Chapter 140: You Are So Useless
Demon Flame Valley?!
Hearing Yao Yan's words, Yuan Yi's expression froze for a moment, and his heart trembled. He hadn't expected Yao Yan to set his sights on Demon Flame Valley. It was one of the most powerful forces in the Black-Corner Region, second only to Jia Nan Academy. If the ancestors of Demon Flame Valley were still alive, even facing Jia Nan Academy head-on, they would not fear them.
Among the four elders in the valley, three had reached the level of Nine-Star Dou Huang, and the remaining one had reached Five-Star Dou Huang.
Let alone the other elders and disciples.
Yuan Yi's face showed some difficulty, and after a moment's hesitation, he spoke up to persuade Yao Yan: "Master, perhaps we should choose another target. There's a rumor that the valley master, Earth Demon Old Ghost, is still alive. If we provoke him... we might get into trouble."
He was actually somewhat afraid of Demon Flame Valley because when his ancestor was alive, he had commented on Earth Demon Old Ghost's power, saying that this person was among the top five in the entire Black-Corner Region. The top five here were not the public figures like those on the black list, but the acknowledged top experts of Black-Corner Region, recognized for their own strength.
"Don't worry, his strength won't exceed Seven-Star Dou Zong. With our strength, we should be able to handle him. What do you think?"
Yao Yan smiled faintly and glanced at Yao Lao, who was deep in thought, and asked for his opinion.
In truth, Yao Yan chose Demon Flame Valley mainly because the rewards were great. Whether it was the Flame Technique or the Celestial Demon Puppet, both were excellent skills in the early to mid stages. Moreover, Demon Flame Valley had existed in Black-Corner Region for centuries, and its history could rival that of Jia Nan Academy. Its treasures were undoubtedly vast, and acquiring them would greatly increase Yao Yan's value.
Compared to oppressing a weak force, eliminating an old powerhouse like Demon Flame Valley would attract stronger individuals to join him.
In places like Black-Corner Region, the strong usually follow whichever side is stronger.
Yao Lao paused, his hand motionless as he stroked his beard. He glanced at Yao Yan and said with irritation: "You brat really think of me as some kind of laborer... But if his strength reaches Seven-Star Dou Zong, in my current state, I can only restrain him. Completely destroying him would be a bit tricky."
He paused for a moment.
He sighed and continued, "I no longer have a physical body, and I can't perform various techniques. Relying only on my soul power, it's hard to kill a real high-level Dou Zong!"
Saying these words, he felt a bit downhearted. He used to be the revered Medicine Sovereign, but now he had fallen to the point where he couldn't even deal with a Seven-Star Dou Zong. It was a bitter reality. He used to pride himself on his great judgment in recognizing talent, which led to him befriending someone like Feng Xian. But now... that judgment seemed like a joke.
"Are you really so weak?"
Yao Yan was surprised. He hadn't expected Yao Lao to say something like this. Couldn't even handle a Seven-Star Dou Zong? Wasn't Seven-Star Dou Zong that strong? He remembered from the original story that Earth Demon Old Ghost was easily defeated by the Elders of the Two-Star, their strength even less than Yun Shan's.
Yao Lao laughed angrily. "You brat really think a high-level Dou Zong is as easy to defeat as cabbage? Even in the Central Plains, a Seven-Star Dou Zong is a big shot. Few people or forces would dare provoke them. In the Central Plains, a person of such strength could be the ruler of a region."
He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Yao Yan had really placed him on a high pedestal! If Seven-Star Dou Zong were so easy to kill, Dou Zongs would be too cheap.
"Young master, it's not just about Earth Demon Old Ghost. The Golden and Silver Elders are also not trustworthy people. If you use the Breaking Sect Pills to lure them, they won't refuse. But once we're in a weaker position, they will definitely turn on us... We can't rely on them."
Yuan Yi stubbornly tried to persuade him, hoping Yao Yan would abandon the idea. Demon Flame Valley was not easy to deal with.
If the elders of Demon Flame Valley hadn't been in seclusion, Mo Tianxing's interference might not have happened. A one-star Dou Zong seemed powerful, but facing multiple peak Nine-Star Dou Huang experts, even a one-star Dou Zong wouldn't stand much of a chance. Just like the Golden and Silver Elders could hold their own against a Dou Zong, three peak Dou Huang experts could cause trouble for a one-star Dou Zong. Even if they couldn't defeat him, they could at least restrain him.
