BTTH : Emperor Yang

Ye Xian'er's face was filled with sorrow, her heart gripped by fear. "I regretted it… I was scared… I didn't want to awaken my constitution."

"But I couldn't control myself. I couldn't suppress the desire to devour poison. I refused it in my heart, but my hands still went ahead and crafted the poison… and then I ate it."

"Do you remember how I promised you that I wouldn't touch poison again? But sometimes, I just can't help it. I would secretly mix the toxins behind your back."

Her small hands clenched into fists, and her delicate body trembled. "I'm so scared… I'm afraid that one day, I won't be able to control the poison and will hurt you. I'm afraid that one day, you'll start to hate me… find me disgusting… and leave me."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she sobbed, "I'm scared that one day, the poison will completely devour me, and I'll suffer an agonizing death from Ten Thousand Poisons Corrosion. I'll die horribly… and you'll see it happen… wuu wuu…"

At this moment, Ye Xian'er looked like a lost little girl, an abandoned cub—weak, pitiful, and helpless.

Wei Yang let her vent for a while before stepping forward. Ye Xian'er instinctively tried to dodge, but he caught her in his arms, holding her tightly with heartache in his gaze.

She didn't struggle. Instead, she clung to Wei Yang even harder, her grip tightening around him.

Pa~

A crisp slap echoed.

Wei Yang smacked her perky little butt.

Ye Xian'er shivered slightly but obediently nestled into his embrace, unmoving.

Pa! Pa! Pa!

A few more slaps landed.

"Are you still going to throw a tantrum?" Wei Yang asked.

"N-no more…" Ye Xian'er vigorously shook her small head, burying her face in his chest as she mumbled her response.

From Wei Yang's angle, he could clearly see a blush creeping up her fair neck.

"I've told you before—your constitution problem can be solved. But you just won't believe me, huh?"

Wei Yang scolded, slightly angry. "Did I ever say I'd abandon you? No, right? No matter what happens, we'll face it together. So why would I suddenly find you repulsive?"

"I knew you were an Woeful Poison Body from the start. If I was going to abandon you, I would've done it a long time ago, don't you think?"

"I… I was just scared…" Ye Xian'er murmured softly, feeling wronged.

"Don't be afraid. I'm here. Trust me." Wei Yang gently stroked her back, his tone softening.

Ye Xian'er lifted her teary gaze, looking at him with her beautiful, misty eyes. "But the Rainbow Poison Book says that every Woeful Poison Body meets a tragic end…"

"Do you believe the Rainbow Poison Book, or do you believe me?" Wei Yang asked.

"I believe you," Ye Xian'er replied without hesitation.

"Then that's settled. If I say it can be solved, then it can be solved."

"Oh…"

"You advanced too quickly this time. In just a short period, you jumped from Eighth Stage Dou Zhi Qi straight to Three-Star Dou Zhe. Don't consume any more poison for now—try to endure it. Wait until you've fully adapted to your current strength before making any further decisions," Wei Yang instructed.

"Okay."

Six Months Later

Wei Yang broke through once again, smoothly advancing to Dou Ling.

In the Jia Ma Empire, Dou Ling experts were already considered high-level figures.

And at this moment, he was only seventeen and a half years old.

This made him sigh with emotion—his talent was indeed exceptional.

After cultivating the Furious Lion Blazing Art, a High-Level Xuan-Grade technique, it seemed like his true potential had been unlocked. And even now, he couldn't see the limit.

At least so far, Wei Yang hadn't encountered a bottleneck or felt any pressure in his cultivation.

His progress had always been natural, breaking through with ease—without ever relying on medicinal pills.

Wei Yang estimated that, based purely on talent alone, he could likely reach the peak of Dou Huang, or even break into the Dou Zong realm.

At this rate, his talent was probably not inferior to those ancient clans with eighth or ninth-grade bloodlines.

Meanwhile, Ye Xian'er had also progressed at a monstrous speed over the past six months. She had just recently advanced to the Da Dou Shi realm.

In half a year, she had gone from a Three-Star Dou Zhe straight to Da Dou Shi. The speed was simply absurd.

And this was under Wei Yang's strict control—if she hadn't been restrained, she might already be at the peak of Da Dou Shi, or even Dou Ling.

With an abundance of financial resources, Ye Xian'er never had to worry about obtaining the materials for her poison refining.

