Chapter 93: I Am Fate!
"Rumble—"
At the same time.
As if sensing the threat, waves of terrifying deep-gray poisonous mist suddenly erupted violently from within Xiao Yi Xian's body.
And her purple pupils also gradually began to shift toward a grayish-purple. The speed was extremely fast; it likely wouldn't be long before they transformed completely into a pure gray.
At this moment, Xiao Yi Xian slowly floated up, and her head of purple hair began slowly turning grayish-white.
This gray color was saturated with the flavor of death, utterly devoid of life. One glance at it gave a person a trembling sensation that spread from the depths of their soul.
When the Calamity Poison Body fully erupted, this gray would rapidly devour every last trace of its host's vitality!
Xiao Yi Xian was still far from the point where the Calamity Poison Body would fully erupt. Yet now, Jiang Yun's actions had infinitely accelerated that timeline.
Now, they only had one path left—success!
As the gray poisonous mist spread, the healthy flush on Xiao Yi Xian's cheeks rapidly receded. The originally gentle softness of her face also slowly faded away. The pain and struggle faintly showing between her brows made it clear that the backlash of the poison body and the burning of the flame, even with Jiang Yun's help, were still unbearably hard to endure.
"Calm your mind and focus your spirit! Don't let the pain and the poison body erode your will!" Jiang Yun glanced at the gray poisonous mist surging out from Xiao Yi Xian's body before him and increased the temperature of the flame.
Sss! Sss! Sss!!!
At this moment, the dense gray poisonous aura on the surface of Xiao Yi Xian's body immediately reacted as if meeting its natural bane, erupting with violent sizzling sounds. Then, it retreated at lightning speed, finally all rushing back into Xiao Yi Xian's body!
It converged at her dantian—the very location of the seven-colored thread at her lower abdomen!
As the poisonous aura re-entered her body, the gray in Xiao Yi Xian's pupils grew increasingly saturated with a deathly stillness. Her body instinctively wanted to flee from this place that made her feel danger.
However, with Jiang Yun's strength, if he couldn't even hold down Xiao Yi Xian, who wasn't even a Dou Zhe yet, he might as well just go bash his head in and die!
The instant her body began to move, his palm penetrated the black-and-white flames and pressed down on Xiao Yi Xian's delicate shoulder, forcefully shoving her back down!
"Devour, now!"
Surging soul power poured from the center of his brow as he precisely grasped the state of the Saint Demon Flame. Furrowing his brows, he shouted fiercely.
As his voice fell, the pitch-black flames seemed to receive an order and instantly dispersed, transforming into countless tiny tongues of fire. They directly pierced through Xiao Yi Xian's skin and surged into her body, madly chasing after the countless streams of gray poisonous aura!
Meanwhile, the white Undying Sacred Flame also entered Xiao Yi Xian's soul, continuously releasing its life-giving power to purge the poison attribute from her soul, while ceaselessly sustaining the vitality within her body.
The overwhelming spread of pitch-black flame sprouts practically covered every single corner of Xiao Yi Xian's body, not even sparing the depths of her soul. With Jiang Yun's current soul realm, controlling the flames was a simple task.
Under Jiang Yun's manipulation, the remaining poisonous aura within Xiao Yi Xian was completely devoured. All the leftover poison converged toward her lower abdomen.
Countless faint sounds emanated continuously from within Xiao Yi Xian's body. Finally, inside her lower abdomen, the black Saint Demon Flame formed a thick ring of fire, trapping the poisonous aura within.
The vast poisonous aura, brimming with the aura of death, all condensed at Xiao Yi Xian's lower abdomen. It looked like a vortex, and at the other end of that vortex lay a world of death.
That right there was the very origin of the Calamity Poison Body!
Even though Xiao Yi Xian's strength was still very weak at present, facing such a terrifying origin of the poison body, even a Dou Wang or Dou Huang would have to retreat and steer clear.
