Chapter 133: Take Them All at Once?
Sizzle~
A green flame wrapped around Yao Yan's body, swaying and radiating a terrifying heat that caused visible distortions in the surrounding space. Fortunately, this flame had already merged with him, so such extreme heat posed no harm. Within this heat, the Devil Poison Spot inside Yao Yan began to resist, releasing threads of black mist that sizzled under the burning of the Green Lotus Core Flame, much like water hitting boiling oil.
Yao Yan remained unmoved, maintaining the flame's burn as he refined the stubborn Devil Poison Spot, extracting its purest energy and turning it into his own.
No one knew how much time passed, but when the Devil Poison Spot finally quieted again, the Green Lotus Core Flame around Yao Yan's body slowly faded away.
Hoo~
Yao Yan exhaled a deep breath. As his eyes opened, a strange blue-green glint flashed past them. His aura surged slightly, as if he had taken another step toward five-star Dou Wang.
Considering he had just broken through to four-star Dou Wang only about a month ago—and hadn't even been in the realm of the ancient clans—this cultivation speed was nothing short of amazing. All thanks to Xie Bi Yan's "grand gift."
Yao Lao hovered nearby, having watched the entire cultivation process. Feeling Yao Yan's increasingly powerful aura, he stroked his beard and praised, "High risk often brings high reward. Taking the Devil Poison Spot was a very clever move. But honestly, you might be the only one in the world who could've done this. No ordinary alchemist has your methods."
He couldn't help but shake his head. The more he observed, the more he realized how unique and terrifying Flame Mantra truly was. Its devouring process was completely different from the symbiotic refinement used by normal alchemists. It turned the heavenly flame into part of the user's flesh and blood, allowing the user to release its full power without fear of backlash.
Across the Dou Qi Continent, many had died from heavenly flame backlash—including high-tier alchemists and powerful cultivators.
Yet none of that danger applied to Yao Yan. That alone proved the extraordinary nature of Flame Mantra. However, mastering it required both luck and bravery. The process of devouring a heavenly flame was at least a hundred times harder than simply refining one—and a single misstep meant self-immolation.
Alchemists refined heavenly flames to borrow their power, forming a mutual relationship. But Flame Mantra was full absorption—it wanted everything. And heavenly flames weren't exactly gentle.
Yao Yan felt the steady rise in his Dou Qi and said, "Not bad. Even without the Falling Heart Flame, at this pace, I might be able to break through to Dou Huang within a year."
"You really are a monster~"
Yao Lao sighed in genuine admiration. Even back in the Pill Tower, he'd never seen a talent like this.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Yao Yan chuckled, though he did find himself missing Ling'er a little. He had left her with Cai Die, as it was too dangerous to bring her to the Black-Corner Region. Whether it was the Falling Heart Flame or other threats, keeping her with Cai Die was far safer. Besides, Cai Die was alone among the Snake-People. Ling'er's presence would be comforting.
After all these years, Ling'er had long become family—not just a heavenly flame to be consumed.
What made someone human were their emotions.
If one could process everything coldly and rationally, how would that be any different from a machine?
"During the few days you were in seclusion, I secretly investigated the Eight Gates… and found something rather interesting."
Yao Lao suddenly grinned slyly, rubbing his chin like an old fox.
"Their ancestor is dead?"
Yao Yan asked calmly.
"…How did you know?!"
Yao Lao's expression froze. He stared at Yao Yan, baffled. That was a secret he had taken days to uncover—he had gotten bored in the Bone Flame Ring and decided to have some fun. But how did Yao Yan, who had been in seclusion, know?
"It's written all over your face," Yao Yan laughed.
As for how he knew—it was from the original novel. If he remembered correctly, in the original, Yuan Yi later submitted to Han Feng. If their faction really had a Dou Zong ancestor, there would've been no need for that.
"…Was it that obvious?"
Yao Lao grabbed a mirror to check his expression.
"I was just guessing... But since you found out, it's time to push things forward. Have Cai Lin talk to Yuan Yi—ask if he wants to be my proxy in the Black-Corner Region. If he agrees, we'll give him a Royal Extreme Pill."
Yao Yan stood up and spoke casually.
He needed a local faction to support him in the region—at least until he retrieved the final piece of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame map.
Yao Lao's eyes lit up. "Want me to teach you how to plant a trap in the pill? That way, no need to worry about betrayal."
"Spoken like a true veteran. I'll leave it to you, then."
Yao Yan laughed and nodded. With people from this region, trust was unnecessary.
"The method is simple. With your soul power, it'll be easy. But the Green Lotus Core Flame isn't quite strong enough—use my Bone Spirit Cold Flame instead."
Yao Lao transmitted the technique to implant a trap within a pill using soul force.
Yao Yan nodded and left the room, calling Cai Lin and Yao Lao to meet with Yuan Yi.
…
The process went surprisingly smoothly.
Once Yuan Yi realized Yao Yan knew about the ancestor's death, he couldn't pretend anymore. His cheerful face turned dark, and he looked ready to fight to the death. But under Yao Lao's terrifying soul pressure—akin to a seven or eight-star Dou Zong—he immediately folded.
Against Dou Huang opponents, Yuan Yi would've gambled everything. But when facing a soul body that strong, he had no chance.
"You'll come to realize soon enough that this choice was the right one. Take this Royal Extreme Pill as a greeting gift."
Yao Yan tossed the treated pill to Yuan Yi and smiled. "Raise your strength. As a two-star Dou Huang, you're a bit too weak."
"There are too many matters to handle within the Eight Gates. I haven't had time."
