Zi Yan Grows Up

Cao Ying's final choice did not disappoint Ling Yuan.

Ling Yuan said, "All right, switch your cultivation method first. When the time is right, I'll give you a Heavenly Flame."

These two Heavenly Flames ranked far too low for Ling Yuan to care about, so naturally, he would not begrudge her them.

Cao Ying was still young. Feelings could be cultivated slowly, and trust would build over time. Ling Yuan was in no hurry.

Ling Yuan returned to continue stabilizing his Dou Qi realm while taking time to refine the Soul Origin.

Whenever he was in the mood, he would visit Medusa and play with snakes. His days were fairly pleasant.

Half a month later, the Dou Zun subordinate Ling Yuan had sent to fetch them arrived at the Tagor Desert.

Within a Snake-People Clan tribe in the Tagor Desert, the atmosphere was extraordinarily tense.

Ever since the Dou Zun subordinate descended and released his Dou Zun aura, everyone in the Snake-People Clan had been trembling with fear.

They could clearly sense that this expert's strength was far beyond anything they could resist.

The Dou Zun subordinate landed in the Snake-People Clan's plaza. In an even tone, without any unnecessary pleasantries, he said:

"I have come under the orders of the Young Clan Leader of the Ling Clan to take you to the Central Plains. Just come with me."

"Venerable One, you have traveled a great distance. Thank you for your trouble. We have already packed and can depart at any time. We must trouble you, Venerable One..."

The Snake-People Clan had long made their preparations. Now that a Dou Zun had personally come for them, they naturally did not dare make him wait.

Under Lv Xia's guidance, Qing Lin's understanding of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils grew deeper and deeper.

By absorbing the Double-Headed Fire Spirit Snake's Dou Qi, Qing Lin progressed rapidly. In such a short time, she had already broken through to a five-star Dou Zhe.

With the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils' talent and Lv Xia's guidance, Qing Lin could now barely control some weakened snake-type magical beasts at the Dou Wang level that were unable to resist.

Ling Yuan occasionally went to see her, and every time, Qing Lin would eagerly show him her progress.

Whenever she received Ling Yuan's praise, she would be happy for days.

Compared with Qing Lin, Xiao Yi Xian's progress was not as monstrous.

Ling Yuan had only ever given her an appropriate amount of poison, allowing her to cultivate step by step.

It accelerated her advancement while preventing the Woe Poison Body from erupting.

Thus, she was only at the five-star Dou Zhe realm now, on par with Qing Lin.

However, Ling Yuan gradually noticed that Xiao Yi Xian had become somewhat depressed.

Only after carefully thinking it over did he understand why.

Back in Qingshan Town, Xiao Yi Xian could still treat mercenaries' injuries and use her medical skills to help others. Her days had been fulfilling and meaningful.

But after arriving at the Ling Clan, experts gathered here. There was simply no need for a low-level physician like her, one who could only treat injuries at the Dou Zhe level.

Aside from cultivation, she could only remain in the courtyard every day. She had no peers to interact with and nothing to do. Gradually, she became despondent, feeling that life had lost its meaning.

Ling Yuan also felt that bringing her back and keeping her like a caged canary seemed to have caused her even more pain.

After calming down, he recalled that Xiao Yi Xian's dream seemed to be becoming an Alchemist, using her own abilities to treat illnesses, save lives, and help more people.

However, her Dou Qi was not fire-attributed with a trace of wood attribute mixed in. Her attributes did not meet the requirements.

Ling Yuan could only settle for the next best option and search for another method.

After issuing the order, he had not expected to truly find a way for Xiao Yi Xian to treat illnesses and save people: becoming a Poison Physician.

His subordinates reported the relevant methods of Poison Physicians to Ling Yuan. After carefully studying them, he found that this path perfectly suited Xiao Yi Xian's circumstances.

The treatment methods were roughly as follows: fight poison with poison; when someone was severely injured or their Dou Qi was in turmoil, use poisonous Dou Qi to numb their meridians; use poison to stimulate the potential of those near death or with ruptured heart meridians, briefly igniting their vitality to keep them alive; refine Poison Pills, and so on...

Although Poison Physicians as a whole were not as powerful as Alchemists and did not hold the same status, their potential was certainly not low. They were far more formidable than ordinary physicians who could only treat injuries at the Dou Zhe level.

