Fire Spirit Physique, Dou Emperor Bodyguard!

The instant the prompt sounded, a pitch-black figure appeared out of thin air at his side.

At the same time, an unbearably scorching aura erupted violently from the depths of his body!

The heat surged from his dantian like a volcano sealed for countless years finally finding an outlet to erupt, sweeping through every inch of his meridians with world-destroying force!

With a boom, crimson flames rose from his body. Their color was as vivid as the purest ruby burning, radiating a terrifyingly high temperature!

The wooden window frame blackened and curled the instant the flames touched it, while sparks burst from the bedding. In the next moment, the man in black flashed forward and raised his hand, erecting a pale cyan Dou Qi barrier that enveloped the entire room and firmly confined the dreadful heat within, preventing it from spreading.

Su Zhao was already completely immersed in the changes within his body.

The crimson flames were scouring his meridians in an overbearing, unreasonable manner.

The originally narrow passages were forcibly widened, while impurities clogged within them were burned into ash by the intense heat. His bones let out faint cracking sounds, and his internal organs seemed to be sorted through anew by an invisible hand. Every inch of flesh and blood rejoiced as it absorbed the ceaseless fire-attributed energy.

Deep within his dantian, a crimson fire seed slowly condensed into form, hovering at the very center of the Dou Qi vortex.

The instant the fire seed formed, Su Zhao clearly sensed that his control over Dou Qi had increased by more than a single level. His perception, reaction speed, and physical strength had all undergone qualitative leaps!

Even the seven-colored pattern on his lower abdomen shrank back slightly beneath the scorching flames.

The flames on his body lasted for roughly a dozen breaths before slowly subsiding, retreating completely back into Su Zhao's body like the ebbing tide.

"Phew..."

Su Zhao let out a long breath of turbid air. He lowered his head and looked at his palms. His skin was somewhat fairer than before. As he clenched his fists, a series of crisp cracks rang out between his knuckles!

"Fire Spirit Physique... the Myriad Flames Body. Born to command fire, wielding all flames in the world. It truly lives up to its name."

The experience of cleansing his meridians and marrow just now had shown him the terrifying power of this physique.

His meridians had widened, his aptitude had improved, and his physical strength had surged. Moreover, the Fire Spirit Physique actually came with an Origin Flame from birth!

He even vaguely felt that the flames had nearly burned away the toxins of the Calamity Poison Body entirely. However, those origin toxins were already a part of his body, which was why they remained unharmed.

Su Zhao raised his right hand. With a slight stir of his mind, a wisp of pale purple poisonous gas curled up from his fingertips, neither spreading violently nor backlashing against its master.

"The Fire Spirit Physique can actually suppress the backlash of the Calamity Poison Body? Could it be that I can now control this poison body without a poison pill?"

He pondered for a moment, temporarily burying the question in his heart. He would need to explore it slowly in the future.

Having finished examining himself, Su Zhao finally turned his gaze toward the black figure standing quietly at the side.

Was this the Dou Emperor guard rewarded by the system?

"What is your name?"

The man in black immediately dropped to one knee, bowing his head with utmost respect. "Master, this subordinate has no name."

"No name? In that case, I'll give you one."

Su Zhao pondered briefly. His gaze fell on the man's ink-black attire, and then he thought of his own name, Zhao, which carried the meaning of light. He casually said, "From today onward, you shall be called Su You. You as in darkness. What do you think?"

Su You answered respectfully, "Thank you, Master, for bestowing this name."

"Don't call me Master from now on. It feels strange. Call me Young Master instead."

"Yes, Young Master."

Su Zhao smiled, feeling rather emotional.

The system had changed everything the moment it arrived. This was the power of a cheat. Originally, relying on himself to struggle and claw his way forward, who knew how long it would have taken before he had a chance to control his own fate? Yet now, things were entirely different.

The Fire Spirit Physique combined with the Calamity Poison Body, with the former faintly suppressing the latter's backlash, meant he need not worry about the danger of the poison body erupting for the time being.

And he had gained a Dou Emperor servant like Su You. This was a genuine Dou Emperor expert.

He might not amount to much in the Central Plains, where experts gathered like clouds, but this was the Jia Ma Empire. How many Dou Emperors did the entire empire have? They could be counted on one's fingers.

At that thought, the taut string in Su Zhao's heart, stretched tight for five years, finally loosened somewhat.

"Su You, what exactly is your cultivation? How many stars as a Dou Emperor?"

"Reporting to Young Master, this subordinate is at the peak of the nine-star Dou Emperor realm."

Su Zhao was startled. "Peak nine-star Dou Emperor? Doesn't that mean you're just one step away from breaking through to Dou Zong?"

Su You shook his head, his tone calm. "This subordinate is still some distance from Dou Zong. Though it is only one step, the gap encompassed by that step is far beyond ordinary realms. Breaking through will not be easy."

Su Zhao nodded. He did not feel disappointed; a peak nine-star Dou Emperor was already an unexpected delight.

"Is that so? Still, that's good enough."

With Su You around, wouldn't he be able to run rampant throughout the Jia Ma Empire?

Not to mention ordinary mercenary groups and adventurers—even the Misty Cloud Sect and the imperial family likely would not dare offend a peak nine-star Dou Emperor lightly.

As he considered how to make use of this strength in the future, a gust of cool wind suddenly blew in through the window and brushed against his bare skin. He subconsciously lowered his head for a look.

Uh.

When the Origin Flame had erupted earlier, its intense heat had burned all the clothes on his body to ash. He was currently standing naked in the room. His attention had been entirely on the Fire Spirit Physique and the system, and he had not noticed at all.

A trace of embarrassment quietly crept onto his face.

Su Zhao gave a dry cough, doing his best to keep his tone natural. "Ahem, well... Su You, go out and buy me a set of clothes first."

Su You kept his eyes lowered and had never once looked up. At those words, he answered.

"Yes, Young Master."

Then his figure flickered, transforming into a blurred black shadow that swept out through the window.

Su Zhao stood alone in the empty room. He looked down at his bare body, then at the blackened, curled window frame and the edge of the bed, and sighed helplessly.

"My first eruption... I couldn't control it. That's normal enough."

A short while later, Su You silently swept back through the window, carrying a neatly folded set of black clothes.

With his head lowered, Su You offered the clothes with both hands. "Young Master, I have bought the clothes."

Su Zhao accepted them and looked down. The fabric was not particularly expensive, but it was still fine merchandise from a ready-made clothing shop in the city. The color was the same ink-black as Su You's attire.

He quickly put them on and rolled his shoulders and neck. They fit quite well.

"Alright, let's go."

He cast one last glance at the room that had been thoroughly wrecked, then turned and headed for the door.

Now that he possessed such strength, there was naturally no need for him to remain in this tiny Black Wind City.