Chapter 126: Shall We Fire One?
The Chu Yun Empire bordered the Jia Ma Empire. In terms of sheer territory, the Chu Yun Empire was larger, but compared to Jia Ma, it was much more chaotic—some might even say utterly disordered.
This wasn't due to a lack of powerful experts to keep the peace, but rather because most of the Dou Qi practitioners in the Chu Yun Empire were poison masters.
Poison masters were an extremely peculiar profession.
Compared to alchemists—one of the most well-respected professions on the Dou Qi continent—poison masters were undoubtedly reviled, a gutter-tier profession. Poison, after all, was universally loathed and feared. No sane person would willingly associate with someone capable of poisoning them at any moment.
Yet ironically, this very profession flourished wildly within the Chu Yun Empire. In nearly every city, it was common to spot individuals dressed in the robes of poison masters.
This phenomenon was extremely rare in other parts of the Dou Qi continent.
In fact, one could even find shops in these cities dedicated solely to selling poisonous goods. Anything related to poison could be found, and the more potent the toxin, the higher its price.
This abundance of poison users meant that poisonous Dou Qi was vastly more common in the Chu Yun Empire than any other elemental attribute.
Poison Dou Qi itself had numerous branches.
But generally speaking, all forms of it were highly toxic. Of course, this toxicity wasn't a natural attribute but rather an artificial mutation. Usually, before becoming even a basic Dou Practitioner, one would need to soak their body in poisonous fluids and cultivate within them.
As the toxins slowly invaded the body, they would gradually fuse with one's inner Dou Qi. Over time, normal Dou Qi would transform into poisonous Dou Qi, each type possessing unique effects.
In this regard, Dou Qi demonstrated incredible compatibility and adaptability.
However, this also contributed to the chaos of the Chu Yun Empire far exceeding that of the Jia Ma Empire. Fortunately, the imperial family and powerful sects still enforced control, or massacres would likely be an everyday occurrence—after all, the only way to truly test a poison's effects is through live experimentation.
And what better test subject than a human?
...
"Up ahead is the Chu Yun Empire's border."
Cai Lin cast a sidelong glance at Yao Yan, her red lips parting slightly. Her charming voice carried a hint of indifference.
The two of them had already been traveling for more than half a day. Even at their speed, they had only just reached the border between the Jia Ma and Chu Yun Empires. For Dou Qi cultivators who hadn't yet mastered spatial powers, speed still had its limits. But once one gained control over space, tearing it open to travel became possible.
This was precisely why Dou Saints could freely roam the entire Dou Qi continent. To them, space was as fragile as a newlywed bride—easily manipulated at will.
"This journey really is long."
Yao Yan couldn't help but sigh. Flying aimlessly for an entire day was truly boring. Thankfully, his sister-in-law's curvy figure was a welcome distraction.
Yao Lao teased, "Once you break through to Dou Zun, you won't have to worry about such things."
With Yao Yan's talent, breaking through to Dou Zun shouldn't be too difficult—especially given that he was cultivating the unique technique "Flame Mantra." Yao Lao had no doubts about Yao Yan's future. So long as he continued to grow, his achievements would surely surpass Yao Lao's. He was genuinely looking forward to that day.
Yao Yan muttered, "Dou Zun? That'll take a few years at least~"
A few years?!
Yao Lao's mouth twitched. He felt Yao Yan was really getting arrogant. He was only a three-star Dou Wang, yet he already thought he'd reach Dou Zun in a few short years. Since when did Dou Zuns become so easy to achieve? Had the world changed while he was asleep?
He couldn't help but remind him, "Breaking through from Dou Zong to Dou Zun isn't as easy as you think. Even with great talent, without opportunities, it'll take a very long time to refine yourself."
"Heavenly flames are my opportunity."
Yao Yan replied calmly. He didn't see any problem with heavenly flames—after all, he had someone like Hun Xuzi as a teacher.
"You've already devoured the Green Lotus Core Flame. If you add the Falling Heart Flame, your body will undergo an extreme transformation due to the heavenly flame's power. This will actually make your breakthrough to Dou Zun even more time-consuming… Different materials require different times to refine to perfection."
Yao Lao paused before continuing, "However, if you manage to find one of the top-ranked heavenly flames, that might change things. But those top flames are mostly in the hands of major powers."
Yao Yan didn't respond—this part of the conversation wasn't worth continuing. One's vision defined one's world. Yao Lao's former perspective limited him, but Yao Yan didn't share that limitation. In his eyes, the entire Dou Qi continent held few secrets.
He turned to Cai Lin and asked, "How far is it to the Myriad Scorpion Sect?"
"No idea. This is my first time in the Chu Yun Empire. I don't know much about it, but with the reputation of the Scorpion Sect, it shouldn't be hard to find its exact location."
