Chapter 278: The whole thing?
The veiled woman’s breath caught in her throat as she watched Damon endure what should have annihilated even the most gifted of poison cultivators.
Every drop from the sacred orb wasn’t just ordinary venom, it was divine essence crafted from a million poisons, a concentrated inheritance meant to test, torment, and ultimately transform the next chosen successor.
Yet this man, this blood drinker, whose path was drenched in blood but not toxin, was absorbing it like water into desert soil.
The veiled woman took a step back, her fingers trembling. "This shouldn’t be possible," she whispered. Another drop. Damon jerked, snarled, then stilled, his aura stabilizing even faster than before.
Soon, about half of the sacred orb was used up. Then, silently, another few hours passed by when another quarter of the sacred orb was used up.
In the end, barely a few drops remained in the orb, now almost the whole thing empty. The veiled woman dropped to her knees in shock. Wasn’t this a bit too excessive? Was he only going to stop after he completely absorbed the whole damn thing?
Her master only intended for someone to absorb one or two drops before they passed this segment of the test. No one should be able to absorb the whole thing and yet that was happening right in front of her eyes!
At this rate, the blood drinker was truly going to claim her master’s inheritance.
How could something like this happen? She was even confident that the blood drinker would die in the first few seconds which was why she decided to send him in. He wanted to try his luck badly and she decided to let him have it.
However, now the impossible was coming to fruition right in front of her eyes.
For countless years, exceptional poison masters have come to the trial and sacrificied themselves to her master’s altar just for a shot at the legacy. But now it was just going to be claimed by someone random and unknown, someone who doesn’t even understand the law of poisons?
The veiled woman started panting. It was already too late. She cannot do anything to stop it. She could only watch as the last and final drop from the orb shot forward towards Damon and his body greedily sucked in that drop as well.
Gone! It was all gone! It was completely gone!
The bastard had absorbed the whole thing without leaving a single drop behind!
The sacred orb, once a blazing beacon of divine venom, now hovered dim and lifeless, like a withered fruit drained of all essence. It cracked softly, spiderweb fractures racing across its smooth surface before it shattered into a thousand specks of light, vanishing into the air.
Damon exhaled. His eyes flashed open, his aura dangerously strong. If one observed closely, one could see faint traces of green in his vein. A series of system notifications popped up in front of him.
[Ding! You have acquired the Nine million poison body refining technique]
[Ding! You have successfully completed the first cycle of the Nine million poison body refining technique]
[Ding! Stage Unlocked: Venom-Heart]
[Ding! Your heart no longer pumps blood alone. It now circulates a refined venom-blood hybrid. Resistance to poison increased exponentially. Physical regeneration enhanced when exposed to toxins.]
[Ding! Passive Effect Unlocked: Toxic Blood]
[Ding! Any enemy that draws your blood risks contamination. Bleeding attackers receive minor venom damage over time. Accumulates with each contact.]
"One million poisons." Damon turned and smiled at the dumbfounded veiled woman. "So the orb here helped me get to the first stage of the Nine million poison body refining technique? That’s pretty neat."
"It did?" The veiled woman dumbly nodded. It was not like her master left elaborate instructions for her. He was never that kind of a man.
"So now my blood has poison in it, huh." Damon smiled. "That’s a nice little bonus I did not expect. Okay, then what happens now? Is there more to this legacy or is it just this technique?"
"You..." The woman still speechlessly stared. Countless poison masters would kill for this technique and yet this ignorant blood drinker dared to ask such a question to her? She raised her hand and sent a green bolt of energy to the wall.
The next second a metallic golem materialized out of thin air.
"You need to defeat the puppet to pass the next stage of the test. The strength of the puppet will be adjusted according to your level." The woman briefly explained before her figure disappeared.
"Hmmm? I already defeated a bunch of poison beasts outside the temple. Isn’t this the same type of test?" Damon frowned, wondering if there was anything more to this golem.
The golem itself stood over ten feet tall, its entire frame forged from dark jade steel and etched with pulsating green runes that glowed with venomous intent. Its arms ended in segmented blades shaped like the fangs of a cobra, venom dripping from them.
He did not have any more time to think as the puppet took its first step, the ground beneath its foot hissing as toxic mist hissed from its back. It didn’t hesitate. The golem lunged at Damon, the air screeching as its venom-blades slashed forward.
Damon did not hold back. He wanted a feel for the power of the golem and it was best to exchange at least one blow with it to find out. He immediately conjured a flaming crimson lance in his hand and thrust forward as the golem charged.
The moment the crimson lance met the jade blade, two attacks exploded with force. Venomous mist surged outward as fire met poison, lighting up the sanctum in a violent burst of energy. Damon’s feet skidded back slightly, the golem’s overwhelming strength pressing down like a mountain. But it wasn’t enough.
He grinned. "Strong. But not strong enough."
Hearing his words, the veiled woman snorted coldly. What an arrogant blood drinker! He couldn’t even face one attack from her master’s assistant and yet he dared to speak such rubbish?