Seeing Xiao Yan’s eyes suddenly blaze with intensity, Su Qian seemed to understand what he was thinking. He waved at him slightly, signaling him to be patient. “Old Qian, go down and rest for a while. Elder Bai should be back soon.” Sweeping his gaze across the sky, earlier, the group of powerful figures from the Magic Flame Valley had fled along with Han Feng. Therefore, the sky was now empty and peaceful, a stark contrast to the previous earth-shattering battle. With that, Su Qian smiled at Elder Qian, who was hovering in the air. Upon hearing this, Elder Qian did not refuse. He nodded slightly and then lightly stepped on the void, slowly descending to the ground. Su Qian and Xiao Yan followed closely behind.
Upon landing in the inner courtyard, the elders had already dispersed the frightened students. Meanwhile, Xiao Li and the others, who had been waiting below, quickly approached. His anxious gaze swept over Xiao Yan, and he hurriedly asked, “Are you alright?”
“Everything’s fine, Second Brother. This is Elder Qian from the inner courtyard. It was all thanks to his timely intervention; otherwise, there would have been a major disaster,” Xiao Yan said with a smile, pointing to Elder Qian.
“Xiao Li greets Elder Qian.”
Hearing this, Xiao Li immediately bowed, for he had seen the terrifying power displayed by Elders Qian and Bai when they intervened, and he dared not be disrespectful.
“Ha ha,” Elder Qian smiled and nodded. Although Xiao Li’s strength was not in his line of sight, Xiao Yan was someone he took seriously. Therefore, he was somewhat friendly towards Xiao Li.
After exchanging greetings, the group followed Su Qian into the depths of the inner courtyard. They found a spacious living room and crowded in, filling the room to the brim. Everyone sat in separate seats, chatting quietly among themselves. Meanwhile, Su Qian was briefing Elder Qian about the events that had occurred within the inner courtyard recently, including the fallen Skyfire Heart Flame and other major events in recent years, giving a brief overview of each.
When Elder Qian heard that the fallen Skyfire Heart Flame had ended up in Xiao Yan’s hands, he was momentarily stunned. Then, turning to Xiao Yan, he said, “You’ve got quite the good luck. Back then, Mang Tianchi discovered the fallen Skyfire Heart Flame and sealed it, intending to absorb and refine it. However, the heart flame evolved with some sentience, persistently resisting and hiding in the underground lava, refusing to come out. Who would have thought that it would end up benefiting you instead…”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly. After all, the Skyfire Heart Flame belonged to the inner courtyard. Though there were many reasons for him to have it now, he still felt a twinge of guilt when it was brought up.
“Heavenly treasures are meant for those with the right fate. There’s no point in forcing it. So, you don’t need to feel too guilty. The sealed Skyfire Heart Flame was a hidden danger. If it didn’t erupt, it would eventually pose a threat, and if it did, the inner courtyard might be destroyed. I wasn’t in favor of sealing it initially. Such things, the more you seal them, the harder it is to handle them later.”
Seeming to understand Xiao Yan’s thoughts, Elder Qian spoke calmly.
“Yes,” Xiao Yan replied hastily.
Seeing this, Su Qian smiled faintly and shifted the topic. About half an hour after Xiao Yan and the others entered the hall, a blurry figure mysteriously appeared in the hall, revealing the aged form of Elder Bai. He casually tossed a cold corpse onto the floor.
Everyone’s gaze quickly turned to the corpse, which was covered in solidified brownish-red bloodstains. Who else could it be but the former tyrannical old demon?
However, this founder of the Magic Flame Valley, once a famous strongman in the Black-Corner Region, had now become a cold corpse. The extreme change made many sigh inwardly.
Elder Qian looked at the cold corpse, whose eyes were filled with deep hatred. He then glanced at the cold-faced Elder Bai and sighed, “The old grudges can now be settled. You’ve resolved a longstanding knot. Your chances of reaching Dou Zun will be greater.”
Elder Bai nodded slightly, remaining silent as he sat down on a chair beside and closed his eyes.
“Today’s matters are concluded. Old Bai and I need to continue our retreat. We don’t know when we will return next. The inner courtyard will be in your hands during this time,” Elder Qian said, turning to Su Qian as Elder Bai returned.
Su Qian nodded and slowly rose, saying, “Elders, Su Qian needs a favor from you both.”
