Chapter 1959 — 1959: Source of the Poison

As Yuan ventured deeper, the waters around him grew increasingly murky and dim. The clarity faded into a thick, shadowy haze, and a foul stench began to fill the area, seeping through even the protective barrier around him.

It was the pungent, unmistakable smell of decay, as if he were swimming through water steeped in rot and corruption.

"Heavens… It was nothing like this when we visited this place for the last time a hundred years ago…" The First Elder remarked with a disgusted expression on his face, even pinching his nose, trying to fight off the pungent smell.

"The last time you visited this place was a hundred years ago?" Yuan asked to confirm.

"Yes. Since nobody can venture into this place without fainting, we eventually gave up on exploring this place. We even had people from outside the Azure Dragon Clan attempt it, but the results remained the same."

"Of course, nobody could explain the phenomenon, either. By the way, I am starting to feel my consciousness slipping away, so this is the furthest I can go. Good luck."

The First Elder halted his movements for a second before turning around and walking back to the Azure Dragon Clan's residents.

"I'll see you back at the house," said Yuan before he continued walking even deeper, his Perfect Poison Immunity blocking the effects of the poison every second.

Soon, the waters became so dirty that it was nearly impossible to see anything with his bare eyes, and even his divine sense was of little help.

Since divine sense no longer worked, Yuan had to use divine gaze, which consumed more spiritual and mental energy, but that wasn't a problem for him.

After wandering for days, Yuan eventually noticed something and hurried his pace.

A few moments later, Yuan came upon a massive corpse resting on the seafloor—its presence dark and unsettling.

The remains appeared to belong to some sort of serpent-like creature, but its body was so deformed and ravaged that its original identity was nearly impossible to discern. Twisted flesh, torn scales, and warped bones made it a grotesque shadow of whatever it once was.

At the center of the corpse, nestled deep within its mangled remains, Yuan spotted a large black orb—its surface so dark and smooth that it nearly vanished into the surrounding murky water.

It pulsed faintly, as if absorbing the decay around it, and gave off a presence that felt both unnatural and deeply ominous.

It didn't take even a second before Yuan determined this black orb to be the source of the poison. He carefully picked it up and inspected it.

The poison from it wasn't as deadly as the poisons he'd encountered in the Baneful Dragon's Poisonous Swamp, but it had a really unique property. If he had to compare it to the poison within the swamp, it'd be somewhere in the inner zones.

'This must be a new type of poison, specifically created to mess with the Azure Dragon Clan's bloodline. Whoever created this is incredibly skilled.'

Now that Yuan had acquired the source of the poison, he had to deal with it. Fortunately, he had Perfect Poison Immunity and the Harmonious Heaven Refining Immortal Physique, which allowed him to absorb and refine the poison.

Although he wanted to bring the poison back to the Azure Dragon Clan to show the Clan Leader and the Three Great Elders as proof, he'd only endanger their lives.

With no other option, Yuan sat down and began to absorb the poison, refining it into his own power.

'There's a lot of poison in this thing, likely built up for tens of thousands of years… It'll take some time before I fully purify it…'

As Yuan began purifying the poisonous orb, a faint glow surrounded his body, spreading out like ripples through the murky water. At the same time, he drew in the lingering poison around him, steadily absorbing and neutralizing its corruptive essence.

Bit by bit, the oppressive darkness faded, and the once-foul water began to clear.

Time flowed quietly, and after several days of tireless effort, Yuan was nearly halfway through purifying the poison.

But just as he continued his work, a sudden surge of killing intent flared from behind him. Instinctively, he halted, his body tensing as he turned to face the threat.

Whoosh!

A sharp, needle-like object tore through the water with blinding speed, aimed straight at Yuan. He reacted instantly, raising his arm to intercept it, but the weapon was shrouded in powerful Immortal Qi, disrupting his defense and slipping past his guard.

It struck his body with a jarring force, but thanks to his powerful physique, it failed to pierce through completely. Had he been any weaker, the needle would have bored into his heart.

Even so, it still wouldn't have been enough to kill him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Yuan spoke to the approaching figure.

A few moments later, a familiar-looking old man appeared before him.

"First Elder."

The one who'd attacked him was none other than the First Elder.

"So it was true that you have Perfect Poison Immunity. What a pity. You could've had an easy death if you didn't."

Although his poisoned attack had failed to kill Yuan, the First Elder showed no sign of concern. His expression remained calm, almost indifferent.

After all, Yuan was merely at the peak of the Divine Emperor Realm, while he himself stood at the 2nd level of the God Ascension Realm. From his perspective, the outcome was already decided.

"Before you kill me, how about giving me an explanation?" Yuan said calmly, his gaze steady. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why?" the First Elder sneered, his eyes narrowing. "It's simple. You're interfering with our great project—something that's taken thousands of years of planning and a fortune in resources. We won't let one outsider ruin it all."

"That doesn't really explain anything. What's the plan? Who are you working for?" Yuan continued to question the First Elder, trying to acquire as much information as he could.