70: Chapter 70 Would you be willing to become my disciple?

Meanwhile, in the Yu Kingdom, the Five Poisons Sect.

The customs of the Yu Kingdom were vastly different from those of the Zhao State; the Demonic Path flourished within its borders, and Sects were numerous.

The Five Poisons Sect was one of the largest forces among them, famous for controlling venomous insects and refining Gu. Within the Sect, the "Five Emissaries" were established based on the categories of venomous insects, each governing a lineage of Disciples.

Deep within the Sect, in a valley filled with poisonous miasma, the entrance to an Immortal Cave was concealed by layers of purple-black vines, with a faint, eerie light flickering within.

A petite young girl dressed in the black short-garb common in the Yu Kingdom followed a cold-faced Senior Sister to the front of the Immortal Cave.

"Junior Sister, this is the Immortal Cave of the Spider Emissary."

The leading Senior Sister's voice was bland, yet in the depths of her eyes hid a trace of indifference toward the fate of newcomers.

"Thank you, Senior Sister." Su Xiaotang replied in a low voice, her hands clenched slightly inside her sleeves.

She watched the Senior Sister turn and leave, took a deep breath to suppress the trepidation in her heart, and stepped into the deep, dim entrance of the Immortal Cave.

The light inside the Immortal Cave was dim, and the air was filled with a strange fragrance.

On the stone walls on both sides of the passage, countless tiny holes were vaguely visible, and from time to time, rustling sounds emerged, making one's hair stand on end.

Further inside, a giant spider web flickering with dark purple-gold light spanned across the top of the passage. In the center of the web, a fist-sized spider, entirely purple-gold with cold compound eyes, hovered silently.

Su Xiaotang was terrified, cold sweat seeping from her back, but she thought of the great hardships she had endured to come here... She bit her lower lip, endured the fear, and continued walking inward.

Passing through the area covered by the spider web, the view suddenly opened up to a spacious stone chamber.

In the center of the stone chamber, a Cold Jade Bed radiated intense cold, and a person lay on her side upon it.

It was a woman dressed in a luxurious purple gauze long dress, her figure exquisite and well-proportioned, her curves breathtaking.

Her cloud-like hair was loose, with a few strands of black silk hanging by her cheeks. Her appearance was stunning to the point of being bewitching, especially her slightly upturned Phoenix eyes; as her gaze shifted, it seemed to carry invisible little hooks that could easily seize a person's soul.

Her jade-like body was stretched out, a pair of long, straight, white-as-jade legs lazily crossed. The hem of her dress slid down to the base of her thighs, revealing round, cute knees and slightly curled snow-white jade feet. Her toes, distinct like pearls, were painted with a faint purple nail polish, revealing danger amidst the allure.

Seeming to sense someone entering, the woman slowly opened her eyes.

A pair of incomparably magnificent purple eyes, carrying a condescending indifference and the majesty of one who has long held a high position, just a faint glance made Su Xiaotang feel her breath catch, as if her throat had been strangled by an invisible force, and even her thoughts stalled for an instant.

She was momentarily dazed, shocked in her heart: Could it be... is this my grandmother?

But she dared not recognize her rashly; in the land of the Demonic Path, the rules were strict, and personal connections were thin.

She steadied her mind, took a few steps forward, stopped three zhang away from the Cold Jade Bed, and respectfully knelt to salute. Then, she took out a palm-sized, jet-black iron token from her bosom, held it with both hands, and lowered her head: "Sen... Senior, this is this Junior's token."

The Woman in Purple's gaze fell on the token. Her fingertips moved slightly, and the token flew up on its own, landing in her jade-white palm.

She played with it casually twice, a trace of reminiscence flashing in her purple eyes, before returning to indifference.

"Oh? Senior Sister's token." Her voice was lazy and magnetic, carrying a careless tone, "Who are you to her?"

Su Xiaotang's heart tightened, and she quickly replied: "She... she is this Junior's grandmother."

