Poison God's Heritage

In front of me was the black flag. And it was an utterly simple yet at the same time cruel trial.

Once I accepted it, I knew that the majority of the cultivators in this area who also accepted it will immediately switch their flag.

Since the commentator had mentioned that you can change your flag once. Most cultivators will definitely not accept such a trial.

And it was honestly an absurd one at that too.

"After choosing the Black Flag and fully accepting the quest. The bracelet on your arm will seal away your Qi. Then, you must proceed to a palace that can only be accessed by mortals in the depth of the Icey region. Then you will receive the second part of this trial."

I grinned at the content and accepted the task.

For anyone else, this is nothing but immediate death. After all, this area, without Qi, no mortal can survive for more than a couple moments where their bodies will be shocked and stunned with the sheer coldness.

I slightly understand the reason behind this trial. It isn't designed to be friendly. It has a clear objective. To test one's understanding of the law of yin and ice.

Only those who have good mastery in these laws can forsake their Qi, and use nothing but their understanding of law to fend off the cold.

As for me…

The bracelet locked on my wrist and I smiled as what I expected to happen happened.

Which was basically nothing.

I immediately called out the ship from my holding bag and jumped inside.

"Head north," I said to X who was navigating the ship and we moved up ahead.

***

"What? What is going on in here?!" the commentator stated as he stood up.

"What sort of trickery is this? Could he be cheating?" he added loudly.

The spectators began booing and were clearly dissatisfied with what was going on. After all they too were able to see the content of the Black Flag trial when Shen Bao opened it and it clearly stated that no Qi shall be used.

Eccentric Long had his brows furrowed and then said, "I don't think he is cheating." He said.

"How did you come up with that conclusion Elder Long? We clearly saw him use Qi to summon his ship and jumped on it. How is that not cheating?"

"My humble knowledge failed me in deducing how he did so, however, I can assure you, it is not cheating."

"How can you be so sure then?" asked the commentator.

"Not even I would dare pull any tricks with one of the suns is watching. Not to mention eight, and if they all didn't oppose it or sent down a reckoning upon Du Shen, then he has not cheated. We only don't know what he did that is all."

The commentator looked up at the towers and back at Eccentric Long. He couldn't refute his words but it still left a bad taste in his mouth.

"He did not cheat, he is fully respecting the rules of the Black Flag."

This time the words came from one of the towers that had a waning sun appearing on its flag.

The Dusking Sun. The man who had a gigantic parasite living inside his mind. One of the Eight Suns had spoken so all listened.

"The rules say that one is not allowed to use Qi. But he never used Qi to begin with, never had he used it to move or cultivate. That man has been deprived from the heavenly Qi since the very beginning of his cultivation journey," Said the Dusking Sun.

He then turned his head to the man who was titled the Poison God. "You there, could you come up with a poison that can kill me?" asked the Dusking Sun.

"I wouldn't dare!" replied the man titled as the Poison God.

"Then renounce your title, because that man had done so. And I almost died to his hands. That man is poison itself, and although you are stronger than him in cultivation. A mere drop of that man's poison was enough to send me to the wheel of reincarnation,"

The man titled as the Poison God then stood up, "If the Dusking Sun praised that man so. Then I hereby renounce my title as Du Shen. I shall look up ways to build my reputation again. But, may I know… I apologize, it would be too rude."

"You wanted to ask what poison he used to almost kill me?"

"I wouldn't dare ask of its name, it would be nothing but blasphemy to try and make a poison to kill a deity."

"That only worked due to me personally ingesting it. As for the poison, it was his own blood. Unlike you who cultivate poison, he lives and breaths poison. His blood, his muscles and his veins. Even the process of which he thinks he applies doses of poison to his mind to accelerate his perception. By doing that he can do many more tasks than a normal man could.

And yet he is deprived of the Heavenly Qi…"

"Then how could he cultivate to the realm he is in? I fail to understand… And although it is utter rudeness of my part to ask how, as one who seeks the Dao of Poison I would rather be rude and learn than polit and ignorant…" the man bowed.

"It is because he has not a single proper meridian. The path your disciple was going on was the same as this child. The only difference is, your dead disciple didn't dare to get rid of his cultivation completely and forge himself a new path that has never been crossed before, as for this man. He discarded all of what would make a mortal a cultivator and began anew.

The Bracelet that seals Qi would work on all cultivators since they harness the heavenly Qi, however, for him it does not. since he has created his own Qi… I have said enough, more than this and I will be revealing much of that man's secrets. If you wish to learn, you either ask him yourself, or forge yourself a new path," the Dusking Sun then spoke no more.

"If the great lord had said so, then we shall respect it. The Dusking Sun himself has vouched for Du Shen. Then who are we to judge. Now let us keep watching. As you all can see, not only he had chosen the Black Flag let's see what other cultivators are doing."

Looking through the screen, there were not more than a dozen or so cultivators who decided to take on the Black Flag. None of them of any particularly renowned origin. A couple had already frozen to death the moment they were out of the platform.

And the rest were struggling to move forward. Holding their bodies, and wrapping their arms around themselves as they struggled forward.

A disappointing sight to see, however, there was one man who was moving forward rather cumbered with the cold more than freezing.

He rubbed his hands together cursing up a storm as he moved forward. He seemed to be able to control the Ice law and was someone who seemed to be in control of his ice law.

However, the man who stood like a sore thumb was non-other than Shen Bao who was cruising comfortably through the ice on his ship. Eating what seemed to be some fruit as he enjoyed his time in a well heated environment.

***

"How long am I going to follow this compass, damn I feel bored…" I muttered to myself as there was nothing but white in front and around me.

"Lord, there seem to be something in the distance."

"Really?" I said as I approached and looked through the window.

Indeed, it was like X said. There was a massive ice palace in the distance that was hidden behind the fog.

And there seems to be a massive barrier around it.

"Slow down," I said to X, "Try and stop right in front of the barrier. I have a bad feeling about it."

Soon we arrived at the barrier's entrance and I tried to touch it.

My hand simply went through.

Frowning at first, I decided to get inside.

Then I heard a loud bonk sound.

Turning, X seemed to be banging on the barrier.

"I cannot proceed forward, it is rejecting me…" he said.

"I see, I suppose it stops anything with Qi in it from going in… and since your circuits are powered by Qi…"

I turned to look at the palace once again…

I really don't like it here… it feels wrong for some reason.

"I'll continue on ahead. If something or someone tries to harass you, you have all authority to use any weapons or tools that we possess. Defend yourself but don't seek trouble."

"We shall do as the lord commands."

I turned to the palace and began walking forward. The bad feeling continued the closer I got the palace's massive gate.