The Mountain is Covered in Lush Green

The Clear Sky Sect was a fortress-like structure built from solid rock. All the disciples of the Clear Sky Sect were gathered in the main hall. At this moment, they no longer felt the unwillingness they had when they first arrived in this hidden land, nor did they possess that passionate fervor to strive for self-improvement, overcome shame, and yearn for a new future. Instead, their faces were filled with deep sorrow, and their eyes were brimming with tears.

Due to their reclusive lifestyle, they lacked the proper mourning attire and supplies to set up a formal memorial. Consequently, Tang Xiao and the elders of the Clear Sky Sect could only lead all the disciples in standing in formation to mourn their late Sect Master together, as a final gesture of respect.

At this moment, the disciples mourning the death of their Sect Master were unaware that, amidst the biting cold wind and swirling heavy snow of the Clear Sky Sect mountains, a massive serpent over dozens of meters long, its scales a vibrant emerald green, was coiling around the mountain range, steadily ascending toward the Clear Sky Sect above.

This emerald serpent was the Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor, the martial soul avatar of Dugu Bo, a Spirit Douluo who cultivated the way of poison and sought to join Martial Soul Hall.

Back at the five-hundred-meter peak in the center of the Sunset Forest, Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan had encountered Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo of Martial Soul Hall. Faced with Qian Daoliu, his first thought had been to offer this place to Martial Soul Hall to ensure his life and that of his granddaughter, Dugu Yan—especially hers.

Dugu Bo knew well that the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well was extraordinary. Any faction that discovered such a place would surely want to monopolize it; if anyone else found out about this treasure, that faction would undoubtedly kill them immediately to prevent the secret from leaking.

However, Qian Daoliu later pointed out the flaws of the Jade Phosphor Serpent martial soul of the Dugu clan. On the continent, only Martial Soul Hall had the ability to detoxify the Jade Phosphor Serpent, provided the grandfather and granddaughter joined them.

When the Limit Douluo Qian Daoliu spoke, could Dugu Bo refuse? To refuse was to wait for death. Did he really think that just because Qian Daoliu looked handsome and possessed a calm, detached temperament, he was a kind-hearted soul?

Rumor had it that Qian Daoliu was the number one executioner of Martial Soul Hall. In his youth, every faction on the continent that opposed Martial Soul Hall was wiped out by forces led by him; he was practically a connoisseur of exterminating entire clans.

The primary reason the Jade Phosphor Serpent martial soul harmed both others and its host was that the spirit power contained toxins. Although the serpent was highly venomous, its own resistance to poison was not necessarily strong. Snake venom was typically stored in venom sacs and injected through fangs; if a large amount of venom flowed into the mouth, it would cause the snake to poison itself.

The Jade Phosphor Serpent martial soul released spirit power, and since this toxic spirit power flowed through the meridians—rather than being injected through fangs—the toxins within the spirit power entered the body. This was why the spirit power of the Jade Phosphor Serpent martial soul poisoned its own user.

To resolve the toxins in his body, Qian Daoliu offered three solutions: the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot. Consuming these two highly toxic immortal herbs—one of extreme cold and one of extreme heat—would use poison to counteract poison.

The unique environment of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well could suppress Dugu Bo's toxins, as the spring itself constantly emitted extreme cold and extreme heat, essentially acting as a "super-youth version" of consuming the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot.

The second method was to stay by the Aromatic Silk Beauty at all times, breathing in its fragrance for a long period, allowing the scent to permeate the limbs and bones to slowly detoxify the body.

The third method was to have spirit power with powerful purifying properties infused into the body to slowly cleanse the toxins—namely, the potent purifying power of the Six-Winged Angel martial soul.

Upon learning of two of these three methods to treat the snake venom, Dugu Bo felt an urge to bang his head against a wall. It turned out that two clear solutions had been right before his eyes, yet he had been completely unaware.

As it turned out, all three immortal herbs had been seized by Martial Soul Hall, and two had already been consumed by Qian Daoliu's granddaughter.

As for the third, the purifying power of the Six-Winged Angel martial soul, it was the hereditary martial soul of the Qian family. Kidnapping a descendant of the Qian family to force them to detoxify him? He wasn't insane.

Dugu Bo had lived a free and easy life and truly did not want to join any faction to be at their beck and call. His own death didn't matter, but his beautiful granddaughter could not suffer, let alone die in agony. He had no choice but to join Martial Soul Hall.

