Evil Venerable of the Sword Dao
Chapter 402 - 052 The Pill Spirit

Chapter 402: Chapter 052 The Pill Spirit

This Thunder Seal mark and Purple Flame Lotus Ring signify meanings that are ultimately too profound.

Even though Zhou Yan had previously seen everything the Stinky Dog Bear did as childish and laughable, he was still shocked at this moment.

This time, what was shocked was his heart, a heart that had long been riddled with holes.

Sometimes, shock comes at such an instant.

At such a time, one can disregard life and death, disregard suffering.

Many of Zhou Yan’s sealed memories were unlocked, all of which were painful memories from the past, each memory incredibly profound—memories that he had buried at the bottom of his heart, not to be lightly touched.

Yet these memories were torn open directly by the ring inscribed with the Thunder Seal and the Purple Flame Lotus, just like a shovel unearthing all that had been hidden, exposing everything nakedly.

But Zhou Yan had no time to think because, at that moment, the elixir suddenly erupted with a terrifying energy, attempting to suppress both Zhou Yan and the Stinky Dog Bear.

There was no counting on the Stinky Dog Bear. As soon as the elixir appeared, its suppressive force immediately forced it to kneel on the ground, its knees exploding and shattered by the powerful force.

On the other hand, Zhou Yan faced much less suppressive force, but it was still not to be ignored.

Perhaps, in the spiritual intelligence of the elixir, the threat of the Stinky Dog Bear was enormous, while he, Zhou Yan, was just a minor character, not worth the effort to suppress, so the force Zhou Yan faced was very small.

But even though it was small, this type of suppressive force was not something that Zhou Yan, stripped of all power, could contend with.

For at that moment, Zhou Yan was only covered in human skin wrapped around a wisp of flesh and blood; his physical and soul’s fragmented state was already precarious, let alone having the strength to resist?

Zhou Yan felt a myriad of resentments in his heart but was still powerless, and the remaining two Fist Intentions—he really did not want to use them. Using one would leave only one.

Suddenly, Zhou Yan transformed back into human form, and then his gaze fixed intently on that vast swath of purple light, watching it as it suppressed upon him, and ultimately, he did not throw a punch.

The purple light descended, and the terrifying force of suppression suddenly disappeared upon contact with Zhou Yan’s body, as if absorbed by something inexplicable, vanishing without a trace.

Moreover, in that instant, Zhou Yan suddenly had a sense of control, as though the elixir had come from his own hands.

"Come back!"

Zhou Yan’s gaze sharpened, and instinctively he commanded with unyielding authority.

The elixir, fleeing like purple light, suddenly froze in the void. The apricot-yellow pill tinged with purple aura vibrated continuously, unable to fly away.

"Master... Master..."

The elixir flew over, careful like a lowly servant.

"I need your medicinal power; since you have spiritual intelligence, then part with half of your medicinal power to me. Half should be sufficient," Zhou Yan knew that a being with true spiritual intelligence wouldn’t submit just because of a mysterious ’master,’ so he pondered and said.

"Half... Alright. I will forsake half my cultivation, in the hopes that master will give this elixir spirit a chance to live," the elixir spirit materialized, taking the form of a young woman with white hair but still very fragile, her realm unclear.

Zhou Yan silently nodded and said, "Share half of the medicine’s effectiveness, and you are free, with no marks, and no connection to me."

"Thank you, Master."

The elixir spirit bowed, and immediately split in two, with about sixty percent of the apricot-yellow Primordial Liquid energy pouring out, flying towards Zhou Yan.

Zhou Yan didn’t resist, allowing the energy to enter the Thunder Seal at the center of his forehead.

He stored the energy temporarily.

The elixir spirit’s figure immediately became ethereal, growing very frail.

"The situation here is fraught with danger; take care of yourself," Zhou Yan eyed the elixir spirit and sighed.

All things have spirits, and by comprehending the Supreme Dao, they naturally acquire spiritual wisdom, which is the origin of the soul, the true Universal Supreme Dao.

Although the elixir spirit only manifested a trace of aura, Zhou Yan already felt this kind of Dao; this was also why he didn’t force the elixir spirit, for he lacked the power and strength to dominate her.

"Indeed, the elixir has become spiritual, possessing its own Supreme Dao. Should it find another treasure land and combine with certain spiritual medicinal herbs, it can transform into a Divine Medicine and become a true Transcender... The elixir spirit refuses to accept its fate, simply striving for once chance," the elixir spirit explained.

"Go ahead," Zhou Yan waved his hand, and the inexplicable feeling of restraining the elixir spirit naturally dissipated.

As expected, once the feeling vanished, the elixir spirit became a streak of apricot-yellow light and disappeared.

Zhou Yan stood with his hands behind his back, not in a rush to use the elixir to heal his injuries, but turned around to look at the woeful Stinky Dog Bear, saying, "Stinky Dog Bear, aren’t you going to explain a few things to me? Like about the Purple Flame Lotus Ring, like the fact that I am the master of the elixir."

"Uh... this, that..."

The Stinky Dog Bear was in a very sorry state but was evasive and didn’t want to answer.

"You’re still looking for excuses and pretexts to shirk?"

Zhou Yan said coldly.

"No, no, how could I, Xiong Ba, ever brush off Zhou Yan like that? Actually, this, that..."

The Stinky Dog Bear vacillated, failing to provide an answer after much hemming and hawing.

Zhou Yan simply watched it coolly, and eventually, it hung its head once more.

"Ah, is it really so hard to live carefree like a beast?"

The Stinky Dog Bear heaved a sigh. At that moment, its demeanor underwent a radical change, becoming somewhat serious and earnest, "Zhou Yan, if there is anything you want to know, just ask."