Xiao Yi Xian said nothing, her deep purple eyes watching Yao Yan in silence, waiting for him to make his decision. She trusted that Yao Yan wouldn't act impulsively or do something unrealistic.
"Do you think the Soul Hall will intervene?"
Yao Yan closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before turning to Yao Lao and asking.
"?!"
Yao Lao was startled, his expression showing clear surprise. After a brief pause, his voice suddenly became firm. "You want to cooperate with the Soul Hall? Kid, I must remind you that those people from the Soul Hall are not ones to be used by others. They are very greedy and are especially obsessed with powerful souls. If they find out I'm still alive, do you believe the Soul Hall people will stick to us like a leech?"
"If you really have this idea, I advise you to give it up. With your talents, you just need time to become the strongest on the Dou Qi continent. There's no need to place yourself in such a dangerous situation!"
After saying this, he looked at Yao Yan with some confusion and continued, "I've always been puzzled. You seem so desperate!"
With Yao Yan's talent, there was no need for such urgency. Within ten years, he could definitely reach the Dou Zong level, and even touch the Dou Zun realm. In a hundred years, he could reach the peak of Dou Zun and attempt a breakthrough to Dou Sheng. As long as he didn't die halfway, there would be no significant cultivation obstacles. With techniques like the Burning Decision, combined with his talent, Yao Yan would certainly be the first person Yao Lao had seen reach Dou Sheng.
"Strength is weak, unable to control one's fate. The Black-Corner Region is just a miniature version of the Dou Qi continent..." Yao Yan smiled slightly, speaking calmly.
He really was desperate. After being tormented by Hun Xuzi, he had developed an obsession with power. This obsession had become more important than anything else, even surpassing love and affection. In the world of Dou Qi continent, without power, everything was just a fleeting moment.
Moreover, the trouble with the Soul Clan was just beginning, and the outerworld evil clans of the Great Thousand World were an even bigger problem.
He walked the same path as Emperor Yan from the original story. In the future, the three strongest would surely have vacancies. He didn't know if the world will of the Great Thousand World would create another god, just like Mu Chen... In fact, in Yao Yan's view, whether it was Mu Chen, Xiao Yan, or others, they all seemed like 'saints' bound by the Great Thousand World. The so-called Sky Ranking was quite interesting, as true powerhouses didn't channel their strength into themselves but had to rely on the Sky Ranking to use the power of the world. They even had to break through the Grand Ruler's realm with its help.
That Grand Ruler's realm seemed like a "saint" position granted by the heaven's will.
What use was such a saintly position?
Compared to the Grand Ruler's realm, Yao Yan admired the outerworld evil spirits' idea of devouring the entire world. Cultivation should allow the power to be channeled into oneself so that nothing need be feared.
However, these things were still far from Yao Yan's reach. He wasn't at that level yet, but that didn't mean he wasn't desperate. The earlier he broke through, the earlier he could enter the game. If he waited until the later stages, it would be too late... The Demon God wouldn't give him time to slowly cultivate.
He had been plotting for ten thousand years, and the final deadline seemed to be only two or three hundred years away.
Two to three hundred years.
From Dou Wang to the Sacred Heaven Supreme... Yao Yan couldn't help but feel a tinge of urgency. However, these thoughts, he could never express to anyone, nor even speak to himself. Who knew if the will of the Great Thousand World would detect it?
The Sky Ranking that required a name was extremely suspicious.
"But cultivation also requires taking it step by step. Being too impatient isn't a good thing," Yao Lao said seriously. He didn't want Yao Yan to become someone who only pursued power. There was much more beauty in the world. Being obsessed with cultivation would cause one to miss all those beautiful sights. Even if you reach the peak, what good would it do?
Is one supposed to become a slave to power?
"You can rest assured about that, Elder. Cultivation is cultivation, but I still keep an eye on the scenery along the way." Yao Yan smiled, his gaze shifting toward Xiao Yi Xian, and he winked at her.
"...What are you looking at me for?" Xiao Yi Xian froze for a moment, then her gaze turned cold. She lightly parted her red lips and questioned, "I'm not your scenery on the side of the road!"
"You are the scenery on my life's journey... A very unique scenery, one I can never forget."
Yao Yan smiled and said naturally.
Faced with Yao Yan's blatant gaze, Xiao Yi Xian couldn't resist. She turned her head away, not wanting to continue staring at him. She felt an inexplicable unease in her heart, which made her quite irritated.