“Little guy has unfortunately been poisoned severely. A Dou Zun is needed to thoroughly remove the poison. But how easy is it to find a Dou Zun? Can the two of you, Elder Qian and Elder Bai, work together to drive out the poison?” Su Qian pointed to Xiao Yan, his face serious.
Hearing Su Qian’s words, Elder Qian and the silent Elder Bai raised their heads and looked at Xiao Yan. A flicker of surprise crossed their eyes. “It actually takes a Dou Zun to detoxify? In all our years, such a deadly poison is rare. Boy, come here and let me see…”
Beside Xiao Yan, Xiao Li was equally shocked. “Third Brother, you’ve been poisoned? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Don’t worry, it’s fine…” Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly, calming him down. He then quickly stood up, unbuttoned his robe, and revealed the strange black poison spot sealed by runes on his chest. He smiled bitterly, “This thing is called ‘Demon Poison Spot’. A Battle Sect condensed it with his lifetime of Dou Qi. It’s extremely poisonous and difficult for anyone but a Dou Zun to remove…”
“Even a Battle Sect spent his entire life to poison you… He sure thinks highly of you,” Elder Qian chortled. Looking at the pitch-black spot, he frowned, his eyes reflecting a somber concern. He exchanged glances with Elder Bai, and then both extended a finger. A dense Dou Qi surged from their fingertips and solidified into two energy crystals half an inch long.
Seeing the two being able to solidify their Dou Qi, everyone present was shocked. It was said that only a Dou Zun could do this, and it was surprising that these two could achieve it…
With a gentle flick, the energy crystals detached from their fingertips and floated towards the black spot on Xiao Yan’s chest. Just as they were about to touch it, they burst into countless tiny crystal dust, drifting into the black spot.
As the crystal dust fell, Xiao Yan’s body trembled, and his face contorted. The dust caused intense pain in his chest, like hot sparks.
The black poison spot began to squirm as the crystal dust fell into it, moving up and down. Points of light twinkled in its profound darkness…
These lights persisted for about two minutes before fading away, and a peculiar black mist seeped out of the spot, spreading slowly.
“Be careful, it’s poisonous!” Seeing the black mist, Little Healer Immortal’s face changed, and she summoned a gray Dou Qi, enclosing the mist carefully and absorbing it into her body. Her body, inherently a poison-refining furnace, was not threatened by the Demon Poison Spot’s virulent poison.
As the black mist spewed out, the black spot fell back into stillness and darkness…
“Such a potent poison…” Slowly withdrawing their fingers, both Elder Qian and Elder Bai were visibly moved. Their Dou Qi crystals had barely weakened the Demon Poison Spot, proving that it was indeed a strange creation requiring a Battle Sect’s lifetime of Dou Qi…
“How did it go, Elders?” Seeing them stop, Su Qian asked anxiously.
Elder Qian shook his head slowly. “Difficult. We are not true Dou Zuns and cannot produce much of that Dou Qi crystal. This poisoner is too cruel… It seems you’ll have to seek out a Dou Zun to resolve it.”
“Even you can’t?” Xiao Yan felt disappointed, smiling bitterly.
“It’s not that we can’t deal with it. As you saw, we can purge some of the poison, but the amount is too small. At this rate, it would take years to completely remove the poison. Do you have that kind of time?” Elder Bai lifted his eyes, speaking.
Xiao Yan laughed bitterly again. Years? By then, the poison might fully activate, making it futile to find a Dou Zun. He would be better off seeking one himself or finding the third alien fire to purify it…
Seeing Xiao Yan’s expression, Su Qian sighed and patted him, offering a slight comfort.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan bowed respectfully to Elders Qian and Bai, then slowly sat back down. Though a bit disappointed, he remained undaunted. In truth, seeing Elders Qian and Bai expel only a little of the toxin, he realized they might not be the best solution…
Though the Demon Poison Spot posed a great danger, it also offered a significant opportunity. The Dou Qi of a Battle Sect, if he could refine it, could significantly boost his strength. Losing it would be a waste…
“I guess I’ll have to rely on myself. Once I get the third alien fire, I can use my own strength to purify the Demon Poison Spot, and my strength will definitely improve!” Thinking this, Xiao Yan’s previously disheartened mood turned enthusiastic.
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