As soon as Wen Xuan landed, she began examining everyone's injuries.
On the other side, Gu Ningyun inspected the wounds, growing more and more puzzled the longer she looked.
The 《Almanac of Heavenly Wonders》 stated that Gold-Sand Ants were only the size of a fist, their shells glowing with a faint gold hue;
Their saliva was poisonous, and a bite inflicted excruciating pain that spread from the wound throughout the entire body.
The victim's wound would turn black, flecked with gold dust.
The toxin traveled through flesh and blood, causing the tissue to blacken and stiffen inch by inch as it spread, leaving the victim unable to move.
The gold dust moved through the meridians, and the more spirit energy a cultivator used, the faster the gold dust spread.
Once the spirit energy completed a full circulation through the body, the gold dust would pollute the dantian and spread to the heart meridian, leaving the person beyond saving.
Gold-Scale Sand, when smelted into weapons, increased their sharpness and durability, making it an expensive auxiliary material.
Mines containing it were usually inhabited by demon beasts that fed on Gold-Scale Sand.
For large-scale mining missions like this, the Mission Hall would issue corresponding precautions and supplies.
The precautions included the habits and weaknesses of these demon beasts; how to detect potential dangers in advance by observing marks in the mine shafts; how to respond when encountering these dangers, and how to treat injuries.
Before entering the shaft, the leading deacons would explain these precautions one by one to the participating disciples.
The supplies consisted of a set of mining tools and a yellow-rank high-grade Antidote Pill for each person.
Now, having been bitten by Gold-Sand Ants, the disciples sealing their own spirit energy and tying cloth strips above their wounds toward the heart was the correct first-aid response.
However, these wounds...
Aside from the symptoms described in the 《Almanac of Heavenly Wonders》, why did they also seem to be festering?
Once she finished her examination, the disciple she had checked spoke up proactively, "Pavilion Master, these wounds are extremely strange. The Antidote Pills we took had no effect at all."
"Alright, I understand."
Seeing him trembling all over in pain, his face deathly pale, Gu Ningyun did not delay any longer and walked over to Wen Xuan's side.
"How is it? Is it Sand-Ringing Ants?"
"Yes and no."
Wen Xuan used a silver needle to pick out a bit of necrotic flesh from the wound. "There are two kinds of toxins. Ordinary Antidote Pills can only neutralize one of them—namely, the original toxin of the Gold-Sand Ants.
"The other toxin seems to have mutated from something. We must find the source of the poison to compound an antidote on the spot.
"In particular, we have to find the origin of the corrosion."
Gu Ningyun was puzzled. "If it can neutralize one of them, why did the Antidote Pills have no effect at all?"
"The mutated toxin can corrode medicinal properties. To cure the Gold-Sand Ant poison, we must first cure the mutated toxin."
Wen Xuan pulled out an Antidote Pill and pricked it with the silver needle tainted with necrotic flesh.
The lustrous white pill was instantly corroded, leaving a tiny hole.
"What should we do then!"
After checking the injuries, Meng Junxi had noticed the abnormality and intended to consult with the two, only to overhear their conversation.
He said anxiously, "Those who aren't deeply poisoned can still endure it, but the severely injured have already fallen unconscious and look like they won't make it.
"By the time we go down the shaft and figure things out, who knows how long it will take."
Hearing this, the surrounding injured disciples felt a wave of despair.
Yet they still forced themselves to rally, gritting their teeth as they spoke, "Pavilion Masters, please go into the mine shaft to save the others first. We can still hold out."
"Wen Xuan, I want to use 《Zongjiao》 to detoxify them, but I'm afraid that improper execution might cause the poison to backfire." Gu Ningyun pulled out her zither.
Six fire needles, finer than ox hair, condensed on Wen Xuan's index finger. "Fire drives away evil. I can apply needles to seal off the toxin's pathways.
"Focus directly on purifying the mutated toxin and don't worry about anything else."
Music cultivators could detoxify poison? That was practically unheard of.
What's more, it was a mutated toxin that had never been seen before.
However, remembering how he had underestimated the two earlier, Meng Junxi still held onto a ray of hope as he asked, "How much confidence do you have?"