"Devour!"
Sensing those gathered poisonous auras, Jiang Yun manipulated the Saint Demon Flame to pounce on them like a ravenous tiger pouncing on its prey.
"Ugh—"
As the origin of her poison body was devoured, Xiao Yi Xian let out a pained moan. No matter how terrible the Calamity Poison Body was, it was still a part of her. Now that its origin was being devoured, she would naturally react.
"Swallow it!"
Jiang Yun swiftly retrieved the freshly made Bone-Growing Blood-Melting Pill and brought it to Xiao Yi Xian's lips.
Relying on her remaining willpower, Xiao Yi Xian quickly swallowed the Bone-Growing Blood-Melting Pill in her mouth. She never imagined that the very first pill she consumed in her life would be an eighth-tier pill.
For a moment, Xiao Yi Xian felt an almost dreamlike sense of unreality!
The Bone-Growing Blood-Melting Pill dissolved the instant it entered her body. Surging vitality spread to every corner of her form. In the blink of an eye, the continuously deteriorating state of her body halted its decay and began slowly improving.
The flesh and blood that had lost parts of their meridians under the poison aura's erosion once again glowed with vitality. And the density of that vitality was even greater than before.
Seeing this, Jiang Yun continued to manipulate the Saint Demon Flame in its work!
As time passed, the origin of the Calamity Poison Body was practically completely devoured clean by Jiang Yun.
With a beckoning gesture, the Bodhi Transformation Saliva—sticky and wriggling as if alive—was sucked into Jiang Yun's palm. The white flame radiated from his body, enveloping it within.
As the flame came into contact with the Bodhi Transformation Saliva, the latter immediately churned violently as if stimulated. By the looks of it, it seemed to want to break free from within the flame.
Jiang Yun naturally wouldn't allow it to succeed. Although the Bodhi Transformation Saliva had extraordinary effects, it still needed to undergo simple refinement by the heavenly flame before it could directly act upon Xiao Yi Xian.
Under the high temperature of Jiang Yun's flame, within a few breaths, the Bodhi Transformation Saliva ceased its struggle.
As the Bodhi Transformation Saliva was burned, numerous emerald-green particles gradually drifted out from it. These particles didn't completely separate from the clump of Bodhi Transformation Saliva.
Instead, they continuously coalesced at its bottom. In the blink of an eye, they formed an emerald-green bead no larger than a thumb.
It was precisely a Bodhi seed!
However, at this moment, Jiang Yun had no time to pay attention to that. He instead grabbed the now-refined Bodhi Transformation Saliva and directly pressed it onto Xiao Yi Xian's smooth, sleek, flat lower abdomen.
The instant the Bodhi Transformation Saliva touched Xiao Yi Xian's body, it emitted a strange light and quietly seeped into her body along the pores of her skin.
As the Bodhi Transformation Saliva seeped in, an emerald-green color, brimming with vitality, rapidly spread from her lower abdomen. Within a few breaths, it enveloped Xiao Yi Xian's entire body.
Countless droplets of emerald-green liquid climbed onto every corner of Xiao Yi Xian's body.
At the most critical point—the location of her origin—droplets of emerald-green liquid flew inside. And along with the entry of the Bodhi Transformation Saliva, the poisonous aura vortex that reeked of deathly stillness immediately began reacting violently, gray aura churning madly.
Ultimately, this remnant origin of the poisonous aura was also rapidly neutralized and dissolved by the vigorous vitality contained within the Bodhi Transformation Saliva!
At this moment, Xiao Yi Xian's entire body emanated an emerald-green fluorescence. Jiang Yun clearly sensed that as the origin of the Calamity Poison Body vanished, Xiao Yi Xian's originally wood attribute—which had mutated into the poison attribute—began slowly awakening under the nourishment of the Bodhi Transformation Saliva, this supreme treasure of the wood attribute.
