Decision to Cultivate

Over the next three days, Xiao Yu and Xiao Yi Xian each kept busy with their own affairs. Xiao Yi Xian studied the poison scripture, while Xiao Yu cultivated and learned alchemy at the same time.

Xiao Yu had already begun learning to refine third-tier pills. Although the results had not been particularly satisfactory, he was only a hair away each time. More importantly, third-tier pills required medicinal ingredients of far higher quality. While the valley contained a wide variety of herbs, not many were suitable for Xiao Yu's pill refinement!

"Looks like I still need to visit the Alchemist Guild. With an alchemist's identity, buying certain medicinal ingredients will be much more convenient!" Xiao Yu muttered after finishing his alchemy for the day.

Just then, Xiao Yu suddenly caught a strange scent. It was extremely rich, but he detected something off about it. He abruptly came to his senses. "This is poison!"

What startled Xiao Yu was that he had only recognized it after careful discernment. Ordinary poisons were child's play to him, but this poison was clearly far from ordinary. Even the fragrance contained trace toxins. However, the Dou Qi Xiao Yu cultivated through the Chaos Cultivation Source Method possessed the property of neutralizing poison—a discovery he had made himself when he first began refining pills.

Thus, he circulated his Dou Qi and forced the toxins directly out of his body, after which the Bone Spirit Cold Flame followed and burned them completely away.

Xiao Yu's gaze turned toward Xiao Yi Xian's little wooden cabin. That was where the scent originated. He first fed Xiao Bai, Little Purple, and Xiao Lan each an antidote pill he had refined, then headed toward Xiao Yi Xian's room.

Knock, knock, knock!

Xiao Yu knocked on the door first. Xiao Yi Xian's voice immediately came from inside the room. "What is it?"

Xiao Yu frowned slightly. "Are you refining poison?"

As he spoke, the door creaked open, and Xiao Yi Xian directly opened it. Xiao Yu looked inside the room, where a small iron pot was bubbling with pale white foam. The fragrance was coming from that little iron pot!

Noticing Xiao Yu's gaze, Xiao Yi Xian's expression changed. She forced herself to remain calm and smiled. "I-I'm refining poison for self-defense. What's wrong?"

But Xiao Yu merely looked at Xiao Yi Xian and said, "The poison you refined is already far more potent than anything you would need for self-defense. It is enough to poison a Dou Master to death. Don't think about lying to me. Don't forget, I'm an alchemist!"

After hearing Xiao Yu's words, Xiao Yi Xian's face gradually turned pale. She knew she could not hide it from him, but she had not expected him to discover it so quickly!

Xiao Yu swept his gaze around the room and, sure enough, spotted that colorful scroll on the desk. Dou Qi shot from his hand toward the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture scroll, pulling it back. Xiao Yu grabbed it in his hand.

Xiao Yi Xian was about to snatch it back, but Xiao Yu gave her no chance. He held it behind his back and said, "Did you discover something in this poison scripture?"

Xiao Yi Xian froze for a moment, then said bitterly, "Actually, I wanted to travel across the continent, but my strength doesn't allow it!"

Xiao Yu was taken aback. He immediately unfolded the poison scripture scroll in his hand. Sure enough, at the end of the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, he saw a description of the Calamity Poison Body and methods for identifying it.

"You discovered long ago that your constitution was different from other people's, didn't you?" Xiao Yu asked in a deep voice.

Xiao Yi Xian looked up at Xiao Yu but said nothing, only nodding.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Yu said, "I know you want to become stronger, and I don't know how to stop you. But I hope that after I tell you a story, if you still choose to cultivate the Calamity Poison Body, I won't stop you!"

Xiao Yi Xian stared at Xiao Yu with her watery eyes, wanting to know what story he was going to tell her.

After looking deeply at Xiao Yi Xian, Xiao Yu slowly said, "There was once a woman on the continent who cultivated the Calamity Poison Body. It was a secret of the continent. In a fit of rage, that woman forcibly turned an entire empire into poisonous land stretching thousands of miles, causing hundreds of thousands, if not more, to lose their lives!"

Xiao Yi Xian's pupils immediately contracted, her eyes filled with disbelief.

But Xiao Yu continued, "That woman possessed the strength of a Five Star Dou Huang. After many experts barely escaped from that empire's poisoned lands, they went to seek revenge on her. One powerful expert after another fell at that woman's hands, and among them, the weakest were all Dou Lings!"

"Among them was even a Nine Star Dou Huang expert who was on the verge of stepping into the Dou Zong realm. But unfortunately, he still perished at that woman's hands!"

"In the end, the incident alarmed some reclusive old monsters. After a great battle unknown to outsiders, the woman fled far away with severe injuries. Yet even then, one Dou Zong expert from the old monsters' side needed a full ten years to purge the poison from his body before recovering completely!"

After seeing the shock in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes, Xiao Yu continued, "Poison Masters are already deeply rejected by others. Once you decide to cultivate the Calamity Poison Body, you may have to face the pursuit of every cultivator in the world. Do you truly want to cultivate it?"

Xiao Yi Xian instead asked tentatively, "Then... what happened to that woman in the end?"

Xiao Yu thought for a moment before saying, "I'm not sure. I only know that twenty years after that great battle, she had already become a Dou Zong expert!"

Xiao Yi Xian's lips went dry at those words. "She became that strong?"

Xiao Yu nodded. "Of course. If the Calamity Poison Body is properly controlled, one only needs to consume poison to convert it into Dou Qi and increase one's strength. It is much easier than cultivating painstakingly like I do!"

Xiao Yi Xian burst into laughter at Xiao Yu's words. "From the way you put it, you seem rather envious?"

"I am envious, indeed. But the power gained through such cultivation also comes with enormous risks. Still, putting that aside, are you sure you want to cultivate the Calamity Poison Body?" Xiao Yu shrugged, neither confirming nor denying it.

Hearing Xiao Yu's words, Xiao Yi Xian did not answer his question. Instead, she asked, "I only have one question. If I cultivate the Calamity Poison Body, will you become my enemy like everyone else in the world?"

Seeing the anticipation in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes, Xiao Yu smiled and shook his head. "Of course not!"

After hearing Xiao Yu's words, an indescribable light flashed through Xiao Yi Xian's eyes. Then, in an exceptionally firm tone, she said, "I've decided to cultivate the Calamity Poison Body!"

Xiao Yu looked at Xiao Yi Xian in surprise. "Are you sure?"

"Mhm, I'm sure!"

Seeing Xiao Yi Xian's resolute expression, Xiao Yu said nothing more and simply handed the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture scroll back to her.

Taking the scroll, Xiao Yi Xian asked in confusion, "How do you know so much about the Calamity Poison Body?"

Xiao Yu smiled. "Naturally, I read extensively from a young age and am simply broad in knowledge!"

A sweet smile curved Xiao Yi Xian's lips. She rolled her eyes at Xiao Yu and said, "All you know is how to brag!"

Xiao Yu chuckled. "Even if I'm bragging, didn't you still believe me?"

Xiao Yi Xian did not refute that, but what Xiao Yu said next left her even more astonished—or rather, delighted!