Nine Venoms Sect Founder

Chapter 111: Never Play with a Plaguebringer's Nerves

As the Serpent Totem battled the second range's Gods, all details of the clash appeared in Harun's mind. Thus, when the Flame Spirit King's potent aura spread across the mine's walls, he wasn't surprised. There was only one entrance to the mine, and so far, Harun and Jiyan only found one crossroads. Unlike the Flame Spirit King who raced across the walls as if his life depended on it, the two maintained an unhurried pace. So, by the time they reached the second crossroads, the Flame Spirit King was already on their trails. 

Yet, this was far from being the gravest problem. Six roads now stood before the pair, each leading to unknown areas. The Mystery of Space pervaded the atmosphere, twisting the senses of all cultivators treading the Obsidian Soul Stone Mine. At the previous crossroads, they could still track the Soul Refining Hall's fodder disciples' trails. But now it was as if one person could stand at ten thousand spots at the same time. 

But as Harun prepared to test his Eye of Luminous Treasures, the temperature across the mine rose to volcanic heights, and a flaming greatsword shafted past the cavern walls, aiming straight for his skull. This time, a three meters tall oak tree formed behind Harun, stopping the flaming greatsword at its trunk. Ember sparks and shock-waves marked the first confrontation between Harun and the Flame Spirit King. 

The flaming greatsword rolled back. Nine Puppet Gods and hundreds of chained celestials stood at its back, ready to feed its might or obey its commands. A visible dent formed on the Evil Soul Tree, then vanished subsequently. "Not bad. This blow was comparable to a third-level Ascending God's strike. Seems like we've underestimated the First Range. So many delightful experts and resourcesalmost makes me wish that you were female," the Flame Spirit King chortled as he went from a greatsword to a red-haired middle-aged man.

Subsequently, his eyes shifted to Jiyan who'd kept her disguise to avoid letting news of her identity and presence spread. As he couldn't feel the two's cultivation, the Flame Spirit King resorted to a quick probe. But besides the Evil Soul Tree's defense level, he learned nothing of use. But as his gaze lingered on Jiyan, dark mist flickered in his flaming-red eyes, and the staggering level of Yin Essence her body concealed became as clear as broad daylight. 

At first, the Flame Spirit King almost leaped with joy. But shifting his eyes to Harun, he realized that the latter's body carried even more Yin Essence, albeit more berserk and uncontrollable: Extreme Yin. "Extreme Yin is...cultivable?" The Flame Spirit King's eyes widened with greed. If Jiyan represented a priceless cultivation resource, Harun became his hope to defeat the ancestral truth that neither Extreme Yin nor Extreme Yang could be cultivated. If he could snatch such secrets, in the future, his cultivation would improve by leaps and bounds, and his hope of surpassing the Saint-Empress would no longer be a mere dream.

From the start, Harun didn't pay the Flame Spirit King much attention. True, even at peak condition, unless he used his other self's palm skill, his actual battle-power didn't exceed the second-level of the Ascending God Realm. But with nine million incense points, if he didn't want a wound, mid-level Gods could not injure him. However, once he felt the rapacious gaze aimed not only at him but Jiyan, his composure broke, his heart drummed, adrenaline gushed forth, and the Decaying Flower appeared before the Evil Soul Tree. 

Icy-blue waves of Extreme Yin Essence flooded the area, instantly freezing the flaming chains holding the hundreds of Celestial Knights captive. Having never confronted Extreme Yin before, the Flame Spirit King didn't expect that even those chains that carried the Mystery of Souls couldn't resist its pressure. No, it was precisely because they carried that mystery that they couldn't. Before Extreme Yin, the average fire and soul skill couldn't resist. 

Frightened, the Flame Spirit King unleashed his Heavenly Qi, attempting to restrain and erase the Extreme Yin's pressurea step too late. The flaming chains snapped, freeing the hundreds of Celestial Knights from his control. Spiritual incense billowed from Harun's form, gathering in his right palm to form a golden light orb of over 100,000 incense points.

Harun clenched his fist, the incense orb snapped, a blinding flash of golden light dazzled the Flame Spirit King making his nine puppets rebel and assault him with their full strength! 

BANG!

Seven at the third level, two at the fourth. United by their hatred-consumed hearts, the nine Ascending Gods struck out, and destabilized by both Harun's move, the Flame Spirit King failed to react. The nine divine strikes slammed into the wide-open God, sending him spiraling past Harun and Jiyan to crash into the leftmost road. Regaining their wits, the hundreds of Celestial Knights didn't stay idle. The nine Gods didn't hesitate either, and all shot past Harun to batter the Flame Spirit King.

"Presumptuous!" He roared and turned into a sea of flamesdisplaying the might of his Fire Mystery. Thanks to the Forbidden Techniques he cultivated, the Flame Spirit King quickly reached middle-accomplishment in the Fire and Desecration Mysteries, enabling him to support a rapid cultivation growth and terrible battle power.

Just like with the Serpent Totem's formation, in this incorporeal flame form, the average celestial or deity couldn't harm him. This was the true worth of Mysteries. They gave access to so many unique and exceptional abilities that the pure destructive might of deities could easily become useless. 

Shrill screams thundered as dozens of unfortunate Celestial Knights fell into the flamesburning to ashes. The Gods and remaining Knights halted their moves, but incensed, the Flame Spirit King didn't plan to spare any. "Since you don't cherish the opportunity of becoming my meatshields, what purpose do you serve?" He spat and unleashed thousands of flame bolts that rained on his foes like a meteor shower. 

Harun raised his right hand. Bolts of spiritual incense flew into the nine deities, filling them with unprecedented courage and endless strength! In that instant, each had the misconception that across the Ascending God Realm, none could resist them. Waves of Heavenly Qi streamed against the Flame Spirit King's fire rain. An ear-splitting blast followed, and seeing the nine Gods stand without a scratch, the Flame Spirit King was forced to admit that with this surge of strength, they didn't have to fear him either.

His eyes looked past them, seeking Harun, the puppeteer who all along controlled the battle's flow. Dark-blue tendrils visible to Harun and Jiyan only stabbed into the Flame Spirit King's incorporeal form, pumping a glistening liquid straight into his soul. The Attachment Venom kicked in, his surroundings changed, and as he landed in a world of endless wealth, madness, extravagance and debaucherywith trees of pure gold, golden leaves and fruits at arm's reachthe Flame Spirit King realized that he'd made a terrible mistake. 

But if his high cultivation base enabled him to maintain some sanity, the hedonist in him couldn't resist the call of attachment, and before he knew it, his body drowned in fountains of wine. Dilnaz's figure appeared in the Corrupt World's sky, making the gold, wine and ongoing madness feel irrelevant. With a radiant smile, she spread out her arms. The Flame Spirit King's cultivation base gave one thousand warnings, but faced with this once in a lifetime opportunity to embrace the woman his dreams and nightmares revolved around...he couldn't resist.

"Empress...Dilnazmy empress," the Flame Spirit King whispered as he flew toward Dilnaz. But the closer he was, the farther she looked. The acme of excitement and frustration abused his soul, leading to the complete collapse of his consciousness.

In the real world, the Flame Spirit King had returned to corporeal form, and kneeled before the deities with a stupid smile stretching his lips. But as they wondered what they owed this extreme change to, Harun stepped forward, plucked out the Flame Spirit King's eyes, and tossed them aside like a piece of trash.