An absolute, stunned silence followed Wei's request. The entire Verdant Serpent Sect, from the lowest disciple to the First Elder, stared at the man who had just single-handedly saved them. His words, "I request permission to lead the expedition," hung in the air, heavy with the promise of retribution. He was no longer just the reclusive Poison Elder; in that moment, he was the embodiment of the sect's fury and its unexpected salvation.
The First Elder, his face a mixture of shock, relief, and newfound respect, was the first to speak. His voice, which had been strained with the effort of resisting the poison, was now firm and clear. "The Blackwood Sect has committed an unforgiveable act of war. They have broken every code, every treaty. Retaliation is not just an option; it is our sacred duty." He turned his gaze from Wei to the thousands of disciples in the plaza, his voice booming with righteous anger. "They sought to cripple us, to make us slaves! They believed their treachery would grant them victory! But they did not account for our sect's profound foundation! They did not account for the foresight and skill of Elder Wei!"
A deafening roar erupted from the disciples. They chanted Wei's name, their fear and confusion transformed into a burning, unified rage. They were a weapon, and Wei had just pointed them at the enemy.
The First Elder raised a hand, silencing the crowd. He looked directly at Wei. "Elder Wei, you have not only saved this sect, but you have also presented us with a once-in-a-millennium opportunity. Your request is not just granted; it is an order. You will lead the expedition. All elders, deacons, and disciples assigned to this mission will answer to you."
It was an unprecedented grant of authority. The First Elder was effectively giving Wei control over a significant portion of the sect's military might. Elder Jin stepped forward, his voice a low rumble of approval. "I will be the vanguard. My fists are eager to have a conversation with the Blackwood Sect's Sect Master."
"And my beasts will feast on their corpses," Elder Mei added, her usual elegance replaced by a cold, predatory gleam. Her companion had been attacked, and her disciples had been threatened. Her anger was personal.
Wei gave a slight, formal bow. "I am honored by the trust you have placed in me, First Elder. I will not fail." His expression was one of grim determination, the perfect mask for the cold, calculating mind that was already tabulating the potential profits of this venture.
The first order of business was dealing with the thousands of paralyzed Blackwood Sect members still frozen in the plaza. Wei, in his new role as the leader, issued his first edict.
"The disciples are to be bound with spiritual-sealing chains and placed in the lower-level prison cells," he commanded, his voice carrying an authority that no one dared question. "The deacons and elders, including their First Elder, are to be brought to the main interrogation chamber. I will question them myself. We will bleed them of every secret their sect possesses before we pass final judgment."
His words were met with a roar of approval. This was not just a counter-attack; it was a conquest.
Over the next few hours, the Verdant Serpent Sect moved with a terrifying efficiency. The competition was forgotten, its arenas now serving as temporary holding pens. Disciples, their faces hard with anger, worked to bind the helpless Blackwood Sect members. Wei, true to his word, led the interrogation of their leadership.
The interrogation was not a subtle affair. Lacking a true truth serum, Wei resorted to a more direct method. He administered a potent mind-altering toxin, a crude concoction of his own design that shattered a cultivator's mental defenses and made them highly susceptible to spiritual suggestion. It was effective, but messy, leaving the victims' minds in a state of confused terror. One by one, the paralyzed Blackwood Sect elders had their wills broken, their deepest secrets laid bare under the force of Wei's poison and spiritual pressure.
He learned everything. The locations of their secret spirit stone mines, the hidden groves where their most valuable herbs grew, the rosters of their disciples, the state of their treasury, and the weaknesses in their sect's defensive formations. He even learned of the internal political factions, the ambitious elders who coveted the Sect Master's throne, creating potential fault lines he could exploit later. He recorded all of this information on a series of jade slips, creating a perfect blueprint for the systematic dismantling of an entire sect.
Once he had extracted every last drop of information, he gave the mentally shattered elders a painless, fast-acting poison. They were no longer useful.
[System Notification: 5 Nascent Soul cultivators and 1 Spirit King (First Elder) executed via poison.]
[System Notification: Host has successfully utilized a mind-altering poison for interrogation. Rewarding with a perfected, superior technique.]
[Calculating Rewards...]
[Host has received: 35,000 Sovereign Points.]
