Chapter 178: Strength Brings Miracles
Jin and Yin glanced at each other upon seeing Yao Yan fall silent. For a moment, they couldn't figure out what this high-ranking figure was thinking, so they sensibly chose to remain quiet. If the people of the Black-Corner Region could see the two of them acting like this, they'd be utterly shocked. After all, these two were famous for their ruthlessness and formidable strength, capable of holding their own even against a Dou Zong when working together.
With that level of power, they could roam the Black-Corner Region freely—as long as they avoided provoking any reclusive old monsters.
"This matter doesn't concern you for now. In the coming days, I want you two to start recruiting strong individuals from the Black-Corner Region. Tell them I'm forming a new faction and ask if they'd like to join." Yao Yan ended his internal discussion with Yao Lao and looked up at the two silent men, speaking calmly.
Elder Jin hesitated briefly, then looked at Yao Yan and asked, "May I ask under what identity should we recruit people?"
"The title of Han Feng's senior uncle still carries weight. Use that."
Yao Yan thought for a moment before letting out a light chuckle.
"My lord, perhaps you should reconsider... There are many out there actively searching for you, and even Canaan Academy is paying close attention. If you make an appearance now, it will definitely draw the attention of their experts," Elder Jin said cautiously, swallowing hard.
Ever since that terrifying elder from Canaan Academy revealed himself, the entire Black-Corner Region had bowed in submission. No one could have expected such a monstrous figure to be hidden within the academy—someone who took down the Demon Flame Valley's ancestor in a single move.
Such overwhelming power made Elder Jin wonder if the mysterious alchemist before him could truly handle it.
Yet this man, despite knowing all this, still chose to act so boldly. Was he not worried that the elder from Canaan Academy would come knocking?
"Relax. Canaan Academy isn't our enemy. In fact, I've formed a collaboration with them," Yao Yan replied calmly, dropping a bombshell.
This stunned Jin, Yin, and Yuan Yi so much that they couldn't hide their shock. They all lifted their heads to look at Yao Yan in disbelief, wondering if they had heard wrong. The man who recently claimed to be Han Feng's senior uncle was secretly working with Canaan Academy?
It seemed the only one who suffered in all of this… was Han Feng.
One could only imagine how Yao Emperor Han Feng would react if he learned of all this.
"Our only enemy now is Demon Flame Valley… And since I'm forming a faction, I'll need a base. I've set my sights on Demon Flame Valley's territory," Yao Yan said, resting his chin on one hand and absentmindedly playing with the rainbow-colored little snake in the other.
The three men exchanged glances. Their hearts suddenly felt heavy. This lord clearly had no intention of keeping things small.
Though the ancestor of Demon Flame Valley had been seriously injured by a Canaan Academy elder, that didn't mean he was easy to handle. A dying camel is still larger than a horse, and a true Dou Zong was no pushover. He wasn't some newcomer like Mo Tian Xing.
The room fell into silence for a while.
Elder Yin finally spoke, his gaze fixed on Yao Yan. "May I ask, my lord… can you defeat the ancestor of Demon Flame Valley? From what we know, few in the Black-Corner Region can match his strength. If you can't, then destroying the valley won't be easy. Of course, if you can enlist help from Canaan Academy, then it would be no problem."
"Whether I can beat him or not, we'll only know after the fight," Yao Yan replied lightly, a green flame flickering in his eyes.
After being in seclusion for so long, he was eager to stretch his limbs. He wasn't even sure if Earth Demon Old Ghost could injure him. At his current level, even peers found it difficult to harm him. Frankly, even if he stood still, most Dou Huangs probably couldn't break his physical defenses.
Let's not forget—Yao Yan's body also contained the bloodline of the Spirit Clan's Dou Emperor. With his strength growing, his vitality had become increasingly monstrous. He might not yet be capable of full limb regeneration, but minor injuries could heal in the blink of an eye.
That, however, brought a new problem.
