Fighting: Practice makes it real, start with a poisonous body.

Chapter 182 The Beginning of the Fall
"Clan leader."

The spirit, exuding a cool and aloof aura, bowed slightly as she entered the hall.
"You came."

Yao Dan's expression was gentle, with a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Yao Ling said, "Clan Chief, the Pill Tower has defied the Imperial Clan and stood by while the Continental Saints slaughtered our clan's Ninth-Rank Bloodline. Are you really going to stand idly by and do nothing about this?"

Yao Dan's smile gradually faded, and he said patiently in a deep voice, "Girl, I know you are eager to avenge Yao Tian, ​​but this matter cannot be rushed."

The strength of the Pill Tower is far more complex than it appears on the surface. Even with the profound resources of my Medicine Clan, we cannot easily touch it.

"Don't underestimate the Pill Tower's patriarch just because his cultivation is slightly inferior to mine. The Pill Tower has been operating in the Pill Domain for nearly a thousand years, and its deeply entrenched power and hidden strength cannot be shaken overnight."

He paused, then said slowly, "Zhongzhou is the center of the continent, and Danyu is the center of Zhongzhou. The more central a location is on the continent, the more prosperous and powerful it becomes. There are many intricacies to this."

Girl, don't let your momentary impulse get the better of you, and don't put me in such a difficult position.

"But the eight ancient tribes have always been closely connected!"

A hint of resentment flashed in Yao Ling's eyes, and her voice rose a few decibels: "Even if my clan cannot deal with the Pill Tower alone, if we join forces with other imperial clans, can't we easily annihilate it?"

"You're oversimplifying things."

Yao Dan gently shook her head: "During this period of time, my clan and the other five clans have joined forces to track down Xiao Jibai's whereabouts. On the surface, we appear to be close and harmonious, as if we are of the same blood."

But this relationship, at best, is just like this.

If Yao Tian died while investigating Xiao Jibai, then by leveraging this momentum of unity, he could naturally persuade the other five clans to put pressure on the Pill Tower and demand an explanation.

Just like when Yao Xingji got into trouble, we joined forces to put out a warrant for Xiao Jibai's arrest in Zhongzhou.

But Yao Tian is different. He died because of the secret method of the Spirit-Nourishing Powder. This matter had nothing to do with Xiao Jibai from beginning to end; it was just a matter for our Yao Clan.

"Without shared interests, why would other imperial clans lend a hand to us?"

"How could this be?"

Yao Ling's face turned pale, and a strong sense of powerlessness welled up in her heart.

Elder Yao Wanhuo was unwilling to step forward, and now even the clan leader was weighing the pros and cons. Is the so-called clan really just about cold interests, with no affection left at all?
"Clan leader..."

"No more words!"

Yao Ling wanted to persuade her again, but a cold, sharp voice interrupted her. Yao Wangui had already darkened his face and was staring at her with sharp eyes.

"Medicine Spirit! You are a rare ninth-grade bloodline in our clan, and the hope for the future of the clan. You should prioritize the overall interests of the clan in your actions! How can you disregard the interests of the entire clan because of your personal grudges?"
Instead of wasting your time begging the clan leader to send troops for revenge, you should be searching the mainland for clues about the Spirit-Nourishing Powder Secret Technique. That's what you should be doing!

"But……"

"There are no 'buts'! Don't think that just because you're the pride of your family, I won't dare punish you!"
"The clan leader is merciful, but I will not tolerate your bad habits!"

Yao Wangui snorted coldly.

Yao Dan said slowly, "Alright, go down now. If there is any news, I will have someone inform you."

"……Yes."

Yao Ling bit her lip lightly and left in a huff.

Yao Dan watched her retreating figure, her eyes narrowing slightly: "She's still too impatient. With this kind of mentality, how can she shoulder the responsibility of the family in the future? She's far inferior to Yao Tian."

Yao Wangui respectfully said, "It's alright, as long as we capture Xiao Jibai and obtain the Sword Emperor's inheritance and the secret of Origin Qi."

You might just break through to the Dou Di realm and continue our clan's glory for tens of thousands of years!

"A Dou Di..."

A hint of intoxication flashed in Yao Dan's eyes.

…………

Yao Ling wandered alone through the mountains. The valleys were filled with the fragrance of wildflowers, but this romance only reflected an unyielding sense of bewilderment in her eyes.

"What should I do..."

