Chapter 304

Not long after, with the help of the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King, the SnakeTribe launched a counterattack, leaving countless soldiers of the Three Empires Alliance forever on this battlefield.

After the battle was resolved, in the fortress's hall.

"This Devil Poison Spot is far more potent than Luo Du and Mei Du Sha's Flame Sealing— even Swallowing Flame's power needs time to fully refine it."

Meow! (Once I grow stronger, I can do it even faster.)

Xiao Yan played with a Soul Token—it wasn't a Soul Command Token, but the Poison Sect's Sect Token, which he had retrieved just now after stopping Mao Wu from devouring Liang Zhongsheng's SpiritFlesh.

As for other items—ring storage, weapons—Xiao Yan glanced at them all and let Mao Wu devour them as cat food; after all, it didn't pick its meals.

"Are you really alright?" Yun Yun stared at the poison spots on Xiao Yan's hand, her face filled with concern.

"Just a little poison—don't worry, I'm the Alchemist Grand Meeting Champion." Xiao Yan said confidently.

Yun Yun gave Xiao Yan a silent, reproachful look, then thanked him: "Thank you for saving me just now."

"We're all leaders of the Yan Alliance—helping each other is only natural."

"Is it only because of the Yan Alliance?"

Yun Yun's voice was soft, but Xiao Yan's Cultivation Realm naturally caught every word. A subtle tension settled between them.

Thud! At that moment, Zi Yan strolled in casually from outside, gnawing on a large lamb leg.

"Xiao Yan, when do we leave for Chu Yun Empire?"

This amount of food was naturally insufficient for Zi Yan's terrifying physique—it was merely a snack; to truly satisfy her hunger, she still needed Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.

"Are you leaving?" Yun Yun's beautiful eyes turned to Xiao Yan and asked.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Yan nodded. "Yes, we leave at nightfall. I came here intending to enter Chu Yun Empire from the border—I have matters to attend to there."

A fleeting shadow of sadness passed through Yun Yun's eyes.

"Huh? Xiao Yan, what's that in your hand?" Zi Yan finished the entire roasted lamb leg in no time, oily hands reaching for Xiao Yan.

"Hey, can't you wash your hands first?!" Xiao Yan pushed her face away with disgust. "It's fish bait—for fishing."

"Huh? This is edible?" Both Zi Yan and Yun Yun looked puzzled—wasn't that just a Sect Token?

"The Poison Sect leaving this behind is still a threat. This three-way alliance was likely a probing invasion by the Poison Sect to capture Xiao Yixian—it's a menace we can't leave alive." Xiao Yan's eyes flashed with menace. Some things shouldn't wait until they happen to be avenged—you must act first, strike before they strike.

Hearing this, Yun Yun frowned in worry. "Rumors say the Poison Sect's Sect Master is already a Dou Zong—even the weakest Dou Zong Yi Xing is far stronger than a Dou Huang Peak."

Xiao Yan was only Star Seven Dou Wang—the gap to Dou Zong was immense. One misstep could be fatal, especially since the Poison Sect cultivates poison, a threat too unpredictable to guard against—carelessness meant instant poisoning.

"I'm going to Chu Yun Empire to find a way to strengthen myself. I also have Elixirs to boost my power—I'll wait until I reach Dou Huang before confronting the Poison Sect." Though Xiao Yan was Star Seven Dou Wang, he was barely a step away from Dou Huang.

Speaking of Elixirs, Xiao Yan took two Brocade Boxes from his ring storage and handed them to Yun Yun. "Here are two Imperial Ultimate Pills—you've probably never used an Imperial Ultimate Pill before."

Unlike Dou Wang Pills, the Imperial Ultimate Pill can be used twice.

Yun Yun slowly opened the Brocade Box—immediately, a potent medicinal fragrance filled the entire hall. Seeing the Imperial Ultimate Pill, her expression turned stunned as she looked at Xiao Yan.

She hadn't expected Xiao Yan could even refine Imperial Ultimate Pills—and he'd produced two at once!

"Too precious—I can't accept this." Yun Yun shook her head, closed the Brocade Box, and returned the pills to Xiao Yan.

"Give it to me! I want it!" Zi Yan leapt onto the table—anyone seeing her would think her true form was a monkey, not a Grand Void Dragon.

"Stop fooling around—Imperial Ultimate Pills aren't for beasts. Eating them won't directly raise your Cultivation Realm."

Xiao Yan turned to Yun Yun. "You're the Sect Master of Yun Lan Sect—the Yan Alliance still needs you. Your Cultivation Realm being too low is dangerous. Besides, how can an Imperial Ultimate Pill compare to the Green Lotus Earth Core Fire?"

