Sun Fire Ancient Altar, Forming the Poison Pill
Compared to the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Magic Core, the Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast Magic Core didn't have many unique properties.
Holding the blood-red crystal, about half the size of a fist, that he'd pulled from his pocket, Chen Xiao could feel the immense, wild energy within it.
Pre-pay future: Choose any one option to complete—
① Go to Falling God Ravine and ambush its overlord, the Rank Seven Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast.
② Go to Shadow Shoal and ambush the Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast there.
③ Go to the Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast clan territory…
…
⑨ Trade with the Eastern Region Flying Cloud Merchant Association for a Magic Core.
⑩ Trade with the Soul Clan for one.
As usual, the Pre-pay information listed many options.
After all, Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragons weren't found only in Falling God Ravine.
It was just that, comparatively, the isolated Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast in Falling God Ravine was the easiest to hunt.
Chen Xiao glanced at it without much thought. The Pre-pay period this time wasn't long, so completing it would be quite easy.
...
The next day.
In the northern part of Holy Pill City, at one of the eight Spatial Teleportation Points.
After paying the fees, Chen Xiao, Little Fairy Doctor, Cao Ying, and Zi Yan immediately stepped into the Spatial Wormhole, heading straight for Green Spirit City.
Ye City, where the Ye Family resided, didn't have a direct Spatial Wormhole to Holy Pill City; they had to transfer once in Green Spirit City.
The journey was smooth, and after five days, the four finally arrived safely in Ye City.
It's worth noting here that for the same journey, the time taken for different people to travel through a Spatial Wormhole would vary, depending on factors such as the Spatial Ship used.
Additionally, factors like the Spatial Wormhole's integrity at different times could also have an impact.
Ye City.
The masters here were once the illustrious Ye Family of the Pill Domain. Although the Ye Family's glory had faded, a starved camel was still bigger than a horse. Within Ye City, no power dared to challenge their authority.
The Ye Family was entrenched in the city center, with their manor covering several square miles. Ordinary people were forbidden from entering on normal days, and the defenses were extremely strict.
Of course, this only applied to ordinary powerhouses.
Anyone who knew a little more about the Ye Family would know that the Ye Family was currently plagued by internal and external troubles; it was no exaggeration to say they were like clay figurines crossing a river, barely able to protect themselves.
Stepping out of the Spatial Wormhole, a vast plaza came into view.
But compared to other cities with Spatial Wormholes, this place appeared sparsely populated and quite desolate. What met the eye was a pervasive sense of decay, utterly devoid of any vibrancy.
The feeling it gave was even worse than Horizon City in the Black-Corner Region...
"Even though they're one of the Five Great Clans, coming to Ye City myself, I now understand how dire the Ye Family's situation really is."
Cao Ying shook her head slightly and sighed.
Just from the plaza where the Spatial Wormhole was located, one could instantly feel the huge difference between Ye City and Vast Sea City, where the Cao Family resided.
If Vast Sea City was like a man gradually entering his prime, at the peak of his power, then Ye City was like an old, decaying person, permeated with a sense of 'death.'
"The rise and fall of a clan are influenced by too many factors. The Ye Family still has some foundation. As long as they pass the next Five Great Clan assessment, there's still hope of returning to their peak."
Though he said this, Chen Xiao also knew.
Hope didn't mean they would truly return to their peak. Even if they passed the Five Great Clan assessment, it would only buy the Ye Family another ten or twenty years. If they couldn't cultivate an outstanding genius within that time, losing their status as one of the Five Great Clans would only be a matter of time.
And coincidentally, in the next ten or twenty years, the Central State's situation would undergo massive changes. One step slow, and every step would be slow. For the Ye Family to regain its peak glory...
Hope was slim!
"Pardon my interruption, but are you perhaps Mr. Chen Xiao?"
Just as the four of them were whispering, a middle-aged man in a yellow robe approached, bowing as he asked.
"That's right. And you are?" Chen Xiao nodded in acknowledgment.
"I am Ye Yishui, one of the Ye Family's Elders. A few days ago, the Grand Elder specifically instructed me to wait for you all here in the plaza."
Listening to the man's introduction, Chen Xiao nodded slightly.
Elder Ye Zhong was mature and steady, and his consideration of issues was thorough. It was not surprising for him to have someone waiting here in advance.
