The vastness of the Mu Lan Empire was in no way inferior to that of the Jia Ma Empire, and the Green Ring Mountain Range was still quite a distance away from the Chu Yun Empire.
Even at the speed of Lin Yuan and Zi Yan, it still took them a full week to reach the border where the Mu Lan Empire and the Chu Yun Empire met.
A week later, atop a mountain peak on the border of the Chu Yun Empire.
Two streaks of light shot over from the distance. Moments later, they transformed into two figures that appeared at the summit.
"Zi Yan, ahead of us lies the Chu Yun Empire. Poison Masters run rampant there, so be careful in everything you do. Don't pick up random things."
Looking at the border fortress in the distance, Lin Yuan turned his head and reminded Zi Yan.
"Ai! Brother Lin Yuan, how many times have you reminded me already?"
Zi Yan looked at him helplessly.
"Don't worry! I know."
After speaking, she excitedly looked toward the Chu Yun Empire, her eyes filled with undisguised anticipation.
"Hehe, heavenly treasures of the Chu Yun Empire, your destined master, Lady Zi Yan is here!"
During these past few days of traveling with Lin Yuan, Zi Yan had obtained countless benefits. She had acquired many precious medicinal ingredients, some growing in the mountains and others taken by her and Lin Yuan from various forces within the Mu Lan Empire.
With Zi Yan's treasure-seeking ability and the overwhelming strength the two possessed enough to sweep through the entire Mu Lan Empire, their actions during this journey had been extremely bold, gathering treasures while traveling.
This method of journeying and treasure hunting at the same time had turned what should have been a three-day trip into an entire week.
However, though it had taken several extra days, the harvest had been tremendous.
Not to mention Zi Yan, Lin Yuan's Storage Ring was now filled with countless medicinal ingredients. Not only had he gathered all the materials for the Heaven Soul Fusion Blood Pill, but he had also collected the ingredients for another Seventh-Grade medicinal pill.
"Heh, with Zi Yan, this treasure-hunting dragon, collecting heavenly treasures is truly efficient."
Thinking of this, Lin Yuan looked at the excited Zi Yan and smiled softly.
"Alright, Zi Yan, let's go. Our destination is the central city of the Chu Yun Empire, Sky Poison City. It's still another four days away."
"Let's go, let's go! I can't wait anymore."
Immediately afterward, both of them rose into the air and sped toward Sky Poison City.
The territory of the Chu Yun Empire was much larger than that of the Jia Ma Empire, but compared to the Jia Ma Empire, this nation was undoubtedly far more chaotic.
Poison Masters, a profession despised by most people on the continent, flourished exceptionally well within the Chu Yun Empire. In nearly every city, one could see people dressed in Poison Master robes.
The Dou Qi cultivated by Poison Masters was poisonous Dou Qi. Compared to ordinary Dou Qi, it possessed certain advantages in destructive power, but it also harmed the cultivator's body.
Though poisonous Dou Qi had many branches, their essence remained the same they were all double-edged swords.
After all, poison was still poison. Without a special physique, coexisting with poison naturally meant danger.
However, it was precisely because of the double-edged nature of poisonous Dou Qi that the people of the Chu Yun Empire cultivated with even greater madness.
Everyone knew that if their strength was insufficient, they would eventually suffer a backlash from the poisonous Dou Qi they cultivated and lose their lives.
Under this atmosphere of madness, the folk customs of the Chu Yun Empire became extremely "simple and honest." Murders, clan exterminations, robberies, and treasure snatching could be found almost everywhere.
The final result was that, despite also being located in the remote northwestern region, the Chu Yun Empire was still somewhat stronger than its neighboring nations, though its level of chaos far surpassed them.
However, over the past two years, the situation within the Chu Yun Empire had undergone significant changes.
The Poison Sect, this enormous force, had risen like lightning within the empire. Its Sect Master, the legendary Poison Woman of Chu Yun, was decisive and ruthless. Since founding the sect, she had continuously waged campaigns, annexing and integrating numerous forces, bringing a unique sense of order to the Chu Yun Empire.
At present, only two voices existed openly within the empire, those who supported the Poison Sect and those who opposed it.
As for the forces that proclaimed neutrality and wished to profit while the two sides fought each other, they had gradually been annexed and exterminated under the tacit understanding between the two factions.
The reason the Poison Sect and the Anti-Poison Sect Alliance had not yet engaged in a final battle was precisely because both sides were still devouring these third-party forces.
However, by now, the moment of the final decisive battle was not far away.
After all, with the Alchemist Association already siding with the Poison Sect under the leadership of its new president, Yan Li, the only remaining neutral force capable of influencing the situation was the imperial family of the Chu Yun Empire.
The insightful people of the Chu Yun Empire had already realized that regardless of whether the Poison Sect or the Anti-Poison Sect Alliance won the coming war, the empire would soon enter a new era.
