Ever since that day when Little Healer Immortal fell into a coma due to poisoning, the days in the small valley once again became as leisurely and peaceful as before. Perhaps it was because Xiao Yan had not distanced himself from her even after learning of her identity, which moved Little Healer Immortal greatly. Now, she was almost at the point where she could talk about anything with Xiao Yan. It seemed that Xiao Yan’s actions, originally out of some sympathy, had inadvertently won the complete trust of Little Healer Immortal. And for this, Xiao Yan had not expected it.
The calm days in the valley passed slowly, one by one. The purple flame within Xiao Yan’s body grew stronger and more robust under the scorching sun, thanks to his persistent and arduous cultivation. Of course, such rapid progress was entirely due to the assistance of the Purple Crystal Essence. Without this magical substance, it would have been absolutely impossible for Xiao Yan to make the purple flame grow to its current state in just a few years.
Another day of intense cultivation under the blazing sun, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes. His dark pupils were filled with a dense purple luster for quite a while before it gradually dissipated. As the cultivation ended, instead of getting up to avoid the scorching sun as he usually did, Xiao Yan raised his head, squinted, and looked at the huge sun in the distant sky. Raising his palm, he shouted lightly, “Manifest!”
With the shout, a purple flame suddenly flared up on Xiao Yan’s palm. At this moment, the purple flame not only enveloped his hand but also extended up his arm until it reached his elbow, where it stopped slowly.
Looking down at his arm, now covered in purple flames, a wave of joy surged across Xiao Yan’s face. Clenching his fist, he struck the ground fiercely. Instantly, with a loud explosion, cracks spread out from the point of contact, extending in all directions until they hit the mountain wall and stopped.
“Such powerful force,” Xiao Yan couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement, seeing the destruction caused by the punch.
“It’s barely acceptable, but now the power of the purple flame is approaching the limit of your control. If you continue to cultivate, the backlash will likely come soon,” the Pharmacist Elder floated out from the ring, glancing at the purple flame covering half of Xiao Yan’s arm, and smiled.
“Indeed, it’s almost at the limit. Controlling the vortex of purple flame in my body is clearly not as smooth as it used to be. If it continues to grow, it might take over.”
Nodding, Xiao Yan said, “Since that’s the case…”
The Pharmacist Elder smiled faintly and said softly, “Then… you should devour it before it can strike back.”
Looking down at the surging purple flame on his palm, Xiao Yan grinned and asked, “When shall we start?”
“Tomorrow noon. Today, you need to prepare some things,” the Pharmacist Elder smiled.
“What do I need to prepare?”
“Devouring the purple flame and evolving your cultivation method isn’t as simple as you imagine. Although this purple flame is far inferior to ‘Heavenly Fire,’ for someone with your Nine-Star Dou strength, it’s extremely difficult to devour it smoothly. So, you need to prepare two types of pills as a precaution,” the Pharmacist Elder said with a smile.
“Pulse-Protecting Pill and Ice Heart Pill, these are both second-grade pills. Normally, with your first-grade alchemy skills, it would be difficult to refine them successfully. But now, with the purple flame that is much stronger than ordinary Dou Qi, you can increase the success rate somewhat.”
“As the name suggests, the Pulse-Protecting Pill has the function of protecting the meridians and body. When you devour the purple flame, you need to run it through the routes of the Flaming Decree. This substantial purple flame is not as gentle as ordinary Dou Qi; it causes significant damage wherever it passes. The meridians are the most important part of cultivation and must not be harmed in the slightest. Therefore, the Pulse-Protecting Pill is something you must prepare,” the Pharmacist Elder said seriously. “Moreover, the purple flame’s nature is inherently domineering and wild. During the process of devouring, the violent intent contained in the purple flame will seep into your mind. If your mind is eroded, the plan to devour it will naturally be shattered, and it might leave lasting side effects. Therefore, these two things are essential when you devour the purple flame.”
Seeing the serious and earnest expression on the Pharmacist Elder’s face, Xiao Yan did not dare to be careless and quickly nodded.
“These are the prescriptions for the two pills. The herbs needed can be found in this small valley, but in addition, you need a second-grade Wood Attribute and Ice Attribute magic nuclei, each one.”
The Pharmacist Elder lightly touched Xiao Yan’s forehead, transferring the prescription information, and then added.
