Xiao Yan Arrives

Three months later, outside Qingshan Town.

A plain-faced, equally ordinary-looking youth trudged along, drenched in sweat. Every step he took landed like a heavy object hitting the ground, kicking up a cloud of yellow dust from the dry road.

"Damn it, this thing is too heavy, Teacher," Xiao Yan said gloomily, sticking out his tongue.

A huge black sword was strapped to his back. Yao Lao had given it to him, and he had named it the Mysterious Heavy Ruler. Not only was it immensely heavy, it also possessed the strange effect of suppressing the flow of Dou Qi. Training while carrying it was sheer misery.

"You are undergoing arduous training now," Yao Lao snorted in his mind. "If it isn't bitter or tiring, how can it be called arduous training?"

"Fine, fine, I know..." Xiao Yan replied weakly. He was merely complaining; of course he knew Yao Lao was doing this for his own good.

After walking several hundred meters, Xiao Yan, utterly exhausted, had no choice but to stop and rest.

"Teacher, look at this Mysterious Heavy Ruler..." Xiao Yan cried out in his mind.

"What about the Mysterious Heavy Ruler?" Yao Lao asked doubtfully.

"That notch on it." Xiao Yan grinned. "Don't you think it looks like a mark left by an Earth-tier Dou Technique?"

Yao Lao: "..."

"Teacher, look at that white cloud in the sky..." Xiao Yan called again.

"What now?"

"Doesn't it look like it was split apart by an Earth-tier Dou Technique?" Xiao Yan chuckled sheepishly.

Yao Lao immediately snorted. "Greedy brat, do you think Earth-tier Dou Techniques are so easy to learn? Don't end up injuring yourself before you even master one."

"But I have you, Teacher." Xiao Yan smiled.

"Fine, fine. Once we enter the Magical Beast Mountain Range, I'll start teaching you," Yao Lao said helplessly. This brat asked about it every day, acting like some anxious nouveau riche afraid of losing his fortune.

Qingshan Town.

Thanks to the Ring Lu Bu had given her, which contained Mu She's lifetime of savings, Xiao Yi Xian was now flush with funds. A few months after returning to Qingshan Town, she had gradually begun shortening her consultation hours.

She had previously treated illnesses and injuries to make a living. Now that she had plenty of gold coins on hand, she began shifting her attention to studying the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture.

If she were not worried about the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, Xiao Yi Xian would not even want to remain at Myriad Medicine Hall.

"Perhaps... I should have gone with him back then..." Xiao Yi Xian rested her chin on her hand as the image of that exceptionally handsome youth surfaced in her mind.

But if I had just gone with him like that, wouldn't I have seemed too frivolous? Xiao Yi Xian thought dejectedly, propping up her delicate cheek. That bastard—after all this time, he still hadn't even come to see me once.

Lost in her thoughts, Xiao Yi Xian took out the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture. One page recorded something called the Innate Poison Body, also known as the Calamity Poison Body.

Unfortunately, her own body matched the description in the Poison Scripture.

"This is so frustrating... Should I activate it or not?" Xiao Yi Xian's willow brows furrowed.

Since there was no external crisis at present, she had little need for greater strength. Furthermore, the Poison Scripture's description of the Calamity Poison Body was far too horrifying.

Thus, Xiao Yi Xian had been struggling over whether to activate her Calamity Poison Body. Once she did, she would become a Poison Woman, abandoned by heaven and despised by all, just like the predecessors described in the Poison Scripture.

"Damn it... I'm not thinking about it anymore!" Xiao Yi Xian cursed angrily, picking up the Poison Scripture and continuing her research. In any case, no one could do anything to her now.

Xiao Yan walked down the street with a strange expression. The atmosphere here was somewhat peculiar. There were clearly many mercenaries, and the locals were clearly fierce and rugged.

Yet there was none of the red-faced, shouting abuse that could erupt at any moment in Wutan City. Instead, people gathered in small groups, keeping strictly out of one another's business.

"Teacher, what do you think?" Xiao Yan asked. He had managed the marketplace in his own family and knew just how unruly these people who lived by the blade could be. If they disliked someone, they might even draw their weapons and attack in the street.

