Word Count: 2,683 Words
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Xiao Yan let out a thunderous roar. His aura soared skyward, exuding dominance and fearless fervor. His Spiritual Strength, in particular, was overwhelming and unmatched, like a ferocious tiger descending from the mountain.
Even if he were to bleed out on the spot, he would continue to fight. He had never been one to retreat!
Not even when facing the Gu Clan did he ever think of backing down!
"Asura Soul Reaping Technique—
Abyss Submersion!"
In that instant, Xiao Yan formed hand seals. Though his mouth did not move, his voice resonated throughout the entire space.
In a flash, it felt as if his vast Spiritual Strength flooded the world. The Flame Mantra circulated madly, seeming to draw the boundless, surrounding natural energy into one point!
Although Xiao Yan's Spiritual Strength had reached the perfected Mortal State, equivalent to a 7th-tier alchemist's, Soul Skills alone could not unleash their full power if his Dou Qi realm lagged behind.
After all, Spiritual Strength still required a physical body as its vessel. Even a soul body was far weaker than it had been in life.
Yet now, relying on the Flame Mantra and medicinal pills, Xiao Yan's cultivation violently burst into the Dou Emperor realm! The High Di Class Soul Skill finally displayed its terrifying side.
He had actually already cultivated the second level of the Asura Soul Reaping Technique but had always been unable to perform it. This was not only because his cultivation was too weak but also because the Asura Soul Reaping Technique was an 'unpopular Soul Skill' even within the Hun Clan; members of the Hun Clan themselves were unwilling to cultivate it.
After all, Abyss Submersion could cause a cultivator to sink into depravity and enter a demonic state!
With a sudden rumble, darkness blanketed the sky so swiftly it felt as though an unimaginably ancient demonic god had emerged from the depths of the Nine Nether Underworld.
The Nihility Devouring Flame Seed melted the ground beneath Xiao Yan's feet into a pool of darkness. The power of the Heavenly Flame rampaged wildly across the land!
Enveloped in a layer of black flame, his terrifying Spiritual Strength unleashed an unparalleled force that ravaged the surroundings. This horrifying force bore down upon the entire space like a long-slumbering primordial demon awakened, prepared to drag the world itself into the abyss. No one could possibly resist!
Boom! Boom!!
A relentless series of rumbling sounds rang out. A frightening, high-temperature whirlwind formed where Xiao Yan stood. A dark tornado pierced the sky as black flames raged around him. Crackling sounds echoed as massive bolts of lightning struck down from the clouds above.
Xiao Yan currently resembled a demon, a walking cataclysm. This incomparably terrifying disaster seemed intent on destroying the world, tearing apart anything that stood in its path.
Then, with a resonant hum, his eyes snapped open and revealed a transformation. The whites of his eyes had become deep black flame while his pupils turned blood red!
No longer like black pearls, his eyes were now a pair of incomparably terrifying blood-red orbs. The moment these blood-red eyes opened, anyone who gazed upon them felt their soul shudder as if being dragged into an endless hell!
It felt as if his gaze could devour the souls of all beings, sending chills down every spine and instilling absolute dread!
From afar, the terrifying black flames surrounding Xiao Yan coalesced into the form of a massive Tunling creature. The originally tiny Tunlings had seamlessly amalgamated into a gigantic being!
Unlike the Tunlings released by Tun Yuan, the one formed by the Nihility Devouring Flame Seed was enormous and wore a crown upon its head!
At this moment, Xiao Yan seemed to have transformed into a giant, his size almost matching that of the monstrous Tun Yuan.
Those with weak willpower might have already prostrated themselves on the ground, worshipping as if facing a supreme monarch!
Amid a harsh, tearing sound, the colossal Tunling formed by the Nihility Devouring Flame Seed spread a pair of vast black fire wings that, when unfurled, seemed to blot out the sky.
This scene struck deeply into the hearts of Little Fairy Doctor and the others.
"Has Xiao Yan been possessed by a demon king?!" The Amethyst Winged Lion King watched in horror. This Xiao Yan was too unfamiliar, almost as if he wasn't Xiao Yan at all; it felt like he had entered a demonic state!
What kind of Dou Technique looked like this!
"Devour!!!" Xiao Yan let out a roar. His hands transformed into claws, black lightning flashed beneath his feet, and his dark fire wings shook violently. With Venerable Tian Huo's added strength, his cultivation level now reached the true Dou Ancestor realm!!
His speed was astonishingly swift. The gigantic Tunling charged into the sky in the blink of an eye. The immense demon formed by the black flames opened its bloody maw and, in a single gulp, swallowed the entire swarm of small Tunlings above!
"The Tunling King! This is definitely the power of our clan's king! How dare you devour our king!! Unforgivable!!" Tun Yuan's eyes turned crimson in rage as he witnessed this. The Tunling King, the source of his greatest pride, had been devoured by someone else, and even its power had been seized!
Such a scene was utterly unacceptable to this former elder of the Tunling Clan!
