Upon receiving the trail of the Scorpion Venom Dragon Beast, Xiao Yan did not hasten with impetuous urgency. A beast possessing the strength of an Eight-Star Battle Sect was no ordinary creature. If preparations were not meticulous, their chances of success would be slim. Currently, Xiao Yan’s strength was only at the One-Star Battle Sect level. Little Healer Immortal, to his surprise, had reached the Six-Star Battle Sect tier. This advancement speed was quite formidable. If the two of them joined forces, it wasn’t impossible to slay the Scorpion Venom Dragon Beast. However, it would certainly be a taxing endeavor, as the Eight-Star Battle Sect was equivalent to the likes of Fei Tian. Moreover, no one knew if he harbored any trump cards. If they failed to apprehend him in one go, he might flee far away, rendering it even more difficult to track him down. Additionally, even if Xiao Yan had the energy, Little Healer Immortal didn’t have the time to linger. Therefore, they must ensure success upon their first attempt! Besides, the overlord of Demonfall Gorge, the Scorpion Venom Dragon Beast, had already taken on a human form. His wisdom rivaled that of humans and might even outstrip it. Under his command, there surely would be many formidable demonic beasts. Thus, once they made their move, these beasts would pose some minor obstacles.
Fortunately, in Xiao Yan’s storage ring resided the Heavenly Fire Venerable, a great asset. Originally, he had planned to first create a body for the Heavenly Fire Venerable before dealing with the Scorpion Venom Dragon Beast. However, after checking the materials in his storage ring, he discovered that he was missing a crucial item: the essence blood of a Seventh-Grade demonic beast. Of course, it’s not entirely unavailable; the essence blood extracted from the corpse of the Sky Monarch had a high-grade composition, but alas, it was insufficient in quantity. The few drops of Sky Monarch’s essence blood Xiao Yan currently possessed were far from enough to complete the body. Hence, the needed essence blood would likely have to come from the Scorpion Venom Dragon Beast itself. Inside the cave, bathed in soft light, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged with his upper body bare. On his chest, the ink-black demonic toxin spot pulsed slowly. Around it, a faint blue halo shimmered. Waves of intense heat continuously radiated, and within this heat, tendrils of black smoke continually emerged and were absorbed back in. With Xiao Yan’s current strength, the demonic toxin spot no longer posed a significant threat. By harnessing the power of the alien flames, he could now easily refine it. Nonetheless, concerned about affecting his cultivation foundation should he rapidly increase his strength, Xiao Yan was particularly cautious during the refining process, meticulously extracting and assimilating each strand of toxin.
Although Xiao Yan’s progress was restrained by his meticulous refinement, his cultivation speed was beyond what an ordinary Battle Sect could achieve. After all, few had access to such pure Dou Qi for absorption. In hindsight, the late Scorpion Biyan of the Venomous Scorpion Sect had inadvertently left Xiao Yan a valuable treasure. A campfire burned in the cave, and by its side, Little Healer Immortal rested her delicate face in her hand, occasionally glancing at the meditating Xiao Yan. Her eyes paused on the demonic toxin spot on his chest, a wistful look reflecting memories of their battle against the Venomous Scorpion Sect in the Yunyun Empire long ago. Boom! As Little Healer Immortal’s thoughts drifted, a low, resonant sound reverberated through the cave. She quickly raised her head, observing the suddenly turbulent energy within the cave, which surged frenetically towards one corner. Following the direction of the surging energy, she found it centered on Xiao Yan. Her eyes reflected a touch of surprise: “Advancing?” This phenomenon was not unfamiliar to Little Healer Immortal, as she had experienced it multiple times. “The late Scorpion Biyan’s strength was around Three or Four-Star Battle Sect. Though he inflicted some suffering on Xiao Yan by forming the toxic spot with his lifetime Dou Qi, overall, it was a beneficial supplement,” Little Healer Immortal murmured, showing no concern. When she saw Xiao Yan, she sensed that he was at the peak of One-Star Battle Sect, not far from a breakthrough. Adding the intense refining of the toxins recently, his promotion was imminent. As expected, when the phenomenon occurred, Xiao Yan showed no panic. Instead, he increased his absorptive pull, channeling a vibrant green flame from his body, which then refined and assimilated the incoming energy.
