Mad Doctor No. 9

"You—" Yamamoto Chiyuki hadn't expected him to be so resolute and hurriedly retreated. It was too late! Wang Tian's right hand formed a claw, but instead of grabbing Yamamoto Chiyuki, he grabbed at the snow ginseng on the ground!

Uproot it completely!

Yamamoto Chiyuki shouted sharply, "Stop!"

However, Wang Tian had already stuffed the snow ginseng into his mouth, chewed it up along with the red fruit, and swallowed it!

boom!

The potent medicinal power erupted instantly! The Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng was an extremely potent spiritual herb. An ordinary person would be overwhelmed by just a small piece, yet Wang Tian swallowed the entire plant in one gulp, and it was still in its mature stage!

His skin instantly turned crimson, with veins bulging as if it were about to explode. Even more terrifying was the violent clash between the medicinal power of the snow ginseng and the residual medicinal power of the Nine Netherworld Breakthrough Pill.

Wang Tian raised his head and let out a roar. Yamamoto Chiyuki and the shadow guards both took a few steps back, their eyes filled with shock as they looked at him.

At this moment, Wang Tian looked extremely terrifying. Blood was flowing from his seven orifices and his skin was cracked, but no blood flowed out. Instead, a golden light flowed out from the wound! His eyes turned completely golden, and a clear dragon-shaped phantom appeared beside him.

Yamamoto Chiyuki retorted, "He's forcing his way through! We absolutely cannot let him succeed!"

Eight shadow guards rushed forward again. However, at that moment, Wang Tian made his move.

Whoosh! As fast as lightning!

He vanished from his spot, reappearing in front of the first shadow guard and throwing a punch. The shadow guard tried to block, but his arm was like a broken twig; he was sent flying backward, his chest caved in, and he died instantly.

Second place, third place… Wang Tian was like a tiger among sheep, his punches landing with brutal force, the wind from his blows like a dragon, his momentum astonishing. The shadow guards' protective inner force was like paper before him, shattering at the slightest touch. In less than ten seconds, all eight shadow guards were dead!

Yamamoto Chiyuki's face turned as white as paper, and she took off running.

"Where do you think you're going!" Wang Tian flashed forward and chased after her, striking with a backhand palm. Yamamoto Chiyuki spat out a mouthful of blood and flew backward, but she turned in mid-air and scattered the black powder in her hand.

Bone-corroding powder!

Wang Tian did not dodge, letting the powder fall on him. But strangely, as soon as the powder came into contact with the golden light on his body, it disappeared as if melting away.

Yamamoto Chiyuki stared wide-eyed in despair.

Wang Tian grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up: "Speak! Where is the Dark Palace's lair? Who is Ghost Face?"

Chiyuki Yamamoto gritted her teeth, "You...you're dreaming..."

Wang Tian's eyes flashed with golden light as he used the Soul Searching Technique—a forbidden technique recorded in the memories of Golden Core cultivators that could forcibly read the other party's memories, but would cause irreparable damage to the other party.

Amidst Yamamoto Chiyuki's piercing screams, blood continuously oozed from her eyes, nose, and ears. A few seconds later, Wang Tian released her, and she collapsed to the ground like a rag doll, her eyes lifeless.

Wang Tian gleaned some information from the other party's memories. The headquarters of the Dark Temple was located on a small island in international waters. The masked figure, whose identity was unknown, always wore a mask, and his voice was also disguised. The Dark Temple's next target was Egypt, where a book called the "Book of the Dead" was found. Moreover… in Yamamoto Chiyuki's memories, there seemed to be a familiar face, as if she had seen it before in the Dark Temple. That face… how could it be so similar to the deceased Master Ye?!

Could it be that Master Ye is still alive? Or... do they have a way to bring the dead back to life?

Wang Tian had no time to think further; the effects of the snow ginseng had already taken hold. The power generated by his forced breakthrough was waning, and not only that, the damage caused by the clash between the two medicinal properties was beginning to manifest. His meridians were severed, his dantian shattered, and his cultivation level plummeted.

"Wang Tian! Are you alright?!" Lin Wan quickly helped him up.

Wang Tian struggled to his feet and looked at the shamanic drum, saying, "Quick, destroy this drum! We absolutely cannot let them get it."

Lin Wan nodded, took out a plastic explosive from her backpack, stuck it on the divine drum, and then pulled Wang Tian to a safe place.

boom!

With a loud bang, the divine drum shattered into pieces.

However, Wang Tian couldn't hold on for long; everything went black, and he fainted. Before losing consciousness, he heard Lin Wan's cries for help and the distant sound of Una's bone whistle…

After an unknown amount of time, Wang Tian awoke from his agony. He lay on a bed in the sanatorium, his body wrapped in bandages, looking like a mummy. His parents, sister, Guo Zi, and Lin Wan had all come, as had the high shaman Sumu.

"Brother! You're awake!" Wang Yu exclaimed in surprise.

Wang Tian opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word. He felt as if his body was falling apart, and the pain was excruciating.

After taking your pulse for a long time, Su Mu said with a solemn expression, "The power of the snow ginseng saved your life, but it destroyed your foundation. Now your meridians are completely destroyed, your dantian is shattered, and your cultivation... is completely ruined."

The ward was deathly silent. For a martial artist, having their skills crippled is worse than death. Yet, a smile appeared on Wang Tian's face. Despite his weakness, he still smiled.

"It's alright..." he said hoarsely. "As long as the green hills remain, there's always firewood to burn..."

He glanced out the window; the sun was shining brightly. Yes, as long as the green hills remain, there's always hope. The Dragon Gate Society's great vengeance remained unavenged, the Dark Palace remained unscathed, and the threat of the Boundary Gate was still unresolved. He couldn't fall. Of course not.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye. Spring arrived at Changbai Mountain, the snow melted, and the streams babbled. In the hot spring pool behind the sanatorium, Wang Tian, ​​shirtless, soaked in the water.

The bandages wrapped around his body had been removed, revealing his wounds. There was a huge wound on his chest that stretched from his collarbone to his ribs.

However, what is even more shocking than these wounds is the area around his dantian, where a section is clearly sunken. The place where true qi should have gathered is now completely empty.

His cultivation was completely destroyed, and his meridians were all severed.

For the past three months, Wang Tian had tried everything: acupuncture, medicinal baths, qi cultivation, and even had the Grand Shaman of Sumu perform a ritual for him. But nothing worked. His body was like a leaky bucket, unable to hold even a trace of true qi.

"Brother Wang Tian, ​​it's time to take your medicine." Una came over and poured him a bowl of medicine.

Wang Tian picked up the bowl and gulped it down. The medicine was bitter, but he didn't even flinch.

"Grandpa said your body is recovering very quickly." Una sat down by the pool. "Although your cultivation was destroyed, your bodily functions have basically recovered."

"Hmm," Wang Tian replied, looking at his hands. Three months ago, his hands couldn't even hold a chopstick. At least, he could live a normal life.

Una said, "Sister Lin Wan came by yesterday and said she had something to talk to you about. She's waiting for you in the study now."

Wang Tian dried himself off, changed into clean clothes, and then headed towards the study.