Word Count: 2,634 Words
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This voice was imbued with a supreme majesty that penetrated one's soul, making all who heard it involuntarily want to bow down in submission!
From this alone, it was clear that Tun Yuan, the Tunling Clan elder before them, had been incomparably powerful in his prime, very likely a Dou Saint. Yet when the Tunling Clan was eradicated, he was relentlessly hunted by the Ling Clan and eventually cornered in this place.
Although he had narrowly escaped death, who would have thought that after clinging to life for a thousand years and finally recovering a fraction of his strength, he would stumble upon the calamity known as Venerable You Du?
Devouring Venerable You Du ended up harming himself instead. Under the dual poisons of the Woeful Poison Body's self-detonation and the Ghostly Poison Flame, Tun Yuan had become the monstrosity he was now, neither human nor ghost.
Hatred blazed openly in his eyes the moment he saw the apparition of Venerable You Du.
Xiao Yan's eyelid suddenly twitched as lightning burst out beneath his feet. The ground beneath Little Fairy Doctor split open with a loud boom, and countless tiny Tunling creatures swarmed up from below.
Whoosh!
A flash of lightning streaked across the air. Xiao Yan, having been vigilant with his Spiritual Strength from the start, immediately used the minor mastery level Three Thousand Lightning Movement. Like a bolt of lightning, he scooped up Little Fairy Doctor and dodged the sneak attack.
'Tsk, this undead old ghost is really cunning!' Xiao Yan couldn't help but curse. A dignified Tunling Clan elder had stooped to ambush tactics, hurling angry shouts at Venerable You Du's will as a diversion when his real target was Little Fairy Doctor all along.
He had, however, underestimated Xiao Yan's vigilance. From the moment Venerable You Du's will manifested, Xiao Yan had remained on high alert.
At first glance, it seemed similar to the situation with the Ten Thousand Beast Flame in the Beast Tomb, where they could join forces with Venerable You Du's will and the Ghostly Poison Flame to deal with the Tunling Clan. But in reality, this was entirely different.
Now, three distinct forces were at a standoff. The appearance of Venerable You Du's will was entirely triggered by Little Fairy Doctor's Woeful Poison Body, like a preset command that would activate only upon sensing the Woeful Poison Body.
The very reason she had previously encountered the Ghostly Poison Flame was because she had activated her Woeful Poison Body then, poisoning an elder of the Poison Sect.
This time was the same. Her activation of the Woeful Poison Body awakened the will of Venerable You Du.
But Venerable You Du was not a benevolent figure either. His sole aim was to completely annihilate the Tunling Clan.
There was only one way to kill Tun Yuan. Xiao Yan knew it, Venerable You Du knew it, Tun Yuan himself knew it, and Little Fairy Doctor knew it as well.
That method was the ultimate, cataclysmic poison eruption of the Woeful Poison Body!
Back when Venerable You Du had self-detonated, he realized that his acquired Woeful Poison Body, even combined with the Ghostly Poison Flame, couldn't fully annihilate Tun Yuan. Thus, he used his lifetime's worth of poison Dou Qi to form a poison barrier, sealing his will within the Ghostly Poison Flame until a true innate Woeful Poison Body emerged someday.
If Little Fairy Doctor were to absorb the Ghostly Poison Flame along with the poison barrier, the Woeful Poison Body eruption she triggered could kill not just a 1-star Dou Venerate; even high-star Dou Venerates would find it hard to escape death.
Such was the terrifying nature of the Woeful Poison Body. Even in the vast Central Plains, this physique was considered taboo. Once the Woeful Poison Body erupted, it could obliterate a Dou Venerate-level faction in a flash, rendering the land barren for hundreds or even thousands of years.
Therefore, Xiao Yan had always kept his attention on Little Fairy Doctor because the two entities before them both wanted her life!
Tun Yuan snorted coldly and did not cease his attack. A loud humming arose as countless tiny Tunling creatures flew out from his body, intent on devouring Little Fairy Doctor before her Woeful Poison Body could fully mature.
As long as Little Fairy Doctor died, there would be no way to kill him. After he killed everyone here and escaped, he could hide for decades, then make a comeback, perhaps even becoming the Tunling King and reviving the Tunling Clan!
By then, the entire Dou Qi Continent would once again submit to the Tunling Clan!
"Flame Splitting Tsunami!"
Xiao Yan held Little Fairy Doctor's hand with his left and swung the Heavy Xuan Ruler with his right. The terrifying Green Lotus Core Flame whirled forward in a raging fire wave, swallowing up those sinister, black, worm-like Tunling creatures.
Then, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed, and he snorted coldly. His formidable Spiritual Strength instantly condensed into an invisible soul blade.
'Hmph! Don't think being undead means I can't cut you down!'
Soul Skill—Soul Chase, Slash!
A soul blade slashed out, severing the spiritual message that the Ghostly Poison Flame, or rather, Venerable You Du, was transmitting to Little Fairy Doctor. Xiao Yan fixed a frosty gaze on Venerable You Du below, who stood still as a statue.
