Word Count: 3,081 Words
******
Feng Qing Er lifted her head, horror flooding her gaze as Xiao Yan approached step by step. Her beautiful eyes stared in disbelief toward the distance, where the ancestral soul supposedly invincible according to their records was being carved up and devoured!
The slain golden ancestral soul had become mere food, consumed piece by piece by that three-headed, six-armed monster.
It turned out she had never escaped this man's grasp! He had merely wanted to use the remnant power of the Ancient Heaven Phoenix to feed his Asura!
"You still couldn't withstand a single move from me." Xiao Yan crouched down, his warm hand gently caressing Feng Qing Er's cheek.
His touch no longer made her flinch. She had grown accustomed to it. The backlash from the ancestral soul's destruction had drained her so thoroughly she couldn't even summon the strength to tremble. Utter despair pooled in her eyes as she gazed up at the man before her.
Feng Qing Er no longer knew what words of mercy to plead for. She understood now. Xiao Yan had never intended to release her. She remained alive only because she still held value.
Nothing she said would matter. This Tianzun of the Hall of Souls was the most terrifying person she had ever encountered. His strength shattered her understanding of what was possible.
She couldn't withstand a single strike even with the ancestral soul summoned. Against such a foe, how could she, or even Elder Feng Lan, hope to resist? In the entire Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe, perhaps only Jiu Feng, the most talented with a bloodline that had returned to ancestral purity, might stand a chance against him.
"Qing... Qing Er... Qing Er..." Her mind had gone completely blank. She didn't even know what she should say.
After toying with her for a moment, Xiao Yan surprised her by withdrawing his hand and slowly standing up. "Well, though I said there'd be punishment, I really don't have many other methods. I can't just beat you up, can I?"
He spread his hands helplessly. He was Yan Tianzun, not Torture Tianzun. Fighting and killing were his forte, but when it came to torture, he only knew that one trick. His repertoire was rather limited.
Feng Qing Er's pale, tear-streaked face registered shock. She stared at Xiao Yan in disbelief.
He was actually letting her go!
But her happiness lasted less than a minute before she realized it was only an illusion!
Xiao Yan moved to Little Fairy Doctor's side, where she studied the ancient altar and the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit Tree.
After the fruit had been plucked, the tree had already begun to wither. This vast land had witnessed the fall of two Rank 9 magical beasts—an Ancient Void Dragon and an Ancient Heaven Phoenix. Combined with Saint Zhao Hua's extraordinary skill and various techniques, it had taken a thousand years to barely cultivate a single Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit.
Even if Little Fairy Doctor wanted to save the tree, she was powerless to do so. A sense of regret washed over her.
"Can you save this tree?" Pity colored her voice.
Xiao Yan shrugged. "Don't treat me like a miracle worker. If we had the 5th-ranked Life Spirit Flame, maybe there'd be a slight chance."
He paused, then added, "Actually, I need your help with something."
Curiosity flickered in Little Fairy Doctor's beautiful eyes. "What is it?"
"Do you have a poison... something that, with just a thought, could turn someone into a puddle of blood from thousands of miles away? Or at least one that could temporarily seal their Dou Qi and Spiritual Strength?" The casual tone from his warm mouth delivered such ice-cold words!
A strange expression crossed Little Fairy Doctor's eyes before she glanced at Feng Qing Er in the distance. The little color that had just begun returning to Feng Qing Er's face instantly drained away.
"Don't you think she's suffered enough?" Little Fairy Doctor actually felt some pity for Feng Qing Er. She had summoned the ancestral soul only to have Xiao Yan cut it down, injuring her soul in the process, and now she was to be poisoned as well.
Xiao Yan sighed helplessly. "Once we finish here, I need to take her to find Zi Yan. The Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit is something Zi Yan likely needs."
"This little phoenix is quite mischievous. If she leaves this barrier and somehow contacts the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe's experts, especially a Dou Saint, it'd be extremely troublesome."
Though Xiao Yan didn't know the strength of Huang Tian, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe's leader, or whether Feng Qing Er could even contact him, he couldn't take the risk. Furthermore, the tribe supposedly had the 'Three Phoenixes,' all of whom were Dou Saints.
Xiao Yan still owed the Third Tianzun a debt.
