Chapter 190: A Kiss
As the great battle came to an end, all that could be seen was a scene of devastation.
The Black Mark City was almost completely destroyed in this conflict. Half of the city was obliterated by the residual power of the Four-Color Fire Lotus. Fortunately, many people had evacuated after receiving the warning, so the casualties weren't as high as they could have been. When it came to being cautious, the people of the Black Corner Domain were undoubtedly more prudent than those from other regions.
Even if these people hadn't left, Yao Yan wouldn't have hesitated to act. Even if it led to significant casualties, he wouldn't have cared, after all, this wasn't Canaan Academy.
The Black Corner Domain truly had no good people!
Swish~
Not long after the Soul Hall's two guardians left, the two Elders of Gold and Silver, along with Yuan Yi, arrived one after another. They were visibly excited, gazing at Yao Yan, who was being supported by Cai Lin, with awe. Clearly, no one had expected Yao Yan to be capable of defeating the Earth Demon Old Ghost, let alone killing him.
"Master!" The two Elders of Gold and Silver respectfully bowed to Yao Yan. Even though he was in a weakened state, they didn't dare show any disrespect.
Yuan Yi stood to the side, his expression one of excitement. He didn't feel any sorrow for the destroyed Black Mark City because he knew that from today onward, Yao Yan would become the absolute ruler of the Black Corner Domain. As for Canaan Academy… if he remembered correctly, Yao Yan had a good relationship with them.
Thinking about it, he couldn't help but feel thrilled.
"The finishing touches on the Mo Yan Valley's matters don't need me to take care of, right?" Yao Yan raised his eyes slightly, scanning Yuan Yi and the Elders of Gold and Silver. His voice was weak as he spoke.
"No, the finishing work will be handled by my subordinates!" Yuan Yi patted his chest and assured him. His attitude was even more fervent and flattering than before, almost as though he wanted to kneel and kiss Yao Yan's shoes.
Yao Yan nodded slightly, then flicked his fingers and tossed a communication jade slip to Yuan Yi. He said indifferently, "Once everything is taken care of, use this jade slip to contact me... For the future forces, the base will be at Mo Yan Valley's location. As for how to arrange it, I'll leave that to you. Also, the matter I told you about before, put more effort into it, it's already been a long time."
Yuan Yi trembled and quickly cupped his hands, replying, "Understood!"
"Don't make too much noise and let everyone know," Yao Yan reminded. He wasn't worried about people in the Black Corner Domain learning about the value of the incomplete map; rather, he was concerned that the last incomplete map wasn't in the Black Corner Domain, but in the auction from the original story.
The auction in the original story knew the value of the incomplete map. If people found out that he was also searching for such maps, it might attract the attention of some Dou Sheng-level old monsters.
Better safe than sorry.
"Understood!" Yuan Yi quickly responded.
After giving the instructions, Yao Yan communicated with Cai Lin and then both flew toward Canaan Academy. For the time being, he planned to retreat into seclusion at Canaan Academy until he completely absorbed the Sea Heart Flame and reached the peak of Dou Huang.
As for the Bone Spirit Cold Fire, there was no rush.
Everything in due time. He needed to refine his body in preparation for the breakthrough to Dou Zong. He also needed to wait for the arrival of Soul Void Master; there were some things he needed to discuss with his "teacher." If he didn't communicate, misunderstandings could complicate matters.
Yuan Yi watched Yao Yan leave. After Yao Yan's figure disappeared from sight, Yuan Yi straightened his back. A hint of arrogance and wildness appeared in his eyes. He glanced at the Elders of Gold and Silver and sneered, "Now that the master has finished his work, we should stretch our legs. Notify those forces, they can either cooperate or perish, let them choose... And those fence-sitters, it's time to settle scores with them."
A cruel smile spread across his lips. After being on edge for so long, it was finally time to reap the rewards.
Not long after, Yao Yan and Cai Lin encountered Elder Su Qian from Canaan Academy. He was still wearing his simple robe, calmly stroking his white beard, but his eyes were fixed on Yao Yan, as if he were staring at a monster.
If before he might have thought Yao Yan was a once-in-a-thousand-years genius, now, the term "genius" no longer sufficed.
A four-star Dou Huang had killed a seven-star Dou Zong, and from the front!