Moreover, Xiao Yi Xian possessed the Woe Poison Body and had an innate command over poisons. Taking the path of a Poison Physician undoubtedly gave her greater advantages than others and made it easier for her to reach the peak.

So long as she could make this path work, Xiao Yi Xian might well become a renowned Poison Physician, perhaps even one capable of treating experts at the Dou Zun and Dou Saint levels.

The path of a Poison Physician perfectly made up for Xiao Yi Xian's regret at being unable to become an Alchemist and heal the sick and save lives.

Without exaggeration, Ling Yuan had found the meaning of life for Xiao Yi Xian this time.

Heaven knew how excited Xiao Yi Xian had been after receiving the methods to become a Poison Physician from Ling Yuan. Her entire body trembled faintly, and she felt even happier than if her Woe Poison Body had been cured.

Ling Yuan could tell that she had nearly wanted to throw herself at him in thanks. If no one else had been present, Xiao Yi Xian might have offered him a fragrant kiss like Ning Rongrong from that Luo story.

After finding a direction in life, Xiao Yi Xian was completely reborn. Her entire bearing changed.

She was no longer gloomy or depressed. Every day, she was full of energy, proactively studying knowledge related to Poison Physicians, researching poison combinations and treatment techniques.

She threw herself completely into studying Poison Physicians, radiating vigorous vitality.

Ling Yuan saw all of this.

Letting her do what she loved might also be a form of salvation for Xiao Yi Xian.

That day, faint Dou Qi swirled around Ling Yuan as he stabilized his three-star Dou Zong realm.

With his clone cultivating for him, Ling Yuan did not need to worry about advancing. He only needed to stabilize his realm.

Just as he immersed himself completely in cultivation, the purple cocoon formed around Zi Yan nearby suddenly stirred.

At first, it only trembled slightly. Then, the purple cocoon abruptly erupted with dazzling violet light. The radiance grew brighter and brighter, nearly illuminating the entire room.

Fine cracks soon appeared across the cocoon's surface. They rapidly spread along its patterns, emitting faint cracking sounds. Before long, the entire cocoon was covered in fissures. Then it completely shattered and fell away, turning into specks of violet light that dispersed into the air.

Zi Yan's figure emerged, enveloped by a blinding pillar of purple light. The pillar contained dense Dou Qi and life force, nourishing her body.

Ling Yuan's soul realm had already reached the Spirit Realm. The blinding radiance did not affect him in the slightest, and he could clearly see the scene within the pillar of light.

Her aura had risen from Dou Wang to Dou Emperor. Of course, that was not the most important part.

What mattered was that Zi Yan had grown up!

Zi Yan's originally tiny body was rapidly growing taller at a visible rate.

She had once only reached Ling Yuan's chest, but in the blink of an eye, she had grown to a height only slightly shorter than his.

It was not just her height. Every aspect of her had changed. The baby fat on her face had completely vanished, and her formerly youthful features had become mature and captivating.

Her formerly flat chest had become magnificent...

At this moment, she wore nothing, and her alluring body was completely exposed before Ling Yuan.

Ling Yuan's gaze was involuntarily drawn to her delicate body. He had seen Medusa's figure before, and it had already been alluring enough.

Yet Zi Yan's figure at this moment was even more fiery than Medusa's, with distinct curves and delicate skin.

At that moment, Zi Yan slowly opened her eyes. Her violet pupils were clear and bright, carrying an innate seductive charm.

The moment she opened her eyes and saw Ling Yuan, Zi Yan could not have been happier.

Moreover, when she saw the undisguised astonishment in Ling Yuan's eyes, a sense of pride rose within her.

I'm so pretty after growing up. I'll definitely be able to captivate Ling Yuan.

Zi Yan naturally looped her arm through Ling Yuan's. She had wanted to do this before, but because she was not tall enough, she could only tug at the corner of his clothes.

Now that she was basically as tall as Ling Yuan, this intimate gesture felt especially natural.

Ling Yuan could clearly feel his arm brushing against her soft skin. A warm sensation traveled through him, stirring his heart.

"Well? Now that I've grown up, aren't I prettier than all of them? Aren't I bigger than all of them?" Zi Yan asked in a boastful tone.