Martial Soul Hall was not so easily joined, of course. Qian Daoliu had tasked him with one thing as a "letter of intent" to join: to release his poison and stain the mountain range where the Clear Sky Sect resided.

The emerald serpent reached a position less than a hundred meters from the summit and sighed softly, "Clear Sky Sect, I am sorry. For the sake of my granddaughter growing up healthy and strong, I can only ask you all to die."

Yellow, purple, and black lights shone around the emerald serpent. Two yellow, two purple, and four black spirit rings circled it. One, two, three, four, five, six—the first six spirit rings lit up in sequence, and the first six spirit skills were unleashed one after another.

Inside the Clear Sky Sect.

Tang Xiao and the Six Elders of Clear Sky stood before the disciples.

The Second Elder, who held the highest prestige, said, "Good men of the Clear Sky Sect, do not be sad. We were forced here by Martial Soul Hall, and now they have come to our doorstep. On the surface, it is a humiliation—it is indeed a humiliation."

"But in reality, our Clear Sky Sect has not suffered any substantial damage. Ancestor Tang Chen was right; Qian Daoliu is indeed a coward. He was beaten into fear by Ancestor Tang Chen's Clear Sky Hammer, and his useless son, Qian Xunji, was also crippled by Little Hao's Clear Sky Hammer in a one-versus-three fight! This mountain range carries the lingering might of Ancestor Tang Chen; Martial Soul Hall dares not set foot here."

Hearing the Second Elder's somewhat humorous remarks, most of the disciples restrained their sorrow, and some even couldn't help but chuckle.

The Second Elder continued, "As long as we cultivate diligently, when Ancestor Tang Chen returns, or when Little Hao reaches level 99 and seeks us out, we will let the spirit master world once again know the might of the world's number one tool martial soul, the peerless War Soul Hammer! We will make Martial Soul Hall pay ten times, a hundred times over for the humiliation they have inflicted upon our Clear Sky Sect!"

"The Second Elder is right. Martial Soul Hall, I, Tang Tian, will make you pay a bloody price sooner or later."

"Martial Soul Hall, if I do not avenge this, I am unworthy of being a descendant of the Clear Sky Sect."

"Martial Soul Hall, if you have a single soul left in the future, I shall not be surnamed Tang!"

Hearing the Second Elder's words, the many disciples roared, expressing their determination to slaughter everyone from Martial Soul Hall.

"Sect Master Tang Zhen has passed; our Clear Sky Sect needs to select a new Sect Master."

Upon hearing this, Tang Xiao's body trembled. According to the normal succession, father to son, the position of Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect should have fallen directly onto his head; Tang Zhen had said as much while he was still alive.

Tang Xiao spoke up, "Second Elder, according to the decisions made when my grandfather and father were alive, the next Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect should be Brother Hao. With Brother Hao absent, the position of Sect Master should be held by me, Tang Xiao."

The Second Elder's expression remained calm, his eyes sharp as he said, "Little Xiao, Sect Master Tang Zhen did indeed say he would pass the position to you before he died, but the Clear Sky Sect values strength above all else. Only the strongest can succeed as Sect Master."

Seeing the fiery glint in the eyes of the several elders, Tang Xiao immediately understood: these elders were coveting the position of Sect Master and the power that came with it.

This was natural; who wouldn't want to be the Sect Master and be the boss for once?

Tang Xiao said loudly, "Very well, the Clear Sky Sect values strength. Since all the elders have the desire to become Sect Master, let us have a sparring match. Whoever is the final victor shall be the new Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect."

The disciples in the back, hearing that Tang Xiao and the elders were going to spar, became excited, wanting to witness a battle between Spirit Douluo-level powerhouses and see how Tang Xiao and the elders wielded their Clear Sky Hammers.

Because Tang Zhen had died, the disciples were gathered together, first immersed in grief and then focused on the selection of the next Sect Master. Therefore, this group of disciples, including Tang Xiao and the Six Elders of Clear Sky, were unaware that Dugu Bo's Jade Phosphor Serpent poison had already seeped through the cracks in the mountains, the secret passages opened by the Tang family, and the ventilation shafts, entering the mountain range and continuously devouring the Clear Sky Sect as it surged toward the main hall.

Not only that, but a massive toxic miasma was also climbing up and down the mountain range, intending to shroud the entire mountain.

Looking down from the sky, the whole mountain was a sea of green.