Chapter 1112: Ancestor Forgive Me (Part 1)

Having used it several times on their journey, only one pill now remained in the jade bottle.

"Is this a pill for strengthening the body's foundation and nurturing vitality?" Lin Jianghai frowned after a quick look. As a poison master, he possessed an extensive understanding of medicinal properties. He could tell at a glance that this pill was merely an ordinary one, intended for strengthening the body's foundation and nurturing vitality, with no unique qualities whatsoever.

"I initially thought it was just an ordinary medicine for strengthening the body's foundation," Bai Ting nodded, "but after being re-refined by the Ancestral Master, it has become a sacred antidote capable of curing all poisons!"

Lin Jianghai's eyebrows furrowed. He was known as the "Myriad Poisons Venerable," a title that underscored the bewildering potency and sheer variety of his poisons, leaving people astonished and dumbfounded. An ordinary pill for strengthening the body's foundation, claiming to cure all poisons—wouldn't that make it his nemesis?

His spiritual sense extended into the pill, and in the blink of an eye, he thoroughly examined it. The more he observed, the stranger it seemed. From his perspective, and with his profound understanding of medicine, this pill was no different from what was sold on the market. It had absolutely no unique qualities. Not to mention himself, even a fifth-level Saint Realm expert could consume a large quantity and experience no significant effect. To claim it could cure all poisons—wasn't that a massive exaggeration? He was a nine-star poison master, one of the continent's most formidable poison venerables, yet he could discern nothing special about it. Had Bai Ting not been so insistent, he would have long since discarded it.

"Does this medicine truly have a detoxifying effect?" He couldn't help but ask, looking over.

"If Teacher doesn't believe me, I can demonstrate it for you right now," Bai Ting said with a slight smile, turning his head. "Senior Brother Yuan Ling, do you happen to have your Misty Cloud Powder with you?"

"Yes," Yuan Ling nodded, a jade bottle appearing in his palm. As the most potent poison he had developed, he naturally always kept it close at hand for any unforeseen circumstances.

"Poison Master Hai, I might need your assistance with something," Bai Ting said, taking the jade bottle.

"Poison Master Bai, there's no need for such formalities. Please, speak freely!"

Hai Mingjin walked over.

"It's nothing much, really. I just need you to consume this Misty Cloud Powder." Bai Ting flicked his wrist, tossing the poison over.

"Huh?" Hai Mingjin's mouth twitched. He had expected a different request, not that Poison Master Bai intended for him to be the test subject for a poison! The most effective way to test an antidote isn't to analyze its components, but to directly test it against a poison. This method is both straightforward and highly effective. *But you could just find a test beast or something—why me?*

"Alright!" Without much hesitation, he gritted his teeth and nodded. Though somewhat reluctant, the thought of the Ancestral Master's miraculous pill filled him with confidence. He uncorked the bottle and swallowed a mouthful of the Misty Cloud Powder. Immediately after consuming the poison, his face darkened, and he couldn't help but cough up a mouthful of fresh blood. Witnessing this scene, everyone present furrowed their brows. The lowest ranked individuals among them were eight-star poison masters, possessing exceptional discernment. They could naturally tell that Hai Mingjin was genuinely poisoned, not merely feigning it.

"Take it!" Knowing the astonishing potency of the Misty Cloud Powder, Bai Ting didn't hesitate, immediately handing over the antidote pill he held.

Hai Mingjin quickly swallowed it. Shortly after consuming it, his darkened complexion immediately began to change. However, the detoxification didn't appear complete; his face remained half black and half white, resembling a painted mask.

"Cough, cough, Poison Master Bai, do you have any more pills? Please give me another one. I think I consumed too much Misty Cloud Powder just now, and it hasn't been completely detoxified yet," Hai Mingjin said, his breathing stabilizing and the poison temporarily contained, with a touch of embarrassment. These pills for strengthening the body's foundation were limited in size and contained a finite amount of Heavenly Dao True Qi. While they could indeed detoxify, the Misty Cloud Powder's potency was simply too high. One pill was insufficient to completely neutralize it, only resolving about half of the poison.

"This is my last one," Bai Ting's mouth twitched.

"What? Mine were all consumed on the way here!" Hai Mingjin swayed, nearly bursting into tears. He had merely volunteered to test the pill for everyone, yet ended up in such a state. Did it really have to be this miserable? *Who did I offend to deserve this?*

"This..." Bai Ting's eyebrows also twitched in dismay. He had planned to showcase the Ancestral Master's sacred antidote to everyone, but unexpectedly, he didn't have enough pills!

"There's no need for further testing; this is indeed a sacred antidote!" As the two stood in helplessness, Lin Jianghai waved his hand. "Yuan Ling, help him detoxify!"

"Understood!" Yuan Ling approached, lightly sweeping his palm over Hai Mingjin's body. The latter immediately felt completely at ease, and his splotchy face cleared as if makeup had been removed, returning to its normal complexion.

"To be able to refine a pill for strengthening the body's foundation into a sacred antidote, one capable of neutralizing even the Misty Cloud Powder... this method is simply astonishing!" Disregarding Hai Mingjin, Lin Jianghai stood up and took a few steps towards Wei Ruyan, his face filled with disbelief. If he had harbored any doubts before, he was now almost entirely convinced. Setting aside the Innate Poison Body and Innate Poison Soul Body, just considering the pill from earlier: his spiritual sense had swept over it, revealing nothing special, yet it possessed a tangible detoxifying effect, even neutralizing the Misty Cloud Powder. This was truly terrifying. He had personally examined the poison Yuan Ling developed. It was potent enough to effortlessly kill an eighth-level Saint Realm expert, yet a mere tiny pill could completely neutralize it without any lingering side effects. Such a method was nothing short of miraculous, leaving one utterly astounded. Even he found it difficult to comprehend. Such unfathomable means could likely only be possessed by the true Founding Ancestor.

