Chapter 195: While It's Hot
After Yao Yan completely devoured the Haixin Flame, the heavenly flame within his body shifted from its original cyan color to a sky-blue hue. The level of the Burning Decision also rose to the high Earth-tier, now just one step away from the semi-Heavenly tier. If he were to devour the Bone Spirit Cold Fire now, he would certainly break through to that step.
As for whether it could evolve into the Heavenly tier, Yao Yan felt it was still lacking a little. Only those heavenly flames ranked at the very top might be able to break through this barrier.
After all, there is a fundamental difference between Heavenly-tier techniques and Earth-tier techniques. They are on entirely different levels.
The most notable feature of Heavenly-tier techniques is their ability to quickly absorb and recover the world's energy, a feature that no Earth-tier technique can compare to.
To completely break through the barrier with Burning Decision, Yao Yan would need even more powerful heavenly flame origins. The Bone Spirit Cold Fire, being a mid-tier flame, was clearly insufficient to support the evolution of Burning Decision to the Heavenly tier.
Yao Lao, watching Yao Yan whose aura had become more restrained, knew that Yao Yan wasn't actively pursuing the growth of his Dou Qi. He still maintained control over his Dou Qi and was satisfied, nodding and then asking, "When do you plan to head to Central State?"
As he spoke, a glint of excitement appeared in his eyes.
Compared to the bustling Central State, both the Jia Ma Empire and the Black Corner Domain were considered remote and undeveloped areas. Only in Central State could Yao Yan's talents truly shine. Additionally, the cultivation resources there would allow him to quickly increase his strength, elevating him to Dou Zong as quickly as possible in preparation for the emergence of the Bodhi Tree in the future.
"I'll wait until the situation in Heaven settles down," Yao Yan replied after a moment of contemplation.
Before heading to Central State, he definitely had to return to the Jia Ma Empire. Whether it was for evolving Cai Die's bloodline or dealing with Ling'er, he had to go back. Moreover, he wanted to see if he could tempt Ling'er, the little fox, into becoming part of him. With the heavenly flame origins he now possessed, he didn't believe Ling'er, with her appetite, wouldn't be tempted. If he could turn Ling'er into his flame spirit, that would be ideal.
The flame of life naturally carried an ability to hide, which was incredibly useful.
With this thought, Yao Yan turned his gaze to Cai Lin, smiled slightly, and said with some tenderness in his eyes, "I still need to return to Jia Ma Empire to handle a few matters, otherwise, I wouldn't feel at ease leaving."
Cai Lin's cold and charming eyes flashed with a hint of softness, but it lasted only a moment before she coldly said, "I thought you had forgotten about Cai Die."
"Who is Cai Die? Does she have anything to do with you, Cai Lin?" Yao Yan asked with a playful look, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"She's your sister, Cai Lin's younger sister," Yao Yan explained, then took out a bottle of pills from his spatial ring and tossed it to Zi Yan, "Take one every half month. This seventh-grade blood-replenishing pill can help nourish your bloodline and reduce hunger."
Zi Yan's eyes lit up, and she caught the bottle smoothly, smiling, "Thank you, big brother."
"Is your puppet finished?" Tian Huo Zun asked, circling around Yao Yan with curiosity in his voice.
Yao Yan didn't say anything. With a flash of his spatial ring, a golden and silver puppet appeared before everyone. The Sky Demon Puppet's current form bore no resemblance to the corpse of the Earth Demon Old Ghost. Its entire body had a metallic sheen, mixed gold and silver, with blood-red eyes that were hollow and devoid of intelligence. Its fingers were sharp, and several parts had sinister barbs, giving it an extremely fierce appearance, clearly not something to be trifled with.
"Golden and silver... Did it evolve after absorbing the Dan Thunder's power?" Tian Huo Zun, with his sharp eye, quickly assessed the situation of the Sky Demon Puppet.
"There's still a long way to go before it's fully evolved. But with its current strength, it could easily hold down a high-level Dou Zong. If it fights to the death, it could probably even last against a Dou Zun for a while," Yao Yan said, tapping the Sky Demon Puppet with a smile.
The Sky Demon Puppet's skin no longer felt stiff. Instead, the metallic-colored skin now had unimaginable flexibility. Its defensive power had increased tenfold compared to when it was first created. The Dan Thunder's energy not only tempered its body but also granted some indescribable changes.
Perhaps, the word "vitality" could describe it.
It was very special.
Just like how pills refined by a seventh-tier Apothecary possess some spirituality, the puppet path, if developed to the end, could possibly even evolve into puppets almost indistinguishable from humans.
