Chapter 340: Grand Heavenly Creation Palm? No, It's the Devouring Ancient Symbol!
In the northern region of the Southern Plains of Central Continent, near the central region yet not within its borders, stood a towering mountain range.
"Whimper…" All the magical beasts in the area lowered their heads to the ground, their bodies trembling as they let out submissive growls, not daring to act recklessly.
"Stand guard outside. Don't let anyone come in," Zhu Li ordered, waving a hand toward a burly man.
"Y Yes, senior, rest assured. Leave everything to me!" The man wiped the sweat from his brow, his legs nearly giving out as he hurriedly led his subordinates outside. The property and assets he had painstakingly built up? They no longer mattered. They could do as they pleased with it.
After all, this was a Too Ancient Void Dragon. What could he possibly do challenge it? Whether or not he could win wasn't even the issue; it was whether or not he dared to fight it in the first place!
"Thank you, senior," Lu Bu said with a polite bow and a smile.
"Lu Bu, you're too kind," Zhu Li replied seriously. "It's my duty. Helping Zi Yan obtain the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit is a monumental grace for our clan. You are a great benefactor to the ancient dragon tribe!"
Previously, Zhu Li's regard for Lu Bu stemmed only from his connection to Zi Yan and Lu Bu's talents in alchemy. But now, that respect came from the bottom of his heart.
For the fractured and scattered Void Dragon clan, the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit was invaluable. It was their chance to reunite the four Dragon Islands and restore their strength and prestige!
"Senior, you're too polite. It was the least I could do," Lu Bu said with a smile. Of course, his primary motivation wasn't exactly altruistic. He wanted his Dragon Phoenix princess to grow up quickly. If it weren't for Zi Yan, he wouldn't have cared much about the fate of the Void Dragons.
"Hey, Lu Bu, weren't you going to help Tian Huo Zun zhe refine a body?" Zi Yan said, clinging to Lu Bu's leg as she looked up with her cherubic face. "Hurry up and start! This old man can't leave Dragon Island for too long, so while he's here, you should make use of him!"
Zhu Li's face twitched slightly. He let out a helpless sigh. In truth, it wasn't that he couldn't stay away from Dragon Island; it was the sheer importance of the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit that made him rush. As soon as he had received Hei Qing's message, he had even interrupted the Second Elder's secluded cultivation to have him oversee East Dragon Island in his absence.
But Zi Yan's habit of siding with Lu Bu over her own kind left Zhu Li feeling powerless. He could only hope she wouldn't continue this behavior once she became Dragon Emperor.
"Very well, Senior. I'll begin now. Please help guard the area," Lu Bu said with a respectful bow before heading into a nearby hall with Xiao Yi Xian. The Nine Nether Earth Python sisters, on the other hand, remained outside with Zhu Li.
The two sisters sat uneasily, nervously fidgeting with the edges of their clothes, clearly uncomfortable in Zhu Li's presence.
Zhu Li glanced at them briefly before closing his eyes, dismissing them as unworthy of further attention. While he was amicable toward Lu Bu, he showed no such courtesy to these impure blooded "little worms." If not for Lu Bu, he would've considered turning them into a snack.
The thought made Zhu Li sigh regretfully. If he'd known he'd be standing guard, he would've caught a few Heaven Demon Phoenixes to snack on instead.
Inside the hall, Xiao Yi Xian formed a series of hand seals, releasing a grayish purple mist that spread out to form a protective domain, isolating the entire hall from the outside world.
Once the protective barrier was complete, she stepped out, leaving the space entirely to Lu Bu. Refining the body required absolute focus; any disturbance could spell failure.
Lu Bu waved his hand, summoning the crystalline Dou Saint skeleton, a blood red pill glowing with six colors, and a drop of peculiar cyan red blood.
As he worked, Tian Huo Zun zhe emerged from Lu Bu's white storage ring. His gaze locked onto the three items, a flicker of excitement crossing his eyes. At long last, he was about to regain a physical body.
"Senior Yao, are you ready?" Lu Bu asked, a faint smile on his face. With a light touch to his brow, two flames emerged: the formless and colorless Fallen Heart Flame and the ethereal, enchanting Green Lotus Core Flame.
Both flames had been subdued by Yun Yun and turned into spiritual servants. Though they primarily obeyed her, they would also heed Lu Bu's commands due to his deep connection to them. Yun Yun herself had no objections to this arrangement.
Refining a body required three types of Heavenly Flames, and to ensure success, Lu Bu had brought these two flames in addition to the Three Thousand Burning Flame.
"Yes, I'm ready!" Tian Huo Zun zhe said with a solemn nod. Everything rested on this moment success would mean rebirth with a stronger cultivation, but failure would mean complete annihilation.
