43 Chapter 1092: The Founder Arrives (1/2)
”Tome of Poison Legacy?” Bai Ting and Hai Mingjin leaped in astonishment.
According to the rumors, the Tome of Poison Legacy was an artifact personally written by the founder of the Poison Hall. She had detailed all of the secrets of her poison arts within the book, and it was the artifact that all poison masters craved to obtain. However… it was said to have disappeared from the face of the world along with the founder.
After the founder died, there were quite a few hall masters who had taken over after her. However, as they had not inherited her true heritage, they were unable to receive widespread acknowledgement among the poison masters, resulting in the current chaos within the Poison Hall.
For the longest time, everyone had thought that the Tome of Poison Legacy had disappeared for good, but who would have thought that Right Guardian Shen Jue would actually manage to retrieve it!
”Indeed! With this artifact, he can be officially inaugurated as the new hall master of the Poison Hall without any doubts about his legitimacy. Just that… Forget it. Let's not talk about this any further. You'll understand once you meet teacher anyway!”
Yuan Ling was still intending to continue speaking when he paused for a moment and swallowed his words. Beckoning the both of them to follow him, he flew ahead.
The duo followed him closely.
As Saint 5-dan experts, their flight speed was beyond ordinary. It did not take them long to arrive at a vast residence located at the center of the city.
With Yuan Ling taking the lead, they walked toward the hall that their teacher had taught them in the past. Before they could enter it, arguing could be heard echoing from within.
”He's using that as an excuse to climb over us! Why should our teacher do it? At the very most, we'll just fight it out with him!”
”He's going too far, we can't just sit silently by the side and let him do whatever he wants!”
”Just because he says that it's the Tome of Poison Legacy, are we supposed to accept it like that? Is there anyone who can verify his words? I remember that our teacher had a grudge with him back then. He must be trying to make use of this matter to get rid of his rivals so as to successfully promote himself to hall master!”
”It's not like we don't know how narrow-minded that Right Guardian of ours is. With such a card in his hand, he's bound to make a move against us.”
…
Walking into the room, they saw dozens of poison masters gathered, each of them with an indignant look on their face.
Swiftly scanning the room, Bai Ting noted that they were all the seniors and juniors who had studied alongside him back then. Most of them had already attained the strength of 8-star poison masters.
In the center of the room sat an elder who was dressed in plain clothes. He had an elusive aura that could hardly be felt, and his breathing was so indistinct that it was impossible to tell whether he was alive or not. Had he not been seated in the center of the room, one could have overlooked him very easily.
Intrigued, Hai Mingjin secretly used his Spiritual Perception to scan the other party, and the result that he got left him startled.
To his shock, his Spiritual Perception actually reflected that the space that the plain-clothed elder took up was completely empty!
What incredible strength he wields… Hai Mingjin narrowed his eyes in astonishment.
It was obvious that the person before him had achieved strength far beyond his imagination, such that even his Spiritual Perception was incapable of perceiving the other party's existence.
An expert of the other party's caliber did not need to even raise his hand to destroy him. Just a single thought, and his soul would have been helplessly crushed. There was the huge disparity in their strengths.
It was unimaginable how powerful the elder would be if he were equipped with poison!
Truly terrifying!
”Teacher, Junior Bai Ting is here!” Ignoring the crowd's argument, Yuan Ling stepped forward and reported.
”Un.” The elder nodded before turning his gaze to Bai Ting. ”I thought that you wouldn't have been able to make a breakthrough when your heart turned cold after the incident. Not bad, you are still able to qualify as an 8-star poison master in the end. You didn't let me down!”
”Teacher…” Bai Ting's eyes reddened as he stepped forward and kneeled on the ground.
Ever since leaving the headquarters, he had never met his teacher because he felt too ashamed to face him. Upon seeing his teacher once more, the emotions that had welled up within him for many years could not be contained.
The elder smiled. ”Alright, you are going to be an 8-star poison master very soon, so you shouldn't cry over minor matters like this!”
”Yes!” Bai Ting nodded. Standing up, he turned a confused look to his teacher and asked, ”Teacher, I happened to overhear someone saying that someone wants you to do something… If I may ask, what does that mean?”
Judging from how indignant everyone was, it was bound to be nothing good.
”It's nothing much.” The elder waved his hand before sighing deeply. ”You should focus your effort on taking the 8-star poison master examination while you are here and leave as soon as you're done. The Poison Hall is no longer the safe place you know of. We might face bloodshed very soon, so escape as far as you can.”
”This…” Bai Ting frowned in confusion.
His teacher was one of the Four Eminences, so what could have happened for him to speak of such depressing words?
Furthermore… shouldn't Shen Jue's retrieval of the Tome of Poison Legacy and inauguration as the new hall master have been a joyous event?
Noting the confusion in Bai Ting's eyes, an 8-star poison master stepped forward and explained, ”I believe you should have heard the news that Guardian Shen has found the Tome of Poison Legacy and intends to become the new hall master, right?”
”Yes!” Bai Ting replied with a nod.
Senior Yuan Ling had just informed him of the matter.
”The Tome of Poison Legacy is an artifact left behind by the founder, and it carries lethal poison. There is only one way to open it, and it's through the Life Tribute ritual. Guardian Shen intends to have our teacher conduct the ritual,” the 8-star poison master said through gritted teeth.
Hearing those words, Bai Ting's eyes widened in shock.
Poison masters had a habit of sealing their manuals using lethal poison. In order to open such manuals, one would have to possess the ability to undo the poison. Otherwise, one would have to wear away the poison with life.
In other words, it was using human lives to wear away the poison on the manual. If one was not enough, two. If two were not enough, three… There was bound to be a limit to the poison laced on the manual, so there would come a point where it was sapped dry.
This was also what the Life Tribute ritual was!
Life Tribute was an extremely callous ritual, and it undermined the dignity of life. This was one of the practices that had the poison masters deemed as a type of demonic art, causing it to be snubbed by the orthodox occupations.
”But… why our teacher?” Bai Ting asked through gritted teeth.
His teacher was one of the Four Eminences, so why would they sacrifice such an esteemed individual for the Life Tribute?
”Our teacher had a conflict with Guardian Shen many years ago, so we believe that this is Guardian Shen's attempt to get back at him. Furthermore, the poison on the Tome of Poison Legacy is indeed too potent, such that it's impossible for even normal humans to approach it. As such, it can only be neutralized by 9-star poison masters. It's for this reason that Guardian Shen specifically singled out Teacher so as to further build his prestige. Through this incident, he wishes to send out a stern warning to the entire Poison Hall so that none dare oppose him!” the 8-star poison master replied with clenched fists.