Word Count: 2,376 Words
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To cultivate the Vajra Glass Body, one had to infuse Dou Qi into the bones, flesh, and skin through a uniquely precise method. This fusion process imposed extremely rigorous demands on one's physical constitution.
'It's somewhat similar to the Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor.'
The Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor transformed blood essence into an ancient cuirass across the skin's surface, forming a protective shell. It would pair perfectly with the Vajra Glass Body, stacking layer upon layer of defense.
Casting aside all distractions, Xiao Yan exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. Following the cultivation method detailed in the scroll, he began attempting to master this so-called Vajra Glass Body.
Shortly after he shut his eyes, brilliant golden light erupted from his form. As the radiance intensified, his physique abruptly swelled as if air were being pumped into it. Faint sounds of twisting bones crackled through the air.
The expansion accelerated alongside the ever-brightening light. In less than half a minute, Xiao Yan's height had nearly doubled, transforming him into a small giant. His originally fair skin now bore a lustrous dark-gold sheen.
Once his frame had expanded to roughly twice its normal size, the growth finally halted. The golden radiance gradually dimmed as his body swiftly contracted, returning to its previous proportions in the blink of an eye.
A low hum resonated as the Three Thousand Burning Flame and Yin-Yang Twin Flame surged forth, merging into a tri-colored Heavenly Flame that coiled around him like a protective dragon, diligently mending his fractured bones.
'Sigh, body-tempering techniques really aren't meant for humans.'
The corner of Xiao Yan's mouth twitched. Without the Yin-Yang Twin Flame and Three Thousand Burning Flame constantly healing him, the agony alone might have been enough to kill him!
'Let's continue.'
With an inward sigh, he closed his eyes once more. Golden light burst forth as his body repeatedly expanded, contracted, swelled again, then shrank back. Throughout the process, his frame constantly ballooned, fractured, tore, and healed in an endless cycle.
What Xiao Yan didn't realize was that if the Dou Saint who had created the Vajra Glass Body could witness this spectacle, their eyes would probably bulge from their skull in shock. Others expanded their bodies gradually, little by little, lest they explode from internal pressure. Yet Xiao Yan was expanding by full inches, sometimes several at once.
This wasn't entirely surprising. Refining Heavenly Flames had subtly yet profoundly transformed his constitution over the years. Moreover, he possessed the Three Thousand Burning Flame and Yin-Yang Twin Flame, both perfectly suited for body tempering. His compatibility with the Vajra Glass Body couldn't have been better.
Half a month passed swiftly. Thanks to those two flames and his relentless, almost reckless cultivation method, Xiao Yan achieved minor mastery of the Vajra Glass Body in just two weeks!
'Vajra Glass Body, Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor—activate!'
The seated Xiao Yan suddenly snapped his eyes open. A blinding flash of golden light erupted from his body, accompanied by a resonant dragon's roar. His form began expanding, transforming into radiant, crystalline substance resembling glass-like vajra. Then a set of ancient purple-gold armor materialized across his enlarged frame.
Xiao Yan clenched his fist, feeling tremendous power surge through every fiber of his being. He finally understood what Wuxia novels meant by a 'diamond body, indestructible to all weapons.' It was a sensation of absolute solidity and invincibility.
"Hahaha, not bad at all!"
Dong! Dong! Dong!
He pounded his fists together, producing crisp metallic sounds. In this enhanced state, if he faced Gu Qing Yang's full-strength Emperor Seal Technique again, he could probably withstand it head-on without suffering significant damage!
The commotion caught Little Fairy Doctor's attention. She had been absorbing toxic mist elsewhere in the Ancient Wasteland Region but hurried back upon hearing the noise. Her face lit up with genuine delight at his successful breakthrough.
With another resonant hum, Xiao Yan exhaled deeply and released his enhanced state, his body gradually shrinking back to normal size.
However, before he could greet her, he noticed Little Fairy Doctor's expression twist into one of horror. Her cheeks flushed crimson while her lips trembled slightly, as if she had witnessed something utterly 'shocking.'
"Hm?" Xiao Yan glanced down and suddenly realized that after half a month of cultivation, during which his body had endured constant tearing and regeneration, he had completely forgotten one crucial detail: his body would recover, but his clothes would not.
Xiao Yan immediately let out a theatrical shriek. "Ah! You big pervert, how dare you peek!"
Not only had he exposed himself, he was even trying to play the victim. Little Fairy Doctor's indignation nearly triggered an eruption of her Woeful Poison Body. Was he even human?!
"You… you shameless rogue!" She spun around hastily, though the images already burned into her beautiful eyes suggested certain sights would remain seared in her memory for life!
