Watching Li Yi's weakened state, the Snake Venerable's face flashed with a playful look. He spoke softly, "What are you afraid of? These injuries will heal in half a month at most. You won't die." Li Yi spat out another mouthful of blood and replied softly, "Nonsense, I know these injuries aren't fatal. But if someone has already come to kill me, do you think this will be the only group? If these two don't return soon, more will come looking for me. At that time, do you think I'll be able to handle them in my current state?" The Snake Venerable chuckled, "When that time comes, I will naturally take action. They won't be able to touch a hair on you."
Li Yi snorted and stood up with effort, walking towards Li Nana. He checked her breath and felt relieved upon noticing her faint breathing. If Li Nana had died after all his efforts, he would have been devastated. "What's the matter? Worried about her?" teased the Snake Venerable with a mischievous smile. "This little girl won't die. The assassin showed mercy just now, only knocking her unconscious. It seems the relationship between these killers and your Li family is not shallow."
"What's the relationship with the Li family? We'll find out soon enough," huffed Li Yi, slowly approaching the two corpses. He removed their masks, and upon seeing their faces, he couldn't help but sneer, "They're actually from the Li family's collateral line. It seems those old fools are really behind this." Li Yi vaguely recognized these two assassins; he seemed to have seen them at the clan meeting. Judging by their performance, both were probably Fighter-level powerhouses. Those old fools sent two Fighters to deal with him, which was indeed generous.
The Snake Venerable, observing Li Yi's grim expression, smiled faintly and asked, "Boy, what are you planning to do next?" Li Yi shook his head, "What can I do? Wait here to die? Old Coot, do you have any way to heal these injuries quickly? In my current state, even running away is impossible."
The Snake Venerable shook his head, "To heal your injuries, it won't be possible in less than ten days to half a month. Do you think I am like those charlatans in the Martial Deity Temple, capable of using auxiliary Dou Techniques? So, forget about quick healing... But..." The Snake Venerable's tone shifted, his eyes landing on Li Yi with a distinctly eerie expression, "Although I can't heal your injuries quickly, you have a way..."
"Me?" Li Yi gave a bitter smile and collapsed back to the ground, touching his aching chest, "Old Coot, if I really had a way to heal myself, would I be wasting time talking to you?"
"How can there be none?" The Snake Venerable's expression grew even more bizarre, "As long as you can advance to Fighter level, forming a Dou Qi vortex within you, these injuries will naturally heal quickly."
"Bullshit!" Li Yi cursed softly, "If it were that easy to advance to Fighter level, would I be in such a miserable state today? I would have beaten those two guys senseless! Moreover, I've never heard of healing injuries just by advancing to Fighter level!"
The Snake Venerable chuckled, glancing at the two corpses on the ground, "Other cultivation methods may not heal injuries when advancing to Fighter level, but you practice the Heavenly Demon Nine Transformations! Based on my knowledge of it, there's a high chance your injuries will heal if you succeed in advancing... provided that your Heavenly Demon Nine Transformations evolve successfully..."
"Evolve?" Li Yi looked astonished.
The Snake Venerable spoke indifferently, "What? You think I would deceive you?"
"No, not that..." Li Yi was dazed, "Old Coot, you mean the Heavenly Demon Nine Transformations can evolve?"
"Yes," the Snake Venerable nodded faintly, "The Heavenly Demon Nine Transformations, as the name implies, has nine transformations. Each evolution brings a change... If you can evolve the technique during your advancement, reaching the first transformation of the Heavenly Demon, not only will your injuries instantly heal, but the Heavenly Demon Nine Transformations will also evolve into a low-tier Vermilion Bird technique... Boy, the highest technique of your Li family is only a mid-tier Vermilion Bird. You must understand the benefits of a low-tier Vermilion Bird technique..."
"The Heavenly Demon Nine Transformations can evolve? The first transformation is a low-tier Vermilion Bird technique?" Li Yi looked puzzled, "Old Coot, you're not kidding me, right? I've never heard of any technique that can evolve."
