Deep within Medicine King Valley, nestled among the mountains west of the city, a somber atmosphere hung over the Council Hall. Fan Tong sat in the Grand Master's Chair at the head of the hall, his complexion rosy and his spirits vigorous. Everything about him appeared normal.
But only the people of Medicine King Valley knew that Fan Tong had been circulating his power to suppress the lingering poison inside him. He looked perfectly normal and still carried the bearing of an Innate Realm grandmaster, but he could not fight. The moment he did, the baleful poison would spread through his entire body again.
Seated along either side below him were Medicine King Valley's four elders, all white-haired, white-bearded old men with steady auras. At that moment, every one of them wore a deep frown and a grave expression.
They all looked older than Fan Tong, but in fact, they were all his martial nephews.
Li Song, the first elder seated at the head of the left side, possessed the finest medical skills in Medicine King Valley. He said gravely, "Martial Uncle, I never imagined the nine-extremes baleful poison would be so cunning. It has hidden deep within your meridians and acupoints, clinging like an abscess to the bone. We've tried every medical approach we could think of, yet we still can't eradicate it. The people we previously sought out to purge it with their cultivation power weren't suitable either. Our only remaining option is to announce this to the world. With a generous reward, surely some expert will be willing to try."
The other three elders frowned deeply.
Helping extract the lingering poison required the valley master to lower all his defenses and allow another person's true essence into vital areas such as his meridians and acupoints. If that