Chapter 64: The Poison Sect of the Snowy Realm

Tong Jin accompanied Tsering and the other two out of the Heaven's Desolation Valley, heading straight towards the due west. Along the way, apart from Sodrak, who spoke very little, the other two did not stop talking with Tong Jin for a single moment. Right after leaving the valley, Banguo had been gifted two Azure Condensation Pills, which he swallowed down into his stomach. Because of this, he now looked at Tong Jin with completely different eyes.

"Brother Tong Jin, you must come from a great family, right? Seeing how generous you are with your actions, during the duel, you simply treated those spiritual pills like sugar beans..." Banguo said with envy.

Tong Jin scratched his head, thinking to himself that as long as he had enough materials, he could have as many of these ordinary pills as he wanted, but he still modestly replied, "I just happened to carry some with me."

Seeing that he was reluctant to dwell on his background, the three of them did not ask any further.

As the four of them marched forward rapidly, the scenery on both sides continuously shifted, transitioning from stretches of yellow sand to desolate Gobi deserts, from boundless azure waves to vast, snow-covered plains. Seeing Tong Jin's curious gaze all along the way, Tsering asked, "Brother Tong, is this your first time on the plateau?"

Tong Jin nodded. "Yes! My original intention was to head straight to the plateau, but I happened to encounter Yueyou and the others from the Meng family along the way, which delayed me." As he spoke, Tong Jin never stopped admiring and marveling at the scenery on either side. Everything within his field of vision was a stark, pure white. The rolling snow-capped mountains resembled docile white stone sculptures crouching upon the earth, and their smooth lines were exceptionally graceful.

"Oh? Could it be that Brother Tong Jin has an important matter on the plateau?" Banguo asked.

Tong Jin made no secret of it. "I am searching for something."

Tsering, Sodrak, and Banguo all looked at Tong Jin with curiosity. "What thing?"

"A millennium of dark ice," Tong Jin smiled.

Hearing this, the few of them furrowed their brows slightly. Tong Jin asked in confusion, "Is that millennium dark ice very difficult to find?"

Tsering explained, "It is indeed hard to find. You saw the frost talisman of the Snow Elder's disciple earlier; that was merely refined from ice of several centuries."

Tong Jin was slightly taken aback, thinking to himself that this was indeed troublesome, yet he did not lose heart. Something difficult to find was not entirely impossible to locate; when the boat reached the bridge, it would naturally cross. With a free and easy smile, he said, "The plateau is so vast; it must exist somewhere."

Banguo laughed and said, "Rest assured, Brother Tong Jin. Although our Poison Sect does not possess millennium dark ice, given our status on the plateau, wanting to find such an item is not entirely impossible. Once I return, I will simply ask my master for help."

Tong Jin nodded gratefully.

The speed at which the four of them pressed forward through the snow was by no means slow. In just over half a day, before sunset, they arrived at the Poison Sect, which was nestled between two snow-capped mountains. This made Tong Jin deeply marvel at the complexity of the plateau's terrain. It was not that the terrain itself was like a maze; rather, precisely because of its vast flatness and boundless white snow, newcomers could easily lose all sense of direction.

The Poison Sect sounded like a sinister and unorthodox faction to those who only heard its name, but anyone who truly knew the inside story held the sect in awe. It was one of the true overlords of the plateau, mastering the art of breeding plateau venomous insects that few in the world understood.

Towering stone walls enclosed the Poison Sect, which was as vast as a giant city. Against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains piercing the clouds, it appeared solemn and sacred.

In front of two massive, heavy gates, a pile of charcoal fire was burning. "The three senior brothers have returned," four guards stepped forward to greet them warmly.

Tsering responded briefly, then took the lead, guiding the others through a side door into the compound. Tong Jin followed closely behind, stepping into the Poison Sect amidst the surprised gazes of the guards.

"Brother Tong Jin, let's go meet our master first," Banguo said with a smile to Tong Jin, who was looking around in curiosity.

