The Crimson Serpent Divine Palm

"Crimson Serpent Divine Palm!"

Tang Xuan’s eyes lit up sharply as he gazed at the skill book that appeared after slaying Li Mochou.

[Crimson Serpent Divine Palm (Fifth-rank Palm Technique)]

[Also known as the Five Poisons Divine Palm, it is Li Mochou’s unparalleled art, created from insights drawn from the ‘Secret Five Poisons Manual’. It requires special medicinal preparations for use, and comes with an antidote recipe.]

[When activated, attack power increases by 10%, attack speed by 25%, and attacks carry a potent poison effect.]

[The antidote recipe is as follows…]

A fifth-rank ultimate technique!

Third and fourth ranks are considered superior martial arts, while fifth and sixth are ultimate techniques!

This was Tang Xuan’s first fifth-rank ultimate skill; he had never expected his first would be the Crimson Serpent Divine Palm.

Though its attack power was not exceptionally high—roughly comparable to basic palm techniques—it greatly enhanced speed and carried a deadly poison.

Tang Xuan immediately learned the martial skill.

“Ding! Crimson Serpent Divine Palm mastered.”

As one blessed by fortune, Tang Xuan’s mastery was instant and complete.

He opened the skill attributes to inspect them.

[Crimson Serpent Divine Palm (Mastered): Attack power increased by 120%, attack speed increased by 300%, attacks carry potent poison.]

An increase in attack speed by 300%—a staggering leap. When unleashed, it would be swift beyond belief, impossible to defend against.

Though not the strongest in terms of raw attack power among fifth-rank techniques, its unique qualities stood out.

Tang Xuan recalled the skill’s requirement for special medicines, his gaze drifting to Li Mochou’s corpse. Surely, this demoness carried such medicines, and perhaps the prepared antidote as well.

Unfortunately, the ‘Secret Five Poisons Manual’ was not on Li Mochou's body. Had he obtained it alongside the skill book, its value to Tang Xuan would have been immense.

From the manual, he could have modified the ‘Piercing Wood Needle Method’ into the ‘Icy Silver Needle,’ imbued with deadly poison—one touch would induce poisoning, a scratch would spell instant death, the damage overwhelming.

“Never mind. Though I didn’t acquire the ‘Secret Five Poisons Manual,’ slaying Li Mochou is a great merit.”

Tang Xuan was content.

Master Xuan Zhi, however, furrowed his brows. His intention had been to defeat Li Mochou and bring her to Shaolin Temple, to listen to Buddhist teachings—essentially, to confine her, preventing further harm to the martial world.

But his disciple had ‘accidentally’ killed Li Mochou; there was no bringing her back.

He could only let it go.

Guo Fu, Yelu Qi, and the others stared at Li Mochou’s corpse, thinking that the Shaolin master and his disciple’s subjugation of the ‘Crimson Serpent Fairy’ would surely become a legendary tale in the martial world.

Guo Fu’s gaze toward Tang Xuan, so striking in appearance, bearing, and skill, became subtly different, stirring jealousy in the Wu brothers, who secretly admired her.

“Disciple, bury Li Mochou properly. I will perform rites to guide her soul to paradise.”

Master Xuan Zhi’s sudden words broke the post-battle silence on the road.

“Yes,” Tang Xuan replied with delight. He had been wondering how to search the corpse for the Five Poisons Palm’s toxins and antidotes; now, it would be much easier.

He stepped forward to collect Li Mochou’s body, assisting his master in burying her.

Li Mochou’s disciple, Hong Lingbo, seeing no one cared about her, slipped away unnoticed.

Having followed Li Mochou for years, sometimes acting as her proxy in murder, she was a little demon herself. If these righteous folks decided to purge evil, her fate might be no better than her master’s.

Elsewhere, the future ‘Condor Hero’ Yang Guo was feeling deeply conflicted.

He saw his childhood friends Guo Fu and the Wu brothers wielding sword techniques of remarkable refinement—clearly superior martial arts.

Years ago, Guo Jing had sent him to Mount Zhongnan to learn, displaying extraordinary prowess and defeating countless Quanzhen Daoists. His impressive martial arts had left a deep impression on young Yang Guo.

Yet Guo Jing, possessing such skill, never taught him, instead sending him to Quanzhen Sect to be bullied.

Meanwhile, Guo Fu and the Wu brothers, his childhood companions, learned superior martial arts from Guo Jing.

The more Yang Guo considered it, the more aggrieved he became. Later, Guo Jing never once visited Quanzhen Sect to see him.

He remembered how Huang Rong had deliberately withheld martial arts instruction, how he suffered abuse at the hands of Quanzhen Daoists, and his heart was filled with resentment.

In truth, ever since Guo Jing sent him to Quanzhen Sect, he often thought of Yang Guo, discussing his progress with Huang Rong and wishing to visit him.

But Huang Rong always remembered how Yang Guo’s father, Yang Kang, had caused the deaths of the Five Greats of Jiangnan, leaving Guo Jing with a deep-seated enmity toward their family. Seeing Yang Guo’s cunning and unruly nature, she was reluctant to see him.

Thus, whenever Guo Jing sought to visit Yang Guo, the clever Huang Rong would find ways to stop him.

Now, seeing his childhood friends, Yang Guo’s turmoil deepened, his heart full of rage.

He noticed that Wan Yanping, Lu Wushuang, and others were looking at him—he felt their gazes were strange.

“Li Mochou’s vile words insulted my aunt, and you believed her?”

“Are you, like Guo Jing and Huang Rong, looking down on me? Fine, but how dare you belittle my aunt?”

“My grim expression is only because I saw the Wu brothers and Guo Fu, and am furious at Uncle Guo and Aunt Guo!”

Yang Guo forgot that when Guo Fu and the others arrived, he was already wearing the deathly face mask.

Wan Yanping and Lu Wushuang could hardly see his dark expression.

Misled by his own thoughts, Yang Guo—always prone to extremes—grew ever more uneasy. Suddenly, he broke into a frantic run, fleeing the scene like a madman.

This unexpected turn left Master Xuan Zhi, Guo Fu, Wan Yanping, Lu Wushuang, and the others astonished.

Tang Xuan, gathering the corpse, was also stunned. Watching Yang Guo’s distant figure, he wondered if this was the journey to the summit of Mount Hua, to witness the deaths of Hong Qigong and Ouyang Feng.

Thinking of the legendary duel between Hong Qigong and Ouyang Feng among the Five Greats, Tang Xuan felt an urge.

The battle between Hong Qigong and Ouyang Feng was truly spectacular!

Tang Xuan glanced at his master, Master Xuan Zhi—perhaps they should visit the summit of Mount Hua together?