After hastily dressing, Xiao Yan approached the still-flustered Little Fairy Doctor from behind. He slipped his arms around her slender waist and grinned mischievously. "Now we're even. You've seen everything too."
Little Fairy Doctor's expression shifted to pure incredulity. What kind of twisted logic was this? How could these situations possibly be put on the same scale?!
She bit her rosy lip, then delivered a punch to his chest while stammering indignantly, "If you dare act so shamelessly again, I'll… I'll…"
For a moment, she couldn't even formulate a proper threat.
Xiao Yan couldn't help but laugh at her adorably flustered yet angry expression.
Unfortunately, the Mysterious Yellow Flame had expended its luck elsewhere this time. Before they could continue their playful bickering, an ancient, primordial aura suddenly swept across the entire Ancient Wasteland Region.
A peculiar, clear essence rippled through the sky like waves, spreading far and wide. Everyone who inhaled this essence experienced the same vision materializing deep within their minds.
An ancient, towering tree suffused with an aura of profound wisdom.
This was the legendary Bodhisattva Ancient Tree!
At that moment, the Central Plains erupted into absolute chaos!
Within the Ancient Wasteland Region, Xiao Yan and Little Fairy Doctor naturally sensed the phenomenon most clearly.
"It's some distance from the Xiao Realm," Little Fairy Doctor said gravely.
"Mm, but still within range of the spatial soul jade slips," Xiao Yan replied. The jade slips' range wasn't infinite, but fortunately it was sufficient.
Both instantly composed themselves, exchanging a meaningful glance before nodding. They departed the Xiao Realm through the soul passage and rushed back toward the Yan Alliance.
This time, Xiao Yan planned to bring the alliance's Dou Venerate experts along—Hai Bodong and Venerable Tian Huo, for instance. With the Xiao Realm serving as a sanctuary, they could at least guarantee everyone's survival.
When Xiao Yan and Little Fairy Doctor returned to the Jia Ma Empire, they found the Yan Alliance's experts already assembled and prepared for departure.
Besides the strongest members, Cai Lin and Qing Lin, Venerable Tian Huo was also present. After receiving a Venerate Ascension Spirit Pill from Xiao Yan, he had advanced another star to reach peak 8-star Dou Venerate. Recently, he had been incorporating formation diagrams from the spatial trade fair to improve his Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique, though half a month hadn't provided sufficient time to perfect it.
Alongside these three stood Nalan Yanran and Hai Bodong. Though both possessed only 1-star Dou Venerate strength, they were still Dou Venerates. With spatial soul jade slips ensuring their escape routes, their safety was assured.
"What's happened in the Central Plains this past half month?" Xiao Yan asked Ya Fei.
"Everything proceeded as expected. Nearly every major faction has deployed its elite forces. Any top-tier power with peak Dou Venerates is heading for the Ancient Wasteland Region. Many dispatched advance teams during this period, but results proved disappointing. Most couldn't even penetrate the outer perimeter." Ya Fei spoke rapidly. "Even the Profound Sky Sect and Nine Serene Deep Ground Python Tribe are mobilizing for the Ancient Wasteland Region, though the latter might be searching for Ancient Heaven Serpent relics."
"What about the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe?" Xiao Yan thought of that girl Zi Yan, wondering if she had fully refined the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit.
Ya Fei shook her head. "No word from the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe."
Xiao Yan wasn't disappointed. For the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe, no news was good news.
"However, the Dou God Clans will very likely appear."
At these words, several people glanced toward Xiao Yan while Cai Lin's expression grew somewhat peculiar.
If she encountered Xun Er, what identity should she assume? After all, her relationship with Xiao Yan contained more than a little twist of fate.
Xiao Yan coughed lightly, feeling rather flustered himself. But eventually, awkward situations had to be faced directly. Once Xun Er achieved Dou Saint, she could freely leave the Gu Realm.
He and Xun Er had already reached an understanding: once she became a Dou Saint, she would visit the Jia Ma Empire to meet Xiao Zhan and the rest of the family. She had also expressed eagerness to meet Cai Lin properly and spend time with little Xiao Xiao and Xiao Cai. The meeting was inevitable regardless. Deliberately avoiding it would only increase the awkwardness.
"Ahem, everyone take these jade slips." Xiao Yan changed the subject. "If you encounter danger in the Ancient Wasteland Region, crush them immediately and you'll be transported to safety." He distributed jade slips to everyone present.
When Nalan Yanran's turn arrived, Xiao Yan smiled. "That Tian Class Dou Technique was very expensive. Don't waste my two Venerate Ascension Spirit Pills. You'd better bring back at least one Bodhisattva Seed."
