Chapter 229: Exiting Seclusion
"Xun Hu Xuan, unbounded, endless, embodying heaven. Yin and Yang, with one Yang to unify, all things take shape..."
Mysterious words appeared in Yao Yan's mind. As the cultivation technique began to operate, the formless and invisible spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged toward his soul. Even the essence of heaven and earth seemed to inhale and exhale along with him. The once ethereal Hun body became tangible at this moment.
At this moment, his Hun body seemed to be undergoing a transformation toward the physical body, adding an indescribable vitality. The process was extremely wondrous.
It was hard to tell how much time had passed.
When Yao Yan felt his Hun body was starting to feel overwhelmed, he stopped the cultivation technique. As his eyes opened, a vast and more solid Hun power rippled out, distorting the surrounding space and creating black, menacing rifts in the air.
"This technique is truly miraculous. It can refine the Hun body to this extent, almost identical to the physical body."
Yao Yan clenched his Hun body's fist, feeling the Hun power that had multiplied several times. A look of disbelief appeared in his eyes. Of all the techniques he had encountered, not counting the Burning Decision, the Tai Xuan Jing was certainly the most profound. This technique couldn't even be categorized by rank.
"Looking at myself through my own body is quite a strange feeling," Yao Yan controlled his Hun body to look at his physical body, and the sensation of eye contact with himself was truly bizarre.
Though his Hun body floated out, it was still connected to the physical body, so there was no sense of separation.
With a slight movement of his mind, the Hun body sitting in the air floated back into his physical body.
"As expected of a Hun cultivation technique from a Dou Sheng, truly impressive," Yao Yan closed his eyes and experienced the sensation for a moment, then couldn't help but exclaim. He had no doubt that if this technique were to be revealed, its value would be enough to exchange for a Heavenly Stage cultivation technique.
It might even surpass some ordinary Heavenly Stage techniques.
Yao Yan couldn't really judge its exact value, since the world of Dou Shengs was still far from his reach. Without the strength of a half-Dou Sheng, he couldn't even approach that level. This was evident from his interactions with Yao Lao.
The difference between those above and below Dou Sheng was a world apart.
To put it more dramatically, these were two entirely different levels of beings.
Yao Yan pondered for a moment before setting aside those thoughts. Now that the Tai Xuan Jing had been cultivated to the entry-level, the next step was to continue the cultivation in an orderly fashion. With his Hun power, reaching mastery wouldn't be difficult. Perhaps in the future, he could learn from the Pill Tower's ancestors and accumulate "foundations" through reincarnation.
He raised his hand and took out the Seven-Colored Nine-Turn Immortal Pill, the eighth-tier high-level pill he had previously refined. It hadn't reached its full potential, only possessing seven colors, but its medicinal power was already enough to allow Yao Yan to undergo his transformation.
He had been practicing the Indestructible Diamond Body for many years. The pills that Hun Void Master had prepared for him had all been consumed, and now he was only one step away from the third level.
"Here goes!"
Yao Yan's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he tossed the precious eighth-tier pill into his mouth.
"Buzz~"
The pill dissolved instantly upon entering his mouth. There was no need for refining, and in an instant, a terrifying energy exploded from Yao Yan's abdomen. Golden energy even spread out from his seven orifices, revealing just how powerful the medicinal force of this pill was. And that was only its initial eruption.
Yao Yan was not surprised. After all, this pill had been crafted by him, and he knew better than anyone else the power it contained.
His body was immediately enveloped in a sky-blue flame. As the flames flickered, white streaks of light flashed. The moment the flames appeared, the air in the secret room became dry, and even the energy of heaven and earth seemed to be drained, as if evaporated.
At the same time, the vast Hun power directly suppressed his body's limbs and bones, forcing all the medicinal power into his body.
As the Indestructible Diamond Body operated, a silvery glow appeared on his body. But soon, this deep silver color was replaced by a golden halo, and his muscles began to tear. The skin on his body felt as if it was cracking, unable to withstand the impact of the pill's medicinal power.
"As long as the bones hold up, it's fine!" Yao Yan's Hun power swept through, and he could sense that his bones remained intact. The golden medicinal power washed over them, and they stood firm. He had to thank Hun Void Master for giving him such a perfect body. If it had been an ordinary Dou Zong, their bones would likely have shattered at this point.
