"Control the Woeful Poison Body?!"
Xiao Yixian's expression changed drastically at Lin Ran's words, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.
According to the information she had read in the Poison Scripture, anyone born with the Woeful Poison Body was destined to suffer its curse for life. Their end would inevitably come from its eruption, and death under its toxic rampage had always been the final outcome—without exception.
Yet as she looked at Lin Ran's calm and composed demeanor, she couldn't help but find herself believing his words a little.
"That's right. Complete control over the Woeful Poison Body."
Lin Ran smiled faintly. "In fact, I could even help you remove the body altogether and turn you into an ordinary person."
"But to me, that would be far too cruel. The Woeful Poison Body is a gift, not a curse. I hope you can learn to use your gift instead of resisting it or discarding it."
"Because to do so… would be to deny your very self."
'Deny… myself?'
Xiao Yixian silently mulled over Lin Ran's words, a trace of hesitation flickering in her eyes. "You really… can do that?"
"Naturally. In fact, from what I know, there are three possible ways to suppress or control the Woeful Poison Body."
"Three?!"
"Indeed. Three methods."
Lin Ran's tone remained as calm as ever, yet each word carried unmistakable confidence.
"The Woeful Poison Body is an extremely rare and peculiar physique. Born with venom in the veins, those afflicted are lethal by mere touch and must rely on the ingestion of toxins just to survive. But the more poisons they consume, the more concentrated the toxin buildup becomes—until the day it erupts. When that day comes, all life within a thousand miles is extinguished."
"There are two types of this body: innate and artificial. Innate cases are inherited at birth, while artificial ones are induced through external means. You belong to the innate kind—meaning your poison is even more potent. And while it is said to be incurable, there are certain conditions under which it can be brought under control."
"And the first of those methods is called the Poison Core Method."
Lin Ran paused briefly before continuing, "The Poison Core Method involves condensing all the toxic essence within the body and forging it into a Poison Core. Once formed, your Woeful Poison Body will evolve into a truly terrifying force. On the continent, there have been a few incidents of disaster brought about by this physique, yet none of those cases managed to reach this level. Why? Because the materials needed to achieve it are unimaginably rare."
"To forge a Poison Core, three ingredients are required: three different types of Heavenly Flames, the magic core of a Tier Seven Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast, and a drop of Bodhi Transforming Saliva."
As Lin Ran listed each item, Xiao Yixian's hopeful expression gradually dimmed.
The requirements were far too overwhelming. No wonder no one bearing the Woeful Poison Body had ever successfully achieved true control over it.
Of the three items, she had only ever heard of the so-called Heavenly Flames.
Across the Dou Qi Continent, these mystical fires were famed for their destructive force. If an ordinary cultivator managed to obtain just one, their power would rise exponentially. If a pharmacist acquired one, their success in pill refinement would skyrocket. For that reason, Heavenly Flames were immensely coveted by both warriors and alchemists alike.
However, their rarity was just as well-known. To obtain even one was already a blessing from the heavens. Three? That was nothing short of a fantasy.
As for the second item—the magic core of a Tier Seven magical beast—Xiao Yixian didn't even know what a Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast was. But just hearing the phrase "Tier Seven" was enough to send despair through her heart.
Tier Seven magical beasts were equivalent to a human Dou Zong!
Even a powerful Dou Zong might not be a match for such a creature, and she herself wasn't even at the level of a Dou Zhe. It was impossible.
And the last item—Bodhi Transforming Saliva—she had never even heard of.
But if it was placed alongside those other two rare items, it could only be something unimaginably precious.
With such absurd requirements, it was clear why those bearing the Woeful Poison Body were said to be doomed from birth. This wasn't something ordinary people could ever hope to accomplish.
Lin Ran saw the light dimming in her eyes and smiled calmly. "The Poison Core Method may be difficult, but it's not impossible. The scorpion dragon's core and the Bodhi Saliva—those, I can get for you. It's only the three Heavenly Flames that might be a little tricky."
He wasn't like Xiao Yan. He didn't cultivate the Flame Mantra.
And besides, the Flame Mantra in its early stages was frankly terrible—only a low-level Yellow-tier technique. Although it could evolve by devouring Heavenly Flames, its growth was agonizingly slow.
Xiao Yan had to consume the Purple Flame, the Green Lotus Core Flame, the Fallen Heart Flame, the Three Thousand Burning Flame, and the Bone Spirit Cold Flame—five different Heavenly Flames—before Flame Mantra finally reached the level of a Heaven-tier technique.
But Lin Ran? He had started with a Heaven-tier technique from the very beginning.
He wasn't denying that Flame Mantra had a higher ceiling, but if given the choice, Lin Ran would still pick the Heaven-tier "Pleasure Zen Bliss Technique" any day.
That being said, he didn't mind dabbling in Flame Mantra eventually—perhaps after he'd reached the peak of Dou Zun or even the Half-Saint level.
"So it's only the Heavenly Flames that are a bit troublesome?"
Xiao Yixian's mind reeled at Lin Ran's casual tone. That was a Tier Seven magic core he had brushed off. Just who was this man?
"What about… the second method?"
She couldn't help but ask. Despite Lin Ran's composure, she knew the Poison Core Method was simply out of her reach.
"The second one?" Lin Ran tapped his chin, considering. "My master once mentioned it briefly. Somewhere in Zhongzhou, there exists an ancient tomb hidden from the world. Within it lies another method for controlling the Woeful Poison Body. In fact, the Poison Core Method itself originated from there."
"An ancient tomb?"
Xiao Yixian was surprised. "Who was the person who created the Poison Core Method? To have understood the Woeful Poison Body to such an extent… what kind of existence must they have been?"
"No one in this world could possibly understand the Woeful Poison Body better," Lin Ran said. "Because she, too, had it."
Xiao Yixian's eyes widened.
"In her final days, even as her body teetered on the edge of collapse, she managed to develop these techniques to suppress the poison within her. But she was too late. Her body was already consumed, and she died before she could use her own discovery."
"She was also…" Xiao Yixian murmured, her tone heavy with emotion. "No wonder."
She felt a strange kinship with that unknown woman—a sense of shared fate.
To solve the riddle of the poison only to die just before the answer could save her… that was a kind of despair she could understand all too well.
Was this truly the fate of the Woeful Poison Body?
She sighed gently, a soft sadness flickering in her chest.
But then she turned to Lin Ran again, her eyes uncertain.
"Then… what's the third method?"
"The third method?"
Lin Ran's lips curled into a slight smirk, and that familiar unrestrained gleam returned to his eyes.
Before she could react, he extended his hand, pointing to himself.
"That would be me."
"Eh?!"
(End of Chapter)