39: Chapter 39 Duel of Two Flames, Reappearance of the Wraith

The grotto was deep, and the passage wound downwards, as if leading to the Nine Netherworlds. Moss emitting a faint phosphorescent glow clung to the stone walls, barely illuminating the path ahead. The air was damp and cold, permeated by a strange, faint odor that was a mixture of decay and some peculiar, sweet fragrance. Lin Yan's soul perception extended forward like tentacles, vigilant against every dark corner.

As they went deeper, the surrounding scenery began to change. The stone walls were no longer rough rock but had gradually become smooth, even taking on a dull, ink-green color; they felt icy to the touch, with a texture that was neither quite jade nor stone. Scattered, strangely shaped bones began to appear on the ground. Most were small, appearing to be from certain venomous insects or snakes, but the color of the bones also showed an eerie ink-green or purple-black, clearly indicating they had been highly venomous while alive.

"The poison energy here... it's so pure, and so ancient," Xiao Yi Xian said softly, following behind Lin Yan. The Woe Poison Body energy within her was exceptionally active, as if she had returned home, greedily absorbing the free-floating, weak, yet high-essence poison-attribute energy in the air. Her eyes shimmered with a faint, emerald-green ghostly light in the darkness, and her perception of poisonous entities was magnified several times over here. "Be careful ahead; the poison gas concentration is increasing, and... there is the aura of living things. It's very faint, but carries intense hostility."

Lin Yan nodded, signaling Xiao Yi Xian to hold back. The "Pure Corrosion Soul Seal" between his brows lit up slightly, and a cold, pure soul force mixed with his perception spread outwards. Sure enough, at the corner of the passage ahead, he "saw" over a dozen strange flying insects, each the size of a fist, their bodies jade-green, with transparent thin wings on their backs and sharp mouthparts. They were quietly clinging to the ink-green stone wall, almost blending in with the surrounding environment. Their bodies contained astonishingly potent poison energy and carried a chaotic fluctuation of soul force; they were clearly a variant species of venomous insect bred by the special environment of this place.

"Jade Soul Poison Cicadas. Be careful, their poison can corrode the soul." Lin Yan recognized this rare venomous insect, which had a vague record in the "Seven-Colored Poison Manual." He flicked his finger, and a wisp of "Fallen Heart Flame" Seed Flame energy, compressed to the extreme, shot out silently. It did not directly attack the insects' bodies but instead seeped into the interior of the stone wall where they were perched.

"Sss..." The formless Heart Flame directly triggered a faint Heart Flame tremor within the stone wall. Those Jade Soul Poison Cicadas might not have been sensitive to physical attacks, but they had no resistance against this tremor that struck directly at the origin of the soul. Instantly, like dumplings being dropped into a pot, they fell from the stone wall one after another. After twitching a few times, they ceased all movement, and the poison souls within them quickly dissipated.

Having easily dealt with this batch of obstructing venomous insects, the two continued forward. At the end of the passage, the space suddenly opened up into a massive natural grotto.

In the center of the grotto, there was a small pool of water barely a zhang in radius! The pool water was not clear but presented a viscous, deep purple color that bubbled constantly, emitting a thick, cloying, sweet-smelling, highly poisonous aura, as well as an incomparably pure, cold energy. Growing on the edge of the pool were a few strange plants: one shaped like a lingzhi mushroom but entirely pitch-black, with silver veins on its surface (Ink Jade Poison Lingzhi); the other looked like a twisted vine, blooming with a palm-sized flower that shimmered with seven colors, so beautiful it was heart-stopping (Seven-Absolute Poison Immortal Flower)!

Both of these were top-tier, poison-attribute natural treasures recorded in the "Seven-Colored Poison Manual" that were rare and hard to come by! They possessed immeasurable value for cultivating poison arts and tempering a poison body! Seeing them, Xiao Yi Xian's breathing quickened slightly.

However, the existence guarding these treasures was certainly no easy opponent.

