Chapter 1091: The Legendary Poison Canon

The headquarters of the Poison Hall was situated within a vast mountain range. Unlike its branches, it was not shrouded by formations but lay exposed, a colossal city spanning over a thousand kilometers.

It produced and consumed its own resources, like a small kingdom.

"This mountain range stretches tens of thousands of kilometers, and it's said to be heavily poisoned. Anyone who isn't a poison master of the Poison Hall would be poisoned to death upon entry. That's why the headquarters doesn't need to hide," Bai Ting couldn't help but remark as he gazed at the imposing city before him.

The Poison Hall was a feared entity everywhere. For safety, its branches had to be concealed with formations, making them hard for other professionals to find.

But the headquarters was different—built directly in the mountains without any concealment. However, despite the lack of formations, the entire mountain range was teeming with countless poisonous insects and beasts. Anyone who came looking for trouble would pay a heavy price.

For this reason, even though many knew the headquarters' location, no one dared to act rashly. Even the Master Teacher Hall had to tread carefully.

"I wonder when poison masters will no longer have to fear the judgment of the secular world and can walk in the light like other professions..." Hai Mingjin shook his head with a bitter smile and sighed.

Even if the headquarters didn't need to hide, it was still nestled deep in the mountains, a stark contrast to other professions that set up branches in bustling places.

Poison masters had long been branded with a sinister and eerie image in people's minds. The higher their level, the more fear they inspired. This perception was not easy to change.

"I hope that day comes too... but it should be soon!" Bai Ting turned to glance at the girl being supported by his true energy and smiled slightly.

They had been flying continuously for nearly two months since leaving Jingyuan City. The girl still showed no signs of waking, and the poison emanating from her body grew increasingly dense.

If it weren't for the antidote pills she had given them when she was awake, disguised as Sun Qiang, they would have succumbed to the poison long ago, even at their peak七星 strength.

Just the passive release of her aura was enough to overwhelm poison masters of their level. The Innate Poison Body was truly terrifying.

Her constitution was innate and unchangeable, but even more formidable was the founding patriarch's understanding of poison, which was astonishing.

Throughout their journey, the two had been studying the poison knowledge transmitted into their minds by the patriarch. The more they studied, the more they realized its depth. Their understanding over these two months surpassed decades of prior learning! The antidote pills he had bestowed were nothing short of miraculous—capable of neutralizing all poisons.

Not only could they counteract the poison emanating from her, but they could also subdue all the poisonous insects and creatures in this mountain range.

A few days ago, Bai Ting was bitten by a venomous snake and thought he was doomed. But after taking one of those antidote pills, he recovered in no time. A single ordinary pill that could cure a hundred poisons—even experiencing it firsthand, it seemed unbelievable.

Without those antidote pills, they might have died countless times before even reaching this place.

"If the patriarch wakes up and regains his peak strength, getting other professions to acknowledge us won't be difficult. Unfortunately, the Poison Hall has too many strong individuals who refuse to submit to one another, each going their own way. This disunity has led to our decline, forcing us to cower in a corner under the oppression of other professions."

Recalling the Poison Hall's experiences over the years, Hai Mingjin sighed.

In truth, the Poison Hall hadn't always been like this—feared by other professions. It once lived in the light, without needing to hide.

The current situation arose because after the patriarch passed away, no truly exceptional poison master emerged.

Poison masters, each proud of their skills, refused to yield to others. Sometimes, without rules, they even fought among themselves. Moreover, there was no unified standard for recruiting disciples, leading to a mix of good and bad. This caused the overall strength to decline steadily, resulting in the current state.

If someone could reunite the Poison Hall and make everyone submit, perhaps the situation could change, restoring the glory of the past.

"Don't get too excited too soon. The Poison Hall now is different from before... I notified my teacher before coming, but didn't mention the patriarch. Even so, he told me to be careful and come quietly, without being discovered by others. It seems the headquarters is in chaos, with all kinds of infighting. Even he can't do anything about it," Bai Ting said.

"Your teacher? You mean Lin Jianghai, the Ten Thousand Poison Venerable?" Hai Mingjin asked curiously.

Although Bai Ting was his friend and came from the same Poison Hall branch, he had never mentioned his lineage. Hai Mingjin had only guessed based on his poison techniques.

"Yes, my teacher is indeed Poison Master Lin Jianghai. I studied under him for thirty years, but unfortunately, due to my lack of talent, I didn't receive his true inheritance. Otherwise, I might have reached the eight-star level by now," Bai Ting nodded.

Speaking of his teacher, he was full of respect.

The grace of a teacher was as vast as the ocean.

Without his teacher, he wouldn't be where he was today. Even though he wasn't a direct disciple, the teacher's kindness could never be erased.

"The Poison Hall headquarters has two protectors, four venerables, twelve poison kings, and seventy-two first-class branch hall masters. The weakest of these experts are at the eight-star peak. Among the four venerables, the Ten Thousand Poison Venerable may not be first, but he's not last either. His direct disciples are all at least eight-star. Becoming his disciple means being a dragon among men—enviable!"

