Lestes slowly opened his eyes, his expression calm and composed, as though nothing in this world could disturb his inner state.
"Hmph," he let out faintly as his perception spread outward, and within moments, he sensed a subtle disturbance at some distance.
"There…"
His gaze shifted toward it.
Another cave.
Something was moving inside.
Without hesitation, Lestes stepped out of his own cave, his movements silent and controlled as he approached the entrance of the other one, where a cold and damp aura seeped outward, carrying dense traces of yin qi.
"This place is suitable for poison-type creatures," he thought calmly.
He stepped inside.
Darkness enveloped him, but it did not hinder his vision as his divine sense expanded.
Several figures moved within the shadows.
"Nether Venom Scorpions," Lestes murmured. "Level One… at least ten."
Their bodies were the size of small puppies, covered in black chitin that reflected faint light like obsidian, while their stingers glowed with a dark purple sheen, radiating a subtle yet dangerous aura.
"They thrive in yin-rich environments, and where they gather, rare yin-type medicinal plants often grow," Lestes analysed.
Their venom was their greatest value.
"A spiritual poison… capable of corroding divine sense."
Such poison was far more dangerous than physical toxins, as it directly affected perception and consciousness.
"Useful… but not worth lingering for alone."
Even so—
He moved forward.
Silently.
His presence blended into the darkness as he followed the group deeper into the cave, where the yin qi grew denser and the air colder.
Then—
He struck.
In a single motion, the last scorpion in the line died without sound, its body collapsing before it could react.
"First."
Lestes advanced.
One by one, he eliminated them, each strike precise and efficient, ensuring no disturbance spread.
"Second… third… fourth…"
At a fork, he chose the path with denser yin qi without hesitation.
Another scorpion fell.
Then another.
By the time they reached the deepest chamber, only a few remained.
Lestes stepped inside.
His eyes narrowed.
At the centre stood a larger scorpion.
"Level Two."
Its body was the size of a wolf, its aura far heavier, while around it were several remaining Level One scorpions, including two at the peak.
"That should be their king," Lestes thought calmly.
Then—
His gaze shifted.
Near the edge of the chamber, a strange plant swayed faintly within the yin-infused soil.
"That…"
Recognition flashed.
"Ghost Face Flower."
Its pale petals resembled a distorted human face, surrounded by faint dark mist.
"…So this is what they are guarding."
A memory surfaced.
"Li Xiaoqi needed this."
A faint smile appeared.
"…Convenient."
His gaze turned cold again.
"Then I'll take it."
The moment stretched.
Then—
He moved.
Lightning flickered.
The Lightning Mirage Sword Technique activated, and his figure blurred like an illusion as he slipped through the shadows.
A scorpion fell instantly.
Then another.
His movements overlapped like afterimages, each strike landing at precise weak points beneath their shells.
"Six… five…"
The cave remained silent—
Until—
A peak Level One scorpion sensed something.
It turned sharply.
Too late.
Lestes struck—
But as the blade pierced through it, a sharp screech echoed.
The silence was shattered.
"…So I've been noticed," Lestes said calmly.
The remaining scorpions reacted instantly.
Poison mist spread.
The king advanced.
The air grew heavy as spiritual poison began to distort perception.
"…Annoying."
The two peak Level One scorpions attacked from both sides.
Lestes moved.
Lightning flashed as his body split into afterimages, their attacks passing through illusions.
"Too slow."
His blade struck cleanly, severing one stinger before piercing through its core.
"One left."
The second peak scorpion circled him, wary, while the king pressed forward, its aura suffocating.
Lestes exhaled softly.
"Let's end this."
He vanished again.
A streak of lightning cut across the cave as he rushed directly toward the king.
The king's stinger shot forward.
Lestes twisted aside, narrowly avoiding the strike.
"…Close."
Then—
The technique surged.
Multiple afterimages surrounded the king.
Confusion.
Disorientation.
The king lashed out wildly.
Too late.
A flash of light descended.
"Break."
His sword pierced through a weak joint in its armour, and lightning erupted within its body.
The king convulsed—
Then collapsed.
"Last one."
The final scorpion hesitated before attempting to retreat.
Lestes stepped forward.
One strike.
Silence.
—
The cave grew still once more.
Lestes stood quietly, assessing himself.
"No major damage… acceptable."