“Second-grade Wood Attribute and Ice Attribute magic nuclei?” Hearing this, Xiao Yan was taken aback and then helplessly nodded. In his storage, he only had a second-grade Wood Attribute magic nucleus, which he had obtained after going to great lengths to hunt a second-grade Magical Beast to test his strength. As for the second-grade Ice Attribute magic nucleus, he didn’t have one. It seemed that in the following time, he would have to enter the Magical Beast Mountains to hunt for a Magical Beast with such a magic nucleus himself.
Closing his eyes and recalling the herbs needed for the two pills, Xiao Yan glanced at the sky again, then leaped down from the rock, finding Little Healer Immortal quietly reading the Rainbow Poison Scripture in the valley. He explained to her the purpose of his departure.
Hearing that Xiao Yan was going out to hunt a second-grade Magical Beast, Little Healer Immortal immediately became worried and wanted to go with him, but Xiao Yan stopped her. After all, with his current strength, he couldn’t guarantee her safety in front of a second-grade Magical Beast.
Blocked by Xiao Yan, Little Healer Immortal reluctantly gave up the idea of going together, but she still handed him a meticulously prepared poison pill, feeling a bit uneasy.
Very clear about Little Healer Immortal’s ability to concoct poisons, Xiao Yan didn’t decline this time. Carefully putting away the black pill, he thanked her and quickly rushed to the cliffside, watched by Little Healer Immortal. With a burst, his feet stepped off, and his figure soared like a great eagle, straight towards the peak of the valley.
Standing on the peak, Xiao Yan waved to Little Healer Immortal in the valley, and then his body shook slightly. The Purple Cloud Wings spread out behind him, glowing with a faint purple light under the sun.
Standing on the summit, Xiao Yan could see the outline of half the Magical Beast Mountains. Everywhere he looked, the lush green trees dominated the view. Occasionally, a gust of wind from the mountains swept across, causing a green wave to rise in the forest, quite spectacular.
Looking up at the scorching sun, Xiao Yan wiped his sweat, his wings fluttered slightly, and then he jumped off the cliff, using the buoyancy to fly swiftly towards the heart of the Magical Beast Mountains.
The Magical Beast Mountains were vast, and it was indeed difficult to find a second-grade Ice Attribute Magical Beast in such a wide area. After searching for nearly an hour without results, Xiao Yan had no choice but to ask the Pharmacist Elder to help, relying on his abnormal soul perception to search within a thousand meters.
Although he always said that everything would depend on Xiao Yan after entering the mountains, the Pharmacist Elder didn’t refuse in this situation. After closing his eyes for a short while, he slowly opened them, pointing to the southeast, and said with a smile, “There is a second-grade Ice Attribute Magical Beast, but there seems to be some other situation. Shall we go? If not, we can look elsewhere, but it will take more time.”
Seeing where the Pharmacist Elder pointed, Xiao Yan flapped his wings and flew swiftly, throwing a Rejuvenation Pill into his mouth as he muttered, “Let’s check it out first.”
Soaring through the air, as he neared the destination, Xiao Yan’s eyebrows suddenly furrowed. From below in the forest came panicked shouts, and the number of people seemed considerable.
“Teacher, is it here?” Xiao Yan asked doubtfully.
“Yes, there are some mercenaries hunting Magical Beasts below, but they seem to have attracted an extra second-grade Ice Attribute Magical Beast by mistake. They are being chased around,” the Pharmacist Elder’s voice came from the ring, laughing.
Shaking his head helplessly, Xiao Yan slowly retracted his wings, turning them into a tattoo on his back. His body flipped mid-air, and his feet steadily landed on a large tree branch, looking down.
Below Xiao Yan was a relatively spacious clearing. At this moment, dozens of mercenaries were fleeing in panic, and behind them, two second-grade Magical Beasts were relentlessly pursuing them. Given their mere Fighter-level strength, they could hardly resist the two second-grade Magical Beasts, so the situation was essentially a one-sided chase.
Scanning the mercenaries carefully, Xiao Yan suddenly realized that they seemed to belong to a mercenary group, and the somewhat familiar emblem suggested that it was the Blood Battle Mercenary Group that Xiao Yan had encountered, led by Kegan.
“Ah…” Just as Xiao Yan was scanning, a familiar, frightened scream suddenly rose from the chaotic crowd. Xiao Yan was slightly startled and looked down, seeing a girl among the people trip and fall. Behind her, a second-grade Magical Beast, with its fangs bared, pounced fiercely.
Staring at the screaming girl, Xiao Yan’s brow furrowed. This girl was Ling’er from Kegan’s squad.
Given Xiao Yan’s distance, even if he wanted to help, he couldn’t get there in time, so he could only shake his head helplessly.
