Chapter 297: Heavenly Dao Poison Technique

"Yes!"

Gu Mu knew his body was in the worst possible state. He had expected it would take at least several months to heal, but to his surprise, it would only require three treatments. He couldn't help but admire the strength of this 'Martial Uncle-Grandmaster' even more.

"Your current condition won't cause any problems in the short term. For the remaining two treatments, I will gradually help you heal. As for this Poison Hall branch and the Crimson Flame Lotus Seed, you can arrange everything as you see fit! After all, you are the special envoy, and it wouldn't be appropriate for me to interfere!" Having established his authority and offered a sweet incentive, Zhang Xuan knew that Special Envoy Gu Mu was now completely subservient to him. No longer worried, he spoke calmly and settled into the central seat of the main hall.

Gu Mu nodded, then turned to Liao Xun and the others, saying, "Everyone except the elders and deputy hall masters, leave!"

"Yes, sir!" With the special envoy's command, no one dared to disobey. Soon, only seven people remained in the room: four elders and three deputy hall masters.

"This envoy has come for only two matters!" Gu Mu flicked his sleeve and scanned the surroundings. In front of Zhang Xuan, he acted like a junior, not daring to overstep in the slightest. However, as a peak Supreme and a peak 3-star Poison Master, it would be nothing for him to destroy this branch hall by himself. His absolute strength ensured he possessed supreme authority, leaving no one daring to refute him.

"Please speak, Special Envoy!" Liao Xun and the others quickly bowed.

"First, to determine the new hall master. Second, the Crimson Flame Lotus Seed has matured, and I am here to retrieve it," Gu Mu stated.

"The Crimson Flame Lotus Seed..." Liao Xun and the others simultaneously trembled, their faces turning pale.

"The Crimson Flame Lotus grows in places scorched by core-earth fire, nourished by highly toxic substances. Its branches, lotus leaves, and even the flower itself are all extremely poisonous, making them the best materials for concocting poisons. Only the lotus seed is free from toxicity, despite growing in such an environment. Instead, it is an unparalleled treasure for breaking through to the Supreme pinnacle. The reason the Red Lotus Branch Hall was established here and has stood for thousands of years is solely to nurture this lotus." Gu Mu's voice carried authority: "Now that the lotus seed has matured, the lotus flower and leaves will be left for you, but I will take the lotus seed. There shouldn't be any issues with that, right?"

"No... no problem!" Liao Xun and the others forced a bitter smile and nodded in unison. With the special envoy's command, and his 'Martial Uncle-Grandmaster' still observing, even if they had an objection, they wouldn't dare voice it!

"Good. How much longer until the lotus seed is fully mature?" Seeing their lack of resistance, Gu Mu nodded with satisfaction and continued to ask. He had naturally calculated the approximate maturity date of the lotus seed to be around these few days, which was why he had come at this time. However, the exact day remained unclear.

"Reporting to the Special Envoy, it will take approximately 10 more days!" Liao Xun replied.

"Ten days? Very well then, prepare the best room for my Martial Uncle-Grandmaster to stay in. Within these ten days, I will determine the candidate for the new Hall Master!" Gu Mu announced.

"Yes, sir!" Seeing his decision, everyone nodded.

Knowing that the Crimson Flame Lotus Seed wouldn't be fully mature for another ten days, Zhang Xuan was in no hurry. He could use this opportunity to digest the knowledge he had just acquired and meticulously study the qi of poison within his body. Anyway, since he hadn't completely eliminated the hidden danger for Gu Mu yet, even if Gu Mu realized that his 'Martial Uncle-Grandmaster' identity was fake, he wouldn't dare do anything to Zhang Xuan. Besides, Zhang Xuan had displayed so many formidable techniques, things that even ordinary 5-star Poison Masters couldn't achieve, so it was unlikely they would harbor any doubts.

Disregarding the selection process for the new Poison Hall Master, Zhang Xuan was currently seated in his room, with Butler Lu and Grand Apothecary guarding outside. He focused intently on the numerous books he had collected in his mind.

"Correct!" He murmured quietly to himself. The countless books on poison masters from the bookshelf quickly converged, forming a thick manual. Knowing it was precisely the Heaven's Path Poison Art he desired, Zhang Xuan didn't hesitate. With a grasp of his hand, he gently drew it to him and casually opened it.

"Poison, a type of medicine, can harm people, and can also save lives..." It was densely filled with explanations about poisons. This Heaven's Path Poison Art, also formed by gathering books on poisons, was clearly much more detailed and profound than the one from the Tianxuan Kingdom's library. As he continued to read, Zhang Xuan's understanding of poison grew steadily. After an unknown period, his eyes opened, his gaze transforming from its previous confusion to clarity.

