Chapter 11: Xiao Yan Arrives

Chapter 11: Xiao Yan Arrives

Three months later, outside Qingshan Town, a boy with an ordinary face and an equally ordinary appearance trudged along the dusty road, drenched in sweat. Each step he took landed heavily, raising yellow dust from the dry ground.

"Damn it, teacher, this thing is way too heavy," Xiao Yan grumbled, sticking out his tongue in frustration.

On his back was a massive black sword, given to him by Yao Lao. He had named it the Xuan Heavy Ruler. Not only was it incredibly heavy, but it also had the strange effect of suppressing Dou Qi flow, making cultivation a grueling experience.

"You're supposed to be undergoing arduous training right now," Yao Lao snorted in his mind. "If it's not tough or exhausting, how can it be called 'arduous training'?"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it…" Xiao Yan replied weakly. He wasn't serious about complaining he knew Yao Lao was doing this for his benefit.

After walking a few hundred meters, Xiao Yan's energy was drained, and he had to stop to rest.

"Teacher, look at this Xuan Heavy Ruler…" Xiao Yan called out in his mind.

"What about it?" Yao Lao asked, puzzled.

"Doesn't the cut at its edge look like it was made by a Heaven tier Dou Technique?" Xiao Yan chuckled slyly.

Yao Lao fell silent.

"And teacher, see that white cloud up there?" Xiao Yan teased again.

"What about it?"

"Doesn't it look like it's been split in half by a Heaven tier Dou Technique?" Xiao Yan grinned sheepishly.

Yao Lao let out a snort. "You greedy little brat. You think Heaven tier Dou Techniques are so easy to learn? Just don't end up injuring yourself trying."

"C'mon, teacher, I've got you, haven't I?" Xiao Yan laughed.

"Alright, alright. Once we enter the Magical Beast Mountain Range, I'll start teaching you," Yao Lao relented. This kid had been pestering him nonstop, acting like an overly cautious miser afraid of missing out.

…

Qingshan Town

Thanks to the storage ring Lu Bu had given her, which contained all of Mu She's lifetime savings, Xiao Yi Xian was now flush with funds. A few months after returning to Qingshan Town, she began reducing her consultation hours.

She had originally treated injuries and illnesses to make a living, but with her newfound wealth, her focus shifted entirely to studying the Seven Colored Poison Codex. If it weren't for her lingering concerns about the Wolfhead Mercenary Group, she might not have bothered staying in the Myriad Medicine Pavilion at all.

"Maybe… I should've gone with him back then…" Xiao Yi Xian rested her chin on her hand, her mind flashing back to the extraordinarily handsome boy.

But wouldn't leaving with him make me seem too frivolous? she wondered, puffing her cheeks in frustration. That jerk! He hasn't even thought to visit me once after all this time.

Lost in thought, Xiao Yi Xian flipped through the Seven Colored Poison Codex. One page described something called the Innate Poison Body, also known as the Calamity Poison Body.

Unfortunately, her own body matched the description perfectly.

"Ugh… Should I activate it or not?" Xiao Yi Xian frowned.

With no immediate threats to her life and no pressing need for a power boost, she had no motivation to awaken the poison body described in the codex. The chilling accounts of previous cultivators who awakened it were too horrifying to ignore.

Once activated, she would become the so called "poisoned girl," abandoned by heaven and despised by man.

"Forget it… I won't think about it anymore!" Xiao Yi Xian huffed angrily and returned her focus to the codex. After all, for now, no one could touch her anyway.

Meanwhile, on the streets, Xiao Yan walked with a strange look on his face. The atmosphere here felt a little off. Although the town was bustling with mercenaries and had a rugged, bold culture, it lacked the heated confrontations he'd seen in Wu Tan City.

Instead of fiery arguments and tempers flaring, people gathered in small groups, keeping to themselves and avoiding unnecessary conflict.