Moreover, after this breaking and rebuilding, he clearly sensed that her affinity with the surrounding wood-attribute natural energy had also reached an unimaginable degree.
"Have I... just created a 'Wood Sacred Body'?"
Toward such an outcome, Jiang Yun was also stunned. But as far as results went...
It wasn't bad at all!
"Xiao Yi Xian, circulate your Dou Qi and condense a wood-attribute Dou Zhi Qi whirl!"
Sensing the disappearance of the poison body's origin, Jiang Yun commanded softly, preparing to seize this opportunity to firmly stabilize Xiao Yi Xian's newly regained attribute once and for all.
Under Jiang Yun's directions, Xiao Yi Xian immediately began circulating her Dou Qi. Following the method for breaking through to Dou Zhe that Jiang Yun's group had taught her, she gradually compressed the vast Dou Qi vortex!
Very soon, supported by the vast wood-attribute energy, Xiao Yi Xian condensed a wood-attribute Qi whirl, officially breaking through to Dou Zhe.
And the matter was far from over. The power of the Bodhi Transformation Saliva was so immensely vast! Accompanying Xiao Yi Xian's breakthrough, her aura immediately began skyrocketing at a meteoric pace.
Three-star Dou Zhe, five-star Dou Zhe, seven-star Dou Zhe...
In the end, with Jiang Yun's help, Xiao Yi Xian's strength was firmly stabilized at one-star Dou Shi!
Only after watching Xiao Yi Xian familiarize herself with her power did Jiang Yun now assess her condition. With the dissipation of the Calamity Poison Body, her skin, which had previously shown a sickly pale pallor, now surged with a healthy, rosy flush.
His gaze shifted, landing on Xiao Yi Xian's smooth, flat lower abdomen. The seven-colored marking was still there. But Jiang Yun could no longer sense that poison aura saturated with deathly stillness; there was only vigorous vitality.
After finding nothing abnormal, Jiang Yun now finally reacted to the fact that Xiao Yi Xian was still completely bare!
Although still somewhat youthful, the proportions of Xiao Yi Xian's figure were just right. Her skin was fair and delicate, and that slender waist, barely a hand's span, likewise possessed an incomparable charm.
As if nothing were amiss, he shifted his gaze away. Jiang Yun quietly sat cross-legged, dealing with the recently devoured poison body origin within him, while waiting for Xiao Yi Xian to wake.
During this process, five days passed in the blink of an eye...
Xiao Yi Xian, seated cross-legged on the ground, gently fluttered her long eyelashes and slowly opened a pair of lively, pale-purple eyes. Initially, there was a hint of dazed confusion, but she quickly came back to her senses.
Feeling the surging power within her body, and that wood attribute brimming with life—the very power she had always yearned for...
"This feeling..."
A soft voice sounded, and then two lines of clear tears slid down Xiao Yi Xian's delicate, beautiful face. Yet the corner of her mouth curved upward into a deeply moving arc.
The fate of being crushed under a great mountain so heavy one couldn't breathe—that damned Calamity Poison Body—was, at this very moment, thoroughly and utterly shattered.
They had succeeded!
Her beautiful eyes shifted, and Xiao Yi Xian saw Jiang Yun's back. A gentle smile appeared on her pretty face. She quietly rose to her feet and, completely disregarding her still completely unclothed state, moved her jade-like feet and immediately pounced toward Jiang Yun.
"Seems you're awake!" Jiang Yun, by coincidence, also turned around at that moment.
Instantly, an armful of warm, fragrant, soft jade filled his embrace. A pair of fair hands gently wrapped around Jiang Yun's body, and she pressed her cheek tightly against his chest.
"Thank you... thank you..."
A somewhat choked, somewhat incoherent voice came from within his arms. Feeling her trembling delicate frame, a soft smile immediately surfaced on Jiang Yun's face.
His hands gently landed on the top of Xiao Yi Xian's head and her back, softly comforting her.
