Outbreak of Calamity

The next day, the moon hung high in the sky, bright as day. A clear, radiant moon hung above the heavens, drifting through layer upon layer of clouds. Uneven clouds veiled the full moon, casting mottled shadows across the earth in a dazzling, bewildering display.

Xia Mo sat with Xiao Yi Xian at the edge of a cliff, watching the moon. He liked the sun, while Xiao Yi Xian liked the moon.

Suddenly, Xiao Yi Xian asked Xia Mo, "Xiao Mo, if I became a Poison Master, would you hate me?"

"Of course not. Even if you became a Poison Master, you'd still be my Sister Xiao Yi Xian. Why would you ask that?" Xia Mo's heart tightened, but he turned his head and pretended to ask curiously.

"Besides, I'm a monster too," Xia Mo said.

Wasn't taking poison the only condition for awakening the Poison Body of Calamity? As long as she never touched poison, it shouldn't awaken. Could her constitution have started awakening because of the medicinal herbs she came into contact with? Xia Mo thought anxiously.

"Yeah... perhaps only you and Xiao Lan wouldn't hate me for becoming a Poison Master," Xiao Yi Xian said softly.

Suddenly, an eerie seven-colored glow flashed across Xiao Yi Xian's face. Wisps of gray, fishy-smelling gas seeped from her body. "Xiao Mo, stay away from me. I don't know why, but when I was little, gray gas came out of my body once before. That night, my parents died because of it. The villagers called me a lone star of calamity, saying I had brought death upon my parents. I never wanted to hurt anyone, but I can't control it..." Xiao Yi Xian said with a bitter smile.

"Sister Xiao Yi Xian, I think I saw a book in the treasure trove that mentioned a constitution like yours. Wait a moment, I'll take it out and have a look." Xia Mo took out the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture.

"The Poison Body of Calamity. Its bearer has a thin, hidden seven-colored line on the lower abdomen. The seven-colored line grows along with the concentration of poison within the body. When the seven-colored line reaches the heart, it marks the strongest state of the Poison Body of Calamity. At the same time, its bearer will suffer... the agony of ten thousand poisons devouring the body," Xia Mo read.

"Sister Xiao Yi Xian, do you have a hidden seven-colored line on your lower abdomen?" Xia Mo asked, pretending not to know.

All fear came from the unknown. Xia Mo planned to tell Xiao Yi Xian about her constitution first, then ask her to search for a solution with him, so that she would not fall into despair.

"The Poison Body of Calamity... calamity... no wonder. I truly was born under an unlucky star," Xiao Yi Xian said sadly.

"Sister Xiao Yi Xian, since someone recorded this constitution, there must be someone who knows how to control it. Jia Nan Academy is a renowned institution on the Dou Qi Continent; it must have a solution. I'll search with you until we cure you. Besides, you still have me and Xiao Lan. There must be people at the academy who cultivate poison Dou Qi as well. Power has always been controlled by people," Xia Mo said loudly.

"That's right, Xiao Mo. I haven't seen him grow up yet. And there's Xiao Lan... I have to live. I have to watch Xiao Mo marry and have children," Xiao Yi Xian muttered.

The gray gas gradually spread until it filled an area the size of a room, then stopped expanding. Xiao Yi Xian's consciousness slowly grew hazy. "Don't come near me," she said before falling directly into slumber.

Looking at the sleeping Xiao Yi Xian, Xia Mo's small figure was bathed in faint moonlight. A flash of sorrow passed over his childish face before it quickly returned to calm.

Xia Mo took out a bamboo whistle and blew it several times. Before long, Xiao Lan arrived. Without looking at Xiao Lan, Xia Mo gazed calmly at Xiao Yi Xian and said, "Xiao Lan, guard the surroundings. If anyone comes, drive them away. If they refuse to leave, kill them without mercy."

The night passed without a word or incident. Xia Mo remained by Xiao Yi Xian's side as the sun gradually rose, a beam of golden light falling over him.

Xiao Yi Xian woke up and saw Xia Mo keeping watch beside her. The two smiled at each other without saying anything, watching the rising sun. Love was like the morning sun, slowly rising and warming the heart; friendship was like fine wine, fragrant and rich, refreshing the soul.

Not long after, Xiao Yan brought Xiao Xun'er to the back mountain. He was somewhat surprised to see Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian, since he had never seen the two come to the back mountain alone before. They usually waited for him, and Xiao Yi Xian rarely came so early in the morning.