Nalan Yanran immediately gritted her teeth and raised her fist as if to hammer him. Everyone else received their slips freely, but she had to earn hers through merit!
"Hmph! Don't worry, I won't owe you so much as a copper coin!" She snatched the jade slip with an indignant huff, clutching her Psychic White Fox while refusing to acknowledge this insufferable man!
There was good reason for bringing people into the Ancient Wasteland Region. As an alchemist, Xiao Yan desperately needed Bodhisattva Seeds, the primary ingredient for refining Bodhisattva Pills. While he competed for the Bodhisattva Heart, he might lack time to harvest seeds himself and would need others to gather them.
Naturally, more people meant better chances of success.
"Sister Ya Fei, I'm entrusting the Yan Alliance to your care. If you face threats you can't handle, crush this spatial jade slip." Xiao Yan handed Zhu Li's spatial jade slip to Ya Fei.
For this expedition, he was mobilizing every Dou Venerate in the alliance. The Bodhisattva Heart's allure was simply too strong. With it, breaking through to Dou Saint would become far more achievable.
"I understand. Be careful, Little Brother Xiao Yan."
Though their team wasn't particularly large in numbers, it possessed formidable strength. With this many experts united, Xiao Yan felt confident they could defeat even a Half-Saint.
…
The Ancient Wasteland Region lay incredibly far from Yan Alliance territory. Even using the Nihility Devouring Flame to warp space, the journey required nearly six full days.
During their travels through spatial passages, they repeatedly sensed other Dou Venerates opening spatial tunnels, all heading toward the same destination. Clearly, everyone shared identical goals. Xiao Yan sighed inwardly at this realization.
The Ancient Treasure Pavilion had calculated perfectly. By releasing advance intelligence, they had lured countless experts toward humanity's supposed forbidden zone.
But those words, 'become a Saint on the spot,' proved irresistible even to someone like Xiao Yan. The temptation was simply too powerful.
Wasteland Town served as the human settlement closest to the Ancient Wasteland Region. Normally sparsely populated due to the area's fearsome reputation, this town typically remained quiet and desolate year-round. Now, however, the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree's emergence had drawn endless streams of visitors, transforming the once-silent town into a raucous hub. The noise carried for miles.
Upon arrival, Cai Lin and Qing Lin departed to rendezvous with Yan Alliance intelligence operatives stationed there in advance, gathering information about recent developments.
When the two women returned, however, their expressions had grown grave.
"What's the situation?" Xiao Yan asked.
"The Ancient Wasteland Region has become far more dangerous than before." Cai Lin's delicate brows furrowed as she spoke gravely. "When the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree first manifested, a team of numerous Dou Venerates attempted to seize the early advantage."
"None survived. Their strongest member was reportedly a 7-star Dou Venerate, yet all perished."
Even Xiao Yan's expression shifted at these words. A 7-star Dou Venerate couldn't even escape?! What manner of danger awaited them?!
"The Bodhisattva Ancient Tree's appearance seems to have stirred the magical beast factions within the region as well," Little Fairy Doctor said.
Everyone nodded in agreement. Powerful tribes existed within the Ancient Wasteland Region. While the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree couldn't enhance magical beast bloodlines, it still offered tremendous benefits. They would naturally compete for the Bodhisattva Heart as well.
Fortunately, Xiao Yan hadn't chosen to travel directly from the Xiao Realm to the tree's location. Otherwise, even he might have been overwhelmed.
"Tomorrow, large forces will enter together. We can follow behind them," Cai Lin suggested.
Xiao Yan's fingers drummed thoughtfully on the table. The Ancient Wasteland Region definitely harbored strange dangers. Reaching its depths would require maintaining constant vigilance.
"Mm. The Ancient Treasure Pavilion's three factions must have calculated this precisely, deliberately drawing experts from across the Central Plains to assault the region collectively and disperse the magical beasts' attention." Xiao Yan nodded.
It resembled colonies of ants surviving through sheer numbers. Only by banding together could they hope to break through the Ancient Wasteland Region's defenses.
"By the way, where's Yun Yun? Hasn't she arrived yet?" Xiao Yan turned to Nalan Yanran.
Though Yun Yun had nominally joined the Flower Sect as its leader, the Yan Alliance and Flower Sect maintained allied relations. For this Ancient Wasteland expedition, Flower Sect support would prove invaluable.
After all, the Flower Sect boasted two Half-Saints among its ranks.
Nalan Yanran rolled her eyes at him in exasperation. Recalling certain events at the Flower Sect caused her cheeks to flush involuntarily. "Master will arrive tomorrow. She plans to enter with the main coalition."