Overwhelming Fortune

The first time was unfamiliar; the second came naturally.

The process of refining the Spirit Clan Essence Blood went smoothly, even more easily than devouring that Stone Clan member.

When he had devoured the Stone Clan member, Yao Yan had been using the Tunling Clan's innate divine ability for the first time and could not control it perfectly. He had swallowed everything the Stone Clan member possessed in one gulp. As merely a Dou Zhe at the time, he clearly could not withstand that chaotic power, causing his cultivation to soar explosively.

Had Hun Xuzi not been watching from the side, Yao Yan's foundation in Dou Qi cultivation might have been completely ruined.

As his eyes opened—

The aura around Yao Yan's body instantly surged, rising from a Three Star Dou Shi to a Six Star Dou Master. At the same time, a powerful vitality emerged within him, nourishing his entire body. The minor injuries left behind by his body training healed in an instant, while the skin that had become rough from training turned fair and smooth. This made his already handsome features even more striking.

Hun Xuzi let out a strange laugh and mocked, "Hehehe, worthy of the Spirit Clan's Dou Di Bloodline. Your strength hasn't increased much, but your looks have improved first."

Hearing this, Yao Yan took out a mirror from his Storage Ring and immediately discovered that his skin had become far more delicate, with none of the traces left by body training. His facial features had also undergone subtle adjustments, as though evolving toward a more perfect lifeform.

Did I turn into some pretty boy?

Yao Yan could not help asking himself. Personally, he still preferred a muscular build. Such excessive beauty was truly a little too eye-catching. Being too handsome was not always a good thing. He still liked his former ordinary appearance, at least it had not been so dazzling and breathtakingly handsome that it invited jealousy.

"Teacher, this..."

He could not help looking toward Hun Xuzi.

Hun Xuzi seemed to be in a good mood. Smiling, he said, "This is perfectly normal. Most members of the Spirit Clan are rare beauties and handsome men. It is in their bloodline. Of course, apart from their appearance, their greatest talents are their vitality and lifespans far beyond those of experts at the same level. You can try cutting yourself."

Yao Yan raised a finger and condensed a fiery blade with Illusory Gold Flame, then forcefully slashed his arm. With his arm deliberately relaxed, he left a tiny cut in its skin.

Yet before Yao Yan could even feel pain, the tiny wound rapidly healed. Not even a drop of blood flowed out.

"This is the Spirit Clan's unique talent: powerful vitality, regenerative ability, and that enviable lifespan. Their only weakness is the difficulty of producing descendants. This has forced the Spirit Clan to intermarry with other clans, rapidly depleting their Dou Di Bloodline. Perhaps before long, the Spirit Clan will disappear from this world."

Hun Xuzi sighed, but that sigh quickly turned into a cold laugh and disdain as he revealed a secret little known to the outside world.

Are Dou God Clans not all the same?

Yao Yan muttered inwardly. If he remembered correctly, throughout the entire Dou Qi Continent, aside from the Soul Clan using Nihility Devouring Flame to prolong their existence, the other clans were all in decline. Even the Gu Clan was no exception. Everyone was going downhill; the only difference was the speed.

Hun Xuzi looked at Yao Yan and continued, "You now possess the Bloodline Power of both the Stone Clan and Spirit Clan. Among the younger generation of this era, no one can compare to you in physical strength."

Hun Xuzi said this with utmost confidence.

Whether the Stone Clan or the Spirit Clan, both clans' Dou Di Bloodlines primarily strengthened the physical body. Layered together, the result was absolutely not as simple as one plus one. Once he found Yao Yan the Bloodline Power of the other clans in the future, it was difficult to imagine just how perfect Yao Yan's body would become.

Throughout history, there had never been anyone of the same age capable of contending with him.

"Thank you for your guidance, Teacher."

Yao Yan rose and bowed, speaking with utmost sincerity.

Hun Xuzi waved his hand and chuckled. "There is no need to thank me. Without your choice that day, there would be no you today. Causes of former days bear the fruits of today. Since you chose the most dangerous path, you will naturally gain things others cannot imagine."

To him, Yao Yan was a work of art, a work growing ever more perfect, and one destined to become the crowning achievement of his life.

"Familiarize yourself with this power. Once you break through to Da Dou Shi, I will find you the Emperor Clan Essence Blood of other clans. Look forward to it."

After leaving those instructions, Hun Xuzi's Soul Body returned to the Communication Jade Token along with Nihility Devouring Flame.

Yao Yan caught it and placed it back into his Storage Ring. A trace of helplessness flashed through his eyes, because he knew that his only path to survival was breaking through to Dou Di. Otherwise, no one in this era would tolerate him. Hun Xuzi had forced him onto a path where the whole world would be his enemy.

However, an unusual thought soon surfaced in Yao Yan's mind. If he broke through to Dou Di, would the essence blood of all the clans that he had refined cause their Dou Di Bloodlines to awaken once more?

That question seemed rather interesting.

Unfortunately, he could only learn the answer after breaking through to Dou Di.

Yao Yan shook his head, closed his eyes, and continued cultivating. At the same time, he sensed the evil power brought by the Tunling Clan. It seemed to have grown stronger again. Its path of growth was completely different from the Dou Qi system. It seemed capable of growing without limit simply by devouring the origin of life. In that regard, it was no different from those Outer Realm Demons, filled with the scent of slaughter and bloodlust.

