Chapter 317: Condensing the Poison Pill
Pushing open the door to Xiao Yi Xian's room, Xiao Yuan was met with the sight of a silver-haired beauty shrouded in a faintly glowing, purplish-grey cloud of Calamity Poison Qi.
Judging by her state, the poison within her body had reached its peak. Fortunately, the number of times the Calamity Poison Body had been unsealed was few, so there was no immediate danger of it erupting.
Still, carrying around a ticking time bomb wasn't ideal. Xiao Yuan didn't want Xiao Yi Xiang to suffer any mishap.
Sensing Xiao Yuan's entrance, Xiao Yi Xian's eyelashes trembled slightly during her cultivation. But she didn't stop, continuing her practice for another half hour before withdrawing the poison into her body. Her eyes slowly opened and fell on Xiao Yuan.
Seeing that handsome face carrying a warm, gentle smile, Xiao Yi Xian's own face blossomed into a sweet smile. With a flash of movement, she appeared before him.
"What brings you here?" she asked with a smile in her voice.
"Hehe, I finished cultivating and didn't see you around, so I got a bit worried and came to check on you. I didn't disturb your training, did I?"
Xiao Yuan wrapped his arms around her slender waist and said with a soft laugh.
"How could you disturb me? I'm happy you came to find me."
She lowered her head into his chest and hugged him tightly.
Because of her Calamity Poison Body, most people couldn't even touch her. Even Yun Yun, whom she treated like a sister, avoided too much physical contact. After all, even a Dou Zong could be in serious trouble if they were tainted.
Xiao Yan wasn't afraid, but he always treated his two sisters-in-law with utmost respect and rarely interacted with Xiao Yi Xiang or Yun Yun beyond necessary discussions.
"You've improved really quickly. When we parted, your strength was still below mine, and now you're already a five-star Dou Zong."
Xiao Yuan gently patted her back and smiled.
"Mm. I can feel that the Calamity Poison Body is nearly complete. Its eruption will probably occur within two years. My fast cultivation is largely due to that. I think I'll reach the Dou Zong peak within a year. At that point, the risk of losing control will greatly increase. If it fully loses control, even a Dou Zun might not survive the poison.
Though I've known this was coming, I don't want you to bear everything on your own. I want to help, too, as much as I can."
Her voice was a little heavy.
"I'm used to protecting the woman I love, but if you want to fight by my side, I'm just as happy. Facing our enemies hand in hand with the one I love—that's not a bad thing."
Xiao Yuan smiled, looked down at her soft, beautiful face and deep grey-violet eyes filled with emotion, then leaned in and gently kissed her lips. With a light-hearted tone, he added, "Come on, I'll help you solve the Calamity Poison Body problem. I made you a promise back then—now it's time to keep it."
Hearing that, Xiao Yi Xiang was stunned for a moment, then her eyes welled up. A tear slid down her cheek. Smiling like a blossoming flower, she laughed softly, "Alright!"
Bringing her to the Sunfire Ancient Altar, they stepped inside. Xiao Yi Xiang frowned slightly—the intense yang energy made her uncomfortable.
Xiao Yuan pressed his palms together and changed hand seals. Four Heavenly Flames flew out from within him. The Yin-Yang Twin Flames split into a black Yin Flame and a white Yang Flame. The five flames transformed into small fire spirits and flew to five corners of the altar. With the shifting seals, five Flaming Wheel Arrays formed.
Then, Xiao Yuan's brow moved slightly, and a ripple of soul energy spread out to form a Soul Mirror Barrier.
The altar was already surrounded by many stone walls. From outside, one couldn't see anything happening inside. Now, with both the Flaming Wheel Arrays and the Soul Mirror Barrier as double protection, even a Dou Zun couldn't spy on them before the formations were broken.
With everything in place, Xiao Yuan turned to the slightly nervous Xiao Yi Xiang and smiled. "Shall we begin?"
She nodded gently, took a deep breath to calm her nerves, and sat cross-legged inside the altar, back straight, graceful neck and waist forming an enchanting silhouette.
Xiao Yuan also sat down cross-legged and looked up at the beams of light falling from the sky. He reached out with a palm and felt a warm sensation—pure, potent yang energy within the sunlight.
"Not bad."
He praised softly. This place was indeed extraordinary. Even without his intervention, the yang energy would naturally suppress the Calamity Poison Body, reducing the chance of an eruption during the process. With the double-layered protection, they were more than prepared.
Xiao Yuan turned his gaze toward the black stone stele at the center of the altar—Ye Zhong had said it was the key to opening the altar.
He pushed the stone stele. A wave of heat surged up, but it didn't bother him. With a light shove and a few cracking sounds, the stone shifted.
As it opened, a pitch-black hole about the size of a human head appeared—presumably the underground "earth eye" Ye Zhong had mentioned.
Crack!
