"Interesting." The Poisonous Old Monster’s expression became serious, and he immediately crawled onto the ground, swelling up like a toad.

Gu! Gu! Gu! Gu! Gu!

The Poisonous Old Monster’s chin kept pulsating, almost indistinguishable from a toad.

Bam!

Just then, the Poisonous Old Monster sprang up from the ground, ramming his head towards Qin Yuesheng. He was like a cannonball, and the ground fractured and collapsed as he flew over it.

"Toad Skill!" Du Xiaoqing exclaimed.

"Thousand-Handed Buddha Transformation!" Facing the Poisonous Old Monster’s attack, Qin Yuesheng’s Thousand-Handed Buddha Dharma Aspect crashed down violently. Before the Poisonous Old Monster could hit him, the Thousand-Handed Buddha Dharma Aspect had already unleashed its thousand hands, forcefully smashing the Poisonous Old Monster into the ground, leaving only a human-shaped crater.

"Die!" With a thunderous Thunder Demon Blade raised high, it slashed down, instantly releasing a shocking bolt of lightning over the area. Du Xiaoqing and others quickly shut their eyes and turned their heads away, fearing that looking further might blind them.

As the lightning subsided, only a huge, blackened pit remained on the ground, with no trace of the Poisonous Old Monster’s figure.

Under the thunder, he had been utterly destroyed.

Qin Yuesheng glanced at the giant toad lying on the ground. Under Qin Yuesheng’s cold gaze, the giant toad, with significant spirit, stared at him fearfully with its two eyes. After some contemplation, it suddenly opened its mouth and extended its tongue.

At the tip of the giant toad’s tongue, a crimson pearl the size of a human head emitted a dazzling light.

"Jianng Ang!"

"Jianng Ang!"

The giant toad placed the pearl on the ground and tentatively called out twice to Qin Yuesheng in a sound resembling a cow’s moo, pointing with its tongue at the pearl on the ground.

Qin Yuesheng now saw clearly that the giant toad intended to bribe him with the pearl so that he wouldn’t kill it — truly an intelligent creature.

Qin Yuesheng reached out, picked up the pearl, observed it for a moment, and nodded, "Alright, you can go now."

Perhaps understanding him, the giant toad immediately got up and quickly hopped in a certain direction, soon disappearing from everyone’s sight.

[Yes/No — Decompose ’Millennium Mang-Gut Zhu-Toad’ Demon Core]

"Mang-Gut Zhu-Toad?!" Qin Yuesheng was extremely surprised, gazing at the crimson pearl the size of a human head in his hand.

Once, a great hero, known for his destined fortune, ate a Mang-Gut Zhu-Toad, rendering him immune to a hundred poisons thereafter.

And now, although he didn’t consume the Mang-Gut Zhu-Toad the size of a house, he had obtained its Demon Core.

"Yes."

[Decomposition successful, obtained ’Hundred Poison Immunity Pill x10’ and ’Innate Poison Body Pill x1’]

Looking at the eleven pills in his hand, Qin Yuesheng instantly understood why the Poisonous Old Monster wanted to hunt this Millennium Mang-Gut Zhu-Toad. As an expert in poison skills, the Poisonous Old Monster himself could achieve immunity to a hundred poisons without needing any Hundred Poison Immunity Pills.

What he truly needed was the Innate Poison Body.

Like the Poisonous Old Monster, those who practice poison skills soak their bodies in various poisonous insects and herbs, making their blood and hair poisonous — this is an Acquired Poison Body.

But for every poison expert, becoming an Innate Poison Body is their pursuit, as it enhances their poison skills further.

The Millennium Mang-Gut Zhu-Toad was the Poisonous Old Monster’s chance to attain the Innate Poison Body, but he clearly didn’t foresee Qin Yuesheng appearing to rob him while dealing with the Millennium Mang-Gut Zhu-Toad in the Twelve Linked Rings.

The death of the Poisonous Old Monster meant the collapse of the last link in the Twelve Linked Rings, and from this moment on, the Twelve Linked Rings officially belonged to Qin Yuesheng.

The Seven Great Limits of Heaven and Earth. The thunder’s might, brought by its power, greatly shook Du Xiaoqing and others. After the Mang-Gut Zhu-Toad fled, they quickly ran towards Qin Yuesheng, openly flattering and praising his heroic performance.