The Indestructible Vajra Body was a technique based on destruction and rebirth. Without someone powerful enough to destroy his body, how could it grow stronger? Yao Yan's attention had long since shifted away from peers—only the old monsters could truly pressure him now.
While Yao Yan was excited, Jin, Yin, and Yuan Yi felt the weight of dread. If Yao Yan lost to Earth Demon Old Ghost, they'd surely face dire consequences as his subordinates.
Trying to hold back his nerves, Yuan Yi offered, "My lord, if you're trying to attract followers, revealing your identity as an alchemist should be enough. As for destroying Demon Flame Valley… there's no rush. It's been around for centuries and has deep roots—it won't be easy to take down."
"What, scared?" Yao Yan asked with a grin, looking at Yuan Yi.
Yuan Yi gave a sheepish laugh and muttered, "A little… My strength is humble, after all."
He couldn't help but feel disoriented as he spoke. Since when was being a Dou Huang not enough? Once upon a time, he'd been a feared figure on the Black Ranking. But now? That ranking felt more like a joke.
Over the past year or so, far too many powerful figures had emerged in the Black-Corner Region—and all of it seemed to trace back to the man in front of him.
The moment Yao Yan took out the Breaking Zong Pill and Royal Extreme Pill, everything had changed.
"I'm not sending you to deal with Earth Demon Old Ghost, so what are you panicking for?" Yao Yan chuckled, flicking the Heaven Swallowing Python on the head, causing her to sway dizzily.
He continued, "If things don't work out, I'll back off. But from my point of view, this isn't very risky. That old ghost may be strong, but he's old, afraid of death, and now seriously injured. How much strength could he still have?"
Even if it was just two or three-tenths, he'd still be dangerous… Yuan Yi muttered inwardly, realizing that Yao Yan probably didn't have overwhelming power to crush him. Hopefully, he could at least put up a decent fight—unlike the old ghost who got one-shotted by the Canaan Academy elder.
"These are your tasks. Handle them quickly. Once Demon Flame Valley is destroyed, I'll give you the Breaking Zong Pills I promised," Yao Yan said, turning to the two elders.
This pill is really hard to earn...
Jin and Yin glanced at each other with the same thought. If it were someone like Mo Tian Xing, they wouldn't be too worried. But Earth Demon Old Ghost? They knew their limits. One exchange and they'd be flat on the ground.
At that level, numbers were meaningless.
Can ants really bite an elephant to death?
A real elephant's hide is so thick that ants couldn't even scratch it.
...
After assigning tasks, Yao Yan returned to his courtyard to recuperate. The aftereffects of the heavenly flame had been dealt with thanks to Cai Lin, but the restlessness brought by his power wasn't so easy to suppress.
That's why cultivation emphasizes state of mind.
Because once someone gains power, it becomes easy to lose sight of themselves. As the old saying goes: "He who holds a blade in his heart will inevitably be driven to kill."
Once you gain the ability to easily determine life and death, will you still follow rules?
Yao Yan didn't need to train in seclusion anymore. The Fallen Heart Flame constantly refined and extracted his dou qi. What he needed now was to keep his heart clear—so he wouldn't become a tool of power.
To help, he even started practicing calligraphy... though unfortunately, he lacked talent for it.
"Haha, kid, your handwriting is just atrocious," Yao Lao's voice echoed in his mind, laced with laughter. "I've finally found something you're bad at!"
Yao Yan paused mid-stroke, then a green flame flared from his palm, burning his paper, brush, and inkstone to ashes. He calmly said, "I've rested enough. Time to get back to business."
As he spoke, he severed the Bone Flame Ring's connection with the outside world. That old man had nothing better to do than spy. Shameless at his age!
So what if his handwriting was ugly?
He didn't need that stuff in his past life anyway.
