! Demon Flame Valley?!
Upon hearing Yao Yan's words, Yuan Yi's expression faltered slightly, his heart trembling. He hadn't expected the other party to target Demon Flame Valley, one of the strongest forces in the Black Corner Region, second only to Canaan Academy. If Demon Flame Valley's patriarch were still alive, they wouldn't fear even facing Canaan Academy head-on.
Three of its four elders had reached the nine-star Dou Huang level, and the remaining one was a five-star Dou Huang.
Not to mention the other deacons and elders.
Yuan Yi hesitated for a moment, then advised, "My lord, perhaps we should change our target. There are rumors that the Valley Master of Demon Flame Valley, Old Ghost Earth Demon, is still alive. If we provoke him… we might run into some trouble."
He was actually somewhat afraid of Demon Flame Valley because his ancestor had once commented on Old Ghost Earth Demon, saying that his strength ranked among the top five in the entire Black Corner Region. This top five wasn't the publicly known Black List, but rather a reputation earned through the collective strength of many powerful figures in the Black Corner Region.
"Don't worry, his strength is at most no more than a Seven-Star Dou Zong. With our strength, we can handle him. What do you think, Elder?"
Yao Yan smiled slightly, glancing at the pensive Elder Yao beside him, and asked.
Actually, he chose Demon Flame Valley mainly because the returns were high enough. Both the Flame Manipulation Technique and the Heavenly Demon Puppet were top-tier skills for the early to mid-stages. Moreover, Demon Flame Valley had existed in the Black Corner Region for hundreds of years, its history comparable to Canaan Academy. Its collection must be extremely rich, enough to greatly increase Yao Yan's net worth.
Moreover, compared to oppressing a weak force, destroying a long-established power like Demon Flame Valley in the Black Corner Region would allow him to recruit some strong individuals to his side.
In a place like the Black Corner Region, most strong individuals are opportunists, siding with whichever side is stronger.
Upon hearing this, Elder Yao paused slightly in stroking his beard, his lips twitching. He gave the brat a disapproving look and said, "You really think I'm a laborer... However, if his strength reaches the level of a Seven-Star Dou Zong, in my current state, I can only restrain him at most. To completely eliminate him would be a bit tricky."
He paused.
He sighed, "Now that I have no physical body, I can't use any of my fighting techniques. Relying solely on my soul power, it's difficult to kill a true high-level Dou Zong!"
He felt a pang of frustration as he spoke. He, the dignified Medicine Venerable, had fallen to the point where he couldn't even handle a Seven-Star Dou Zong. His life was truly lamentable. He used to pride himself on his excellent judgment and ability to recognize talent, which was why he had made such a close friend as Feng Xian. But now… that judgment seemed like a joke.
"Are you really that weak, old man?"
Yao Yan was taken aback. He hadn't expected the old man to say such a thing. He couldn't even handle a Seven-Star Dou Zong? Were Seven-Star Dou Zongs really that powerful? He remembered in the original story, the Earth Demon Old Ghost was killed by the Thousand Elders like a mouse being crushed; that level of power was even less than Yun Shan's.
Old Yao was amused and said, "You really think high-level Dou Zong are as easy as cabbages? Even in the Central Continent, where powerful figures abound, a Seven-Star Dou Zong is a figure of considerable importance. Very few people or forces dare to provoke him. In fact, among the many forces in the Central Continent, such strength is enough to make one a ruler of a region."
He didn't know whether to be happy or sad. This kid Yao Yan really thought highly of him!
If a Seven-Star Dou Zong were so easy to crush, then Dou Zong would be far too cheap.
"Young Master, it's not just a problem with the Earth Demon Old Ghost. The Gold and Silver Elders aren't trustworthy either. If you use the Breakthrough Pill to win them over, they certainly won't refuse. But once we're at a disadvantage, those two will definitely turn against us... We can't rely on them."
Yuan Yi forced a smile and tried to persuade Yao Yan to give up the idea. The Demon Flame Valley was truly difficult to deal with.
If the elders of Demon Flame Valley hadn't been in seclusion, Mo Tianxing might not have had a chance at this auction. A one-star Dou Zong might seem powerful, but against several peak nine-star Dou Huang experts, they wouldn't necessarily fare well. Just as the Golden and Silver Elders together could withstand a Dou Zong expert, three peak Dou Huang experts could certainly cause trouble for a one-star Dou Zong. Even if they couldn't defeat him, restraining him wouldn't be a problem.