Yao Ling murmured softly, her voice so light it seemed to dissipate with a gust of wind. She slowly bent down, her fingertips gently brushing against a blooming flower at her feet, her eyes empty and unfocused. This used to be her and her brother Yao Tian's secret garden. In the past, whenever the flowers bloomed, the two of them would sit side by side in this sea of ​​flowers, sharing anecdotes about their clan. But now, she stood here all alone.

Beautiful memories of the past flooded back like a tide: scenes of laughter, my brother's gentle face, the wreaths he made by hand... but now they felt like countless fine needles, piercing my heart!

The excruciating pain made Yao Ling gasp for breath.

To outsiders, Yao Tian might be an arrogant and domineering young master of an imperial family, but only she knows how good her brother is to her. He saves the best for her and protects her the moment she is wronged...

The thought of avenging her brother was deeply ingrained in Yao Ling's bones, and she dreamed of that day!
But reality was like a bucket of cold water, chilling her to the bone. Without the support of her family, she was no match for the Dan Tower Ancestor, let alone find the Sword Saint who killed her brother.

"Woo..."

Yao Ling's eyes reddened, and the sobs she had suppressed for so long finally escaped her throat.

Tears streamed down her pale face like broken beads, but now, no one would wipe them away for her.

Just then, a small, blood-red skull slipped from her sleeve and landed on the petal-strewn ground with a soft "tap".

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—"

As soon as the blood-red skull landed, it slowly floated up, surrounded by a strange dark red aura, and a cold and sinister aura quietly spread out.

The deep humming sound, like the whisper of an ancient evil god, carries a seductive power, luring people into darkness.

"This thing is..."

Yao Ling's gaze suddenly fell on the skull. The confusion in her eyes gradually faded, and a glimmer of clarity appeared. The figure in the purple robe gradually emerged in her mind.

"If it could really give me strength..."

She tentatively reached out her hand, and the moment her fingertips touched the cold surface of the blood-red skull, an indescribable chill spread from her fingertips.

The despair and resentment that had been building up in his heart seemed to be ignited by this force, instantly transforming into a surging ferocity that churned endlessly in his chest.

Yao Dan's perfunctory attitude, Yao Wanhuo's indifference, Yao Wangui's harshness... those cold faces flashed through her mind one by one, and each time they appeared, her obsession with revenge deepened.

"If you won't help me, then I'll take revenge myself!"

The coldness that had once filled Yao Ling's eyes had completely vanished, replaced by a near-manic crimson.

Overwhelming hatred, like vines, tightly entwined her soul, crushing all remaining reason and hesitation. Only the word "revenge" burned in her mind!

Unaware that the blood-red skull beneath her fingertips was silently glowing an eerie crimson, flickering like some slumbering evil being suddenly awakened.

The eerie crimson light, like a living thing, burrowed into her meridians along her fingertips, coursing through her blood and qi, gradually eroding her will and dragging her into an abyss of no return...

"Buzz, buzz, buzz—!!!"

Just as the crimson color was about to completely engulf her mind, a violent tremor suddenly erupted from the depths of her soul—the awakening of the imperial bloodline inherited from the Medicine Emperor!

A warm yet powerful azure halo emanated from the very source of her soul, gently yet firmly enveloping it.

This scene was as if the Medicine Emperor had transcended countless ages to personally descend and protect these descendants, whose bloodline had returned to its ancestral form and whose spirituality was pure, and who were now on the right path.

But the blood-red skull seemed to have planned it all along. As soon as the azure light appeared, it suddenly erupted into an endless sea of ​​blood!
Thick crimson blood swept in like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing the warm, emerald-green color, leaving no room for struggle!

The last glimmer of hope was extinguished.

Finally, Yao Ling slowly raised her hand, tightly grasped the blood-red skull in her palm, and pressed it against her forehead.

The cold bone pressed against her warm skin, and a chilling power surged up her forehead and into her soul, completely merging with her consciousness.

Depravity happens in an instant; corruption takes effect easily!
The blazing sun has set, and the bright moon hangs high in the sky, its cold light casting a desolate glow upon the flower valley, plunging it into a deathly silence.

The once vibrant flowers withered and rotted at a visible speed, and even the most tenacious grass trembled slightly before quickly turning yellow, collapsing, and turning into a pool of dull ashes on the ground.

Yao Ling quietly opened her eyes.

In the boundless darkness, a crimson light appeared, like congealed blood, carrying ancient malice, coldly gazing at the decaying world.

(End of this chapter)