"Master, please don't go after snakes..." Yuan Yi looked at Yao Yan as he flirted and couldn't help but feel speechless. Somehow, he felt that Yao Yan was unreliable. He had been focused on Demon Flame Valley, and now it seemed he wanted to recruit the Soul Hall as well. He had heard of the notorious Soul Hall.
They were a group of ruthless individuals who didn't leave a single bone behind when they devoured someone. If ordinary people killed someone, they might just knock their heads to the ground, but the Soul Hall never spared anyone, and even kept the corpse of the strong. They truly left nothing to waste.
Cooperating with them was essentially asking for a short life.
"Nevertheless, I've still decided to target Demon Flame Valley... Demon Flame Valley is the oldest power in Black-Corner Region. Its position is special, and only by destroying it can our power be superior to the entire Black-Corner Region. I plan to bring Jia Nan Academy into the fold."
After teasing Xiao Yi Xian for a while, Yao Yan's expression returned to normal, and he spoke lightly.
"Jia Nan Academy never gets involved in the power struggles of the Black-Corner Region. Their position here is very special," Yuan Yi said in surprise.
"There is no rule that is eternal," Yao Yan said lightly.
After a pause, he slowly stood up, adjusted his collar, and smiled, "I plan to go and apply for a teaching position at Jia Nan Academy and talk to the Grand Elder there."
"..."
Yao Lao and the others were left speechless, watching Yao Yan with a serious expression. They realized that he wasn't joking. At his age, others would be going to be students, but Yao Yan... was going to be a teacher. With his strength and alchemy skills, being a teacher at Jia Nan Academy was obviously more than enough.
Yao Lao's lips twitched, and he said, "Have you really thought this through?"
Hearing this, Yao Yan couldn't help but complain, "We'll have to go see sooner or later, right? The main reason is that you haven't made up your mind. Otherwise, why would I have to take this roundabout route and bring Jia Nan Academy into this? It's such a hassle."
Yao Lao's lips twitched again, feeling somewhat offended.
"What about me?"
Xiao Yi Xian coldly stared at Yao Yan and asked.
Yao Yan handed her a jade pendant with his soul mark, speaking softly, "You and Yao Lao stay in Black-Corner City for now. If anything unexpected happens, crush this pendant, and I'll come back as quickly as possible. While I'm not here, just watch the situation. This disturbance shouldn't end so quickly."
Xiao Yi Xian took the pendant without speaking, her cold eyes fixed on Yao Yan. "Don't forget the promise you made to me."
"I won't forget the promise. When I break through to Dou Huang, I'll definitely help you advance!"
Yao Yan guaranteed.
Once he reached Dou Huang, his control over the heavenly flame would certainly increase several levels, and perhaps he could help Xiao Yi Xian evolve in a safer manner. Even if it failed, he could still protect her life with his alchemy skills, as long as she didn't die instantly.
...
...
Black-Corner Region, Feng City,
The long-closed door slowly opened, and a young man dressed in a pale golden robe walked out. His expression was somewhat gloomy, and his mood seemed bad. His fist was clenched tightly, and a faint blue flame flickered in his pupils, making his aura even colder.
"Damn old man, if you had given me the complete Burning Decision back then, none of this would have happened!"
The young man cursed softly, clearly in a bad mood.
This person was none other than Han Feng, the Medicine Emperor of Black-Corner Region. He had been in seclusion for several months, and now, he had come out. The reason for his seclusion was to deal with the Sea Heart Flame that had been constantly stirring within him. With the help of medicinal pills, he barely managed to use the incomplete Burning Decision to devour the Sea Heart Flame, allowing him to break through into the Dou Huang realm.
But afterward, trouble came.
Perhaps due to the incompleteness of the Burning Decision, the fusion with the Sea Heart Flame wasn't perfect, and there was a huge repulsive reaction. It was like forcibly implanting another person's organs into his body—how could they perfectly merge? Moreover, the heavenly flame was even more volatile than this thing. If it weren't for his strong soul power and the help of medicinal pills, his body would likely have collapsed by now.
"If I devour a second heavenly flame, maybe I can keep the two in balance..."
Han Feng's eyes flickered as he muttered to himself.
If Yao Yan were here, he would probably admire Han Feng's genius for thinking of such a dangerous idea. But to be honest, this idea might actually work. With the incomplete Burning Decision, as long as the two heavenly flames could be maintained in the state of a fire lotus, his body would no longer reject them.
But in this case, he would become a human fire lotus, ready to explode!
(END CHAPTER)
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