When the Soul Infant Sect Master turned to flee, Wang Qiang did not give chase. Instead, he burst into triumphant laughter and said with heavy sarcasm:
"As expected of a trash. Even with a Half-Fairy Weapon in hand, you're still nothing but trash."
"I say, trash grandson — you actually think you can kill your grandpa? Aren't you dreaming?"
"You want your grandpa to go easy on you… let you keep one hand?"
"How about this — your grandpa will let you keep both hands… both… b-both feet."
"Your grandpa won't even fight back. He'll just s-s-stand here and let you hack away."
"Damn stutterer, shut your mouth!"
The Soul Infant Sect Master finally spoke. At this moment, his rage was so intense that his eyes seemed capable of spewing fire.
Forget his face — every inch of his body, every strip of skin, had veins bulging outward.
He was even trembling from sheer fury.
But there was nothing he could do, because he had realized… he truly could not defeat Wang Qiang.
Hummm—
Just then, the Soul Infant Sect Master's heart suddenly clenched. To his astonishment, something had appeared in the palm of his hand.
"Take it."
At the same time, a covert voice transmission entered the Soul Infant Sect Master's ear.
It was the voice of that elder from the Chu Heavenly Clan.
The moment that voice rang out, the Soul Infant Sect Master was overjoyed and immediately looked down at his palm.
That elder possessed vast and extraordinary powers. If he helped, then no matter how formidable Wang Qiang might be, he would surely fall.
"This is…"
But when the Soul Infant Sect Master actually looked, his expression froze instantly, and he stood there in a daze.
In his palm sat several dozen pills.
The pills were small — each one only about a tenth the size of an ordinary pearl.
They were golden in color. Despite their brilliant golden glow, the aura they emanated was distinctly different from anything normal.
At a single glance, the Soul Infant Sect Master recognized them as forbidden drugs — and extraordinarily potent ones at that.
"Take them." The elder's voice rang out once more.
However, the Soul Infant Sect Master did not comply. He was well aware that if he consumed all of these forbidden drugs, death was virtually certain.
"Take these pills, and I guarantee you will survive."
"If you refuse to take these pills, even I will not be able to save you." The elder's voice came again.
In truth, the Soul Infant Sect Master clearly understood the situation. Given his status, that elder — no matter how overwhelming his strength — could not make a move to help him directly.
If he wanted to defeat Wang Qiang and the others, he could only rely on himself. Taking these pills would give him the power to beat Wang Qiang.
But if he did not take them, then he would be cut down by Wang Qiang — a direct and inglorious death.
In that light, consuming the forbidden drugs was obviously the best option available.
Yet even knowing this, he still dared not take them.
Because he knew that swallowing these forbidden drugs meant placing one foot through the gates of hell — there would be no turning back.
"What's the matter, grandson? Can't beat your grandpa, so you're g-g-going to take forbidden drugs now?"
"I say, grandson — look at you. Your grandpa is truly… truly disappointed."
"Fine, go ahead and take them. Your grandpa wants to see what other tricks you can pull." Wang Qiang's voice dripped with mockery.
Though he too recognized the forbidden drugs, he made no move to stop it.
Because Wang Qiang couldn't care less about those pills.
In his view, even if the Soul Infant Sect Master consumed every last one of them, he still wouldn't stand a chance.
The current Wang Qiang could feel just how powerful his combat strength truly was, and it was precisely because he understood his own strength that he possessed such unshakable confidence.
"Take them! Your grandpa is telling you to take them! Wh-wh-why won't you?"
"Be a good grandson and hurry up with those forbidden drugs, then come fight your grandpa again."
Seeing the Soul Infant Sect Master waver, Wang Qiang burst into derisive laughter.
"Damn stutterer, shut the hell up!"
The Soul Infant Sect Master roared in fury.
Then, raising his arm, he flung the entire handful of golden forbidden drugs straight into his mouth.
He had truly been driven to the brink of explosion by Wang Qiang's provocations. It was this explosive rage — this overwhelming fury — that gave him the courage to consume the forbidden drugs.
After all, these pills would let him teach Wang Qiang a brutal lesson and vent the seething rage in his heart.
BOOM—
The instant the forbidden drugs entered his body, a thunderous boom erupted from within, as though something had detonated inside him.
Immediately after, a golden radiance blossomed from within his body.
That golden glow was not merely being emitted — it was as if it were radiating outward from the very marrow of his bones.
Before long, the Soul Infant Sect Master's skin began to slough off, revealing a grotesque mass of raw flesh and muscle that nevertheless shimmered with golden light.
But once all his skin had fallen away, his muscles began to peel off as well. By the end, nothing remained but bone.
Adorning his skeletal frame were rows upon rows of small, round pearls — and it was those pearls that radiated the golden brilliance.
A closer look revealed that these pearls were, in fact, the very golden forbidden drugs the Soul Infant Sect Master had just swallowed.
Only now, those forbidden drugs had fused with his body, becoming one with him — as if they were now a part of his very being.
Despite the dazzling golden glow, the Soul Infant Sect Master's current appearance was nothing short of horrifying. After all, he no longer had a physical body — all that remained was a bare skeleton.
"Ha ha ha ha ha…"
Yet at that moment, the Soul Infant Sect Master began to laugh. His laughter was maddened — so frenzied that it was difficult to bear.
Worse still, his current appearance combined with that laughter made for a truly terrifying sight, no matter how one looked at it.
"What's wrong, grandson? Took too many forbidden drugs and g-g-gone stupid?" Wang Qiang mocked.
"Why I'm laughing… you'll find out soon enough," the Soul Infant Sect Master said to Wang Qiang.
BOOM—
Without warning, the Soul Infant Sect Master moved. His speed was extraordinary as he shot straight toward Wang Qiang in a blur.
"This guy."
Even Wang Qiang's expression changed drastically at that moment.
Because in the span of a single blink, the Soul Infant Sect Master had already arrived right in front of him.
The Dragon Scale Dagger was already arcing downward toward Wang Qiang — its speed so extreme that even he was caught completely off guard.