are you thinking of jumping in to help?"

Zhou Wenjing didn’t hesitate and nodded immediately:

"Against a guy like the Sick Prince, we don’t need to play by martial arts rules.

"We can team up, no questions asked.

"His poison skills are no joke—I’m just worried Eldest Brother Su might get caught in his traps."

Yang Xiaoyun smiled but before she could speak, Little Situ cut in:

"His poison game is seriously sneaky. He’s been poisoning us since we got on the ship.

"Before he even fought Eldest Brother Su, he had already deployed seven or eight deadly poisons, trying to take him out before the fight even started.

"Once they started fighting, he just kept pulling more underhanded moves."

"What?"

Zhou Wenjing was visibly shocked. "You sure about that, miss?"

"Why would I lie to you?" Little Situ replied with a faint smile. "But don’t worry—I’ve already broken every poison he threw at us."

As she spoke, she opened her palm, revealing a messy blend of colorful powders, all mixed up beyond recognition.

Zhou Wenjing wasn’t fully convinced, but Yang Xiaoyun added:

"My husband’s always been obsessed with martial arts, always going on about how you can learn from other schools.

"The Five Transformations Demonic Art—back in the Eastern Wastes, we’d never even heard of it.

"Now we’re stuck at sea with this guy, and with little else to occupy us, might as well see what this Five Transformations Demonic Art is all about.

"Miss Zhou, just sit tight and watch."

"But..."

Zhou Wenjing faltered, not sure what to say to Yang Xiaoyun’s confidence.

After a long pause, she finally said:

"Shouldn’t we be careful? We can’t afford to slip up!"

Yang Xiaoyun nodded promptly.

"Miss Zhou’s got a point. Everyone, we must indeed remain vigilant.

"Ziyi, go grab Baihu from the storage cabin.

"Everyone else, fan out and cover the area—

"Don’t let the Sick Prince slip away."

"..."

Wait, we’re being careful just so he doesn’t run?

Zhou Wenjing was momentarily speechless, thinking, "What kind of people are on this ship anyway?"

As she stood stunned, she suddenly saw a figure flash past her, and in an instant, he was already at the ship's railing.

His toes barely touched the railing as he was about to vault away.

Zhou Wenjing turned her head, her face a mask of shock:

"Is he actually running away?"

Just as she didn't know what to think, she heard Su Mo let out a booming laugh:

"Now that you're here, why leave in such a hurry?

"Why not stay and be our guest?"

As he spoke, he had already appeared behind the Sick Prince.

He reached out, seized the man's wrist, and hurled him back onto the deck.

The Sick Prince staggered a few steps before regaining his footing. When he looked up, Su Mo was already bearing down on him.

Snarling in anger, he spat:

"Do you think I fear you?"

To any watching, their earlier clash had seemed evenly matched—even the Sick Prince himself had initially thought so.

But as their duel continued, he realized the truth.

Su Mo was just playing with him.

Or rather, he had wanted to see all the techniques of the Five Transformations Demonic Art.

During their clash, Su Mo would occasionally reveal a deliberate flaw, baiting him into revealing new techniques to exploit it.

Led along by this subtle manipulation, every technique he used had been anticipated by Su Mo.

Though his attacks appeared fierce, none had found their mark.

Not only were his martial arts useless, but his poison arts proved equally useless.

Even now, Su Mo hadn’t so much as coughed once.

It was clear that his toxic arts couldn't touch this man whatsoever.

Thus, the truth was undeniable: he was no match for Su Mo.

At this point, Su Mo still hadn’t taken the fight seriously. If he did, the outcome didn't bear thinking about.

Yet, as a seasoned figure in the martial world, he kept up the act despite knowing better.

Mid-fight, he abruptly changed tactics, making Su Mo give ground.

By his original sequence, the next move should have been "Counter Poison with Poison," a shift in fists and feet accompanied by a second wave of toxic inner energy—a prime opening to seize the offensive.

Yet, to everyone’s surprise, he flicked his sleeve and instead unleashed a venomous "Welcome and Send-off," then turned to flee.

This sudden shift even caught Su Mo off guard. Which led to Su Mo's quick pursuit and "invitation" to stay.

Now that Su Mo had thrown him onto the deck, the Sick Prince realized how difficult it would be to escape today.

Immediately, he steadied his stance, balanced and ready.

Then, he drew upon the Five Transformations Vital Energy, swiftly sealing over a dozen pressure points along his waist and arms with both hands.

His movements were so fast that only blurred afterimages could be seen.