"Master, you once said something very true. Refining pills and refining a person are indeed quite similar... Cultivation is just like treating the human body as a pill," Yao Yan's eyes were cold. His past experiences had made him ruthless toward himself, showing no mercy. He let go of the suppression on the Nine-Turn Immortal Pill's power and allowed it to fully explode, ravaging his body. The pain of his flesh, meridians, and internal organs breaking apart could no longer affect his nerves. It was as if he were outside his body, observing from a distance.
Under this destruction, the vast vitality within Yao Yan began to explode, repairing the body damaged by the medicinal power, while also stimulating his flesh to absorb the medicinal power, completely merging it into his body. What had seemed like ordinary flesh now radiated a golden glow.
"First turn..." Yao Yan's expression didn't change. The flames around him flared even brighter, pushing the medicinal power that had subsided slightly to erupt once again.
"Boom~"
A surge of medicinal power, even more powerful than before, erupted from Yao Yan's body.
At this moment, Yao Yan felt as though his body was placed in a millstone. Every inch of his flesh was being crushed repeatedly, and the pain was unimaginable.
"The tempering process is akin to using a heavenly flame to refine the body, even more thorough. No wonder this is an eighth-tier high-level pill, the medicinal power is just overbearing!" Yao Yan calmly observed his body as if it were unrelated to his soul. He controlled the explosion of the medicinal power, ravaging his body.
The pain was nothing to him. He had long grown accustomed to it, especially after experiencing the body-tempering pain from practicing the Burning Decision.
As long as he could feel his body strengthening, this pain was nothing.
Soon, Yao Yan began the second turn.
The limit of the Nine-Turn Immortal Pill was to refine the body nine times. If a Dou Zun-level expert could endure it and transform their body nine times, their physical strength could reach the level where it could rival eighth-tier magical beasts. However, the pain and risks involved were to be borne by the person themselves. If they couldn't withstand the medicinal power, the worst outcome would be severe injury and cultivation regression, and the worst would be the destruction of the body.
...
Several days passed in the blink of an eye.
With the seventh eruption of the medicinal power from the Nine-Turn Immortal Pill, Yao Yan's body had completely transformed into gold. Even his flesh was glowing with a golden hue, like a little golden statue. The terrifying blood and qi power circulated around him, causing the surrounding space to tremble. It was clear just how powerful his body had become.
"To the limit..." Yao Yan sensed that the medicinal power from the Nine-Turn Immortal Pill had exhausted itself and understood that he had fully refined the pill.
As he opened his eyes, a flash of golden light passed over his body, and the terrifying power began to awaken. The Dou Qi lying dormant within him exploded one by one, breaking through to Six-Star Dou Zong, then advancing to Seven-Star Dou Zong, and finally reaching the peak of Seven-Star Dou Zong, where it stopped.
Yao Yan slowly rose, stretching his body and feeling the Dou Qi within him surge several times over. A satisfied smile appeared on his face, and he softly said, "As expected of an eighth-tier pill. Although most of the medicinal power was absorbed by my body, even the residual power was enough to boost my cultivation by two stars... Seven-Star Dou Zong!"
He clenched his fist, and the terrifying power instantly twisted the space around him, even causing it to crack.
"My body has also reached the third level of the Indestructible Diamond Body!" Yao Yan's heart stirred. The overwhelming blood and qi power within him exploded, flowing like golden flames around him. His body instantly turned into gold, like a little golden statue, shaking the surrounding space.
At this moment, he could easily face off with the Celestial Fire Elder. With the current strength of his body, even if the elder tried to crush him, it wouldn't be an easy task.
Even in terms of physical strength, the Heavenly Phoenix Puppet standing nearby might not be stronger than him.
"Hit me!"
Yao Yan's gaze shifted, and he gave the order to the Heavenly Phoenix Puppet.
Without hesitation, the unmoving Heavenly Phoenix Puppet suddenly clenched its fist and struck Yao Yan's chest with terrifying power. The force even caused the air ahead to explode, before the punch landed directly on Yao Yan's chest.
"Clang!"
Accompanied by a sharp metallic sound, the entire secret chamber trembled. The terrifying shockwave spread outward, cracking the walls, and the entire chamber began shaking, as if it were about to collapse.
Fortunately, the force didn't last long. As the Heavenly Phoenix Puppet retracted its fist, the chamber gradually returned to calm.
At this moment, Yao Yan looked at his unscathed chest, surprised. His body's strength seemed far beyond the Heavenly Phoenix Puppet's. He had a strange feeling that, if he wished, he could dismantle the puppet on the spot.