"What’s your relationship with that Lee Sha? And where did this ring come from?"

Zhou Yan hadn’t wanted to concern himself with these matters, but the ring he had encountered earlier had laid bare all his secrets, so he had no choice but to get involved.

In times when it did not concern him, he could easily dismiss it, but now, everything had struck directly at his heart, and it was impossible for him to ignore it anymore.

"...Zhou Yan, don’t ask me, I don’t know. I just want to live happily for a few days, okay? Ten years is long, but also short, a time span that could pass with a single closed-door cultivation session. After ten years, you will understand everything you need to."

The Stinky Dog Bear pondered for a long time but ended up saying nothing.

Or perhaps, it truly had its unspeakable difficulties.

"Where did the ring come from? How do you have such a ring?"

Zhou Yan asked, furrowing his brows.

"Can I refrain from answering that question?" The Stinky Dog Bear coughed, spitting out some blood and spoke in a feeble voice.

The blood it spat out contained a gooey white substance that looked rather disturbing, the nature of which was unknown.

Zhou Yan fell silent.

"Let me tell you a story instead."

After hesitating for a long time, the Stinky Dog Bear finally spoke.

"Go ahead."

Zhou Yan nodded, replying calmly.

"There once were twin brothers who had a close bond. The older brother would give up a lot for the younger, and the younger would sacrifice everything for the elder.

One day, the younger brother got dragged into trouble because of the elder, so he impersonated his brother and got seriously injured. Eventually, the older brother showed up.

To save his younger sibling, the older brother gave up a lot, but in the end, the younger did not survive to see his brother return."

"The original version of this ring was a divine object the older brother found in a desolate land to save his younger brother’s life, but sadly, by the time he retrieved the ring, the younger had already died."

"This ring I have is a replica, not the real thing. It was created by someone who remembered everything about the story and wanted to forge a deeper understanding of the Supreme Dao."

"The reason I have this ring is due to a stroke of fate in a very peculiar space... In that space, I witnessed the mark of this story and obtained the legacy of that deceased forger."

"As for the specifics, I can’t say, and I don’t know. But if you want to go to that space, you need at least the strength of the Sword Void Nine Transformation Realm and you must fully integrate the Emperor Qi Sword Body with the Thunderflame Sword Body into the state of Great Perfection."

The Stinky Dog Bear sighed. After saying this much, it sat down on the ground in silence, slowly nourishing its injured knees with its weak energy.

The medicinal herb’s explosive suppression had been borne by the Stinky Dog Bear, with ninety-nine percent of the burden taken up by it. It had just emerged from suppression, facing such a shocking impact, it was extremely injured, but it did not make a sound and instead focused on giving a serious explanation.

Seeing it so lonely and weathered, not at all like the truly careless and silly demon beast it appeared to be, Zhou Yan felt an inexplicable sense of guilt within.

The other party did not owe Zhou Yan anything; in fact, the other was a Holy Beast with a brilliant past, even if it had fallen on hard times.

Zhou Yan suddenly felt that he had gone too far, for the other party was after all the Guardian entrusted by the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ghosts to protect him, yet he had not treated the other with respect.

Zhou Yan took a deep breath and sighed, "Alright, I won’t ask about those things anymore; I know it’s difficult for you. Let’s leave the past behind.

I will now close up for cultivation here. Though this is a land fraught with great dangers and occasional stray energies can annihilate one instantly, it is also a place without the intrusion of powerful beings. Once I’ve recovered, I’ll help you heal your injuries."

Zhou Yan reigned in his emotions, not wanting to be further disturbed by such inexplicable events any longer.

This matter was tangled in too much complexity, including secrets from a past life, and he couldn’t find the answers.

To seek the answers, he had to become stronger and investigate little by little. By then, even the most complicated matters might become simple.

"Then... may I make a small request?"

The Stinky Dog Bear breathed a sigh of relief, immediately becoming presumptuous.

It shifted its stance so quickly it was astounding. Fortunately, Zhou Yan had long been accustomed to the Stinky Dog Bear’s personality and was not perturbed, speaking calmly, "What is it? Just say it."

"Well, well, Zhou Yan, you see I call you ’brother,’ which means ’big brother.’ But don’t be like that old fart Wan Jian Tian, calling me ’Stinky Dog Bear,’ okay? ... I have already refined the stench to its utmost, giving way to a fragrance..."

"And think about it... if you’re my big brother, and I’m the Stinky Dog Bear, doesn’t that make you the brother of the Stinky Dog Bear? I’ve chosen a name for myself; I’ve thought of telling you for a while—uh, cough cough, no, I’ve mentioned it to that old Wan Jian Tian fart a long time ago. My name is ’Xiong Ba,’ or you can call me ’Holy Bear,’ or ’Saint Xiong,’ that’s fine too. The ’Stinky Dog Bear’ nickname is old now, let’s drop it, shall we? You see, once upon a time, anyone who called that name would make me instantly furious... uh, Zhou Yan, please don’t call me that, would you?"

The Stinky Dog Bear’s plea was tinged with coquettishness and coy flirtation.

Zhou Yan felt a lump in his throat and suppressed the urge to get goosebumps from the discomfort, saying, "Fine, you’re a Holy Beast after all, although now you’re no better than a Demon Beast not even up to the Sword Soul Realm. Still, you once had your glory; from now on, I’ll call you ’Xiong Ba.’"

"Good, good, I knew Zhou Yan would be magnanimous!"

Xiong Ba was clearly overjoyed.

Its request was actually quite minor, all it sought was a bit of respect, a touch of vanity, reluctant to confront the shame of its past.