Right there in the deep purple poison pool, a black shadow resembling a piece of deadwood slowly surfaced. It was a strange snake, only the thickness of an arm but two zhang long, its entire body covered in fine, purple-black scales, with a small fleshy lump growing on the top of its head. Its pair of vertical pupils were pure silver, cold and ruthless, tightly locking onto the intruders. Most peculiarly, within its slightly opened snake maw, two flames of different colors were faintly dancing—a cluster of dark purple on the left, emitting toxic and cold fluctuations originating from the same source as the pool water; and a cluster of ghastly white on the right, which was shockingly similar to the flame in the skull of the Hall of Souls staff-wielder from before, yet even purer and more condensed—a "Degraded Purifying Soul Flame"!

"A two-headed... no, it's a Dual-Flame Nether Serpent!" Lin Yan's eyes narrowed. This type of magical beast was extremely rare, naturally capable of controlling two flames with vastly different properties: one was a Yin-poisonous flame, the other a Yin-soul flame. They complemented each other, and their power was eerie and unpredictable. Judging by its aura, it was at least a Tier 5 low-level magical beast (equivalent to a low-star Dou Wang). Moreover, it held the geographical advantage; that poison pool was clearly the source of its power.

"Hiss—!" The Dual-Flame Nether Serpent let out a threatening hiss. As its snake tongue flickered, the dark purple and ghastly white flames intertwined, causing the surrounding air to become distorted and icy, while carrying a strong sense of soul corrosion.

"Lin Yan, the Poison Lingzhi and the Poison Flower it guards are crucial to me!" Xiao Yi Xian said in a low voice. In her hand, she had already gripped several specially made poison needles; the tips shimmered with an eerie light of intertwined dark blue and grey-purple. These were the "Xuanming Poison Soul Needles," which fused the cold energy of Xuanming True Water with her Woe Poison Body energy.

"I'll take the lead in attacking, you wait for an opportunity to retrieve the treasures. Watch out for its white flame; it causes damage to the soul." Lin Yan quickly formulated a tactic. Facing a Tier 5 magical beast in an unfavorable environment, they had to finish the battle quickly. With a thought, he simultaneously activated the Green Lotus Core Flame and the Fallen Heart Flame Seed Flame within his body. A sensation of intense heat and formless burning rose from his body, countering the surrounding cold poison gas. The Void Swallowing Flame Seed Flame lay in wait within his meridians, ready to deal with that eerie white soul flame.

"Chi Rong, prepare to provide support. Block the cave entrance to prevent it from escaping or causing a larger commotion." Lin Yan notified Chi Rong outside through their Soul Contract.

"Understood, Master!" Chi Rong responded.

Without any wasted words, the Dual-Flame Nether Serpent launched the first attack! Its long, slender body shot out violently, fast as lightning. At the same time, it opened its snake maw wide, spraying a viscous stream of dark purple poison fire from the left side, while shooting a ghastly white bolt of soul flame from the right! The poison fire stream carried a Yin-poison that corroded everything, while the soul flame bolt aimed straight for the soul—it was incredibly insidious!

"Well come!" Lin Yan shouted in a low voice. The "Explosive Step" exploded beneath his feet, and his figure advanced instead of retreating. He sidestepped the sharpest trajectory of the soul flame bolt, while at the same time, the green and red firelight on his right fist surged violently, and he punched toward that stream of dark purple poison fire!

"Eight Extremities Collapse—Green Lotus Break!"

The scorching fist force of the Green Lotus Core Flame collided violently with the cold poison fire, producing a sharp, sizzling sound. The poison fire was forcibly dispersed by more than half, but the escaping poison gas still caused a numbing sensation in Lin Yan's arm.

At the same time, that ghastly white soul flame bolt had arrived before him! The Pure Corrosion Soul Seal between Lin Yan's brows lit up automatically, and a thin layer of pale halo emerged. The soul flame bolt struck the halo and melted away like ice and snow; most of it was absorbed and converted by the Soul Seal, while the remainder was forcibly shattered by Lin Yan with his powerful soul force!

