The sky was dim and heavy, shrouded in thick clouds that swallowed all light. Even at high noon, not a single ray of sunlight could pierce through the murky veil above.
A faint poisonous miasma hung in the air, carrying an unsettling odor that made the head spin after a single breath. The forest below was dense yet lifeless, its trees cloaked in gray decay rather than green vitality. Death filled the land—this was no ordinary swamp, but a realm of poison and ghosts.
Liu Xi and his group glided silently through the sky, moving toward the deepest part of the swamp. With their cultivation levels, the toxins in the mist posed little threat.
Among them, Xiao Yixian was the most at ease. Compared to her Woeful Poison Body, the poison here was insignificant. In fact, within this deadly environment, she felt utterly at home—like a fish returned to the sea.
"Young Master," she asked softly, her voice curious, "what exactly in this poisonous swamp is worth all this effort?"
Liu Xi smiled faintly and waved his sleeve. A wisp of green flame and the faint soul of the Heavenly Poison King appeared before them. "That's what we'll ask him."
The poisonous flame burned quietly in midair. It was strange—clearly not a Heavenly Flame, for it lacked true sentience. Rather, it resembled a Beast Flame, yet something about it was… off.
Normally, once a Beast Flame was extracted from a magical beast's body, it would extinguish quickly without a source of Dou Qi to sustain it. But this flame behaved differently.
The moment it appeared, the endless poisonous mists that had brewed in this swamp for countless years surged toward it eagerly—like loyal hounds rushing to their master—feeding it ceaselessly. The poisonous vapors became its fuel, keeping the flame alive and even intensifying its toxicity.
Such behavior was unique to a Heavenly Flame. That meant this poison flame had to share some connection with one.
The soul of the Heavenly Poison King quivered, his spectral face twisted in horror. Even in death, he could not escape this man. Facing Liu Xi again felt like meeting the devil himself.
When Liu Xi's calm voice reached him, he didn't even dare resist. He answered obediently, "After the chaos in Chu Yun Empire, my clan was destroyed. I fled here into the Poison Swamp, desperate and alone. Deep within the swamp, I discovered a 7th Rank Flame Scale Python."
"It was covered in green fire, but its eyes were lifeless—empty, numb, like a corpse that refused to fall. I approached carefully, but it did not react at all. Eventually, I killed it. From its Monster Core, I found this poison flame that could draw in toxic mists. Overjoyed, I refined it."
"I was just an ordinary Dou Huang back then, but with the poison miasma aiding my cultivation, my Dou Qi advanced rapidly. Within a few short years, I broke through to Dou Zong."
Liu Xi frowned slightly as he listened. The details didn't add up. A Flame Scale Python should not possess a green Beast Flame. And for a 7th Rank Magical Beast to be slain by a mere Dou Huang? That was impossible.
"Describe the python's condition more carefully," Liu Xi said. "And after refining this flame, did anything strange happen to you?"
The Heavenly Poison King nodded hurriedly. "Yes. As the flame's power grew within me, its poison began to erode my body and spirit. My vitality weakened, and my mind grew clouded. I believe… I would've ended up just like that python—alive, but without will or soul."
"So I ran. After leaving the swamp, I found that my strength had skyrocketed. In the Chu Yun Empire, I was invincible. I crushed all opposition, unified the land, founded the Poison Sect, and named myself the Heavenly Poison King. But the empire was too poor—too many dead civilians. I grew greedy and decided to plunder the Jia Ma Empire for resources."
By the time he finished, Liu Xi had already pieced together the truth.
First, this flame was not the python's original Beast Flame—it had absorbed it from elsewhere.
Second, the flame's ability to draw in poison mist meant it had the properties of a Heavenly Flame.
Third, its toxicity was so intense that neither a Dou Zong nor a 7th Rank beast could withstand it for long.
Liu Xi smiled slightly. "So, the python must have come into contact with the true source of this flame… and died because of it."
Xiao Yixian, sensing his growing interest, tilted her head. "This poison flame… it's related to a Heavenly Flame, isn't it?"
Both Qing Lin and Zi Yan turned to Liu Xi as well, curiosity gleaming in their eyes.
Liu Xi didn't hide the truth. There was no need—after all, the Heavenly Poison King was nothing more than a lingering soul now.
"It's most likely connected to the Ghostly Poison Flame, ranked 20th on the Heavenly Flame Ranking," he explained. "This kind of flame usually forms within poisonous swamps, nurtured by countless years of miasma. It feeds on poison itself, gradually gaining consciousness over a hundred years, form over a thousand. When it matures, it burns a ghastly green—like ghostfire drifting through the mists."
"Because its very essence is toxic, even a single spark can bring death through venom. That's why almost no one dares to seek it, and so few even know it exists. This poison flame isn't the Ghostly Poison Flame itself, but its properties are too similar to be coincidence. I'm certain the real one lies somewhere in this swamp."
The three women exchanged glances, both shocked and intrigued. Even for Xiao Yixian, whose poison resistance was unmatched, the idea of refining such a flame bordered on madness.
"So," Liu Xi said, glancing at the skeletal remains scattered below, "we'll start by checking where that python died. If we're lucky, we'll find traces of the real thing."
It was odd—normally, Liu Xi could use the resonance between Heavenly Flames to sense others of their kind. Yet here, he felt nothing. The Ghostly Poison Flame seemed to be hiding deliberately.
'Interesting,' he thought. 'Perhaps this flame will give me a pleasant surprise.'
Understanding both the danger and the value of such a find, Xiao Yixian, Zi Yan, and Qing Lin voiced no objections.
Half a day later, guided by the Heavenly Poison King's soul, they arrived at the swamp's deepest region. The miasma here was so dense it seemed tangible, a shifting sea of green haze.
Beneath a jagged cliff lay barren black earth. There, the massive skeleton of a serpent—over thirty meters long—rested silently. Its flesh had long been dissolved away, and even the white bones showed signs of corrosion. Within a few more years, not even dust would remain.
Liu Xi crouched beside the remains, frowning. "No residual energy… no clues left behind."
Moments later, Xiao Yixian, Qing Lin, and Zi Yan returned from their search, each shaking her head in disappointment.
"Young Master," Xiao Yixian said softly, "we checked the whole area. Everything's been corroded away. There's no sign of where the python came from."
Liu Xi smiled lightly. "It's fine. No one finds a Heavenly Flame so easily. If it were that simple, they'd all have been claimed long ago."
His gaze shifted to the flame hovering beside him. "Perhaps the only clue left is this."
With a wave of his sleeve, he released the poison flame once more. Instantly, the surrounding miasma surged toward it, feeding it eagerly until it burned brighter and greener than before—its light flickering like a will-o'-the-wisp.
Then, the flame twitched.
For the first time since they'd acquired it, the flame moved on its own—slowly drifting toward a certain direction.
Liu Xi's eyes lit up. "So, it can lead the way after all."
He straightened and smiled. "Let's follow it. It's time to see where this path ends."
(End of Chapter)
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