"Heaven does not fail those with kind hearts, and fate has always favored the brave. Clearly, you are both!"
"You are my fate!" Xiao Yi Xian's gentle voice came through as she slowly lifted her head from Jiang Yun's embrace, a deeply blushing face entering his view.
"Jiang Yun, I am so grateful that you passed through Qing Shan Town back then and took me away. Otherwise, I fear it wouldn't have been long before my Calamity Poison Body erupted and I became something neither human nor ghost..."
"Perhaps this is indeed the favor of 'fate'!" Jiang Yun's palm condensed Dou Qi, and a pure white dress materialized, wrapping around Xiao Yi Xian's delicate frame. Looking into her autumn-pool-like eyes, Jiang Yun said softly.
For Xiao Yi Xian to say he was her fate—relying on his foreknowledge, he could indeed be considered something like fate, couldn't he?
"Jiang Yun~" Hearing Jiang Yun's words, Xiao Yi Xian's gaze grew hazy, her eyes like soft, tender water.
"Muah—" Xiao Yi Xian took the initiative and brought her lips to the corner of Jiang Yun's mouth, planting a light kiss.
"Does this count as getting a head start?" Seeing Jiang Yun's somewhat surprised expression, especially with Zi Yan and Qing Lin right outside the hut, Xiao Yi Xian immediately felt a peculiar thrill. She asked, slightly impishly.
That kiss was soft, with a touch of cool clarity, carrying a very faint, light medicinal fragrance.
Hearing Xiao Yi Xian's question, Jiang Yun let out a laugh. Then, before Xiao Yi Xian's widening eyes, he lowered his head heavily and captured her lips.
"That just now was barely a head start!"
Just as Xiao Yi Xian's gaze was growing dazed and unfocused, Jiang Yun released her. Looking at the girl in his arms, biting her lip with her entire body blushing pink, he declared with a domineering air.
Sensing that Xiao Yi Xian was about to 'burn up' completely, Jiang Yun finally let her off. He turned his head to look at the Bodhi seed floating to the side and beckoned with his hand.
The texture in his hand wasn't smooth; rather, it felt somewhat rough. But holding it in his palm, he could feel a surge of vigorous vitality.
Rumor had it that obtaining the Bodhi Transformation Saliva would allow one to sense the existence of the Bodhi Heart. This statement was indeed true. But this so-called sensing actually referred to the Bodhi seed.
Only by obtaining the Bodhi seed would one have the chance to sense that legendary Bodhi Heart!
The quality of this Bodhi seed wasn't great, but it was sufficient for use. He stored the Bodhi seed in his hand into a jade box. At this current stage, Dou Sheng was too far-off; it was best not to aim too far beyond his reach.
After putting away the Bodhi seed, sensing the girl in his arms had sobered up considerably, Jiang Yun said quietly, "We should go out now. I'm sure Zi Yan and Qing Lin will also be happy for you once they know we've succeeded."
"Creak—"
The sound of the door opening drew the attention of Zi Yan and Qing Lin, who were on guard outside. The two's gazes turned toward the wooden hut, where they saw Jiang Yun walking out with Xiao Yi Xian, whose expression carried a touch of joy.
"Xiao Yun!"
"Brother Jiang Yun!"
Meeting their gazes, Jiang Yun nodded. Zi Yan's and Qing Lin's eyes immediately fell upon Xiao Yi Xian at his side.
"It's been successfully resolved!" Seeing the questioning look in their eyes, Xiao Yi Xian smiled serenely and answered with a lightened heart.
"Congratulations!"
Hearing the answer they'd hoped for, Qing Lin and Zi Yan were also overjoyed, genuinely happy for her from the bottom of their hearts.
Feeling Zi Yan's goodwill, and recalling what had just happened inside the wooden hut, Xiao Yi Xian suddenly felt a guilty twinge in her heart. Her eyes darted away evasively, drifting aimlessly everywhere else.