A flash of shock and suspicion crossed the Dual-Flame Nether Serpent's eyes. Clearly, it had not expected its dual-flame attack to be neutralized so easily, especially the white soul flame, which it itself was somewhat wary of, yet it had had such minimal effect on the opponent.

Just at the moment when its old strength was exhausted and new strength had not yet arisen, Xiao Yi Xian moved! Her figure drifted toward the edge of the poison pool like a ghost, her target aimed straight at the Seven-Absolute Poison Immortal Flower! At the same time, several "Xuanming Poison Soul Needles" shot silently toward the Dual-Flame Nether Serpent's vital spot and eyes. The Xuanming cold energy and potent poison attached to the needles were something even it dared not underestimate.

"Hiss!" The Nether Serpent hissed in anger. Its long, slender tail whipped toward Xiao Yi Xian like a steel lash, while its body twisted to avoid the lethal poison needles. But Xiao Yi Xian's footwork was agile, and she dodged the snake's tail by a hair's breadth, her fingertips already touching the stem of the Poison Immortal Flower!

The Nether Serpent was completely enraged. Abandoning Lin Yan, it turned and lunged at Xiao Yi Xian. Opening both mouths simultaneously, an even denser dark purple poison fire and ghastly white soul fire gushed out, sealing off all of Xiao Yi Xian's retreat paths!

"Your opponent is me!" How could Lin Yan let it have its way? A black light flashed in his eyes, and the Void Swallowing Flame Seed Flame, which had been gathering momentum all along, was finally unleashed! A thread of fire, thin as a hair but pitch-black and deep to the extreme, arrived later yet struck first. As if possessing a life of its own, it precisely cut into the weak junction between the dark purple poison fire and the ghastly white soul fire!

"Void Swallowing Flame—Devour!"

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a heart-palpitating sense of "annihilation." Wherever the pitch-black thread of fire passed, whether it was the Yin-poisonous fire or the Yin-soul fire, it was as if erased by an eraser, disappearing silently by a segment! That characteristic of devouring all things made the Dual-Flame Nether Serpent feel a fear that originated from its very soul!

Its offensive faltered. Xiao Yi Xian seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, plucked the Seven-Absolute Poison Immortal Flower, stored it in a specially made jade box, and retreated rapidly.

"Got it, let's go!" Xiao Yi Xian shouted clearly.

Lin Yan did not linger in battle either; the Void Swallowing Flame Seed Flame was released and retracted immediately, consuming quite a bit of energy. He pulled Xiao Yi Xian up, activated Explosive Step at full power, and retreated rapidly toward the way they had come. Although the Ink Jade Poison Lingzhi was also a treasure, there was no time to collect it now.

"Hiss—!!!" Seeing the treasure snatched away, the Dual-Flame Nether Serpent let out a hiss of extreme rage. The entire poison pool boiled; its long, slender body shot out violently, pursuing relentlessly! At the same time, the small fleshy lump on the top of its head suddenly split open, and a drop of purple-black essence blood, emitting terrifying fluctuations of energy, seeped out and merged into the flames it spat out!

The next instant, the dark purple and ghastly white flames actually began to fuse, transforming into a strange purple-white flame. Its temperature was not high, but it carried a coldness that could freeze the soul, a potent poison that corroded all things, and a chaotic, frantic soul force erosion! Its power instantly skyrocketed several times over!

"Fused Flame? Not good!" Lin Yan's expression changed slightly; this beast was desperate! He suddenly pushed Xiao Yi Xian toward the passage behind him, turned around himself, and took a deep breath. The Green Lotus Core Flame, the Fallen Heart Flame, and a wisp of origin soul force from the Pure Corrosion Soul Seal between his brows were forcibly gathered into his right palm!

