Chapter 424: The Timing Could Not Be Better (10,000 Characters, Requesting Subscription and Monthly Votes)

Crack—the stunned Ice Venerable's body shattered, then froze into an ice statue.

Seeing this, Xiao Yixian showed no surprise; she manipulated the fire thread to trace a circle in the air, then directed it straight into Space, chasing the Ice Venerable hiding within.

She is now a noble Alchemist! Though still only First Grade.

But Xiao Yixian's Fire Control Power far exceeds First Grade! She possesses a Beast Fire!

The emerald-green Beast Fire thread carried violent poison; a white shadow staggered out of Space, his Dou Qi forged from Ice Venerable energy fused with the Acquired Misfortune Poison Body—but Xiao Yixian's Beast Fire and Eternal Calamity Poison both surpassed him.

The Ice Venerable swept his hand, unleashing an extreme chill that surged toward the fire thread; the terrifying ice force froze the entire space—ssss—the flame refused to freeze, instead burning the ice Dou Qi into steam.

"What kind of flame is this?!"

The Ice Venerable gritted his teeth; his Eternal Calamity Poison Body erupted, his eyes turning gray, and he roared inwardly: "Poison Ice Mystic Art!"

Boom—the Ice Venerable's Spiritual Pressure surged from Four Star Peak Dou Zun to Five Star Dou Zun!

Clearly, as a Faction among the Three Valleys, the Ice Venerable also possessed a Poison Ice Secret Technique rivaling Heavenly Flame Three Mystical Changes.

"Cold Ice Poison Finger!"

The Ice Venerable no longer fled; he extended one finger, venomous poison coiling around it—this technique's power reached Quasi Heavenly Rank! Heavenly forces surged wildly, boiling uncontrollably.

The Ice Venerable pointed at the fire thread; his finger resembled a black dragon, the black poison finger dragging endless stench and wind!

Boom!! They collided—space fissures spread like spiderwebs!

Flame and ice, two terrifying energies shook the space; in this brutal clash, the Ice Venerable trembled, a muffled groan escaping his throat, then he recoiled backward a hundred meters across Space, his feet stomping violently.

In contrast, Xiao Yixian suffered no effect whatsoever—the freezing qi vanished without a trace before reaching ten meters from her body.

"You possess a Beast Fire?!" The Ice Venerable now realized—the terrifying flame was no ordinary Beast Fire, yet ordinary Beast Fires held little threat to Dou Zun; Xiao Yixian's Beast Fire was this terrifying!

Before Xiao Yixian could speak, a piercing scream rang out: "Aaah! Valley Master, save me!"

When the Ice Venerable looked, he saw the third-ranked Tian She Elder of Ice River Valley engulfed in Black Flame, his Spiritual Soul devoured by the black fire—dying a gruesome death.

"So what if she has a Beast Fire? That Beast Fire was given to her by me." Xiao Yan brushed a speck of bone ash from his robe, as if dispatching a Half-step Dou Zun was trivial.

"Xiao Yan!" The Ice Venerable now felt nothing but rage and hatred toward Xiao Yan—he never imagined he'd been lured like a fish! The Black Flame Sect's intel had been deliberately leaked by this Xiao Yan!

"Ice Venerable, I gave you a choice. Unfortunately, you chose wrong." Xiao Yan's gaze held no pity—if he or Xiao Yixian had been the weak ones, he could be certain the Ice Venerable would not have spared them either.

Xiao Yan merely put himself in their place.

"Xiao Yan, let me go. I swear I'll no longer oppose you, and I'll hand over Ice River Valley's Treasure Vault—within it lies a Nine Rank Pill Formula I acquired. Only I know its location, not within Ice River Valley. If I die, no one will know where the treasure is." The Ice Venerable knew all was lost; besides Tian She, the other two Nine Star Dou Zong Elders had already been killed by Qinghai, their Spiritual Souls seized.

Now Tian Shuangzi was barely holding on after activating his Secret Technique, but he wouldn't last long. As for Yan She Venerable of the Nine Underworld Dark Python Clan, he had no intention of fighting—he was only thinking how to flee; expecting him to save the Ice Venerable was impossible.

"Though I, Xiao Yan, am greedy, I know some things must not be greedily seized. Your life brings me peace." Xiao Yan smiled faintly; the Nine Rank Pill Formula was indeed tempting, especially for him—he yearned to become a Nine Grade Alchemist, and thus needed Nine Rank Pill Formulas.

In the Alchemist Venerable's legacy, only a handful of Nine Rank Pill Formulas existed, and their Medicinal Materials were exceedingly hard to find—he wanted more.

