"Perfect-Control Method for Upgrading the Woeful Poison Body!"
Xiao Ting had a strong premonition that the method provided by the Journal absolutely wasn't the poison-pill method that Yao Lao had come up with.
The poison-pill method was a form of control. As the name implied, it gathered and condensed all the accumulated toxins in the body into a single poison pill, allowing the Woeful Poison Body's possessor to freely control their internal poison power, without worrying about being devoured by myriad poisons and exploding to death.
"As expected."
After digesting the information, Xiao Ting realized that the method in the Journal was a super-enhanced version of the poison-pill method.
[Perfect-Control Method for Upgrading the Woeful Poison Body]: High-quality soul-nurturing, one poison-attribute magic core of at least fifth-grade quality (i.e. minimum sixth-rank core; the higher the rank, the better the effect and the greater the talent upgrade), plus Ghostly Poison Flame.
First, use the soul-nurturing art to open up a special space at the source point where the seven-colored faint pattern in the lower abdomen appears and disappears, and place the qualifying poison-attribute magic core into that space in advance. After that, let the Ghostly Poison Flame devour all the poison within the body.
Once the toxins are exhausted, both cultivation and vitality will be affected. At that point, by forming the seal to activate the Woeful Poison Body, the poison-attribute magic core can be temporarily turned into a revolving qi cyclone, and the innate Woeful Poison Body will become an acquired Woeful Poison Body.
In this state, within seven days, refine and devour the origin of the Ghostly Poison Flame that had previously swallowed all the body's poisons. After successfully refining the flame, use the Ghostly Poison Flame to refine the magic core.
In the end, the Ghostly Poison Flame will become the new source of the Woeful Poison Body, able to devour and refine all poisons under heaven.
The Woeful Poison Body will return to its innate state, and its possessor can also awaken fire-attribute Battle Qi.
"So in other words, the real difficulty is the Ghostly Poison Flame." Xiao Ting pondered seriously. "When the time comes, I won't need three different Heavenly Flames. Just a seventh-rank Sky Poison Dragon Scorpion Beast magic core and Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva will be enough to perfectly resolve the Woeful Poison Body, and the talent for devouring and controlling poison will become even stronger, with fire-attribute Battle Qi on top of that."
"The poison-pill method can be a backup option. It'll depend on whether I can find the Ghostly Poison Flame."
After comparing the two, Xiao Ting felt that this was essentially just an alternative poison-pill method. The original plan, which required using three Heavenly Flames to temper a seventh-rank Sky Poison Dragon Scorpion Beast magic core together with Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva into a poison pill, was now replaced with using a soul-nurturing art and any poison-attribute magic core above fifth-grade quality, with Ghostly Poison Flame as the key.
"Under normal circumstances, this Ghostly Poison Flame would be quite hard to find."
"But I can receive Plane Blessings every day, and a Great Dao Blessing every year on my birthday."
"As long as I truly desire to obtain this Heavenly Flame, it shouldn't be too difficult once my strength rises."
Thinking this, a faint smile appeared on Xiao Ting's face.
Since that was the case, tomorrow he would go accidentally bump into Little Fairy Doctor, then trick her into becoming his personal maid.
Calling it tricking her wasn't quite right. He would put down real gold and silver, and he truly intended to help Little Fairy Doctor resolve her Woeful Poison Body. It would be more accurate to call it using money-power.
He was a World Observer, not a Maintainer of Plot Progression. He had no obsession with making the story unfold according to the original plot.
"With a variable like me, who knows if Brother Yan will still go to the Magical Beast Mountain Range in the future."
Xiao Ting closed his eyes and continued cultivating diligently.
…
The night passed without incident.
When dawn broke and sunlight spilled forth, Xiao Ting withdrew from his cultivation state.
Xiao Ting called a maid to bring hot water so he could wash up.
After changing into a brand-new, fitted outfit, he prepared to head to the Jade Flower Hall.
According to the guidance from his Plane Blessing, he could encounter Little Fairy Doctor there today.
He'd take her in as a personal maid, and on the way back buy some of Xun Er's favorite breakfast foods.
As for inviting Xun Er along—better not. It wouldn't be convenient if he wanted to recruit Little Fairy Doctor as a maid.
But the moment he pushed open the door, he saw that familiar, delicately pretty face with its bright, sunny smile right at his doorstep.
"Xun Er, how come you're looking for me so early?" Xiao Ting smiled in surprise.
