Chương 71: Chapter 72: The Hundred-Beast Poison Pill

Guided by the resonance of the restrictive arrays, Reyn arrived at the scene with blistering speed. He found nothing but the cold, stiffening corpse of Mo Bucheng. The murder of a sect disciple within the very heart of their territory sent a violent tremor through the Xuanxiao Sect. While the shadows of the cultivation world often hid acts of killing and treasure-looting, such a blatant provocation had rarely been dragged into the light of day.

Qingxiaozi, who had been personally guarding Dan Chenzi's secluded meditation, appeared in a fit of thunderous rage. He vowed a scorched-earth investigation to drag the culprit to justice. Yet, as six months bled into the past, the trail had gone cold. Mo Yu, standing before the elders, felt a gnawing anxiety clawing at his chest. Qingxiaozi's expression turned somber, a dark cloud passing over his features. He paused, then offered a hollow bit of comfort.

"The killer was exceptionally cunning, leaving not a single shred of evidence behind. However, rest assured—this matter is etched into my mind. The moment a lead surfaces, you will be the first to know." Disappointment flickered across Mo Yu's face, but he dared not voice his frustration. He bowed deeply to the two giants of the sect and retreated with a heavy heart.

"Junior Brother," Qingxiaozi began, his voice dropping into a low, menacing register once they were alone.

"First, Mo Bucheng is slaughtered. Now, Chu Dian, Wu Shengli, and the Di brothers—four of our finest—have vanished without a trace. Their life-lamps flicker or have gone dark. Do you think the Lieyan Sect is behind this?" Dan Chenzi hesitated, his brow furrowed in deep thought before he slowly shook his head.

"There is something queer about this. I doubt it is the Lieyan Sect's doing. While the Di brothers and Wu Shengli were formidable, they are all over thirty. They fall outside the age limit for the upcoming Sect Competition. Killing them serves no strategic purpose. Of course... it could always be a smoke screen to distract us." Qingxiaozi pondered this, eventually waving a hand as if to brush the shadows away.

"Regardless, with both of us now presiding over the Xuanxiao Sect, the competition itself has lost much of its sting. Our absolute priority is tomorrow's Grand Ceremony. Everything else can be settled with blood and steel once the guests have departed."

"Brother speaks the truth," Dan Chenzi replied. The two shared a knowing glance before closing their eyes, sinking back into the silent depths of meditation.

"Senior Brother Duan! The various sects have arrived, and most have brought high-level demon beasts as mounts. These creatures are riddled with lethal toxins and possess violent temperaments. The outer disciples are too terrified to even approach them. I need you to appoint a capable senior to oversee their containment." Liu Shengsheng, who had finally broken through to the 7th level of Qi Condensation and secured a spot as a True Inheritance Disciple, spoke with a frantic edge.

Despite his promotion, the sect had yet to find a replacement for his role as Outer Sect Manager, leaving him stuck with the logistical nightmare of the visiting delegations. Most of the guests were settled, but their mounts were a different story. The Earth Spirit Sect had brought their iridescent Flying Snakes; the Earth Fiend Sect, their hideous Thousand-Legged Centipedes; and the Lieyan Sect, three gargantuan, obsidian-skinned toads.

The mere aura of slaughter radiating from these beasts was enough to send ordinary disciples into a dead faint. Even Liu Shengsheng only dared to watch them from a safe distance. To neglect them would be a diplomatic insult; to approach them was a death sentence. Duan Zhonghua's brow arched. His gaze swept across the gathered disciples. Those who met his eyes immediately looked away, their faces pale as they took instinctive steps backward. No one wanted a job that was both menial and life-threatening.

"Senior Brother Duan," a disciple in lavish silk robes chuckled, nudging Duan Zhonghua.

"Look, the perfect candidate just arrived. Why not let him handle it?" Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Duan Zhonghua followed the man's gaze. A cruel, predatory smile curled his lips.

"Junior Brother Reyn, come here for a moment." Reyn, who had just stepped onto the Ascension Terrace, felt a prickle of irritation. He walked over, his expression unreadable.

"What does Senior Brother Duan require?"

"The Outer Sect Manager reports that the guest sects' mounts are proving... unruly," Duan Zhonghua said, his voice dripping with mock concern.