But Xiao Yan understood: unless the Ice Venerable died, his heart would never rest.

Hearing Xiao Yan's words, the Ice Venerable's eyes flickered with malice; boom—a black ice Dou Qi erupted from his body as he roared: "You forced me."

"Misfortune Poison Explosion!" Qinghai Venerable screamed, immediately abandoning Tian Shuangzi and hastily activating a Defensive Dou Technique.

He was only paid to do a job—not to die. In this sealed space, if the Ice Venerable self-detonated, everyone would die!

Xiao Yan's eyes flashed; instantly, he gazed at a point in Space and said coldly: "Your trick is too crude—it won't fool me."

Space twisted—and another Ice Venerable emerged from it; the one about to self-detonate was merely an ice statue! Though less miraculous than Three Thousand Thunder Illusion Body, it was still an Earth Rank Advanced Grade ice Body Technique.

The Ice Venerable pushed off with his feet, lunging toward Xiao Yan—the Poison Explosion had merely been a distraction to draw Xiao Yixian's attention; he intended to seize Xiao Yan as a hostage!

"Young Master Yan, beware!"

Seeing the Ice Venerable's unimaginable speed—even with Bone Wings activated, Xiao Yan couldn't dodge. But he never intended to dodge.

He deliberately exposed a weakness, knowing that if he drove the Ice Venerable to desperation and triggered Misfortune Poison Explosion, the consequences would be catastrophic.

"Your ability to choose has always been poor." Xiao Yan's expression turned sharp; a terrifying Soul Force erupted from his body.

A demonic shadow of the Asura appeared behind Xiao Yan; the Asura opened its eyes, gripping black Hun Chains in both hands.

Terrifying Soul Force surged—Xiao Yan's Cultivation Realm trembled and surged upward, breaking through the Dou Zong barrier, ascending to Dou Zun!!

From Half-step Dou Zun to true Dou Zun—this stunned even the Ice Venerable! No one would believe it: a Five Star Dou Zong had ascended to One Star Dou Zun! The gap was so vast even a Heaven Tier Low Grade Secret Technique might not bridge it!

Yet Xiao Yan had forcibly risen to One Star Dou Zun through Heavenly Flame Three Mystical Changes and Asura Soul Severing Art!

But it wasn't over—Xiao Yan had deliberately exposed his weakness, prepared for this: a wisp of Black Flame appeared in his palm, and from it floated a Fire Lotus formed from nine Beast Fires, resting steadily upon his palm.

Nine Colored Fire Lotus!!!

Xiao Yan roared inwardly: "Nine Fires Return to One, Po Tian Fire Lotus!!"

Boom!! In that instant, the entire space's Infernal Heat skyrocketed; space around Xiao Yan's palm twisted violently—this terrifying Fire Lotus even burned his own palm!

He himself could barely control this technique—it was his strongest attack yet.

Bone Wings erupted, Three Thousand Thunder Illusion Body activated—Xiao Yan launched a direct assault! Five Star Dou Zong versus Five Star Dou Zun (after activating a Secret Technique).

This was the act of an egg striking a stone—yet Xiao Yan did it anyway.

Seeing Xiao Yan charge, the Ice Venerable did not mock—he felt the unimaginable destruction contained within that tiny Fire Lotus in Xiao Yan's palm.

This was power capable of shattering Heaven itself!

"Ice River Myriad Ages!" The Ice Venerable sensed death in it—he dared not hold back, unleashing his strongest Quasi Heavenly Rank Dou Technique, slamming his palm toward Xiao Yan.

Boom!! Ice and Beast Fire—ssss—in that instant, extreme cold and extreme heat collided, vaporizing the entire space, the heavens and earth blurring into a white void.

Above, one side blazed with terrifying Beast Fire, the other froze all space with ice—these two forces clashed in dazzling splendor, more magnificent than fireworks at night!

Every stray wisp of ice qi and flame tongue from the collision could destroy a mountain, freeze a City, evaporate a lake!

Such a terrifying clash resembled the end of the world.

"Too strong—this Yan Shen's power is truly this immense!" Qinghai Venerable, hiding behind his Defensive Dou Technique, forgot to conceal Xiao Yan's identity—but now no one could hear his muttering.

Everyone present was utterly stunned, especially the remaining Ice River Valley Disciples—a twenty-six-year-old youth was trading blows with his own Valley Master?!

But the battle came fast and ended quickly, just as Xiao Yan had said—the Ice Venerable made the wrong choice.

"You…." The Ice Venerable spat blood, struggling to turn his head—only seeing Xiao Yixian's icy face; looking down, his chest had been pierced through by a poison claw.