Just as the Magical Beast was about to pounce on Ling’er, a roar suddenly sounded, “Beast, get lost!”
With the shout, a sturdy figure shot out from the woods, wielding a large broadsword, and slashed at the second-grade Magical Beast’s claws, causing both to retreat a step.
“Huh?” Seeing that the person who appeared could fight the second-grade Magical Beast head-on without losing, Xiao Yan was surprised.
“Uncle Ferri!” The girl, whose face had turned pale, saw the arrival of the man and a look of relief washed over her, and she called out hurriedly.
“Ling’er, fall back!” The man, called Ferri, didn’t turn around and shouted, then his gaze swept to the two beasts that had gathered again due to his appearance, his mouth full of bitterness. With his Two-Star Great Swordmaster strength, he could only handle one second-grade beast at best.
“Captain, what should we do?” A middle-aged man stepped out from the crowd, asking anxiously, very aware of Ferri’s capabilities.
“Kegan, consolidate the formation, don’t let it get disorganized, or they’ll pick us off one by one!” Ferri bellowed.
“Uncle Ferri, you can’t fight those two second-grade beasts alone,” Ling’er said urgently, about to step forward, but a slender arm grabbed her from behind, and a cool female voice spoke, “Don’t disturb the Captain!”
Grabbed by the woman, Ling’er turned her head pitifully, looking at the cold, yet devilishly beautiful woman behind her, “Sis Qing, let’s help Uncle Ferri hold them off for a while?”
The woman, known as Sis Qing, was tall and had skin that wasn’t as pure as jade but rather a sexy, tanned color. Her black, tight-fitting short leather jacket accentuated her proud chest, and her waist, exposed by the short top, was slender and flat, drawing the eye. Her legs, encased in tight black leather shorts, were firm and held a long dagger, giving her the appearance of a fierce leopardess in the forest, exuding both power and wildness.
This type of woman, men’s first thought upon seeing her was to conquer her, making the leopardess-like woman submit beneath them. Of course, this thought flashed through Xiao Yan’s mind initially, but he quickly dismissed it, for he was not a reckless person. Years of rigorous training had given him extraordinary self-control.
“With our numbers, if we don’t maintain our formation, we’ll be picked off one by one by the second-grade beasts. Follow the Captain’s orders, gather the formation, and don’t cause any more trouble. If not for your interference, we wouldn’t have drawn out the two second-grade beasts, and we nearly lost a comrade just now!” The woman, Sis Qing, frowned and scolded Ling’er.
Chastised, Ling’er felt wronged but didn’t dare to argue, and stood obediently beside the woman.
“Qingye, if something goes wrong, take Ling’er and leave first, we’ll hold them off here,” a young man in white clothing approached and said with a smile.
Glancing at the young man, Sis Qing responded coolly, “I won’t leave unless the Captain orders it, and in terms of strength, you’re far weaker than me.”
Embarrassed, the young man rubbed his nose and shrugged helplessly at Ling’er, who was making faces beside him.
Seeing Mullan embarrassed, Ling’er giggled secretly. If she had seen Mullan flattering Sis Qing before, she would have felt a bit uncomfortable, but now, for some reason, the Mullan she once admired no longer elicited the same feelings. Occasionally, her thoughts would wander, and the image of a boy with a huge black ruler would inexplicably pop into her mind…
“Heard that he actually killed Mu She from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, that guy was even a headache for Uncle Ferri, such a liar, claiming he was only an Eight-Section Fighter…”
Holding onto Sis Qing’s arm, Ling’er recalled the news that had been spreading in Qingshan Town for a month, and a strange feeling welled up in her heart.
“Blood Battle members, form up! Hold the ice-type second-grade beast for the Captain!” As Ling’er was thinking, Kegan had already quickly organized the formation, and with a wave of his hand, dozens of well-coordinated mercenaries rushed out, intercepting the second-grade beast that was about to attack Ferri.
Blocked by a group of miscellaneous fighters, the beast roared in anger, swinging its sharp claws, sending several icy blasts that struck the mercenaries’ shields, forming a layer of thin ice, causing the soldiers to drop their now-icy shields.
“Block it! Earth-type fighters in front, fire-types attack its weak points!” Seeing the team falling behind, Kegan shouted urgently.
Kegan’s shout had barely fallen when the ice-type beast roared impatiently, spreading a white ice layer that froze the mercenaries on contact, chilling them to the bone.
The newly formed formation crumbled under the second-grade beast’s attack. The ice-type beast, with red eyes, began its slaughter, smashing several dodging mercenaries back with a bloody cough.
