"Huh. Now that you mention it, it seems like it! After all, we’re all university students studying medicine, not some powerful martial cultivators. This means the organizers are indeed looking for high-end medical talents. As long as our medical skills are up to par, we’ll naturally be safe."

Hua Yingjie thought for a moment and suddenly felt that Tang Ming made a lot of sense, so he stopped worrying so much.

"Exactly! Because I’m super confident in my detoxification ability, I can’t be bothered to think about it too much. I’d rather eat well and drink well, and face whatever is going to happen next."

Tang Ming grinned and started eating heartily.

"You’re right! Later, I’ll prepare all the detoxification medicines I know. As long as it’s not about brute force and purely about medical skills, I’m not afraid."

Hua Yingjie felt a lot more confident and was no longer as uneasy as before.

In fact, many people could see some of the issues like Tang Ming did, which is why this bunch of guys would be so enthusiastic about researching viruses and conducting experiments. It’s just that they weren’t as calm and unconcerned as Tang Ming.

After eating and drinking to their fill, Tang Ming patted his stomach and left the dining hall, while Hua Yingjie, with a strange expression, looked at the empty dining room and quickly followed Tang Ming out.

Thinking about the guys outside who, once they’re hungry and want to eat, would suddenly find everything gone, their expressions would surely be quite a sight.

"Now that we’re full, shall we go experiment? If you and I team up, we’ll be invincible."

Tang Ming wiped his mouth and, with an arm around Hua Yingjie’s shoulder, walked toward a lab table: "Anyway, it’s no longer considered a medical competition, so our cooperation isn’t against the rules."

"Exactly! With lives at stake soon, it’s essential we research together and stick together in this."

Hua Yingjie nodded repeatedly, and the two decided to cooperate.

Outside the laboratory, in the glass lab of Passage Number Five.

Nangong Tianyue furrowed his brow as he examined the corpse of a Poisoned person on the ground, inspecting and studying it.

"Can you tell what happened here?"

A woman wrapped in a black robe looked at several destroyed surveillance cameras: "That kid destroyed the monitoring system, so we have no idea what he did here. But the current situation is too bizarre."

"It really is bizarre. I can’t find any toxicity on this experimental subject at all; the poison’s been neutralized."

Nangong Tianyue uncertainly looked at the Poisoned person.

"No way? This kind of poison is extracted from below, and the poisoned person either has the chance to develop antibodies or just gets poisoned—there’s no antidote."

The woman in the black robe looked uncertainly at Nangong Tianyue: "You should know the toxicity well."

"In theory, it’s indeed incurable, but Tang Ming cannot be gauged by theory and common sense."

Nangong Tianyue shook his head, furrowed his eyebrows, and sighed: "Even the snb series of genetic catalysts I’ve researched are beyond cure, yet they’ve never succeeded on Tang Ming; he always neutralizes them."

"But... your snb catalyst is an upgraded and refined version of this viral body, enough to allow the human body to adapt to the explosive force of the virus, much milder than the native virus here, right?"

The woman in the black robe spoke with a heavier tone.

"That may be true, but Tang Ming... perhaps this time, we might really achieve a phased breakthrough."

Nangong Tianyue’s eyes sparkled with excitement, "Tang Ming’s resistance to poison is so strong that maybe he really might acquire the Ancient Poison Crystal Core."

"That would be great."

The voice of the woman in black also turned excited.

"Interesting, really interesting. I never expected the guy who’s ruined my plans over and over again would become the key to completing our ultimate plan."

Nangong Tianyue laughed, slowly getting up: "I’m really looking forward to what’s coming, hoping Tang Ming won’t disappoint me."

"The feeling of using an enemy to do your bidding must feel quite good, right?"

The woman in the black robe smiled weirdly at Nangong Tianyue.

"It does feel quite good. But you should notify your people to be ready, as Tang Ming is not an easy target. If he really does succeed, he definitely won’t comply easily."

Nangong Tianyue seriously reminded: "Also, you need to warn Ye Liuxing not to show up unless it’s the last moment, in case Tang Ming discovers he’s working for us. Then he might not be as cooperative."

"Don’t worry, I’ll arrange everything properly. At this stage, not even Tang Ming, or a few martial generals, could stir any trouble."

The woman in the black robe nodded confidently.

"Good! I’m really looking forward to when Tang Ming completes his mission and suddenly realizes that everything was just for us. The thought of it is delightful."

Nangong Tianyue smiled coldly, then left the scene.

In the laboratory.

"Old Hua, do you know what kind of poison this is?"

Tang Ming curiously watched Hua Yingjie, who was analyzing with a microscope.

"I don’t! I’ve never seen such a strange poison before, but..."

"But what?"

Tang Ming asked urgently.

"But this poison should just be a derivative, stripped from each source. Although it’s highly infectious, it doesn’t mutate much, indicating its core is stable."

Hua Yingjie explained as he sighed: "With my current medical skills, it seems I can’t develop an antidote, at most, a protective drug to avoid being poisoned."

"That’s already impressive."

Tang Ming nodded; Hua Yingjie’s discovery matched his conclusions, except he could already resist this poison.

"Tang Ming, what do you think these people are researching these poisons for?" 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Hua Yingjie raised his head, his expression grave as he looked at Tang Ming: "Since you said the poisoned people we encountered before mutated from being poisoned, would you consider this a biochemical virus?"

"Biochemical virus?"

Tang Ming furrowed his brow: "When you say it like that, it reminds me of someone. Yes, that familiar feeling is exactly it."

"Who?"

"Nangong Tianyue! Previously, Nangong Tianyue developed a biochemical poison called snb, whose toxicity is similar to this deadly poison, except not as intense."

Tang Ming’s expression grew solemn: "When SNB virus was inhaled, it would also lead to bodily changes, but not as terrifying, just expanding the body and increasing strength... I think I understand."

Halfway through his words, Tang Ming’s expression subtly changed.

"What do you understand?"

Hua Yingjie became more confused.

"Step aside, let me see."

Tang Ming quickly pushed Hua Yingjie aside, took out a Silver Needle, and began to carefully study the biochemical virus sample.

"So it is, so it is!"

After some time, Tang Ming nodded, shaking his head: "The SNB virus evolved from this deadly poison. Someone is using this virus to develop a genetic medicine that can create super soldiers. We might be involved."