Just as Yao Yan was comprehending this evil power, he suddenly discovered something extremely strange: Little Greenwood Fox possessed no origin of life.

It did not seem to be a lifeform.

"Hmm?!"

Yao Yan controlled the Evil Eye between his brows and looked over, frightening Little Greenwood Fox so badly that its fur stood on end. It bared its fangs at him, but because of that, he finally saw Little Greenwood Fox's main body clearly. It was actually a green flame. Unlike ordinary flames, it possessed no destructive power and was instead brimming with vitality.

Yao Yan opened his eyes, and his Soul Power swiftly swept over it. Little Greenwood Fox's utterly ordinary, useless body appeared in his mind. No matter how his Soul Power scanned it, its body remained the same, no different from an ordinary Second Order Greenwood Fox.

"..."

Yao Yan fell silent. He suddenly thought of a certain Strange Fire, the most unique Strange Fire on the Heavenly Flame Ranking—the fifth-ranked Living Flame.

This Strange Fire was incredibly peculiar. It would only be born in forests overflowing with vitality, and from the moment it was born, it would hide itself, transforming into a large tree, an ordinary blade of grass, or even a medicinal herb. Unless someone was lucky enough to pick it by accident, no one could discover its existence. Even a Dou Sheng Level expert could not detect it.

Had Yao Yan not used a power from beyond the Great Thousand World this time, he likely would not have discovered Little Greenwood Fox's unusual nature either.

It can even disguise itself as a living creature?

Yao Yan recalled the records from the Original Work and was momentarily dazed, nearly stunned senseless by this windfall from the heavens. But after thinking it over carefully, this did not seem to be a problem. Most Strange Fires could condense a Strange Fire Spirit, and Living Flame was even known as the Strange Fire with the strongest vitality. How could it possibly fail to condense a Strange Fire Spirit?

If it remained a tree or blade of grass, how could it move around?

After the initial delight, Yao Yan calmed down. He had no doubt that the moment he revealed he had recognized its true identity, Living Flame would flee immediately. This little fellow was not stupid. Perhaps it had deliberately put itself on the list back then. It was a glutton by nature.

Moreover, the strength Yao Yan had displayed at the time had not been high. If it wanted to leave, he could not stop it at all.

But today, it had clearly been badly frightened.

Hun Xuzi and Nihility Devouring Flame's child flame were both existences that could easily subdue it. Had Hun Xuzi not frozen space, it might already have run away.

Having thought this through—

Yao Yan directly took out an entire bottle of Essence Pills made from medicinal herb essence and waved it at Little Greenwood Fox. "Come out. My teacher has left."

As he spoke, he shook the medicine bottle. The pills inside collided with one another, making a particularly crisp sound.

Little Greenwood Fox's lively eyes shifted about. After hesitating for a moment, it cautiously walked out. Perhaps its days of contact with Yao Yan had made it unwilling to abandon such an excellent caretaker. Compared to slowly absorbing Flora Essence in the Shennong Mountain Range, this life where food was available whenever it opened its mouth was clearly more suited to such a lazy little creature.

Still, the fright it had received earlier had been too great. Even as it walked, its fox ears stood upright as it vigilantly observed the surroundings. Only after confirming that it was safe did it leap into Yao Yan's arms and lower its head to eat.

Clearly, it had great confidence in its disguise.

"You clever little thing."

Yao Yan stroked Little Greenwood Fox's head, feeling its soft, silky fur beneath his hand. A heartfelt smile appeared on his face. This was perhaps the happiest day of his fifteen years of life. He had never imagined he would receive such an opportunity. The Living Flame that belonged to Shennong Old Man in the Original Work had been intercepted by him. This overwhelming fortune...

Yet the joy in Yao Yan's heart soon subsided, because he knew that he could not possibly subdue it now.

If Little Greenwood Fox's true identity were exposed, Hun Xuzi might very well seize it. Living Flame was far too tempting to alchemists, even more so than Nihility Devouring Flame and Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame. He did not dare gamble on Hun Xuzi's character.

I'll raise it first. Once it grows attached to me, refining it will be easy... Yao Yan decided to take the route of winning its heart. Compared to forcibly refining it, building a bond was clearly more appropriate. He refused to believe that after raising it for a few years, it would not develop feelings for him.

Thinking of this—

Yao Yan suddenly recalled that fragmented map. A guess could not help surfacing in his mind. Could that fragmented map be related to the Fragmented Map of Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame?

In this era, only the aura of a Strange Fire could cause another Strange Fire to bristle like that.

If his guess was correct—

Yao Yan felt that he should go seize the Flame Mantra. He felt that he was quite fated with Strange Fires.

Yao Yan rubbed the little fox's head and said, "Let's give you a name. From now on, you'll be called Ling Er."

"Ying?"

With a pill in its mouth, Little Greenwood Fox tilted its head at Yao Yan, not understanding what he meant.

Yao Yan coaxed it, "Ling Er is your name, just as mine is Yao Yan. From now on, you'll be my closest companion—my family!"

"Wuwu~"

Ling Er responded casually, then lowered her head and continued stuffing herself. She had suffered such a fright today that she needed to eat more to make up for it. As for companions and family, she could not quite understand such things. Since her birth, she had never interacted with humans, so naturally she did not understand human concepts.

Like playing music to a cow—no, playing music to a flame...

Yao Yan did not know whether to laugh or cry. He felt rather foolish himself, but there was one thing he was certain of: he was not very willing to simply refine away this little fellow's intelligence.