Republic of China era: A hundred-year-old still practicing martial arts? Is that right?

On the high platform, countless eyes were fixed on Liu Qingzhu.

Everyone on and off the stage was waiting for this aloof beauty to slip up and fall.

Waiting for this stunningly beautiful, icy woman to follow in the footsteps of those who came before her.

But Liu Qingzhu remained calm on stage.

The Heavenly Evolution was fully unfurled, allowing her to completely shut out the surrounding noise.

Following Lin Ji's instructions, she gently touched the flower petals with her slender fingers.

The slightly cool petals, carrying a refreshing and sweet fragrance, drew near to my lips.

The sweet, moist aroma entered her nostrils, relaxing her body and mind. She even felt an irresistible urge to gulp it down.

Liu Qingzhu raised her eyebrows slightly, looking at the dewdrops on the petals with surprise, a slight stirring in her heart.

This is using ultimate beauty to lure people into their own destruction.

Liu Qingzhu lightly bit the tip of her tongue, her eyes instantly becoming clear, devoid of any greed.

She gently pressed the petal to her lips and pursed them slightly.

Instantly, the sweet fragrance of the floral dew slowly spread across her lips.

The floral dew was warm and smooth upon entering the mouth, and in an instant it flowed into every part of the body, spreading along the skin, making Liu Qingzhu feel completely relaxed.

She touched it lightly, the petal barely touching her lips before immediately removing it.

She then put down the petals, sat upright with her hands at her sides, and no longer touched the dew in the bowl.

"this one?"

Some people in the audience gasped in surprise; the thrilling scene they had been expecting did not materialize.

"Too cautious! This floral dew looks like a nourishing elixir, not at all deadly. What a waste, such a waste!"

Countless martial artists below the stage felt envious, their eyes barely able to suppress the greed as they looked at the steaming dew in the bowls of the people on stage.

Martial arts training is most lacking in vitality and blood.

The nourishing power of this bowl of flower dew is equivalent to thousands of blood-tonifying pills, which is a fatal temptation for everyone.

The remaining eleven martial artists on the stage were even more restless.

Seeing that Liu Qingzhu was unharmed, they assumed that there was no poison in this pass and began to stir with desire.

The fat cook squinted, taking in everyone's expressions, a sly smile playing on his lips. Then, he called out loudly to Liu Qingzhu:

"Miss Liu is indeed insightful and possesses a deep understanding of the art of appreciation!"

He turned to the crowd and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, flowers bloom in their time, but jade dew is hard to find. Let us not waste this unparalleled delicacy!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the martial artists on the stage could no longer contain themselves.

A black-clad warrior was the first to raise his hand, pick up the jade bowl, tilt his head back, and drink. The sweet taste went down his throat, and a feeling of fullness in his blood instantly swept over his entire body. It felt as if his meridians in his limbs were being constantly nourished, and he sighed with pleasure.

"Great stuff! This is an incredible opportunity!"

He finished the bowl in one gulp, still wanting more, and then grabbed the remaining flower petals from the bowl and stuffed them into his mouth, chewing them slowly, his face full of intoxication.

With the first person taking the lead, the others followed suit.

For a moment, everyone on the high platform raised their cups to drink the dew and ate the flower petals, except for Wang Zhenhuai, Wang Ziheng and two others who sat still.

Wang Zhenhuai, a shrewd and calculating man, saw that Liu Qingzhu was only taking small sips of food and not eating. He knew that there must be a trap in this situation. He raised his hand and firmly pressed down on Wang Ziheng, who was about to pick up his chopsticks, and coldly watched the whole farce unfold.

In just a few breaths, all eight martial artists on the stage finished their meal. They were all refreshed, with rosy complexions and subtle stirrings of internal energy, indicating that their cultivation had improved considerably.

The audience erupted in uproar.

"Who said it's poisonous? This is just people scaring themselves!"

"Oh dear, what a missed opportunity! I should have gone on stage too!"

But before everyone could finish speaking, a sudden change occurred on the field!

