A Perfect Win-Win Situation

On the other side.

With no immediate plans, Yi Feng settled down in the Sword Valley.

Every day, he did nothing but chat with Piaomiao Hong and savor tea.

"May I ask, Miss Hong, is there still no news about that Sage from the Nine Realms?" Yi Feng couldn't help but ask, his anxiety evident.

"Sir, no one can say for certain when the Sage will truly awaken," Piaomiao Hong replied apologetically. "According to records, the time between a Sage's first stirring that alters the world and their full awakening varies greatly. While most cases range from a few months to several years, there are even some that take over a century."

"This is something no one can control—we can only wait passively. But rest assured, sir, the Sword Valley has outposts in the Nine Realms. Any news will be relayed back immediately, and I will inform you at once."

"Alright."

Yi Feng sighed helplessly, blaming the "tortoise shell" on his body.

If not for this damned shell, at least one of the death plans Piaomiao Hong had devised for him might have worked.

"Hehe!"

Seeing Yi Feng's gloomy expression, Piaomiao Hong covered her mouth and giggled. Usually the picture of a refined lady, she now looked rather adorable.

"Sir, although the previous death plans didn't work, I’ve been thinking of new methods these past few days," Piaomiao Hong said mysteriously.

"Oh?"

Yi Feng immediately perked up. "From the look on your face, you’ve come up with something?"

"Indeed."

Piaomiao Hong nodded with a smile.

"Quick, tell me! What’s the plan?" Yi Feng pressed eagerly.

"Sir, think about it—you currently possess the Armor of Courage, which makes you impervious to any external force below the Sage level. But what about from the inside?" Piaomiao Hong mused.

"You mean... destroying myself from within?"

Yi Feng raised an eyebrow, sensing a glimmer of hope.

"Exactly."

Piaomiao Hong nodded. "For instance, have you ever considered poison?"

"Poison? That’s not very effective. I’ve tried it before—didn’t work at all," Yi Feng said, frowning.

"Sir, the poison you took was ordinary. I’m talking about the deadliest poison in this world," Piaomiao Hong explained.

"The deadliest poison?"

Yi Feng sighed. "But where would I even get such a thing?"

"That’s the easy part."

Piaomiao Hong flashed her little fangs, her face alight with excitement. "As everyone knows, the Cloud Star has been ravaged by the Black Domain, leaving less than a tenth of its land habitable for humans."

"Of course, compared to the Black Domain itself, the greatest threat to humanity lies in the demons lurking within it."

"Though those powerful demons haven’t emerged yet, everyone knows it’s only the calm before the storm. Once they attack, it will be a brutal war."

"I know all this, but what does it have to do with me taking poison?"

Yi Feng asked, confused.

"Don’t rush, sir. Let me explain," Piaomiao Hong said patiently. "To prepare for the demons’ eventual assault, the Cloud Star established the Celestial Alliance."

"The Celestial Alliance isn’t controlled by any single person or family. It’s composed of elites from all fields across the Cloud Star—a gathering of formidable experts, including many Sages. It’s the most unshakable force on the Cloud Star, maintaining order across the land."

"And to counter the demons, the Celestial Alliance has made many preparations."

"Though the Sky Domain’s geography keeps the Alliance’s presence minimal, there is one crucial location there—the Poison Sky Island!"

"Poison Sky Island?"

Yi Feng’s eyes lit up.

Finally, they were getting to the point. He looked at Piaomiao Hong, waiting for her to continue.

After sipping her tea, Piaomiao Hong went on, "While ownership of islands in the Sky Domain often changes hands, no one dares lay claim to Poison Sky Island—not even the Sky Domain’s top faction, the Heaven-Earth Island, would dare disrespect it."

"First, because it belongs to the Celestial Alliance. Second, because Poison Sky Island is home to the most skilled poison masters on the Cloud Star. They spend their days researching toxins to combat the powerful demons—a mission critical to humanity’s survival. Even the most ruthless villains wouldn’t dare interfere."

Yi Feng suddenly understood.

So Poison Sky Island was the Celestial Alliance’s secret base for developing poisons against the demons!

In that case, they would undoubtedly have the deadliest toxins imaginable.

His heart raced with excitement. "Then how do I get to Poison Sky Island? Or how do I obtain their poison?"

"Sir, getting to Poison Sky Island is the easiest part," Piaomiao Hong said with a smile. "As the poison masters refine increasingly potent toxins, they’ve hit a bottleneck."

Without waiting for Yi Feng to ask, she continued, "Previously, they used captured demons for testing. But as the poisons grew stronger, these demons were no longer sufficient—yet they couldn’t capture more powerful ones."

"Without suitable test subjects, they couldn’t develop more lethal poisons."

"Thus, to create stronger toxins, they needed powerful individuals willing to serve as test subjects."

"Normally, using live humans for experiments would be unconscionable. But for the sake of humanity’s future and the fight against the demons, Poison Sky Island had no choice but to call upon righteous cultivators across the Sky Domain to volunteer as poison testers."

"Oh?"

Yi Feng’s spirits soared.

"So you’re saying, if I’m willing, I can go to Poison Sky Island anytime?"

"Even better—if one poison doesn’t kill me, they’ll give me stronger ones until it works?" Yi Feng asked excitedly.

"Precisely."

Piaomiao Hong chuckled. "Sir, you’d be their most prized volunteer."

"Though many righteous cultivators have signed up, most lack the strength to meet Poison Sky Island’s requirements. The more powerful the individual, the greater their contribution."

"And with your abilities, they’d never turn you away."

"Good, good, good!"

Three enthusiastic "goods" perfectly conveyed Yi Feng’s exhilaration.

Not only would this fulfill his wish to die, but it would also benefit humanity and leave behind a noble legacy—a win-win situation!