In Demonfall Gorge, poisons were prevalent, and even the ambient energy was tainted with toxins. Ordinary experts dared not cultivate here, but Xiao Yan, with his alien flames, could easily neutralize the toxins. The energy surge required for Battle Sect advancement was enormous. Continuous energy flowed into the cave, forming a vortex around Xiao Yan before being absorbed into his body. Noticing Xiao Yan’s commotion, Little Healer Immortal stood up lazily, heading towards the cave entrance. The poisons in Demonfall Gorge were very sensitive to energy fluctuations. Xiao Yan’s extensive absorption was bound to draw their attention, so she would need to watch for him. At the cave entrance, Little Healer Immortal gazed out at the dark world, leaning leisurely against the rock wall. A profound, overwhelming aura emanated from her, deterring the vicious, poisonous creatures drawn to the energy disturbance.
The phenomenon inside the cave lasted for about half an hour before the rampant energy gradually subsided. The vortex around Xiao Yan also started to dissipate. Soon after the last trace of energy merged into him, his tightly closed eyes trembled and slowly opened. Two beams of tangible energy shot out from his eyes, piercing a boulder with a *puff*. This was due to the excess energy in his body. As the energy beams dispersed, the brilliance in Xiao Yan’s eyes receded, returning to their former calm. At first glance, he appeared unchanged, but his presence was now doubly intimidating. Extending his hand, Xiao Yan clutched the air, causing space to ripple. This control was a hallmark of Battle Sect. However, it was still at a preliminary stage. Only upon reaching Dou Zun or even Dou Sheng could one master spatial manipulation.
“Done?” As Xiao Yan relished in manipulating space, a gentle laugh interrupted him. Looking up, he saw Little Healer Immortal, dressed in a white robe, looking as fresh and enchanting as ever. “This demonic toxin spot is truly a good thing. If I were to absorb external energy to reach Two-Star Battle Sect, it would take me at least another month,” Xiao Yan chuckled, glancing at the black spot on his chest.
“But you must have the ability to wield it. Have you forgotten how much this thing tormented you?” Little Healer Immortal rolled her eyes. This guy truly had a short memory.
Xiao Yan smiled and put on his clothes. “Xinlan hasn’t returned yet?”
“Mm, she’s been gone for four days. Is everything alright?” Little Healer Immortal nodded, hesitantly.
“Probably. Earth Demon Puppet is protecting her. If something had happened, we would have sensed it. Let’s wait a couple more days. Once the puppet returns, we can deal with the Scorpion Venom Dragon Beast with assured success.”
Little Healer Immortal, naturally, agreed. Over the next day, Xinlan still hadn’t returned. Just as Xiao Yan began to feel uneasy, a gust of wind sounded outside the cave. A familiar figure rushed in, followed closely by the Earth Demon Puppet.
Seeing a safe Xinlan, Xiao Yan and Little Healer Immortal both sighed in relief. But noticing the panic in her expression, they frowned: “What happened?”
“Brother Xiao Yan, things are complicated. You and Sister Healer Fairy are being hunted by the Glacier Valley. They seem to know you’re still in Demonfall Gorge. Many Glacier Valley strongmen are heading this way, including a Peak Battle Sect,” Xinlan stuttered, her cheeks pale.
“Peak Battle Sect?” Hearing this, Xiao Yan and Little Healer Immortal’s expressions changed, their faces clouding. The Glacier Valley was willing to invest heavily. Even Fei Tian of the Wind Lightning Pavilion hadn’t reached such a level.
“We must expedite our plan. We need to deal with the Scorpion Venom Dragon Beast before they find us. Once the Heavenly Fire Venerable has his body, we’ll be fine!” Xiao Yan’s eyes flickered. Now was not the time to wonder how the Glacier Valley knew their whereabouts. Glancing at the sky, he stood up, turning to Little Healer Immortal. “Let’s go!”
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