The Misfortune Demonic Poison Claw is a true Heaven Tier Low Grade Dou Technique, not a Quasi Heavenly Rank one—once the poison claw emerges, Dou Zun fall dead!

The terrifying Misfortune Poison instantly seeped into the Ice Venerable's meridians and even contaminated his Dou Qi; forget being pierced straight through the body—even a mere scratch from the Misfortune Demonic Poison Claw is a fatal wound!

Do you really think Xiao Yixian can't kill?

When he didn't seize Xiao Yan immediately and instead focused on Xiao Yan, allowing Xiao Yan to hold him back, the Ice Venerable was already close to death.

With a hum, the Ice Venerable's Dou Qi vanished as his body was pierced by the Misfortune Demonic Poison Claw—the terrifying flames of the Nine Colored Fire Lotus erupted, drowning all.

A splashing sound arose; from the sea of the Nine Colored Fire Lotus, several Soul Chains shot out from the black Void Swallowing Flame Earth Sub Flame, piercing into the Ice Venerable's Soul Body.

"Think you can escape with your Soul Body? Is it that easy?" Xiao Yan's voice emerged from the Sea of Fire—with a splash—the already dead Ice Venerable couldn't even escape with his Soul Body; it was directly sucked into the Soul Spirit within the Void Space, and even his physical body was not wasted, swallowed whole into the Void Space.

This is the body of a Dou Zun—useful as cat food, bringing me one step closer to Heavenly Emperor Fire.

A legendary Venerable fell dead in Xiao Yixian's hands.

Not long after, the flames dissipated; standing in the Sky were a divine couple—Xiao Yixian and Xiao Yan stood atop the Nine Heavens, and only they two remained in the heavens, as if the Ice Venerable had been burned to ashes with not a trace left.

"Valley Master… Valley Master is dead!"

Instantly, all Ice River Valley disciples turned ashen-faced, as if mourning their own parents. Although Xiao Yan was not a cruel man, neither was he a bleeding-heart saint—he waved his hand, and countless black Hun Chains pierced through the bodies of these Dou Huang and Dou Zong disciples and Elders.

The stronger Dou Zong were also defeated by Zi Yan and Qing Lin; agonized screams and pleas for mercy came from the Hun Lings, but Xiao Yan spared none, for these Ice River Valley disciples had once targeted Yan Alliance disciples.

The Ice River Valley's actions had crossed Xiao Yan's bottom line.

Moreover, these people knew too much.

"Y—you're from the Soul Hall!" The last words from the Frost Venerable were these, before being killed by Qinghai Venerable with a single palm strike—his Soul Body was also taken away.

Xiao Yan didn't care about the Soul Body of a mere One Star Dou Zun—the Four Star Peak Dou Zun's Soul Body was worth far more.

Just as Xiao Yan planned to have Xiao Yixian join forces against the Smoke Snake Venerable, a violent surge occurred—the Smoke Snake Venerable instantly transformed into his true form: a gigantic serpent, its entire body like swirling smoke.

"Snake Shed Smoke Escape!!"

With a puff, the Smoke Snake Venerable bit down hard on his own body, willingly inflicting grave injuries to activate his escape Body Technique—immediately, countless smoke veils that blocked perception surged forth.

Xiao Yan froze—how could he escape this Sealing Grand Array that locked the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths?

Instantly, Xiao Yan sensed something wrong—he narrowed his eyes, swept his Soul Force across the Sealing Grand Array, and suddenly stared at one spot—a gap had appeared!

"It's the impact from just now with the Ice Venerable—it created a gap!" Xiao Yan gritted his teeth—he never expected that in his hundredfold precautions, the collision between the Po Tian Fire Lotus and the Ice Venerable's Quasi Heavenly Rank Dou Technique had actually blasted a tiny hole in the Sealing Grand Array!

With a hiss, a wisp of smoke, as fast as light, shot through the gap and escaped.

"Qinghai, immediately lift the seal! Xiao Yixian, Yao Lao—don't let that bastard get away!" Xiao Yan couldn't help but regret—he had been so careless!

Xiao Yixian and Yao Lao both understood the gravity—they unleashed their fastest speeds and chased after him.

But then came an event Xiao Yan never anticipated—a familiar aura appeared within Xiao Yan's Soul Perception.

"If he's harmed, the Nine Underworld Dark Python Clan will be gone!"

A soft voice spiraled through the heavens; at the very moment this gentle voice, carrying a touch of ethereal aura, sounded, Xiao Yan's heart trembled—six years! Exactly six years!

