White mist permeated from the top of his head. Yan Qingshan's meridians, bones, and even blood seemed to turn transparent at this moment.
An invisible flame seeped out from various parts of his body, then, like a maggot on a bone, it incinerated anything it could within his body.
The Dou Qi within his Dou Jing (Dou Crystal) endured the scorching of the invisible flame, churning like boiling water. In this bone-deep burning pain, every minute felt like a year.
Yan Qingshan gritted his teeth. Under the tempering of the invisible flame, his sensory organs seemed to become even sharper, which continuously intensified the pain. This body tempering was simply a form of torture.
The agonizing time always passed extremely slowly. However, as this severe pain persisted, one gradually became numb. With a little less focus on the pain in his heart, he finally felt subtle changes in his body during the flame tempering.
His cultivation had progressed rapidly during this period. In less than a year and a half, he had gone from initial Dou Spirit to intermediate Dou Spirit, a leap of two major stages. Although he had repeatedly refined it, his Dou Qi still felt somewhat ethereal.
But under this Essence Heart Flame tempering, it solidified at an incredibly pleasing rate. The slight etherealness of his Dou Qi rapidly disappeared, and his Dou Crystal reached an even more solid state than before.
His bones, meridians, and even muscles, like refined steel in a raging fire, were slowly tempered to become tougher and more explosive.
Yan Qingshan had endured the most painful period, but some others were not so lucky.
Less than an hour into the Essence Heart Flame body tempering, one student was the first to show abnormalities. His originally flushed face instantly turned pale, and his body trembled rapidly as if having a seizure.
This was just the beginning. As this student experienced problems, two more subsequently showed signs. Three elders successively took action to help them expel the Fallen Heart Flame power, but this also indicated their failure.
This time, five Dou King and five Dou Spirit participated in the Essence Heart Flame Body Tempering. Since the five Dou King had already achieved the Dou King stage, there would be almost no problems using the Essence Heart Flame for tempering. But for the five Dou Spirit, this was their hope for breakthrough.
Now, three failed at once, with only one succeeding apart from Yan Qingshan, and Yan Qingshan was not at the peak of Dou Spirit.
This meant that the failure rate for the four peak Dou Spirit in this batch was as high as eighty percent, the highest in recent years.
Essence Heart Flame tempering was a time-consuming process. Although Yan Qingshan and the other seven had endured the most difficult period, they continued to receive the Essence Heart Flame's tempering for the next three days.
During this tempering period, they could clearly feel that their internal body, including meridians, bones, etc., had undergone considerable strengthening.
The three who failed were sent out of the Blazing Sky Refining Qi Tower in despair. Their injuries needed treatment, and more importantly, their presence there might affect the remaining successful ones.
When the third day arrived, everyone's Essence Heart Flame tempering finally gradually came to an end, and the flush on their faces was slowly fading.
Auras of varying intensity rose from their bodies. Although the intensity of these auras did not differ significantly from before the tempering, the current auras were clearly more solid than a few days ago.
The Black Corner Region is a lawless zone nestled between the three great empires, including the Jia Ma Empire. Due to its unique terrain, it has become almost the most chaotic area in the entire Northwest Continent.
Countless exiled powerhouses from various countries have fallen into this place, establishing the most barbaric laws.
Additionally, it gathers various races from across the continent besides humans, truly a miniature version of the continent.
In the Black Corner Region, there are no legal restraints, only the law of the jungle, where the strong prey on the weak. The weak have no right to survive here.
This is an extremely pure region; chaos is its main theme. Without the cultivation of a Dou Grandmaster, one generally cannot make it here, or rather, a Dou Grandmaster can barely protect themselves.
This area is filled with death, but also with challenges and temptations. Here, high-level cultivation methods, Dou Skills, and various divine weapons, armor, medicine cauldrons, medicinal ingredients, high-grade pills, etc., which are difficult to see outside, can all be obtained, because this is also the largest den of iniquity in the Northwest, with countless stolen goods flowing out from here.
Love for chaos and a tendency towards darkness seem to be inherent dangerous factors in humans. Although it is clear that the area is shrouded in danger, countless people still flock into it one after another.
Perhaps it's to obtain more advanced cultivation methods, Dou Skills, or pills in that chaotic region, or to gain unparalleled immense wealth.
The central location of the Black Corner Region is the Jia Nan Academy, famous throughout the Dou Qi Continent, the only quiet and peaceful place in the Black Corner Region, as if things had gone to extremes and then reversed.
Qingwang City is a newly emerging city-force in the Black Corner Region, close to Jia Nan Academy. Its City Lord is a Dou King, said to be the most mysterious graduate of Jia Nan Academy's Inner Academy. With its Jia Nan Academy background, it is naturally at odds with the Black Corner Region, but due to a large supply of pills, it has managed to establish a market in this chaotic land.