With the stone shifted, it was like a switch had been triggered. The surrounding stone walls began to move, forming a circular wall that sealed off the altar entirely. From outside, one could only see towering ancient stone walls.
The stone surfaces grew smoother, reflecting more sunlight back into the altar. The beams converged at the earth eye, creating a blinding light.
Although sunlight was concentrating there, no flames emerged from the earth eye—thus, no Sunfire appeared. But the yang energy within the altar grew increasingly intense. Eventually, Xiao Yi Xiang frowned deeply—the heat was almost scorching.
Chii chii!
Grey-purple poison mist began to seep uncontrollably from her body, colliding with the blazing sunlight and releasing a hissing sound.
"Don't be nervous."
Xiao Yuan smiled at her clenched fists and waved his hand. A crystalline core full of violent energy appeared—it was the magic core of the Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast.
After bringing that out, he flipped his palm and took out a white jade box that radiated cold air. Opening it revealed a blob of sticky, green substance wriggling slightly.
It was the Bodhi Transforming Body Saliva—a rare treasure he had obtained by chance, and one of the essential ingredients for the poison pill method.
Gazing at her intently, Xiao Yuan said seriously, "I'll use Heavenly Flames to force all the poison into one spot in your body. It'll be painful—you must hold on!"
Seeing the look on his face, she bit her lip and nodded. She knew he had never forgotten this promise. More than anything, she wanted to live, to stay by his side. She had to survive this ordeal.
"Before that, I need you to fully detonate your Calamity Poison Body. You might lose your mind temporarily, but don't worry—I've got you."
Xiao Yuan took a deep breath, and his palm trembled slightly. He and Xiao Yi Xiang had long shared their feelings. This was dangerous. One wrong move could cost her life.
"I trust you."
Seeing his trembling hand, she smiled sweetly and whispered.
"Then let's begin!"
Xiao Yuan's face turned solemn. He focused all his attention.
Xiao Yi Xiang nodded. Seeing his serious expression, she smiled and swiftly formed a hand seal, triggering a full eruption of the Calamity Poison Body!
A surge of terrifying grey mist exploded from her body. Her purple-grey pupils turned into a pure, lifeless grey.
That grey exuded the scent of death. It held no vitality—just a soul-deep chill.
When the Calamity Poison Body fully awakened, this grey would devour all life within its host.
As the mist spread, the color drained from her face. Her soft features grew cold and expressionless. Yet deep within her brows, pain and resistance could still be seen—she was fighting the poison's backlash.
Time was tight. Xiao Yuan moved. A dark-golden Heavenly Flame surged out and instantly turned into a tidal wave of fire directed at her.
As it fell, a dome of golden flame enveloped her entirely.
Chi chi chi chi!
The moment the flame touched her, the dense grey poison mist recoiled like it had met its nemesis, retreating in a flash back into her body.
Chiii!
As the poison reentered her, her eyes turned fully grey, and a thick aura of death spread from within. Then her body moved—charging out of the altar!
But Xiao Yuan had long been prepared. The sea of fire left behind by the earlier fire wave was, under his mental control, drawn entirely into the flame barrier. The flames scattered into countless tiny sparks that penetrated Xiao Yi Xian's skin, surging into her body and driving out the mass of grey poison gas within.
Her white robe finally disintegrated under the extreme heat of the Heavenly Flame, and her flawless, alluring body was completely exposed before Xiao Yuan's eyes. Though he had touched and seen her body before, his heart still skipped a beat at the sight.
Shaking his head to dismiss such distracting thoughts, Xiao Yuan refocused entirely on using the Heavenly Flame to purge the poison from her body.
The overwhelming dark-golden flames spread through every corner of Xiao Yi Xian's body. If Xiao Yuan didn't possess such immense soul power, he wouldn't have been able to control such a massive number of flames while simultaneously maintaining the Soul Mirror Barrier and Five-Flame Array.
Driven by the countless flames, the grey poison gas quickly receded. Under Xiao Yuan's intentional guidance, all of it was herded toward her lower abdomen.
Hiss hiss hiss hiss...
Numerous tiny sounds came from within her body as the poison mist fled from the dark-golden Heavenly Flames. Eventually, Xiao Yuan drove it all into her lower abdomen, where the flames condensed into a blazing cage to seal it in.
The vast, deathly poison energy gathered in her abdomen, forming a swirling vortex. The vortex seemed to open into a realm of death—so terrifying that even a Dou Zun wouldn't dare face it directly. Without the power of four Heavenly Flames, even the first touch of that poison would have corroded Xiao Yuan's bones into dust.
"The poison has gathered. Extract it with the magic core, refine it with the Bodhi Saliva."
Feeling the converged poison, Xiao Yuan took a deep breath, seized the magic core of the Heaven Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast, and pressed it to her abdomen.
The crystal core glowed with a strange light upon contact with her skin, then slowly melted into her body.
It entered the vortex of grey poison gas and lodged itself at the center.