Yet here, although there was no angry cursing between them, the atmosphere felt rather oppressive.

"Hmm... Two factions should be locked in a standoff," Yao Lao mused. "In such a situation, it is easy for sparks to fly, so members of both factions restrain themselves. Otherwise, it could easily trigger an all-out battle."

"So that's how it is..." Xiao Yan rubbed his chin. In that case, he had to leave quickly. If he got caught up in it, it would waste precious training time. Nearly a year had already passed since the Three Year Agreement; he had no time to waste.

"Let's go, Teacher. We'll enter the mountain range immediately," Xiao Yan said at once, directly abandoning the idea of visiting Myriad Medicine Hall to buy medicinal ingredients.

"Fine, let's go." Yao Lao nodded, very pleased with Xiao Yan's decisiveness.

Xiao Yan paused, then turned around, paid, and left the restaurant.

"What is it?" Yao Lao asked.

"Uh... I just have this feeling that not going to Myriad Medicine Hall is a very wrong decision..." Xiao Yan scratched his head and said hesitantly. For some reason, he had an odd feeling in the depths of his heart.

Yao Lao: "... I just said you were decisive, and now you are starting to hesitate."

"Ahem... Then I won't go to Myriad Medicine Hall. To the Magical Beast Mountain Range!"

Provoked by Yao Lao's words, Xiao Yan immediately declared as much. He headed toward the depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range and vanished into the boundless sea of trees.

Beneath a waterfall in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

The Devouring Ancestral Talisman hovered above Lu Bu's head. His left hand formed seals while his right hand occasionally traced patterns through the air. Soul power transformed into mysterious runes that flew out and merged into the corpse before him.

This was no easy task. Before long, Lu Bu's face began to redden, and his breathing grew heavy.

Under Lu Bu's refinement, Mu She's corpse had already taken on a black metallic sheen, looking as though it were covered from head to toe in Armament Haki.

However, faint suction force emanated from its skin, constantly devouring the spiritual energy between heaven and earth.

Buzz!

As the final rune merged into the puppet, the tiny mysterious runes across its body seemed to come alive, slowly wriggling.

As the runes squirmed, pale green Dou Qi gradually emerged over the puppet's surface.

With the final rune complete, Lu Bu let out a long breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and allowed the Devouring Ancestral Talisman to descend slowly into his Baihui acupoint, returning to his soul.

"One last step..." Lu Bu took a deep breath. The Spirit Gathering Array beneath his feet activated, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth flowed into his body, gradually restoring his strength.

Lu Bu opened his mouth, expelling the invisible, intangible Spirit Fire. It clung to the puppet, and intense heat began roasting it bit by bit.

The runes on the puppet flickered in and out of brightness. A somewhat intricate miniature formation also began to emerge on its chest.

Lu Bu half-closed his eyes and sat down cross-legged. He needed to thoroughly brand these runes into the corpse.

Time slowly passed. About half an hour later, Lu Bu opened his eyes again and waved his sleeve, withdrawing the Spirit Fire.

With a thud, the puppet fell to the ground like a human statue forged from black iron.

Lu Bu raised his palm and struck fiercely. With a bang, the puppet staggered back repeatedly, several cracks appearing across its black skin.

Lu Bu frowned slightly, then sighed helplessly. This rune puppet's combat strength could only be considered mediocre.

It would definitely defeat a Dou Master, but it was hard to say against a Da Dou Shi. With its devouring trait, it might be able to win, but against a Dou Ling, defeat was certain. It might not even survive a single move.

"Forget it, I can't ask for too much." Lu Bu patted the rune puppet and sighed. Mu She had only been a Two-Star Dou Master, after all. It would have to do.

"Let's find a magical beast to test it on..." Lu Bu muttered. At that moment, his heart suddenly stirred. It felt as though something were watching him. His gaze instinctively swept toward a patch of grass on the right, where there seemed to be a pair of black eyes.

"Damn it! Teacher, he found us!" Xiao Yan shouted in his mind.

A sharp glint flashed in Lu Bu's eyes. His test subject had delivered itself to him!

"Kill him!"

At the command, the black rune puppet stomped its foot and shot forward like a tiger pouncing on prey!