Cai Lin remained silent, her deep purple eyes fixed on Yao Yan, waiting for his decision. She trusted that Yao Yan wouldn't act rashly or do anything unrealistic.
"Do you think the Soul Hall will intervene?"
Yao Yan pondered for a moment, then looked at Elder Yao beside him and asked.
"?!"
Elder Yao was startled upon hearing this, his expression showing a hint of surprise. After a moment of silence, his voice suddenly hardened as he said, "You want to cooperate with the Soul Hall? Boy, I must warn you, those people from the Soul Hall are not people who can be manipulated. They are extremely greedy, and they are obsessed with powerful souls. If they find out that I am still alive, believe me, they will stick to me like glue."
"If you really have this idea, I can only advise you to give it up. After all, with your talent, you only need time to become the strongest in the Dou Qi Continent. There's no need to put yourself in such a dangerous situation!"
After saying this...
A hint of confusion returned to his eyes as he continued, "I've always been puzzled by your apparent haste!"
With Yao Yan's talent, there was no need for such urgency. In about ten years, he would undoubtedly reach the Dou Zong level, perhaps even touching the Dou Zun realm. Within a century, he could reach the limit of Dou Zun and attempt to break through to Dou Sheng. As long as he didn't perish along the way, there would be virtually no cultivation barriers. Moreover, with the bizarre Burning Technique, combined with the other two, Yao Yan would undoubtedly become the first person he would witness become a Dou Sheng!
"Weakness means being unable to control one's own destiny. Isn't this Black Corner Region a miniature version of the Dou Qi Continent..." Yao Yan smiled slightly, speaking with remarkable composure.
He was indeed in a hurry. The torment he had endured by Hun Xuzi had almost created a conditioned reflex, giving him an obsessive obsession with strength. This obsession superseded everything else, even romantic love had to take a backseat, because in a world like the Dou Qi Continent, without strength, everything was fleeting.
Besides, the trouble with the Soul Clan was just the beginning; the extraterrestrial evil races of the Great Thousand Worlds were an even greater problem.
He followed the path of the original Yan Emperor, inevitably leaving a vacancy among the three supreme powerhouses. It's unknown whether the world's will will create another god, like Mu Chen… In Yao Yan's view, Mu Chen, Xiao Yan, and others are like 'saints' bound by the Great Thousand World. The so-called Heavenly Ranking is even more interesting; true powerhouses don't internalize their power, but rather need the Heavenly Ranking to utilize the world's power, even breaking through to the Great Ruler realm.
The Great Ruler realm is like a 'saint' position bestowed by the Heavenly Dao.
What use is such a saint?
Compared to the Great Ruler realm, Yao Yan admires the extraterrestrial demons' idea of devouring the entire world. Cultivation should internalize power, so one need not fear anything.
However, this is still far from Yao Yan's reach; he hasn't reached that level yet. But that doesn't mean he's not anxious. The sooner he breaks through, the sooner he can enter the game. Waiting until the late stages is too late… The Heavenly Evil God won't give Yao Yan time to cultivate slowly.
The other party had been plotting for ten thousand years, and the final deadline seemed to be only two or three hundred years away.
Two or three hundred years.
Breaking through from a Dou Wang to a Saint-grade Heavenly Supreme… How could Yao Yan not feel a trace of urgency? However, he couldn't confide these thoughts to anyone, not even to himself. Heaven knows if the will of the Great Thousand Worlds would notice.
That Heavenly Ranking, which required names to be recorded, was quite strange.
"But cultivation also needs to be done step by step, slowly. Being too impatient is not good," Yao Lao said earnestly. He didn't want Yao Yan to become someone who only knew how to pursue strength. There were many beautiful things in this world; blindly indulging in cultivation would only cause him to miss those beautiful sights. Even if he reached the peak that way, what good would it do?
Must people become slaves to power?
"You can rest assured about that, old man. Cultivation is cultivation, but I'm still keeping an eye on the scenery along the way." Yao Yan smiled, turning his gaze to Cai Lin to the side and winking at her.
"...Why are you looking at me like that?" Cai Lin was slightly taken aback, then her gaze turned cold, her red lips parted slightly, and she questioned, "I'm not your scenery along the way!"
"You are the scenery on my life's journey... a rather unique scenery, unforgettable at first glance."
Yao Yan smiled and said matter-of-factly.
Faced with Yao Yan's blatant gaze, Cai Lin couldn't handle it. She looked away, not wanting to keep staring at this guy. She felt a strange unease in her heart, which made her very irritable.
