The toxin in Arno Long's body wasn't exceptionally lethal. Had it not been located near his heart, it wouldn't have posed a serious threat at all.
Initially, the poison had stayed far from that critical organ. But during his brutal battle with the White Dragon King, Arno suffered devastating injuries. His blood surged with violent energy, triggering the toxin to spread and embed itself in the heart's vicinity.
For someone like Perry Moreno, removing the poison wouldn't have been difficult. His skill was more than enough to purify it completely.
But Perry was cunning—disturbingly so. Instead of eliminating the poison, he transferred it to a concealed area in Arno's body and sealed it with a rare and intricate method. A brilliant move, albeit sinister.
That way, even if the Long family managed to acquire the antidote someday, it would be useless. The sealed toxin was untouchable. Only when the seal was released and the poison returned to the heart could the antidote have any effect.
This shrewd trick ensured the Long family remained dependent on Perry. They had no choice but to tread carefully, which worked perfectly in his favor. And so, as part of his long game, Perry continued to maintain a watchful and benevolent eye on Anita Moore.
Of course, the Long family was oblivious to this manipulation. To them, Perry Moreno—who had "saved" Arno's life—was nothing short of a divine savior.
But John Lopez had observed the subtle flow of toxic energy within Arno's body. From those delicate traces, he unraveled the truth behind Perry's schemes.
Still, how could he reveal Perry's manipulations to anyone?
No matter how sly and treacherous Perry was, he remained John's mentor.
So John kept his mouth shut. He didn't expose Perry's devious trick. On the contrary, he even declared that Arno's survival until now was nothing short of a miracle.
When Sophia asked whether the toxin could be cured, John gave her a confident smile and said, "It's no trouble at all."
Just look at that confidence—so bold, so fearless.
Tears brimmed in Sophia's eyes. She looked at John with awe and gratitude and asked in a trembling voice, "Mr. Lopez, is that true? You can really heal my grandfather?"
"Of course," John said with a teasing glint. "Will you marry me once he's cured?"
Sophia's face flushed a deep red. Her mind spun. She thought of John as Anita's sworn brother, and she and Anita were close friends. If John really did save her grandfather… would it be such a bad idea?
As she stood there, caught up in her thoughts, John let out a dry cough and added, "Miss Long, you can think about that later. For now, help me sit your grandfather up."
"O-Okay!" she stammered.
Snapping out of her flustered daze, Sophia rushed to help her grandfather sit up on the bed. She felt an odd mix of relief and nervousness. John's earlier words echoed in her head.
With careful precision, John took out a fine needle and pierced an acupuncture point on Arno Long's body.
Though detoxifying Arno wasn't especially difficult for John, his patient's internal meridians were twisted and blocked—as if someone had tangled a dozen hemp ropes together. John had to slowly and patiently unravel them.
He inserted the needle methodically.
Time ticked away. Half a day passed before John finally managed to smooth out the primary meridian paths within Arno's body.
When he felt the energy start to flow more clearly, he said to Sophia, "Miss Long, bring a basin. Your grandfather is about to expel the toxic blood."
She nodded quickly.
There was already a washbasin in the room—used to wipe Arno's body—so she grabbed it and placed it in front of him.
John placed his palm on Arno's back, close to his heart, and silently activated his nameless divine skill, sending a surge of potent energy into the old man's body.
Ah, the nameless divine skill…
John always felt conflicted about it.
This strange cultivation technique had no name, no lineage. If it belonged to righteous sects, it was unbelievably domineering—so much so that it could even absorb the violent essence of the Bloodbath Skill once used by the Lord of Demons. That had brought great benefit to John.
And yet… it also shared qualities with dark arts. Some would label it demonic. Despite that, this very skill had allowed John to save countless lives.
He still didn't know how to categorize it. Divine or demonic? A blessing or a curse?
Regardless, he sent the energy flowing into Arno's core.
Within moments, the dying man's body trembled violently. His eyes snapped open, his face turned beet red, and he suddenly doubled over, vomiting a pool of dark purple blood.
It was thick, foul-smelling, and laced with sinister toxins—a grotesque mixture of corruption and death.
"...Sophia."
The old man wheezed, calling her name hoarsely. His voice was weak but unmistakable.
Sophia's heart soared. Her eyes glistened. For so long, her grandfather had been bedridden and unresponsive—able to blink but unable to speak. And now, here he was, calling out to her. He was conscious. He was alive.
But before she could speak, John raised a hand. "Don't talk just yet, sir. There's still half the toxin inside you. We're not done."
Hearing this, Arno immediately closed his mouth. He understood. He trusted John.
John continued his work. He channeled more of his vital energy directly into Arno's heart. Not long after, Arno doubled over again and expelled another pool of dark, putrid blood.
By this point, nearly ninety percent of the poison and internal blood clots had been purged. The remaining trace amounts would no longer pose a risk. With the right medicine, as prescribed by John, even that last fraction would be eliminated in due time.
The only major issue remaining was Arno's distorted meridians. They would need to be corrected gradually—over time—through self-cultivation.
John had already helped loosen a few of the critical knots. As for the rest, the flow of internal force would now be able to slowly reopen the remaining blocked points. The most agonizing pressure had been released.
John, of course, understood precisely how those meridians had become so twisted.
They were Perry's doing.
In order to hide the relocated toxin, Perry had sealed all nearby acupuncture points. Every time internal force flowed through that area, it would result in unbearable pain.
Over time, this caused the meridians around those sealed points to stick together. Now that the seal was lifted, those once-dormant meridians had become active again, disrupting the normal ones.
That was why Arno's internal energy network had become so chaotic.
John had resolved the worst of it. The remaining knots could be managed gradually—now that the pain-inducing blockages were gone.
"Mr. Lopez," Arno rasped, gratitude shining in his eyes. "You've saved my life. Thank you."
He bowed low, his frail body trembling as he knocked his head gently against the bedframe. If John hadn't stopped him, the old man would've bowed again.
John helped him sit back up.
Then Arno turned his gaze toward Sophia.
"Sophia," he said, his tone steady, "Mr. Lopez and his mentor have saved our lives. I want you to think carefully about what he asked earlier."