Chapter 178: Unlocking the seal

Long Tao didn't want to waste any more time. Two of his avatars were also part of this hunt. Qin Weng and Lu Ming both provided him with the assurance of this hunt. This was the first time he had set foot in the central plains. Although he was a genius in Jiao country, that was just the backward region. He didn't want to get mingled in unnecessary situations.

"The first spot we would be going to is the poison region. Our aim is to hunt four beasts at Qi general level. The first one is the vermillion toad, the second is a green horned snake, the third is a poison bee nest while the last is a 100 eyed spider queen."

"Why choose poison beasts, we could just directly go to the other stronger regions."

"It is because your last encounter with the enemy made me realize that no matter how strong we get; we are still no capable of defending against poison. It is better to get the necessary ingredients always at hand to create an antidote."

"Also, although the vermillion toad is a somewhat weaker beast, the other three are quite strong. Each of them is a lord level beast who would be comparable to a level 6 Qi general. You are still in the 4th level. You need to get more experience with the enemy. It's time to follow the plan which I created."

Su Menqi's expression changed to an awkward one. She remembered what Long Tao's training regime usually contained. "So, I am to fight it single-handedly."

"As expected by my ex-captain. You need to confront each of these enemies alone. Not only would it help you gain experience, but it would also help in uncovering the potential within your body. The ice-jade boy is quite resistant to poison. The more you expose yourself, the higher would be the chance of it awakening naturally, even without the frost fountain."

"Would the frost fountains till hold any significance once it happens."

"If you are able to uncover your full power by the time we reach there, you could easily use the fountain to enhance the ice-jade body. I suppose your mother has conveyed what the next stage of this body is."

"She said It was something called the perma-frost body. Achieving it would fasten by cultivation by at least 10 times and the power of ice-attributed arts would increase hundred-fold."

"You could also use the frost fountain as a cultivation resource. It is one of the benefits of holding an elemental body type."

"I would be surpassing you by the time I absorb the whole fountain. Aren't you the least bit worried about what would happen if I surpass you?"

Long Tao grabbed her waist and pulled her towards himself. 'aahh' Su Menqi made a low shriek. "I would still be the man you love."

.....................…..

The first opponent was the vermillion toad which lived within a poison swamp. The environment gave it a huge benefit when it came to a confrontation. Long Tao took out a soul enhancing pill and gave it to Su Menqi.

"You need to stay focused, no matter how much your body is affected. It is the only way to unlock your body. You also need to kill this beast meanwhile. As per the information given by Qin Wen, its weapons are its tongue and the venom it spits. The other attribute it possesses is incredible agility thanks to its muscles. You need to be careful."

Su Menqi proceeded to hold a long sword which was presented by Long Tao. It was specifically designed by him keeping Su Menqi's body in mind. A rank three beginner weapon was the only thing he could forge at the moment. He made three swords for her, to make it through this trip.

As expected, the frog proved to be a difficult opponent due to its speed. Other obstacles were the multiple cuts on Su Menqi's body which were made by its tongue. The soul pill help strengthens her soul, which helped in retaining consciousness. She finally managed to take care of it, but she soon fell to the poison's effect.

"Do the same thing you did while refining the poison. Supply the Crimson Qi into her body and let her absorb it." The Keeper was watching over the whole process. The ice-jade body was like a hungry beast. Long Tao even took out some concentrated elemental energy balls which were formed after a long period of accumulation of crimson world qi.

Long Tao could feel the cold energy increasing in intensity. The black liquid was soon being ejected out of her body. This was the poison that was accumulated in her body due to the previous confrontation and some of the impurities.

She finally opened her eyes after some time. "It's time to leave. We shouldn't waste any more time here." Su Menqi wanted to cry. She just recovered from an extreme condition of poisoning and Long Tao already demanded her to move out.

...............................

Around 3 days later-

The team of four was nearing the 100-eyed spider queen's den. Su Menqi made substantial progress in the last few days. Her body was radiating an enormous cold aura. The seal was about to break. Her recovery speed was fast and the last two opponents also presented a unique opportunity for gaining experience.

"The spider queen is the most formidable of the bunch. It was known to have cultivation that neared an advance level Qi general."

"I can handle her." Su Menqi entered the lair. Long Tao decided to follow her in the dark, all because of what the Keeper just reported.

"The spider queen is more dangerous than you can think. She is probably on the same footing as the blood general." Long Tao lost his shit. He couldn't Su Menqi be on her own.

'You should probably stop her." The Keeper advised.

"This might just be the opportunity we are looking for. A situation like this could prove fruitful in excavating her hidden talents. She might even be able to break through the barrier which is holding her up and free her sealed body."

At the same time-

Su Menqi was engaged in a fight with the spider queen. One of the prime downfalls while attacking a spider was its limbs. Since it had eight of those razer sharp weapons embedded into its body, getting an attack in was pretty difficult. The clash resulted in her losing one sword just ten strikes in.

"I need to get closer to its body." Su Menqi muttered to herself. She instantly plunged towards the spider queen. The general attack pattern followed, which allowed her to dodge to the side, while she jumped horizontally over it to avoid another of its limbs. The jump placed her right above the spider queens' head.

Su Menqi managed to concentrate a lot of her Qi into the sword tip which she then stabbed at the spider queen's head. The attack was quite severe, but it failed to penetrate too deep into her skull, due to its exoskeleton. 

The queen retaliated with a vicious bite on Su Menqi's leg. The pain was crippling, but the soul pill helped Su Menqi in maintaining her consciousness. She used her full strength to push the sword deeper, which finally managed to pierce the brain and kill the queen.

Two bodies were lying on the ground, one dead and one barely alive.

Long Tao rushed out from the shadows and picked Su Menqi up. "The poison this time is quite vicious. Cont9nue supplying the crimson world aura to her. We will see if the situation worsens or her body unlocks its potential. Let sleave it on fate."

......................

Su Menqi's condition was getting worse. The spider queen's venom was the most lethal among all the opponents Su Menqi faced today. The crimson Qi was being devoured by her, but the condition was still worsening.

Long Tao's anxiety peaked up when the body didn't absorb the energy anymore. "I need to treat her now." Long Tao instantly brought out his avatars and was about to instill it into her body when the Keeper stopped him. "It's awake now."

Soon after the poison was forced out by mysterious energy and Su Menqi was drawing out ice-cold breaths. Frost began covering her body up and soon after condensation began taking place in the surrounding. The water droplets began to freeze up.

Long Tao decided to take a small retreat and watch Su Menqi's condition. She finally opened her eyes after the whole area was filled with snow. "What happened here." She asked in a panicked voice.

"Congratulations on successfully dispelling the seal. Your ice-jade body is fully awake now."