"Just consider this me repaying you a little of what you've done for me."

Seeing Xiao Yan's firm expression, Yun Yun knew she couldn't argue with him—she tucked the Imperial Ultimate Pill away.

After discussing some matters of the Yan Alliance, Xiao Yan left with Zi Yan, preparing to head for Chu Yun Empire.

Watching Xiao Yan's retreating figure, Yun Yun gently stroked the Brocade Box and murmured: "I never asked you to repay me."

Only about half a day passed before Xiao Yixian absorbed all of Liang Zhongsheng's poison mist—her power surged straight to Four-Star Dou Huang, leaving Xiao Yan speechless. Her Special Physique was like cheating—but this surge also stemmed from her long-term suppression of poison intake; hence the sudden leap.

After bidding farewell to Yun Yun, the group swiftly departed the SnakeTribe's fortress, flying toward Chu Yun Empire's border.

Between the two empires lay a vast buffer zone—even with the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's speed, they didn't reach it until deep into the night.

On a peak at Chu Yun Empire's border, two purple streaks flashed from afar and landed atop the mountain—clearly the two Purple Crystal Winged Lion Kings, each bearing one man and two women.

"Ahead lies Chu Yun Empire. Poison Masters run rampant here—be careful." The Purple Crystal Winged Lion King warned Zi Yan and Xiao Yan. When they first entered Chu Yun Empire, they'd suffered many setbacks—it was utterly unlike other empires.

"Alright, this Chu Yun Empire journey is in your hands now, Lion King and Xiao Yixian."

"Let's go. The Deep Abyss Gorge lies on the edge of a city in Chu Yun Empire's center—still quite a distance away." The Purple Crystal Winged Lion King smiled.

"Mm."

Chu Yun Empire's territory was far vaster than Jia Ma's, yet it was undeniably far more chaotic.

Poison Masters—a profession nearly despised throughout Jia Ma Empire—flourished wildly in Chu Yun Empire. In every city, Poison Master robes were everywhere. A sight rarely seen in Jia Ma Empire was common here: the open sale of poisons.

In Chu Yun Empire, besides the Alchemist Guild, there was another organization rivaling it: the Poison Master Guild.

Precisely because of this, Chu Yun Empire's Alchemists, despite their greater strength, were far weaker than those in Jia Ma Empire. Yan Li, who once competed with Xiao Yan for the Alchemist Grand Meeting Champion title, was the vice-chairman of Chu Yun Empire's Alchemist Guild.

In every city of this empire, shops specialized in selling poisons—anything related to poison could be bought here. The stronger the toxicity, the higher the price.

According to Xiao Yixian's introduction, Chu Yun Empire had two major Factions: one was naturally the Poison Sect, a relatively new Faction known for its Dou Zong Sect Master, controlling one-third of Chu Yun Empire's territory.

The other was the Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate, an ancient Sect. Though its Sect Master was only Dou Huang Peak—not as strong as the Poison Sect's—it was rumored that its former Sect Master had not died but had broken through to Dou Zong. Thus, the Poison Sect and Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate remained evenly matched and bitterly opposed.

Precisely because of this, Chu Yun Empire was not ruled by a single powerful Sect like Luo Yan Empire or Mu Lan Empire, but by its Imperial Family—making it somewhat similar to Jia Ma Empire.

Xiao Yan and his group spent nearly seven days traveling long distances before arriving at the nearest city to the Deep Abyss Gorge—You Du City.

Along the way, Xiao Yan had come to understand Chu Yun Empire's chaos—especially after witnessing fights where poison mist was sprayed everywhere—his awareness of the empire's danger had risen sharply.

Thanks to Xiao Yixian's presence, Xiao Yan's group had encountered no mishaps along the journey.

This city had no single ruler—it was jointly governed by the Poison Sect, Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate, and the Chu Yun Imperial Family.

The Deep Abyss Gorge was a deadly place for ordinary cultivators, but for Chu Yun Empire's Poison Masters, it was a supreme treasureland.

Undoubtedly, it was rich in poisons and all kinds of toxic substances!

Whenever the Deep Abyss Gorge's poison barrier weakened, many Poison Masters came to enter and harvest poisons—or simply cultivate inside to enhance their Cultivation Realm.

Thus, the Deep Abyss Gorge is also a treasure land and Holy Land of the Chu Yun Empire—naturally, everyone wants it, yet naturally, no one can have it.

"Tsk tsk, this is the most Poison Masters I've ever seen in one place." Xiao Yan and the others all donned black robes to conceal their faces as they walked through the City teeming with Poison Masters.