An era of complete unification.
Either under the rule of the Poison Sect or under the rule of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate, which led the Anti-Poison Sect Alliance.
A week later, in Sky Poison City, Chu Yun Empire.
A young man stood before an extremely luxurious shop, holding the hand of a cute little girl dressed in purple.
The little girl, Zi Yan, glanced back at the shop and tugged on Lin Yuan's hand.
"Brother, is this our next target?"
"What are you thinking?"
Lin Yuan turned around and flicked her little forehead.
"You little girl, haven't you had enough of this robbery game lately? It's time to calm down a bit. Otherwise, when we return to the academy, be careful that the First Elder gives you a severe scolding."
"Besides, the things sold in shops like this are mostly useful only to Poison Masters. There's not much here that's useful to us. How much could we possibly gain by robbing it?"
"Ah we're not robbing it?"
Zi Yan's eyes immediately showed a trace of boredom.
"Then why did we come here?"
"Heh."
Lin Yuan smiled lightly and explained,
"Shops like this have the best and fastest information network. They're the perfect places to gather and verify intelligence."
As he spoke, Lin Yuan raised his eyes and looked at the shop named One Poison House, revealing an amused smile.
"The largest chain of poison shops in Chu Yun, huh? Naming yourself with the character 'One', that's quite confident."
Poison shops were establishments found in every city of the Chu Yun Empire, specializing in the sale of poisons.
Anything related to poison could almost certainly be purchased there, and the stronger the poison, the higher the price.
Holding Zi Yan's hand, Lin Yuan walked into the poison shop with a trace of curiosity.
Several hours later, he finally emerged from One Poison House, dragging along a sleepy, yawning Zi Yan.
Thinking of the dazzling array of poisons he had seen inside, Lin Yuan sighed inwardly.
"The Chu Yun Empire truly deserves its title as the paradise of Poison Masters. For someone like the Little Fairy Doctor, who possesses the Woeful Poison Body, coming here is like a fish entering water."
"According to the intelligence I've gathered, Yan Li's information was correct. The Little Fairy Doctor really has subdued the Nether Poison Flame."
"With the Nether Poison Flame, this environment, and her own temperament, it's no wonder her cultivation has advanced so rapidly and allowed her to rise with such terrifying speed."
"The information has been confirmed. Then I'll proceed according to the original plan…"
"Tonight, I shall meet the Little Fairy Doctor again!"
Night fell.
On a mountain peak outside Sky Poison City.
Lin Yuan, who had been cultivating while seated on the Green Lotus Seat, slowly opened his eyes and withdrew the hand seals of cultivation. His gaze swept over Zi Yan, who was sleeping soundly not far away, before turning toward the full moon hanging in the sky.
"This full moon is exactly the same as it was back then. It seems today truly is the day of our reunion."
With a faint smile, Lin Yuan's eyes sharpened, and the aura of the Green Lotus Core Flame spread outward toward the headquarters of the Poison Sect in the center of Sky Poison City.
"This aura will trigger a resonance between Heavenly Flames. Only fellow possessors of Heavenly Flames can sense it."
"Come, Little Fairy Doctor!"
At present, the center of Sky Poison City was occupied by the headquarters of the Poison Sect, a force that seemed poised to unify the entire Chu Yun Empire.
As the headquarters of the Poison Sect, its defenses were exceptionally tight. Even a Dou Emperor would find it difficult to infiltrate. Deep within the headquarters lay a stone forest covered in lush greenery, the forbidden grounds of the Poison Sect, a place only the Sect Master could enter.
Within the stone forest stood countless strange rocks, among which grew all kinds of poisonous herbs.
Various poisonous Magical Beasts that were considered extremely rare outside could be found everywhere here.
The faint fishy scents emitted by the various poisons intertwined, shrouding the stone forest in a layer of pale purple poisonous miasma. Even a Dou King would have difficulty resisting this highly toxic haze.
At the center of the stone forest lay a small pool paved with black stones.
Within the pool was a body of utterly black water. It was so dark that one could not see the bottom at all, and the energy contained within it was incredibly dense. Even Spiritual Strength that tried to probe it would be repelled.
A faint mist hovered above the pool, carrying a slight fishy scent, clearly another highly poisonous substance.
Suddenly, a flawless, jade-white body slowly rose from the black pool like a bright moon ascending into the night sky. It was a breathtakingly beautiful sight, though unfortunately no one was fortunate enough to witness it.
The Little Fairy Doctor's delicate feet touched the surface of the lake as she gently breathed, calming the tremendous energy surging within her body.
After a long while, she opened her violet-gray eyes and walked across the mirror-like black surface of the pool, step by step returning to the stone steps at the shore.
Moonlight fell upon her graceful body, reflecting a faint glow.