"Then let's begin!" Lu Bu said, his tone serious. With a flick of his finger, the Blood Fusion Pill floated toward Tian Huo Zun zhe. Meanwhile, the Heaven Demon Phoenix blood was about to drip onto the Dou Saint skeleton… but paused mid air.
Tian Huo Zun zhe looked puzzled as Lu Bu suddenly reached out and snapped off three ribs from the Dou Saint skeleton.
"Um… Lu Bu, what are you doing?" Tian Huo Zun zhe asked, confused. While he understood that the Blood Fusion Pill could regenerate bones, Lu Bu's actions left him baffled.
"Heh, Heavenly Tier Dou Technique!" Lu Bu said, holding up the three ribs, faint runes shimmering on their surface.
"A Heavenly Tier Dou Technique… hidden in the bones?" Tian Huo Zun zhe murmured in awe. What a cunning move from the Dou Saint. But… how did Lu Bu know about this?
Realizing the oddity of the situation, Tian Huo Zun zhe's expression shifted. Something wasn't adding up.
"Let's proceed," Lu Bu said, unfazed by the scrutiny. With a snap of his fingers, the Heaven Demon Phoenix blood finally dripped onto the Dou Saint skeleton, dyeing it in vibrant cyan and red hues.
The skeleton, devoid of energy after the previous battles, remained inert, offering no resistance.
Hiss… Hiss…
The air was filled with strange noises as Lu Bu waved his sleeve, summoning the Three Thousand Burning Flame, the Fallen Heart Flame, and the Green Lotus Core Flame. The three Heavenly Flames roared to life, burning with intense heat and encasing the skeleton.
Under the relentless purification of the flames, the blood's power seeped deep into the bones.
"Now, Senior!" Lu Bu called out, sensing the perfect moment.
"Understood!" Tian Huo Zun zhe responded, swallowing the Blood Fusion Pill before darting into the prepared skeleton.
In an instant, the blood red energy surged as flesh began to grow over the skeleton. The sight was eerie and surreal.
"Whether you survive or not… depends entirely on you now," Lu Bu murmured, his gaze steady as he maintained the flames. However, a trace of tension flickered in his eyes.
Beast Region, Skeleton Mountain Range!
Despite the conclusion of the Dragon Phoenix clash, treasure hunters were more fervent than ever. The Dou Saint ruins had become even more of a hotspot.
Everyone wanted to witness firsthand the battlefield where the Too Ancient Void Dragons had trampled the Heaven Demon Phoenix clan. Though calling it a "battle" was a stretch it was more of a one sided beatdown.
Rip!
A pitch black spatial crack suddenly tore through the air, and Ren Xiezi leapt out with a sinister laugh. "Haha… I finally made it!"
The people still exploring the ruins froze in shock. Tearing through space? That was a power only Dou Zun experts possessed!
What kind of Dou Zun would bother with a relic site that had already been plundered countless times?
Ren Xiezi scanned the area, his gaze falling disdainfully on the treasure hunters rummaging through debris. A group of paupers, picking through trash? Pathetic.
His undisguised contempt made the treasure hunters bristle with anger, but remembering the terrifying scene of him tearing space, none dared to speak up.
Whoosh!
Ren Xiezi raised his hand, grabbing a nearby person. "I'll ask this once does this relic contain a Five Star Dou Zun with the Woeful Poison Body? Where is she?"
"P Predecessor…" the captive stammered, terror written all over his face. "I'm just a wandering Dou Zong. How could I possibly know the whereabouts of such a powerful figure?"
"Kehehe… If you don't know, then you can die!" Ren Xiezi's face twisted into a vicious grin as he raised his hand to strike.
"W Wait, Senior!" the captive screamed in desperation. "I don't know about a Five Star Dou Zun, but I've heard of a woman using poisonous Dou Qi who appeared in the Dou Saint's ruins!"
"Oh?" Ren Xiezi paused mid swing, his gaze sharpening. "Speak tell me everything about this poisonous Dou Qi!"
"A few days ago, the Too Ancient Void Dragon and the Heaven Demon Phoenix "
"Shut up! I'm not interested in the Void Dragons or the Heaven Demon Phoenix. Speak about the Woeful Poison Body!" Ren Xiezi roared, rudely cutting the man off.
"T That woman appeared in the square and again at the Pill Hall," the captive said, trembling. "But the Pill Hall was destroyed blown up by a Six Star Dou Zun. They say that Dou Zun was from the Hall of the Dead."
Hearing this, Ren Xiezi's eyes lit up. A Six Star Dou Zun? From the Hall of the Dead? It must have been Yao Hua Xiejun!