"Eh? Why did you two come so early today? You didn't even wait for us," Xiao Yan asked in surprise.

"We'll be leaving soon, so we came up the mountain to watch the sunrise. You're so lazy—who would wait for you?" Xia Mo said, looking at Xiao Yan.

"Tch, what's so interesting about a sunrise?" Xiao Yan said disdainfully, failing to notice Xiao Xun'er's resentful expression.

Then they began their day of training. Recently, Xiao Yan had been dragging Xiao Xun'er along to practice Dou Techniques. He no longer dared ask Xia Mo to train him; every training session ended with him getting thoroughly beaten up.

That evening, Xia Mo suggested having a grand meal cooked by Xiao Yi Xian. Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er both agreed, and Xiao Yi Xian smiled as she watched the excited Xia Mo.

After dinner, Xia Mo told Xiao Yi Xian something, then followed Xiao Yan to his room. After shutting the doors and windows, Xia Mo said, "Teacher, I have something to ask you. Come out quickly."

Old Yao floated out of the ring. "What is it? Why are you being so rash?"

"Teacher, do you know about the Poison Body of Calamity? Is there any way to control it?" Xia Mo asked.

"Xiao Mo, where did you learn about the Poison Body of Calamity?" Old Yao asked sternly.

"Uh... I have a friend. She has that constitution," Xia Mo said.

"It isn't you, is it, Xiao Mo? 'A friend'? How many friends do you have that we don't know about?" Xiao Yan said.

"Teacher, what is the Poison Body of Calamity?" Seeing Old Yao's serious expression, Xiao Yan asked cautiously.

"On the Dou Qi Continent, there is a special constitution known as the... 'Innate Poison Body,' or the 'Poison Body of Calamity.' The appearance of such a poison body signifies inborn calamity."

"The Poison Body of Calamity is a rare and extremely bizarre special constitution. Its bearer is born highly toxic; anyone who touches them dies, and they must survive by consuming poison. Yet the more poison they consume, the denser the toxins in their body become. Once the toxins accumulate to a certain point, they erupt completely. When that happens, all life within a thousand miles is annihilated."

"Ah, that terrifying?" Xiao Yan said in shock.

"Yes, it is that terrifying. Back when I still had a physical body, there was someone on the Dou Qi Continent with the Poison Body of Calamity. Because someone provoked her, she flew into a rage and turned an entire empire into a thousand miles of poisoned wasteland. Hundreds of thousands of dead souls, perhaps even more, lingered above it," Old Yao said.

"The strong have rules of their own. Though there are no written laws, they generally do not slaughter ordinary people on such a scale. After all, nearly everyone has relatives, and you never know whether one of those relatives might be a supreme expert. Such slaughter can easily bring endless pursuit from powerful experts."

"Because of this, that bearer of the Poison Body of Calamity was hunted by countless experts, from Dou Lings to nine-star Dou Emperors. Yet without exception, every one of them died at her hands."

"She eventually drew out an old monster with the strength of a Dou Zong. Yet despite being only a Dou Emperor, she did not perish. She escaped with severe injuries, while the Dou Zong expert had to purge poison for a full ten years."

"Damn..." Xiao Yan said, swallowing hard. Xia Mo nodded as well, thinking, That constitution truly is terrifying, but it is bought with endless suffering and a fate already known.

"When she appeared again, that woman had become a Dou Zong. After that, no one dared provoke her again. Once, we came into conflict over a medicinal herb... and fought." Old Yao's gaze grew distant, as though he had recalled a long-forgotten memory.

"Teacher, who won?" Xia Mo asked.

"I had a slight edge," Old Yao said.

"People with this constitution do not need years of Dou Qi cultivation to grow stronger. They only need to consume poison. Their Poison Body of Calamity automatically transforms the poison energy contained within toxins into an extremely unusual kind of poison Dou Qi. The more potent the poison, the greater the benefit to their strength."

"Eating poison, and getting stronger the more you eat... that's insane. No wonder you're so strong despite being so young, Xiao Mo," Xiao Yan said, thinking Xia Mo had the Poison Body of Calamity.

"But poison is still poison. Even for those with the Poison Body of Calamity, as they consume more and more poison, their constitution will eventually be unable to restrain the poison Dou Qi within their bodies. At that point, they must endure the agony of ten thousand poisons devouring their bodies, and ultimately die slowly amid unbearable torment," Old Yao said with a sigh.