"Brother Xiao Ting doesn't have time to accompany Xun Er to stroll through the marketplace, but you at least have time to eat breakfast together, right?" Xun Er's long hair fluttered, and her bright eyes and white teeth made for an exquisite sight.
Looking at her face, Xiao Ting's mood inexplicably improved by a few degrees. He lowered his gaze with a faint smile. "Then we really are of one mind. I was just about to come find you and take you to the Jade Flower Hall for breakfast."
As he spoke, he naturally reached out and took Xun Er's small hand. "Let's go."
Xun Er's cheeks flushed slightly, but she didn't pull away. She simply reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Ancient Clan Guards (inwardly): Danger! Danger! Danger!
…
A quarter-hour later, Xiao Ting and Xun Er, chatting and laughing, arrived at the Jade Flower Hall.
Just as they were about to step through the entrance, a young woman walked out. Xiao Ting's gaze flickered slightly.
She wore a light white dress. Her looks couldn't be called peerless—she couldn't compare to Xun Er—but she was still a rarely seen beauty.
A faint, serene smile rested on her face. She carried a food box in her hands, and her entire person radiated a unique fresh and ethereal aura. Around her slender waist that could be encircled with one arm was tied a green sash—her waist was the slimmest Xiao Ting had ever seen in his life.
"Little Fairy Doctor."
The young woman's name flashed through Xiao Ting's mind, but his expression remained utterly unchanged.
He didn't avert his gaze, merely accompanied Xun Er into the Jade Flower Hall and went straight up to the second floor.
…
"Looks like he doesn't recognize me." After walking several dozen steps outside, Little Fairy Doctor pursed her lips and looked back, a hint of anxiousness in her eyes.
Thinking of her second and third backup plans involving Xun Er, she calmed down somewhat and hurried away.
Only half an hour later did she return and head up to the third floor, entering the private box where she'd met with Xun Er the day before.
"Sister Xun Er, you were right—Xiao Ting probably doesn't know me." Little Fairy Doctor sat down across from Xun Er.
"Don't be anxious, Sister Little Fairy Doctor." Xun Er closed her book and consoled her gently. "We'll move on to the second plan. Tonight I'll take Brother Xiao Ting to the Miteer Auction. We'll find a way to let him hear your name there."
"That's all we can do." Hope flickered in Little Fairy Doctor's eyes as she nodded. "Let's hope it works this time. If you directly introduce me to him, it might alert him prematurely."
Xun Er was just about to agree when she received a notification from her Journal copy—new content had been updated.
Glancing at Little Fairy Doctor, both girls immediately guessed what it was about. In perfect tacit understanding, they turned to their Journal copies in their minds.
…
[The Plane Blessing never lies. This morning I met Little Fairy Doctor—who should still be in Qingshan Town—at the Jade Flower Hall. If Xun Er and I weren't so in sync, and she hadn't come invite me for breakfast so early, I would already have hired Little Fairy Doctor as my maid.]
After reading the first sentence, Xun Er and Little Fairy Doctor looked at each other again, both silently speechless.
So they really hadn't needed to do anything—Xiao Ting would originally have come seeking out Little Fairy Doctor because of the Plane Blessing.
"Brother Xiao Ting wanted to hire you as his maid." Xun Er teased.
"As long as he can help me resolve the Woeful Poison Body, I wouldn't mind being his personal maid." Little Fairy Doctor exhaled in relief, then shot back playfully, "Maybe you and he truly are of one mind."
Xun Er's cheeks flushed. No one could tell whether it was from shyness or embarrassment.
She'd clearly gone to Xiao Ting early in the morning for the sake of helping Little Fairy Doctor, yet ended up complicating the timing instead.
How was this "of one mind"?
At the same time, the expressions of the other Journal-holders all became strange.
…
"Is this a coincidence?"
Medusa, Queen of the Snake-People, had just returned to her tribe and was about to refine the remnant soul and damaged magic core of the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python. Her long, narrow purple eyes narrowed.
From what Xiao Ting had written, it was obvious that Little Fairy Doctor wasn't supposed to appear in Wu Tan City at this time.
After obtaining the Journal copy, she'd wondered whether she was the only "awakened one."
Now it seemed that those blessed with this sort of fortune were likely not limited to just her.
Once she finished refining what she had on hand, she needed to find an opportunity to make contact with Little Fairy Doctor.
…
Elsewhere, at the northern border fortress, Yun Yun paced back and forth in her room.
"This Little Fairy Doctor must be like me."
…