"At least eighty percent," Wen Xuan answered conservatively.
Given her needle skill and her understanding of 《Zongjiao》, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say ninety percent.
"Eighty percent..." Meng Junxi knew that for an unfamiliar poison, coming up with a detoxification plan on short notice that had an eighty percent chance was already remarkably high.
Yet the toxin was so strange; if an accident occurred, could it be undone?
Among these disciples, who would dare to be the first to try?
"Pavilion Master, let me try first."
It was the disciple whose wound Gu Ningyun had inspected earlier.
Her injury was among the most severe present; half of her body had turned black, making it difficult for her to speak or breathe.
Meng Junxi turned back in shock. "Do you know what you are saying?"
The disciple merely curled her lips into a strained smile, then closed her eyes, placing herself entirely at their mercy.
"Pavilion Master, let me do it. My injuries are lighter. Deacon Tang's injuries are too severe; she can't handle any risk."
"No, let me..."
Tang Mengyu, drawing strength from who knows where, suddenly opened her eyes and called out loudly, "Stop arguing, I already said I'll go first.
"As a deacon, I naturally must shoulder a deacon's responsibility.
"It was my fault in the first place for failing to protect you."
With that, she looked at Wen Xuan and Gu Ningyun. "Please begin, Pavilion Masters."
Her neck could no longer move, with only her eyeballs able to turn.
The "loud voice" she thought she produced was actually no louder than the buzzing of a mosquito.
Yet that very weak voice made all the present disciples fall silent.
Even as they all bit their lips tightly, looking desperately eager to speak up.
Wen Xuan opened her mouth and sighed helplessly. "Have a little faith in your Pavilion Masters. Why is everyone acting like you're heading to the execution ground?"
With that, she formed a hand seal, driving six fire needles to seal the acupoints around Tang Mengyu's wound.
She formed another seal to condense six more fire needles, safeguarding Tang Mengyu's heart meridian.
"Ready, Ningyun."
Gu Ningyun sat cross-legged and played her zither, letting the musical notes envelope the wound.
Even though Meng Junxi was still full of uncertainty, he could only stand guard at the side.
Tang Mengyu felt a cool current wash over her wound. The piercing, bone-gnawing pain of corrosion gradually faded, while the sharp agony of the Gold-Sand Ant poison became clear and distinct once more.
A moment later, all the necrotic flesh on the wound had vanished, leaving behind an injury identical to one caused solely by Gold-Sand Ants.
The zither music had stopped at some point.
She swallowed the Antidote Pill fed to her by Pavilion Master Wen, and the numbness and severe pain throughout her body rapidly receded.
Tang Mengyu tried moving her arm. "It seems... the poison was successfully neutralized?"
Wen Xuan inspected her condition. "The mutated toxin is resolved. Once the Gold-Sand Ant poison is fully cleared, you can begin healing your wounds."
She left a Return-to-Spring Pill for Tang Mengyu, stood up, and looked at Gu Ningyun's complexion. "Ningyun, are you alright? How much spirit energy and divine sense did you consume?"
"The consumption was somewhat heavy. We can treat them in six batches, taking the severely injured in the first two."
Meng Junxi turned around immediately. "Alright, I'll go bring over all the severely injured disciples."
Seeing this, the surrounding disciples breathed a sigh of relief, their eyes finally moving away from Tang Mengyu.
Those who could move helped those who couldn't, tightening the cloth strips bound above their wounds.
No one made a sound to interrupt, quietly waiting nearby for treatment.
Meng Junxi quickly brought over the first batch of wounded—about ten people—laying them out neatly on an open patch of ground.
Gu Ningyun sat down beside them holding her zither. For every disciple Wen Xuan applied needles to, Gu Ningyun treated them with her zither music.
After watching the treatment of two wounded disciples and grasping the rhythm, Meng Junxi took over the task of feeding Antidote Pills and handing out Return-to-Spring Pills.
This freed up Wen Xuan even more to focus her hands on applying the needles.
Without pause in needle or song, after half an hour, the detoxification of the first batch of wounded was complete.
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