Word Count: 2,713 Words
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Elder Qian and Elder Bai exchanged smiles upon hearing this, both stroking their beards. Elder Qian said, "Heh heh, that would be excellent. If the two of us could witness this miracle, it would indeed be a fine tale to tell in our lives."
Elder Bai laughed as well. "It seems you are very confident. Very well. This is the key to the Book Collection Hall." He tossed a jade pendant to Xiao Yan. "There is a secret chamber inside that you can use. We have already removed all the collections from the hall. The two of us will stand guard outside for you."
Xiao Yan accepted the jade pendant, cupped his hands, and said earnestly, "Xiao Yan is endlessly grateful for the kindness of the two Elders. Upon my return after refining the pill, I will repay you generously."
Elder Qian waved his hand dismissively. "Alright, stop tempting us two old men. A casual word from you alchemists can set anyone's imagination running wild."
Elder Bai shook his head vigorously. "We are, after all, the guardians of the academy. Helping students is our duty. If we sought repayment, it would be belittling our integrity."
Xiao Yan refrained from further polite but unnecessary words upon hearing this. He bowed deeply, then led Little Fairy Doctor into the Book Collection Hall.
"So this is the Book Collection Hall?" Upon entering, Little Fairy Doctor saw rows of bookshelves with clusters of light placed on them. These light clusters had previously been hidden inside the walls but were now displayed on the shelves. Of course, the light clusters were empty now.
"Heh heh, who would have thought that I, Xiao Yan, would have the fortune to enter the Book Collection Hall a second time, when most students can only enter once." Xiao Yan couldn't help but recall some past events as he viewed the scene.
However, he quickly gathered his thoughts and led Little Fairy Doctor into a secret chamber within the Book Collection Hall.
He took out a long cloth and said, "Little Fairy Doctor, first adjust your breathing to reach your peak condition. I'll spend some time refining this Sky Demon Puppet. It's always good to have an extra puppet for protection in case something happens."
Little Fairy Doctor nodded and sat cross-legged on the white cloth.
Finding a spot to the side, Xiao Yan took out Old Ying Shan's headless corpse from his storage ring. He silently recalled the Sky Demon Puppet's refinement method in his mind before slowly opening his eyes.
He waved his hand, and a new Heavenly Flame appeared before him, formed from the merger of the Yin-Yang Twin Flame, the Ghostly Poison Flame, and the Bone Chilling Flame. With a thought, it enveloped Old Ying Shan's corpse.
Xiao Yan's expression remained indifferent. The scorching heat caused the corpse to turn fiery red. As the continuous roasting proceeded, faint wisps of black Qi suddenly drilled out from within the corpse, only to be incinerated into nothingness by the flames.
For Xiao Yan, whose Spiritual Strength had reached the Soul State, cleansing corpse Qi and removing impurities was entirely effortless. Moreover, with the assistance of the new Heavenly Flame formed from the merger of three Heavenly Flames, it took less than half an hour for him to refine the corpse to the first step described on the bamboo slip.
At this moment, Old Ying Shan's corpse had shrunk by several sizes. The skin covering his entire body had taken on a chilling, grayish-white color. The skin clung tightly to the dried muscles, and his palms had become exceptionally slender, like sharp daggers.
Xiao Yan gazed at the headless corpse and nodded with satisfaction. He immediately opened a small hole at the chest area, embedded the Monster Core, and then slowly took out the Soul Command Token.
A slight smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. He lightly tapped the Soul Command Token with his finger, and instantly, a mass of black fog floated out from it.
"Xiao Yan, as long as you let this old man go, I am willing to tell you the location of the Demon Flame Valley's treasure trove! No one besides this old man knows where that treasury is!" Old Ground Demon Ghost's soul body, within the black fog, spoke with resentful eyes, yet he had no choice but to compromise.
"Old Ground Demon Ghost, there's no need to be so anxious. I don't want your treasure vault. I just need you to help me with something." A cold smile appeared at the corners of Xiao Yan's mouth.
The moment Old Ground Demon Ghost saw Xiao Yan's cold smile, he disregarded everything and shot outward. Xiao Yan made a grasping motion with his large hand, and Old Ground Demon Ghost's soul body was caught firmly in his palm, leaving him utterly unable to escape.
"Take a look at what this is. You should be quite familiar with it," Xiao Yan said with a smile.
Old Ground Demon Ghost only then noticed the headless corpse lying on the ground, its entire body grayish-white. The texture of the corpse immediately told him what it was.
"Sky Demon Puppet!! You intend to use this old man's soul to refine a Sky Demon Puppet!!" Old Ground Demon Ghost shrieked in horror. He had never imagined that Xiao Yan would not only find the location of his Demon Flame Valley's hidden treasure but also use his soul to refine a Sky Demon Puppet!