Here, if you don't cover your face, you stand out—Poison Masters are unwelcome, so nearly every Poison Master wears a long robe to hide themselves.

Although the Lion King and the smaller Lion King cannot transform their forms, they can shrink their bodies; from afar, it merely looked like Xiao Yan and the two others were entering the City with their mounts.

"Legends say the Deep Abyss Gorge is the origin of the Chu Yun Empire. Once, a Dou Zun-level Poison Master, because of his identity as a Poison Master, was besieged and ultimately perished within the gorge. Before dying, that Poison Dou Zun released all his Poison Dou Qi, cursing this land and forming the terrifying Poison Barrier and this unique environment, rich in toxic substances," Xiao Yixian whispered to Xiao Yan.

"Let's find a place to stay first. It's still seven days until the Poison Barrier recedes," Xiao Yan calculated the time and said.

"Yes, it should be the seventh day. Then the Poison Barrier will recede, and we'll enter the gorge to search for the Strange Flame and the Qinghun Youlan," Xiao Yixian nodded.

Xiao Yan glanced at Zi Yan, who was idly lounging beside him, and smiled: "Zi Yan, this time it's all up to you. If you can find these two things, you can have any Elixir or Medicinal Material you want."

Instantly, Zi Yan's eyes sparkled brightly as she nodded vigorously. Though she could now transform her form, her strength was still too weak. For beasts, there was no need to worry about unstable Dou Qi—you could give her as much energy as you liked, and she could digest it all.

Just as the group was about to find an inn to stay, Xiao Yan forgot—he was a man of great Qi Circulation, and wherever he went, chaos followed.

Boom—boom—boom! Before Xiao Yixian had led them through even a few alleys, the ground shook violently, and the entire Poisonous City trembled.

"What's happening?" The sudden trembling of the entire Poisonous City startled even Zi Yan.

Feeling the tremors in heaven and earth, Xiao Yixian's expression changed instantly; she flew straight upward, and the others followed right after.

In that instant, Xiao Yixian gazed toward one direction.

"Toward the Deep Abyss Gorge!!" Xiao Yixian stared far off toward the gorge's location, her eyes narrowing.

A thunderous BOOM! Even if Xiao Yixian and the others had not flown up or gazed far, they could still see the astonishing sight: as a deafening roar echoed, every resident of the Poisonous City witnessed a shocking scene—the emerald-green Poison surged high into the sky, forming a colossal Poison Tornado piercing straight into the heavens!

When this Poison Storm rose impossibly high, it scattered like a celestial maiden showering flowers, then spiraled back down from the horizon.

This awe-inspiring spectacle terrified countless people in the Poisonous City—whether Poison Masters who had come from beyond the Chu Yun Empire or native Poison Masters of the city, all were stunned by the sight.

Even Xiao Yixian and the two Purple Crystal Winged Lion Kings were frozen in shock.

Long after the astonishing phenomenon vanished, many still remained dazed—no one knew what had just happened.

Xiao Yan looked at the stunned, terrified residents around him, then turned to Xiao Yixian with a grave expression: "This kind of phenomenon never happened before, right?"

Xiao Yixian furrowed her delicate brows and nodded solemnly: "I've entered the gorge twice with the Lion King. Neither time did we see anything like this. I've never heard of such an occurrence."

Sigh… Xiao Yan was dizzy—he'd only just arrived! How could this possibly be blamed on him? He hadn't even done anything yet!!

My lord! I'm innocent!

The Purple Crystal Winged Lion King asked: "Should we go to the gorge to check?"

Yet there was no need for them to go to the gorge—the news spread throughout the entire Poisonous City almost immediately.

"The Poison Barrier of the Deep Abyss Gorge has vanished completely!!!!" A shocking message arrived, instantly stunning the entire Poisonous City—many, including native residents whose families had lived there for generations, were terrified.

"The Poison Barrier of the Deep Abyss Gorge has vanished completely? That's impossible!" Everyone who heard this news was shocked—their first reaction was disbelief.

The Poison Barrier of the Deep Abyss Gorge only ever recedes—it can never vanish entirely. For countless ages, they had only ever waited for the Barrier to weaken, then braved its toxicity with their own Poison arts to seek fortune.

Since the founding of the Chu Yun Empire, the Poison Barrier of the Deep Abyss Gorge had always been ferocious; even ordinary Dou Zongs dared not enter.

"Absolutely true! The Deep Abyss Gorge has no Poison Barrier anymore—it's no longer a deadly place! Anyone who enters is safe!" The young Poison Master who first brought the news swore solemnly.

"This… this can't be real!" Such news was simply too unbelievable.

(End of Chapter)