"Hmphing what? Did 'Lingering Spring' poison your brain, so you can only speak pig language instead of human language?" Zi Linling cracked a melon seed and asked with a frown.
"Splish, splash..."
"Hahaha..."
Outside the arena, the spectators' composure broke.
They knew they shouldn't laugh, but they couldn't help it!
The corners of Ye Lingyuan's mouth and eyes also curved slightly, and the motion of him brewing tea trembled a little.
Zhao Yunfei's face turned the color of pig liver. He cursed, "You're the pig!"
His mind clouded with anger, he no longer cared if his words would damage his image as the guild leader.
Zi Linling indifferently threw away the melon seed shell and said, "Alright! I was wrong! You not only speak pig language, but you can also speak human language! But I'm curious, what exactly are you?"
"Splish, splash..."
"Hahaha..."
The spectators outside the arena broke down again.
Ye Lingyuan's mouth twitched, and the water from the teapot's spout spilled onto the tabletop.
Zhao Yunfei's lungs felt like they were about to explode. Even the 'Lingering Spring' that had invaded his body didn't feel as cold as this.
He roared, "You're the thing, not me!"
"Oh? So you're not a thing. You actually have self-awareness!" Zi Linling stopped rocking her chair and said, as if suddenly realizing.
"Splish, splash..."
"Hahaha..."
The gossiping poison masters broke down again.
The curves at the corners of Ye Lingyuan's mouth and eyes widened, and he put down the teapot.
He couldn't guarantee that the teapot would remain in his hands after hearing the next sentence.
"You're the one who's not a thing!"
Zhao Yunfei, at this moment, was like a child who had been wronged, unable to express his anger, and could only retort.
"So, that means you *are* a thing?" Zi Linling asked with a serious expression.
"Splish, splash..."
"Hahaha!"
"Ouch, ouch!"
The spectators broke down once more. Some were doubled over with laughter, their stomachs cramping.
"You!"
Zhao Yunfei realized belatedly that Zi Linling had trapped him. Everything he said was wrong.
He glared at Zi Linling with eyes wide with rage, but he didn't know how to retort.
A joke!
How could his glib tongue possibly be a match for Zi Linling's?
Zi Linling stood up, her voice filled with indignation, "What do you mean 'you'? I told you long ago that your impoverished language skills are not suited for verbal sparring, yet you disregarded my advice. Now look at this mess!"
Before Zhao Yunfei could reply, she continued, "Enough, enough. I don't care whether you're a thing or not. But I must remind you, a quarter of an hour has already passed. If you want to die, then keep spewing your filth!"
After speaking, Zi Linling sat back in her rocking chair and began to rock it slowly.
She couldn't help but mutter to herself, complaining, "What a thing! Such a good show turned into this, it's really sickening!"
"Pfft!"
Zhao Yunfei spat out a mouthful of blood. He almost couldn't catch his breath and died.
"You wait!"
He angrily wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, then deactivated his hearing and began refining medicine.
Zi Linling didn't bother to respond. She grinned at Ye Lingyuan and asked, "I'm feeling disgusted. Can I have a cup of tea to rinse my mouth?"
Ye Lingyuan smiled and handed her the teacup, saying, "Lin'er, your mouth has quite the fighting power!"
Zi Linling knew he was teasing her, but she wasn't angered. "Not as much as yours!"
"Nonsense! This king never curses people!"
Ye Lingyuan put on a stern face and then added after some thought, "At most, I'll tell someone to 'scram'!"
"Pfft!"
The tea Zi Linling had just taken into her mouth was instantly sprayed out, drenching Zhao Yunfei, who was refining medicine.
"Puff boom!"
The medicinal ingredients in Zhao Yunfei's cauldron turned to ash again.
He angrily pointed at Zi Linling and yelled hysterically, "Are you deliberately disrupting the competition?"
Zi Linling shook her head innocently and asked, "Which eye of yours saw me doing it deliberately?"
"You! Pfft!"
Zhao Yunfei spat out another mouthful of blood.
"Good! Very good! You wait!"
He glared at Zi Linling furiously and began to refine medicine again.
This time, to avoid being disturbed by Zi Linling, he set up a spiritual energy shield around himself.
Zi Linling sneered, thinking to herself, "He's gotten a bit smarter! But do you really think that was just 'Lingering Spring'?"
Then, she transmitted a message to Ye Lingyuan, "Later, can you block Du Wutian for five breaths?"
The smile on Ye Lingyuan's face vanished. He replied solemnly, "Lin'er, never doubt this king's ability, and never ask this king if he can. Do you understand?"
Zi Linling savored his words for a moment before understanding his meaning.
Her pretty face blushed, and she playfully chided, "Ye Lingyuan, I'm talking about something serious with you. Can't you be more serious?"
Ye Lingyuan said with great earnestness, "This king is also talking about something serious with you, and this king is very serious! Of course, this can only be verified after you come of age. Fortunately, there's only one year left, so it won't be too long!"
Speaking such ambiguous words with such a serious demeanor, who else but Ye Lingyuan could do that?
Zi Linling's earlobes also turned red, the blush extending all the way to her neck. She angrily said, "Ye Lingyuan, be serious!"
Ye Lingyuan looked at her in surprise and said, "This king is being very serious! Didn't you just ask me to block Du Wutian for five breaths? That's not a problem at all!"
Hearing that he had returned to the main topic, Zi Linling finally breathed a sigh of relief and solemnly cautioned, "You must be very careful of his poison, understand?"
Ye Lingyuan nodded and said, "Don't worry! With a divine physician like you, who excels in both medicine and poison, it's hard for this king to get poisoned even if he wanted to!"
Zi Linling chuckled, "You know how to talk! However, you should still be careful. My physique of ten thousand poisons has only just begun to take shape. Even if I want to concoct an antidote, it will be a great effort. Furthermore, the Dao is endless, and so are poisons. You absolutely cannot be careless, lest you capsize in the gutter!"
Ye Lingyuan looked strangely at a certain spot and said, "The only one who can make this king capsize in the gutter is you!"
Zi Linling followed his gaze and immediately understood his hidden meaning. Her face instantly turned the color of a ripe apple.
Time passed.
In the blink of an eye, another half an hour had gone by.
A hint of anxiety appeared on Zhao Yunfei's face.
His body trembled slightly, and his teeth chattered involuntarily, making a "de de de" sound.
Fortunately, the medicine in his cauldron was nearing completion, so he gritted his teeth and persevered.
A few breaths later, a crimson pill appeared in Zhao Yunfei's hand.
Without thinking, he swallowed it directly.
A ball of fire exploded within him, and a warm current flowed through his limbs.