"This old man will self-destruct before letting you succeed!" Old Ground Demon Ghost's face twisted ferociously. A buzzing sound rang out as his Spiritual Strength surged instantly, clearly indicating his intention to self-destruct his soul body.
Xiao Yan remained calm. His finger lightly tapped Old Ground Demon Ghost's soul body's forehead in an instant.
Soul Chase, Soul Slave Imprint.
Having cultivated the Asura Soul Reaping Technique to major mastery, dealing with this soul body was child's play for Xiao Yan. He had Old Ground Demon Ghost completely under his control.
After erasing Old Ground Demon Ghost's consciousness, Xiao Yan glanced at the mass of black fog in his palm. He pressed down lightly, and the black fog transformed into a black Qi dragon that swiftly drilled into the corpse.
As this mindless soul entered, the taut body of the Sky Demon Puppet abruptly activated.
Through the Soul Slave Imprint, Xiao Yan could clearly sense the current state of the Sky Demon Puppet.
It took just half a day to completely refine the Sky Demon Puppet after adding some auxiliary materials.
Xiao Yan controlled the headless puppet and sensed the strength coming from it. He nodded. "Its destructive power should be equivalent to a 4-star Dou Ancestor, but there's still a gap compared to a real 4-star Dou Ancestor."
"This is about it. The materials are limited. Its skin is bronze-colored, making it a Man-ranked puppet." Xiao Yan shrugged. He hadn't held overly high expectations for this Sky Demon Puppet anyway.
Sky Demon Puppets were divided into three grades: Sky, Ground, and Man. The method to distinguish them was by their appearance: gold, silver, and bronze were the symbols of Sky, Ground, and Man respectively. The original materials weren't very strong to begin with. No matter how skilled Xiao Yan was, he couldn't make bricks without straw.
Xiao Yan couldn't be bothered to complain about why the highest rank was called a Sky Demon Puppet when it had a gold-colored appearance, instead of simply being called a Gold Demon Puppet.
Then, the smile vanished from his face as he turned to look at Little Fairy Doctor, who was sitting cross-legged and regulating her breath nearby.
Sensing his gaze, Little Fairy Doctor slowly opened her eyes. She understood that the most crucial moment had arrived.
With a wave of his hand, Xiao Yan prepared the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva, the Monster Core of the Sky Poison Dragon Scorpion Beast, and various medicinal ingredients and pills on the side, just in case.
After glancing at the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva in the jade box, Xiao Yan fixed his gaze on Little Fairy Doctor. He said solemnly, "I will first use three kinds of Heavenly Flames to force the poison Qi in your body to gather in one place. The process will be very painful, but you must endure it! If you can't get through this step, I'm afraid the subsequent steps will be impossible."
Little Fairy Doctor looked at Xiao Yan's solemn expression, bit her silver teeth, and nodded lightly. She knew that ever since Xiao Yan learned she possessed the Woeful Poison Body, he had been painstakingly searching for a way to resolve it for her.
Now, only this step remained. No matter how great the pain, she would definitely endure it.
"Before that, I need to undo the Heavenly Flame seal and completely trigger the Woeful Poison Body."
Xiao Yan took a deep breath, his hands trembling slightly despite himself. If he did this and ultimately failed to suppress the Woeful Poison Body, Little Fairy Doctor would likely perish on the spot.
Little Fairy Doctor saw his slightly trembling hand and seemed to understand his concern. A gentle smile appeared on her beautiful face as she softly said, "I believe in you."
Then, as if recalling something, Xiao Yan averted his gaze and said softly, "Um... you might need to remove your clothing..."
Little Fairy Doctor was stunned. A red flush quickly spread across her beautiful face. She gently bit her lower lip, and her eyes even welled up with tears.
She wanted to take back what she had just said!
This was a bad guy!
Xiao Yan hurriedly explained, "No, listen to my explanation."
"I understand." Little Fairy Doctor took a deep breath, her voice tinged with a hint of sobbing. "Clothing can't withstand the burning of the Heavenly Flames, right? I know."
She was already accustomed to this. This kind of situation was like infidelity; there was only zero times or countless times. He had already seen and even touched her last time. One more time wouldn't make much difference.
She could never get married now!
Little Fairy Doctor gently pulled the tie. With a soft rustle, her dress slid down her fair skin. A divinely crafted body, with skin like lustrous jade, was thus exposed to Xiao Yan's scorching gaze.
Even though Xiao Yan had already been intimate with Cai Lin, and no matter how composed he tried to remain, his gaze couldn't help but flicker. He fiercely bit the tip of his tongue.
Despite the sharp pain, he couldn't resist taking another glance. Even with his Soul State Spiritual Strength, he couldn't control his thoughts as his mind began comparing her to Cai Lin.
Needless to say, Cai Lin was a natural stunner. Her figure was absolutely capable of making one's blood boil. In terms of physique alone, perhaps no one could compare to Cai Lin. Sexy, enchanting, soul-snatching, captivating—these descriptions perfectly embodied her.
