16: Chapter 16 The First Appearance of the Poisonous Body, The Secret Within the Ring

Cold rain dripped down from soaked hair tips, mixed with the scent of soil and grass leaves.

Lin Yan pulled Xiao Yi Xian along, and under the cover of the torrential rain and the heaven-shaking roars of the Amethyst Winged Lion King, they dashed several miles deep into the dense forest in one breath, stopping only when they could no longer hear the shouts of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group, in a relatively dry depression beneath a giant rock.

Both were panting, covered in mud.

Lin Yan's left shoulder had been grazed by Mu Li's final claw strike, which carried an icy aura; it burned with pain, and the area around the wound was faintly suffused with an unnatural greenish-black color, clearly indicating that the cold Dou Qi contained corrosive poison.

Xiao Yi Xian appeared to have no obvious external injuries, but her face was exceptionally pale. She tightly clutched the stone box containing the "Seven-Colored Poison Manual," her slender fingers trembling slightly from the force, while her emerald-green eyes were a tapestry of excitement, confusion, and a hint of deeply hidden fear.

"We are safe for the moment." Lin Yan let go of her hand, leaned his back against the rock wall, and quickly scanned his surroundings, confirming there were no signs of pursuers or magical beasts approaching.

He immediately took out a common detox pill and an improved energy-storing pill from his storage ring and swallowed them. He then circulated his Dou Qi, attempting to dispel the sinister poison at the wound on his left shoulder.

The vital energy of the Living Spirit Flame flowed quietly, and combined with the medicinal pills, the greenish-black color slowly faded, though it would still take time to completely eradicate it.

"You're injured!" Only then did Xiao Yi Xian notice the injury on Lin Yan's shoulder. Putting aside her own emotions, she hurriedly set down the stone box and stepped forward to check it.

She skillfully took a few herbs from her small bag and quickly crushed them. "These are 'Heart-Clearing Grass' and 'Silver Leaf Flower'; they can neutralize most low-level poisons. Apply it quickly." Her voice was filled with unquestionable concern.

Lin Yan did not refuse, letting her treat the wound. As the herbs were applied, a wave of coolness washed over him, and the pain and numbness were immediately reduced significantly.

"Thank you." He looked at Xiao Yi Xian and noticed that when her fingertips touched the herbs, a faint, unnatural grayish-white color seemed to appear, but it vanished in an instant.

Xiao Yi Xian seemed to have noticed something as well; she abruptly pulled back her hand and hid it behind her back, her eyes darting away, her face turning even paler.

"You..." Just as Lin Yan was about to ask, the system's urgent notification sounded in his mind again, clearer than before:

[Warning! Detected high-concentration, unstable Calamity Poison Body origin leaking slightly! Contacts must isolate themselves from the poisonous gas. It is recommended that the target stabilize their mind as soon as possible to avoid drastic emotional fluctuations triggering a full eruption of the Calamity Poison Body!]

[Warning! The mysterious black ring has detected the host's intense focus and approaching Dou Qi, and the weak seal on its surface is accelerating its loosening! It contains high-concentration soul fragments and the aura of a Heavenly Flame (escaped marker detected)! It is strongly recommended to immediately apply an isolation seal or allow the system to temporarily contain and analyze it! Risk Level: Medium!]

Two warnings appeared simultaneously! Lin Yan's heart tightened. Xiao Yi Xian's Calamity Poison Body was showing signs of instability due to her recent emotional fluctuations (the excitement of obtaining the poison manual, the tension of being hunted, and the fear for her own fate)!

And that black ring was indeed not simple. Not only did it contain residual soul fragments and the aura of a Heavenly Flame, but it had also been marked? Marked by whom? Yao Lao's ring didn't have such things!

"Xiao Yi Xian," Lin Yan's voice slowed, his gaze calm and firm as he looked at her, "sit down first, take a deep breath, and don't think about anything. You might have been a bit agitated just now; steady your mind. Trust me, it will be alright."