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Su Qian would never have believed it, but the evidence was right before him, and he couldn't deny it.
"Grand Elder also came to watch the battle?" Yao Yan lightly patted Cai Lin's hand, signaling her not to be nervous. Then, he looked at Su Qian and smiled jokingly. He knew that Su Qian was here not out of malice, and of course, not to help.
Canaan Academy would not get involved in the Black Corner Domain's disputes. This was the reason Canaan Academy had managed to stay in the Black Corner Domain all this time. This principle would not be broken because of Yao Yan, an "outsider." The reason they acted against Earth Demon Old Ghost was that Mo Yan Valley's actions had gone too far.
Of course, Canaan Academy also wanted to use this incident to set an example and intimidate those who were getting restless in the Black Corner Domain.
"Mm, I didn't expect you to bring such a big surprise to this old man... Or should I say, a scare would be more accurate," Su Qian paused as he stroked his white beard, bitterly smiling and speaking with some helplessness.
The younger generation is rising up. Seeing Yao Yan's performance, he felt an indescribable sense of powerlessness. He even felt a little relieved. At least this monster wasn't from Canaan Academy. Otherwise, Canaan Academy might not have been able to handle him.
Yao Yan ignored Su Qian's words of wonder and gently asked, "I wonder if the promise you made to me still holds true, Grand Elder?"
"Since you've killed Earth Demon Old Ghost, our agreement naturally stands," Su Qian nodded in affirmation.
Yao Yan smiled slightly, "Then for the time being, I'll be troubling the Grand Elder."
"What would you do if I broke my promise?" Su Qian suddenly asked with curiosity.
"You probably wouldn't do that~" Yao Yan paused for a moment, then after thinking for a while, slowly responded, "The two elders in the inner academy of Canaan Academy are no mere decorations. I wouldn't bring trouble to myself. At worst, I'd just find another place to develop."
"I still feel like you're not being entirely honest." Su Qian laughed and said, then didn't press further.
It was meaningless to discuss something that hadn't happened yet.
Yao Yan smiled and led Cai Lin and Su Qian toward Canaan Academy.
Inside the inner academy of Canaan Academy, within the Skyburner Refining Tower.
At this moment, Yao Yan was sitting cross-legged in the deepest chamber of the tower, using the energy attracted by the Fallen Heart Flame to cultivate. He replenished his depleted Dou Qi and adjusted his internal blood and energy. During his battle with Earth Demon Old Ghost, his body had suffered multiple injuries. Although he had healed each time using his strong vitality, this self-healing ability wasn't without cost, and it was draining his potential.
However, the cost was negligible. The potential brought by the Dou Emperor bloodline was far more than just words.
Especially now that Yao Yan had entered his youth stage, the Dou Emperor bloodline within him seemed to have further awakened after this battle. He could clearly feel the surge of power within him, his perception of the surrounding energy becoming sharper. It was as if he could reach out and touch the energy and absorb it more easily.
He knew that this was a sign of his talent undergoing another transformation.
Once his bloodline fully awakened, his strength would likely increase exponentially. Even his soul would benefit, and perhaps this could lead to his breakthrough into the Celestial Realm.
The vast fire energy surged into his body, and as his Dou Qi filled once again, Yao Yan slowly opened his eyes. The green flames flickered in the depths of his eyes, disappearing in a flash. After a moment, he turned his gaze to Cai Lin, who was sitting cross-legged beside him.
She was also deeply immersed in her cultivation. With her bloodline evolution successfully completed, Cai Lin's cultivation speed was certainly no slouch. Even compared to some genius disciples of imperial families, she was likely on par or even better.
After all, the Seven-Colored Devouring Sky Serpent was an ancient beast, the ruler of snake-type magical beasts, and could reach Dou Sheng level upon maturity. Its bloodline was incredibly powerful.
Even the ancient Void Dragon could only match her.
But this clan seemed to have vanished in ancient times, possibly due to the invasion of outer-world demons. This was evident from the ruins in the Nine Hells Abyss, where countless strong Devouring Sky Serpents had fallen, their skeletons scattered throughout the depths.
"Perhaps I should search for them in the future..." Yao Yan thought, glancing at Cai Lin. His mind wandered to some plot points in the original story. Perhaps, in the future, he could use the power of the Devouring Spirit Clan's bloodline to communicate with certain things from the outer-world demons.