However, Little Fairy Doctor possessed her own kind of 'perfection.' Her body proportions were just right; her skin was fair and delicate; her slender, willow-like waist fit perfectly within one's grasp. It was a kind of incomparable balance.
A perfect balance where adding or subtracting even a little would spoil it!
As lovely as a peach in full spring bloom, as pure and elegant as a chrysanthemum in late autumn.
Just as Little Fairy Doctor's cheeks turned as red as ripe apples and she looked about to strike him, Xiao Yan coughed lightly twice and said, "Sit cross-legged first."
She slowly sat down with her back to him. Right now, she desperately wanted to cover his eyes and seal his mouth, preventing him from looking or speaking of this to others.
Xiao Yan took a deep breath. He curved two fingers, his gaze sharpened, and his hand struck out like lightning, pressing firmly onto a point on her smooth back.
"Release!"
Boom!!
Terrifying plumes of deep-gray poison Qi suddenly erupted violently from within Little Fairy Doctor's body. Her grayish-purple eyes gradually transformed into pure gray. She instantly floated into the air, her white hair fluttering incessantly.
"Heavenly Flames, emerge!"
"Contain!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!
The three Heavenly Flames instantly formed a triangle. Connecting with Xiao Yan himself as the fourth point, they formed a pyramid shape, sealing the diffusion of the poison Qi.
"Little Fairy Doctor, you must endure." Xiao Yan wasted no more words, his expression solemn as he spoke in a deep voice.
Little Fairy Doctor gritted her silver teeth and nodded. Immediately, Xiao Yan's hand seals changed rapidly. The three Heavenly Flames instantly flared, distorting even space as they surged toward her like tidal waves from all directions.
The dense gray poison Qi around her body instantly seemed to meet its nemesis. It emitted intense sizzling sounds before retreating like lightning, finally rushing back entirely into her body!
Xiao Yan's eyes sharpened the instant the Woeful Poison Qi withdrew into her body. Following the refinement technique described in the Poison Pill Method, he controlled the Heavenly Flames to slowly penetrate Little Fairy Doctor's body from three points: the crown of her head, her back, and her lower abdomen.
Ugh! Despite Little Fairy Doctor's resilience, she couldn't help but feel the excruciating, unbearable pain.
Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. His Soul State Spiritual Strength descended like a deity and instantly filled the entire room with a terrifying aura. In that moment, the temperature of the Heavenly Flames soared to an extremely frightening level.
Sizzling sounds echoed as Little Fairy Doctor's body trembled visibly and uncontrollably. White smoke rose from her skin as her flesh actually began to slowly shrivel and wither. Even Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel distressed at this sight, but he had no other choice.
Condensing every last trace of the Woeful Poison Qi from the Woeful Poison Body into a Poison Pill within the Dantian required extremely high temperatures.
Time passed, minute by minute, second by second. Not only Little Fairy Doctor found it difficult; even Xiao Yan's forehead was now drenched in sweat. After all, this was incomparably harder than expelling the Branding Poison.
Xiao Yan needed to simultaneously control the three Heavenly Flames, maintaining a surrounding siege formation.
Time ticked by, and soon two days and two nights had passed. The moment the three Heavenly Flames converged, a grave look flashed across Xiao Yan's eyes.
"The poison Qi has gathered! Extract it with the Monster Core, transform it with the Bodhisattva!" Xiao Yan slapped the ground with his palm. Instantly, a treasure box burst open, and the Monster Core of the Sky Poison Dragon Scorpion Beast floated toward Little Fairy Doctor's lower abdomen.
Whoosh!
The three Heavenly Flames instantly swallowed the Monster Core like a giant maw, merging it into the poison Qi vortex within her lower abdomen.
"Go!" Xiao Yan pointed his finger. The Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva slowly drifted onto Little Fairy Doctor's body, which had already been burned until it was shriveled, cracked, and left her hovering on the verge of death.
At this moment, her body was like withered wood encountering sweet dew; it slowly began to recover.
As she absorbed the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva, her body trembled. Her form, previously withered from the Heavenly Flames' burning, now seemed to receive nourishment.
Xiao Yan's spirits lifted. He took a deep breath and abruptly intensified the Heavenly Flames wrapping around her entire body, vaporizing and infusing the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva!
Little Fairy Doctor's blood now flowed like liquid rubies. Her blood was actually no longer that gray color! The richer the blood Qi, the more vigorous the life force!
This refinement continued for seven days and seven nights. Only when the Heavenly Flames had completely vaporized and infused the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva, and the poison Qi cyclone gradually formed into the Poison Pill, did a crystal-clear object slowly take shape before falling. It was actually a Bodhisattva Seed!
However, Xiao Yan didn't even spare such a supreme treasure a glance, treating it like a common pebble on the roadside. He left it lying on the ground without paying it any attention, because he was not yet finished.
Simply relying on the Poison Pill Method was not enough!