So the only thing she needed to focus on was getting familiar with her cultivation realm and mastering her rapidly increasing strength.

It was precisely because of Wei Yang's immense financial support that she was able to advance so rapidly, even while deliberately suppressing her growth.

After all, refining deadly poisons required various materials, herbs, and other rare ingredients—each of which was incredibly expensive.

The more potent the poison, the rarer and more valuable the required materials and herbs.

"Dou Ling!"

Sensing the surging and overwhelming power within his body, Wei Yang's consciousness dove inward.

Inside his dantian, an irregularly shaped Dou Crystal hovered quietly. Compared to when he was in the Da Dou Shi realm, its size had increased significantly.

And the energy it contained—was utterly terrifying.

Withdrawing his mind, Wei Yang slowly opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing through them like lightning streaking through the void.

Whoo—

He exhaled a breath of impure air.

"Dou Ling… With this strength, I can finally begin planning for the Green Lotus Core Flame," Wei Yang thought to himself.

At this point, the main plotline—where Xiao Yan gets his engagement annulled—was still about six months away.

There was plenty of time.

Swoosh!

High up in the sky.

Wei Yang flew through the air, carrying Ye Xian'er in his arms. The two of them were wrapped in a layer of crimson Dou Qi.

Behind him, a pair of massive black wings, spanning nearly twenty feet, spread open.

With each flap of his wings, their figures transformed into a streak of black and crimson light, heading eastward toward the Tagore Desert in the Jia Ma Empire.

Ye Xian'er's delicate arms were wrapped around Wei Yang's neck, her entire body nestled closely against his chest. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with excitement as she curiously observed the world below.

This was her first time experiencing flight.

Wei Yang held Ye Xian'er's slender waist with one hand while flying, his mind carefully contemplating the details of his plan.

His gaze flickered as he mused, "In the original story, Medusa took the Heavenly Flame roughly six months before Xiao Yan ventured into the desert for training. That means I still have at least a year, maybe close to two, before she takes the Green Lotus Core Flame. So there's no need to rush."

"The exact location of the Green Lotus Core Flame is near the eastern outskirts of Rock Desert City, roughly several dozen to a hundred miles away."

"When the time comes, I can search inch by inch—it shouldn't be too difficult. After all, the temperature near the Heavenly Flame is slightly higher than surrounding areas, and the fire attribute energy in the air is also noticeably denser."

"In the original story, the Ice Emperor Hai Bodong had already gathered some information about the Heavenly Flame. But since I'm not an alchemist, if I seek him out, he probably won't even bother with me—let alone agree to cooperate."

"Besides, even though that guy is sealed by Medusa, his strength is still at the high-tier Dou Ling level… With my current power, I stand no chance against him," Wei Yang shook his head.

After all, Hai Bodong was a veteran Dou Huang. Even though his cultivation was suppressed to the Dou Ling realm, he still wasn't someone Wei Yang could afford to provoke at this stage.

Challenging someone above his level?

That guy was an experienced Dou Huang who had no shortage of cultivation techniques and Dou Techniques. Wei Yang, as a mere one-star Dou Ling, had absolutely no advantage over him.

So this time, he wasn't planning to seek out Hai Bodong at all.

As for the three best auxiliary items Xiao Yan used in the original story to refine the Green Lotus Core Flame, Wei Yang hadn't prepared a single one.

First, the Blood Lotus Pill—a tier-five pill—was an essential protective measure for absorbing the Heavenly Flame. Without it, even a Dou Huang like Medusa would suffer severe injuries from the flames.

And right now, Wei Yang was just a mere one-star Dou Ling—he wouldn't even last a second.

After all, this Green Lotus Core Flame was a fully matured Heavenly Flame, with power equivalent to a Dou Huang.

But the Blood Lotus Pill was a tier-five pill. Forget about obtaining a recipe—even if Wei Yang got his hands on one, there were barely any alchemists in the entire Jia Ma Empire capable of successfully refining it.

As for the Ice Spirit Cold Fountain, he knew where to find it.

But the Acceptance Soul? That would be difficult to obtain.

Still, Wei Yang wasn't too concerned.

After all, his primary objective in searching for the Green Lotus Core Flame wasn't actually the flame itself—but the eleven lotus seeds it produced.

The Green Lotus Core Flame was just a secondary goal.