The Ice Venerable Must Be Green with Envy

"Can you do it now?"

Xiao Yi Xian forgot her embarrassment and raised her head to meet Lu Yuan's gaze, eagerness hidden in her eyes.

"Yes," Lu Yuan answered decisively.

"Then do it." Xiao Yi Xian's gaze grew resolute, though her voice trembled. "I don't want this physique at all. It's because of this physique that I've harmed so many people around me."

Hearing this, Lu Yuan did not rush to act. Instead, he continued, "Don't rush. Think it through before you decide."

"I've thought it through," Xiao Yi Xian replied immediately.

"You, you haven't." Lu Yuan shook his head gently. "Do you remember the Ice Venerable of the Ice River Valley I mentioned to you a month ago?"

"Mm." Xiao Yi Xian nodded, puzzled. "You said he has an Acquired Calamity Poison Body."

"That's right." Lu Yuan began explaining at a leisurely pace. "He's a Dou Zun, and he created an Acquired Calamity Poison Body on his own. To reach even greater heights, he's been trying to turn his acquired physique into an innate one."

"Leaving aside the tragic fate destined for those with a Woeful Poison Body, its domineering ability to raise one's cultivation without limit simply by eating poison is indeed a terrifying boon to a cultivator."

"If I make you lose a portion of your source now, your physique will be permanently damaged. Your cultivation will slow down, and your upper limit may also be affected."

"You need to think those things through."

Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian forced herself to calm down and consider the matter.

On the Dou Qi Continent, strength reigned supreme. That way of thinking was etched into everyone's instincts; no one wanted to remain weak.

Even Xiao Yi Xian, who seemed as unassuming as a spring orchid, wanted to grow stronger.

"You mean that once it's lost, it can't be restored, right?" Xiao Yi Xian asked after a moment's silence.

"It would be very difficult, and whatever you used to make up for it certainly wouldn't be as good as what you were born with." Lu Yuan explained everything clearly.

"Then what do you suggest I do?" Xiao Yi Xian found it hard to decide and wanted to hear Lu Yuan's opinion.

"I suggest we don't take it away yet." Lu Yuan's voice was steady. "You're still a long way from having your mind controlled by the urge to eat poison, or having ten thousand poisons devour your heart and your body explode at any moment."

"You can use the Woeful Poison Body's domineering power to grow stronger first. Perhaps once you reach a certain level of strength, you can find another way to control your physique."

"When you have no other choice, I can take the Woeful Poison Body away from you. Wouldn't that be better?"

Xiao Yi Xian looked puzzled. "If you could do that, why didn't you say so at first?"

She wasn't stupid. Although she loathed and feared the Woeful Poison Body, if Lu Yuan could take it away from her at any time and ensure she wouldn't meet a tragic end in the future, then she certainly didn't want to lose it now.

In just over a month, she had raised her cultivation to Dou Zhe Nine-Star with the ample supply of poisons Lu Yuan had provided.

Of course she didn't want to lose the feeling of cultivating as easily as eating and drinking.

"Because there's a risk to me too." Lu Yuan met Xiao Yi Xian's gaze sincerely. "If I wait until you can no longer control it before taking this physique away, then it will most likely transfer to me."

"If my cultivation is high enough by then, I can suppress it with my strength."

"But if my cultivation isn't high enough, I'll be the one who dies."

Xiao Yi Xian's body trembled, and she hurriedly said, "In that case, you should take it away now."

"Xiao Yi Xian, I didn't expect you to be so confident." Lu Yuan reached out and touched a finger to her forehead, chuckling softly. "How do you know I'll definitely take your physique away from you then?"

"Maybe I'll choose to hide and watch you fend for yourself."

Xiao Yi Xian froze, then a flush spread across her face. "I-I'm not confident. I just feel that you-you definitely wouldn't leave me to my fate."

The month and more he had spent with Lu Yuan had been the happiest time he had known since his mother passed away.

Although it hadn't been long, she trusted Lu Yuan.

"Don't worry. I won't let that trust go to waste." Lu Yuan's eyes held a smile, and his voice was gentle. "Actually, there's a compromise."

"I could wait until you've reached Dou Wang or Dou Emperor, while there's still a long way to go before your Woeful Poison Body erupts, and take away half of your physique. That might work too."

"Even in the worst case, you don't need to worry, because you certainly won't grow stronger as fast as I do."

"I can't keep up with you?" Xiao Yi Xian released the presence of a Nine-Star Dou Zhe and winked playfully. "Are you sure?"

Lu Yuan: "..."

"Intermediate Copy, activate."

Lu Yuan chanted inwardly, It has to be the Woeful Poison Body's source.

To ensure the best chance of copying it, he had done his utmost to persuade Xiao Yi Xian not to learn any Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills.

[You have copied forty percent of the source of the Woeful Poison Body from the person of fortune, Xiao Yi Xian. You now possess sixty percent of the source of the Woeful Poison Body.]

As the information appeared, Lu Yuan felt a chill rise in his lower abdomen.

A terrifying surge of energy appeared out of nowhere in his dantian and poured into the seven-colored poison source point, turning into Seven-Colored Hidden Lines.

As this source power grew, the toxins that had accumulated throughout his meridians over the past few days without being fully refined were domineeringly devoured by a purple current and turned into energy that poured into the Qi vortex in his dantian.

The Qi vortex spun faster and faster, and a warm current surged along his meridians into his limbs and bones.

He felt every inch of his flesh being tempered anew. It was as though a rapid drumbeat sounded within his bones, while Dou Qi surged through his meridians with ever-increasing force.

Boom!

The barrier of a Seven-Star Dou Zhe shattered like thin ice, and his cultivation rose to the eight-star level.

"Wonderful." Lu Yuan let out a long breath.

Xiao Yi Xian's pupils contracted, and she exclaimed, "Y-your Woeful Poison Body..."

"That's right, it's grown." The corners of Lu Yuan's lips curled up slightly. "It still falls short of your Innate Calamity Poison Body, but I'm afraid it's somewhat stronger than the Ice Venerable's Acquired Calamity Poison Body."

Lu Yuan wasn't blindly confident. His Woeful Poison Body had been formed from the source of an Innate Calamity Poison Body, after all, and he had sixty percent of it.

The Ice Venerable was powerful, but when it came to physiques, he was just another face by the roadside.

If he knew how Lu Yuan had obtained his Woeful Poison Body, he would probably cry with envy.

"Well? Do you have more confidence in me now?" Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow at Xiao Yi Xian.

"Mm." Xiao Yi Xian's eyes shone, full of anticipation for the future.

Since Lu Yuan could improve his own physique, he could take hers away.

She felt as though most of the stone weighing on her heart had been lifted.

She was even in the mood to joke. "Although your Woeful Poison Body has grown stronger again, it's still far inferior to mine. Your cultivation surely won't improve as fast as mine, right?"

"If we're only talking about the Woeful Poison Body, you're right." Lu Yuan took Xiao Yi Xian's hand and stood up. "But I have other cards to play."

"Next, I'll show you that your cultivation speed absolutely can't compare to mine."

"Qing Lin should be back soon. Once we've had dinner, we'll enter the Magical Beast Mountain Range."