He walked toward the Ghost Face Flower and carefully plucked it, ensuring its integrity before storing it.
Then—
He turned toward the corpses.
"Nothing should be wasted."
He began harvesting.
Each stinger was carefully removed, preserving the venom sacs.
"Spiritual poison… valuable."
Then he moved to the stronger bodies.
The peak Level One scorpions.
The king.
Their carapaces were thick and resistant to spiritual corrosion, making them ideal for armour.
"With proper refinement… useful."
He extracted their cores, dark and pulsing with energy.
"Good for cultivation."
Everything was stored methodically.
Nothing wasted.
When he was done, the cave was empty.
Stripped of all value.
Lestes stood still for a moment, his gaze calm.
Then—
He turned toward the exit.
Lestes move.
Lestes moved through the Mysterious Poison Realm for the next eight hours without pause, his figure slipping between shadows as he hunted with calm precision and unwavering focus.
Time passed quietly.
The environment grew harsher.
The yin qi deepened.
Yet—
Lestes adapted effortlessly.
His hunt was… rewarding.
"…Not bad," he murmured as he examined the materials he had gathered.
Over the course of those hours, he had located several Level Two medicinal plants, many of which were key ingredients used in refining a Foundation Pill, a resource crucial for strengthening one's base and stabilising cultivation at the Qi Condensing stage.
"These will be useful later," he thought calmly.
Each plant had been collected with care, ensuring its medicinal properties remained intact, and none of them was wasted or damaged during extraction.
At the same time—
He had not been idle in combat.
Dozens of beasts had fallen under his blade.
Most were Level One creatures, scattered across the terrain, but among them were several Level Two beasts, each requiring more effort and precision to eliminate.
Still—
None had posed a real threat.
His control over the Lightning Mirage Sword Technique had grown sharper during these battles, his movements more refined, his strikes more efficient.
Every fight had been practised.
Lestes stood atop the uneven terrain for a brief moment before shifting his gaze toward the distance, his next destination already decided.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward.
His figure moved steadily through the mist-covered landscape, his pace neither hurried nor slow, perfectly controlled as always.
Then—
A voice.
"Sister, run! I'll hold them!"
It was sharp.
Desperate.
A girl's scream echoed faintly through the poisonous mist.
Lestes stopped.
His steps came to a halt as his perception extended outward, tracing the source of the sound.
"…That direction," he thought.
It was not far.
But—
It was not along his path.
Silence followed.
Only the distant echo of struggle remained.
Lestes stood still.
"Save… or not?"
The question surfaced naturally.
There was no urgency in his expression, no emotional disturbance, only calculation.
If he intervened, it would cost time.
It could expose him to unnecessary variables.
It held no direct benefit.
For a brief moment—
He considered walking away.
"…Irrelevant to my objective."
The thought was clear.
Cold.
Logical.
Then—
A pause.
A faint flicker passed through his eyes.
No hesitation.
Not emotion.
Something subtler.
"…Save."
The word formed quietly in his mind.
The next moment—
Lestes turned.
Without another thought, he changed direction and moved toward the source of the scream, his figure cutting through the mist like a silent shadow.
...........
Lestes moved swiftly through the mist, his presence concealed as the distant sounds of battle grew clearer with every step, and soon, the scene unfolded before his eyes.
Two girls stood back-to-back in a small clearing, their breathing uneven, their auras unstable, as they were surrounded by a pack of beasts.
Nether Poison Wolves.
Lestes' gaze sharpened slightly.
There were at least eight of them.
"These creatures…" he thought calmly.
Nether Poison Wolves were far more aggressive than most beasts in the Mysterious Poison Realm, and unlike the scorpions, they did not rely on stealth or ambush, but hunted in coordinated packs, using speed, endurance, and relentless pressure to exhaust their prey.
Their bodies were lean and muscular, covered in dark grey fur streaked with faint green veins that pulsed subtly beneath the surface, while their eyes glowed with a dim, eerie light, reflecting a cold and predatory intelligence.
Most distinct—
Was their poison.
"Their venom is not injected… it spreads," Lestes analysed.
Unlike stinger-based creatures, Nether Poison Wolves released a corrosive toxin through their claws, fangs, and even their breath, forming a faint poisonous mist around them.
This poison was a mixed attribute.