When someone approached an alchemist for a refinement, they typically needed to provide three sets of materials. If the refining succeeded, they would also owe the alchemist a favor. However, when an alchemist sought help from a powerful expert, the alchemist would need to offer pills satisfactory enough to trade for their assistance.
The difference was enormous. Pills capable of satisfying a Dou Saint would take several months or even a year to refine. That was far too time-consuming for Xiao Yan; he had to take precautions.
Feng Qing Er's face went white as snow. She fell to her knees, clutching Xiao Yan's robes as tears streamed down her face like rain on pear blossoms. "Master, Qing Er knows she was wrong! Please forgive Qing Er this once!"
"Qing Er swears she'll never betray Master! Qing Er can swear on her soul; she absolutely won't betray Master!"
Her hands clung desperately to Xiao Yan's robes, her voice trembling with boundless fear.
Feng Qing Er's pleading eyes met Xiao Yan's unmoving gaze. She desperately crawled to Little Fairy Doctor's side and begged, "Madam, please, I beg you. Qing Er begs you—spare me!"
Little Fairy Doctor looked down at the pitiful figure kneeling before her. She felt a twinge of sympathy, but—
Humm!
A grayish-white haze shrouded her beautiful eyes, and her lustrous hair turned the same color. That trace of pity vanished without a trace.
Little Fairy Doctor genuinely possessed a kind heart, but when Xiao Yan was threatened, she transformed into the Sky Poison Fairy, who could slaughter millions without hesitation. Human lives became worthless in her eyes!
"No... no... please..." Feng Qing Er's heart turned to cold ash. Terrifying poison power emanated from Little Fairy Doctor, strong enough to melt space itself.
"I'm sorry." Little Fairy Doctor extended her jade-like finger. Though Feng Qing Er tried to dodge, how could a mere 1-star Dou Venerate possibly evade her attack?
Feng Qing Er watched that approaching finger and finally realized that this gentle-looking, elegant young woman was also a demon!
They were a demon couple!
Little Fairy Doctor's finger pierced through space and tapped Feng Qing Er's forehead. A wisp of grayish-green poison fire flowed from her fingertip into Feng Qing Er's body with a soft hum.
"AHHH!!!"
Feng Qing Er felt as if she were drowning in a sea of flames, her entire body burning. Yet this wasn't merely surface heat. The poison caused her meridians to convulse in agony, inflicting pain from the inside out!
"AHHH!!!"
The Woeful Poison Fire invaded her body, and Feng Qing Er experienced the pain with horrifying clarity. The deeper the poison penetrated, the more intense the agony became.
Her Dou Qi, bloodline strength, and Spiritual Strength were all being corroded!
Yet Little Fairy Doctor showed some 'mercy'. The agony didn't last long. She withdrew the Woeful Poison Fire, and Feng Qing Er collapsed. Her soul had already suffered backlash, and now her body had been ravaged by the poison. She lacked even the strength to stand, her breathing shallow and her eyes completely dimmed.
That gaze reflected a total loss of hope for survival.
Xiao Yan's heart skipped a beat when he saw Feng Qing Er's eyes—complete despair and a surrender of the will to live.
This is bad.
I've gone too far!
Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed. He didn't particularly care about Feng Qing Er's life or death, but if she chose to self-destruct and destroy the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit along with her, that would be disastrous!
This Feng Qing Er still retained some pride in her heart. Push too hard, and she would rebound!
'I need to offer her a bit of sweetness.'
Divine golden light began radiating from Xiao Yan's body. His hand gently stroked the back of Feng Qing Er's head as life-giving flames gradually alleviated her suffering.
"Would you like your bloodline to return to its ancestral state and become a true Ancient Heaven Phoenix?"
Xiao Yan's voice resonated in Feng Qing Er's mind like celestial music, carrying an almost magical persuasiveness that made even his most outlandish claims seem believable.
This was the power of the second level of the Asura Soul Reaping Technique, imbuing his Spiritual Strength with a faith-like quality that inspired absolute trust.
Light instantly flickered in Feng Qing Er's eyes, as if hope had been rekindled!
"R-really?" Her eyes now held the eager innocence of a child being offered candy, filled with yearning and naive hope!
