Chapter 151: Return to Black Seal City Again
Some people are inherently fearless, daring to think and act without restraint. It's as if there's nothing in the world they wouldn't do, so long as it benefits them—they'll go to any lengths.
Han Feng was undoubtedly such a person. To him, as long as something brought tangible benefits, he wouldn't even flinch at wiping out entire cities. Sacrificing the entire Black-Corner Region meant nothing to him. As an extreme egotist, he could disregard even those who raised him, let alone strangers. No matter how many people died, he wouldn't bat an eye.
Half a month after Han Feng reached an agreement with the two Soul Envoys, the first faction suffered total annihilation. Not only were all the disciples of the sect slaughtered, but even the city where it was based was completely wiped out.
Regardless of age, there were no survivors. The entire city turned into a dead zone.
The incident was highly mysterious. Almost no one noticed it. By the time outsiders discovered what had happened, the city had already become an eerie ghost town. There were no signs of life—not even a single human trace. A city that once housed hundreds of thousands vanished overnight, and its inhabitants, regardless of strength, had disappeared without leaving the faintest trace of battle behind.
The first person to enter the city was utterly terrified… but soon enough, an inhumane looting spree broke out. After all, while the people were gone, their valuables remained. For the desperados of the Black-Corner Region, death had never been something to fear—poverty was.
The phrase "a poor scholar and a rich warrior" still applied on the Dou Qi continent. For ordinary people, rapid cultivation required abundant resources.
If someone wanted to grow strong but refused to serve others, then the only path left was one of risk and lawlessness.
Thus—
Slaughter became the main theme of the Black-Corner Region.
…
By the time Yao Yan received news of the outside world, it was already the end of the month. He had been staying low-profile, remaining inside the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower to cultivate. He focused on the sensation of his body being scorched by the heart flame of the Fallen Heart Flame. Now, even if he didn't resist, the heart flame couldn't harm him at all.
With the power of the Fallen Heart Flame, he finally refined the last remnants of spatial energy within him. At the same time, by using the pure energy of the Demonic Poison Spot, his Dou Qi advanced another star, reaching the level of a six-star Dou Wang, and he could barely contain it.
When water overflows, it spills. The pure Dou Qi provided by the Demonic Poison Spot was simply too abundant for a Dou Wang. Even though he carefully controlled it, a slight push would instantly shatter the already fragile barrier.
Upon returning to his courtyard, he found it still sealed by Su Qian with spatial power. The phenomenon caused by Zi Yan's advancement had not revealed itself at all, nor had it stirred any trouble within the Inner Academy. Everything remained calm and peaceful, forming a stark contrast to the chaos outside in the Black-Corner Region.
"You're out?" Su Qian's eyes moved slightly as he saw Yao Yan exit seclusion. He looked him over, and a trace of surprise appeared in his tone, as the boy's strength had clearly increased.
From a five-star Dou Wang to six stars?!
Since when did Dou Wang cultivation become so rapid…? Su Qian couldn't help but think back to his own youth. He was once a genius, reaching the Dou Wang level in his early twenties and taking several years to break into Dou Huang. He still remembered it took him nearly eight years to go from one-star Dou Wang to nine-star. That was already considered fast.
But when he compared himself to the youth before him, he couldn't help but feel hopeless. Thankfully, they weren't from the same era—otherwise, he might not even be able to breathe in this boy's shadow.
"Now that I've broken through, of course I came out," Yao Yan nodded, then walked over to Zi Yan and used his soul power to examine her condition. Seeing that her vitality was steadily growing stronger, he felt relieved. He looked back at Su Qian and said, "You've worked hard these days, Elder."
"It's not hard. Don't forget, Zi Yan was brought back by this old man."
Su Qian glared at Yao Yan irritably. It wasn't really about credit—what bothered him was how Yao Yan's words made him sound like an outsider to Zi Yan.
Yao Yan didn't argue. Instead, he changed the subject. "Has anything major happened in the Black-Corner Region lately?"
"There has been something…"
Su Qian's expression turned serious. His gaze flickered as he looked at Yao Yan. After a brief silence, he finally recounted the incident of a city suddenly turning into a ghost town.
"Turned into a ghost town overnight?" Yao Yan was stunned, feigning surprise. That method was truly ruthless. It didn't seem like something the Black-Corner Region's locals could do. Could it be the work of the Soul Hall?
The only group in the Black-Corner Region capable of pulling this off without alerting anyone was likely the Soul Hall.
After all, to most people, low-level cultivators held no value. Unless it was for cultivating specific demonic techniques, no one would senselessly massacre the innocent—it served no purpose. But the Soul Hall was an exception. To them, souls were the most valuable thing, and ordinary souls were part of that.
According to Yao Lao, the Soul Hall often committed city-wide massacres in remote places.
"This incident caused quite a stir. The entire Black-Corner Region is in chaos now. Ironically, the Breaking Sect Pill you auctioned off has been relatively quiet lately. That's because it ended up in the hands of Demon Flame Valley. They're an old force in the Black-Corner Region and have two peak Dou Huang experts. Not many factions dare to provoke them," Su Qian said slowly while stroking his white beard.
Although Canaan Academy did not intervene in faction conflicts, its intelligence network was formidable. It could obtain firsthand news of everything happening in the Black-Corner Region.
Yao Yan shook his head and countered, "I don't see it that way. On the contrary, I think this is just the beginning of the chaos. I've heard of Demon Flame Valley. The first sect master was already in death seclusion years ago and was once a four-star Dou Zong. After all these years, it's hard to say if he's still alive… Now that they have the Breaking Sect Pill, some forces might not sit still."