Realizing this, Ren Xiezi's figure flickered, appearing at the square outside the hall. Scanning the area, he raised his hand and grabbed at the air, extracting a faint wisp of gray purple mist into his palm.
"Kehehe… The Woeful Poison Body. I've found you at last!" Ren Xiezi's grotesque face twisted with glee. "Let's see where you're hiding now… Kehehe, finding women is my specialty!"
Ren Xiezi let out a series of eerie laughs as a pink glow appeared in his hand, intertwining with the gray purple mist. The glow transformed into a small serpent, slithering away into the distance.
"Kehehe… Found you!" Ren Xiezi cackled and tore through space again, disappearing without a second glance. As for Yao Hua Xiejun? Let him stay dead what mattered now was the Woeful Poison Body.
Inside the hall, Lu Bu stared at Tian Huo Zun zhe, whose body had fully regenerated but whose eyes remained tightly shut as if lifeless. Lu Bu nodded slightly his work was done. Whether the refinement would succeed now depended entirely on Tian Huo Zun zhe.
Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Lu Bu's hand flicked, and three jade like ribs appeared before him. Purple black flames roared to life as he began tempering the bones.
"Heh… I, Lu Bu, don't cheat I simply receive nature's blessings," Lu Bu said with a smirk, stoking the Three Thousand Burning Flame.
Unlike in the original story where Xiao Yan took five or six hours, Lu Bu, a Five Star Dou Zun, completed the refinement in under thirty minutes. The jade like ribs melted into a viscous dark gold liquid.
"If I'm not mistaken… this stuff is called Golden Spirit Elixir, right?" Lu Bu murmured, rubbing his chin. This Heavenly Tier Dou Technique didn't seem too difficult. With the Golden Spirit Elixir as an aid and the guidance of the Dou Saint's shadow, it could be mastered quickly.
Teaching it to others wouldn't be hard either. Refining the Golden Spirit Elixir was straightforward for an Eight Tier Alchemist like him, and he could substitute as the Dou Saint's shadow for guidance.
Zi Yan, Xiao Yi Xian, and the others learning the Grand Heavenly Creation Palm was just a matter of time. And if teaching got boring, he could… make the lessons more entertaining… Wait, what am I even thinking?
Lu Bu's smirk faltered, and he quickly reined in his thoughts. Plunging his right hand into the Golden Spirit Elixir, he focused entirely on absorbing the flood of knowledge pouring into his mind.
Outside the hall, Zi Yan rested her head on Xiao Yi Xian's chest, pouting as she leaned against her. "Sister Xiao Yi Xian, soon I'll have to go back to that boring Dragon Island…"
"What should I do? The food on Dragon Island isn't good, and I don't want to leave you all…"
In the distance, Zhu Li's face darkened. How much does this girl hate Dragon Island?
Zi Yan cast him a glance, then snorted. She didn't hate it; she just preferred being with Lu Bu and her "sisters."
"You little rascal… let go of me," Xiao Yi Xian said, trying to pry Zi Yan off her. With so many people around, including the Nine Nether Earth Python sisters watching, it felt awkward.
"Hehe, no way! This is comfy!" Zi Yan said smugly, burying her face deeper into Xiao Yi Xian's chest.
Xiao Yi Xian sighed helplessly, stroking Zi Yan's head. This girl was just like Lu Bu always causing trouble.
"Sister, why don't you poison me?" Zi Yan said suddenly, her eyes lighting up. "Absorbing the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit would be the same anywhere, right? If I'm poisoned, I can stay with you all!"
"That fruit doesn't matter!"
In the distance, Zhu Li's face darkened further. Zi Yan's voice was soft, but he was a Half Saint of the Void Dragon Clan. To him, it was as clear as if she had shouted it.
Discussing this kind of scheme out loud? Really?
Suddenly, a powerful, oppressive aura surged through the air. From the horizon, an ugly, withered figure approached at breakneck speed.
"Kehehe… Woeful Poison Body, my beauty, I've finally found you!"
The eerie shriek echoed like thunder. Xiao Yi Xian's face darkened as she locked her gaze on the approaching figure. Who was this lunatic?
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, Lu Bu appeared at her side, his brows furrowed and his expression icy. "Ren Xiezi? Why is he here?"
His voice was cold, laced with confusion and a chilling killing intent. Lu Bu had long wanted to eliminate this man.
Buzz…
In his lowered palm, Dou Qi surged, and a deep, black speck of energy began to form, exuding a terrifying devouring power.
Behind him, Zhu Li's pupils contracted, his face betraying a rare trace of astonishment.
What was this? Within that black speck, Zhu Li could sense a vast, horrifying devouring force, as if it could swallow the entire world whole.
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