Three forces with vastly different properties, yet all incomparably powerful, conflicted and collided within the flesh and meridians of his palm, bringing a tearing, excruciating pain. But his eyes were cold, staring fixedly at the purple-white fused flame shooting toward him.

"Three-Flame... Return to Ruins Palm!"

He pushed out a palm! Green, red, and white lights twisted and intertwined, transforming into a chaotic-colored energy palm print. It was neither scorching nor cold, but a strange fluctuation that seemed capable of decomposing all things and returning them to their origin, meeting the purple-white flame!

"Boom—!!!" The two terrifying forces collided violently in the narrow passage! There were no scorching shockwaves, only silent energy annihilation and a terrifying soul storm! The ink-green jade on the stone walls of the passage was instantly covered in cracks, and large pieces fell off! Lin Yan let out a muffled groan, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, as he was pushed sliding backward by the recoil force, crashing into Xiao Yi Xian, who had rushed back to provide support.

The purple-white fused flame was also forcibly dispersed by more than half by the three-colored palm print. The remaining power also caused the Dual-Flame Nether Serpent to hiss and retreat, with charred marks appearing on its fine scales; it had clearly been injured as well.

"Go!" Lin Yan suppressed his churning blood and qi, and without hesitation, rushed into the passage they had come from with Xiao Yi Xian. Chi Rong had already been waiting outside to provide support. Seeing the two rush out, it immediately spewed magma to force back the Nether Serpent that had chased to the cave entrance, then carried the two and plunged headlong into the thick poison fog, fleeing for their lives toward the deeper parts of the swamp.

The Dual-Flame Nether Serpent chased out of the cave entrance, letting out an unwilling hiss toward the poison fog, but in the end, it did not pursue into the depths of the even denser and more chaotic poison miasma, which made even it feel uncomfortable.

Only after fleeing for dozens of miles and confirming that the Dual-Flame Nether Serpent was not pursuing did the two breathe a sigh of relief and land in a relatively dry pile of rubble.

Lin Yan sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing; the energy within his body was rampaging, and his soul throbbed with pain from forcibly activating the three forces. Xiao Yi Xian carefully examined the Seven-Absolute Poison Immortal Flower they had obtained, a look of joy appearing on her face.

However, before they could even catch their breath, the "Heart-Burning Seal" on Lin Yan's back and the "Pure Corrosion Soul Seal" between his brows simultaneously transmitted an unusual disturbance!

The Heart-Burning Seal throbbed with searing heat, while the Pure Corrosion Soul Seal emitted a cold warning fluctuation!

"Someone... no, something is approaching rapidly! Many! And... they carry a cold soul aura similar to those people from the Hall of Souls from before, but it's more heterogeneous, more chaotic, and more... insane!" Lin Yan opened his eyes abruptly and looked toward the direction they had come from, his expression becoming exceptionally ugly.

Xiao Yi Xian also sensed it. It was an extremely uncomfortable, cold aura that felt as if countless resentful souls had gathered together. It was surging from the direction of the grotto, washing over the swamp like a tide, and flooding toward their side! The quantity... hundreds, thousands!

"Was it brought here by that two-headed strange snake? Or..." Before Xiao Yi Xian could finish her sentence, her expression changed abruptly.

In the distance, within the thick poison fog, countless pairs of ghastly green eyes, devoid of any reason and filled only with madness and hunger, flickered and emerged! Accompanied by the teeth-grinding sound of bones rubbing against each other and low soul howls, twisted, semi-transparent black shadows, or those attached to decaying skeletons, were crawling and floating out from the depths of the poison fog, forming a terrifying tide of the undead, slowly surrounding them toward their location!

These monsters were neither souls nor beasts; they had traces of the Hall of Souls' arts remaining on them, yet they seemed to have undergone unknown mutations after being eroded by the potent poison of this place for a long time. Their target was clear—it was Lin Yan, who carried the "Pure Corrosion Soul Seal"!