A single palm could sever mountains and rivers; both palms together could shatter space. The human-faced, insect-bodied Tun Yuan opened his mouth to reveal sharp teeth. The sheer power of a Dou Venerate cracked space itself as his palms struck toward Xiao Yan. The world trembled, and the entire space quaked under the impact of his blows!
A Dou Venerate was indeed a Dou Venerate. The power they wielded simply could not be compensated for by Secret Techniques or medicinal pills!
Yet, Xiao Yan had already gone berserk and showed no fear of the Dou Venerate's might. Incredibly, he even opened his mouth to bite!
A thunderous boom rang out as Tun Yuan's palms were caught in the jaws of the enormous Tunling King, but Xiao Yan was still knocked back several steps.
Xiao Yan's strength had surged as if he were cheating, and though he could not completely resist a Dou Venerate's power, he was determined to bite off a chunk of flesh with every palm strike he took.
The two clashed head-on. The jaws formed by the Nihility Devouring Flame bit into Tun Yuan's body, and the power of the Tunling King erupted, devouring the bloodline strength within Tun Yuan.
However, how could Tun Yuan, a Dou Venerate, allow himself to be bitten without resisting? Countless tiny Tunlings flew out from his body, swarming toward the black flames as if intending to devour both Xiao Yan and Mao Wu!
Boom! Boom!
A series of explosions echoed ceaselessly. Not only the world shook, but even space itself quivered.
Neither side yielded an inch!
From afar, it appeared as though a mass of black flames and a mass of black mist were colliding, each devouring and destroying the other! The two sides frantically tore at one another, constantly annihilating the opponent's Tunlings and transforming them into their own power!
While everyone focused on the mutual devouring between Xiao Yan and Tun Yuan, wondering who would ultimately consume whom, a glint flashed in Venerable You Du's eyes. He had been waiting for Little Fairy Doctor to compromise and trigger her Woeful Poison Body's eruption.
"Kekeke, if you could reach the true Dou Ancestor realm, this battle would indeed be your victory, but you're still too weak!" Tun Yuan let out a harsh laugh. Endless tiny Tunlings continued to pour out from his body. The terrifying devouring power had already engulfed the Tunling King formed by the Nihility Devouring Flame.
Tun Yuan had absorbed not only Ling Tian's Dou God Bloodline but also the bloodlines of other Dou God Clan members whom Ling Tian had deceived into coming here. All their Dou God Bloodlines were now within him.
Moreover, the gap between a Dou Venerate and a Dou Ancestor was simply too vast!
In the past, Xiao Yan had indeed been able to fight above his realm by relying on Heavenly Flames and the Flame Mantra, but that was effective only in earlier stages.
Even with a Tian Class Qi Method, its advantages diminished significantly at the Dou Venerate level.
The gap between a Dou Venerate and a Dou Ancestor was like an insurmountable chasm. It couldn't be compared to the gap between a Dou Emperor and a Dou Ancestor; even the combined might of the Flame Mantra and Heavenly Flames could not bridge it.
Xiao Yan had even unleashed the Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique, yet even with so many Heavenly Flames, he could not significantly impact Tun Yuan.
Suddenly, his blood-red eyes contracted as he looked sharply behind him!
"Little Fairy Doctor, you...!"
Little Fairy Doctor had unknowingly poisoned the Amethyst Winged Lion King and its cub unconscious.
Now, she stood behind Xiao Yan, her body enveloped in a dark green flame. Xiao Yan knew that was the Ghostly Poison Flame!
Little Fairy Doctor's aura continued to surge. Her once-black hair had turned snow white. Clad in black robes with flowing white hair, she appeared hauntingly beautiful.
She had fully activated her Woeful Poison Body, absorbing the Ghostly Poison Flame and all of Venerable You Du's lifetime accumulation of poison into her body.
The Woeful Poison Body grew more terrifying the more potent the poison it absorbed. The 20th-ranked Ghostly Poison Flame combined with the poison left behind by a deceased Dou Venerate formed a poison potent enough to likely kill even a Dou Venerate!
"Do not grieve for me. Such is the fate of one born with a Woeful Poison Body; it is only a matter of time." Little Fairy Doctor revealed a faint smile, a smile so tragically beautiful that it tugged at one's heartstrings.
The bewildered Xiao Yan snapped back to reality. His eyes turned blood red again as he erupted with power, hoping desperately to turn the tide and completely devour Tun Yuan.
But this wasn't a fairy tale. Love and courage alone couldn't increase one's strength.
Little Fairy Doctor gently raised her hand. Seven-colored poison light surged from her palm. When this light shone upon Tun Yuan's body, it actually rapidly disintegrated his flesh, exposing the densely packed tiny Tunlings inside.
"Ahhh!! You! You're courting death!"
Little Fairy Doctor's current strength had definitely reached the Dou Venerate level. Her Woeful Poison power could even poison those Tunlings from a distance.
Countless Tunlings died rapidly, like paper burned to ashes.
Grievously wounded by Little Fairy Doctor, Tun Yuan watched his power dwindle further. Seizing the moment, Mao Wu turned the tables. It unleashed a horrifying burst of black flames, devouring everything like a black hole before collapsing into a single, flickering mass in an instant of swirling darkness.