However, the names of the Ye Family members truly made one want to complain.
"During the Five Great Clan assessment, I noticed that Ye Fan resembled the Elder somewhat..."
"To be honest, Ye Fan is indeed my son."
"..."
Chen Xiao was speechless.
"Four distinguished guests, please follow me."
Without further ado, the four followed Elder Ye Yishui to the Ye Family manor in the city center.
Within ten minutes, the group entered the Ye Family compound and, in the main hall, met Grand Elder Ye Zhong, with whom they had previously met twice.
"Young friend Chen Xiao, you've finally arrived."
Seeing them enter the hall, Ye Zhong quickly rose to greet them, showing no airs despite his high position.
Given the current circumstances of the Ye Family, they had no right to put on airs anyway.
Chen Xiao subtly bowed in return. "Grand Elder, you already know the purpose of our visit, so I won't waste any more words. Please take us to the Sun Fire Ancient Altar. Regardless of the outcome, I will honor my promise once everything is done."
Chen Xiao had no particular friendship with the Ye Family, nor was there any need for pleasantries.
Now that he was at the Ye Family, it was best to get straight to business.
Hearing this, Ye Zhong felt a slight disappointment in his heart, but he didn't show it on his face. He chuckled, nodded, and replied, "That's how it should be. Yishui, you can go now. Prepare a few guest rooms. I will personally entertain our young friends."
"Young friend Chen Xiao, this way, please."
With a summons, Ye Zhong personally led Chen Xiao and his group deeper into the Ye Family compound.
About seven or eight minutes later, a very secluded rubble-strewn plaza appeared before them.
In the center of the plaza was a slightly ancient-looking altar. The massive stones used to construct the altar were all marked by the passage of time, clearly indicating the altar's considerable age.
As the group approached the altar, they noticed that the light here was exceptionally bright. The closer they got to the altar, the hotter and purer the surrounding natural energy became. Beams of light, seemingly substantial, poured down from the sky and, after reflecting off the smooth stone walls, converged entirely on a dark stone tablet in the center of the altar.
Zi Yan was completely unaffected by the surroundings, but Chen Xiao and Little Fairy Doctor frowned slightly.
Chen Xiao, due to his attribute, couldn't sense a trace of Ice Attribute energy within the Sun Fire Ancient Altar. Little Fairy Doctor, on the other hand, felt instinctively uncomfortable in this extremely strong yang and intense place because of her Woeful Poison Body.
Cao Ying, with her Fire Attribute, seemed to glow, and the circulation of Dou Qi within her body even sped up.
Having finally arrived at the Sun Fire Ancient Altar, she finally understood why the Ye Family considered this place forbidden.
Alchemists were all Fire Attribute users; refining elixirs here would be like a fish in water.
And this seemed to be a Sun Fire Ancient Altar that had some sort of problem.
"Young friend, look. Beneath this stone tablet is an underground 'earth eye' that leads deep into the earth. In the past, when the stone tablet was moved, some earth core flames would emerge, igniting the sunlight gathered here to form Sun Fire. But after the last Five Great Clans assessment, very few earth core flames have emerged from the earth eye. Even using other flames cannot ignite the sunlight to form Sun Fire."
Gazing at the ancient altar, Ye Zhong sighed lightly, a wry smile on his face.
When things went wrong, even drinking cold water could choke you. Ye Zhong felt that the Ye Family had been extremely unlucky in recent years.
The Ye Family's current predicament was already headache-inducing enough, but then, after the last Five Great Clans assessment, the Sun Fire Ancient Altar, which was considered their foundation, also developed a problem.
And recently, as the Ye Family's performance in the Five Great Clans assessment spread, some surrounding forces also began to stir.
For example, the Black Flame Sect, which had coveted the Sun Fire Ancient Altar for many years, had been coming by frequently lately, with their attitude becoming more aggressive each time.
Chen Xiao nodded slightly. They weren't here to borrow any Sun Fire this time. They simply wanted to use the pure natural energy of this extremely strong yang and intense place to suppress Little Fairy Doctor's Woeful Poison Body.
Whether there was Sun Fire or not was irrelevant.
"I understand, Grand Elder. Please seal off this area for the next few days and don't allow anyone to disturb us."