“Captain, we can’t hold!” Seeing the second-grade beast wreaking havoc, Kegan, pale-faced, shouted to Ferri, who was battling another second-grade beast.
Swinging his massive sword, forcing the second-grade beast back, Ferri retreated a few steps, and under everyone’s gaze, he raised his head and shouted to a large tree, “Friend, we’re all making a living in the Magical Beast Mountains. If it’s convenient, please lend a hand. The Blood Battle Mercenary Group will be eternally grateful!”
Surprised, the surrounding mercenaries looked at each other, then turned their gaze to where Ferri was looking.
After a brief silence, a response came from the dense forest, “I can help kill the second-grade ice-type beast, but if it has a magic core…”
“It’s yours!” Hearing this, Ferri gladly agreed.
“Ha ha, the Captain is so generous. I was helped by a few of your comrades a while ago, so consider this a return favor,” a light laugh sounded, and from the treetops, a shadow swooped down like a large bird.
“Clang!” Sis Qing gritted her teeth and clashed with the ice-type beast, her face turning pale from the powerful impact as she retreated.
The beast, having driven Sis Qing back, roared viciously and lunged again. Just as Sis Qing was about to counterattack, a black shadow streaked from the sky, slamming into the ground with a loud boom, raising a cloud of dust.
As the dust settled, a slender figure with a strange, giant black iron ruler on his back appeared in everyone’s sight.
“Xiao Yan?!” The unique giant ruler on his back made Kegan and others gasp.
“Ha ha, Uncle Kegan, it’s been a while,” Xiao Yan slowly turned his head, first glancing at Sis Qing behind him, then smiling at Kegan.
“Alright, we can catch up later, let’s deal with this beast first,” waving to the elated Kegan, Xiao Yan turned to face the giant second-grade beast, smiling slightly.
Slowly lifting his foot, he stomped the ground, and with a burst, he appeared like a black shadow next to the beast. Gripping the ruler, he pulled it out, unleashing a fierce blast of wind as it slammed into the beast’s head, launching it into the air, snapping several trees before it finally stopped.
“Great!” Having been watching, Ferri couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
Behind Xiao Yan, Sis Qing, seeing the second-grade beast sent flying like a ball, her hand covered her rosy lips, her face full of shock. It was hard to believe that this seemingly slender youth possessed such formidable strength. Truly, looks can be deceiving.
Not far away, Ling’er’s eyes were fixed on Xiao Yan, a flash of admiration in her eyes as she saw his display of power.
“Roar!” Far away, the beast got up, enraged by being knocked down, and its body was surrounded by icy aura. Opening its mouth, it shot out a dozen sharp ice needles at Xiao Yan.
Facing the incoming ice needles, Xiao Yan held the heavy ruler in front of him, deflecting the attack with a clanging sound. Gripping the ruler, he glanced at the thin ice layer forming on it, and smiled. His hand lit up with purple flames, melting the ice completely.
“Roar!” Seeing the ice attack fail, the beast roared angrily, its fur standing on end, and a layer of icy armor formed, covering its entire body, making it look like a sculpture under the sun.
Covered in the ice armor, the beast charged at Xiao Yan like a tank.
Raising his eyes at the charging beast, Xiao Yan took a deep breath, released the ruler, clenched his fist, and the purple flames enveloped half his arm.
Looking down at the purple flames on his arm, he faced the approaching beast, which was now creating a cold, oppressive wind with its ice armor.
Exhaling, Xiao Yan stomped the ground, and like an arrow, he chose to confront the beast head-on, shocking the onlookers.
“Is this guy… crazy?” Everyone murmured in astonishment, watching Xiao Yan’s move.
“Eight Extremes Collapse!” As they were about to collide, Xiao Yan shouted mentally, and his fist, engulfed in purple flames, produced a sharp whistling sound, crashing into the beast’s head with terrifying force.
Upon contact, the ice armor on the beast melted, revealing its skull.
“Bang!” The flaming fist smashed into the beast’s head, and with a dull thud, it pierced through, aided by the heat of the purple flames.
The dull sound echoed in the forest, and Xiao Yan’s arm had plunged nearly halfway into the beast’s skull, blood dripping down. In the relative quiet of the forest, the sound was eerie.
Staring at the beast with its blood-red eyes, Xiao Yan exhaled, slowly withdrawing his arm, and wiped the blood with a cloth.
As Xiao Yan withdrew his arm, the second-grade beast that had been chasing the dozens of Blood Battle mercenaries finally collapsed, under the stunned gazes of everyone.
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