Although he didn't know what Venerable You Du had told Little Fairy Doctor, there was no way he'd allow her to self-detonate her Woeful Poison Body!
"Xiao Yan..."
"No way! We're here to resolve your Woeful Poison Body, not to let you die!" Xiao Yan decisively interrupted Little Fairy Doctor before she could continue.
Little Fairy Doctor's bright eyes flickered for a moment, and she gently tightened her grip on his hand.
Heavenly Flame Dou Technique—Beast Spirit Descent!
Heavenly Flame Dou Technique—Death Flame Extinction!
Open Mountain Seal!
Four-Colored Angry Buddha Lotus Flame!
Boom! Boom! Boom!!!
The Dou Qi within Xiao Yan surged out frantically, as if he feared it wasn't depleting fast enough. However, facing the Dou Venerate-level Tunling creature, these Dou Techniques, capable of annihilating Dou Emperors and even killing Dou Ancestors, were all blocked.
If Tun Yuan hadn't been wary of the motionless Venerable You Du beside him, waiting for Little Fairy Doctor to fully activate her Woeful Poison Body and absorb his Ghostly Poison Flame, he would have killed Xiao Yan and the others long ago.
Even with the Tian Class Flame Mantra, such frantic release of Dou Techniques was absolutely unsustainable in terms of Dou Qi!
"Hey! Hun Huzi! You'll struggle to find another alchemist like me if I die!" Xiao Yan tried using the Soul Command Token to send a spiritual transmission, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea.
"Damn it!"
Bang!
Xiao Yan and Little Fairy Doctor joined forces to defend but were still knocked back. A lion's roar rang out as the Amethyst Winged Lion King transformed into a purple light, flying over from the distance and catching the two of them in midair.
"Grah! You bastards! Scram!"
In the distance, a blazing purple light eclipsed the sky. A gigantic purple dragon appeared in the heavens, its eyes brimming with fury. A dragon claw as massive as a mountain slammed downward.
A thunderous boom rang out. Xie Shan, the Chief of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate whose soul had been devoured and controlled by Tun Yuan, was directly smashed into a pulp by Zi Yan's unleashed bloodline strength. The ground split and mountains crumbled beneath the impact!
Deprived of Little Fairy Doctor's support, the Sect Leader of the Poison Sect and his four companions finally spotted Zi Yan's hiding place after having hunted down every other cultivator in the region.
Xiao Yan watched them find Zi Yan and the Seed Flame of the Nihility Devouring Flame, and his expression darkened. Even their last path of escape had been cut off!
Roooar!!
Zi Yan, enraged, fully unleashed the power of an Ancient Void Dragon. Her destructive power in her true form was astonishing, holding her own even against the Dou Ancestor-level Sect Leader of the Poison Sect.
"Hmm? A whelp of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe?" Tun Yuan's human-faced, insect-bodied visage twisted into a sinister smile. "Kekeke, heaven truly favors me. With the flesh and blood of an Ancient Void Dragon, I'll be another step closer to full resurrection!"
The air filled with the humming of countless smaller Tunling creatures as they instantly changed direction, swarming toward Zi Yan like a dark cloud!
"Zi Yan! Watch out!"
Zi Yan gritted her dragon teeth. With a mighty sweep of her tail, she sent the Poison Sect's Sect Leader flying. Then, a deafening rumble emanated from her abdomen, and terrifying purple flames began to spill from the corners of her mouth.
Roooaaar!!!
From afar, the enormous purple dragon coiled in the sky let out a furious roar. An immense and terrifying true dragon power gathered, a power belonging to the mightiest creature: the dragon!
A purple Dragon Breath shot down from thousands of meters high. From a distance, it looked like a divine sword descending from the heavens to pass judgment upon the world.
Although Zi Yan was only at Rank 6, she was a Rank 6 Ancient Void Dragon! Even Xiao Yan didn't know that she could unleash such a breath attack!
Zi Yan's full-powered Dragon Breath instantly engulfed a large number of Tunling creatures. Even though these Tunling creatures could devour Dou Qi and ignore defenses, the ultimate technique of the Ancient Void Dragons still destroyed them!
The purple Dragon Breath charged straight into the Tunling army. Under this annihilating dragon breath, it was as if the world had fallen silent. The intense light enveloped the space, making it so that no one could see anything. This Dragon Breath appeared to have returned everything to its primordial state.
BOOM!!
A mushroom cloud even more terrifying than that of the Angry Buddha Lotus Flame rose into the sky. Horrifying heat waves and hurricanes swept out, tearing up the ground!
Xiao Yan was stunned. Were all Ancient Void Dragons this formidable? If this move were measured by Dou Techniques, it absolutely reached Tian Class, not just comparable to Tian Class like the Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique, but a true Tian Class technique.
Hiss hiss hiss—
Zi Yan's enormous body collapsed with a crashing sound. Her entire form was shrouded in purple mist as she rapidly shrank. That strike had completely exhausted all her strength. Even as a Rank 6, that move was a desperate gambit.