With the core now in place, Xiao Yuan's expression grew more serious. He turned to the Bodhi Transforming Body Saliva in the jade box, curled his fingers, and drew the mass of green slime into his palm. A strand of dark-golden flame separated from Xiao Yi Xian's surface and wrapped around the Bodhi Saliva.
Upon touching the flame, the Bodhi Saliva began violently writhing, seemingly wanting to escape.
Naturally, Xiao Yuan wouldn't allow that. Despite its miraculous properties, the Bodhi Saliva had to be slightly tempered by Heavenly Flame before it could be applied to her body.
His grip tightened, and the flame's temperature surged. After two to three minutes of resistance, the Bodhi Saliva finally settled down.
"Huh?"
Just as Xiao Yuan was about to remove it from the flame, he noticed green powder sediment forming at the bottom of the slime, rapidly condensing into a small jade-green orb.
The instant it solidified, the Bodhi Saliva trembled, and the orb fell away. Xiao Yuan caught it in his hand.
It felt rough, not smooth, but pulsed with vigorous life.
"A... Bodhi Seed?"
Staring at the jade-green orb, Xiao Yuan finally remembered what this treasure was.
The Bodhi Seed, like the Bodhi Heart, came from the ancient Bodhi Tree. It was extremely rare, and normally disintegrated the moment it fell, making it nearly impossible to obtain.
Only with a Bodhi Seed could one sense the legendary Bodhi Heart!
Still, Xiao Yuan didn't dwell on it. He tossed it into his storage ring and returned his attention to Xiao Yi Xian.
He retrieved the now-refined Bodhi Saliva from the flame and, after a deep breath, gently pressed it to her smooth, flawless lower abdomen.
The moment it touched her skin, the green substance slipped quietly into her pores with a soft rustling sound.
As it entered her body, a wave of vibrant green energy rapidly spread from her abdomen and enveloped her entire body within seconds.
The green liquid adhered to every corner of her body, revitalizing meridians and muscles that had been damaged by the poison. The newfound vitality even surpassed her original state.
"Truly worthy of its name... Bodhi Transforming Body Saliva!"
Xiao Yuan's eyes brightened as he sensed the renewal occurring inside her body.
"Next, it's time to neutralize the Calamity Poison!"
His expression turned serious again. With his fingers bent together, he tapped rapidly on her abdomen. The dark-golden flame cage around the poison vortex cracked open, and streams of green liquid surged inside with soft gurgling sounds.
The moment the Bodhi Saliva contacted the poison, a dramatic reaction ensued. The grey mist churned violently, but the deadly aura within it was swiftly neutralized by the life force in the green liquid.
"Xiao Yi Xian, circulate your Dou Qi! Compress the poison and form the Poison Pill!"
His thunderous shout boomed within her soul.
The command jolted her consciousness awake. She immediately circulated her Dou Qi and followed the Poison Pill method to begin compressing the swirling vortex.
Under her direction, the poison vortex began shrinking toward the magic core at the center. The core tried to resist the poison's invasion by releasing violent energy.
Boom!
The clash didn't last long. With a dull explosion, the poison overwhelmed the magic core and devoured it entirely.
As the poison engulfed it, the core began to change—becoming round and glossy with a grey luster.
The vortex spun faster, funneling more poison into the now-transformed magic core. As more Dou Qi surged into it, the core's size slowly shrank while becoming smoother and denser.
Outside, Xiao Yuan could sense the calm and ordered process within her body. He finally let out a breath of relief and plopped down on the ground, exhaustion washing over him.
Everything had gone smoothly. Now he simply needed to wait. Once the Poison Pill fully formed, the Calamity Poison Body would be under her complete control, never again posing a threat to her life.
Afterward, she would no longer need to live in constant fear of harming others.
Inside the ancient altar, beams of sunlight poured down like substance, bathing everything in a warm glow.
Sitting cross-legged amid the intersecting light beams, Xiao Yuan glanced at Xiao Yi Xian. There was no longer a trace of poison gas on her surface. Her previously pale skin had regained a healthy flush—her long-damaged body was beginning to recover its vitality.
His gaze drifted to her smooth abdomen, where a vast energy surged. Even through her body, he could clearly feel the immense power—on par with a Dou Zun. All the poison she had accumulated over the years would now become a boost for her advancement after the Poison Pill formed.
This energy was now visibly converging toward her core. As it condensed, her naked body began to radiate a faint glow, as pure and serene as a celestial being, exuding a sacred beauty.
Xiao Yuan lowered his gaze. Most people couldn't imagine how overwhelming the temptation was when such holiness was laid bare before them. Like a goddess revealing her most seductive form—such contrast could drive anyone mad.
He admitted to himself that he was a true womanizer. If he looked any longer, he'd surely end up doing something wicked. So he turned away and tried to distract himself.
He recalled that the Sunfire Ancient Altar supposedly housed a rare heavenly treasure...
(END CHAPTER)
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