Chapter 231: Since When Do Bugs Dare Cause Trouble Too?
"Take me back? Just with your measly three-star Dou Zong strength?"
Xiao Yuan's voice rang out cold and sharp, laced with undisguised mockery. As his hand seals changed, a surging torrent of cyan-brown flame erupted from within his body, only to be quickly retracted.
Heavenly Flame Triple Change — First Change!
Boom!
In an instant, Xiao Yuan's aura soared directly to seven-star Dou Huang!
After advancing to Dou Huang, the Wind-Wood Qi of the Jueyin attribute he cultivated could also manifest in the form of Heavenly Flame. Based on Xiao Yuan's estimates, this Wind-Wood Flame was roughly on par with the Shaoyin Monarch Flame and comparable to the peak condition of the Green Lotus Core Flame.
The cyan-brown fusion of three Heavenly Flames was easily strong enough to rank in the top ten of the Heavenly Flame List. Now that Xiao Yuan had broken through to Dou Huang, its amplifying effect was even greater.
?!???
In the skies above, Xie Biyan stared wide-eyed as the aura of the white-robed woman suddenly exploded from one-star to seven-star Dou Huang.
What kind of secret technique was this?! That leap in strength was outrageous!
At the same time, Xiao Yi Xian—who had just repelled Xie Shan with a palm—was equally astonished. Since reuniting, it was the first time she'd seen Xiao Yuan go all out. This hidden trump card of his brought both surprise and delight.
"Madam Sect Leader is mighty!"
Down below, many Poison Sect disciples couldn't help but cheer loudly, rallying morale.
Such was the difference between men and women. Had Xiao Yuan appeared in his original male form, he likely wouldn't have received such enthusiastic support.
In the Dou Qi Continent, beautiful and powerful women were often admired more than men.
Even though no one in the Poison Sect had actually seen the true face beneath Xiao Yuan's veil, Zi Yan—hiding among them—grinned mischievously. If these guys knew the elegant Madam Sect Leader was actually a man more handsome than most women, what kind of reaction would they have?
Yes—now this is what I call fired up!
Xiao Yuan could feel his blood boil as he listened to the cheers below. (Though in truth, it was mostly the Heavenly Flame boiling him inside.)
This Wind-Wood Flame was the greatest gain from his closed-door cultivation. It had caused a significant leap in his combat strength.
With his cultivation technique, Dou Techniques, and overall arsenal, even without interflowing Dou Qi among his Qi Palaces, he could now hunt Yun Shan down easily.
Of course, due to the strength of the fusion Heavenly Flame, the side effects of using the Heavenly Flame Triple Change had re-emerged. He could no longer use it as freely or for as long as before.
But to defeat Xie Biyan…
He had to go all out!
While Xie Biyan was still stunned, Xiao Yuan's hand seals changed again, transferring the Dou Qi from all five Qi Palaces into the Qingmu Qi Palace.
Boom!
Under everyone's dumbfounded gaze, Xiao Yuan's aura soared once more—reaching the peak of Dou Huang. With a single step forward, he shattered the invisible wall that had stopped countless peak Dou Huangs. A tremendous surge of power erupted from atop his head!
His white veil fluttered off, disintegrating mid-air into dust, revealing a flawlessly handsome, refined face enhanced by makeup.
The immense Dou Qi surging through him made even his powerful body feel a twinge of discomfort. His jet-black hair flowed wildly behind him as his cyan-brown flame wings vanished. Standing in the sky, he instantly became the center of everyone's attention.
"Holy crap! I used to think our Sect Leader was the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. Cold and ruthless, yeah—but damn she was gorgeous. Now I think Madam Sect Leader's even more godlike. I'd believe it if someone told me she's a divine goddess!"
A Poison Sect disciple blurted out in awe.
"Agreed."
Several others chimed in.
"Damn it, what trick did that woman use to jump an entire tier like that?"
Xie Shan's face darkened. He'd thought summoning the former sect leader would clinch the win. But now, this mysterious woman revealed such terrifying means—and the situation had completely turned against them!
Looks like… it was time to unleash the Heavenly Demon Scorpion.
His eyes turned cold as he glanced toward the stunning figure in white high above. Narrowing his gaze at the surroundings, he sneered, "So what if you use a heretical method to boost your strength? How long can it last? Once Elder Xie is free, your Poison Sect will be wiped out!"
With that, he pulled out a blue whistle from his storage ring. A low, eerie note rang out across the battlefield.
Seeing this, Xiao Yi Xian's expression shifted slightly. She scanned the surroundings, finding nothing unusual. Was it just a bluff?
But then, the mountain suddenly trembled.
From a nearby mist-shrouded ravine came a piercing hiss. A colossal figure burst from the fog, instantly catching everyone's gaze.
Xiao Yi Xiang looked up, and her expression darkened.
What appeared was an enormous scorpion, at least several dozen meters long. It had four pairs of wings, jet-black hairy legs thick as tree trunks, each lined with razor-sharp sawteeth glowing faint purple. Its tail, as long as its body, swayed menacingly, its stinger radiating a chilling gleam.
The terrifying sight of this beast drew cries of alarm from the Poison Sect.