"Young friend, feel free to use this place. I've had Yishui arrange guest rooms. If any of you need to rest, you may go at any time."
Ye Zhong nodded in agreement. Seeing that Chen Xiao had no desire for small talk, he immediately departed, leaving the area to the four of them.
Watching Ye Zhong leave, Chen Xiao looked at Little Fairy Doctor and Cao Ying, his expression turning serious.
"Xian'er, Ying'er, it's up to you now. Zi Yan and I will protect you."
With that, Chen Xiao took out the Bodhi Transformation Saliva and the Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast Magic Core and handed them to Cao Ying.
To condense the Poison Pill for Little Fairy Doctor, only Cao Ying's assistance was needed.
Moreover, Cao Ying's role was more of a guiding one; the demands on her strength weren't too high.
Ultimately, the most crucial factor was whether Little Fairy Doctor could endure the pain and ultimately transform.
Chen Xiao had no doubts about this.
Although Little Fairy Doctor hadn't experienced the period of being the Sect Master of the Poison Sect in her original trajectory, her inherent resilience was never lacking.
Little Fairy Doctor nodded at his words, then lightly tapped her toes on the ground and gracefully leaped onto the altar.
The dense, extreme yang energy surged around her, causing her delicate brows to furrow slightly. The center of this altar had an even more pronounced suppressive effect on her toxic body.
Cao Ying took the two materials, took a deep breath, and then retrieved a blood-red elixir from her Storage Ring and swallowed it.
In an instant, her aura began to surge. In just a few breaths, her strength skyrocketed from a One-Star Dou Huang to a Four-Star Dou Huang before gradually stabilizing, and her complexion became unnaturally flushed.
"Sister Cao Ying..." Zi Yan looked worried.
"What kind of elixir is this?" Chen Xiao frowned, also concerned about Cao Ying's condition.
Elixirs that could instantly boost one's strength were not uncommon on the Dou Qi Continent.
They ranged from grade one to grade seven or eight, corresponding to various cultivation realms.
For example, the Grade One Qi Bursting Pill could instantly increase a Dou Zhe's strength by twenty percent.
Another example, the most widely known Dou Wang Pill, could temporarily grant one Dou Wang-level strength, allowing them to deal with previously insurmountable dangers. Cao Ying had prepared this elixir when she was refining the Green Lotus Core Flame.
There were countless such elixirs.
However, without exception, consuming such elixirs always came with some side effects. Some even impacted the consumer's future.
Chen Xiao had been preparing for this day for years, so naturally, he wanted to help Little Fairy Doctor form the Poison Pill as quickly as possible.
But if achieving this meant sacrificing Cao Ying's potential, that was something he was unwilling to see.
Not only him, but Little Fairy Doctor would also feel guilty, making it difficult for her to truly move on in the future.
Even Zi Yan understood this point clearly.
However, precisely because of this, Chen Xiao believed that with that demoness's intelligence, it was highly unlikely she would do anything foolish, which allowed him to remain composed.
Meeting their gazes, Cao Ying shook her head slightly. She then cast a reassuring glance at Little Fairy Doctor, who was also frowning intently on the other side, before explaining with a smile, "The Profound Yellow Creation Pill, when consumed, can temporarily increase one's Dou Huang rank by two to three stars within a certain period. However, after the effects wear off, there will be a weakened period of about ten days, during which no Dou Qi can be used."
"Forming the Poison Pill for Sister Xian'er is a crucial matter. The stronger my usable power, the greater the certainty of success. In comparison, this small cost is negligible. I know what you're worried about, but don't worry, I wouldn't do anything to ruin my own future."
Hearing her explanation and observing the genuine smile on the demoness's charming face, Chen Xiao and the other two finally felt at ease.
However, Chen Xiao still made a mental note of this matter, intending to confirm it again after handling the follow-up of the pre-paid Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast Magic Core, using the pre-pay as a reference.
"Alright, stop staring at me. I'm lucky enough to have increased my strength by three stars! This power won't last too long, so let's start as soon as possible. Chen Xiao, you come too. We might need your help later."
Cao Ying smiled and stepped onto the altar first.
Chen Xiao hesitated for a moment, gave Zi Yan a few more instructions, then summoned the Heavenly Demon Puppet, ordering it to guard the edge of the altar. Only then did he follow closely, entering the altar himself.