When that graceful figure was taken from Jia Nan Academy, Xiao Yan was twenty; now, he was twenty-six.

Exactly six years—he had not heard that voice again!

When the voice sounded once more, Xiao Yan's first thought was: am I dreaming?

His throat moved slightly; Xiao Yan looked with disbelief at the warped space a hundred li away—the voice coming from his perception… was deeply familiar, as if etched into his soul; even if one day he forgot his own voice, this voice, deeply imprinted in his heart, he would never forget!

"Xun Er—is it you?"

With a boom, the escaping Smoke Snake Venerable was blasted backward by two elders behind Xun Er, crashing into the ground—already severely wounded by the Heavenly Flame Venerable and having drained vast amounts of Dou Qi to escape, the Smoke Snake Venerable fainted instantly.

"Miss, be careful—this one is a Five Star Dou Zun, stronger than both of us!" One of the elders beside Xun Er frowned heavily—what's going on? How did a Five Star Dou Zun show up here?!

They had hurried here upon hearing that Ice River Valley was mobilizing to capture Xiao Yan—but they found no Ice River Valley, only the Nine Underworld Dark Python Clan.

At this moment, Xun Er's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she gazed at the pale-gray-haired Xiao Yixian before her; for some reason, she felt a strange discomfort in her heart.

Xiao Yixian also furrowed her delicate brows as she stared back at Xun Er—without any reason, even though she had never seen Xun Er's face, at this moment, she knew: this woman was the one Xiao Yu had once mentioned—the girl named Xun Er from Jia Nan Academy.

The two women's gazes met across the air—and for a moment, sparks could almost be seen.

One wore a simple green robe, unadorned, yet subtly radiating a noble dignity that towered above heaven and earth—Xun Er.

The other wore a plain white robe, transformed into Tian Di Xuan Bian, carrying a trace of terrifying Poison.

At this moment, Xiao Yan ignored the Smoke Snake Venerable—his Bone Wings flared, and he flew toward the horizon; when he saw Xun Er, his eyes softened.

Xun Er was born with a noble aura, as if she were the sovereign of heaven and earth—her three thousand black tresses loosely bound by a pale purple silk ribbon, flowing softly along her graceful curves; occasionally, a breeze stirred them, lifting them with an otherworldly grace, like a celestial immortal who had strayed into the mortal world, exuding an untouchable ethereality.

Upon her flawless, exquisite face, her fair skin seemed as if it could be pierced with a breath, glowing with a healthy, alluring flush; a gentle smile lingered on her lips, radiating a warmth like spring breeze.

Just as Xiao Yan was about to fly over and embrace the figure he had not seen for six years, Xun Er moved before him—she extended her right hand, smiling, and said: "Hello, I'm Gu Xun Er, from the Gu Clan. You must be Xiao Yixian—I've often heard Brother Xiao Yan speak of a very close friend from Jia Nan Academy."

At these words, Xiao Yan froze in place; beside him, the Heavenly Flame Venerable wore a strange expression and slowly stepped back a few paces.

Xiao Yixian smiled faintly, took one step forward, and extended her own hand, saying: "Hello, I'm Xiao Yixian. The Yan Alliance has existed for many years, but I've rarely heard of Miss Gu's name."

Then, under Xiao Yan's gaze, the two women extended their jade-like hands and gently clasped them together.

Watching their joined hands, Xiao Yan's smile froze—he noticed that gray mist and golden flames were slowly rising from between their jade hands.

A crackling, popping sound erupted.

Two equally outstanding women, in their first meeting, had already launched a near-instantaneous, instinctive battle right before Xiao Yan's eyes.

For a moment, the clouds in the sky churned—even though neither had used any Dou Technique or even released Dou Qi, the heavens themselves reacted with anomalies!

Xiao Yan swallowed hard, and a plan formed in his mind.

Puff! Suddenly, Xiao Yan spat out a mouthful of blood—his Dou Qi surged chaotically, his Bone Wings lost effect, and he plummeted from the sky.

"Brother Xiao Yan!" Xun Er's eyes widened in panic—she pulled her hand away and flashed instantly to Xiao Yan's side, catching him in her arms.

Xiao Yixian, whose foot had already stepped forward, hesitated—though her Cultivation Realm was higher, her uncompetitive nature often left her at a disadvantage.

"I—I'm fine, just the side effect of a Secret Technique."

Xiao Yan coughed twice, sighing inwardly—he hadn't been injured this badly even fighting the Ice Venerable, yet now he'd forced himself to be wounded over this!

Women's battles are even more perilous!

(End of this chapter)