"The Four-Winged Heavenly Demon Scorpion?! Why is that thing here?!"
Xiao Yi Xiang narrowed her eyes. She could feel it—it was a genuine sixth-rank magical beast.
"Hehehe… Elder Xie spent a lot of effort taming this thing. It's the guardian beast of our sect, making its debut today just for you!"
Xie Shan let out a twisted laugh, then blew the whistle again.
With a shriek, the scorpion flapped its wings and launched itself toward Xiao Yi Xiang like a meteor.
A terrifying pressure descended from above. Xiao Yi Xiang frowned, preparing to fight back—when suddenly…
A deep cyan line streaked across the sky, cloaked in cyan-brown flame. It pierced straight through the Heavenly Demon Scorpion's body, snuffing out every ounce of life within!
"Since when do bugs think they can lay a hand on my people?"
Xiao Yuan's cold voice echoed from the sky. His slender, fair fingers released the last of their energy ripple as he casually flicked his hand, then turned toward Xie Biyan with a mocking grin.
It was clearly Xiao Yuan's Falling Kill, now a fully mastered Wind-attribute Dou Technique.
"You're no different from that bug."
Xie Biyan's fury surged—but so did his dread. That beast had incredible defense. It had taken him great effort to subdue it. Yet that woman had obliterated it in a single blow. That kind of power… even he felt a chill down his spine.
Before he could react further, lightning flashed—and Xiao Yuan appeared behind him. With flames churning in his palm and immense Dou Qi gathering, he slammed a powerful strike toward Xie Biyan's back.
Though now technically a one-star Dou Zong, Xiao Yuan—enhanced by techniques, flames, and more—was equal in power to the peak three-star Dou Zong before him. And with the speed of Three Thousand Lightning Movement, Xie Biyan had no time to defend.
Boom!
A massive explosion of energy rang out, and the acrid smell of burning flesh spread through the air. Xie Biyan was sent flying—the first exchange had already left him injured!
But Xiao Yuan wasn't done.
Before Xie Biyan could steady himself, Xiao Yuan followed with a cyan-brown longsword formed from Heavenly Flame.
Wind Spirit Split-Sword!
Hundreds of sword shadows burst forth, targeting the staggering Xie Biyan.
His other hand moved quickly.
Blazing Inferno!
A firestorm erupted around the sword images, sweeping toward Xie Biyan.
Wind Thrust Technique!
A fierce gust pushed the flames even faster.
Xiao Yuan raised his sword, sunlight gathering on the blade as terrifying energy surged. His spiritual perception locked onto Xie Biyan.
Then—release!
A dazzling streak of light slashed toward the fire-shrouded figure.
Whoosh!
Even Xiao Yuan panted slightly after that elegant flurry of chained techniques.
Moments later, a powerful wave of energy surged out. Much of the flame dissipated, revealing Xie Biyan—his right chest bore a bowl-sized hole, charred black. Sword wounds and burns riddled his body.
He had been severely injured.
"Hah… fine! I underestimated you. Today, even if it costs my life, I'll erase you from this world!"
Xie Biyan glared at the white-robed figure, murderous intent burning in his eyes.
"Where does this old mutt get his confidence from?"
Xiao Yuan sneered, eyes full of contempt.
"Kill me? In that condition?"
"Heh… don't get cocky, brat. I've cultivated for decades—you think I can't handle you?"
Xie Biyan laughed darkly, then slammed his staff into the air and tore apart his tattered robes.
A blood-red scorpion tattoo emerged on his chest—its presence brimming with violent and savage energy. It was more terrifying than the Four-Winged Scorpion—and it was just a tattoo.
"The Blood Demon Scorpion Emperor?"
Xiao Yi Xian's expression shifted at the sight.
"Hehehe… After becoming a Dou Zong, I once encountered an injured Blood Demon Scorpion Emperor, just on the verge of its own breakthrough. I killed it, sealed its soul, and refined its flesh into my own. Today, you'll witness the true power of my perfected Blood Soul Art!"
Xie Biyan's cold smile twisted further as he changed his hand seals. The scorpion tattoo wriggled and slithered into his body.
His form rapidly mutated—his limbs twisted grotesquely, his bones tore through his skin, forming blood-colored pincers.
By the time the change ended, he was a half-human, half-scorpion monstrosity, drenched in blood, with a demonic aura skyrocketing skyward.
His previous injuries? Completely healed.
Xiao Yuan watched lazily, unbothered. He could tell—Xie Biyan's strength now likely matched a five-star Dou Zong.
So what?
"Today, I'll offer you as the first sacrifice to my perfected Blood Soul Art!"
With his monstrous pincers pointing at Xiao Yuan, Xie Biyan's voice became sharp and eerie. The violent aura rising into the sky drew everyone's attention.
As the crowd looked up at Xie Biyan's hideous form and sensed his fearsome power, many Poison Sect members turned pale.
Even Xiao Yi Xiang furrowed her brows. Her eyes sharpened with killing intent, and she launched a frenzied assault at Xie Shan.
She was only at Dou Huang, but if Xiao Yuan needed her—she would immediately unseal her Calamity Poison Body to help him fight Xie Biyan.
The enemy before her had to be eliminated quickly.
(END CHAPTER)
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