"Your grandmother is dead." The Woman in Purple's tone was flat and waveless, "Three years ago, she failed to break through to the Core Formation Middle Stage and perished."

"What?!" Su Xiaotang felt as if struck by lightning, her delicate body trembling violently. The movement in her hands froze, and her pretty face instantly drained of all color, becoming deathly pale.

She had endured great hardships, hiding and fleeing all the way from the border of the Zhao State, passing through dangerous lands, and even nearly dying in the jaws of a tiger. Finally, relying on the Talisman and Puppet given by that Senior Ye, she had come to the Yu Kingdom and found the Five Poisons Sect after a narrow escape from death.

She had always held a sliver of hope in her heart, thinking that finding her grandmother's old acquaintance might gain her protection, or perhaps allow her to become stronger faster.

But now, this only clue, this last reliance, had actually vanished into thin air before she had even arrived!

A huge sense of loss and bewilderment instantly engulfed her.

She was only a teenage girl, and all the hardships she had faced before were supported solely by a resilient Heart-Nature.

At this moment, hope was dashed, and that taut string suddenly snapped.

"Wuu..." She could no longer hold it back, her nose aching, but she dared not cry out; after all, this was the Demonic Path! Before her was the unfathomable Spider Emissary! Would crying so uncontrollably anger the other party? Would she be thrown out directly, or even... she dared not think further.

Therefore, she could only desperately bite her lower lip, forcing herself not to cry out loud. Her petite shoulders trembled uncontrollably, while tears fell like pearls with broken strings, one after another.

The Woman in Purple leaned on the Cold Jade Bed, watching the girl below, who was crying like rain on pear blossoms, with great interest.

Her red lips curled slightly, and she suddenly chuckled, her lazy voice breaking the silence of the room: "Alright, stop holding it in; it's annoying to listen to."

Su Xiaotang shivered in fear, quickly raising her hand to wipe away her tears haphazardly. She lifted her wet eyes and looked timidly at the stunning woman on the Cold Jade Bed, not knowing what her intention was.

The Woman in Purple changed to a more comfortable position, light flowing in her purple eyes, with a few parts of scrutiny and a few parts of casualness, and spoke: "Seeing that you could find this place all alone, your Heart-Nature is quite resilient. Since Senior Sister's token is in your hands, it can be considered fate."

She paused, her tone still flat, but she threw out a choice that stunned Su Xiaotang: "This Palace Mistress is the Five Poisons Sect's Spider Emissary, Zi Luo. Are you willing to... enter my Sect and become my Disciple?"

Su Xiaotang was completely stunned, looking at the powerful Woman in Purple through teary eyes.

Take her as a Revered Master? Enter the Five Poisons Sect? This was completely different from what she had originally envisioned.

But, her grandmother had passed away; she was now alone in the world with nothing to her name. Return to the Zhao State? The journey was long and full of dangers, and as a small Cultivator at the Mid Qi Refining Stage, with no one to rely on, where could she go? Continue as a Loose Cultivator, living a precarious life?

In a flash of lightning, many thoughts crossed her mind.

She wiped away her tears forcefully, took a deep breath, suppressed the fear and hesitation in her heart, and knelt down solemnly toward the Woman in Purple on the Cold Jade Bed, kowtowing: "Disciple Su Xiaotang is willing! This Disciple pays respects to Revered Master!"

Although her voice still carried a crying tone, it had already regained its firmness.

Zi Luo looked at the girl kowtowing below, a trace of imperceptible satisfaction flashing in her purple eyes, the arc of her mouth deepening slightly.

"Get up. From today on, you are my, Zi Luo's, first Personal Disciple. Someone will teach you the rules of the Five Poisons Sect later." She waved her hand lazily, "Go wait outside first; someone will naturally take you to get settled."

"Yes, thank you, Revered Master!" Su Xiaotang kowtowed again, then stood up, lowered her head, and carefully retreated from the stone chamber.