His voice seemed to carry a certain power that calmed the heart. Xiao Yi Xian looked at his steady gaze, and the panic in her heart calmed slightly. She sat down as instructed, closed her eyes, and tried hard to adjust her breathing, but the slightly trembling eyelashes and tightly clenched hands showed that the turbulence in her heart was far from subsided.

Lin Yan took this opportunity to quickly deal with the problem of the black ring. He communicated with the system through his thoughts: "System, can you temporarily contain this ring for analysis? What is the cost?"

[You can spend 100 system points to activate the 'Item Depth Analysis' and 'Temporary Isolation Containment' functions. During the analysis, the ring's connection to the outside world will be temporarily blocked, rendering the marker sensing ineffective. Execute?]

"Execute!" Lin Yan did not hesitate. Points could be earned again, but the hidden danger of this ring had to be controlled immediately.

[Command confirmed. Consuming 100 points. Starting containment and analysis...]

The cold black ring in his hand trembled slightly, a shimmer invisible to the naked eye passing over its surface, before it vanished from Lin Yan's palm and appeared in an independent grid within the system's inventory, shrouded in a faint white light.

Almost at the same time the ring disappeared, Lin Yan vaguely felt as if, in the netherworld, there was an extremely distant, extremely indifferent "gaze" that had seemed to linger faintly around the ring, but now, having lost its target, it quietly dissipated.

"The marker has been blocked... This ring is indeed a hot potato." Lin Yan breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, having temporarily resolved this hidden danger. The system analysis would take time; now, what was more important was Xiao Yi Xian.

He looked at Xiao Yi Xian and found that her breathing had stabilized quite a bit, but her face remained pale, and on her exposed wrists and neck, those fine grayish-white patterns seemed to faintly emerge again for a split second.

"How are you feeling?" Lin Yan asked softly.

Xiao Yi Xian opened her eyes, the expression in them complex—filled with gratitude, bitterness, and a deep sense of helplessness. "I... I don't seem to be able to control my own body."

Her voice was a bit hoarse as she spread her hands. Beneath the skin of her palms, the grayish-white patterns writhed slightly like living creatures, carrying a chilling and eerie beauty. "It has been like this since I was little. Sometimes when my emotions are agitated, or when I come into contact with certain specific things, my body will undergo this change... Grandfather said this is a curse, an omen of disaster."

Her gaze fell on the stone box of the "Seven-Colored Poison Manual" nearby. "But this thing has been calling out to me... It says it can let me control this 'curse'."

Lin Yan was silent for a moment, then said earnestly: "This is not a curse, Xiao Yi Xian. This is an extremely rare and extremely powerful special physique—the Calamity Poison Body. It makes you naturally close to poison, able to be immune to most toxins, and even able to draw strength from poisonous substances to become stronger. But correspondingly, if you cannot control it, when the poison body erupts, it will also harm yourself and everything around you. The 'Seven-Colored Poison Manual'... perhaps it is the key to controlling it."

"Calamity Poison Body?" Xiao Yi Xian murmured, repeating the words. A faint glimmer appeared in her eyes, but it immediately dimmed again. "Control? Is it really possible? I..."

She remembered the trace of poison power that had been involuntarily triggered when her fingertips touched the herbs on Lin Yan's wound, and her heart was filled with fear. "Will I... hurt others? Just like just now, I almost..."

"You didn't hurt me just now." Lin Yan interrupted her, his tone firm. "You controlled it in time and even treated my wound. This proves that you have the potential to control it."

He paused. "You can try to study this poison manual, but remember to proceed step by step and not be overly hasty. If you have any discomfort or doubts, you can always... we can study it together." He had originally wanted to say "you can ask me," but thinking that he was not proficient in the way of poison, he changed his words.

Xiao Yi Xian looked up at him, her emerald-green eyes reflecting Lin Yan's calm and sincere face. In this Qingshan Town, where everyone viewed her as either a "kind doctor" or an "object of desire," it was the first time someone had so calmly accepted her "abnormal" side—without fear, without greed, just stating facts and offering support. An indescribable warm current dispersed part of the icy cold in her heart.

