As the Poison Scripture circulated, the True Qi in his body surged tumultuously once again, and the strange energy from the spring gathered like a tide. A moment later, the ripples from the Poison Scripture gradually subsided, and the poisonous energy in the spring water was completely dispersed.

However, this brought a powerful new force into Chen Zheng's body, increasing his True Qi tenfold in an instant. The two types of True Qi flowed inside him like two distinct, parallel rivers.

He muttered to himself, "That's not too bad."

Then, he left the spring and headed toward Kuang Nie's home.

Upon arriving at Kuang Nie's house, he found the entrance crowded with people. Every face, body, and patch of exposed skin was covered with yellow spots.

They clamored at Kuang Nie, "Chief, you must stop protecting him! We're all about to die!"

"Exactly, Chief! If we all work together, we can definitely take him down. Only by surrendering him can our Nanhai Stockade be reborn!"

These voices blew into Chen Zheng's ears like gusts of wind.

"Everyone, please listen to me! I believe Lord Chen Zheng will undoubtedly find a way to save you. Do not be deceived by the Gu Master!" Kuang Nie said, his tone filled with confidence.

"Chief, what are you talking about? The Yue Gao Gu Master from the Gu Qing lineage has already declared that unless it's the person who created the Quanhuang Gu Poison, no one can unravel its secrets in just a few days!"

"You think Chen Zheng can save us? Is that even possible?"

"Chief, he's just an outsider. For the safety of everyone here, please stop hindering us. With so many of us, we can surely subdue him!"

Kuang Nie was deeply troubled. The situation had descended into chaos, and no matter how he tried to persuade them, these people were fixated on finding Chen Zheng. They were even demanding that he lead the charge to capture him.

Do they really have the ability to subdue him?

"It's him, Chen Zheng!" a voice in the crowd boomed like thunder.

"I've passed by him before, twice when I was fetching water from his little hut," another person said with a hint of recollection.

As all eyes converged on Chen Zheng, a tidal wave of discussion surged through the mob.

"We must capture him! It's our only chance for survival!" a voice cried out from the crowd.

The crowd fell silent once more. A cold glint flickered in everyone's eyes, as if they all understood what choice to make when faced with life and death.

"Please, calm down! Listen to me, just listen to me!" Kuang Nie's voice echoed through the crowd like the first thunder of spring.

At that moment, his voice was drowned out by a sea of anger. A mad fire burned in everyone's eyes.

"ROAR!"

With a heaven-shaking cry, a figure pounced toward Chen Zheng like a tiger descending from the mountain. A swarm of beast-like people followed right behind him.

Chen Zheng's brows furrowed, worry pressing down on him like dark clouds. The first to charge out was Xiao Liu Zi. Aside from Huang Hua and Kuang Nie, Xiao Liu Zi was the person he knew best in the stockade. Yet now, even he was rushing to attack him.

"Chen Zheng, this is all your fault! Don't blame me for this!"

"Yes, it's all your fault! You shouldn't have offended the Gu Master!"

The crowd surged toward him like a tempestuous storm, their voices a torrent of furious shouts.

"How will you respond?" Yue Gao's voice echoed in the quiet night sky, her gaze locked firmly on Chen Zheng.

The auras of Kuang Nie, Kuang Hu, Kuang Yuanyuan, and Huang Hua suddenly intensified as an invisible force burst forth from them. They leaped over the walls, attempting to stop the frenzied villagers. However, the situation was irreversible.

The crowd was closing in on Chen Zheng.

[DING! Congratulations to the Host for successfully triggering a selection mission.]

[Choice One: Slay everyone. Reward: Magic Aura.]

[Friendly Reminder: With the Magic Aura, you can unleash your magic energy without restraint, doubling your power.]

[Choice Two: Perfectly handle the riot. Reward: Power of Perception.]

The Magic Aura shimmered like a dazzling star, filled with endless might. However, its price was the slaughter of every living being here. Chen Zheng faced a difficult decision.

His instincts warred with his reason. This path did not align with his interests. Besides, with magic energy soaring to the heavens, who knew what kind of disaster that might trigger? If I really attained such power, wouldn't I be discovered no matter where I went?

Amid his swirling thoughts, Chen Zheng chose the second option.

Meanwhile, in a ravine outside Nanhai Stockade, three Blood-robed People were speaking in hushed tones.

"It has begun!"

"Heh… foolish peasants. Do they really think there's an antidote?" Shan Mu's lips curled into a smirk.

"We are in awe of your methods, Lord Shan Mu!" the other two said obsequiously.

Hearing their praise, Shan Mu couldn't help but laugh aloud before humbly replying, "It's just a trivial little trick."

All three of them were from the Gu Chi lineage and had been lurking in the area for several days. After confirming that Chen Zheng was the culprit they sought, they had stealthily approached Nanhai Stockade. Coincidentally, they had run into Xiao Liu Zi while he was out gathering herbs. Shan Mu decisively used the Heart Gu, seizing firm control of him.

Compared to the Miaojiang Gu that Chen Zheng had previously encountered, the Heart Gu was arguably far more powerful. Miaojiang was a mysterious region composed of two closely connected parts: the lands of the Southern Barbarians and the Northern Barbarians. The Heart-Devouring Gu, from that region, could barely control a single person.

Heart Gu, however, was a mysterious technique that could completely possess a person, turning them into a puppet acting on the caster's will. This was why Xiao Liu Zi, despite his deep friendship with Chen Zheng, had charged at him without hesitation, becoming the instigator of this chaos. He was the spark that ignited the whole affair.

Currently, Shan Mu was using the power of the Heart Gu to peer into everything that was unfolding.

Back in Nanhai Stockade, everyone was rushing toward Chen Zheng with a single goal in mind. Xiao Liu Zi's eyes were bloodshot as he swung his clenched fists ferociously at Chen Zheng.

Sigh... Chen Zheng lamented internally.

In the next second, his gaze became incredibly resolute.

BOOM!

A ferocious aura erupted from within him, like thunder splitting the heavens. The world seemed to change color as a boundless pressure swept out.

Everyone was rushing toward Chen Zheng, but their movements seemed to freeze, as if restrained by some invisible force. Then, one by one, they involuntarily knelt at Chen Zheng's feet. Xiao Liu Zi, who was at the very front, was forced to his knees on the ground.

"What's happening? Why is the Heart Gu feeling fear?!" Shan Mu's expression changed drastically in the ravine.

The two from the Gu Chi lineage were also stunned, but there was no one to provide them with an answer.

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