The forest was too dangerous. The toxicity of these Soul Devouring Vines was even more potent than ordinary Black Water Pythons. Even cultivators at the seventh or eighth level of the Saint Martial Realm, if touched by these vines, would likely perish here in regret.
After searching for half a day, Xiao Chen finally found a cave on a mountain peak. He crawled inside and drew a simple formation on the cave wall. He collected all the Soul Devouring Vines in the cave and set up several layers of prohibitions before nodding with satisfaction. He then sat down on the ground and began to circulate his energy to recuperate.
...
Zhou Yan returned to his family. An elder, seeing his injuries, turned ashen-faced. Among them, only a prodigious talent like Zhou Yan could contend with the geniuses of the family. To have suffered such a grave loss this time, the family elders naturally dared not be negligent.
"Where is the Patriarch?" Zhou Yan asked.
"The Patriarch just went out for experience and returned not long ago. He has been in closed-door cultivation during this period, so he hasn't come out!" an elder replied.
"Oh? Is that so! Then I won't see him for now!" Zhou Yan felt a slight ease of mind upon hearing this.
"Young Master, do you want us to invite other elders to help?" another elder inquired.
"No need!" Zhou Yan waved his hand. "This Xiao Chen is a formidable enemy. There is a terrifying demon hidden within him. I suspect this demon was sent by the Demonic Realm specifically to target our Zhou family! I must personally investigate whether he is that individual!"
"Young Master is wise, your subordinate understands!" the elder quickly replied.
"Also, you all must be careful recently. Do not be possessed by Xiao Chen's demon. If anything happens, report it to me immediately!" Zhou Yan cautioned.
"Yes, Young Master!" the elders responded respectfully.
...
Meanwhile.
Elsewhere.
Zhou Yan's family was not far from where the curse of the demon had been activated.
In a room, Zhou Yan lay on a bed. His entire body was covered in grotesque and terrifying scars, a shocking sight.
"Xiao Qian, oh Xiao Qian, if I can survive this calamity, I will definitely fulfill my promise! I will marry you then!" Zhou Yan muttered.
As he thought of this, Zhou Yan suddenly recalled something, his brow furrowed. A shadow flickered in the depths of his eyes. "Damn it, how could I forget! I still have a special antidote on me. That antidote can suppress the Heart Devouring Gu within me, but doing so will also reduce my strength. If my cultivation had reached the peak of the ninth level of the Saint Martial Realm, it would be fine. But my physical body's strength is insufficient to withstand the erosion of the Heart Devouring Gu!"
"An ordinary Saint Martial Realm expert would have likely died long ago. But I am the young master of the Zhou family. I must have many treasures on me. I need to find a foolproof plan to prevent myself from being controlled by the Heart Devouring Gu!" Zhou Yan thought, a cold smile appearing on his face.
Zhou Yan's treasures were not limited to that demonic relic. He possessed many precious and rare elixirs, and even a Divine Demon Relic. This Divine Demon Relic was a gift from his grandfather, a high-grade Saint artifact that could activate powerful defensive formations and possessed offensive capabilities, with immense power. It could also absorb all sorts of spiritual energy and store it within the relic. It was precisely because he had sufficient confidence in his Saint-grade treasure that he dared to confront Xiao Chen, believing he could defeat Xiao Chen and reclaim what was rightfully his.
These elixirs were obtained while he was traveling. Each bottle was worth as much as a two-star Emperor-grade elixir, and he had a very large quantity, totaling three hundred pills. Each bottle was worth hundreds of billions of high-grade spirit stones. Zhou Yan had refined these elixirs into spiritual liquid. Taking just one pill could instantly boost his combat power by a small tier, an incredible treasure for someone with his limited combat ability.
He then closed his eyes to rest. A strong medicinal fragrance emanated from him. A piece of scabby skin fell off, revealing raw, red bumps, a ghastly sight. Black toxins were slowly spreading across these bumps.
An incense stick's worth of time passed.
"Boom!"
A deafening sound erupted from Zhou Yan's body. His physical strength had increased significantly, his aura surging as if a fierce beast had awakened. Not only that, but his skin began to emit faint black light, as if covered by a layer of black armor. This black armor exuded a powerful, malevolent force that twisted the surrounding void, making it seem as though it could shatter at any moment.
"These are Demonic Marks!" The two guards, sensing the aura emanating from Zhou Yan, their expressions changed drastically. They hadn't expected their young master's strength to improve so astonishingly in less than a month; it was almost unbelievable! It was no wonder they were so shocked. After all, Zhou Yan was the future hope of the Zhou family.
"Yes, you two, go prepare. Await my command!" Zhou Yan said calmly.
"Yes, Young Master!"
"Young Master, rest assured, your subordinate knows what to do!" The two maids quickly bowed and accepted the order. Then, they turned and withdrew.
...
Zhou Yan stood up from the bed and walked down the stairs. He wore a grey robe, with a long sword at his waist, looking quite imposing.
"Young Master, you're awake?"
"En. Young Master, the weather is nice today. Shall I take you for a stroll?" The two maids walked up to him and asked softly.
"Alright, you can accompany me for a stroll!" Zhou Yan said indifferently. Afterward, the group left the house, boarded a carriage, and sped towards the outskirts of the city.
...
Zhou Yan's mansion was a sprawling estate, built with extreme luxury. Pavilions, towers, small bridges, flowing water, rock gardens, and flower gardens were all complete, appearing as if they were real. Moreover, there was a river in this area. Zhou Yan walked along, stepping on bridges as he reached the opposite bank.
"This place is quite nice. Further south is the wilderness. That area is too chaotic, not suitable for living!" Zhou Yan looked around and shook his head slightly.
"Young Master, look over there, there's a small island! There's a small town on that island. Shall we go there to buy some food?" one of the maids pointed to a small island by the lake.