Tong Jin was still struck with awe by the construction of this enormous city. He thought to himself what kind of sight it would be if he, too, could one day possess such an impregnable fortress. Hearing Banguo's voice, he nodded in a daze.

Before long, the four of them arrived in front of a dome-shaped building constructed from giant stones.

Buzz—the sound of flapping wings came from several flying insects, followed immediately by a tall figure stepping out from the building. "Hahaha, Tsering, Sodrak, and Banguo have returned." The three of them hurriedly stepped forward to pay their respects.

Tong Jin sized up the man before him. A cascade of long silver hair draped over a dark red, thick robe. He had a high nose bridge, thick lips, one eye obscured by the hanging silver locks, while the other eye was as deep as a cold abyss, currently appraising Tong Jin as well. This man was none other than Baxun, the vice master of the Poison Sect.

"And this little fellow is?" A rich, deep voice resonated as if echoing through the air, low and rumbling.

"Master, this is a brother we recently made, Tong Jin!" Banguo replied respectfully.

"Ah, there aren't many people Banguo would call a brother!" Baxun nodded and smiled, then his smiling expression suddenly froze, letting out a soft exclamation of surprise.

Seeing this, Tsering naturally knew why Baxun was astonished. He stepped forward and said in a low voice, "That is why disciple brought him to visit the Poison Sect as a guest."

Baxun's expression shifted a few times before he finally asked, "Little fellow, what is your relationship with Bai Xuan?"

Tong Jin was momentarily stunned, clearly not expecting Baxun to ask such a question upon their very first meeting. "Replying to the senior, Senior Bai Xuan can be considered half a master to me."

Upon hearing this, Baxun gradually revealed a smile. "He and I are close friends. Did he never mention this to you?"

Tong Jin honestly shook his head. "The time Senior Bai Xuan spent teaching me was not long, and many things had not yet been told to me."

Baxun nodded with satisfaction, then looked out into the distant void and murmured, "Corpse-submerging venom ants, how nostalgic."

Tong Jin suddenly understood. So it was by sensing the venom ants that Baxun had followed the clue to inquire about Emperor Bai Xuan.

"You have just traveled back, go and rest for the night first. Tomorrow, bring the little fellow to find me," Baxun said kindly.

Shortly after, Tong Jin was settled into the quarters arranged by Tsering. What puzzled Tong Jin was that this building turned out to be located within a massive space constructed from countless thin sheets of ice. Finally, he could not suppress his curiosity and asked about it.

"Haha, this is used by the Poison Sect to entertain guests. Because the Poison Sect is filled with all kinds of venomous insects and even exotic bugs that we raise, it would become troublesome if a guest were accidentally attacked," Banguo laughed heartily.

Tong Jin suddenly understood, thinking that the Poison Sect was truly thoughtful. He then looked up at the ice-walled ceiling, which stood dozens of feet high, and inwardly praised the sheer magnitude of the feat.

At this time, the Poison Sect was not hosting any other guests. Although a dozen dome-shaped stone houses had been built within the vast space, only Tong Jin had moved in, making it appear somewhat desolate. Fortunately, Banguo had chosen a stone house as well, intending to stay there as a companion, which warmed Tong Jin's heart with gratitude.

That night, inside Tong Jin's stone house, the hearth fire burned brightly, and the aroma of roasted meat wafted through the air. Neither Tong Jin nor Banguo felt sleepy yet, so the latter had gone out to fetch fresh venison and fine wine.

"Brother Banguo, where does that millennium dark ice grow?" Tong Jin asked while chewing on a piece of fragrant roasted venison.

Banguo held a black porcelain bowl, slowly taking half a sip. His eyes reflected the flickering light of the hearth. "That millennium dark ice is usually born in the millennium ice caves at the peaks of snow-capped mountains. However, a millennium ice cave itself is extremely difficult to form, and furthermore, even within a millennium ice cave, a piece of dark ice will only form under very specific conditions."

"Oh? What kind of conditions?" Tong Jin asked.