As though she sensed something in her heart, the Little Fairy Doctor raised her head toward the full moon in the sky, and a trace of softness flashed through her violet-gray eyes.
"This full moon is exactly the same as it was back then."
Shaking her head, she took out a plain white dress from her Storage Ring. Unlike the luxurious attire she usually wore, this simple dress concealed her infinitely beautiful figure.
Suddenly, the Nether Poison Flame within her body stirred, and a mysterious feeling surged into her heart.
"This is a resonance between Heavenly Flames?"
She instinctively turned her head and looked into the distance.
"This aura another Heavenly Flame? This nostalgic aura, it's the Green Lotus Core Flame. Could it be…?"
Thinking of a certain possibility, the coldness between her brows instantly melted into joy. Space rippled gently, and her figure disappeared from the poolside.
On the mountain peak, after releasing the aura of the Green Lotus Core Flame, Lin Yuan waited quietly for more than ten minutes.
Finally, a graceful figure suddenly entered his sight.
Bathed in the bright moonlight, she flashed several times before appearing in midair above the mountain.
Moonlight flowed like water, gently illuminating her figure as it gradually became clear.
It was the Little Fairy Doctor.
Under the moonlight, her white robes and snow-white hair fluttered in the night breeze, adding an immortal, untainted aura to her. Her figure remained slender and graceful, like a willow swaying in the wind—soft yet resilient.
The moment he saw her, Lin Yuan's eyes brightened, and the corners of his lips unconsciously curled upward.
"It has been a long time, Little Fairy Doctor. Allow this palm to salute our reunion."
As his words fell, Lin Yuan chuckled softly. His cultivation of peak seven-star Dou Emperor erupted forth, and green Dou Qi gathered in his right palm.
The next moment, he soared into the air and struck out with a powerful palm toward her.
Seeing this, a trace of amusement flashed through the Little Fairy Doctor's violet-gray eyes, which were brimming with the joy of reuniting with an old friend.
She gently raised her hand, purple Dou Qi swirling around her palm as she met Lin Yuan's incoming strike.
Lin Yuan wanted to test the Little Fairy Doctor's current strength, and she likewise wished to see how much he had progressed.
Thus, with a tacit understanding between them, their palms gently met.
Boom—!
In an instant, surging Dou Qi collided violently like rivers converging into the sea. Purple and green Dou Qi intertwined, producing a strange and dazzling radiance, while rings of spatial ripples spread from the point where their palms met.
Nearby, Zi Yan, who had been sleeping, was awakened by the energy clash. Looking at the two exchanging palms in midair, excitement immediately flashed across her eyes.
However, before she could make a move, she remembered Lin Yuan's instructions and dispersed the power she had begun to gather, curiously observing the Little Fairy Doctor instead.
"So this is the Little Fairy Doctor Brother Lin Yuan mentioned? She's so strong. Judging by her aura, she doesn't seem any weaker than Sister Xi Yue."
Meanwhile, the pure clash of power between the two in the sky did not last long.
"Power approaching that of a three-star Dou Ancestor…"
"Strength surpassing that of an ordinary peak Dou Emperor…"
Sensing the ease within each other's attacks, the two smiled at one another and tacitly withdrew the immense force surrounding their palms, causing the energy fluctuations centered around them to vanish into nothingness.
Then, Lin Yuan and the Little Fairy Doctor descended from the sky and stood facing one another atop the mountain.
Lin Yuan's gaze rested on her face as he praised her,
"Little Fairy Doctor, after two years apart, your progress can only be described as miraculous. In fact, it has far exceeded my expectations."
The Little Fairy Doctor stared at Lin Yuan, the person who had introduced her to the world of true experts, the person she felt she had finally surpassed.
Bitterness and relief intertwined in her eyes.
She shook her head and sighed softly.
"There's nothing to envy. This is merely a brief brilliance exchanged for my life. My Woeful Poison Body has already reached maturity. I don't have much time left."
After she spoke, the heavy weight carried by her words seemed to infect the atmosphere, and the mountain fell into deep silence.
Until—
"Pfft, pfft—"
"A brief brilliance exchanged for your life? You don't have much time left?"
"My Little Fairy Doctor, my good friend, you've been the Sect Master of an entire sect for so long, yet you're still this sentimental?"
A mocking laugh sounded beside her ear.
The sealed memories from the mountain valley two years ago, along with that familiar sense of embarrassment, surged back into her heart.
The indifferent state of mind she had cultivated over the past two years instantly crumbled, and she involuntarily glared at Lin Yuan.
"Again! This bastard is doing it again! Does he still think I'm that young girl from two years ago whom he could tease at will?"
At that thought, anger and embarrassment flashed through her gray eyes, carrying a hint of killing intent.
She gritted her teeth inwardly.
"A bastard like this needs a proper beating!"
----
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