"Ancient Void Dragon—had you reached Rank 7, perhaps you could've broken the Space Lock, and I wouldn't be able to stop you. Unfortunately, you only have the strength of Rank 6!" Tun Yuan's eyes were solemn. This Ancient Void Dragon seemed much stronger than ordinary ones!
However, the stronger Zi Yan was, the more excited he became!
Xiao Yan carried Little Fairy Doctor and flew to Zi Yan's side. He took out his alchemist robe from his storage ring and draped it over the unconscious Zi Yan, placing her atop the blood-soaked Amethyst Winged Lion King.
Xiao Yan tightly grasped Little Fairy Doctor's jade-like hand with his left, fearing that if he let go, she would agree to absorb the Ghostly Poison Flame and then self-detonate.
"Kill him! Seize his Dou God Bloodline and give it to me! Hehehe, to have such strength at the Dou King level, his bloodline must not be low!" In the distance, Ling Tian saw that Xiao Yan was at his wit's end. He already imagined using the Tunling Clan's power to devour Xiao Yan's bloodline and claim it for himself.
If he knew that Xiao Yan's Dou God Bloodline was so weak it could be ignored, who knows what he would think.
Buzz!!
Although Zi Yan had just annihilated a large number of Tunling creatures, those tiny Tunlings were like endless insects. The massive Tun Yuan opened his mouth, and with a whoosh, another batch poured out.
Dense black dots formed a tornado and came rushing over!
This was the terrifying aspect of the Tunling Clan. The more bloodlines they devoured, and the stronger the bloodline strength they absorbed, the more they could produce these small Tunlings!
Xiao Yan gritted his teeth and pushed the Flame Mantra to its limit. Instantly, the energy within dozens of miles began to surge frantically, with him as the center of the vortex!
At that moment, another cluster of pitch-black flame appeared on his body, surging from behind to envelop him.
"Hmm? This is..."
Meow!!! ~o(=∩ω∩=)m
Accompanied by the crisp meowing of Mao Wu, the Nihility Devouring Flame Seed, the sky full of black flames suddenly began to transform!
Slowly, sphere-like objects resembling embryonic eggs descended, with black flames swirling around them. Faint blood-colored light seeped through the black flame clouds and finally entered these embryonic eggs.
Bang! Bang!
As the blood-colored light poured in, those dense black flame embryos suddenly exploded. In an instant, sharp and piercing screams echoed in the sky. Countless black flame shadows poured down from the sky like a torrential rain, frantically surging toward the mountain range below.
Not only Xiao Yan and the others, but even Tun Yuan's expression changed drastically upon seeing the densely packed black flame shadows sweeping down from the sky!
Because those were clearly Tunling creatures! How could black flames possibly produce Tunlings!
"What the hell are these things?!"
Chitter chitter!!
In the end, the two groups of Tunlings collided. These tiny creatures bit each other, devouring one another's flesh and blood, yet neither could overcome the other!
However, although Mao Wu's transformed Tunlings were fewer in number, the ones enveloped in black flames strangely seemed to have slightly stronger devouring abilities.
"You... you possess the power of our clan's king! Wh-what exactly are you?!" Tun Yuan's expression changed dramatically upon sensing the familiar aura. What had happened during the thousands of years he had been lurking here? What was that black flame? Why could it produce the power of the Tunling King?
Xiao Yan was shocked to the core. Mao Wu was just a Heavenly Flame Spirit and not even the main body of the Nihility Devouring Flame. He didn't know why this was happening, but in this moment of despair, Mao Wu had brought him a glimmer of hope!
"Elder Yao, mind taking a gamble with me?" Xiao Yan took out two pills from his storage ring. One was the highest-quality Dou King Pill he had refined, and the other was the Emperor Heaven Pill!
His Flame Mantra was operating like mad at this moment. He planned to forcibly break through to 8-star Dou King, then use the pills to charge directly into the Dou Emperor realm!
Although Xiao Yan didn't know what miraculous effect the so-called power of the Tunling King might have, what if there was some unexpected benefit!
"Hahaha, this old man has already died once. What else is there to fear!"
As soon as Venerable Tian Huo finished speaking, Xiao Yan grinned and swallowed the two pills without hesitation. Immediately, a violent energy that felt like it was tearing his meridians apart erupted within his body.
Venerable Tian Huo didn't hold back, pouring all his Spiritual Strength into Xiao Yan.
"Return!" Xiao Yan commanded in his heart. The Mao Wu that had transformed into Tunlings obediently returned to his body.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Instantly, endless Nihility Devouring Flame surged out from his body. Except for the Nihility Devouring Flame, all other Heavenly Flames merged together, circulating along the path of the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change.
Relying on the medicinal pills, his cultivation once again soared, charging from half-step Dou Ancestor directly!
"Let's devour him!"
~o(=∩ω∩=)m Meow!
"Asura Soul Reaping Technique—Abyss Submersion!"