"Teacher, do you believe it now?" Bai Ting's eyes lit up.

"Yes, besides the Ancestral Master, I truly can't imagine who else could possess such abilities," Lin Jianghai nodded, a faint smile on his face. "Let's go, it's time for the succession ceremony. Shen Que wishes me dead, but I'll see who has the last laugh!" His gaze sharpened, and Lin Jianghai's eyes narrowed. Having survived and reached the pinnacle within the Poison Hall headquarters, he was certainly no benevolent pushover.

"Alright!" Seeing their teacher regain his full confidence, everyone clenched their fists and followed him out.

The succession ceremony was held in a square not far from the residence. Countless individuals from across the headquarters had gathered there, packed densely in layers, stretching as far as the eye could see. On the central high platform, a resplendent tome floated in the air. Beneath it, a black-robed poison master stood, exuding an astonishing aura.

"Venerable Lin, you've finally arrived." Seeing the group arrive, the black-robed poison master smiled faintly, his voice resonating across the entire square: "Since you agree to offer lives to the Tome, let us begin. Open the Legacy Poison Tome, and I will impart its contents to everyone before my succession. This way, my claim will be legitimate!"

"Venerable Lin, as one of the Four Venerables who has enjoyed the Poison Hall's reverence for so many years, it's time for you to make a sacrifice!"

"Sacrificing one person to empower so many poison masters and strengthen our Poison Hall is a good thing. Rest assured, your name will be etched into history!" On the high platform, two more individuals shouted out. These were the other two of the Four Venerables.

"Heh heh, Shen Que, Venerable Wang, Venerable He," Lin Jianghai sneered, "I am not here to offer lives to the Legacy Poison Tome. I am here to re-evaluate the candidate for Hall Master!" Ignoring their words, Lin Jianghai gave a cold smile, his body flickering as he landed directly onto the high platform.

"Re-evaluate the candidate? Venerable Lin, are you out of your mind? Protector Shen has obtained the Legacy Poison Tome, making his claim perfectly legitimate. How do you propose to find another Legacy Poison Tome?" Venerable Wang sneered.

"The Legacy Poison Tome is one of the Poison Hall's most crucial treasures. Protector Shen's retrieval of it has already secured his supreme position. What, are you defying Protector Shen, or are you defying the Founding Ancestor?" Venerable He scoffed. These two had long since aligned themselves with Protector Shen, and their words dripped with sarcasm and disdain.

"You don't need to pressure me with claims of righteousness. Since I dared to come here to re-evaluate the Hall Master candidate, I am naturally prepared!" Lin Jianghai flicked his sleeve. "While I haven't found the Legacy Poison Tome, I have found the Founding Ancestor!" As he spoke, he looked up at the sky. "Presenting the Ancestral Master!"

Yuan Ling, Bai Ting, and the others immediately brought Wei Ruyan forward, gently placing her on the platform.

"The Founding Ancestor?"

"What does this mean?" A sudden uproar rippled through the audience below. All the poison masters exchanged bewildered glances, unsure of what was unfolding.

"The Ancestral Master?" Shen Que and the other two Venerables also frowned in confusion.

"Indeed," Lin Jianghai declared, gesturing towards Wei Ruyan, "this is our Founding Ancestor! Her soul has persevered until now, re-possessing the body of an Innate Poison Body girl. She will awaken at any moment to lead us once more towards glory!"

"She's the Founding Ancestor?"

"What kind of joke is this? The Ancestral Master passed away tens of thousands of years ago! How could she possibly be a teenage girl like this?" The crowd was initially stunned, then erupted into an uproar.

Shen Que also scoffed, "Venerable Lin, I think you're simply afraid of making a contribution to the Poison Hall and have lost your senses, haven't you? You just casually found someone and declared her the Founding Ancestor. Why not find someone and claim he's Master Kong?"

"Exactly!" The crowd below the platform all shook their heads, chuckling. The Myriad Poisons Venerable was usually quite reliable; why was he being so reckless this time? To claim that a comatose person is the Founding Ancestor—what a farce!

"Presumptuous!" Lin Jianghai frowned. "Shen Que, as a nine-star poison master, surely you wouldn't fail to recognize an Innate Poison Body, would you?"

"An Innate Poison Body?"

"This girl has an Innate Poison Body?" A fresh wave of commotion erupted, and Shen Que himself was momentarily stunned. He quickly looked over, and indeed, he noticed something unusual, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"The Innate Poison Body is a unique constitution that has only ever appeared on the Founding Ancestor in tens of thousands of years. None of us present have ever witnessed it. You simply found a random girl and claimed she possesses this constitution—do you have any proof? Furthermore, even if she does have this constitution, what connection does that have to the Founding Ancestor?" Flicking his sleeve, Shen Que sneered, "To prevent me from becoming Hall Master and to keep your power undisturbed, this desperate ploy is a bit too grand, wouldn't you say?"

"A desperate ploy?"

"It really might be!"

"No one has ever seen an Innate Poison Body. To simply find someone and claim she possesses it—how could it be such a coincidence?" As expected, the moment Shen Que finished speaking, an immediate clamor erupted from the crowd below. While previously the crowd had been merely curious, Shen Que's words instantly filled them with suspicion.