Clear Sky Sect.
All the disciples' eyes were focused on Tang Xiao and the Seventh Elder, Tang Lie. Tang Lie's cultivation was about the same as Tang Xiao's. Among the Clear Sky Sect's elders, each one was stronger than the last, whether in cultivation or actual combat strength.
The sect leader was chosen based on strength. With several elders competing, there was no need to say more—the Clear Sky Sect's next sect leader should have been the Second Elder.
If Tang Xiao wanted to inherit the position of the next sect leader of the Clear Sky Sect, he had to defeat every elder, one after another.
Eight Soul Rings—two yellow, two purple, and four black—circled beneath Tang Xiao and Tang Lie's feet. Their jet-black and crimson Clear Sky Hammers collided, their domineering Soul Power spreading outward as Clear Sky Secret Techniques such as the Chaotic Cloak Hammer Technique and the Nine Absolute Techniques of Clear Sky were unleashed in rapid succession.
Cheers rose and fell among the disciples. The Second Elder watched Tang Xiao gain the upper hand after only a few exchanges with Tang Lie, and his heart grew heavy.
At that moment, the faint green Jade Phosphorous Serpent poison finally reached the Clear Sky Main Hall, entering the bodies of every Clear Sky Sect disciple with each breath.
"Where did this green mist come from?"
The Clear Sky Sect disciples quickly noticed the increasingly dense green fog, confusion appearing on their faces. Logically speaking, the Clear Sky Sect was located atop a peak thousands of meters high. Such a mountain only had snow, light snow, heavy snow, and blizzards—there should not have been any mist at all, much less green mist.
The Clear Sky Sect elders had not considered that possibility at first and were equally puzzled. But after taking a breath, they immediately realized what was happening and roared, "Not good! This mist is poisonous!"
"All disciples, hold your breath! Do not inhale this poisonous gas!"
Unfortunately, it was already too late. The Clear Sky Sect disciples with lower cultivation who had taken several breaths of the poison turned green at a visible rate. Then they began screaming in agony. They felt as though their bodies and internal organs had caught fire and were continuously melting away.
In the original story, Dugu Yan's third soul skill, Jade Phosphorous Purple Poison, had been described by Qin Ming as incomparably toxic. Anyone who inhaled several breaths would turn into pus within a short time. He had been extremely worried for the lives of the Shrek Seven Devils at the time, yet the Shrek Seven Devils had either been high-level Soul Grandmasters or Soul Elders, and Dai Mubai's cultivation was roughly equal to Dugu Yan's.
This showed just how terrifying Dugu Yan's poison was against Soul Masters of similar cultivation.
Dugu Bo had reached rank 89 as a Soul Douluo. Although he had yet to break through to become a Title Douluo, he could still say that while he might not be able to defeat a Title Douluo, he could beat all of you until only the Title Douluo remained.
"Ah—"
"Ah—"
"Ah—"
Miserable, inhuman screams continuously rang through the Clear Sky Sect. Before the eyes of all the sect's disciples, those with the lowest cultivation turned green, then black, and finally melted like hollow ice sculptures in the desert into a puddle of foul-smelling pus.
The disciples with higher cultivation could temporarily slow the poison's corrosion with their Soul Power, but the speed at which their bodies turned green was still far from slow.
"Leave the sect immediately!"
Sensing that most areas of the sect had been swallowed by poisonous fog, the Second Elder immediately gave the order.
Tang Xiao and the Six Elders of Clear Sky, the strongest among them, had only just rushed out of the Clear Sky Sect's gates when their expressions froze. Outside the sect, there was no blue sky or white clouds. There was only a green poison barrier enveloping the entire summit of the Clear Sky Mountain Range. The barrier kept rising, about to form a giant egg and seal off the last view of the outside world reaching the Clear Sky Sect, trapping the sect within.
At such a height, the Clear Sky Hammer Martial Soul had no ability to fly, and no one had broken through to become a Title Douluo. If they wanted to break through the poison barrier, they could only charge through it head-on. But the Clear Sky Sect was surrounded by cliffs thousands of meters high. They could not simply rush through, and no one knew whether they might step into empty air and fall from the cliff, smashing into pulp.
If they carefully searched for a way out inside the poison barrier, the Jade Phosphorous Serpent poison would not give them that much time. They would either be poisoned to death or fall to their deaths.
"This is Jade Phosphor Serpent poison. Could it be Dugu Bo?"
"What exactly is going on? Why would Dugu Bo poison our Clear Sky Sect?"
Everyone in the Clear Sky Sect had bloodshot eyes and labored breathing. Their eyes were wide with fury, their expressions nearly crazed. They could not understand why Dugu Bo was being so vicious when the Clear Sky Sect had never provoked him, determined to wipe out the sect's entire bloodline.
"Qian Xunji! It must be Qian Xunji's scheme! He angered the old sect leader to death, made the Clear Sky Sect sink into grief and lower its guard toward the outside world, then had Dugu Bo secretly release poison!"
"Qian Daoliu, that despicable, shameless, heartless bastard! He feared the prestige of Ancestor Tang Chen and did not dare climb the mountain range, so he had others destroy our Clear Sky Sect instead! That sinister beast!"
The cunning Six Elders of Clear Sky quickly came up with the answer.
"Is heaven truly determined to destroy the Clear Sky Sect?"
"No! I don't want to die here! Elders, think of something!"
The Clear Sky Sect disciples were all on the verge of breaking down in despair. In their eyes, they could die valiantly and honorably for the sect on the battlefield. But to be poisoned to death, to die so miserably and without even knowing why—how could they accept that?
"Tang Hao! This is all Tang Hao's fault! If Tang Hao hadn't fallen in love with a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast and provoked Spirit Hall, how could we have been poisoned to death? Damned Tang Hao!"
"Clear Sky Douluo? Sun-Sky-Sky Douluo? Those domineering titles—how is that damned Tang Hao worthy of them? That bastard is nothing but a Grass-Fucking Douluo, a White-Eyed Wolf Douluo, a Heartless Douluo! The Clear Sky Sect wasted its efforts raising him!"
"That bastard Tang Hao brought disaster upon the sect, then patted his ass and left! If I survive this time, I'll personally cut off his dog head!"
Most of the desperate rats turned their fury toward Tang Hao and began cursing him madly.
"Wuwuwu, I don't want to die! I still have my best years ahead of me!"
Tang Xiao looked at his brothers and sisters as they broke down and cursed Tang Hao. Though anger filled his heart, this was not the time to dwell on it. Feeling the poison barrier gradually cover the entire mountain range, he hurriedly asked, "Elders, what should we do?"
The Second Elder trembled with rage, his eyes bloodshot and shimmering with tears.
"Dugu Bo became a Soul Douluo many years ago. Jade Phosphor Serpent poison is immensely lethal to Soul Masters of the same level and utterly devastating to lower-level Soul Masters. This time, only the seven of us from the Clear Sky Sect may survive!"
The Second Elder's chest heaved as he endured incomparable grief. "Quickly, escape the Clear Sky Sect through the secret passage! If we delay any longer, even we may not survive! Move!"
"Spirit Hall! Spirit Hall! Spirit Hall!"
Tang Xiao and the Six Elders of Clear Sky roared inwardly, tears streaming down their faces as they burst forth at their fastest speed and rushed toward the entrance of the secret passage within the sect. They did not dare look at the expressions of the Clear Sky Sect disciples.
"Elders, where are you going?"
"Father!"
"Brother Xiao!"
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