Cai Lin lightly shook her head, her deep purple eyes meeting Yao Yan's for a moment before she looked away and replied calmly.
"Let's find a poison master to ask."
Yao Yan's gaze flickered slightly as he nodded.
...
If the Chu Yun Empire had one thing in abundance, it was poison masters.
Yao Yan didn't have to search long before getting the information he needed from one. As for that poison master, he was naturally eliminated—body and all. Just as the Dou Qi continent rejected and despised poison masters, Yao Yan, an alchemist, also held no goodwill toward them.
Besides, that poison master had a sneaky, rat-like face—clearly no good person. To prevent him from harming others, sending him off early was better for the continent.
Cai Lin and Yao Lao said nothing. Neither of them were particularly virtuous.
The former, after all, was the current Queen Medusa, infamous and feared throughout the Jia Ma Empire—her name alone could make children cry. As for the latter… any Dou Zun-level expert had at least hundreds of lives on their hands. Compared to them, Yao Yan was practically a kind-hearted newbie.
"Scorpion Mountain Range, Myriad Scorpion Mountain… Now that we know the location, let's pick up the pace!"
Yao Yan withdrew his gaze from where the poison master had vanished and smiled lightly at Cai Lin.
Cai Lin didn't object. The Dou Qi wings behind her fluttered slightly before she turned into a streak of violet light, heading toward the Scorpion Mountain Range.
Yao Yan followed close behind.
...
It took them nearly four days to reach the Scorpion Mountain Range. In the distance, Myriad Scorpion Mountain finally came into view—a towering peak piercing the clouds. Its summit looked as if it had been chopped flat by a giant axe. Atop the plateau stood a massive sect.
Above the sect, thick green poisonous mist lingered, swirling and churning, completely concealing the inner workings of the sect.
"This place… anyone below the level of a Da Dou Shi has a high chance of being poisoned just by stepping in."
Yao Yan stared at Myriad Scorpion Sect and commented. That vivid green mist was truly unpleasant. Aside from plants, green was a hard color for anything else to pull off.
"If not for that, the Myriad Scorpion Sect wouldn't have been able to raise so many poison Dou Qi cultivators. This mountain range is practically overrun with poisonous creatures."
Cai Lin glanced at the venomous insects, rats, and ants crawling around them. Her elegant brows furrowed slightly before she glanced at Yao Yan. Perhaps because of the heavenly flame in his body, none of the poisonous creatures dared come near him. Some of the more sensitive ones even fled into the distance as if encountering their natural predator.
"What's your plan? Just charge in?"
Yao Lao's figure emerged from the Bone Flame Ring, hands clasped behind his back, exuding the demeanor of a sage.
"Let me borrow your heavenly flame. I've recently developed a pretty powerful Dou Technique. This place is the perfect testing ground."
Yao Yan's eyes lit up with an eerie blue fire. His voice carried a hint of excitement. Maybe all men had an inner desire for explosions and destruction—he was no different. In a wide-open space like this, it would be a shame not to fire off a destructive Flame Lotus.
Yao Lao grew curious and raised a hand to summon the bone-white Cold Bone Spirit Flame, handing it over.
Yao Yan took the flame, licked his lips, and whispered, "Seal the area with your soul power to prevent the aura from leaking."
As his words fell, he summoned the Green Lotus Core Flame with his right hand. The Golden Flame appeared as well. Two heavenly flames plus a seventh-rank beast flame fused together under the shocked gazes of Yao Lao and Cai Lin. A terrifying wave of destructive energy surged forth, distorting the space around them in an instant.
The overwhelming fire attribute energy caused the temperature to skyrocket. As the three flames intertwined more deeply, the energy fluctuations became even more violent. If Yao Yan hadn't been suppressing them with his soul power, the explosion would have gone off immediately—enough to wipe the entire mountain peak from existence.
At that moment—
Even Yao Lao was stunned. In all his years, he had never seen someone play with heavenly flames like this. Truly outrageous!
If he hadn't known that Yao Yan wasn't suicidal, he would have definitely intervened.
Everyone knew that heavenly flames were extremely volatile natural treasures. A single one could cause immense destruction. Merging two was already exponentially more dangerous.
And now someone was attempting to fuse three?
Only someone who was either utterly ignorant or completely insane would do this!
Was Yao Yan the ignorant type?
As a seventh-tier alchemist, how could he not know? And yet, he still did it.
He was just that bold.
Yao Lao sighed. "This kid is a true madman."
To be fair, Yao Yan was far more daring than Yao Lao ever was in his youth.
Cai Lin remained silent at the side, though her tense posture betrayed her anxiety. Anyone in her position would be nervous. It was like standing next to someone mixing nitroglycerin—you'd understand the feeling.
She was completely numb.
(END CHAPTER)
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