Factional Division

As the new Five Poisons Sect gradually took shape, its disciples were naturally assigned their roles. Each disciple was allocated based on their understanding of the Five Poisons Heart Technique, placed under the guidance of the sect’s Elders.

The Five Poisons Sect was divided into five distinct factions. Ye Qingyun and Mo Qinyin, specifically, found themselves assigned to the branch led by Second Elder Yin Yaru.

On this particular day, all the disciples were summoned once more. Their true allocations and official positions within the sect were about to be formally announced.

“From today forward, our new Five Poisons Sect will officially commence its operations. I, Liu Ningxue, shall serve as the Sect Master, and Lady Yuemei will assume the role of Sect Protector.”

“Lady Yuemei is, in fact, Serpent Spirit. Her identity as Serpent Spirit is to be passed on to another, hence she will revert to her original name.”

“Ziling will serve as the Grand Elder of the Five Poisons Sect. Furthermore, the sect will establish Five Envoys, who are also the Five Great Elders. The first of these is Spider Spirit Zhuang Chunmei.”

Zhuang Chunmei was clad in a purple gauze robe. An exceedingly bizarre tattoo was etched across her back, her lips were a stark, jet-black, and her gaze burned with a crimson intensity.

Her formerly refined and beautiful appearance had vanished without a trace.

In the short time since, she had cultivated the Spider Spirit Venom Scripture from the Five Poisons Scripture, leading to a drastic transformation in both her temperament and appearance.

“Understood,” Zhuang Chunmei replied, nodding respectfully.

Next was the Second Elder, Yin Yaru, who was now Ye Qingyun’s nominal master. Yin Yaru was the new Serpent Spirit, cultivating the Serpent Spirit Venom Scripture, and radiated an undeniable malevolent energy.

Yet, she had once been among the most righteous members of the Five Poisons Sect. Now, transformed into this state, she had become the most sinister of them all.

The Third Elder, Xuan Lingxue, was the Centipede Spirit, who cultivated the Heavenly Centipede Venom Scripture.

The Fourth Elder, You Wan, was the Toad Spirit, cultivating the Poison Toad Venom Scripture.

And the Fifth Elder, Sha Sisi, was the Scorpion Spirit, who cultivated the Purple Scorpion Venom Scripture.

In the short time they had been apart, all five Elders had seemingly fallen to the evil path. Whether by choice or coercion, they now had no path of retreat.

Each of the five Elders was also assigned the inheritance of one of the original Five Poisons Sect’s systems, which they were to pass on to their own disciples.

Liu Ningxue, however, appeared largely unchanged. The Sacred Spirit Venom Scripture she cultivated differed significantly from what the other five Elders practiced, a distinction that marked her special treatment within the Five Poisons Sect.

The Sacred Spirit Venom Scripture was considered an orthodox cultivation technique, unlike the heterodox methods of the evil path that the others now practiced.

Naturally, these individuals had initially resisted with all their might. Yet, under the power of Ziling’s Soul-Snatching Art, none of them managed to hold out for long.

After the founding ceremony concluded, the disciples of each branch were led back to their respective factions by their masters. Ye Qingyun and his companions were taken to the Serpent Spirit Pavilion.

One by one, they stood within the pavilion, gazing at the graceful woman whose back was turned to them. The former disciples of the Phoenix Immortal Sect, in particular, watched their greatly altered master with expressions of profound sorrow.

Among them were more than twenty disciples from the original Phoenix Immortal Sect, all of them Yin Yaru’s apprentices.

Yin Yaru seemed to sense their gazes. Though a profound discomfort settled in her heart, what could she possibly do?

“Do not look at me with such eyes,” she stated. “I never wished to become like this, but now there is no other choice. Even if we were to escape now, we would only be hunted down and slain as evil fiends by our former comrades.”

Yin Yaru could feel the questioning gazes of her apprentices upon her.

She slowly turned, her eyes sweeping over them with a detached air. A martial artist like her possessed a mental fortitude far superior to that of ordinary disciples, not easily swayed or made to lose their true self.