The thousands of paths ultimately converge, and there are similarities in all.
"?!"
Yao Lao and Cai Lin both showed surprise. They hadn't expected the puppet before them to possess such combat power.
Tian Huo Zun, upon hearing this, was also shocked. "Can Dan Thunder's power really allow a puppet to evolve this quickly?!"
"Yes." Yao Yan nodded and then smiled mischievously, "I just happened to discover it. Originally, I only planned to use it as a shield to block the Dan Thunder in the sky, but I didn't expect it to bring this pleasant surprise."
"That's your luck," Tian Huo Zun muttered, shaking his head. Some people just didn't play by the rules, and luck seemed to always favor them.
"Can it be mass-produced?"
Cai Lin's eyes lit up as she asked.
Yao Yan shook his head. "The body and soul are easy to solve, but the seventh-tier magic core is a bit troublesome. Such things are rare in the Black Corner Domain... Once we head to Central State, we might be able to look into it."
Cai Lin didn't ask further. Seventh-tier magic cores were rare and could only be produced by seventh-tier magical beasts. These beasts were almost human-like, and most magical beasts would choose to self-detonate their magic cores when facing life-and-death situations.
Unless one had the ability to kill a seventh-tier magical beast in an instant, it would be difficult to extract a seventh-tier magic core intact.
And even if one had such strength, the puppet's usefulness would diminish significantly.
"Think about it. As for our bodies... We do have a goal. Mo Tianxing, the leader of the Black Emperor Sect. He hasn't been cultivating for long, but he became a Dou Zong in just a few decades. His talent isn't weak, and he can serve as a vessel for our resurrection."
Yao Lao switched the topic to resurrection. Now that Yao Yan had three types of heavenly flames and his Apothecary level had reached high seventh-tier, he was capable of reviving them.
"Don't you want to wait a bit longer?" Yao Yan asked, slightly confused, his brow furrowing.
"To truly establish ourselves in Central State, we need to reach the Dou Zun level. With the multiple heavenly flames you now possess, I think you've already refined the Sky Demon Phoenix bones into a flight Dou Technique… Once this gets out, you'll definitely become a target!" Yao Lao said with a serious expression.
In other words, he didn't believe that Yao Yan could protect everything in his body. Whether it was the four heavenly flames or the Sky Demon Phoenix bones, all of these could bring enormous trouble.
Yao Yan might not fear Dou Zong, but Dou Zun was a different matter. That level was far beyond what Yao Yan could challenge.
As for the Sky Demon Puppet, to a Dou Zun, it was more like a toy. Even if it was incredibly tough, with enough time, it could be dismantled easily. It couldn't protect Yao Yan.
Cai Lin's gaze shifted slightly, and she instinctively wanted to advise Yao Yan to meditate a little longer. But seeing the calm in his eyes, she remembered the things Yao Yan had hidden... He wasn't likely to listen to her. His pursuit of strength surpassed everything else.
Cai Lin could see this clearly. She wasn't like Cai Die, lost in love. Though they hadn't exchanged many words, she understood Yao Yan well enough.
But as for this point, Cai Lin didn't mind at all.
Just like Yao Lao said, without strength, how could Yao Yan protect these things?
Yao Yan didn't show much seriousness on his face. After a moment of contemplation, he had a plan and said, "Then let's use Mo Tianxing's body to revive Tian Huo Zun. His strength was only at the five-star Dou Zun level before, so we can quickly restore him with pills... As for you, wait a little longer. You were once a peak nine-turn Dou Zun. If possible, try to break through to Dou Sheng. If you can, we can run roughshod over Central State!"
"Dou Sheng... I have no confidence in that," Yao Lao said with a bitter smile. The difficulty of breaking through to Dou Sheng was incredibly high. No matter how talented one was, they had to helplessly shake their heads.
"I agree with him. I was only a five-star Dou Zun before. If I can recover to Dou Zun, I'll be satisfied. Since you have a chance, wait a little longer. You might find a body that suits you better," Tian Huo Zun said, agreeing with Yao Yan's words. If Yao Lao could break through to Dou Sheng, Tian Huo Zun would rise as well.
Dou Sheng... Even in his time, Dou Sheng was rare and mysterious. You couldn't even find one easily.
With a Dou Sheng backing him, the feeling would be completely different.
"Alright, then I'll go and bring back Mo Tianxing's body. We'll strike while the iron is hot... I've already prepared the pills," Yao Yan said with a slight smile.