The rosy complexion on the face of the black-clad warrior who was the first to drink the flower dew suddenly faded.

His skin became dry and wrinkled at a visible speed, his jet-black hair turned white in an instant, his surging internal energy collapsed, and his whole body withered away in a bizarre manner.

His pupils contracted sharply, and he tried to call for help, but all life had already left him, and he collapsed straight onto the table.

The man appeared intact from the outside, but Lin Ji, sitting below the stage, scanned him with his senses and found that his body was already decaying!

"Splash! Splash! Splash!"

Eight muffled thuds followed, and the other eight martial artists all fell to the ground, dying in the same way—peaceful and silent, without blood or pain, but without any hope of survival.

In the blink of an eye, nine people were removed from the platform, leaving only Liu Qingzhu, Wang Zhenhuai, and Wang Ziheng among the original twelve seats!

The once noisy audience seats became completely silent!

The once bustling Qingkeping was now so quiet you could hear a pin drop. All the martial artists felt a chill run down their spines, their scalps tingled, and an endless coldness welled up in their hearts.

The fat cook clapped his hands and laughed loudly, his laughter rough and eerie. Ignoring the eight corpses on the stage, he said in a loud voice:

"Wonderful! The fragrant beauty fades and the jade falls; those who greedily consume food lose all their vitality—this principle applies throughout history! Miss Liu possesses a transcendent spirit, unswayed by illusory opportunities. She will once again emerge victorious in this trial!"

He waved his hand, and the maid quickly cleared the table, completely ignoring the deathly silence on the floor, and continued to loudly announce the dishes: "The twelfth dish, 'Passing Guest Through Intestines'!"

New dishes were quickly served, with glistening, translucent vermicelli noodles placed on shallow white porcelain plates.

The vermicelli is as thin as silk and as white as snow, soaking in a clear broth, topped with a few emerald green scallions. It is simple, clean, and extremely plain.

"This powder is made with spring water from the mountains and simmered in a century-old broth. It is clear and free of impurities. Eating it can clear away stagnation and invigorate the body, cleansing the meridians of impurities," the plump chef introduced casually, his tone flat, revealing no sign of anything unusual.

The audience was still in shock. Looking at the simple dish, everyone was terrified and dared not take any chances.

Through her earpiece, Bai Yu'er muttered softly, "This looks the most ordinary, but could it be hiding some insidious trick?"

Lin Ji's gaze was deep as he stared at the fine powder on the stage. The black and white jade pendant in his mind slowly rotated. After a moment, he spoke in a deep voice: "The poison in this method lies in its speed."

"The vermicelli is extremely fine, it melts in the throat without chewing. If an ordinary person swallows it in one gulp, the toxins will pass through the intestines instantly without leaving a trace, directly corrupting the meridians throughout the body."

"To break this curse, you must chew the food more than a hundred times, allowing the saliva in your mouth to slowly mix with the surface toxins and break down the toxins in the noodles. Slow eating will bring you life, while quick swallowing will bring you death. Anyone who is impatient and greedy for speed will surely die."

Liu Qingzhu nodded knowingly, sat quietly, and waited for the right opportunity.

Wang Zhenhuai dared not be careless at all, staring intently at the fine noodles on the plate, his eyes filled with seriousness.

Having faced three deadly traps in succession, he had come to realize that these eighteen banquets were all designed to pierce the heart and take lives, and could not be resisted by brute force alone.

Prince Heng was still in pain from his severed arm, and witnessing the deaths one after another terrified him. If it weren't for his status, he would have already gotten up and fled.

Seeing the three men remain motionless, the portly cook chuckled, "Why have you three stopped? This noodle soup is light and nourishing, nothing dangerous or risky. Could it be that the scene just now has terrified you?"

Despite the provocative words, no one was moved.

Liu Qingzhu was the first to raise her hand, her slender fingers holding chopsticks, picking up a very thin strand of vermicelli, bringing it to her lips, chewing slowly and deliberately, biting it a hundred times before swallowing it.