Chapter 240: Itchy Hands
"Whoosh~"
The heavenly blue flames slowly dissipated, revealing Yao Yan's figure. His originally perfect face now bore a vertical pupil in the center of his forehead, glowing with a black-red aura, filled with indescribable evil energy. If anyone made eye contact with him, they would feel as if their Hun was being devoured by it.
Soon, the vertical pupil closed, transforming into a purple pattern that was branded in the center of his forehead, adding an evil air to his originally handsome features.
"Buzz~"
As Yao Yan opened his eyes, a vast amount of power surged from within him. Tiny purple-black scales appeared on his body, while bone wings unfolded from his back. The power of wind and thunder surged, causing his aura to rise exponentially in an instant, as if he had activated a unique secret technique.
"... In this state, I should be able to handle two or three Dou Zun," Yao Yan clenched his fists, roughly assessing his current strength.
Although consuming the Yin-Yang Dragon Phoenix Pill didn't grant him the Gu Dragon Body or the Heavenly Phoenix Wings, the trace of Dragon Phoenix blood unexpectedly allowed him to control a unique combat mode. The dragon scales on his body greatly enhanced his defense and strength, while the bone wings on his back, empowered by the bloodline, had grown dozens of times stronger.
At this moment, Yao Yan himself wasn't sure exactly how much his strength had increased.
After all, he hadn't fought much over the years, and there was no one among his peers who could match him. Most of his battles had been against opponents at a higher level, and even then, very few of them had been able to pressure him. The only one who could be considered a true opponent was the Earth Demon Old Ghost.
With that in mind, Yao Yan looked at the Heavenly Demon Puppet beside him and couldn't help but smile.
"It seems like I should go find some trouble with the Ice River Valley," Yao Yan's gaze shifted. He wasn't the kind of person who liked causing trouble, but now that his strength had increased, there was no one to help him hone his skills, and that feeling was not pleasant. Before, he could temper his Dou Qi through alchemy, but refining pills couldn't compare to actual combat.
The Ice River Valley was just the right kind of unorthodox faction, and if he remembered correctly, the valley's leader was someone with a specially cultivated body—the Accursed Poison Body.
Such secret techniques, meant to cultivate unique physical constitutions, greatly intrigued Yao Yan.
In the future, he would inevitably create his own unique martial art, so learning about different secret techniques and methods was very necessary.
"Let's start with the Ice River Valley," he thought to himself.
As for the reason… it was convenient.
...
In the main hall of Starfall Pavilion.
By the time Yao Yan emerged from seclusion, several Dou Zun had already gathered in the main hall. In addition to Feng Zun and Tian Huo Zun, whom Yao Yan knew, there were also three other Dou Zun. When Yao Yan entered the hall, their gazes immediately focused on him. Two of them even extended their Hun power towards him, inspecting him.
Yao Yan frowned slightly, and a surge of immense Hun power immediately poured from his forehead, shattering the two people's impolite Hun probes. His tone was cold as he spoke, "What do you two mean by this?"
One of them was an elderly man with graying hair. Upon sensing Yao Yan's terrifying Hun power, he quickly stood to greet him, saying with some apology, "Young friend, please forgive me. We were just so surprised by your age when we first saw you. It was an instinctive action."
"We heard about your deeds before, and they seemed unbelievable, so we had the thought of testing you."
"I was the same. It was an instinctive action. Please forgive me, young friend!" The other person also stood up and laughed apologetically.
Both of them looked at Yao Yan with incredulity in their eyes. At such a young age, possessing such terrifying Hun power—could the rumors from Dan Tower be true? Was there really an 8th-grade advanced alchemist around twenty years old?
Moreover, this young man's Dou Qi strength wasn't weak either. His aura seemed perfectly in sync with the space around him, as if he could merge with the void at any moment. This was a technique only a Dou Zun-level expert could possess.
When they had first received the message from Feng Zun, they had doubted it. But now, they were completely convinced.
"Just this once. If it happens again, there won't be such good manners," Yao Yan said calmly, his tone completely one of his peers. As an 8th-grade advanced alchemist, when it came to debating status, he would undoubtedly be above most Dou Zun. Naturally, he didn't care about their thoughts.
"Of course!" the two of them replied in unison. They didn't feel embarrassed at all. With Yao Yan's displayed talent, his future achievements would undoubtedly surpass those of Yaodun.
A genius like him? It was better to befriend him than make an enemy, especially with Feng Zun and Tian Huo Zun watching.
