Venom Pit, Senior Brother Huai, Contest of the Dao (6,000 Characters)

Venom Hall's main gate.

Fang Shu walked in with understated steps. At the spirit screen wall by the entrance, he bowed to the long stone-carved snakes slowly writhing across its surface.

The mangy snake at the center drooped its eyelids lazily. It merely glanced at Fang Shu and remained unmoved.

Before long, Fang Shu found his second senior brother, Hao Junliang, inside Venom Hall.

Seeing him, the other man smiled and nodded. "Little junior brother is here."

Two people were already standing beside him, looking Fang Shu over with either curiosity or scrutiny.

Although Fang Shu had never met them before, he had already guessed their identities. Like him, they should be Long Gu's registered disciples.

So he cupped his hands and greeted them as well.

After Hao Junliang finished handling what was in his hands, he said, "Come. Though the time has not yet come, we disciples should go wait by the main hall first."

The group headed toward the main hall and entered Gu Palace, lining up before the medicine shelves.

Then Fang Shu spotted Gou Yandi, the man who had received him when he first came to Venom Hall.

By listening to the conversations around him, he learned that Gou Yandi was Long Gu's eighth registered disciple, ranked directly ahead of him.

However, Gou Yandi had not joined Venom Hall in the past two years. He had entered seven years ago and could be considered an old hand.

As they waited quietly, Fang Shu soon familiarized himself with all the registered disciples. Only their nominal eldest senior sister never appeared.

"Everyone is here."

Suddenly, an icy sensation swept over their hearts. The thoughts of all eight people stalled, and when they came back to themselves, Long Gu had already appeared before them.

Her appearance today was slightly