"Now, gather all your forces. Within today, I want to see the unification of the Twelve Linked Rings. All the territories and forces of those fort masters I’ve killed must submit to me," Qin Yuesheng glanced at these people, "Can you accomplish it?"

"Yes, yes, absolutely no problem." Du Xiaoqing quickly responded.

"Then hurry up and do it."

With Qin Yuesheng’s order, the four of them immediately sprang into action, soon disappearing from Qin Yuesheng’s sight.

Qin Yuesheng wasn’t worried about them escaping. Originally, the Twelve Linked Rings had twelve fort masters, each having their own domain and power. Now, with only four left to divide the big pie of the Twelve Linked Rings among themselves, they couldn’t be happier — why would they be foolish enough to secretly run away?

Qin Yuesheng went alone to the place where he initially landed on the Twelve Linked Rings. At this time, Zhao Quan, Guo Jiuqu, and others were still waiting on the ship. Seeing Qin Yuesheng flying over the sea, they became excited.

If Qin Yuesheng emerged unscathed from the Twelve Linked Rings, didn’t it mean he had succeeded?

That was the Twelve Linked Rings, and Qin Yuesheng really took it down single-handedly?

Such an astonishing power.

"Have everyone sail the ships over," Qin Yuesheng said to Zhao Quan.

Immediately, under Zhao Quan’s command, all the ships sailed towards the Twelve Linked Rings.

...

May 10th, Great Tang Chang’an, Imperial Palace.

The moon was dark, the wind was high, and the entire Imperial Palace appeared silent and solemn under the night sky.

Teams of Imperial Palace soldiers patrolled back and forth on various roads and paths within the palace, their iron-soled boots making a clanging sound, full of deterrence.

Crack!

A jade bowl fell to the ground and shattered with a crash, its potion scattering everywhere, still steaming.

Two young eunuchs sat on the ground with pale faces, lips trembling, unable to utter a word for a long time.

One of the young eunuchs quickly crawled to the entrance of the imperial chamber and, using all his strength, opened the door, crying out to those outside, "Someone come! Hurry! His Majesty has passed away! Passed away!"

His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but in the silent night, it was especially clear and piercing.

Suddenly, a lot of footsteps sounded, with many imperial palace soldiers holding torches and palace maids rushing over, including some high-ranking senior eunuchs.

"What’s going on? What happened? You better not be spewing nonsense, or I’ll rip your mouth apart!" A senior eunuch, with a face powdered snow white and lips painted deep red, pointed with a curled finger at the young door-opening eunuch’s forehead and scolded.

"Sir, I’m not spewing nonsense; His Majesty is truly not breathing."

"Stop wasting-breath, get out of the way, you’re just getting in the way. Go notify the ten ancestors immediately." The senior eunuch kicked the young eunuch away and hurried into the imperial chamber.

Tonight is destined not to be peaceful. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Outside the Imperial Palace, Astronomical Bureau.

A black-haired man sitting in a wheelchair looked at the stars from the observatory. He didn’t glance around like other astrologers but kept his eyes fixed on a single star.

Suddenly, the star dimmed instantly, and the man shook his head, whispering to himself, "The fate is exhausted, can’t be forced."

Turning his gaze towards the palace, in his eyes, a nine-clawed golden dragon hovered over the palace.

Originally supposed to overlook the world, the nine-clawed golden dragon now appeared extremely frail, with ten black bats biting its body tenaciously, a very peculiar scene.

"It’s near," the man said strangely.

As soon as he spoke, the nine-clawed golden dragon in the night sky vanished, turning into countless golden fragments that fell to the ground, with those ten bats frantically devouring the golden fragments.

At the same time, east of Chang’an and inside the palace, a red dragon and a purple dragon slowly appeared. As soon as these dragons emerged, the golden fragments left by the dispersal of the nine-clawed golden dragon automatically turned into two streams, flying into the bodies of these two dragons.

"Not too bad. At least Great Tang has two true dragons remaining. As long as they can ascend the throne, Great Tang will not fall. But alas, with those ten constant attendants, even if the new emperor ascends the throne, I’m afraid he’ll end up a puppet emperor."

The man stroked his beard, lost in thought.

Outside Chang’an City, on a hill.

An elderly man in a long robe looked at the nine-clawed golden dragon that had died in the sky above Chang’an, smilingly said, "Great Tang’s fate is exhausted, now it’s going to be lively. With only these two weak dragons left in the royal family, I’m afraid they can’t stabilize the Nine Provinces."