"These two are old friends of Yaodun. This is Tian Huan Zun and Yan Zun," Feng Zun said, sensing the awkward atmosphere. He stood up to smooth things over and then pointed to the silent elder holding a sword. "This one is Iron Sword Zun."
Iron Sword Zun had a stern expression. Upon hearing this, he simply looked up slightly and nodded at Yao Yan, acknowledging him.
Yao Yan gave Iron Sword Zun a few extra glances. After all, he was a character from the original story. When no one else was willing to help, he had actively joined the rescue mission to save Old Medicine. He was a wandering cultivator with deep loyalty, someone well-suited to be recruited.
"The three of you must be aware of the goals of this mission," Yao Yan said again, slowly speaking. "But besides the Xuan Ice Toad King, I also plan to ask the leader of the Ice River Valley for something."
"?!!"
Everyone was shocked. Feng Zun and Tian Huo Zun were also surprised, as they hadn't been informed about this beforehand.
"What is it?" Tian Huan Zun stopped stroking his beard and stared at Yao Yan, asking.
"It's said that the leader of the Ice River Valley has cultivated the Accursed Poison Body. I'm interested in how he achieved it and want to ask him if he has any secret techniques for it," Yao Yan said straightforwardly, without hiding anything.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Tian Huan Zun and Yan Zun exchanged a glance, both showing shock in their eyes.
Yao Yan had gone mad.
It was one thing to hunt the 8th-grade Xuan Ice Toad King in the Ice River Valley's territory, but now Yao Yan wanted to ask the valley's leader for his secret techniques? This was no different from asking someone for their wife to sleep with him, and possibly worse!
After all, a wife could be remarried, but if a secret technique was leaked, it could expose all of one's methods, which was utterly intolerable.
"… Young friend, are you planning to forcefully demand it?" Tian Huan Zun asked after organizing his words.
"Otherwise, why would I invite the three of you Dou Zun?" Yao Yan retorted with a question.
"With your 8th-grade advanced alchemist status, you could have made a trade with the Ice River Valley. Why take such a risk… Do you have a grudge with the Ice River Valley?" Tian Huo Zun couldn't help but ask. He felt that this young man was truly insane.
"No grudge, it's just that this secret technique is useful to me. As for a trade… do you think the leader of the Ice River Valley would want to trade? Even if he would, the cost would be too high, and I might not have enough to offer," Yao Yan said calmly.
He had figured this out earlier.
A trade was the best option, but the techniques he would need in the future were not just one or two. Since that was the case, why not be more direct?
"If that's the case, I'm afraid I can't help," Tian Huan Zun said, refusing. "I can help you hunt the 8th-grade Xuan Ice Toad King, but if it leads to offending the Ice River Valley, I cannot agree. After all, I have a family to take care of."
Tian Huan Zun chose not to participate in the upcoming events.
If it were just the 8th-grade Xuan Ice Toad King, with the five Dou Zun present, it would be a no-risk affair, and they'd get an 8th-grade pill for free. But if it involved offending the Ice River Valley, that was a different story.
Yao Yan was truly planning to make enemies with them!
"I will also withdraw," Yan Zun said, following suit. He didn't want to accompany Yao Yan on this crazy path.
Having said that, the two of them bowed and left, ignoring Feng Zun's attempt to stop them.
Yao Yan didn't care about the two leaving. His gaze turned to Iron Sword Zun, and he curiously asked, "Aren't you leaving?"
"I am a lonely man. I owe Yaodun a life. Since you are Yaodun's junior, I will naturally help you," Iron Sword Zun said flatly, with no emotional fluctuations, as if he were a sword with no change in its expression.
"What are your thoughts? You finally gathered the people, and you're sending them away like this," Feng Zun said, looking at Yao Yan with a mixture of helplessness and amusement.
Even if Yao Yan was interested in the Ice River Valley's secret technique, there was no need to bring it up now. They could wait until they reached the Xuan Ice Mountain Range and deal with the Ice River Valley then. With the strength of the five Dou Zun, they could easily make the Ice River Valley submit.
After a moment's pause, Feng Zun said helplessly, "Your reputation is not yet strong enough. The speed at which you gather people is a bit slow. I contacted several Dou Zun, and only three showed up… Should we wait and see if anyone else comes?"
Yao Yan shook his head slightly and replied softly, "With you, Elder Yao, and Iron Sword Zun, we have enough to deal with the Xuan Ice Toad King. As for the Ice River Valley, I plan to go alone and block the entrance."
"?!"
As the words left Yao Yan's mouth, the three of them exchanged glances, even Iron Sword Zun blinking in surprise.