All anomalies vanished. The darkness disappeared; the demon king was gone. It was as if everything that had just happened never existed, leaving only a palm-sized cluster of black flames quietly burning in midair.
Little Fairy Doctor saw Xiao Yan's somewhat dumbfounded appearance, and inexplicably let out a light laugh. She seemed strangely unafraid of death.
When Xiao Yan tried to reach out to touch her, the terrifying Ghostly Poison Flame lashed out, flicking his hand away. His slightly tanned hand instantly turned pitch-black!
Little Fairy Doctor said nothing, knowing that with Xiao Yan's strength, he could surely neutralize that bit of poison.
With a wave of her sleeve, a crack appeared in the empty space, and the unconscious Amethyst Winged Lion King and Zi Yan slowly floated over.
"I'll send you all away from here. It won't be long before the Woeful Poison Body can no longer hold back its eruption, and the land for a hundred miles around will become a dead zone."
Xiao Yan's eyes were bloodred, and tears shimmered within them. His fists clenched tightly; his nails dug deep into his flesh, yet he felt no pain.
"Jie Jie Jie, you cannot resolve even a mere Woeful Poison Body. How are you qualified to refine the Di Tier Pill with me?"
Just then! When Xiao Yan was at his wit's end, a strange laugh echoed in his mind! It was Hun Huzi's voice!
"The Nihility Devouring Flame Seed has evolved into an Earth Seed Flame. Think carefully. That's a Seed Flame derived from the second-ranked Heavenly Flame."
Xiao Yan's eyes suddenly widened. He had no time to question Hun Huzi further. His heart trembled as he abruptly looked toward the nearby Nihility Devouring Flame Seed!
At this moment, Mao Wu hadn't taken its black cat form but remained in its flame state, burning quietly and steadily!
"This is an Earth Seed Flame… Mao Wu, you've evolved!" The Nihility Devouring Flame Seed had distinct stages: possessing spiritual awareness, becoming an Earth Seed Flame, and eventually a Heaven Seed Flame.
After devouring that massive Tunling creature, Mao Wu had finally evolved! Mao Wu's power was now definitely no weaker than any lower-ranked Heavenly Flame!
Meow! Upon hearing Xiao Yan's call, the quietly burning black flame began to rise. A black cat leaped out from the flames, jumped onto Xiao Yan's head, scratched its own chin with a hind leg, and didn't forget to groom its fur.
Though its appearance hadn't changed, Xiao Yan sensed that the power the Nihility Devouring Flame now possessed was unfathomable!
A smile immediately bloomed on his face as he looked at Little Fairy Doctor, who seemed puzzled by what had just happened.
Unexpectedly, there was a silver lining!
If he hadn't desperately tried to devour Tun Yuan at the start, Little Fairy Doctor would have had to self-detonate to destroy him. It was precisely because Little Fairy Doctor hadn't self-detonated that the Nihility Devouring Flame was able to completely devour the Tunling creature and evolve into an Earth Seed Flame!
All of this was because he hadn't retreated from the beginning!
Miracles require the courage to attempt foolish things!
A chain of thoughts flashed through Xiao Yan's mind, giving him an idea!
"Forgive me, Little Fairy Doctor."
Spiritually connected, Mao Wu instantly merged into Xiao Yan's body, and the Earth Seed Flame enveloped him entirely.
Then, under Little Fairy Doctor's astonished gaze, Xiao Yan took out a pre-prepared Poison Resistance Pill with his left hand and swallowed it. His right hand reached through the Ghostly Poison Flame, pulled her slender waist close, and then... kissed her.
"Mm! Mmph!" Little Fairy Doctor's eyes went wide. She was being taken advantage of! You're taking advantage of me even when I'm about to die! Is there any humanity left in you!
Instantly! The devouring power activated. Mao Wu began to devour the backlash from the Ghostly Poison Flame. Even some of Venerable You Du's poison gas was absorbed by the unique devouring ability of the Nihility Devouring Flame.
Xiao Yan immediately activated the Flame Mantra, actually attempting to refine the Ghostly Poison Flame within Little Fairy Doctor's body!!!
If Venerable Yao were still alive, he would undoubtedly have applauded and given a thumbs up, exclaiming "f*cking awesome!" at this method of refining a Heavenly Flame through a kiss.
But this was feasible because Little Fairy Doctor hadn't fully refined the Ghostly Poison Flame, unlike Han Feng, who had completely refined his and imprinted it with his soul.
Little Fairy Doctor's Woeful Poison Body had only absorbed the Ghostly Poison Flame as if it were mere poison.
If the Woeful Poison Body would erupt upon reaching the Dou Venerate level, then siphoning off part of the absorbed poison to suppress her level below Dou Venerate would prevent it from detonating prematurely!
Previously, the unevolved Nihility Devouring Flame struggled to devour even a Dou Venerate's seal. But now, having evolved into an Earth Seed Flame, its true power began to manifest!
"Mmph!" Little Fairy Doctor's body stiffened. She clutched her robes tightly. Her first kiss was gone, taken just like that!