[New Poison Recipe Unlocked: 'Mind-Weaver Serum' (Perfected Truth Serum).]
The points were a welcome bonus, but the new recipe was the true prize. The system had taken his crude application and gifted him the art form. This 'Mind-Weaver Serum' was a true truth serum, subtle and traceless, a far more elegant tool for future use.
By the next morning, the expedition was ready. Wei stood at the sect's main gate, an army of five thousand elite inner court disciples assembled before him. At his side stood Elders Jin, Mei, and Guan, their faces set and ready for war.
Wei did not give a rousing speech about glory or revenge. His orders were simple, practical, and chillingly efficient.
"Elder Guan," he began, "you will take a thousand disciples and proceed to these coordinates." He handed Guan a jade slip. "They correspond to the Blackwood Sect's primary spirit stone mines. Disable their formations, eliminate any resistance, and seize control. All resources are to be confiscated."
"Elder Mei," he continued, handing her another slip. "These are the locations of their most valuable herb gardens and beast-taming grounds. Take your disciples, secure the resources, and capture any high-value spiritual beasts. Subdue them if you can; kill them if you must."
"Elder Jin," he said, turning to the stoic giant. "You and I, along with the main force of three thousand disciples, will march on the Blackwood Sect's main headquarters. Their leadership believes their plan succeeded. They are celebrating. They have no idea their expeditionary force has been captured and their secrets have been laid bare. We will not be an invading army; we will be a knife in the dark."
His strategy was not one of glorious battle, but of systematic plunder. He was not just defeating his enemy; he was devouring them, asset by asset.
As the expeditionary forces split off, Wei summoned his bee-cloud. The sight of the massive, humming swarm of venomous insects caused a ripple of fear and awe among the disciples. They had only ever known Wei as a reclusive scholar. Seeing him mount a living cloud of death, his eyes cold with purpose, they finally understood why he was the Poison Elder.
He and Jin led the main force, not in a slow march, but in a high-speed, low-altitude flight. They were a silent, green-robed river of death flowing towards the Shadowfen Marsh.
They arrived at the Blackwood Sect's headquarters, a gloomy fortress of black stone built amidst the swamp, to find it in a state of jubilant celebration. Banners were hung, and the disciples were drinking and feasting, toasting to the imminent downfall of their rivals.
They had no idea that their doom was upon them.
Wei did not order a frontal assault. He turned to Elder Jin. "Brother Jin, their Sect Master is a Spirit King, just like us. He is their only true threat. You and I will deal with him. While we do, the disciples will enact the 'Silent Serpent' protocol."
The 'Silent Serpent' protocol was a plan of Wei's own design. He had spent the journey briefing the disciples. They were not to engage in open combat. Instead, they were to infiltrate the celebrating sect, using the chaos of the party as cover. Each disciple had been given a single, specially designed poison needle. The poison was not lethal; it was a fast-acting version of 'Golden Slumber'. Their goal was to paralyze, not to kill.
As Jin shot towards the main keep, his aura exploding outwards to challenge the Blackwood Sect Master, Wei melted into the shadows. He moved through the fortress like a ghost, his soul needles flying from his fingertips, each one finding a target. He struck down guards, patrol leaders, and formation masters with a silent, deadly efficiency.
The disciples followed his lead, fanning out through the fortress. A Blackwood Sect disciple would be laughing one moment, and the next, he would freeze, a tiny, almost invisible needle in his neck. The paralysis spread silently, insidiously. The party did not stop with a roar of battle, but with a slow, creeping silence, as more and more of the black-robed figures became living statues.
High above, the clash of Spirit Kings began as Elder Jin met the Blackwood Sect Master in a furious explosion of power. But the Sect Master's attention was divided. He could feel his sect's life force being extinguished below him, not in the fire of battle, but in a wave of terrifying silence.
And as he fought, he did not notice the second, silent Spirit King who was now behind him. Between his fingers, Wei held a single, black needle. It was coated in a single, shimmering, tear-shaped drop of liquid. This was the 'God-Slaying Tear', a legendary-grade poison he had purchased from the system store for an astronomical 50,000 points in preparation for this very moment. It was a single-use toxin designed with one purpose: to bypass a Spirit King's domain and instantly annihilate their Nascent Soul.