Chapter 297: "Wounded by Wine and Women, How Haggard I Look…"
The two members of the Nine Nether Earth Python clan were full of triumphant laughter, their faces beaming with undisguised joy, as if victory were already within their grasp. The dark blue mist, drifting and dispersing with the wind, slowly revealed Xiao Yi Xian within.
Her fair skin was now covered with dark blue veins, and eerie energy in the same hue coursed along her meridians, inching toward her heart. Xiao Yi Xian's eyes were tightly shut, her red lips pressed together. Her body trembled slightly, her snow white hair floating as if resisting the abnormality surging within her.
"Pretty boy, why aren't you surrendering already?" Yao Chi snarled, his face twisted in a vicious grin as he roared at Lu Bu.
Boom!
Before his voice had fully fallen, a deafening explosion erupted as a purple black pillar of fire shot forth.
The massive dark red, striped python let out a mournful wail, blood splattering across the sky. Its rancid blood sprayed everywhere as its massive body crashed down into the dense forest below.
"You bastard, you're courting death!" Yao Chi's eyes blazed with fury at the sight of Yao Zhuo's sorry state. He let out an enraged roar and swung his palm down toward Xiao Yi Xian's head.
"Hmph!"
Just then, a low snort reverberated through the air. A faint crackle of thunder followed as purple black flames suddenly illuminated the sky.
Boom!
A column of flame ripped through the void, smashing into Yao Chi's body. The ferocious foreign flame overwhelmed his cold water attribute Dou Qi in an instant.
Yao Chi groaned, retreating backward in disarray before finally stabilizing himself.
"Damn it…" Yao Chi gritted his teeth, glaring at the burns on his forearms. His arms were blackened, and a scorching pain spread across his body.
"That flame isn't ordinary it's a Heavenly Flame!" wheezed a voice beside him. With a blur of motion, Yao Zhuo returned to Yao Chi's side. His condition wasn't much better his entire body was charred black, fresh blood trickled from his mouth, and his breathing was ragged. His chest heaved as though he were a bellows on the verge of collapse.
On the opposite side, Lu Bu slowly descended, placing himself protectively in front of Xiao Yi Xian. He flicked his sleeve, his expression calm but his brows slightly furrowed. If these two joined forces, he'd have to exert some real effort to take them down.
"Brat, do you really intend to watch your woman succumb to poison without doing anything?" Yao Chi shouted, blue light swirling around his hands as a powerful energy rippled outward.
"Boy, I know you're an eighth tier alchemist, but the Emperor Python's Heart Corroding Poison can only be cured by our clan. Surrender now, or you'll regret it!" Yao Zhuo roared threateningly.
"Idiots." Lu Bu sneered and ignored them, turning slightly to examine Xiao Yi Xian. The dark blue veins on her body had already vanished, but she still hadn't regained consciousness.
"It seems we overestimated you," Yao Chi said, his expression dark and cold. "You're not the type of man who truly cares for his woman…"
Rumble!
Before Yao Chi could finish, the heavens suddenly trembled, and the energy of the world began to surge wildly, rushing toward Xiao Yi Xian.
"She's… advancing?" Lu Bu raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh, right. Xiao Yi Xian was already on the verge of a breakthrough. With the Emperor Python's Heart Corroding Poison as a 'boost,' her advancement makes sense."
"Damn it! How is she advancing?" Yao Chi and Yao Zhuo's faces twisted in terror as they cried out in unison.
"Attack together!"
"Kill!"
The two roared in unison, their Dou Qi erupting in a furious storm. Their figures blurred into streaks of light as they charged toward Lu Bu from both sides.
"Hmph, perfect!" Lu Bu chuckled coldly, clapping his hands together as a surge of Dou Qi began to gather between his palms.
"Lu Bu, leave them to me…" A soft voice interrupted him as a cool, delicate hand gently grasped his own.
Behind him, Xiao Yi Xian stood with a faint smile on her lips, stepping forward to stand beside Lu Bu.
"Did it work?" he asked.
"Yes." Xiao Yi Xian nodded lightly, her gaze shifting to the two approaching figures from the Nine Nether Earth Python clan. Her beautiful face turned icy as she raised a slender finger. With a subtle motion, a faint purple light shot forth.
The purple light was weak and barely noticeable, but Yao Chi and Yao Zhuo's pupils contracted sharply as an overwhelming sense of dread flooded their minds. Their instincts screamed at them that the light was incredibly dangerous.
"Retreat!"
