Deep within the Shadow Assassins Pavilion, the quiet chamber was cold and still.
Lin Chen knelt on one knee, holding the black poison box in his single arm, head bowed and breath held. The Shadow Prison Poison Core inside exuded a subdued yet terrifyingly ferocious aura. Wisp after wisp of venomous power seeped through the cracks, causing the blue‑black poison veins on his neck to throb faintly.
This was the spoils he had won by intercepting the Ten Thousand Poison Cave's caravan and fighting a bloody battle. It was also his only proof of worth to the Pavilion Master.
The Pavilion Master sat in the shadows above, his black robe covering his body, his face indistinct. Only his eyes, deep as an abyss, rested calmly on the poison box, showing neither joy nor anger.
Silence filled the chamber, save for the faint hum of circulating poison power.
After a long while, the Pavilion Master slowly raised his hand. His withered fingertip brushed casually across the box's surface.
At the moment of contact, Lin Chen felt a sudden numbness in his fingertips.
A faint, almost imperceptible golden light streaked out from the Pavilion Master's finger, slid along the box, through his palm, and burrowed into his meridians like a snake, instantly flooding deep into his mind.
There was no earth‑shaking phenomenon, no obscure and complicated mantra.
Only a single, condensed thought etched itself into his soul, clear and unmistakeable:
"Guide the poison into the veins, control and devour it; flow with the poison, using blood as the catalyst; let the poison not harm its master, but serve as its weapon."
Just a few words, yet they struck directly at the root of the strange poison within him.
It was a complete set of poison‑controlling techniques, tailored specifically for his poisoned body. It taught him how to channel the violent venom, how to absorb external toxins, and how to turn the poison from a self‑devouring curse into a killing blade.
Lin Chen's soul trembled, his pupils shrinking slightly.
He understood in an instant—the Pavilion Master was secretly passing him a technique.
Ever since his arm had been severed and he had been poisoned, left for dead before being brought back to the Shadow Assassins Pavilion, the venom had gnawed at him day and night like a gangrene. It had brought him endless agony and shackled his combat strength. He had teetered on the brink of a poison flare countless times, yet never found a way to suppress or control it.
But now, with a single casual gesture, the Pavilion Master had handed him the key to breaking the deadlock.
The Pavilion Master did not speak. His gaze remained calm as he stared at the box, as if examining a common object. His voice was cold and indifferent:
"The Shadow Prison Poison Core is a treasure of the Ten Thousand Poison Cave, ferocious and capable of devouring its wielder. Since you brought it back, you shall keep it for now."
He paused, his voice deepening with undeniable instruction:
"You carry a strange poison, suffering day and night. Remember—poison is neither good nor evil; it is the user who defines it. Do not let the poison control you. Become its master."
The words were plain, yet thundered in Lin Chen's ears.
He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and bowed his head, his voice carrying a faint, unspoken reverence:
"This subordinate obeys your teachings, Pavilion Master."
The Pavilion Master nodded slightly and withdrew his finger. The golden light vanished completely into Lin Chen's soul, leaving no trace.
"The journey to Windfall City departs in three days," the Pavilion Master said, waving a hand, his tone returning to indifference. "Retire and meditate, familiarize yourself with your own power. This trip is perilous. Do not disgrace the Shadow Assassins Pavilion."
"Yes!"
Lin Chen bowed, rose slowly while holding the box, and turned to exit the chamber.
In the moment the door closed, he could clearly feel the poison‑controlling thought in his mind growing clearer. The once‑violent poison raging through his body now showed signs of being channeled, and the veins on his neck calmed considerably.
He knew that from this moment on, he was no longer a cripple tormented by poison.
The technique bestowed by the Pavilion Master would turn the venom in his hands into his sharpest blade.
And in three days, in Windfall City, a hidden struggle revolving around poison and power was about to begin.