Xiao Yan flashed a brilliant, confident smile as he gently took her jade-like hand and helped her to her feet. He stepped forward and embraced her tenderly.
To Feng Qing Er's surprise, this embrace filled her with comforting warmth!
Xiao Yan gently stroked her hair, his voice soft. "Of course it's true."
"Little Fairy Doctor's poison is merely a precaution. As long as you don't betray me, nothing will happen to you."
For reasons she couldn't explain, Feng Qing Er no longer felt afraid or terrified.
Xiao Yan hadn't yet cultivated the second stage to major mastery, so this effect would vanish once he withdrew his Spiritual Strength. But that hardly mattered. All he needed was to ensure she didn't contemplate suicide.
He gradually withdrew the Spiritual Strength of his Asura Soul Reaping Technique and released her. Looking at Feng Qing Er with a smile, he asked, "Didn't I mention a reward? Have you heard of the Desolate Beast Heaven Spirit Pill?"
Despite the golden spiritual light fading, Feng Qing Er's beautiful eyes widened in shock. She nodded vigorously. "I have. It's a high-grade tier 8 pill said to offer a chance of reverting bloodlines to ancestral purity."
How could she not know of this pill? The reason Jiu Feng was so formidable, the sole candidate to become the next tribe leader, with a bloodline that had returned to its Ancient Heaven Phoenix state, was precisely because he had befriended a Yao Clan alchemist named Yao Tian. In exchange for this pill, his bloodline had indeed returned to its ancestral form, leading to his current achievements.
Though the Desolate Beast Heaven Spirit Pill's success rate for ancestral return wasn't high, at least it offered a chance!
"You... no, Master, would you truly refine a Desolate Beast Heaven Spirit Pill for Qing Er?" Hope filled Feng Qing Er's beautiful eyes. This pill was incredibly precious; it could attract six-colored or even seven-colored Pill Lightning!
"Of course. As long as you accompany me to the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe and deliver the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, I'll reward you with a Desolate Beast Heaven Spirit Pill. I, Xiao Yan, always keep my word."
Feng Qing Er considered his offer carefully. She understood that delivering the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit to the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe wouldn't change her situation. She would still remain under the control of this demon couple. Xiao Yan merely feared she might self-destruct and destroy the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit within her.
But did she truly want to self-destruct? Of course not! She didn't want to die!
While she had briefly contemplated suicide, Xiao Yan had effectively suppressed that thought. Though her fate was still controlled, she could at least obtain a Desolate Beast Heaven Spirit Pill and possibly gain freedom in the future!
Besides, the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe was already stronger than the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe. At most, she could only destroy the fruit, which wouldn't change that fundamental reality.
Little Fairy Doctor took out a pill and handed it to Xiao Yan. "This is an antidote pill. Once consumed, the Dou Qi seal will be released."
Xiao Yan understood immediately. She had only mentioned the Dou Qi seal would be lifted, not that the poison would be removed!
Little Fairy Doctor really had a knack for training birds!
Feng Qing Er bit her delicate lip, her expression conflicted. After a moment, she closed her eyes and nodded.
Having already betrayed her companions by not immediately summoning the ancestral soul, she could only continue down this dark path.
Venerable Tian Huo watched this scene from the side, his thoughts echoing the Third Tianzun's: He's too Hall of Souls!
Xiao Yan pulled out a black robe and draped it over Feng Qing Er, using his Spiritual Strength to block external perception. After all, the rest of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe members were dead; she would need an excuse eventually.
"What about this ancient altar?" Little Fairy Doctor gazed at it, clearly reluctant to leave it behind. It was clearly a treasure.
"Don't worry, I'll help you move it to your small valley later," Xiao Yan said with a smile, pleased to see her show interest in something.
A serene smile bloomed on Little Fairy Doctor's face. "Thank you."
Xiao Yan rubbed his nose. "Do we really need to say 'thank you' between us?"
Little Fairy Doctor froze, then recalled what had happened at the Pill Tower. Crimson flooded her cheeks, and she stammered, "That time... that was... was... an accident!"
"Oh, an accident? Quite an unexpected accident indeed." Xiao Yan covered his mouth to suppress a laugh, though genuine warmth filled his heart.
Little Fairy Doctor's beautiful eyes darted about helplessly. She just wanted to find a hole to crawl into.
