Xiao Yi Xian: The Netherworld Poison Flame Is a Beneficial Flame

"Mm..."

Qing Lin's emerald eyes shifted as she stared dazedly at the handsome young man before her. She had suffered too much injustice, too much darkness. Her world had always been black.

Until now, when a ray of light had finally shone in.

The next day.

Inside the room.

Xiao Yi Xian folded her arms and glanced at the timid girl trying to hide her arms. "Is she your new maid?"

"Not exactly. I like her, and I don't want to see anyone bullying her." Xiao Yan smiled and rubbed the head of Qing Lin, who stood beside him at a loss.

"Hmph." Xiao Yi Xian leaned against the doorframe, her arms still folded.

Her eyes flicked toward Xiao Yan with a hint of unease. "My poison body seems to be getting out of control."

"Hm?" Xiao Yan had finished dressing with Qing Lin's help and was about to search the nearby desert for the Green Lotus Core Flame. At Xiao Yi Xian's words, he stopped short and frowned.

"Let me see."

Before she could react, he caught her slender wrist and closed his eyes to examine her condition.

Qing Lin stood quietly nearby, stealing glances at Xiao Yan as he concentrated. She bit her lip, a blush spreading across her fair face.

Young Master Xiao Yan is amazing.

She had no talent, but if she could stay by his side and help with odd jobs, she would ask for nothing more in this life.

"Qing Lin, fetch a bucket of water."

Several minutes later, Xiao Yan opened his eyes. His brow remained furrowed as he looked at Xiao Yi Xian. "How long has this been going on?"

"About... about two months." Xiao Yi Xian avoided his gaze. "You're hurting me."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Xiao Yan's frown deepened. Seeing her twirl a strand of hair around her finger and refuse to meet his eyes only made him angrier.

The Netherworld Poison Flame was too fierce. Or rather, her innate poison body was not suited to it at this early stage. In just a few months, she had risen to Dou Zhe, but a great deal of potent fire poison had also lingered inside her.

The Woeful Poison Body might originally have begun erupting only after she reached Dou Zong. Now its onset had been brought forward. At this rate, it might erupt before she even reached Dou Ling.

Once the Woeful Poison Body ran wild, suppressing it would be difficult. Someone would need to stand one or two major realms above her to hold it down.

Was this truly the Netherworld Poison Flame ranked twentieth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking?

Xiao Yan's eye twitched. He recalled its power—and that the Old Lord himself had gathered the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to bring it into being.

It was probably far more powerful than its ranking suggested...

He had been too confident.

"Will I live?" Xiao Yi Xian turned to look out the window, resting her cheek on one hand while Xiao Yan held her other wrist.

"You won't die!" Xiao Yan snapped.

"You knew it was building up inside you. Why didn't you stop?"

"..."

Xiao Yi Xian fell silent.

Yes. If she knew it was building up, why had she willingly let it continue?

She did not know. But deep down, she felt that if she did not use this Heavenly Flame to bind herself tightly to Xiao Yan, she would lose something...

The bond between them was too weak. As she had asked before, were they just friends?

She could not accept that.

A freak like Xiao Yan would attract more and more women sooner or later. If she did not hold on tight, she would eventually be cast aside and forgotten.

Thump, thump, thump.

Qing Lin hurried back with a basin of clean water, her cheeks flushed, and carefully set it on the table.

"Well done."

Xiao Yan smiled and rubbed the girl's head.

She blushed and mumbled something under her breath.

"Since the Netherworld Poison Flame has already invaded your meridians and hidden itself there, we might as well make it the dominant flame in your body. We'll turn the tables: temporarily Seal it inside you so you can use its power while it suppresses the Woeful Poison Body."

"But..." Xiao Yan frowned slightly.

"I'll need to replenish the Netherworld Poison Flame inside you regularly. And the Sealing process will probably hurt."

He obtained the Fire-Wood Sealing Curse Technique from the Old Lord.

"..." Xiao Yi Xian's cheeks turned rosy.

Those were the advantages. What about the drawbacks?

She could not have asked for more.

This Netherworld Poison Flame... was rather nice.

"..."

With a helpless sigh, Xiao Yan sent Qing Lin to gather some medicinal herbs. Once everything was ready, he told her to keep watch at the door and waved his hand, closing the wooden door.

"Lie down," Xiao Yan said irritably.

"Mm." On any other day, Xiao Yi Xian would have shot back at him. Today, for some reason, she was as obedient as a kitten. She climbed onto the bed and lay down.

"Expose your stomach."

Xiao Yi Xian's face reddened further. Still, she lifted her veil with slender fingers, baring her pale stomach. Turning her head away, she tried to sound casual. "Is this enough?"

Xiao Yan did not answer.

He placed a finger against her stomach. A miniature Ink Green fire serpent slipped from his sleeve and coiled around his finger. With swift, flowing strokes, he traced intricate patterns across her smooth skin while murmuring an incantation.

"Flame of Separation Burns Evil, Spirit Wood Augments Power!"

Then he pinched a Pale Cyan twig between his fingers and burned it to ash with the Dark-Green Flame.

It became droplets of greenish-blue liquid. When he touched them to her stomach, they hissed and crackled.

"Mm~"

Xiao Yi Xian gripped the bedsheet tightly. Her body arched of its own accord, and her pale toes curled. The bone-deep itch was unbearable, drawing a breathy sound from her lips.

"Quiet!"

Xiao Yan glared at her. When she covered her mouth and writhed across the bed like a snake, he pressed a hand to her stomach. The chaotic remnants of the Dark-Green Flame inside her seemed to feel its pull and rushed toward her abdomen.

"Coalesce!"

Xiao Yan formed a hand seal and closed his eyes.

The seven-colored light on Xiao Yi Xian's stomach gradually dimmed. The scattered traces of Ink Green Poison Flame stopped ravaging her meridians and slowly grew still.

"I-is it done?"

Xiao Yi Xian wiped the sweat from her brow and sat up weakly, but Xiao Yan pressed her shoulder and made her lie back down.

"Stay put."

His voice held a note of anger. "If you hide something like this from me again, I'll..."

"Hmph!"

He glanced at the delicate girl on the bed, then turned and left.

"Mm..."

Only after Xiao Yan had disappeared from the room did Xiao Yi Xian roll onto her stomach. Her violet eyes gleamed as she watched him leave through the window, a bright smile touching her lips.

"Well? Can you sense a scorching flame?" Xiao Yan watched the girl intently. She sat cross-legged on the sand with her eyes closed, and three petals flashed faintly between her brows.

"Yes!" Excitement lit up Qing Lin's eyes.

"It's in this direction!"