If he wasn't mistaken, the ancient Bodhi Tree seemed to have also been infected by the power of the outer-world demons.
According to the description in the original story:
The Bodhi Tree was tainted because of a Dark Dou Emperor, causing it to change its nature. It went from a sacred tree that helped people comprehend the Dao to a necrotic tree that controlled corpses… This description was strikingly similar to the power of the outer-world demons.
But this also raised a question: could Yao Yan still use the Bodhi Tree? If the tree sensed the power within him, it might very well strike him down.
The Bodhi Tree's power was immense, perhaps not inferior to a Dou Emperor. If it took human form, its battle power and talent would be terrifying.
"There are pros and cons. Ultimately, it depends on how I handle it. After all, the power of the outer-world demons isn't inherently evil. If you trace it back, it originates from the first few innate divine domains created in the first heavenly realms..." Yao Yan thought to himself.
Power has never been inherently good or evil; it all depends on who wields it!
"The road ahead is not easy."
Yao Yan quietly thought to himself. He needed to carve his own path. If he followed the conventional route, he would never escape the control of the Celestial Sky List or the Heavenly Evil God. These two were the roots of his current power. No matter how much he cultivated, he would never surpass them.
Not everyone was as foolish as the Primordial Dragon, who willingly gave up everything to create the world.
Cai Lin's long and thick eyelashes fluttered. Her cold, exquisite purple eyes slowly opened, and she immediately locked gazes with Yao Yan. Seeing him in a daze, she asked, "Have you recovered?"
"...Mostly," Yao Yan paused, then snapped out of it and smiled as he replied.
Cai Lin asked, "What were you thinking just now?"
"I was thinking about our future."
Yao Yan's gaze shifted, and he stared at Cai Lin's stunning face. He spoke seriously, "Actually, I wasn't lying. If I can't transcend the Great Thousand World, my future will definitely not be good."
The Great Thousand World and the outer-world demons are at war, and those caught in the middle will be the most tragic.
This could be seen from the Evil Spirit Clan cultivated by the outer-world demons. They cultivated both spiritual energy and demonic energy, making their talents incredibly powerful, but at the same time, it put them in a very awkward position. Neither side recognized them.
His fate was so similar to the Evil Spirit Clan's!
He wondered if the divine techniques from the Great Thousand World could change all of this... Yao Yan thought of the Great Thousand World's One Qi Transforming Three Purities and wondered if this secret technique could divide the power inside him. If it could, some things could be arranged.
Cai Lin, unaware of how far Yao Yan's thoughts had drifted, assumed he was contemplating how to explain things to Cai Die in the future. A flash of unease appeared in her eyes. She avoided looking directly at Yao Yan and coldly said, "You don't have a future with me. You should think about your issues with Cai Die."
She closed her eyes, not caring about Yao Yan's reaction. After all, these words were her true feelings. Even though it hurt a little inside, she was Cai Die's sister. Especially since Cai Die and Yao Yan had already been acquainted and in love, she, as the later entrant, couldn't just steal her sister's man.
"I disagree." Yao Yan stood up, walked to Cai Lin's side, and pulled the proud queen into his embrace, saying domineeringly.
Cai Lin didn't expect Yao Yan to make such a move so suddenly. For a moment, she was caught off guard and was pulled into his embrace. Hearing his voice in her ear, she trembled and couldn't help but bite her bright red lip. After a moment, she coldly said, "What do you think you're doing?"
"Kissing you!" Yao Yan leaned down and bit her enticing lip.
"You dare!"
Cai Lin's eyes widened for a moment before she angrily shouted. She raised her hand to resist, but Yao Yan quickly held it, and in the next moment, she became completely confused, feeling the strong invasion. She didn't know whether to resist or let it happen.
She didn't want to steal her sister's man, but she also hoped this moment could continue.
The two old fools in the Bone Flame Ring were speechless, watching the blackened space, fully aware that Yao Yan had blocked their perception again.
"Hehe, this brat, I wonder how many women he'll harm in the future," Yao Lao chuckled, seemingly enjoying the scene.
"Can't watch anymore~"
Heavenly Flame Master shook his head in disappointment. He always liked to watch the excitement.
At the same time.
In a dimly lit palace...
(END CHAPTER)
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