Three-Star Dou Shi...
Four-Star Dou Shi...
Five-Star Dou Shi...
Seven-Star Great Dou Master...
It had been nearly half a month since they entered the Ancient Nether Poison Swamp.
Xiao Yi Xian's cultivation had never stopped advancing. She was thriving here, like a fish in water.
From her initial Two-Star Dou Shi, she'd climbed straight to her current Seven-Star Great Dou Master.
Just watching Xiao Yi Xian break through had already left him numb.
He knew the Woeful Poison Body was outrageous, but he hadn't expected it to be outrageous to this degree.
Still, through Xiao Yi Xian, he understood one thing.
*[Since the Woeful Poison Body is this powerful, the Fire Spirit Body I gave Xun'er must be no weaker. And with the Golden Emperor Incinerating Heaven Flame to boot, there's no way she could only be a mere Nine-Star Dou Zhe, even if she hardly cultivates!*
[Besides, with the resources of an ancient power like the Ancient Clan, hiding her cultivation would be easy, wouldn't it?]
[So, to sum it all up, that girl Xun'er is definitely hiding her cultivation level!]
[ Ding, you have received a Detoxification Pill.]
[Detoxification Pill]
[Grade: None]
[Effect: Can neutralize all poisons in the world and grants immunity to toxins for one hour.]
This was already the umpteenth Detoxification Pill he'd received.
Perhaps the Dog System was so afraid he'd die in this Poison Marsh that it had exchanged nearly all the rewards from his complaints for Detoxification Pills.
After all, even Dou Zong experts wouldn't dare venture into the depths of this Ancient Nether Poison Swamp.
But as they continued deeper and the poisonous miasma thickened once more, Xiao Yuan realized he'd been wrong—terribly wrong.
Even with Life Spirit Flame enveloping their bodies, the toxins still hissed and crackled as they clashed against the flames.
It was like a drop of cold water falling into scalding hot oil.
Terrified, he hurriedly pulled out a Detoxification Pill and swallowed it.
"Xiao Yuan..."
At the sight of what he was doing, Xiao Yi Xian's beautiful eyes filled with worry.
She wanted to turn back.
It wasn't worth putting himself in such danger for her.
But the moment that thought surfaced, Xiao Yuan noticed and cut her off.
"I'm fine. Don't worry."
He forced a smile.
Though he said he was fine, inside, he couldn't stop complaining.
[Damn it, I was wrong, I really was wrong! This place isn't just somewhere even Dou Zong experts can't enter. With how fierce the poison is here, it could probably kill even a High-Rank Dou Zong!]
[A junkie could take one huge breath of this stuff, give it a thumbs-up, and say, "Now that's the good stuff!" before dropping dead.]
[Good thing I'm clever. I had the Great Lion wait outside with its cubs, where the miasma is thin.]
[Otherwise, we'd probably have been poisoned to death already, wouldn't we?]
[ Ding, congratulations. You have received a Detoxification Pill.]
[All right, all right, I get it, Dog System. You're afraid I'll get poisoned to death.]
[Don't worry. I was born under a lucky star. This mere Poison Marsh isn't going to take my life!]
Listening to him ramble on in his mind, Xiao Yi Xian instinctively wanted to take his hand, but she reached halfway and pulled back.
At some point, their tightly clasped hands had already parted.
It wasn't that she was shy. Her hands were now covered in deadly poison, as was the rest of her body.
By now, even without looking, she knew the Seven-Colored Hidden Line on her abdomen was climbing toward her heart at a visible speed.
She was already struggling to withstand the surrounding poisonous miasma. She didn't think she should keep causing Xiao Yuan trouble.
They didn't know how much longer they walked before it felt as if they had reached the end of the poisonous miasma.
The thick fog suddenly dispersed, and everything opened up before them.
But the sight that met their eyes left them stunned.
It wasn't terrifying.
Rather...
"It's so beautiful."
Xiao Yi Xian couldn't help exclaiming, her beautiful eyes sparkling with wonder.
Even Xiao Yuan had to admit that this place was truly beautiful.
Multicolored flowers swayed gently in the breeze, forming a sea of brilliant color.
The flowers bloomed with such bewitching beauty, swaying their graceful forms like beautiful women.
It was dreamlike.
Like a fairyland from a storybook, a paradise far removed from the world.
[It's just that sometimes, the more beautiful something is, the more deadly it is.]
[Those flowers are unnaturally vivid. Even a fool could tell they're probably poisonous.]
His unspoken thoughts brought Xiao Yi Xian abruptly back to her senses. Her fair cheeks instantly flushed, and embarrassment spread across her face.
Could she really say she'd been so entranced that she hadn't noticed the flowers were poisonous?
[But what kind of creature grows such vivid flowers in a swamp?]
[Marsh plants?]
[There do seem to be some deep-purple water lilies in those pools...]
[Oh, right. This is a fantasy world. Never mind.]
[ Ding, congratulations. You have received a copy of the Encyclopedia of Poisonous Herbs.]
Xiao Yuan: "..."
[Dog System, you're making fun of me for being ignorant, aren't you?!]
The system didn't respond.
But Xiao Yi Xian let out a startled cry.
"Hey, little brother Xiao Yuan, look! This butterfly is so unusual!"
He raised his head and saw a butterfly slowly beating its wings as it perched on Xiao Yi Xian's slender finger.
But when he saw the butterfly's color and appearance, Xiao Yuan's pupils suddenly contracted!
The butterfly was a pale purple all over. Though tiny, it seemed crystalline and dreamlike.
A butterfly of this appearance, found in the Ancient Nether Poison Swamp... There could only be one answer—
"Holy crap, it's the Nether Poison Fire!"
"Ah?!"
Xiao Yi Xian jumped in fright, and her hand gave a slight tremble. The butterfly flew away at once.
"Sorry, little brother Xiao Yuan. I didn't know... I just thought it was pretty, and it flew over to me, so I held out my hand. When it landed on me, it felt really comfortable, so... so..."
At that moment, Xiao Yi Xian looked like a little girl who'd done something wrong and wanted to make it right, anxiously explaining herself, at a loss for what to do.
Xiao Yuan recovered from his shock and hurried to reassure her.
"It's all right, big sister Xiao Yi Xian. Weren't we here to find the Nether Poison Fire?"
"Besides, it seems to like you a lot."
Xiao Yuan pointed above Xiao Yi Xian's head.
She looked up. The purple butterfly hadn't flown far; it was circling above her as if something there had drawn it in.
It seemed they could skip the whole capturing process.
After all, capturing a Heavenly Flame was no easy task, especially one that had already taken on a form and seemed to have developed a hint of intelligence. It was certainly no weakling.
[Maybe the Woeful Poison Body is what's attracting the Nether Poison Fire.]
Xiao Yuan took a pile of porcelain bottles out of his Storage Ring and pressed them into Xiao Yi Xian's arms.
"This one is the Blood Lotus Pill. It can keep your body from being burned up by the Heavenly Flame. This one is the Ice Heart Pill; it can protect your mind. And this is the Ice Spirit Cold Spring. It can keep your meridians and internal organs from being burned up by the Heavenly Flame..."