"Squeak~"
Sensing the heavenly flame, the rainbow-colored little snake on Yao Yan's shoulder perked up, staring curiously at the flame. She felt no fear—only a strange sense of intimacy toward the force that helped her evolve.
Yao Yan reached out to tease her, but then noticed her eyes suddenly glaze over. A voice, mature and with a hint of icy charm, rang in his ears.
"You really treat this queen as a pet, don't you?!"
The cold yet melodious voice carried both laziness and subtle irritation.
After all, Cai Lin's nature was extremely proud. Even if she liked someone, she would never lower her head. Even when it came to intimacy with Yao Yan, she preferred to stay on top.
"You're awake?" Yao Yan asked softly, surprised, looking at the Heaven Swallowing Python.
"Hmph~"
With a soft snort, the little snake leapt from his shoulder. A purple-red glow surrounded her, blending with a faint rainbow shimmer. In a flash, a curvaceous, alluring figure appeared before Yao Yan.
What first caught his eye were her long, slender legs. Only those who had personally experienced them could understand their charm—not just beautiful, but also dangerously captivating.
"Do you like what you see?" Cai Lin's sultry voice rang out, her luscious red lips curled in a teasing smirk.
"Very much," Yao Yan replied sincerely, his gaze drifting up past her long legs, over her ample curves and smooth skin, until his eyes met her icy phoenix-like ones. A soft smile played on his lips. "How do you feel? Any discomfort?"
Cai Lin's evolution had been unique—unlike the risky method from the original story, hers involved a clever workaround. Yao Yan filtered out the violent force of the heavenly flame, letting her absorb its power to awaken her bloodline and evolve.
This was also tied to the Burning Formula.
Having devoured two heavenly flames, Yao Yan's body now contained part of their essence. You could say his physique was like a living heavenly flame. During their union, some of those energies naturally merged and benefited her.
"I'm fine. The evolution was perfect. Just drained a lot of energy. I'll need to sleep again to recover… But that stuff you fed the little one was nice. Got any more?" Cai Lin licked her lips, her movements unconsciously seductive. She didn't even realize how much warmer her tone had become toward Yao Yan.
Yao Yan was momentarily stunned, then forced a calm response. "That's Companion Amethyst Source. I've got a few more bottles, but it's probably not too effective for you. I'll refine a few pills for you in the next few days."
"Okay." Cai Lin didn't hold back and responded directly. Then, realizing her expression was too soft, she quickly shifted back to her usual cold demeanor.
"I actually liked the way you looked just now," Yao Yan said with a smile.
Cai Lin rolled her eyes at him. "Hurry up and make the pills. I can't stay in human form for long right now… I don't want to keep being treated like a pet."
With that, she yawned and her body shimmered, transforming back into the small snake.
The Heaven Swallowing Python blinked a few times, seeming dazed. Then a trace of clarity returned to her eyes as she shot to Yao Yan's neck and affectionately nuzzled him, trying to get more food.
"You're pretty cute too," Yao Yan joked, pulling out another bottle of Companion Amethyst Source as he began thinking over suitable pill formulas.
A moment later—
He unlocked the Bone Flame Ring, hoping to consult with Yao Lao for ideas.
No sooner was Yao Lao released than he started preaching about respecting elders. But Yao Yan cut him off immediately by steering the conversation toward Cai Lin.
That, however, sparked Yao Lao's deep interest. "How exactly did you help her evolve? I've read many ancient texts, and evolution in Queen Medusa's lineage is known to be extremely dangerous. Successful cases are extremely rare."
"…Strength brings miracles," Yao Yan replied after a pause, offering five simple words to satisfy the old man's curiosity.
"What…"
Yao Lao was left completely confused, full of question marks, unable to make sense of what Yao Yan meant.
Of course, Yao Yan didn't intend to elaborate—those were private matters between him and Cai Lin. Instead, he redirected, "If you've got a formula, hand it over. Anything under seventh-tier is easy for me."
"Alright, alright, let me think…"
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Kira1997