Inside the City Lord's mansion of Qingwang City, a young man sat at the main seat. He was the actual leader of Qingwang City, the former number one on the Strong Ranking of Jia Nan Inner Academy, Wang Mang.
At this moment, Wang Mang was receiving three powerhouses, three Dou Kings. Three men in similarly colored robes sat on the sourwood chairs below, their faces cold and showing little emotion.
These three men, seemingly around thirty years old, had grim faces. Their appearances were somewhat similar, suggesting some blood relation.
"How were the last night for you, three Yao brothers?"
Wang Mang quietly put down a book he was holding, smiled, and spoke to the three.
After the three brothers exchanged glances, the eldest of the three, Yao Da, spoke up: "Thank you, City Lord Wang, for your hospitality. City Lord Wang secretly sought out our brothers, so I assume you have something in mind!"
These Yao family's three brothers were all around Three-star Dou King. Originally, their combined efforts should have been enough to carve out a territory in the Black Corner Region. However, they had offended the Gold and Silver Misters years ago, so few forces in the Black Corner Region dared to take them in.
The Black Corner Region has a Black Ranking, within which ten Dou Emperor powerhouses roam. The Gold and Silver Misters are renowned powerhouses on the Black Ranking.
These Gold and Silver Misters are both at the peak of Dou Emperor. When they combine forces, they can contend against a Dou Ancestor. Even Great Elder Su Qian of Jia Nan Academy is not confident in defeating them.
The three Yao brothers looked at Wang Mang with eager expressions. For years, they had been hiding in the Black Corner Region, with no force daring to take them in. As Dou King powerhouses, they were like stray dogs, living in constant fear. They had naturally had enough of such a life.
The Wang Mang in front of them was said to come from the Inner Academy of Jia Nan Academy, and Great Elder Su Qian of Jia Nan Academy was a formidable Dou Ancestor powerhouse. If they could establish this connection, then the Gold and Silver Misters would not be a problem. Now, the question was, could this matter succeed?
"The three Yao brothers should know my background. Indeed, as rumored, I come from Jia Nan Academy. In recent years, some elders within the academy have traveled, leading to some restless individuals having other intentions, making the Black Corner Region a bit turbulent."
Wang Mang smiled faintly. Upon hearing his words, the three Yao brothers' eyes lit up, feeling that he was hinting at something, making them even more eager for the upcoming conversation.
"The three of you are also veterans of the Black Corner Region. What do you think of our Qingwang City?"
Wang Mang suddenly changed the subject, asking the three Yao brothers for their opinion on Qingwang City.
"Although Qingwang City also has some chaotic phenomena, it is generally stable, considered a rare place of order in the Black Corner Region. We once went to Peace Town, and although there is still some gap, we believe it has great potential."
Yao Da spoke, and Yao Er and Yao San also nodded. All three had a very good impression of Qingwang City and thought it would be a good place to stay, provided there was a place for them.
Wang Mang smiled indifferently, "I am naturally very pleased with your thoughts. I believe you should have also guessed why I sought you out. Our Qingwang City wishes to recruit the three of you to expand our influence with your strength."
"Is City Lord Wang serious? Our three brothers' troubles are not small!"
Yao Da's eyes lit up, and then he proactively pointed out the key issue. These people were not without choices, but those forces dared not offend the Gold and Silver Misters too much, only offering them illicit work, which the brothers had grown tired of.
Wang Mang continued, "The three of you should also know the strength of the Gold and Silver Misters. Our Qingwang City is a small operation and cannot withstand such a situation."
"City Lord Wang, are you making fun of our brothers?"
Yao Da's face instantly darkened, and Yao Er and Yao San also felt a sense of being deceived. The Dou Qi on their bodies stirred restlessly.
Wang Mang laughed heartily, "The three of you misunderstand. Qingwang City cannot openly invite the three Yao brothers to join, but that doesn't mean other places cannot. Have the three of you ever heard of the Beast King Valley?"
"Beast King Valley!"
The three Yao brothers were all stunned, then seemed to recall something, frowning as they looked at Wang Mang, "City Lord Wang is referring to that powerful force that has risen near the Black Corner Region in the past six months, formed by a union of many high-level magical beasts?
But that's an alliance of magical beasts; we haven't heard of them being involved with any human force. Could it be Jia Nan Academy..."
Wang Mang smiled and continued, "The three of you should know that my Qingwang City started with pills. The variety and quantity of low and mid-grade pills even surpass Feng City. Have you ever thought about the source of these pills?
The refining of these pills requires alchemists and medicinal ingredients. Alchemists are easy enough to find, but for large batches of medicinal ingredients, where do you think is the most convenient place?"
"Could it be..."
A thought simultaneously flashed through the minds of the three Yao brothers. After a quick exchange of glances, their shock was undisguised…