By this time, Su Mo had already closed in. The Sick Prince raised his head, his face now flushed with five swirling hues, and suddenly opened his mouth to spew—a billowing cloud of venomous mist.

A cloud of poisonous smoke spewed forth, followed by a forceful push of his palms.

A sinister hum reverberated!

A faint, continuous hum arose from the edges of his palms as the poisonous smoke was swept up by the force of his strike, condensed into a swirling mass between his palms.

With a fierce motion, he hurled it toward Su Mo.

This was the ultimate technique of the Five Corrosion Palm from the Five Transformations Demonic Art, known as *"Five Poisons Unleashed"*!

At its core were the lethal toxins stockpiled over years of cultivating the Five Transformations Demonic Art, stored within his body, now amplified by the overwhelming internal energy of the Five Corrosion Palm.

If an opponent dared to block it head-on, they would inevitably be afflicted by countless poisons.

If they chose not to engage, the force of the strike would disperse, spreading the toxins across a ten-zhang radius, enveloping everything within in the five poisons.

The technique was utterly merciless and devastating.

This was the Sick Prince’s finishing move, originally intended for use on Longmu Island, where experts and rogues alike gathered, to turn the tide at a critical moment.

Yet, he never expected to waste it here, on this damned ship.

Once this technique was executed, all the toxins stored within his body—those not utilized by the Five Transformations Demonic Art—would vanish without a trace.

To replenish them would take at least another decade.

Thus, after unleashing this strike, he seethed with bitter resentment.

But even if unwilling, there was no other choice.

If he couldn’t end this here with Su Mo today, this ultimate move would never make it to Longmu Island.

Though described in detail, it all happened in a split-second.

At that very moment, the Sick Prince suddenly heard the deafening dragon’s cry.

Startled, he looked up to see a violet light blazing in Su Mo’s eyes.

A furnace-like heat erupted as Su Mo raised both palms to meet his own—

Yet, the collision was eerily soundless.

At first, the Sick Prince’s body merely shuddered.

But in the next instant, he was hurled back like deadweight—

Far faster than any lightness skill could achieve.

In a flash, his figure was hurled beyond the ship. He was about to be swallowed by the thick fog.

Su Mo yelped, "Whoops, overdid it."

With a quick step, he moved swiftly, already having arrived first despite starting later. After grabbing hold of the Sick Prince mid-air, he then stepped on nothingness, incredibly pivoting mid-air.

He casually dumped the Sick Prince onto the ground.

He couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement:

"This Five Transformations Demonic Art is truly formidable."

The crowd was speechless, finding Su Mo’s remark utterly ridiculous.

He folded like paper at the slightest touch—how could you still call him formidable?

But following his gaze, they saw the Sick Prince lying on the ground, his face shifting between pale, green, and purple hues—a cycle of five colors flickering rapidly.

His eyes were filled with torment.

Not only that, but the veins on his arms bulged like dark vines, gnarled and pitch-black, gruesome to see.

Seeing this, everyone nodded in unison.

"Indeed, formidable!"

Yang Xiaoyun stepped forward.

"Is this a backlash of the poison?"

"Mhm."

Su Mo sounded somewhat sheepish.

"His move came out of nowhere. I thought he was out of moves, but he still had a last-ditch technique up his sleeve."

"You know, over the past year, my martial arts have skyrocketed."

"My internal energy keeps deepening."

"Not long ago, I fought that Four Seas Demoness Yin Xiaoyu, but given how she was holding back back then, whether I held back or not wasn’t a real fight."

"But this time, against him, I wasn’t entirely sure of his limits. Accidentally, I ended up reflecting all his toxins back into him."

"If it had just stopped there, it wouldn’t have been a big deal."

"But I probably overdid it with the inner force. At this point, the poison has probably surged through his meridians from his dantian’s energy flow."

At this, he glanced at Little Situ.

"So... any chance he lives?"

Little Situ tilted her head. "Someone like this? Just let him die. Why bother saving him?"

Su Mo chuckled.

"Before, I wouldn’t have cared if he died. But just now, while fighting him, I noticed something strange."

"There’s a wisp of extreme cold inner force in his body."

"And... I found no trace of the poison that elderly man planted in him."

"During their exchange, there was no sign of pain at all."

"It almost seemed like all his wounds had fully recovered."

"You mean..." Yang Xiaoyun felt a flicker of realization.

Su Mo smiled and said, "On Dragon Wood Island, we may well run into a master from the Dragon King Hall."