The Hundred Poisons Formation

Yan Yun watched her identical puppet kneel before her, a faint twitch playing at the corner of her lips. After the two of them had meticulously examined the puppet, they finally grew serious, commencing preparations for tomorrow’s elimination round.

The elimination round was to take place within a stone forest located on Six Yang Mountain.

As disciples of the Yunhua Sect, they had naturally been informed of the competition’s events in advance.

This stone forest comprised ten thousand pillars, and participating cultivators were required to occupy one of these pillars within half an hour, ensuring it remained unchallenged by others, to qualify for the next stage.

In this round, each individual was expected to display their unique abilities; all methods were permitted, save for malicious killing.

****

The following day, as dawn broke, a loud and authoritative voice resonated throughout Six Yang Mountain.

“The Immortal Dao Assembly is about to commence. All cultivators participating in the qualification competition are requested to gather in the stone forest activity area, located on the southeastern side of Six Yang Mountain.”

The moment these words were uttered, the entire Immortal Alliance region erupted in a frenzy, as countless young cultivators, their faces alight with excitement, soared out of Immortal Alliance City, majestically heading towards the designated area.

“It’s finally starting! I’m claiming one of those spots for sure.”

“I, Yan Lei, will undoubtedly shine brilliantly at this Immortal Dao Assembly; my name shall echo throughout Jiang Country.”

For these young cultivators, renown was undoubtedly their most coveted prize; securing a high ranking at this assembly would ensure their fame spread far and wide for the next three decades.

****

The disciples of the Yunhua Sect also emerged from their residences, converging together.

“With so many people, this elimination round is bound to be difficult,” Xie Yuyan remarked, walking up to Yan Yun with a look of exasperation.

Yan Yun immediately cast a glance at her.

“What, lacking confidence? If you’re unsure, stay closer to me; perhaps I can protect you.”

Xie Yuyan rolled her eyes.

“I think I’d rather keep my distance from you. Many people are definitely going to target you in the elimination round.”

“Indeed, I feel the same,” Jiang Yao affirmed, nodding in agreement.

Yan Yun chuckled.

“Looking for trouble with me? I’ll take down as many as come! Those from Purple Abyss Pavilion, follow me. We’ll set up a Grand Poison Formation later; I want to see who has the ability to break through our poisonous miasma and seize a spot.”

With a grand sweep of her hand, Yan Yun beckoned the disciples of her Purple Abyss Pavilion, then soared into the sky, flying ahead towards the activity grounds.

In the past three years, Yan Yun’s Purple Abyss Pavilion had recruited exactly one hundred official disciples and had temporarily ceased further recruitment.

“Yes, Pavilion Master!” Wen Meng and the others laughed heartily, following closely behind without delay.

Yan Yun’s conceited and smug demeanor immediately irritated Xie Yuyan once more.

‘This fellow is so insufferable,’ Xie Yuyan thought, ‘let’s just go.’

Jiang Yao and the others also promptly took flight.

On the other side, factions determined to oppose Yan Yun had immediately set their sights on her.

‘During the upcoming elimination round, we will confront Yan Yun with all our might. Whoever prevents her from advancing to the next round will receive a personal reward from me,’ one of their leaders declared.

Consequently, a group of cultivators with hostile gazes trailed closely behind Yan Yun and her contingent.

“Sister Yan Yun, listen, the group behind us seems to have their eyes on us,” Wen Meng whispered a reminder.

Yan Yun didn’t even spare a glance for the group behind them.

“Ignore them. They’re targeting me. Once we enter, we’ll immediately occupy an area, regardless of whether it’s already taken. We’ll proceed exactly as planned: unleash the Dreamland Poison simultaneously, incapacitating everyone who approaches.”

****

Soon after, Yan Yun and her group arrived at the stone forest area.

Looking around, they saw tens of thousands of stone pillars, each dozens of meters high, numbering precisely ten thousand.

Only one person could occupy the top of each pillar.

The event had not officially begun; they still had to wait for the referee to appear and explain the rules.

Meanwhile, within the grand hall of the Immortal Alliance, a large assembly of powerful cultivators was seated.

Among them were the elders of the Yunhua Sect.

Before them lay numerous mirrors of varying sizes, which displayed the conditions within different sections of the stone forest.

“Fellow Daoist, behold, this is the first event of our Jiang Country’s Immortal Dao Assembly: the Stone Forest Qualification Competition. It is limited to half an hour, and after that time, any individual still standing atop a stone pillar will be deemed to have passed this event.”

Seated in the position of the Immortal Alliance Master was a kind-faced, benevolent elder clad in Daoist robes.

This individual was Dou Ke, an envoy dispatched from the Righteous Dao Alliance headquarters to participate in the event in Jiang Country, a Great Perfection Divine Venerable.

“Hmm, quite interesting. However, this humble Daoist is more eager to see how many young, talented cultivators emerge from this event. Our Righteous Dao Alliance hasn’t produced any peerless prodigies in recent years, after all,” Dou Ke remarked, stroking his beard.

At the mention of peerless prodigies, Shangguan Jinyang immediately glanced at Dou Ke.

“Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Dou, our Jiang Country’s cultivation world will surely present you with a grand surprise this time.”

Dou Ke paused slightly, then, without further inquiry, directed his gaze towards the activity grounds.

The Righteous Dao Alliance controlled five countries: Jiang Country, Ji Country, Yao Country, Ji Country, and Ying Country.

Among these five countries, Ji Country was the strongest, and the Righteous Dao Alliance also controlled the largest cultivation holy lands within their borders.

The further cultivators progressed, the more they required not just spirit stones to break through realms, but also various specific heavenly treasures and earthly delights.

