Nearly an entire hour had elapsed before Gu Qingli heard the creature's anguished cries for the very first time.
Indeed, the sound resembled that of a great frog, yet it was far more piercing and overwhelmingly loud.
Gu Qingli stood so close that the reverberations seemed poised to shatter her eardrums.
Blood tears, tinged with a sinister purple hue and exuding a foul stench, streamed from the purple poison giant frog's eyes.
Its venom was truly formidable. Yet Gu Qingli knew that while she had not completely blinded the beast, she had inflicted it with grievous pain.
A faint, cold smile curved Gu Qingli's lips. In this world, spirit illusionists were valued above warriors largely because they commanded spirit beasts—powerful allies surpassing even their own might.
However, to Gu Qingli, such notions seemed laughable beneath the weight of absolute strength.
Moreover, warriors who had attained the rank of Martial King and cultivated battle techniques gained tremendous power.
Thus, Gu Qingli had always harbored the belief that spirit illusionists relying solely on their beasts could scarcely secure invincibility.
Truly formidable spirit illusionists must themselves possess immense personal strength, unlike Li Ke'er, who cowered perpetually behind her beast.
Li Ke'er's cheeks contorted in frustration; as the beast's master, she felt the pain of its injuries deeply.
Her murderous intent could no longer be contained. An hour had passed, and Gu Qingli had completely dominated her.
Gu Qingli's speed was breathtaking; the purple poison giant frog could not keep pace.
Suddenly, Gu Qingli sensed a looming danger. A slender green light suddenly shot from Li Ke'er's hand, piercing the frog's body.
"Damn it!"
The Li family clearly held trump cards; they would never recklessly send Li Ke'er to her demise.
Unbeknownst to Gu Qingli, the Li family patriarch and Li Ke'er believed the frog's poison could at least inflict her somewhat.
Gu Qingli's knowledge in this regard was limited; she did not realize that the frog's most feared attribute was not the sheer potency of its venom, but its insidious ability to gradually sap an opponent's strength during battle.
In time, it would dissolve one's combat prowess entirely.
Thus, even without resorting to trump cards, it might quietly incapacitate Gu Qingli.
Yet they never dreamed Gu Qingli was a master of poisons—after all, toxic arts were an integral part of the Phoenix Fire Technique.
Abruptly, the purple poison giant frog's screams ceased. Radiant green light erupted, forming a shimmering barrier around the arena's perimeter, within which countless verdant mists swirled instantly.
The Gu family members rose, eyes fixed intently upon the spectacle.
Shao Lan's expression grew grave as he keenly detected the potent poison gas.
"Master, what is this?"
"It appears to be the domain of a supremely powerful toxin. The frog must have ingested something that temporarily empowered it to manifest this field!"
"What of Xiao Li?!"
Shao Lan's face paled.
"The Li family has truly spared no expense. With this treasure, no one can enter the domain save those of Martial King rank or higher for a limited time."
Shao Yan sighed deeply, though he too harbored concern for Gu Qingli. Yet inexplicably, he sensed she might yet prevail.
Gu family head Gu Yifeng gritted his teeth, casting a furious glare toward the Li family's direction. Were it not for two elders restraining him, Gu Zhan would have stormed the arena in madness.
Sikong Ran clenched his jaw, praying fervently for Qingli's safety.
Among the audience, murmurs of astonishment mingled with expressions of regret. The Li family's tactic was undeniably unscrupulous.
After all, the Shen Gu Continent regarded the use of poisons as the mark of evil and deceit, looked down upon with disdain.
The Li family's brazen deployment of such means naturally drew scorn.
Alas, Gu Qingli, a prodigious talent, now faced the grave risk of premature demise.
The Li family patriarch, however, remained composed, poised as a fisherman awaiting his catch. Once Gu Qingli was eliminated, the Li family would assuredly surpass the Gu family to become the preeminent clan of Loulan City.
"Gu Qingli, this time you are doomed!"
Li Ke'er's deranged laughter echoed from within the green glow, the scene within utterly concealed from view.
Her voice, venomous and as if clawing from the depths of hell, grated on every ear.
Amid the swirling poisonous mist, Gu Qingli appeared ethereal, her azure aura shimmering as if untouched by its malignant influence.
"Heaven's cruelty can be survived, but one's own folly is unforgivable."
A faint smile graced Gu Qingli's lips; she bore no fear, but rather a flicker of exhilaration.
Her childhood vulnerability had compelled her to delve deeply into the poison scriptures of the Phoenix Fire Technique, achieving modest mastery. Her prior feat of subduing a Martial King was no mere accident.
Yet in a world so fearful of poison, Gu Qingli had long concealed her prowess.
Now, with Li Ke'er blocking the outer view, had fate not gifted her a perfect stage to unleash her skills?
Springing upward through the dense green fog, Gu Qingli's palm twisted to reveal several silver needles, each shimmering with hues of blue, purple, and black—imbued with potent venom.
In an instant, she unleashed them.
Even the thick poisonous mist was pierced, splitting apart in needle-thin slits.
Under normal circumstances, inhaling this poison would cause one's orifices to bleed profusely, resulting in swift death.
Yet amid Li Ke'er's triumphant laughter, an icy chill crept over her, an ominous warning of impending peril.
Previously, Gu Qingli had battled the purple poison giant frog from within its body—its poison undetectable.
With the arena sealed, this was a golden opportunity.
Gu Qingli, skilled in sound-based positioning, could locate Li Ke'er despite the obscured view.
"Ah!"
The Li family patriarch, once confident of Li Ke'er's safety, was startled by her agonized scream and sprang to his feet.
The crowd erupted in murmurs and wide-eyed astonishment—what was unfolding?
Gu Qingli's silver needles had pierced Li Ke'er's body at least thrice. Though Gu Qingli could not see her foe, she discerned her position from the cries.
The purple poison giant frog sought to evade, but Gu Qingli's needles struck their mark.
Yet the frog was undergoing a radical transformation. The poison sacs once shattered by Gu Qingli now swelled anew, as green toxic vapors swiftly seeped within.
Gu Qingli wiped cold sweat from her brow, grateful that she had nearly exhausted the frog's venom beforehand; otherwise, the situation might have turned perilous.