Arriving at the center of the altar, he saw the two women sitting face to face, already prepared.
Chen Xiao's gaze shifted slightly, finally settling on the pitch-black stone tablet.
Ye Zhong had mentioned earlier that this seemingly ordinary stone tablet was actually the key to activating the altar.
Chen Xiao raised his hand and lightly touched the stone tablet. A scorching sensation instantly spread up from his palm. Without hesitation, he focused his energy, and with a 'creaking' mechanical sound, the stone tablet slowly moved aside.
As the stone tablet gradually shifted, a dark hole, roughly the size of a human head, immediately came into their view.
This was the subterranean eye that Ye Zhong had mentioned!
Just then, another series of creaking sounds suddenly rang out, as if an ancient mechanism had been triggered. The stone walls around the altar began to slide slowly, and with the grinding sound of stone against stone, they gradually joined together, forming a circular high wall that seamlessly enclosed the altar along with Chen Xiao and the two women.
From Zi Yan's perspective outside, all that could be seen was an ancient stone wall, covered in traces of age, completely concealing everything inside and forming a perfectly sealed stone chamber.
Once the circular stone wall was fully closed, Chen Xiao and the two women inside also noticed that the surface of the stone wall seemed to have been polished by an invisible hand, gradually becoming as smooth as a mirror.
Beams of light refracted and converged off this wall, finally all pouring towards the location of the subterranean eye. In an instant, blinding white light burst forth, making it difficult to look directly at.
The sunlight converged entirely on the subterranean eye, but no Sun Fire ignited. However, the extreme yang energy within the altar grew increasingly intense, causing Little Fairy Doctor's delicate brows to furrow. She felt as if the light burning on her felt like scorching flames.
"Hiss! Hiss!"
Suddenly, uncontrolled grayish-purple poisonous mist surged out from Little Fairy Doctor's body, violently colliding with the scorching sunlight and emitting a piercing sound.
Seeing this, Chen Xiao cast an encouraging look at Little Fairy Doctor, whose expression was tense and whose hands were tightly clenched. He then stepped back slightly, leaving the stage to Cao Ying.
"Sister Xian'er, I'm starting!"
Cao Ying murmured softly, then waved her hand, taking out the Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast's Magic Core and the Bodhi Transformation Saliva.
"Sister Xian'er, I will first use three Heavenly Flames. Heavenly Flames are the bane of poison. Once they enter your body, the poison gas within you will automatically retreat until it's forced into one location. This process will be very painful, but you must endure it! All I can do is guide; whether you can truly form the Poison Pill depends on you!"
Seeing Cao Ying's solemn expression, Little Fairy Doctor glanced at Chen Xiao beside her, gritted her silver teeth, and nodded heavily.
She knew deeply that Chen Xiao had prepared for years to help her form the Poison Pill, finally gathering all the necessary materials. Now, everything was ready, and this rare opportunity was at hand. She only needed to endure it to succeed!
Therefore, even if the process brought excruciating, bone-gnawing pain, she was determined to grit her teeth and persevere!
If she couldn't even endure this small hardship, how could she reciprocate Chen Xiao's years of dedicated effort?
"I understand. Come on."
"Mhm, Sister Xian'er, please remove your clothes."
Whether it was the Heavenly Flames entering her body or integrating the Magic Core and Bodhi Transformation Saliva, the clothes on her body would be a hindrance.
Upon hearing this, Little Fairy Doctor's body stiffened slightly, and two crimson clouds instantly bloomed on her delicate face. She lowered her gaze, avoiding Chen Xiao's eyes, her fingertips trembling slightly. But she no longer hesitated, gently tugging at her sash with her jade-like hand. Her plain white dress slipped down her creamy skin like flowing clouds, and her delicate body, sculpted like white jade, was thus exposed to the scorching sunlight, emitting a soft, glistening glow.
Chen Xiao and Cao Ying could clearly see a faint seven-colored line extending from Little Fairy Doctor's lower abdomen towards her heart. This was the mark of someone with the Woeful Poison Body.
When this seven-colored line reached the heart, it would be the most critical moment for the Woeful Poison Body to fully erupt.
And now, this seven-colored line had already extended not far below her rounded abdomen, only about two inches from her heart!
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