Xiao Yan laughed heartily but didn't tease her further. "Let's go. We've delayed long enough."
Taking Feng Qing Er with them, the group exited the Beast Spiritual Barrier. As soon as they emerged, they spotted Nalan Yanran flying anxiously toward them.
"I told you, there's no way anything could happen to that kid," Hai Bodong said upon seeing Xiao Yan safe and sound.
Xiao Yan smiled at Nalan Yanran. "Don't worry. I still need to visit the Flower Sect. This little issue wasn't going to kill me."
Nalan Yanran nodded. Though she noticed the mysterious new black-robed figure, everyone tactfully refrained from asking questions. Only the Little Lion King kept its vigilant gaze fixed on the robed Feng Qing Er, somehow sensing its position as a mount was being threatened!
"Now that everything's settled, let's pack up and go!"
"Pack up?"
Xiao Yan grinned mischievously. Space distorted as a black cat emerged from dark flames. To everyone's astonishment, Mao Wu spewed endless black flames that engulfed the entire ancient medicinal herb forest.
Compared to the Nine-Headed Heaven Serpent's small world, this medicinal forest was much smaller. Within just fifteen minutes, it had been completely enveloped.
Whoosh!
The entire ancient medicinal herb forest vanished instantly, along with the Beast Spiritual Barrier's space, all absorbed into Mao Wu's body.
Little Fairy Doctor, Nalan Yanran, Feng Qing Er, and the others stared in shock at the suddenly vanished forest and the void space around them.
Venerable Tian Huo exclaimed, "So that's how you did it! That's how you moved that piece of land back to the Yan Alliance?"
"What kind of flame is that? It's incredible." Nalan Yanran curiously examined the small black cat perched on Xiao Yan's head. This cat was truly extraordinary!
Since Feng Qing Er was present, Xiao Yan didn't elaborate. "Let's go. There should be other good things here."
By now, his interest in the Tian Class Dou Technique had waned. He was far more curious about Saint Zhao Hua's herb cultivation inheritance.
They traversed the void and returned to the stone door, pushed it open, and quickly exited. The harvest of an entire ancient medicinal herb forest was already substantial. With it, Xiao Yan finally had enough ingredients to attempt breaking through to become a 9th-tier Treasure Pill Guru!
However, the gap between peak tier 8 and tier 9 was enormous. The Pill Tower's giants had been stuck at peak tier 8 for countless years, yet still couldn't cross the threshold.
This wasn't solely due to the Heavenly State Spiritual Strength requirement; Tier 9 Treasure Pills were genuinely that difficult to refine.
Like the difference between a Dou Saint and a 9-star Dou Venerate, it seemed like just one step, but that step was incredibly distant. Even with the ability to refine tier 8 pills that attracted nine-colored Pill Lightning and possessing a Heavenly State soul, the success rate for a true tier 9 pill remained below ten percent.
This required accumulation through time and massive quantities of ingredients.
Regardless, Xiao Yan now had the resources. All he lacked was time.
"Where to now?" Little Fairy Doctor asked, her gaze fixed on Xiao Yan. Unusual excitement animated her features. She hoped to obtain Saint Zhao Hua's inheritance so she could grow herbs for Xiao Yan's alchemy.
"Let's go deeper. The true treasures should be at the heart of the great hall." Xiao Yan pondered briefly, then looked up to determine the direction. The Little Lion King carried everyone deeper inside.
Along the way, they passed several pavilions. However, these structures had clearly been thoroughly looted while they were in the ancient forest. The surroundings were in complete disarray, and the once-orderly buildings had been reduced to rubble, a sight that made one shake their head.
Xiao Yan's group lost interest in examining the areas closely and hastened their pace toward the great hall's center after seeing the widespread destruction.
During their hurried journey, they encountered numerous teams searching for treasure. Strangely, all these groups seemed to be heading in the same direction.
Xiao Yan and Little Fairy Doctor exchanged knowing glances and nodded slightly before following them.
"It's medicinal fragrance..."
"Could it be that Saint Zhao Hua left behind pills as well?!"
After a moment of consideration, Feng Qing Er spoke up. "The members of the Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe once mentioned that their target was a medicinal pill."