The vast majority of these precious resources were under the control of the Righteous Dao Alliance, with only a small portion held by the sects of individual countries.

Periodically, the Righteous Dao Alliance would allocate resources based on the contributions of each country’s cultivation world to the Alliance.

This “contribution,” naturally, was measured by which country produced more talented individuals.

****

On the other side, as all the participating cultivators gathered at the edge of the arena, streams of light descended from the heavens in the next instant.

First to appear in everyone’s sight was a white-robed female cultivator, ethereal and transcendent in her aura.

Behind her stood over a dozen cultivators, each exuding a powerful presence.

Although this female cultivator did not display any divine might, she was, at the very least, a Divine Realm expert.

“Young cultivators, I am Nalan Piaoxu, a cultivator from the Jiang Country Immortal Alliance Headquarters, and I will be presiding over today’s Stone Forest Qualification Competition.”

“Without further ado,” Nalan Piaoxu continued, “let me first explain the rules. This round has no restrictions whatsoever, apart from prohibitions against taking lives or inflicting severe injuries upon others.

You must exert your utmost effort to occupy any one of the stone pillars within the stone forest within half an hour to qualify for the next round.”

“I, along with other fellow Daoists, will supervise the entire process. Cultivators who deliberately inflict severe injuries or attempt to kill will be immediately disqualified and subjected to punishment by the Immortal Alliance.

Our Jiang Country’s cultivation world is governed by the Righteous Dao Alliance, thus, your conduct must reflect that of righteous cultivators.”

“Very well, all has been said. A ten-second countdown will now begin, and the event will commence once it reaches zero.”

After Nalan Piaoxu finished speaking, she raised her hand, unleashing her power, which swiftly coalesced into a number hovering in the air.

This number began its countdown.

“Ten.”

“Nine.”

“Eight.”

“Seven.”

“Six.”

“Five.”

“Four.”

“Three.”

“Two.”

“One.”

“The Qualification Competition begins!”

The moment the words “begins” fell, the already restless cultivators instantly surged towards their chosen positions.

Yan Yun and the disciples of Purple Abyss Pavilion, however, unhurriedly selected their area.

“Hmm, that looks good over there. Let’s head there,” Yan Yun said, pointing towards a specific section.

In truth, she first observed which area Jiang Yao and her group chose, then intentionally steered clear of them.

Although the members of Purple Abyss Pavilion also belonged to the Yunhua Sect, Yan Yun had informed them of her plans in advance.

Consequently, the hundred individuals from Purple Abyss Pavilion flew towards an area on the eastern side of the stone forest.

Upon arriving, Yan Yun immediately gestured to Mu Wenjie.

Mu Wenjie understood instantly.

He immediately flew out, issuing a warning to all cultivators in that particular area.

“Listen up, everyone in this area! We, the cultivators of Yunhua Sect’s Purple Abyss Pavilion, are about to unleash our poison cultivation technique here. If you wish to avoid being eliminated, flee as far as you can!”

The cultivators who had just settled into their positions blanched upon hearing this.

Many were about to scold them, yet Yan Yun and her group had no intention of wasting another word.

In unison, a hundred individuals simultaneously emitted vast quantities of pink poisonous mist from their bodies, which rapidly spread outwards.

Some quick-witted cultivators, terrified, promptly fled, but others, either disbelieving or slow to react, were instantly engulfed by the toxic cloud.

Cultivators below the Great Perfection Cavern Heaven Realm merely inhaled a breath and immediately became disoriented, tumbling from the sky.

As for the Purple Abyss Pavilion members, they immediately consumed an antidote to counteract the Dreamland Poison while releasing the mist, then proceeded to occupy a portion of the area.

The poisonous mist continued to spread outwards.

Some cultivators, regaining their composure, immediately used their spiritual energy to resist the poisonous mist.

“Damn it, be careful not to inhale this toxic mist!” a sect cultivator warned aloud.

In a short while, the area where Yan Yun and her group were located was left with only the members of Purple Abyss Pavilion.

Other poison cultivators watched their idol unleash such a large-scale, coordinated poisonous mist attack, filled with envy.

The cultivators who had intended to cause trouble for Yan Yun were also forced to retreat continuously.

Although their various sects had conducted research on poison cultivators, finding an effective countermeasure within just three years was an impossibility.

“What do we do? They’ve released such a massive poisonous mist; we can’t even get close!” a cultivator from the Azure Nether Sect exclaimed, his brows tightly furrowed.

“Let’s observe for now,” another, more powerful cultivator simply stated.

The formidable experts within the Immortal Alliance Hall were also closely observing the area occupied by the Purple Abyss Pavilion cultivators.

“Such potent poisonous mist! Ordinary Cavern Heaven Realm cultivators are instantly incapacitated upon contact. Is this the power of the poison cultivation technique inherited from the Heavenly Poison Maiden two years ago?” someone asked with a trembling voice.

“Yes, indeed. This group of cultivators, jointly wielding poison cultivation techniques, are all disciples of Yunhua Sect’s Purple Abyss Pavilion. Their leader is the successor of the Heavenly Poison Maiden. It is said that Yan Yun is also the first cultivator in the Yunhua Sect to cultivate the Spirit Gathering Realm to perfection before breaking through to the Cavern Heaven Realm,” Shangguan Jinyang introduced.

He grew even more curious about Yan Yun.

Just as the hostile cultivators from the Azure Nether Sect and others believed Yan Yun was trapped inside and unable to emerge, a figure suddenly flew out from the poisonous mist.

“Senior Sister Yan, look! That demoness has come out!” someone exclaimed, immediately alerting the others upon seeing Yan Yun appear.