...
The Xuan Ice Mountain Range, located in the extreme northern part of Zhongzhou, was always covered by ice crystals, freezing cold. Even the air contained an intense chill. If an ordinary cultivator entered, they would easily be infected by cold poison and die after some time. Every year, many people died from freezing here.
Some dangerous areas could even freeze Hun power.
"Whoosh~"
As a silver light gate opened, a space ship floated out, and the person at the helm was Yao Yan. He wore black clothing and calmly surveyed the endless ice crystal world. A powerful Hun force instantly spread out, and the scenery along the way was imprinted in his mind.
"Do you feel confident?" Feng Zun asked, looking at Yao Yan seriously. He wanted to persuade him to give up and wait until after they hunted the Xuan Ice Toad King to deal with the Ice River Valley.
"I'm confident. With the Heavenly Demon Puppet, even if I can't win, I have confidence in retreating safely... I haven't fought with anyone since I broke through to Dou Zong. Now that I've reached the peak of Seven-Star Dou Zong, honestly, I feel a bit uneasy. It seems like my Dou Qi is a bit unstable, so I want to find someone to test it," Yao Yan clenched his fist and expressed his thoughts.
Damn!
His hands were itchy, so he said this in such an irritating manner.
Feng Zun suddenly felt like beating this kid, but he understood what Yao Yan meant. The kid was planning to use the Ice River Valley to hone his combat skills. He wanted to say something, but ultimately gave up. His tone became serious as he said, "Alright, but take care of yourself. If something goes wrong, signal us."
"Don't worry, I have it under control. First, let's deal with the Xuan Ice Toad King," Yao Yan smiled lightly.
Feng Zun nodded and said nothing more.
Immediately, they boarded the space ship and tore through the void, speeding away.
...
The Xuan Ice Toad King was a towering, mountain-like creature, its entire body a deep blue, lying near a cold pool. Its breathing stirred the surrounding ice and snow, creating a blizzard. The extreme cold energy filled the air, and wherever it passed, the space seemed to freeze slightly.
At this moment, in a hidden space, the three Dou Zun worked together to seal the space, giving Yao Yan time to condense the fire lotus.
"Whoosh~"
As fourHeavenly Flame appeared in Yao Yan's palm, Feng Zun and Iron Sword Zun swallowed nervously. It wasn't that they hadn't seen extraordinary sights, but this scene was terrifying. Any Dou Zun of the current era would be astonished.
This kid was insane, planning to fuseHeavenly Flame, and he was fusing four types at once!
If this blew up, everyone here would be severely injured.
And yet, this level of power was controlled by a mere Seven-Star Dou Zong, making it hard to feel safe.
"Don't worry, this isn't the first time he's used this technique... As for power, this fire lotus formed by the fusion ofHeavenly Flame is even more destructive than the Five Ring Fire method I created. Heh, it's enough to make the Xuan Ice Toad King drink a pot," Tian Huo Zun said with a smile, looking at the Xuan Ice Toad King still lying asleep below. He couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for it.
"Whoosh~"
At the same time, Yao Yan slapped the fourHeavenly Flame together, and an indescribable destructive energy began to gather, growing exponentially at a geometric speed. The terrifying temperature made the small world around them dry up as all moisture was evaporated.
The space around Yao Yan's palm started to crack, as if it could no longer bear the power.
Fortunately, the violent energy soon subsided.
A dazzling four-colored fire lotus appeared in Yao Yan's palm, delicate and beautiful, with the petals gently swaying, causing the surrounding space to collapse. The destructive power within it made the three Dou Zun present show expressions of fear.
"The power has increased again~" Tian Huo Zun couldn't help but say. This four-colored fire lotus was ten times stronger than the last one. It was truly terrifying.
"Let's begin," Yao Yan's gaze locked onto the Xuan Ice Toad King below, his eyes flashing with a demonic fire.
...
"Quack?"
The Xuan Ice Toad King, who had been sleeping, suddenly opened its eyes. Just now, it had inexplicably felt a tightening in its chest, and its spine grew cold. This sensation had never occurred in its thousand-year life.
Soon, it realized the source of the sensation—it was a stunning four-colored lotus floating down from the air. In the blizzard, it seemed so out of place, and as it passed, a pitch-black space crack was left in its wake, looking somewhat ominous.
Its pupils dilated as it sensed the danger. In its pupils, the beautiful four-colored fire lotus was reflected, and it had fallen right in front of it.
The next moment.
An indescribable force of destruction erupted!
(END CHAPTER)
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