My lord, don't flirt with snakes... Yuan Yi looked at Yao Yan, who was chatting and picking up girls, and was speechless. He inexplicably felt that the other party was too unreliable. It was one thing to have his eye on Demon Flame Valley before, but later it seemed that he wanted to recruit the Soul Hall. He had also heard of the infamous Soul Hall.
Those are ruthless characters who devour people without spitting out the bones. While an ordinary person might kill someone and at most cause their head to fall, the Soul Hall never spares a soul, and even the corpses of powerful individuals are preserved—truly leaving no waste whatsoever.
Cooperating with these people is like asking for trouble.
"However, I've still decided to target Demon Flame Valley… Demon Flame Valley is the oldest and most established power in the Black Corner Region, holding a special position. Only by destroying it can our strength surpass the entire Black Corner Region. I plan to recruit Canaan Academy."
Yao Yan teased Cai Lin for a while, then his expression returned to normal as he spoke softly.
"Canaan Academy never participates in the power struggles of the Black Corner Region; its position there is extremely special," Yuan Yi said, startled.
"No rules in this world are immutable,"
Yao Yan said softly.
He paused.
He slowly stood up, straightened his collar, and smiled, "I plan to apply for a teaching position at Canaan Academy later, and also have a chat with the Grand Elder of Canaan Academy."
"..."
Upon hearing this, Yao Lao and the others were all rendered silent. Looking at the serious Yao Yan, they all understood that this kid wasn't joking. Everyone else his age was going to be a student, but Yao Yan was going to be a teacher. However, with his strength and alchemy skills, being a teacher at Canaan Academy was clearly more than enough.
Yao Lao's lips twitched, and he said, "Have you thought it through?"
Yao Yan couldn't help but complain, "I'll have to go and see sooner or later, won't I? It's mainly because you're not confident, otherwise why would I need to go through all this trouble, and even try to get Canaan Academy involved? So troublesome~"
Yao Lao's lips twitched, feeling offended.
"And what about me?"
Cai Lin stared coldly at Yao Yan, asking.
Yao Yan handed Cai Lin a jade pendant bearing his soul imprint and said softly, "You and Elder Yao will remain in Black Seal City for now. If anything unexpected happens, crush this jade pendant, and I will return as quickly as possible. As for the time while I'm gone, just observe. This turmoil shouldn't end so quickly."
Cai Lin took the jade pendant without speaking, only staring coldly at Yao Yan, and said, "Don't forget what you promised me." "
I will not forget what I promised you. Once I break through to the Dou Huang realm, I will definitely help you advance!"
Yao Yan promised.
Once he breaks through to the Dou Huang realm, his control over the strange fire will inevitably increase several levels, perhaps allowing him to help Cai Lin evolve in a more secure way. Even if it fails, saving her life is not a problem. With his alchemy skills, as long as she doesn't perish on the spot, he is confident he can restore her.
... In Maple City, Black Corner Region, the gate to his long-secluded retreat slowly opened,
and a young man in a light gold brocade robe emerged. His face was somewhat gloomy, suggesting he was in a bad mood. His fists were clenched tightly, and a faint blue flame flickered in his pupils, making his aura even colder. "Damn old bastard, if you had given me the complete Burning Technique back then, none of this would have happened!" the man cursed under his breath, clearly in a terrible mood. This man was none other than Han Feng, the Medicine King of Black Corner Region. He had emerged from seclusion after several months. The reason for his seclusion was naturally to deal with the raging Sea Heart Flame within his body. With the power of pills, he had barely managed to devour the Sea Heart Flame using the incomplete Burning Technique, thus advancing to the Dou Huang realm. But then, trouble began. Perhaps due to the incompleteness of the Burning Technique, his fusion with the Sea Heart Flame was incomplete, resulting in a strong rejection reaction. It was like having someone else's organs forcibly inserted into his body; how could the two possibly fit perfectly? Moreover, a different kind of fire was far more volatile than this. If it weren't for his strong soul power and the aid of elixirs, his body might have already collapsed. "If I devour a second different kind of fire, perhaps I can maintain a relative balance between the two..." Han Feng's eyes flickered as he muttered to himself. If Yao Yan were here at this moment, he might admire Han Feng's genius for having such a dangerous idea. However, it must be said that this idea could potentially be realized. With the incomplete Burning Technique, as long as the two different kinds of fire could be maintained in a balanced state like a fire lotus, his body would naturally no longer experience a rejection reaction. However, in doing so, he would also become a human-shaped fire lotus, easily exploded! (End of this chapter)