"After consuming it, the poison won’t take effect immediately, and as long as you take the antidote pill I prepare every ten days, you can maintain stability. Understand?"
Shi Bolong, who hailed from the Demon Sect, certainly understood what this meant.
Once he consumed this packet of powder, it meant he would become Zhao Ya’s lackey completely.
At least until he returned to the Pure Bright Realm, he had no qualification to confront Zhao Ya.
But looking into Zhao Ya’s cold eyes, Shi Bolong also understood.
If he didn’t eat it now, he wouldn’t even have the qualifications to be a lackey.
Weighing the pros and cons, Shi Bolong could only grit his teeth secretly.
Just wait until I contact my sect, by then I will definitely...
Though he was fierce in his heart, Shi Bolong didn’t reveal any unusual expression on his face but rather obediently took the packet of powder without a hint of hesitation and swallowed it.
After swallowing it, he obediently opened his mouth, meaning to prove that he had indeed swallowed all the powder and hadn’t hidden anything.
In fact, Zhao Ya wasn’t sure whether the poisonous powder he concocted could fully control Shi Bolong.
But there was no better way at the moment, so he had to settle for this for now.
Even if it couldn’t fully control him, it at least provided a buffer opportunity.
By the time Shi Bolong wanted to resist, he could know in advance and make the first move.
With this, the matter was settled.
Zhao Ya’s operation this time was quite fruitful, not only resolving the crisis of the Black Ship invasion but also obtaining the command rights of this Black Ship.
But most importantly, Zhao Ya learned about the outside world.
It turns out that this world is far from the end; there is a broader world beyond the fog.
For Zhao Ya, who had already reached the pinnacle of this world, this was like a shot of adrenaline.
At this moment, Shi Bolong called back the two runaway Octopus Monsters to start cleaning up the messy control room.
Seeing the two obedient and gentle little Octopus Monsters, Zhao Ya had a thought and immediately used the ship owner’s authority to summon the runaway big Octopus Monster.
The Octopus Monster, which was previously in a hostile state, was now exhibiting great obedience.
Although its body couldn’t enter the control room, it still bowed down, not daring to move.
Zhao Ya approached it as if it were a mountain of flesh, studied it carefully, and then turned to ask.
"Is this also the handiwork of your Wuyou Longevity Palace?"
"Yes!"
At this time, Shi Bolong was sitting on a mind-controlled wheelchair. Upon hearing Zhao Ya’s inquiry, he moved forward on the wheelchair and proudly introduced.
"This Octopus Monster is my most successful creation. Although the materials used are quite ordinary, its strength and intelligence are by no means inferior to those Exotic Beasts and has a very strong self-healing ability, making it extremely useful."
"Oh? So, you are quite familiar with the various techniques of your Wuyou Longevity Palace?" Zhao Ya said indifferently.
Only then did Shi Bolong realize he had misspoken, but it was too late to take back his words, so he nodded firmly, trying to stay calm.
"I know a bit, but only the Direct Disciples in front of the Venerables can access the real core parts."
"Didn’t you say you are a Direct Disciple of Ghost Eye Venerable?" Zhao Ya raised an eyebrow and said.
Shi Bolong gave a bitter smile, "I was, but after I got greedy and attempted a shortcut by cultivating the Ancient Demon Skill, it backfired and turned me into this ghost-like appearance, my Direct Disciple status was stripped."
"Stripped?"
"Yes!" Shi Bolong nodded, a flicker of hatred crossing his face.
"The rules of the Wuyou Longevity Palace are very ruthless. Unless reaching the level of a Venerable, any disciple must undergo extremely rigorous reviews; if slightly behind, their status will be downgraded until they are eliminated."
"Sounds pretty good!"
If the rules of the Wuyou Longevity Palace are really like that, Zhao Ya wouldn’t find it surprising for it to grow into a large sect.
After all, such rules ensure that all disciples will strive forward, effectively preventing them from being idle.
And once this healthy competition is formed, the boost it would give to a sect would be terrifying.
But after hearing Zhao Ya’s words, Shi Bolong just gave a cold smile.
"It sounds good, but in reality, it’s not like that at all."
"Firstly, people have different relations, especially since each Venerable has their own retinue, so they inevitably skew resources towards people related to them."
"That’s still fine, but more importantly, they can forcibly protect their own people, even allowing them to pass the review despite failures without any consequences."
"Coupled with the internal conflict within the sect, this rule becomes mere formality for the upper echelon or connected people, only effective on the lower-level disciples."
"So, you can imagine what the scene inside the Wuyou Longevity Palace would be like!"
Looking at the resentful Shi Bolong, Zhao Ya suddenly said, "So, you took the huge risk to cultivate the Ancient Demon Skill?"
Shi Bolong was silent for a moment before replying in a bitter voice, "Yes, I failed the review twice already, one more and I’d have been demoted from Direct Disciple to ordinary. Though it seems like only a downgrade in status, it actually involves so much more."
"Once I became an ordinary disciple, there would be no more opportunities for advancement, so I wanted to give it a shot, and I failed."
At the end of his words, there was no regret in Shi Bolong’s tone, only acceptance.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ya’s perspective on Shi Bolong shifted slightly.
In the complex web of interests, where ordinary disciples struggle to advance within the Wuyou Longevity Palace, rising to a Direct Disciple position was evidently not easy.
And when he failed the reviews twice, with his status about to be downgraded, he recklessly gambled all his resources and life for a chance.
After losing the bet, he didn’t despair but instead immediately changed his mindset, spending everything he had to purchase this Black Ship, and began working as a bounty hunter.
Simply being tenacious is admirable enough.
After all, not everyone possesses such courage and perseverance.
Yet, despite his admiration, Zhao Ya didn’t let down his guard against Shi Bolong one bit.
He turned his gaze toward the Snake Woman, who was diligently sweeping the floor in the distance.
"Come over here!"
The Snake Woman shivered all over and hurriedly ran over.
"S...sir, what are your orders?"
When speaking, the Snake Woman’s face was filled with trepidation.
After all, it did not know what fate awaited it next.
Its fate had been turbulent throughout the day.
At first, it fell into Zhao Ya’s hands, and later was captured by the giant Octopus Monster.
After being thrown into the control room, it initially thought it was dead for sure, never expecting a turnaround at the last moment.
Zhao Ya not only successfully countered but also gained control of the Black Ship.
Thus, its miserable fate was temporarily suspended.
But the Snake Woman was unsure how Zhao Ya would handle it next, making it understandably uneasy.
Zhao Ya paid no mind to this and said in a deep voice, "Please notify my companions outside and have them send a few representatives to the Black Ship."
Zhao Ya dared not leave the Black Ship, nor did he want to leave the control room easily.
After all, he didn’t know if Shi Bolong had any other hidden moves.
If he left and Shi Bolong suddenly seized control of the Black Ship, it would be troublesome.
So he could only stay stationed here, keeping an eye on Shi Bolong.
But Huang Liang, He Nandou, and Shen Yunshen were still on the little mountain, probably getting anxious.
The only solution was to let the Snake Woman run this errand for him.
As to whether the Snake Woman was trustworthy...
As long as it wasn’t a fool, it should understand that if it wanted to keep living, and live well, Zhao Ya was its only patron.
Sure enough.
On hearing Zhao Ya’s orders, the Snake Woman’s eyes brightened, and without hesitation, it stood straight, "Yes!"
But soon the Snake Woman thought of something, a bit troubled.
"But sir, if I just go like this, those people might not believe me!"