"Perhaps~"
Su Qian didn't care much. He had no interest in the storms outside, as long as they didn't affect Canaan Academy.
"I plan to make a trip outside and see if I can eliminate Demon Flame Valley."
"?!"
Su Qian looked at Yao Yan in shock. He hadn't expected him to say that. With just five—no, six-star Dou Wang strength, how could he speak so boldly? But then he remembered Yao Yan's identity as a tier-seven alchemist and frowned. "Don't you think that's too risky? If those people turn greedy, how will you deal with them?"
A tier-seven alchemist with six-star Dou Wang strength was enough to tempt many people. Even foreign factions might get involved.
Not to mention—
Yao Yan's identity was also a problem. Wasn't he worried his background might be exposed?
"You must be dealing with a tier-seven alchemist for the first time." Yao Yan chuckled. Powerful soul force surged from his brow, reaching the Spirit Realm. It was so strong it exerted invisible pressure over Su Qian.
Su Qian's pupils shrank. He stared at Yao Yan in disbelief. Was tier-seven soul power this terrifying?
He had heard of soul cultivation levels before but had never experienced them firsthand. Now he understood—this power was suffocating, even for a two-star Dou Zong like him.
"…What's your soul level?" Su Qian asked after a moment of silence.
"High-level Spirit Realm, still a bit short of perfection. But taking on ordinary five- or six-star Dou Zongs shouldn't be a problem."
Yao Yan was candid. In fact, he was being modest. Soul power wasn't good for combat, and he didn't know any soul-based Dou Techniques. If he encountered someone with high-tier techniques, he'd be at a disadvantage. That was the difference between soul power and Dou Qi.
Soul power excelled at sensing and control. Dou Qi focused on destructive force.
Yao Yan's honesty made Su Qian feel inferior. He had spent half his life cultivating, only to be outshone by an eighteen-year-old "child." Words couldn't express that feeling.
"Go if you want." Su Qian waved weakly, not wanting to say more. This boy seemed to exist just to make others feel inadequate. Compared to Yao Yan, even the most talented students in the academy faded into the background.
The gap was too great.
Yao Yan glanced at Zi Yan and took out two drops of Earth Core Tempering Milk from his storage ring. "If Zi Yan lacks energy during her advancement, please drip these onto her."
It was just in case. The energy in the Black-Corner Region wasn't abundant. If a lack of energy caused her advancement to fail, that would be a huge problem.
"…You're really generous."
Su Qian was stunned as he looked at the drops. Even Dou Zong experts would fight over them.
Yao Yan laughed and teased, "No matter how bitter life gets, we can't let the child suffer, right?"
"??"
Su Qian hadn't expected that line. He didn't even know how to respond.
"Elder, I'll see you in a few days." Yao Yan didn't linger. He clasped his hands, and Dou Qi wings appeared behind him. With a slight tremble, he soared into the sky and turned into a streak of light, shooting toward the Black-Corner Region.
Su Qian watched him leave and murmured, "Looks like that boy intends to turn the entire Black-Corner Region upside down!"
With soul power that strong, how many of the region's surface-level experts could stop him? Even Demon Flame Valley—if their old leader had died—might truly be wiped out.
Not that Su Qian felt any pity. Most forces in the Black-Corner Region were far from decent.
"I seem to have forgotten something…"
Suddenly, Su Qian remembered something and muttered aloud.
Hu Qian: …
…
…
Black Seal City.
Nearly a month had passed. When Yao Yan returned, the city was even livelier than before. Streams of people came and went, and there were even more powerful individuals among them. Yet, the order had improved. Even Dou Huang-level experts obediently followed the rules and didn't dare act out.
"Looks like Cai Lin's management is quite good…"
Yao Yan blended into the crowd, taking it all in. He couldn't help but smile. Leaving Cai Lin behind had been a wise decision. When it came to ruling a faction, she was far more competent than most. After all, she wasn't queen for nothing.
Soon, Yao Yan arrived at the City Lord's Mansion and met Cai Lin for the first time in nearly a month. Perhaps because of the time apart, a trace of subtle resentment flashed in her eyes. Her red lips curled into a cold smirk as she mocked, "Young master finally returns from his travels~"
"I wasn't playing—I had serious business to handle," Yao Yan replied calmly, unfazed by her sarcasm. He was like a sponge, absorbing every jab without stirring.
"So your business is done?"
Cai Lin folded her arms across her stomach. Her slender waist twisted slightly as her stunning figure closed in on Yao Yan, her gaze cold and questioning.
"Don't start… Yao Lao, how long do you plan on watching the show?" Yao Yan cut her off and glanced at a shadowy corner, speaking in annoyance. That hiding technique might fool outsiders, but to someone with Spirit Realm soul power, Yao Lao's presence was as obvious as if he were standing in plain sight.
"Hehe, this old man wasn't watching. I just didn't want to interrupt your reunion," Yao Lao chuckled as he stroked his beard.
"You sure know how to say the right things."
Yao Yan gave him a thumbs-up. This old man's silver tongue hadn't dulled. No wonder he once stirred up trouble all over Central Plains as the Medicine Sovereign.
"So, how did it go? Did you find any clues about the Fallen Heart Flame?" Yao Lao's smile faded as his tone grew serious. If the flame truly existed, then the day of his resurrection would be drawing near.
As for Han Feng… for now, he deliberately ignored that subject. Clearly, he hadn't decided whether to kill his unfilial disciple or not.
Yao Yan nodded affirmatively. "Yes."
(END CHAPTER)
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