"What? Then Xiao Mo..." Xiao Yan looked at Xia Mo worriedly.

Xia Mo rolled his eyes. "Teacher, is there a solution for the Poison Body of Calamity?"

"To gain power quickly, one must pay a price. Nothing can be gained without effort. And for bearers of the Poison Body of Calamity, the stronger the poison, the greater its attraction. They may even kill and rob others for deadly poison. To them, potent poison is as alluring as Heavenly Flames are to Alchemists. Like moths rushing into a flame, they will throw themselves at it without hesitation."

"Master, is there a way to control the Poison Body of Calamity?" Xia Mo asked gravely.

"There is no way to cure the Poison Body of Calamity, but if one's fortune is sufficient, there is hope of completely controlling it, allowing its owner to manipulate the poison within their body as they please."

"Xiao Yi Xian can be saved? Master, what method is it?" Xiao Yan looked utterly foolish.

"Not me—Xiao Yan, why are you being so dumb?" Xia Mo wondered if he had somehow wandered into the wrong scene.

"Xiao Yi Xian?"

"Mhm... Don't tell anyone else. Try to act as though you don't know in front of her. She's afraid that if you find out she's a Poison Master, you won't consider her a friend anymore."

"Understood. Even if she's a Poison Master, she's still my, Xiao Yan's, friend. Poison is just another kind of power." Xiao Yan said, patting his chest.

Old Yao smiled and continued, "This method of control is called the Pill of Poison Method. It gathers all the toxins accumulated within the body and condenses them into a Poison Pill. Once the Poison Pill is formed, the Poison Body of Calamity will become a truly terrifying constitution, no longer subject to restraint."

"Refining the Poison Pill requires three things. First, three different Heavenly Flames. Second, the Demonic Core of a seventh-tier Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast. Third, Bodhi Body Transformation Saliva. Several disasters caused by the Poison Body of Calamity have occurred throughout the Dou Qi Continent's history, but none of those who possessed it ever reached this stage. The reason is simple: the materials required for the Pill of Poison Method are far too difficult to find."

"Although Heavenly Flames are difficult to find, I still know of a few leads. Besides, your senior brother Xiao Yan cultivates the Flame Mantra and needs to seek out Heavenly Flames as well. The main problem is the Seventh-tier Demonic Core and the Bodhi Body Transformation Saliva. Some major factions may have Bodhi Body Transformation Saliva in stock, but obtaining it will require sufficient strength and enough benefits to trade for it."

"Moreover, I have studied this Pill of Poison Method. Perhaps three Heavenly Flames are not necessary, since it uses the power of three Heavenly Flames to force the poisonous Dou Qi into one place. Perhaps a single Heavenly Flame ranked among the top ten, coupled with overwhelming strength, would be enough to perform this method," Old Yao said.

Old Yao brushed a hand over the ring on Xiao Yan's finger, and a scroll appeared in his hand. "Xia Mo, take it. Though you now have the method, the road ahead remains difficult. You must be extra careful."

It seemed Old Yao already knew that Xiao Yi Xian possessed the Poison Body of Calamity. After all, Xia Mo only had a few friends. "Thank you, Master."

"Mhm. Gather the Medicinal Herbs for the Three-pattern Green Spirit Pill as soon as possible. If you want to obtain certain things, you still need strength," Old Yao said as he stroked his beard.

"Understood, Master," Xia Mo replied respectfully.

Having obtained the Pill of Poison Method, Xia Mo finally breathed a sigh of relief. Otherwise, even if he had prepared every material, it would have been useless without the specific method.

Xia Mo left Xiao Yan's room and returned to the courtyard. Xiao Yi Xian was sitting there waiting for him. The moment he saw her, Xia Mo hurried over...

"Why haven't you gone to rest yet?" Xia Mo asked.

"How could I rest when you little brat still hadn't returned? It's so late—what if something happened? Come back earlier from now on," Xiao Yi Xian said.

"Mhm, mhm..." Xia Mo did not argue. After all, she was concerned about him.

No one in Wutan City can keep me here, Xia Mo thought, naturally overlooking Old Yao and Ling Ying, the Dou Emperor.

PS: The difficulty of controlling the Poison Body of Calamity has been lowered in this setting. After all, three Heavenly Flames require the Flame Mantra, and the protagonist does not cultivate the Flame Mantra.