Recalling the legends of the Poison Hall headquarters, Hai Mingjin couldn't help but say.

"The Poison Hall headquarters has two protectors, four venerables, twelve poison kings, and seventy-two first-class branch hall masters. The weakest of these experts are at the eight-star peak. Among the four venerables, the Ten Thousand Poison Venerable may not be first, but he's not last either. His direct disciples are all at least eight-star. Becoming his disciple means being a dragon among men—enviable!"

Recalling the legends of the Poison Hall headquarters, Hai Mingjin couldn't help but say.

Although he was only a peak Seven-Star poison master, he had studied many books in advance during this period in order to come to headquarters, and he knew quite a bit about the division of power there.

In the Poison Hall headquarters, because no poison master had emerged who could overpower all others and earn everyone's admiration, the position of Hall Master had been vacant for thousands of years. Matters were basically discussed and decided by the Four Venerables. As for the two Protectors... they had always been wandering outside and were rarely seen; even poison masters at headquarters had never laid eyes on them.

So far, these four people were the highest in power and status among the poison master profession.

Bai Ting becoming a disciple of one of them, even if not a personal disciple, would make things much more convenient when he came to headquarters.

Otherwise, relying on the two of them as mere Seven-Star poison masters, it would be somewhat impossible to enter here so easily.

"Let's go, hurry into the city. The poison qi in the founder's body is getting out of control. If we don't suppress it quickly, I'm afraid danger will arise!"

After a few sighs, he stopped dwelling on it. Bai Ting called out and, with Wei Ruyan, walked ahead.

The city of the Poison Hall headquarters was not much different from the royal capitals and imperial capitals outside. It housed not only poison masters but also some ordinary people.

Entering the city and walking on the broad streets, Bai Ting and Hai Mingjin exchanged glances, both somewhat puzzled.

Under normal circumstances, such a wide main street should have been bustling with activity, but now they saw the shops on both sides with doors and windows tightly shut, not a single person in sight. Had something happened?

It shouldn't be!

If the Master Hall really wanted to make a move, it would surely stir up the entire continent. They had never heard such news, which meant nothing should be wrong.

But aside from the Master Hall, who could make the vast Poison Hall empty in an instant?

"Let's go further in and take a look!" After walking for more than half an hour without seeing anyone, the two grew a bit anxious, and Hai Mingjin couldn't help saying.

"Mm." Nodding, Bai Ting was about to speak when he heard a voice coming over.

"Is that Junior Brother Bai Ting ahead?"

The two looked up and saw a middle-aged man flying over.

This man was short, about 1.6 meters tall, and somewhat hunched, with an unremarkable appearance. But on his chest, a badge with eight dazzling stars revealed his identity, making him impossible to underestimate.

"Senior Brother Yuanling!"

Recognizing him, Bai Ting did not hesitate and quickly cupped his fists.

"Yuanling? Could he be that peak Eight-Star poison master who once poisoned to death a Saint Domain eighth-level sacred beast?" Hearing the name, Hai Mingjin was startled.

He might not know other Eight-Star poison masters, but this one was extremely famous.

The seventy-two first-class branch hall masters had long reached the peak Eight-Star level. The [Smoke Cloud Powder] they concocted was colorless and odorless, could transform into smoke and clouds, and drift everywhere. Once absorbed, even a Saint Domain eighth-level powerhouse could hardly match it!

It was said that this Lord Yuanling had once been chased by a Saint Domain eighth-level sacred beast. With no way out, he released poison and forcefully poisoned it to death.

Because of this battle, he had a great reputation throughout the entire Empire Alliance. In the Poison Hall of the Qingyuan Enfeoffed Kingdom, he was known to everyone.

That such a figure was Bai Ting's senior brother, having studied under the same master... it was shocking to think about.

"No need to be polite. The teacher heard that you have reached the Out-of-Body realm and want to take the Eight-Star poison master exam, so he specially sent me to pick you up!" Yuanling smiled.

This time Bai Ting returned, following Zhang Xuan's advice, he did not mention the founder's matter but said he wanted to take the Eight-Star poison master exam, which was neither conspicuous nor hindered his smooth arrival at headquarters.

"Thank you, Senior Brother. By the way, weren't you at the Huai Jin branch hall? How did you end up here?"

Bai Ting found it strange.

Under normal circumstances, a branch hall master could not easily leave the hall. Yet this one had come here and even came to pick him up, making him feel flattered.

"You don't know?" Yuanling paused, then realized: "Right, you've been away from here for so many years, it's normal not to know! The Right Protector Shen Que has returned, found the founding patriarch's token, and wants to succeed as Hall Master. He has called a poison master assembly! We seventy-two branch hall masters have all come over these days. The people from the outer city have also gone to attend. That's why this place is empty as a wilderness, not a single person in sight!"

"Right Protector Shen Que?"

"He found the founding patriarch's relic?"

The two were startled, then frowned. Bai Ting looked over and couldn't help asking: "May I ask... what relic?"

"The founding patriarch's [Legacy Poison Codex]!" Yuanling said.