Part physical.
Part spiritual.
It attacked the body by weakening muscles and slowing circulation, while simultaneously invading the meridians and disturbing the flow of spiritual energy.
"For prolonged fights… extremely dangerous."
Even minor wounds could accumulate into fatal conditions.
The longer one remained surrounded—
The worse it became.
Lestes observed further.
Two of the wolves were clearly stronger.
"Level Two…"
The rest were Level One, but their coordination made them far more dangerous than their individual strength suggested.
The girls were already at a disadvantage.
One of them, slightly older, stood in front, her sword trembling faintly as she faced the wolves head-on, while the younger one remained behind her, clearly injured, her aura unstable.
"Sister… I can't hold much longer," the younger one said weakly.
The older girl tightened her grip.
"You don't need to," she replied firmly. "Just run when I tell you."
Her voice was steady—
But her condition was not.
A thin line of blood ran down her arm, and faint traces of poison had already begun spreading along her veins.
"She's already been affected," Lestes concluded.
The wolves circled slowly, their movements synchronised, their growls low and threatening as they waited for the perfect moment to strike.
The wolves circled.
Waiting.
Efficient.
Patient.
Cruel.
Lestes stood at the edge of the mist, unseen, his expression calm as he took in the entire situation.
"…Eight wolves. Two Level Two. One injured target. One is nearly exhausted."
A brief pause.
Then—
His eyes sharpened.
The next moment—
He moved.
Lightning flashed, and Lestes vanished from where he stood, leaving behind only a faint ripple in the poisonous mist. In the next instant, he reappeared beside one of the Level Two wolves, his movement so fast that it seemed as though he had crossed space itself.
His sword moved.
Imbued with a trace of rudimentary sword intent, the blade carried both speed and precision, cutting through the air like a streak of condensed lightning.
Slash.
The sword fell.
The wolf fell.
Before its body even hit the ground, lightning flashed again, and Lestes had already shifted positions, appearing amidst two Level One wolves that had not yet reacted.
His blade flickered.
Two clean strikes.
Both wolves collapsed instantly.
Lestes moved again.
His figure blurred continuously, each step accompanied by a faint flash of lightning, as he weaved through the battlefield with absolute control, striking with precision and withdrawing before any counterattack could form.
Within a single breath—
Every remaining Level One wolf was dead.
His movements were efficient.
Purposeful.
He was ending the battle as quickly as possible.
"The mist is spreading," he thought calmly.
The poisonous fog released by the wolves was gradually thickening, and prolonged exposure would only complicate the situation.
Now—
Only one remained.
The final Level Two wolf.
It roared violently, its eyes filled with fury as it lunged toward Lestes with explosive speed, its fangs coated in dense poison.
Lightning flashed.
He was already at thirty meters.
The wolf immediately changed direction and pursued him, its movements relentless.
Lightning flashed again.
Lestes vanished once more and appeared even farther away.
The wolf roared again—
But this time—
It stopped.
It did not follow.
It had learned.
Lestes turned slowly, his expression calm as he raised his sword and settled into a stance, his body steady, his aura focused.
"…Good," he said quietly.
The wolf lowered its body.
Then—
They moved.
Lestes advanced like lightning.
The wolf hopped forward at the same moment.
Their movements collided.
Slash.
The blade cut across the wolf's body, leaving a deep wound as lightning energy surged through its flesh.
The wolf howled in pain, its momentum broken as it stumbled back.
Lestes turned, his sword lowering slightly.
He did not pursue.
The wolf hesitated for a moment, its instincts warring between rage and survival.
Then—
It fled.
Lestes watched it go.
He made no move to chase.
He turned back.
The two girls stood behind him.
One of them had already collapsed, her body weak from the accumulated poison, while the other supported her with visible strain.
The standing girl stepped forward slightly, her expression filled with relief and gratitude despite her exhaustion.
"Thank you for saving us," she said, her voice steady despite her condition. "I am Bai Qingyue, and this is my sister, Bai Lianhua, from Heavenly Fort. I do not know how to repay this kindness."
She lowered her head slightly.
"Thank you for saving our lives. In the future, we will repay you tenfold."
Lestes looked at them calmly.
Suddenly, the younger sister fainted.
"Lianhua", screamed her older sister in fear.
"Walf poison is taking effect" said Lestes.