Seven-Colored Poison Scripture

After breaking through to a seven-star Dou Shi, Xiao Yan's progress slowed considerably. It was not because he deliberately suppressed his strength, but because advancing through the final three stars of any rank was far harder than advancing through the earlier ones. He had risen from a three-star Dou Shi to a seven-star Dou Shi in four months, but for the remaining three stars, he was only confident of reaching the peak of nine stars in that time. As for becoming a Da Dou Shi... that would be rather more difficult.

Of course, if Xiao Yan chose to take pills to break through, he could certainly reach the Da Dou Shi rank in a short time. Unless absolutely necessary, however, he did not want to rely on such external aids, knowing they might affect his future potential.

Naturally, those external aids did not include the energy gained from devouring Heavenly Flames. But how could Heavenly Flames be so easy to find? Although Xiao Yan had possessed several in his previous life, he had only obtained them after arriving in the Central Plains. As for the Jia Ma Empire, he had only heard that the Snake-People Tribe seemed to possess one. He had never confirmed whether that rumor was true.

Although his Dou Qi cultivation had slowed, Xiao Yan's Alchemy advanced by leaps and bounds. As his strength increased, so did the grade of pills he could refine. He had even successfully refined fourth-grade pills on several occasions. Such terrifying progress made even Yao Lao marvel inwardly.

Comparing yourself to others really could drive you to your grave. Who knew how much hardship I endured and how much effort I spent going from an apprentice alchemist to a Fourth-Rank Alchemist? Yet this brat accomplished that feat in less than a year. At this rate, my disciple might truly reach that legendary realm.

With nothing else to do, Xiao Yan remembered the items he had obtained in the cave. He had already mastered the Flying Dou Technique in the first box, and he had no use for the Black Tier Dou Techniques stored in the third. But he had yet to take out the contents of the second box.

"Seven-Colored Poison Scripture." Xiao Yan was somewhat surprised as he read the words on the scroll. He had not expected it to be a poison scripture devoted to concocting poisons. He felt no particular aversion to poison. Throughout the ages, countless powerful figures had fallen to it. Had the Heavenly Poison Woman of his previous life not been a powerful figure renowned for her poisons?

Many people who proclaimed themselves members of righteous, prestigious sects might scorn such methods, but Xiao Yan was not so rigid-minded. In his previous life, he himself had been among those hunted down by those very sects. Thus, he read with considerable relish and even began deciding which poisons he would concoct next.

If he had possessed these poisons during his earlier battle with She Mo, that fight might have been much easier.

Besides poison recipes, there were records of poisonous substances and various other pieces of poison-related knowledge. Some of them interested even him greatly, such as the Poison Dou Qi described within.

As its name suggested, Poison Dou Qi was poison-attributed Dou Qi. Unlike other attributes, however, it was not a normal attribute determined at birth, but mutated Dou Qi produced through acquired alterations. Simply put, one fused one's originally normal Dou Qi with highly poisonous substances, causing it to mutate into the more lethal Poison Dou Qi.

Besides explaining exactly what Poison Dou Qi was, the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture also described how to fuse Dou Qi of this attribute. Unfortunately, because Xiao Yan had cultivated the Flame Mantra and devoured Black Flame, the Dou Qi within him had already transformed into Black Flame Dou Qi. This Dou Qi and Poison Dou Qi counteracted each other. Even if he followed the instructions recorded in the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, it would have no effect.

"Little fellow, Poison Dou Qi does have advantages over other forms of Dou Qi, but poison is a double-edged sword. Those who possess Poison Dou Qi are themselves being eroded by deadly poison. So unless they've reached the Dou Wang realm, this stuff could turn on them and kill them at any moment."

"Besides eroding the body, Poison Dou Qi also affects one's temperament. Even Dou Wang experts are no exception. Throughout history, those who cultivated it have ended up either dying from poison or being driven mad by it. You'd best not attempt such an experiment." Seemingly sensing Xiao Yan's temptation, Yao Lao's voice rang out in his mind with a note of warning.

"Don't worry, Teacher. I won't." Although Xiao Yan said this aloud, inwardly he disagreed. To him, nothing mattered more than formidable strength. As long as he could grow stronger, he would dare descend into hell itself, let alone face a little deadly poison. Were it not for his Heavenly Flame Dou Qi, he would have tried it no matter what.

When Xiao Yan reached the final section of the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, his gaze sharpened slightly. It contained an introduction to the woeful poison body, along with specific methods for identifying it. This happened to resolve a doubt that had troubled him for some time.

Although the Heavenly Poison Woman in Xiao Yan's memories was the present Xiao Yi Xian, there were still many differences between his previous life and this one. What if this Xiao Yi Xian did not possess the woeful poison body?

Under normal circumstances, this special constitution was difficult to identify unless its possessor had awakened it. The problem was that awakening the woeful poison body required consuming poison. Was he supposed to poison Xiao Yi Xian? What if she did not possess the woeful poison body and simply died? Besides... Xiao Yan did not want her to awaken it so soon.

"Those who possess the woeful poison body will have a thin, seven-colored line on their lower abdomen..." Reading this, Xiao Yan could not help twitching at the corners of his mouth. The method was indeed simple; a single glance would suffice. But how was he supposed to see Xiao Yi Xian's lower abdomen? Ask her outright? She would probably take him for a pervert.

As for lifting her clothes, that would be rather too beastly. Although he had committed every manner of evil and was ruthless and cruel, he still could not bring himself to lift a little girl's clothes... Whatever else he might be, he was the Demon Fury Sage, a mighty overlord of his generation. He absolutely could not do anything so utterly lacking in dignity.

That was all well and good... but when Xiao Yan saw Xiao Yi Xian carrying her clothes toward the stream in the valley, he silently followed her anyway.

Lifting a little girl's clothes was utterly lacking in dignity, but watching a little girl bathe was another matter entirely. Besides, he was only trying to confirm whether Xiao Yi Xian possessed the woeful poison body. He harbored absolutely no improper thoughts...