They were acutely aware of their actions.

“Master, we have only been apart for a few months. How have you become like this?” a female disciple asked, her gaze fixed on Yin Yaru with profound sorrow. They had all been separated during this period.

The five Elders had all been taken by Serpent Spirit Ziling to undergo transformation, while the disciples themselves had been placed among the new recruits to cultivate evil techniques.

The female disciple who spoke was Wei Muyu, Yin Yaru’s original senior disciple.

All the female disciples wore veils, obscuring their features. Coupled with the fact that their temperaments had become uniformly sinister, it made distinguishing them even more difficult.

“What can be done, having cultivated demonic arts?” Yin Yaru sighed. “My Serpent Spirit Venom Scripture has only just reached the six-fold stage, and I am already so utterly transformed.

I wonder what I will become in the future, what I will look like. Perhaps by then, I will no longer be myself.”

The moment these words left her lips, the female disciples all knelt, bursting into tears. They wept, feeling immense sorrow for both their master’s fate and their own.

“Enough, enough. There is no need for such despair,” Yin Yaru said. “Since we are here, we must make the best of it. Rise, all of you.”

The women quickly rose to their feet. It was time, naturally, to address the serious matters at hand.

She began by assigning the disciples’ ranks. Each sub-altar had its own system for allocating identities: junior, intermediate, and senior disciples.

“Very well, let us move on to official business. First, regarding disciple ranks: Muyu, you and the other original Five Poisons Sect disciples will be granted the status of Senior Disciples. Everyone else will temporarily be Junior Disciples.

These more than one hundred individuals will be under your daily management. The inheritance of our Serpent Spirit lineage is housed in the Scripture Pavilion, divided into three levels.

Junior Disciples may only access the secret techniques on the first level, Intermediate Disciples the second, and Senior Disciples the third.”

“Most of our Serpent Spirit lineage’s cultivation techniques require the collection of various venomous snakes. The sect will provide a portion of these resources each month, but the majority will need to be gathered by yourselves.”

“Furthermore, as disciples of the Five Poisons Sect, you are also expected to complete missions. Each month, you must earn money and acquire the materials required by the sect to fulfill your assignments.

Should you fail, I, your master, will have no choice but to impose penalties. Of course, before that, the sect grants you a cultivation period of three years.

All resources needed during these three years will be provided by the sect. After three years, however, you must begin undertaking missions.”

“Alright, former Phoenix Immortal Sect disciples, remain here. The rest of you may disperse,” Yin Yaru concluded. She then waved her hand, signaling for the others to leave.

Ye Qingyun glanced at Mo Qinyin, exchanged a quick greeting, and then departed the Serpent Spirit Pavilion. He made his way to the Serpent Spirit Pavilion’s library building, which was a simple, three-story structure that appeared quite ordinary.

All the Junior Disciples had gathered there, eager to view the secret techniques on the first level.

Ye Qingyun was greatly interested in these items. The secret techniques and other writings were arranged on bookshelves, freely accessible for browsing.

“Emotion Control Art, Mind Bewilderment Art…” Ye Qingyun perused the books one by one. These methods all seemed to be forms of mesmerism.

Ye Qingyun scanned his surroundings. Before long, he discovered a cultivation technique called the Serpent Charm Art. This particular art was of a slightly higher grade than the basic Five Poisons Heart Technique.

Crucially, this cultivation technique was complete.

Clutching the Serpent Charm Art, he quickly moved to a secluded corner and began to absorb its teachings.

[System Notification: Player has learned Iron-grade Internal Cultivation, Serpent Charm Art.]

Ye Qingyun opened the book. Instantly, a torrent of golden characters swiftly flowed from its pages, imprinting themselves upon his mind.

Moments later, the book itself transformed into a golden light and vanished without a trace.

Ye Qingyun, meanwhile, stood blankly in the corner, absorbing the vast knowledge of the cultivation technique.