Yao Yan's gaze flickered. He silently felt the punch from the Heavenly Phoenix Puppet. It had been a huge blow that had stirred his blood, but that was all. If he had fully resisted, that punch wouldn't have even injured him: "I seem to have underestimated the Indestructible Diamond Body..."
After a moment, Yao Yan smiled and shook his head. He seemed to have forgotten Hun Void Master's strength. With his power, the techniques he had collected could hardly be simple.
The Indestructible Diamond Body was probably on the same level as the Emperor Seal Decision.
"Next time we meet, I'll ask."
Yao Yan raised his hand and stored the Heavenly Phoenix Puppet back into his spatial ring. He then dusted off his clothes, stood up, and walked toward the exit of the secret chamber. After this period of seclusion, he had fully absorbed all the gains, and now it was time to consider the matter of the Three Thousand Yan Flames.
To tame the Three Thousand Yan Flames, the Gu Dragon of the Void was undoubtedly a key obstacle.
Without the Dragon Seal from the Gu Dragon Clan, it was nearly impossible for Yao Yan to tame the Three Thousand Yan Flames by himself. Moreover, with the undying nature of the Three Thousand Yan Flames, trying to refine it on his turf would likely result in failure, even if Yao Yan exhausted all his Dou Qi.
Thinking of this, Yao Yan flicked his spatial ring, and a blood-red dragon jade appeared in his palm. Looking at the jade, Yao Yan fell into deep thought about how to resolve his connection with the Gu Dragon Clan.
"Well, it's just a matter of time."
Yao Yan's gaze flickered as he tightly clenched the blood-red dragon jade in his hand. He had made up his mind. Even without the Three Thousand Yan Flames, he would eventually make contact with the Gu Dragon Clan. He couldn't afford to let the Dragon Kings slip by—they were all valuable resources for his future cultivation!
Cultivating to the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Sheng would likely take him many years. Even with his talent, it would likely take close to a hundred years, if not more.
Such a long time was not something he could wait for, and even if he were willing, the Hun Emperor wouldn't sit idly by!
To quickly improve his strength, he could only resort to the methods of devouring the Hun Clan!
In the original story, there were many Dou Sheng-level experts.
...
"Big brother?!" Zi Yan looked at Yao Yan, who had just exited seclusion. She skipped toward him with a happy expression, her eyes sparkling as she blinked up at him. Her energy was a stark contrast to the gloomy demeanor she had shown before.
The Celestial Fire Elder walked over with a smile. "You finally exited seclusion, kid. If you hadn't come out, Zi Yan would probably have rushed in to find you."
"How long have I been in seclusion?"
Yao Yan didn't have much of a concept of time, especially when in seclusion, where time seemed to fly by unnoticed.
"Almost half a year," the Celestial Fire Elder said slowly.
"You must've been anxious," Yao Yan reached out and patted Zi Yan's head, smiling softly. He had indeed been in seclusion for quite a while.
"Mainly because I'm hungry," Zi Yan pouted, grumbling a little.
Xuan Yi seemed to have sensed Yao Yan's exit and appeared beside them. She overheard Zi Yan's words and said with a smile, "Aunt Xuan hasn't neglected her meals. It's just that she eats so much and always has her eyes on some precious herbs..."
After finishing, Xuan Yi smiled helplessly. Only with Yao Yan's close bond with Zi Yan had she refrained from kicking her out.
Zi Yan shot Xuan Yi a look, feeling that the other woman wasn't being very fair. "I only ate a few herbs, why do you have to tell Big Brother?"
"The little one's talent is a bit exaggerated, I didn't keep an eye on her," the Celestial Fire Elder awkwardly explained.
"Sorry for troubling you, Aunt Xuan," Yao Yan said apologetically.
"No worries. Now that you've exited seclusion, what are your plans next?" Xuan Yi asked as she looked at Yao Yan. She had planned to ask him if he wanted to study at the Pill Tower for a while, but when she thought about Yao Yan's already advanced alchemy skills, there didn't seem to be much the Pill Tower could teach him anymore.
The only thing left might be pill formulas, but these would require Yao Yan to exchange for them himself.
"I plan to return to the Xingyun Pavilion first and report my safety to Elder Feng," Yao Yan said with a bow to Xuan Yi.
"That's fine. If you encounter any trouble on your way, just crush this jade," Xuan Yi handed Yao Yan a jade token with a reminder.
"Thank you, Aunt Xuan," Yao Yan said with gratitude. (END CHAPTER)
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