Yuan Yi caught the pill, joy replacing his earlier bitterness. He realized submitting to Yao Yan might not be so bad—after all, the man was a seventh-tier alchemist backed by a powerhouse. This was a deal he couldn't lose.
Yao Yan now understood why Yuan Yi's strength had stagnated. It wasn't for lack of desire or resources—he simply had no time for cultivation. He was the only strong fighter in Black Seal City, and Dou Wangs couldn't intimidate anyone here.
To speak with powerhouses, you needed power of your own.
"There are too many factions in the Black-Corner Region. Take this opportunity to clean up. Give me a list of the ones we can work with. As for the others…"
Yao Yan smiled and didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.
"Understood!"
Yuan Yi bowed, completely unfazed. This was the Black-Corner Region. If Yao Yan didn't think like that, it would've been strange.
"One more thing—give me the item list from your auction house. I want to see if anything catches my eye."
"…Yes!"
Yuan Yi hesitated briefly, then bowed again, not daring to object.
Soon after, Yao Yan received a large number of herbs and rare items from Yuan Yi—including many ingredients needed to refine the Falling Heart Flame. Unlike Xiao Yan in the original, he didn't hold back. All the pills he planned to make started at the seventh tier.
"Seven-tier Ice Heart Pill. Definitely better than the sixth-tier Earth Spirit Pill. But taking it requires strong body and soul power…"
Halfway through his explanation, Yao Lao stopped. Yao Yan wasn't a normal three-star Dou Wang. Typical logic didn't apply to him.
"We're still missing one ingredient—Earth Core Tempering Milk."
Yao Yan sorted through the ingredients in his Bone Flame Ring and spoke softly.
Yao Lao pondered for a moment and suggested, "That item's extremely rare. You won't find it easily. Why not make the Earth Spirit Pill first?"
"No rush. I happen to know where the Earth Core Tempering Milk is. If I didn't, I wouldn't have chosen the Ice Heart Pill in the first place."
Yao Yan smiled. He wasn't worried.
Unlike other rare herbs, Earth Core Tempering Milk couldn't be cultivated—it had to be naturally formed, taking thousands of years to produce even a drop. It was rarer than most medicinal materials.
Yao Lao said nothing more. He trusted Yao Yan's judgment.
…
Time passed quietly. In just over half a month, Yao Yan and Cai Lin had fully adapted to life in the Black-Corner Region. The earlier commotion disappeared along with the relevant people. With no surveillance in this world, erasing evidence was easy.
And at the end of the month, a piece of news exploded across the region.
Black Seal City would be holding another auction this year, and its main items were the Royal Extreme Pill and the Breaking Sect Pill. These two pills alone were enough to drive every Dou Huang in the region mad—especially those who had been stuck at bottlenecks for years.
Within days, multiple Dou Huang experts came knocking, hoping to negotiate. All were refused.
Until two peak Dou Huangs arrived—
"Golden and Silver Elders? Even those two old monsters showed up? They say the two of them together can rival a true Dou Zong. Damn, this is getting big. Wonder if a real Dou Zong will make a move!"
"Maybe. Hasn't the Eight Gates' ancestor not appeared in decades? Who knows if he's even gotten stronger?"
"For someone at that level, a single closed-door session can last decades…"
…
Naturally, none of this chaos affected Yao Yan. Even the legendary Golden and Silver Elders—characters from the original story—didn't interest him. They weren't worth his attention. With just a bit of bait, they'd tear each other apart. He only needed to clean up afterward. The real question was whether Canaan Academy would get involved.
"You still have time to sit here and drink tea?"
Cai Lin curled her enchanting purple tail around herself, sitting beside Yao Yan. Her cold eyes looked curiously at his calm demeanor.
After all, this whole storm had been his plan—yet here he was, perfectly relaxed.
"Yuan Yi seems to be having trouble holding the line…"
Yao Yan sensed three powerful auras clashing nearby and raised an eyebrow. He then released his soul power from his brow. Having entered the Spirit Realm, his soul pressure was not inferior to any Dou Zong's. With a casual sweep, he suppressed the threatening presence of the Golden and Silver Elders.
Feeling their aura settle, he finally responded to Cai Lin, "No need to worry. This play has just begun. Once they're done tearing each other apart, that's when we make our move."
Why rob one or two people—when you can rob the entire Black-Corner Region?
Anything that existed in the original, he would take. Anything that didn't exist—he'd take that too.
Since this world was lawless, he might as well make it even more chaotic.
"Kid, you really are ruthless, haha~"
Yao Lao appeared from the Bone Flame Ring, chuckling. Sensing Yao Yan's strengthened soul, he once again marveled at his talent. Soul power was notoriously difficult to grow—yet Yao Yan improved at an outrageous rate, even drawing in spiritual energy faster than normal.
He might just witness the rise of the youngest Spirit Realm soul user on the continent.
"If they weren't greedy, they wouldn't walk into the trap."
Yao Yan smiled faintly.
"Hopefully a Dou Zong makes a move… then I can claim a new body~"
Yao Lao grinned. He didn't mind if the body was weak. As long as it reached Dou Zong level, he could purify it with the power of three heavenly flames. Even if his strength regressed, with his skills, he'd recover in no time.
Cai Lin glanced at him, eyes curious. She had always wondered about this old man.
"Don't you want to go further?" Yao Yan asked.
Yao Lao shook his head with a sigh. "Before I lost my body, I had already reached the peak of Dou Zun. Breaking through is too difficult…"
To even touch the realm of Dou Sheng was a privilege few ever earned. After reaching the peak of Dou Zun, Yao Lao had glimpsed its secrets. But advancing further required at least a Heaven-tier technique. Earth-tier arts simply couldn't support such a realm.
(END CHAPTER)
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