BTTH: Demon Emperor Xiao Yan

Xiao Yan couldn't care less how furious those people outside the tomb were. If he hadn't needed to conserve his strength for the trials within, he might've already launched a Demonic Wrath Flame Lotus just to silence their noisy complaints.

As for the Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate emblem on his clothes—it was something he had deliberately drawn on himself. It was an old trick, redirecting trouble to someone else, but it still worked like a charm. Moreover, there had indeed been a group from the Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate near the Scorpion Tomb who mysteriously vanished. That was the foundation of Xiao Yan's plan to fish in troubled waters. Even the sect leader of the Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate would be left swallowing the loss in silence.

Upon entering the Scorpion Tomb, Xiao Yan gripped the Heavy Xuan Ruler tightly. He didn't believe for a moment that the tomb's defenses were limited to the poisonous mist outside. Based on his judgment, whatever traps the Scorpion Poison Dragon Beast had laid within would be even more lethal than what they'd already encountered.

Thus, the moment he entered, he released his spiritual perception, rapidly scanning the tomb's interior. With his formidable soul power, he managed to avoid many of the hidden traps.

The tomb contained an impressive stash—no less impressive than that secluded cavern back in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Xiao Yan discovered a trove of rare medicinal ingredients, all of which he unceremoniously swept into his spatial ring.

In addition to herbs, he also found a variety of techniques and Dou Skills. Most were of the Profound Rank, and there were even a few at the Earth Rank. However, all of them were designed for magical beasts and were thus useless to him. Still, unwilling to let anything go to waste, he tossed them into a corner of his spatial ring.

Every single herb and Dou Skill in the tomb had been coated in deadly poison—touching even the tiniest bit would cause instant death. Clearly, the Scorpion Poison Dragon Beast intended to lure greedy intruders to their doom. Unfortunately for it, Xiao Yan possessed the Nether Poison Flame, which rendered all poison null and void. So, everything inside the tomb ended up falling right into his hands.

Although he gained much, he had yet to find the most important prize—the corpse of the Scorpion Poison Dragon Beast. Finally, at the end of the path, a massive stone door blocked his way.

"So this is the final chamber..." Xiao Yan muttered. Taking a deep breath, he swung his Heavy Xuan Ruler with force and shattered the door. The moment it crumbled, a massive black shadow burst forth from the chamber beyond, charging straight at him.

Sensing the incoming wave of deadly wind, Xiao Yan immediately struck forward with the Heavy Ruler. The instant the two collided, a tremendous force surged from the other end of the weapon, sending him flying backwards until he crashed heavily against the wall behind him.

Xiao Yan coughed lightly and wiped away the blood from the corner of his mouth. His expression grew serious. That single exchange—despite being a sneak attack—was enough to send him reeling. This was not an opponent an average Dou Wang could contend with.

If he hadn't refined the Nether Poison Flame and gained a massive power boost, that strike alone would've crushed him to pieces.

Lifting his head slowly, he saw a colossal black scorpion emerge from the rubble at the far end of the passage. Its body was clad in a hardened carapace, and its massive pincers emitted a faint foul stench, clearly laced with venom. Behind it, a gleaming stinger flickered with a deadly light, aimed squarely at Xiao Yan. Most shocking of all were the four pairs of massive wings on its back—clearly capable of aerial combat.

"Four-Winged Sky Demon Scorpion…" Xiao Yan recognized the beast instantly. In a sense, it was related to the Scorpion Poison Dragon Beast. The latter's origins traced back to this very species, but it later evolved after gaining a trace of Ancient Void Dragon bloodline.

'How did this thing end up in here?' Xiao Yan frowned. 'A guardian beast? Or did the Scorpion Poison Dragon Beast somehow reincarnate?'

While the Four-Winged Sky Demon Scorpion wasn't on par with its dragon-blooded relative, it was still a top-tier magical beast among scorpions. Judging from that earlier strike, it was likely a Rank Six beast—stronger even than the skeleton he'd faced in the Heavenly Poison Swamp!

Before refining the Nether Poison Flame, defeating a Rank Six beast would've required summoning the Bone-Penetrating Cold Flame and unleashing a true dual-Heavenly-Flame Demonic Wrath Flame Lotus. But now? Things had changed. The sheer energy stored within the Nether Poison Flame had catapulted him straight past the Dou Ling barrier and into the Dou Wang realm!

Though he was only a one-star Dou Wang, that alone made him a powerhouse in the Jia Ma Empire. Still, handling a Rank Six magical beast would be difficult—at least for an average Dou Wang. But Xiao Yan was far from average.

The Nether Poison Flame he refined was no ordinary Heavenly Flame—it had existed for ages and stored a frightening amount of power. It didn't just evolve Flame Mantra to Earth Rank—it had pushed Xiao Yan's strength up more than an entire level.

That said, such a rapid leap had made his foundation somewhat unstable. He had spent time consolidating it, even reviewing some Earth Rank Dou Skills from his previous life. Though they were ancient, they were still practical for a Dou Wang.

'Guess I'll use you to test how effective my training has been.'

Xiao Yan didn't activate Three Mysterious Changes of the Heavenly Flame. He wanted to defeat this powerful Rank Six beast using only his base strength.

The Four-Winged Sky Demon Scorpion, despite its massive frame, moved with terrifying speed. The moment Xiao Yan identified it, it launched another attack. Its enormous body swept through the air, creating a violent gale. The hardened pincers slammed toward Xiao Yan's head with deadly force—getting hit would undoubtedly injure him severely.

Faced with a magical beast that could give even a Dou Huang trouble, Xiao Yan didn't dare be careless. He immediately activated a movement Dou Skill. His body turned into a crimson blur as he dodged the incoming strike.

But this wasn't the explosive Burst Step he had used before. That skill's speed wouldn't cut it against this opponent. Instead, he used a body movement Dou Skill from his past life—Wandering Flame Soaring Step.

(End of Chapter)

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