He was an action-oriented person. Even if Yao Lao and Tian Huo Zun hadn't said anything, he had already planned to revive them. Central State was different from the Black Corner Domain. There, Dou Zong were everywhere, and without a Dou Zun by his side, things could easily go wrong.
As for asking the Soul Hall for help... Yao Yan didn't want to be put on their blacklist. If he got involved with the Soul Hall, he might not even get into the Dan Tower, and he'd likely end up on their bounty list.
So, if he wanted to obtain the Three Thousand Flaming Fires, he'd have to snatch them directly.
But the Dan Tower's power wasn't something to take lightly. Doing some sneaky moves was fine, but attempting a direct confrontation could lead to a full-scale war in Central State.
Everything was connected.
"I'll go with you." Cai Lin said.
"I'll go too!" Zi Yan's eyes sparkled with excitement as she tightly clenched her little fists, swinging them around.
"Let Cai Lin go with you. You stay behind and help me watch these two old grandpas who aren't listening," Yao Yan teased, tapping Zi Yan's head, then, in Cai Lin's astonished gaze, he wrapped his arms around her slender waist. The cyan-red wings on his back unfolded, and the next moment, his figure disappeared from the spot.
In an instant, it was as if he teleported hundreds of meters away, and after a few flashes, he disappeared from Yao Lao, Tian Huo Zun, and the others' sight, causing Zi Yan to stomp her foot in frustration.
"This speed..." Yao Lao froze in place, his hand stroking his white beard, his eyes filled with astonishment.
"The Sky Demon Phoenix clan is truly the overlord of the magical beast world. The flying Dou Technique crafted from their wings is indeed formidable. If I had known, I would have secretly crafted one back in the day... It wouldn't have...," Tian Huo Zun mumbled softly, a hint of regret in his eyes.
Had he had such a powerful flying Dou Technique, he wouldn't have been surrounded and beaten to death by a group of lizard monsters.
"The Sky Demon Phoenix clan is known for its dominance. This issue... I don't know how to deal with it," Yao Lao said slowly, his eyes showing more concern.
"That depends on you," Tian Huo Zun said lazily. He had been only a five-star Dou Zun in his lifetime. No matter how hard he tried to break through, he couldn't reach Dou Sheng in such a short time. Everything depended on Yao Lao now.
Yao Lao furrowed his brow, a trace of hesitation in his eyes. Perhaps he needed to consider the advice from an old friend.
If he could get the help of the Dan Tower, his chances of breaking through to Dou Sheng after resurrection would increase drastically.
Apart from that...
Yao Yan would also need the protection of some forces.
Fortunately, this former number one Apothecary of Central State had plenty of connections. With Yao Yan's talents, it would be easy for him to attract people.
...
Black Emperor Sect
Since the failure to seize the Fallen Heart Flame, Mo Tianxing had completely gone low-key. Even the high-profile auctions he once held had been suspended, quietly waiting for the storm to pass. Grand Elder Su Qian had indeed kept his word and didn't trouble him, which secretly relieved Mo Tianxing, who had been running for his life.
He then returned to the Black Emperor Sect, starting to live low-key.
After all, anyone who heard about the Earth Demon Old Ghost being torn apart by the Jia Ma Empire's elder would never remain calm, especially after Mo Tianxing offended Jia Nan Academy.
Fortunately, the worst didn't happen, and he didn't have to abandon the business he had worked so hard for.
Greed and risk-taking had always been the main themes in the Black Corner Domain.
"Dad, should we ally with Heaven? Most of the forces in the Black Corner Domain have joined. I also secretly took a look. The current leader of Heaven really is..." Mo Tianxing's son, Mo Ya, said with a greedy look.
Mo Tianxing was stunned, then shot a glare at him. "I asked you to gather information, and this is how you did it?"
"I gathered other information too," Mo Ya laughed awkwardly, quickly replying.
"For now, we can't figure out the intentions of the leader of Heaven. Don't get involved," Mo Tianxing said, his voice low. After the Han Feng incident, he had become much more cautious. Who would have thought so many powerful people were hiding in the Black Corner Domain?
He thought that the Earth Demon Old Ghost, a seven-star Dou Zong, was already impressive, but then an old man from Jia Nan Academy appeared and tore the Earth Demon Old Ghost apart.
It was truly a terrifying situation.
Mo Tianxing inexplicably felt his Dou Zong level was now insignificant. With one wrong move, he might truly be crushed.
Almost at the same time as the father and son spoke.
Two figures suddenly appeared in front of them, causing both Mo Tianxing and his son to immediately shut up, their eyes filled with fear. They had seen these two people before, and not just once.
Mo Tianxing's breath caught in his throat.
(END CHAPTER)
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