Chapter 644

Chapter 644: Fire Poison

The Ancestor of the Sword Path noticed Ye Yun’s mood and chuckled. "What’s wrong? I rarely see you this calm."

"It’s nothing. You’re imagining things." Ye Yun wiped the smile from his face and coughed.

"Haha! I wish I were wrong, but old as I am, I still know how to read people." The Ancestor laughed loudly.

"If I misstep now, will the Fire Spirit Qi I’ve cultivated vanish?" Ye Yun sighed, gazing at the flickering stars.

"Relax. The fire poison in that little dragon can be purged using treasures from the Extreme Northern Frost Land with a supreme Immortal artifact." The Ancestor spoke slowly, though uncertainty lingered in his voice.

Though Ye Yun had slain the fire python and claimed its treasures, its poisonous miasma had wounded him. Fire poison now churned within him, resisting even his mastery of Fire Spirit Qi. Left unchecked, it could spell disaster.

"My current strength barely lets me kill Third Level Nascent Soul cultivators." Ye Yun stared at his hands, where black fluid clogged his energy channels, restricting his spiritual power.

The poison had been minor initially, but after slaying two foes, he discovered it spreading through his true qi. Now, facing Fourth Level Nascent Soul experts would be nearly impossible.

"How ironic. I sought greater strength, yet this setback strikes. Is this the heavens’ idea of balance? Gain something, lose something." Ye Yun mocked himself.

"Have you surrendered?" The Ancestor asked after a pause.

"Surrender? Never. If the heavens block my path, I’ll trample them. If the earth stifles my potential, I’ll shatter it!" The gloom vanished from Ye Yun’s eyes, replaced by steel resolve.

"Ha! That’s the boy I know!" The Ancestor roared with laughter, relieved. Ye Yun’s unyielding spirit wouldn’t break, even if the world itself opposed him.

"Count yourself lucky. Few Golden Core cultivators have ever slain Nascent Soul foes. This poison merely holds you back temporarily. I’ll secure that frost treasure for you."

The Ancestor grinned. Though his soul power remained weak, it sufficed to bluff ignorant beings—like the supreme Immortal artifact’s spirit, cowed by his Sword Path will.

"Remember when I asked your ambition?" The Ancestor gazed at the night sky, his mood lighter.

"Ambitions change. Right now? To slash stars with one sword, transcend mortality, and rival heaven’s lifespan." Ye Yun leaned back, amused.

"Ha! Cutting stars and eternal life—no small feats. Don’t waver from that vow!" The Ancestor’s voice thundered.

Ye Yun smiled. "It’ll stay unchanged for a long while."

"I believe you. One day, I’ll watch you stand atop all creation, seeing mountains as specks." The Ancestor laughed. Both shared wild dreams—star-rending blades and ageless existences requiring unimaginable grit.

"Hey dummy!"

Chewing a weed tinged with wood spirit energy, Ye Yun shut his eyes, catching Golden Ling’er’s giggles and Jin An’s resigned sigh.

"Are comrades too heavy a burden?" A faint smile touched his lips. He already knew the answer.

Starlight bathed the land, moonbeams caressing his face like gentle hands. Resistance fading, he drifted to sleep.

Golden Ling’er crept close as he slept, her voice soft. "If you sleep, Ling’er has to sleep too."

"Sleep together then?" Ye Yun opened his eyes, her breath warm on his face.

"Pervert!" She shoved him away and fled. Watching her go, he closed his eyes, content.

"Training in the Xumi Treasure really works! I’ll reach Second Level Nascent Soul soon!" Golden Ling’er boasted to Jin An the next morning.

"True. The spiritual energy here surpasses our sect’s." Jin An nodded. Though annoyed by her laziness, her spiritual talent defied her ordinary appearance.

"With this world’s energy, you’d reach Third Level Nascent Soul if you worked harder."

Ye Yun awoke to Golden Ling’er flaunting her progress and shook his head wryly.

Ye Yun had made decent gains that night. Though the fire poison within him hadn’t been fully purged, the Ancestor of the Sword Path’s soul power had cleansed much of it. Even in his normal state now, he could match opponents at the Fourth Level of the Nascent Soul stage.

If he employed the Born as a Sword technique, he might barely contend with Sixth Level Nascent Soul experts. Against Seventh Level cultivators, however, his strength fell short. Yet Ye Yun felt no despair – rather, anticipation stirred within him. A single night’s work had partially suppressed the fire poison, and the Ancestor’s aid had purified significant amounts. Given time, he’d surely recover his peak cultivation. Once restored, the fire poison’s tempering might even elevate his power further.

Currently at the seventh-level Golden Core stage, his next breakthrough would require the pill’s destruction and rebirth into the Nascent Soul stage. What seemed unreachable years ago now lay within grasp.

This suppressed state held unexpected benefits. The constrained cultivation let him perceive bodily changes with unprecedented clarity – an advantage unique to practitioners of the Cleansing Immortal Heart Technique. Ironically, the fire poison now served his growth.

Their flight continued without revealing mastery of spatial laws. Golden Ling’er’s endless questions met Ye Yun’s terse replies, making her puff her cheeks and ignore him temporarily.

"Senior, might I seek guidance on cultivation?" Jin An ventured, emboldened by last night’s interactions.

"Spiritual power imbalance? Try channeling Fire Spirit Qi through meridians gradually rather than all at once." Ye Yun’s gentle suggestion came after a mere glance.

Jin An startled, then flushed with excitement. To diagnose his Qi issue instantly – this proved Ye Yun’s hidden depths! A true expert!

Unbeknownst to him, the insight came from the Ancestor of the Sword Path. Though Ye Yun could vaguely sense issues, the Ancestor’s pinnacle Nascent Soul perception and experience dwarfed his Golden Core capabilities.

Jin An’s eyes shone with reverence. "Ahead – trading stalls!" Golden Ling’er pointed at bustling crowds, excitement undimmed by Jin An’s reminder of empty purses.

"Can’t we just look?" She dragged a distracted Ye Yun, then frowned at his focus on barren scenery. "What’s interesting here?"

"Communing with heaven and earth. Nascent Soul juniors wouldn’t understand." Ye Yun chuckled, indulging their assumption of his late-stage Nascent Soul status.

"Hmph! Still just Nascent Soul! Not even Earth Immortal realm!" Her mock scorn earned hair ruffles. Ye Yun absently stroked her silken locks, missing her blush. To him, this felt sibling-like – oblivious to her fluster.

Jin An observed thoughtfully. "Should Senior fancy my junior sister, Master would surely approve…"

"Cough! Enough." Ye Yun cut him off. "Pick modest items. I’ll cover reasonable costs."

"See? Senior’s heart lies elsewhere." Jin An shrugged at his crimson-faced sister.

"Who’d want this blockhead?!" Golden Ling’er pounced, pummeling Jin An without true qi as Ye Yun watched bemused.

Storming towards the market post-tantrum, she soon marveled at exotic wares. Jin An trailed protectively – though Nascent Soul-ranked, her sheltered naivety worried him.