Too proud to admit mistakes leads to a life of suffering

"Did you guys notice something else?"

The murmurs continued.

"The island master's changes only started recently—it was never like this before."

"Yeah, and before, the island master rarely showed up, including during previous poison trials. She never even came."

"Exactly. But recently, she’s been acting completely different."

"Hmph!"

Not far away, Zhang Zhishan scoffed.

Why did Night Owl’s changes only start recently?

Because he, Zhang Zhishan, had only just arrived on the island!

For some reason, hearing the island’s poison masters gossiping like this filled him with an inexplicable sense of satisfaction.

And if they were already this shocked now, tsk tsk, just wait until they saw what was coming.

Especially when he imagined Night Owl nestled obediently in his arms, the two of them appearing side by side before these people—the feeling, the spotlight, the envious gazes…

Zhang Zhishan narrowed his eyes, feeling as if he were about to float away in delight.

Slap!

Suddenly, a sharp smack landed on his face.

He opened his eyes, ready to lash out in anger, only to find his father glaring at him with a dark expression.

"You little brat, what the hell are you daydreaming about? Don’t tell me you’ve got ideas about the island master?"

"Listen here, you little bastard—don’t even think about it. Otherwise, you’ll die without even knowing how."

Zhang Chong knew his good-for-nothing son all too well.

It had always been a thorn in his side—too much time spent on poison mastery, too little on raising his son properly.

Hearing this, Zhang Zhishan immediately flared up.

"Hmph! Father, what kind of nonsense is that? Do you really have so little faith in your own son?"

"And it’s not me who has ideas about her—it’s her who has ideas about me, alright? Hmph!"

His flawless, jade-like face flushed red with indignation.

All he got in return was Zhang Chong’s disdainful stare.

"Why don’t you take a piss and look at your reflection? Just look at yourself—acting like a damn sissy, with that 'hmph... alright... hmph...' nonsense."

Rolling his eyes, Zhang Chong simply ignored him after that.

"Hmph!"

"Fine, fine! Since you look down on me so much, just wait and see." Zhang Zhishan clenched his fists. "When Night Owl becomes your daughter-in-law, you’ll regret this."

Meanwhile, the commotion outside went completely unnoticed by Yi Feng and Fu Nantian, who remained secluded in their enclosed space.

The two sat cross-legged on the ground as usual.

"This poison is even more potent than I expected," Fu Nantian remarked, sensing the toxins in the air.

At this point, even with his strength, he couldn’t afford to ignore the poison’s effects entirely.

Just then, Yi Feng stood up.

"What are you doing, kid?" Fu Nantian asked.

"Just taking a walk," Yi Feng replied.

Fu Nantian said nothing more, assuming Yi Feng was struggling to stay still due to the poison’s influence.

After all, it was like being an ant on a hot pan—as the heat intensified, restlessness and movement were inevitable.

He figured Yi Feng must be having a hard time resisting the poison.

Since the space was only about a hundred zhang (roughly 300 meters) across, any movement would be within his perception. So, he let Yi Feng do as he pleased.

But Yi Feng didn’t actually care.

His legs were just numb, and he wanted to stretch them.

Besides, the poison didn’t seem to be affecting him much, so he decided to look for the vent where the toxins were being released.

After all, there had to be an opening where the poison was coming in, right?

He planned to sit right on top of it and expose himself to a stronger dose.

The space was large enough that it took him a while to search.

After some time, he still hadn’t found the vent, but he did stumble upon a spot where the poison mist was denser.

So, he plopped down there.

Meanwhile, Fu Nantian’s condition took a turn for the worse.

As he sat meditating, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Damn it."

"That bastard found my avatar and destroyed it."

His face turned deathly pale, as white as paper. The backlash from his avatar’s destruction had dealt a severe blow to his body.

He immediately focused on regulating his breathing to suppress the backlash.

But the next moment, his expression twisted in horror.

As he circulated his energy, a wisp of black gas seeped in.

This was bad.

Already weakened by the backlash, he was now hit with another misfortune—the poison in the space, which normally wouldn’t have been a major threat, had infiltrated his body.

Even if it was just a trace, failing to expel it could have dire consequences.

His expression turned grave.

While his avatar’s destruction and the enemy’s approach were concerning, expelling the poison was now his top priority.

A faint glow enveloped his body as he began cycling his spiritual energy through his meridians.

Time passed in this manner, second by second.

Cough!

Another mouthful of blood spilled from Fu Nantian’s lips.

His face and lips had turned an eerie shade of black.

The poison that had initially been just a trace had now spread beyond his control.

"Damn those poison-obsessed bastards on Heavenly Poison Island! What the hell kind of poison did they cook up this time?"

"Am I really about to capsize in a damn ditch?"

His face darkened further as he spat out yet another mouthful of blood, his expression bitter.

If this were just a poison that threatened the Dao-Unity Realm, even in his weakened state, he wouldn’t be in such a sorry state.

But the damned thing wasn’t just lethal to Dao-Unity cultivators—it could probably kill even a fully-powered Dao-Manifestation expert. Maybe even worse.

Because no matter what, he was still a Sage! Even a wounded Sage was still a Sage!

For a poison to affect a Sage… that spoke volumes about its potency.

And so, this poison became the final straw that broke Fu Nantian.

Finally, his energy circulation failed completely. His entire body turned black, his breathing grew labored, and he collapsed onto the ground like a limp rag.

"Kid… looks like I’ve capsized in a ditch myself. Forget saving you—this poison’s probably going to finish you off too."

Fu Nantian glanced weakly in Yi Feng’s direction, his voice filled with resignation. "You’re on your own now."

Gradually, his consciousness began to fade.

Just as he was about to black out completely, footsteps approached.

"Hey, old man, how’d you end up like this?"

"I’m still fine, and you’re already dying?"

"Seriously, are you that weak? Are you sure you’re really in the Dao-Unity Realm?"

The voice belonged to Yi Feng.

Hearing this, Fu Nantian, already at his limit, coughed up another mouthful of blood.

This time, it was purely out of sheer frustration.

If he weren’t too poisoned to speak, he would’ve roared: I’m a Sage!

But anger aside…

His heart was still filled with confusion and shock—how could this brat be completely unscathed?

Hadn’t he reached the Dao-Unity Realm?

What the hell was going on here?

By all logic, even a Dao-Unity Realm expert couldn’t withstand this toxin, so how had Yi Feng managed it?

The next moment, he felt Yi Feng forcibly prying his mouth open.

Then, a clump of medicinal herbs was shoved into his mouth and forced down his throat by Yi Feng.

What the—what are you doing?!

Fu Nantian was dumbfounded.

Were these… herbs?

Was this kid trying to save him?

No way!

Fu Nantian’s emotions were a tangled mess. Originally, he had schemed to rescue Yi Feng, intending to make the boy indebted to him and eager to become his disciple.

But now? The tables had turned—Yi Feng was saving him instead?!

And worse—

If Yi Feng was shoving herbs into his mouth, that meant he’d seen his face, right?

Which meant… he knew who he was?!

Holy shit, holy shit!

Where does that leave my dignity?!

How am I supposed to take him as a disciple now?!

But the most despairing part for Fu Nantian? The herbs actually seemed to work.

The moment the medicine entered his system, it was like a dried-up riverbed suddenly nourished by a clear stream. Within moments, his condition began to improve.

Damn it.

They really worked?!

The mere thought of being saved by Yi Feng made Fu Nantian feel like he’d rather die of embarrassment.

He wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.

No—

Just let me die!

Fu Nantian roared internally, the epitome of a man who’d rather suffer than lose face.