Both of them reacted instantly, veering backward in retreat without hesitation.
"Explode," Xiao Yi Xian said softly.
Boom!
The faint purple light detonated, releasing a gentle purple mist that appeared slow yet moved with surprising speed. In an instant, it engulfed the two retreating figures.
A delicate and enticing fragrance wafted through the air.
"I tested your poison earlier it wasn't bad. Now, try mine," Xiao Yi Xian said calmly.
"What… what did you do!?" Yao Chi gasped, his eyes widening in panic as a strange, itchy numbness spread through his meridians.
"Damn it… what is this poison?" Yao Zhuo's body trembled as blood spurted from his mouth. A gray pallor overtook his pale face.
Cough, cough…
Yao Chi collapsed to his knees, coughing violently as dark red blood spilled from his lips in a steady stream.
"Tsk, tsk… How pitiful," Lu Bu remarked, clicking his tongue. Most of his admiration, however, was directed at Xiao Yi Xian's mastery of poison. Despite standing so close to her, he hadn't been affected in the slightest.
"I used a compound poison," Xiao Yi Xian explained with a light laugh. The purple mist itself wasn't toxic in fact, it was a pleasant smelling ingredient. However, when combined with the latent poison she had secretly planted earlier, it transformed into a lethal venom even Dou Zuns couldn't resist.
With ease, the two members of the Nine Nether Earth Python clan lost their lives, their bodies falling limply to the ground.
Lu Bu waved his sleeve, summoning his silver puppet. It swiftly returned with two eighth tier beast cores one dark red and the other dark blue as well as two storage rings.
"Such treasures…" Lu Bu grinned as he stashed the beast cores into jade boxes and began rifling through the storage rings.
Xiao Yi Xian smiled helplessly. This was one of Lu Bu's bad habits.
"Just some junk… Oh? This seems interesting!" Lu Bu murmured, pulling out an ancient yellowed book.
"What's that?" Xiao Yi Xian leaned over curiously. Her eyes landed on the book's bold title: "The Secret Art of Coupling Dragons."
The moment she read it, her expression froze. A faint blush crept across her face, and she couldn't help but let out a soft scolding sound.
"Coupling Dragons?" Lu Bu blinked in confusion. "Is that some kind of magical beast? I've never heard of it. Do you know what it is, Xian'er?"
"Well…" Xiao Yi Xian's blush deepened, and she stammered.
Before she could explain, Lu Bu had already flipped through the book. Moments later, his eyes lit up in realization.
The "Secret Art of Coupling Dragons" wasn't some profound cultivation technique or a mystical skill to enhance strength it was… a manual on bedroom techniques.
In simpler terms, it was… a guide to positions.
Lu Bu paused for a moment, then suddenly realized. At the time, Xiao Yi Xian had indeed made a small gesture, but he hadn't paid it much attention. Unexpectedly, it had such an effect.
"Xian'er, you're amazing!" Lu Bu grinned, leaning over to plant a kiss on Xiao Yi Xian's fair cheek.
"Ah…" Xiao Yi Xian trembled slightly, casting him a reproachful yet flustered look. The blush she had only just managed to suppress flared up again.
It would've been fine if no one else were around, but she knew there were two pairs of eyes watching them from the shadows!
"What now?" Xiao Yi Xian took a deep breath, composing herself as she asked. While she had faith in Lu Bu, the fact remained that the two opponents were both two star Dou Zuns formidable adversaries.
"Let's root them out and finish them off for good this time…" Lu Bu's eyes gleamed coldly as he spoke with an edge to his voice.
Earlier, back at the She family's grounds, he had spared the two from the Nine Nether Earth Python clan. Partly, he had wished to avoid provoking their entire clan unnecessarily. Another reason was that it wasn't the right time to kill anyone in front of so many witnesses.
But now… Since they had chosen the path of death, there was no need to hold back.
Whoosh!
Xiao Yi Xian's gaze turned icy, and with a light shout, a surge of powerful gray Dou Qi erupted. A sharp, piercing gray energy beam shot out, tearing through the void like an arrow loosed from a bow, heading straight toward an invisible point in the air.
Boom!
A muffled explosion rang out as two figures were forced out of hiding, stumbling clumsily into the open with expressions of shock and alarm.
The Nine Nether Earth Python duo Yao Zhuo and Yao Chi stared at Xiao Yi Xian with wide eyes. A single glance told them the truth: this seemingly fragile woman was, in fact, a one star Dou Zun!
"How did you discover us!?" Yao Zhuo's expression darkened, shock giving way to cold fury.