"Follow him. Ensure those beasts are tended to perfectly. Do not let a single thing go wrong." Reyn remained motionless.

"Tending to spirit beasts is a task for the outer sect. Why should I be the one to go?" He had already sensed the foul, toxic miasma clinging to the air from the direction of the stables. This was a trap designed to humiliate or harm him.

"With the elders absent, I am the Eldest Senior Brother. My word is law," Duan Zhonghua's face darkened instantly, his aura flaring with suppressed malice.

"Are you telling me you intend to defy a direct order?" He hungered for a reason to strike, to crush Reyn under the guise of sect discipline. Reyn's eyes turned cold, a sharp glint reflecting in his pupils. Just as he was about to retort, he stiffened. A look of brief confusion crossed his face, followed by a slow, deliberate nod.

"Fine. I accept." Without another word, he turned and followed a stunned Liu Shengsheng away from the terrace.

"Hah! Look at him. A coward through and through," one disciple sneered.

"He knows better than to bark at Senior Brother Duan. He'd be eating dirt in seconds."

"Let him play stable boy. Even if he survives the poison, he'll have to face the humiliation of the Grand Ceremony in front of every sect in North Yue State!" Duan Zhonghua watched Reyn's retreating back with smug satisfaction. If the boy was lucky, he'd just be embarrassed. If he was unlucky, one of those venomous monstrosities would tear him apart before the sun set. Either way, Duan won.

"Sister, why did you ask me to accept this?" Reyn asked internally as he strode forward. Liu Shengsheng scurried behind him, several times opening his mouth to speak but being silenced by the sheer gloom radiating from Reyn.

"Hehe, little brother Reyn, I have my reasons," Yu Meiren's voice chimed in his mind, silken and seductive.

"I told you I would reward you for letting me reside in your body. Today, I shall point you toward a treasure." Reyn's heart skipped a beat. If Yu Meiren called it a treasure, it was no ordinary bauble.

"Does it have to do with those demon beasts?"

"Smart boy. Indeed, it does," she teased, withholding the details just long enough to pique his curiosity.

"Tell me, Sister. What is it?"

"Don't be so impatient. Here, look at this technique. You'll understand soon enough." A surge of information flooded Reyn's sea of consciousness, manifesting as a series of complex, esoteric seals. The Hundred-Beast Poison Pill. The method involved extracting the essence blood and concentrated toxins from various high-level demon beasts, then refining them through a secret alchemical process for seven days. The result was a pill of catastrophic lethality.

The more diverse and potent the toxins used, the more terrifying the final product. If refined to a high enough grade, even a Golden Core cultivator would find themselves in a desperate struggle for survival if they were even grazed by its power. Reyn's eyes gleamed with a hidden fire. Currently, with his hidden cultivation and his two Dan Treasures, he could dominate anyone below the Golden Core stage. But against a true Golden Core master, he was still prey.

This pill was the equalizer he needed—a trump card for survival. A cold smile played on his lips. These sects hadn't brought mounts to show off; they had brought him the raw materials for his greatest weapon. Sensing the shift in Reyn's mood, Liu Shengsheng hurried to his side, his voice dripping with sycophancy.

"Senior Brother Reyn, I hope you've been well. I've been so buried in my cultivation lately... if I offended you in the past, please, do not take it to heart." Liu Shengsheng was terrified. Dan Chenzi was now a Golden Core ancestor. Even if Reyn was a 'talentless' disciple, he was still Dan Chenzi's student. One word from him could end Liu's career. Reyn didn't look at him. He had no time for weather-vane characters like Liu. However, a thought occurred to him.

"I don't care about the past. But as the Outer Sect Manager, I have a favor to ask of you, Junior Brother Liu." Liu Shengsheng beamed, his chest puffing out.

"Anything, Senior Brother! If it is within my power, consider it done!"

"There is a man in the outer sect named Wang Bin. He used to serve in the Hundred Herb Valley. He is an old friend. See to it that he is well-treated." Reyn still felt a flicker of guilt over Wang Bin's dismissal. Until he could bring him back to the valley, this was the least he could do. Liu Shengsheng racked his brain, quickly placing the name.

"Rest easy, Senior Brother. I will personally see to it that he gets the lightest duties and the best rations. I'll look after him like my own brother."