Chapter 36: White Clothes as Pure as Snow

“It is of no consequence!”

Chu Tianxiong spoke; his voice still carried the weight of his authoritative dignity. “The rest of you, clear the battlefield. Lu Jin, follow me.”

Chen Hong and the others frowned but obeyed the command. Lu Jin assisted the heavily wounded Chu Tianxiong, whose body was currently being ravaged by the backlash of the potent toxin, as they returned to the Sect Master’s private cultivation grounds.

“Sect Master, your injuries are very severe,” Lu Jin said; he spoke the truth without embellishment.

“This Seat is aware.”

Chu Tianxiong nodded. After swallowing a medicinal pill, he recovered a small measure of his strength. “The poison I suffer from is the Primal Chaos Poison of the Five-Poison Blood Venerable. The only existing antidote fell into the Scarlet Flame Volcano when he perished.”

Chu Tianxiong let out a bitter laugh and shook his head slightly.

“However, since my life is meant to end here, there is nothing much to regret. I have lived three years longer than your Shizun, Xuan Yunzi; I have spent those three years accomplishing great things. My only regret is that I cannot personally slay the Blood Moon Ancestor!”

Lu Jin’s brow furrowed. “Sect Master, you truly did not need to strike earlier. You had already forced the poison into your left hand. At that time, even if you had severed your own arm, you would have had a way to survive. But now…”

Hearing Lu Jin’s words, Chu Tianxiong merely smiled. “That Ten Thousand Swords Prostrating to the Ancestor Art… did you see it clearly?”

Lu Jin nodded.

Chu Tianxiong laughed heroically. “Then it was worth it!”

Lu Jin smiled back, his expression suddenly turning solemn. “Thank you, Sect Master!”

Chu Tianxiong blinked; seeing Lu Jin’s sincerity, he gave a knowing smile. “Lu Jin, you should already understand my intentions.”

Lu Jin nodded; he did not deny it. Everything that needed to be said had been said; Chu Tianxiong’s heart was already clear.

However, Lu Jin asked, “Sect Master, the Five-Poison Blood Venerable was killed by you?”

Chu Tianxiong nodded. “Anyone from the Blood Messenger Alliance… this Seat will kill them all.”

Lu Jin’s eyes darkened with thought. “Then the only one who can resolve the Primal Chaos Poison in your body should be his mentor!”

Chu Tianxiong frowned at those words. “Lu Jin, you mean…”

“Correct. Legend says the Five-Poison Blood Venerable had a teacher in his early years, the Huangque Pharmacist. He later went into seclusion on Xianwu Island; he has not appeared for many years. There are very few legends left regarding him.”

After speaking, Lu Jin smiled. “For the sake of the Sect Master, this disciple is willing to go and try!”

A flicker of emotion appeared on Chu Tianxiong’s resolute face, though he quickly masked it. For so many years, the world only knew him as the high-born Sect Master of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect; he was a top-tier powerhouse whose tracks were as mysterious as a divine dragon’s. No one had ever been able to get this close to him; no one had ever truly cared for him.

He had focused entirely on revenge; his life’s direction and everything he did were preparations for that goal. He never thought he would one day feel his heart tremble because of a single word of concern.

“Lu Jin, Xianwu Island is no peaceful place. It is filled with dangers; many top powerhouses do not dare to set foot there. As for the Huangque Pharmacist, his life or death is uncertain; his whereabouts are unknown…”

“Sect Master, this disciple’s mind is made up!” Lu Jin interrupted. His eyes were firm. Chu Tianxiong looked into those eyes and wanted to say something more, but eventually, the words remained unsaid.

“Very well! Since your mind is set, be careful in all things!”

Lu Jin nodded. Chu Tianxiong flipped his palm to reveal a jade tablet and a transmission talisman. “If you go to Xianwu Island, find this person; perhaps your chances of success will be greater.”

“Thank you, Sect Master!”

“It is I who should thank you. I am counting on you!”

Lu Jin nodded once more and said nothing else. After taking the talisman and the jade tablet, he departed. Chu Tianxiong watched Lu Jin’s receding back; although he was enduring the agony of the strange poison, a gentle smile spread across his face.

Lu Jin, I hope you do not fail these expectations. I hope that one day, you can open the Demon-Suppressing Heavenly Script and command the Apostles of the Holy Tabernacle to completely wipe out the Blood Moon Holy Land…

Thinking of this, Chu Tianxiong opened his palm. Amidst a cluster of black mist, the phantom of a black book slowly emerged.

If you can return safely, this Seat will bestow this Demon-Suppressing Heavenly Script upon you. This is the only treasure I have been able to find that can counter the evil arts of the Blood Moon Ancestor…

* * *

After leaving the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, Lu Jin headed straight east. After traveling a hundred miles, he stopped on a mountain peak to rest. Since coming out of seclusion, he had been charging forward; he had reached the 9th-stage Spirit Pearl. With his various methods, he could rival an 8th-grade Jindan; he was quite satisfied.

With his current combat power, once he stepped onto the Life-and-Death Stage, he would surely be able to send Liu Ruyan to the Yellow Springs!

However, after leaving the sect, she would also be training desperately. Not only did she have Yang Dianfeng and the Blood Moon Holy Land as backers, but the hidden aura within her body was something he had to guard against.

Thinking of this, he was no longer so eager for immediate success. There were still several days before the final duel; he wanted to continue his cultivation. He would raise the Ancestor Art, the Sin-Fire Prison-Suppressing Sword, the Dragon Transformation Art, and even the Mental Pressure Wheel by another level. That would give him a greater margin of victory.

Furthermore, dark currents were surging. He only had a preliminary understanding of Chu Tianxiong’s Holy Tabernacle, while he knew very little about the Blood Moon Holy Land. He did not even know the true realm of the Blood Moon Ancestor, the one who had used the Blood Moon Curse to kill his Shizun, Xuan Yunzi; even a Purple Mansion Realm expert like Chu Tianxiong felt that revenge was hopeless.

Thoughts swirled in his mind; he shook his head and pulled out a jade pendant.

The mystery of my birth… it seems my cultivation is still too shallow to probe the secrets within this pendant. One day, the truth will come to light!

Lu Jin had attempted to investigate the pendant before, but currently, neither his Lingli nor his mental power could penetrate it even slightly. The jade pendant seemed to be shrouded by a mysterious force; he was powerless.

Feeling the mountain wind and looking out at the world beneath his feet, Lu Jin focused his mind and continued his journey toward Xianwu Island.

Xianwu Island; the Huangque Pharmacist. To him, this person was only a legend from years ago. In this journey, setting aside whether the person whose disciple was killed by Chu Tianxiong would even agree to his request, the rumored man-eating demonic beasts on the island made the mission feel like walking on thin ice.

A hundred miles ahead is Xianwu Island… thirty miles to the left is the cultivation place of the person mentioned by the Sect Master…

Standing in the void, Lu Jin looked to his left. Amidst the overlapping mountain ranges, a vast white mist lingered; he could see nothing.

Buzz…

He crushed the transmission talisman given by Chu Tianxiong and then toyed with the ordinary-looking jade tablet. I wonder just what kind of figure this is? To earn such high regard from the Sect Master… I hope this trip to Xianwu Island lets me see something impressive!

Before long, a figure appeared amidst the ethereal clouds. It was a young woman with fluttering robes; her features were soft and gentle. Her hair flowed like a waterfall, and her white clothes were as pure as snow. She rode a green bird whose wings flapped with a sharp sound as it flew over the towering peaks to stop before Lu Jin.