"Thank you, Lin Yan." She whispered. Although her voice was soft, it carried an unprecedented seriousness. She engraved the name Lin Yan deep in her heart.

Just at that moment, in the distant sky, the furious roar of the Amethyst Winged Lion King reached its peak. Following that was a clear, sharp sword chime that seemed capable of cutting through space, and an explosion of terrifying energy far exceeding all previous collisions!

Even though they were far away, the two could feel the ground beneath their feet shake violently. A wild wind, carrying the violent aftermath of Dou Qi and branches and leaves filling the sky, swept toward them! Lin Yan subconsciously turned to the side, shielding Xiao Yi Xian behind him, his Dou Qi protecting his entire body.

The light of the explosion illuminated the dim rainforest as if it were daytime, then quickly dimmed. The Lion King's roar gradually turned into an unwilling pained howl and the sound of receding wind, and that cold, clear feminine aura also quickly converged and moved away.

The battle seemed to have reached a result, and... it was over.

"Did that senior who uses the sword win?" Xiao Yi Xian poked her head out, still feeling lingering fear.

"It should be." Lin Yan looked toward the direction of the energy explosion, his eyes deep. Yun Yun had won and obtained the purple spirit crystal, but she must have consumed a great deal of energy. And the Amethyst Winged Lion King was injured and had retreated to its lair... In the short term, the deterrent power of high-level magical beasts in this area would be greatly reduced, and those guys from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group would likely take the opportunity to search for them even more unscrupulously.

They had to leave here as soon as possible and find a safer place to plan their next move.

"We have to go; it's not safe here." Lin Yan made a prompt decision, checking the wound on his left shoulder; the poison had been suppressed. "Can you walk?"

Xiao Yi Xian nodded, picked up the stone box of the "Seven-Colored Poison Manual," and her eyes regained some of their usual calmness and tenacity. "I can."

Lin Yan took out the scroll of the "Purification Lotus Demon Flame remnant map (fake)" again. After a moment of thought, he did not put it away himself, but handed it to Xiao Yi Xian: "You keep this for now, too. It might be safer if they are kept together." He had a hunch that although this remnant map might be fake, it was not necessarily without value. Moreover, it might be tainted with the aura or contingency plans of the cave's original owner. Having it kept by Xiao Yi Xian, the "legitimate successor," might avoid some unknown risks.

Xiao Yi Xian hesitated for a moment, then took the remnant map and carefully wrapped it together with the poison manual's stone box. "Where are we going now?"

Lin Yan unfolded the map and scanned it. Returning to Qingshan Town would be walking right into a trap. Continuing deeper into the mountain range would be too dangerous, especially with Xiao Yi Xian, whose state was unstable.

"Go here." His finger landed on an inconspicuous mark on the map: "Luoying Ravine." It was a remote canyon with treacherous terrain and a hidden entrance, containing a water source. It was said to have once been the old lair of some kind of flying magical beast, now long abandoned, and not many people knew about it.

"We will go there to take shelter first. You need time to study the poison manual to initially control the poison body, and I also need to heal my wounds and digest what I have gained this time," Lin Yan planned. "After the storm passes, we will discuss our next steps."

Xiao Yi Xian had no objections. At this moment, Lin Yan was the only person she could trust and rely on.

The two did not delay any further, identified their direction, and quickly disappeared into the dense forest after the rain.

About half an hour after they left, several figures from the Wolf Head Mercenary Group cautiously searched their way to this giant rock area. Leading them was Mu Li, whose face was gloomy and whose arm was bandaged. He carefully examined the traces on the ground and the slight traces of poisonous blood left by Lin Yan, then looked in the general direction of Luoying Ravine, a flash of resentment and greed in his eyes.

"They went in that direction... They can't run!" Mu Li licked his lips. "Send a signal, tell the second team to flank the exit of Luoying Ravine from the side. That kid named Lin Yan, and Xiao Yi Xian... and the treasures in the cave, are all mine!"

In the sky, an inconspicuous gray signal smoke rose, merging into the rain clouds that had not yet dispersed. The undercurrents of Qingshan Town were quietly converging toward Luoying Ravine.