"Why would I lie to you?" The Snake Venerable rolled his eyes, "Whether it can evolve or not, why don't you try it and see..."
"I'd like to," Li Yi huffed, "But what can I use to speed up my cultivation? Or do you expect me to meditate here for months? By then, those old fools would have killed me countless times."
The Snake Venerable examined Li Yi closely before speaking softly, "Little devil, do you really not know? Or are you pretending not to know?"
"What do you mean?" Li Yi frowned, but when he saw the Snake Venerable's gaze fall on the two corpses, he couldn't help but say, "Old Coot, you're not planning to let me..."
"That's exactly what I'm planning." The Snake Venerable waved his hand casually, and two streams of red Dou Qi flew out, circling the two corpses on the ground. Suddenly, two small white flames emerged from the dantian region of the corpses.
These two white flames landed in the palm of the Snake Venerable, casting an even more eerie glow on his already ethereal face. Looking at the flames in his hand, the Snake Venerable spoke lightly, "It is said that on the Martial Deity Continent, everyone forms this Soul Fire within their body after death. This Soul Fire generally contains the Dou Qi Seed accumulated during one's lifetime. This Soul Fire can only remain in the body for three days. Within these three days, if someone finds this Soul Fire, it has many uses. Thus, it's said on the Martial Deity Continent that every corpse of a powerhouse is in itself a vast treasure trove..."
"Kid, with your current condition, if you can successfully refine these two Soul Fires and their Dou Qi Seeds, not only will you advance to Fighter level and enter the threshold of the strong, but also promoting the first transformation of the Heavenly Demon won't be difficult... Do you want to try?"
Li Yi's expression was unfathomable, but when his gaze finally settled on the corpses on the ground, he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! I'll give it a try... If I can't advance to Fighter level, I'll have no choice but to flee. But if I can advance, I will make those four old fools suffer more than they ever have!"
"Good," nodded the Snake Venerable, "If you didn't even have this courage, then you might as well stop practicing the Heavenly Demon Nine Transformations... But since you've agreed, I shall lend you a hand!" As soon as he finished speaking, the Snake Venerable lightly pinched his fingers, and the flames of the Soul Fires slowly extinguished, leaving two small swirling vortices in mid-air. These two vortices quickly merged into one, slightly larger vortex. With a flick of the Snake Venerable's finger, it floated towards Li Yi.
"I've extracted the Dou Qi Seeds from the Soul Fires for you, saving you a lot of time. Whether you can succeed now depends on you." Li Yi glanced seriously at the Snake Venerable, took a deep breath, and sat down cross-legged amidst the chaos, forming a strange hand seal.
"What should I do next?" Li Yi asked.
The Snake Venerable looked at him indifferently, "Swallow it. You don't have Dou Qi in your body now, so you can't directly refine the Dou Qi Seed. The only way is to swallow it and then use the Yuanqi in your body to refine it. Remember, this step is extremely dangerous. One misstep could lead to irreversible doom, and even I won't be able to help you then."
"Old Coot, what's the use of saying all this now?" Li Yi huffed. A black Yuanqi emerged from his fingertips, slowly enveloping the Dou Qi Seed in front of him. Gritting his teeth, he threw the Dou Qi Seed into his mouth.
As the Dou Qi Seed entered his stomach, Li Yi's body shook, and the frozen half of his body gradually regained sensation. The Heavenly Demon Nine Transformations in his body started operating rapidly, and bunches of black Yuanqi fiercely collided with the Dou Qi Seed in his dantian.
Li Yi groaned lowly, sweat pouring from his forehead. The Dou Qi Seed, like an endless abyss, silently devoured the Yuanqi in his body. The Yuanqi, originally meant to refine the Dou Qi Seed, was instantly swallowed by the vortex formed by the Seed whenever it approached.
Li Yi felt his vision darken. His Yuanqi, already severely depleted, couldn't withstand such extraction. He let out a low shout, changing the route of the Heavenly Demon Nine Transformations. Immediately, the air around him stirred, and the faint natural Yuanqi of the world entered his body with his breath...