"I never thought poison could be so vast and profound!" Recalling the Poison Art he had just learned, Zhang Xuan felt a surge of emotion. No wonder Poison Masters could inspire such fear in countless people; they were truly terrifying. In terms of complexity, the profession was no less intricate than alchemy, artifact forging, and other top-tier professions, and their offensive power even surpassed them. For example, with his current strength, he would certainly be no match for a mid-level Grandmaster and would struggle to contend with them. However, with enough poison, he could easily poison and kill even peak Grandmaster experts! He could even poison people in the Supreme realm. Of course, poisons were not omnipotent. If one's cultivation was insufficient to suppress the murderous aura within, they could easily be discovered by powerful experts and might be killed before even having a chance to administer the poison. Furthermore, some potent poisons required the Poison Master's essence blood and true qi to activate their full effect. If one was not a Poison Master, or their rank was too low, they wouldn't be able to use powerful poisons even if given them; they might even end up poisoning themselves. This was similar to how everyone knew atomic bombs were powerful, but without enough strength to control them, even if given one, it wouldn't pose a threat and might instead lead to self-destruction. Potent poisons were like powerful weapons; if one's strength was insufficient, let alone touching them, they could be poisoned to death from hundreds or even thousands of meters away! Extremely dangerous! He had originally thought that if he could concoct a powerful poison for himself, he wouldn't need to fear even peak Supreme experts. Now, it seemed that was a bit too whimsical.

"While I don't wish to use poison to harm others, I can certainly guard against being harmed by it myself!" Knowing the profound depth of the Poison Master profession, Zhang Xuan also grew more vigilant. He wouldn't use poison to kill, but he also had to prevent others from poisoning him. Just like the qi of poison within his body; if he had been a Poison Master earlier, he could have prevented it, avoiding his current predicament.

"According to the books, the highest realm of Poison Master cultivation is to possess a 'Poison Body'. I can definitely cultivate that!" He smiled faintly. Poison Masters, like other professions, also depended on talent. Talented Poison Masters, known as those with a Congenital Poison Body, not only possessed extreme sensitivity to poison but also had an extraordinary resistance to it. This meant that a person with such a physique could consume even highly potent poisons administered by other Poison Masters without suffering any harm, as if they were merely eating or drinking. Moreover, legend had it that such individuals could absorb the power from poisons to significantly increase their cultivation. Of course, this physique was incredibly rare; one might not appear even among billions of Poison Masters. This ability, like Zhao Ya's Pure Yin Physique, was innate, and he certainly couldn't achieve it naturally. However, there were many secret techniques for Poison Master cultivation in the Poison Hall's books, which had just formed a Heaven's Path cultivation technique. By cultivating this technique, even if he didn't possess a Congenital Poison Body, his body's resistance to poison would increase, becoming several times stronger than the bodies specially tempered by true Poison Masters.

"I'll try it!" Acting on his thought without much hesitation, Zhang Xuan's mind stirred, and the manual formed from Poison Master cultivation appeared before him. He opened it and began to read. After an unknown period, he exhaled a mouthful of stale air and abruptly stood up. Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! His entire skeletal structure resonated like popping beans, and his aura surged.

"Although it's not as good as a Congenital Poison Body, I no longer fear common potent poisons. Even if I ingest a poison concocted by a 3-star Poison Master, it won't cause me any harm!" Feeling the changes in his body after cultivation, Zhang Xuan smiled. After cultivating the Heaven's Path Poison Art, his physical body had undergone significant changes, and its resistance to poisons had increased. Despite not having a Congenital Poison Body, given his current condition, even if he consumed a substance concocted by a 3-star Poison Master, he would suffer no harm.

"The most crucial thing is... my Heaven's Path True Qi, after cultivating the Poison Art, can heal illnesses, save lives, help people break through, and also transform into potent poison in an instant, causing instantaneous death!" While his physical body changed, the greater transformation was in his true qi. Heaven's Path True Qi was pure and unblemished; it could heal injuries, restore stamina, increase vitality, help people break through cultivation realms... Now, having cultivated the Poison Art, it could also transform into a highly toxic qi in an instant, making it unbearable for others. Once it entered the meridians, even a Supreme expert would find it incredibly difficult to neutralize. Like clear water, once it entered the body, it could penetrate any crevice, any acupoint. Even if its location was known, if one's internal true qi wasn't pure enough, it couldn't be expelled. This was no different from being terminally ill: knowing the cause of the illness and the means to solve it, but being unable to treat it. It truly lived up to its name, Heaven's Path True Qi: a single thought for life, a single thought for death. He had no idea before that it possessed such formidable abilities.

"Now that the Congenital Poison Art cultivation is complete, I'll examine that qi of poison!" After finishing the Congenital Poison Art cultivation, Zhang Xuan exhaled and once again looked at the qi of poison hidden within his body. Previously, he hadn't known much about poison and couldn't identify what this substance was. Now, in terms of knowledge, he was comparable to a 3-star Poison Master, and in terms of using poison, Gu Mu might not even be his match. He was now capable of researching the origin of this qi of poison and even finding a way to expel it. His mind raced, and his mental state instantly entered the realm of a still heart, like still water.

"This qi of poison can hide in the blood, evading my Heaven's Path True Qi..." As he observed the hidden qi of poison, books about poison from the Library of Heaven's Path appeared before him, and pieces of knowledge flowed through his mind. There were no fewer than a million types of poisons, each with different preparation methods and solutions. Even a minor mistake could lead to a different outcome. Zhang Xuan was in no hurry. He meticulously filtered through the information in the Library's books, one by one.

"Azure Spirit Poison Seed, no! Dark Void Poison Seed, also no! Snake Clear Poison Seed, doesn't seem like it either..." He systematically checked each possibility based on the color and characteristics of the qi of poison in his body. After an unknown period, Zhang Xuan suddenly stopped, his face turning pale, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"It's actually this type of poison... This... how is this possible?"