"Teacher, what do you think?" Xiao Yan asked. Having once managed a marketplace at home, he was familiar with the unruly and prideful nature of these mercenaries. It wasn't uncommon for them to draw blades at the slightest provocation.

However, the subdued yet tense atmosphere here puzzled him.

"Hmm… This seems like a standoff between two factions," Yao Lao mused. "In such situations, a small spark can ignite a full blown conflict. That's why their members are being cautious to avoid triggering an all out war."

"I see…" Xiao Yan stroked his chin thoughtfully. If that were the case, he needed to leave quickly. If he got caught up in their conflict, it would waste valuable training time. The three year agreement had already passed the one year mark he couldn't afford to squander any time.

"Let's go, teacher. We'll head straight into the mountains," Xiao Yan said decisively, abandoning his plan to visit the Myriad Medicine Pavilion for supplies.

"Very well. Let's go," Yao Lao replied, satisfied with Xiao Yan's decisiveness.

Xiao Yan paid his bill at the restaurant and prepared to leave.

"What's wrong?" Yao Lao asked.

"Uh… I just feel like skipping the Myriad Medicine Pavilion might be a mistake," Xiao Yan said hesitantly, scratching his head. For some reason, he felt an inexplicable pull toward the place.

"...I just praised you for being decisive, and now you're hesitating," Yao Lao muttered.

"Cough… Fine, we're skipping it. To the Magical Beast Mountain Range!" Xiao Yan snapped out of it and strode toward the depths of the mountain range, soon disappearing into the sea of trees.

…

Deep in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, beneath a waterfall.

Lu Bu stood beneath the cascading water, the Devouring Ancestral Symbol hovering above his head. His left hand formed seals while his right hand occasionally sketched in the air. Streams of spiritual energy transformed into intricate runes, flying toward the corpse before him.

The process was arduous, and before long, Lu Bu's face turned red, his breathing growing labored.

Under his careful refinement, Mu She's corpse had taken on a metallic black sheen, resembling a body clad in Armament Haki.

The corpse's surface emitted a faint suction force, continuously drawing in the surrounding spiritual energy.

Buzz!

With the final rune embedded into the puppet, the intricate patterns on its surface began to writhe, as if alive.

As the runes shifted, pale green Dou Qi appeared on the puppet's exterior, flickering like a flame.

With a sigh of relief, Lu Bu wiped the sweat from his forehead. The Devouring Ancestral Symbol sank back into his Baihui acupoint, returning to his soul.

"One last step…" Lu Bu muttered, activating the Gathering Spirit Array beneath him to replenish his energy.

Opening his mouth, he exhaled an invisible, ethereal flame that adhered to the puppet's surface, slowly tempering it. The runes glimmered, and a small, complex formation emerged on its chest.

Lu Bu's eyes closed as he imprinted the runes deeply into the puppet's body.

After some time, he opened his eyes and retracted the flame. The puppet fell to the ground with a heavy thud, resembling a statue of black iron.

Raising his palm, Lu Bu struck the puppet with full force. The blow sent it skidding backward, cracks appearing on its surface.

Frowning slightly, Lu Bu sighed. "Its combat power is mediocre."

It could easily defeat a Dou Fighter but would struggle against a Dou Grandmaster. Against a Dou Spirit, it didn't stand a chance likely losing within a single exchange.

"Oh well, I can't ask for too much." He patted the puppet and sighed. After all, Mu She had only been a two star Dou Fighter. It would have to do for now.

"Time to find a magical beast to test it on…" Lu Bu muttered.

Just then, a strange sensation pricked at his mind, as if he were being watched. His eyes darted toward a nearby thicket, where he caught a glimpse of black eyes staring back at him.

"Crap! Teacher, he saw us!" Xiao Yan's panicked voice rang out in his mind.

A glint flashed in Lu Bu's eyes. A sparring partner has come knocking.

"Take him down!"

At Lu Bu's command, the black puppet leapt forward, charging like a ferocious tiger toward Xiao Yan!

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