The Nine Nether Earth Python clan prided themselves on their unrivaled expertise in stealth and ambush tactics. In a carefully calculated ambush, even an eighth tier alchemist would struggle to detect them.
But this frail looking woman had uncovered their presence. How was that possible?
"So what if you've discovered us?" Yao Chi sneered, baring his sharp fangs as his yellow, serpentine pupils gleamed with bloodlust.
The atmosphere around them shifted. The air grew heavy, damp, and stifling, like the oppressive humidity of a tropical jungle.
"You truly don't know when to quit," Lu Bu muttered, glancing at the duo. A flicker of purple black flame sprang to life in his eyes, and in an instant, the suffocating humidity dissipated entirely.
"Do you think the Nine Nether Earth Python clan is so easily dealt with?" Yao Zhuo's voice was cold as he took a step forward. His figure blurred, his presence becoming ethereal.
"Pretty boy, no matter who you are, anyone who crosses our clan must die!" Yao Zhuo roared as an eerie, dark red flame materialized in his hand. The fire solidified into a wickedly sharp blade, which he swung mercilessly toward Lu Bu's throat.
The blade was as sharp as it was ominous, its edge so fine that it seemed to split the air itself. A faint spatial rift trailed behind the blade, amplifying its deadly force.
"You dare use fire against me? You'll regret it," Lu Bu sneered. Purple black flames surged from his body, coalescing into a massive, serpentine flame dragon in the blink of an eye.
"Roar!"
The flame dragon reared its head, unleashing a deafening roar as its searing breath shot toward Yao Zhuo like a meteor.
"What!?" Yao Zhuo's eyes widened in horror as he faced the destructive force of the dragon breath.
In desperation, Yao Zhuo roared and unleashed his own fiery energy. Blazing crimson arcs erupted from his flame blade, each one several dozen meters long, forming a swirling vortex of fire to counter the oncoming attack.
Boom!
The two forces collided with a deafening explosion. The clash of firepower created a tempestuous storm, ripping through the sky and tearing open spatial rifts.
"Yao Chi! This pretty boy isn't simple I'll hold him off. Go deal with that white haired woman!" Yao Zhuo yelled, sensing that Lu Bu was no ordinary foe.
"On it!" Yao Chi growled, his eyes gleaming with malice. He turned his attention to Xiao Yi Xian, who remained calm and composed despite the chaos.
"Woman, your life ends here!" Yao Chi sneered, gathering dark blue orbs of water around him. He sent them hurtling toward Xiao Yi Xian, each orb exploding into a poisonous mist upon impact.
Xiao Yi Xian's brow furrowed slightly. She sniffed lightly, her expression turning somewhat amused.
This poison… How familiar.
"Fool," Xiao Yi Xian said with an icy smile. "You dare test poison against me?"
Her slender fingers moved gracefully, conjuring a faint, shimmering purple mist.
Boom!
The mist expanded rapidly, mingling with Yao Chi's poison cloud. A second later, Yao Chi and Yao Zhuo both clutched their throats, their eyes filled with terror.
"You… What have you done!?" Yao Chi gasped, his body convulsing as blood spewed from his mouth.
"This is… impossible…" Yao Zhuo staggered, his face pale as ash. His body trembled uncontrollably, gray lines snaking across his skin.
"This is my poison," Xiao Yi Xian said, her tone casual. "A gift for you both."
Moments later, the two Nine Nether Earth Pythons collapsed lifelessly to the ground, their venomous pride utterly useless against the queen of poison herself.
Lu Bu whistled as his puppet retrieved two high tier beast cores and a pair of storage rings. "What treasures do we have here?" he mused, rummaging through the rings with a gleeful grin.
Xiao Yi Xian chuckled softly at his antics. This was just like him.
Amid the contents of the rings, Lu Bu found an ancient, weathered book. The bold title caught his eye: "The Secret Art of Coupling Dragons."
Curious, he opened it, but Xiao Yi Xian, seeing the title, turned scarlet.
"Coupling Dragons? What kind of beast is that?" Lu Bu asked innocently.
Xiao Yi Xian hesitated, then stammered, "It's… not a beast…"
As he skimmed through the text, realization dawned on Lu Bu. "Oh… This isn't a beast. It's… uh… education."
Yes, it was a manual for bedroom techniques a detailed guide on certain… intimate practices.
Xiao Yi Xian, her face burning with embarrassment, turned away with a huff, only to sneak a glance at Lu Bu moments later.
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