BTTH: Demon Emperor Xiao Yan

The distance between the Jia Ma Empire and the Black-Corner Region was no shorter than that between the Chu Yun Empire and the Jia Ma Empire. After leaving the borders of the Jia Ma Empire, they still had to pass through several smaller nations before reaching the edge of the Black-Corner Region. What's more, Xiao Yan and his group had departed from the Tager Desert, a region already at the far reaches of the empire. This meant they had to cross the entire Jia Ma Empire to reach their destination.

To make things more complicated, Xiao Yan was also bringing Qing Lin along. For her sake, he frequently stopped to rest during their flight. Of course, during those breaks, he would also take the opportunity to collect medicinal ingredients. By chance, several of them happened to be key components in refining the Purple Spirit Recovery Pill. This fortunate coincidence even brought a rare smile to Hai Bodong's usually cold expression.

This seemingly endless journey finally came to a close after nearly three full months. When Xiao Yan caught sight of the dark earth known as the "Black Region Plains," Hai Bodong couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. Even as a Dou Emperor, he found this drawn-out flight to be mentally and physically exhausting.

Compared to Hai Bodong, who had flown on his own, Xiao Yan—despite carrying Qing Lin—seemed rather relaxed. At this moment, his eyes scanned the horizon, locking onto the outline of a city rising from the dark plains. A strange emotion flickered in his gaze as he murmured to himself, "The Black-Corner Region… how nostalgic."

Compared to the world of his previous life, this one was far more peaceful. Though there were still schemes and rivalries, they were nothing compared to the darkness and cruelty of his past world. And yet, the Black-Corner Region had always borne the title of the most chaotic area on the Dou Qi Continent, even in his previous life. That alone was enough to show how terrifying this place used to be.

Xiao Yan still remembered the first city he had entered in the Black-Corner Region in his previous life. The memories of that place had left an impression so deep that he would never forget it, not even in this lifetime. At that time, he had already experienced countless hardships and wasn't some naive greenhorn—but even so, upon stepping into that city, a shiver of horror had crept up his spine.

'That scene… there's no way to describe it with words,' he thought darkly. (Or, to be blunt, I—the author—wrote it, but it didn't pass censorship and was cut, so the entire section had to be deleted.)

And that city had only been the beginner's checkpoint of the Black-Corner Region. The deeper one went, the more horrifying the things they would encounter. Unspeakable atrocities were a dime a dozen.

Xiao Yan had personally witnessed many of these things—events that defied language and understanding. What he had experienced would have driven most people insane. (Again, I wrote it, but it was censored. So I can only hint at it this way. You get the idea.)

What made it all even more despairing was the fact that the force behind the Black-Corner Region wasn't just anyone—it was the so-called greatest academy on the continent: Jia Nan Academy. Or rather, the entire Black-Corner Region served as a brutal trial ground for Jia Nan Academy, a hunting arena to feed its thirst for fresh blood and combat.

In his past life, Xiao Yan hadn't done much good. But there was one thing he considered worthy: he had eventually unleashed a bloody purge that obliterated the Black-Corner Region and exterminated those monsters hiding within Jia Nan Academy.

But that was all in the past. In this life, the Black-Corner Region and Jia Nan Academy were far less terrifying. At least, based on the intelligence he had gathered so far, there was no connection between the academy and this place—in fact, they were enemies. While the Black-Corner Region was still chaotic, it was nothing like the hellscape it had once been.

"Whew… let's go," Xiao Yan exhaled slowly, pushing the memories of his previous life to the back of his mind. After the long journey, his Dou Qi had become noticeably more vigorous. According to Hai Bodong's sensing, he had already reached the level of a Seven-Star Dou King and was even showing signs of an impending breakthrough to the Eighth Star.

Witnessing such monstrous cultivation talent firsthand, Hai Bodong couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly. On the Dou Qi Continent, there were countless people who would spend their entire lives trying and still fail to reach the Dou King level. For Xiao Yan, this was merely another step in his youth. It wouldn't be long before he stepped into the Dou Emperor class.

Even more surprising to Hai Bodong was the little girl Qing Lin. The first time he saw her, she had only reached the fourth or fifth Duan of Dou Zhi Qi. And yet, after just three months—with no visible training—she had somehow broken through and become a Dou Practitioner.

Normally, even the most gifted cultivators would need at least five to six years to move from Dou Zhi Qi to the Dou Practitioner realm. But Qing Lin had done it in less than half a year. This rate of advancement was more terrifying than even Xiao Yan's back in the day.

Xiao Yan, however, wasn't the least bit surprised. In his previous life, he had studied the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils in some depth. He knew well that any snake-type magical beast controlled by this ability would slowly have its power devoured and then fed back to its master.

Though the absorption process was slow, it was far faster than conventional cultivation. That was why, while Qing Lin had skyrocketed from having almost no Dou Qi to reaching the Dou Practitioner level, the Two-Headed Flame Spirit Serpent had simultaneously dropped from a Two-Star Dou Spirit to One-Star.

After Qing Lin's breakthrough, Xiao Yan had rummaged through Yao Lao's collection and found some Qi Methods and Dou Techniques suitable for her. With them, she now had a way to protect herself. Based on Xiao Yan's estimation, it would only take another two years before the serpent was completely drained—and by then, Qing Lin would likely reach the Dou Spirit level, which would give her a decent standing in the Black-Corner Region.

In his past life, he had collected many Dou Techniques and Qi Methods ideal for Qing Lin, but those had come from defeated enemies and held no value to him. He had thrown them into his storage ring or sold them without a second glance. Now, trying to recall and reconstruct them was simply impossible.

'Looks like I'll need to find more snake-type magical beasts for her in the future,' Xiao Yan thought, glancing at Qing Lin. If this little girl grew properly, she could become a great asset. Unlike Hai Bodong, she was shy and humble—give her some warmth and care, and she'd follow him with unwavering loyalty. She would never betray him.

(End of Chapter)

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