Chapter 390: Suppression

When Zhou Yuan opened his eyes again, his head swam, and a tearing pain shot through his muscles. He gasped, struggling to get to his feet. His gaze swept the cave, revealing he was still deep within it, though now covered in blood, emitting a faint metallic odor, and utterly disheveled.

After a moment of disorientation, he quickly regained his senses.

"The Resentful Dragon Poison?!"

He quickly opened his palm. There, coiled in his palm, was a cluster of venomous, blood-red poison. To Zhou Yuan's surprise, however, a dark-golden circular pattern, like a prison, now encircled the Resentful Dragon Poison, sealing and suppressing it.

"I've temporarily suppressed the Resentful Dragon Poison for you."

As surprise flickered in Zhou Yuan's eyes, a clear, faint voice reached him. He quickly looked up. There, on a nearby rock, Yaoyao sat elegantly, her exquisite face slightly pale, a trace of weariness in her beautiful eyes. Her dark hair cascaded over her smooth cheek, and her cool, ethereal eyes watched Zhou Yuan indifferently. Even with bloodstains on her elegant green robe, Yaoyao's aloof demeanor remained undimmed, like a secluded orchid in a remote valley—untouchable.

Beside Yaoyao, Tun Tun lay sprawled, whimpering faintly, and occasionally cast a resentful glance at Zhou Yuan. Seeing their state, Zhou Yuan knew the Resentful Dragon Poison had given Yaoyao a significant ordeal. The bloodstains on Yaoyao were clearly from him; he vaguely recalled clutching her tightly when the Resentful Dragon Poison had flared up. This made Zhou Yuan somewhat embarrassed. He knew that given Yaoyao's fastidious nature, she must have endured a thousand urges to strike him down then and there.

"Thank you, Yaoyao," Zhou Yuan said, scratching his head with a dry laugh.

Yaoyao cast him a glance, calmly stating, "You were too careless. When you defeated Wu Huang and reclaimed half of the Sacred Dragon Qi, the true beneficiary wasn't you, but rather the Resentful Dragon Poison within your body. And as your strength increased, it secretly grew stronger too. This time, had you not cultivated the Ancestral Dragon Scripture, coupled with some luck, you might truly have perished by its hand."

A chill ran down Zhou Yuan's spine, and his expression turned grim. The recent outbreak of the Resentful Dragon Poison truly left him with lingering fear, as it was far more perilous than any previous incident. As his strength grew, the Resentful Dragon Poison was clearly no longer what it once was.

"The seal I've established can only temporarily suppress it."

Zhou Yuan's palm tightened slightly. "Is there no way to completely subdue the Resentful Dragon Poison?" he asked.

Yaoyao replied, "If your Ancestral Dragon Scripture reaches the third layer, the Heaven-Earth Sacred Dragon Qi, you will naturally be able to subdue it completely."

Zhou Yuan's mouth twitched. The Heaven-Earth Sacred Dragon Qi, the third layer of the Ancestral Dragon Scripture, was a Ninth-Grade Origin Qi—the pinnacle of Origin Qi in this world. Achieving it would be incredibly difficult.

"Complete subjugation is still too distant for you right now," Yaoyao said slowly, "but with some other methods, you could perhaps continuously suppress it and even harness its power."

"Oh?" Zhou Yuan's eyes brightened.

"I know a profoundly intricate Origin Pattern Barrier that can be inscribed into your flesh, called the 'Great Dragon Subduing Mark,' " she continued. "If this mark is on you, even if you can't completely subdue the Resentful Dragon Poison, it won't easily harm your foundational strength. However, this Origin Pattern Barrier requires many rare materials as catalysts, so it cannot be rushed. I will help you look for them."

Zhou Yuan felt a surge of relief, though disappointed that a swift solution wasn't possible. A thought then struck him. "What did you mean earlier about harnessing its power?" he asked.

If he were to deliberately provoke it now, he could use the Resentful Dragon Poison to corrode, and any opponent caught in its wake would face a tragic end. However, this was a double-edged sword. The Resentful Dragon Poison was too overbearing; whenever he secretly activated it, it would also corrode his own body. The recent outbreak of the Resentful Dragon Poison within him was a direct result of his previous use against Xu Yan.

Yaoyao glanced at Zhou Yuan, her red lips parting slightly. "You shouldn't underestimate this Resentful Dragon Poison…" she began. "Most of the Sacred Dragon Qi you reclaimed from Wu Huang that day was consumed by the Resentful Dragon Poison… so it was the true beneficiary."

Zhou Yuan nodded, gnashing his teeth in frustration. He had finally defeated Wu Huang, only for the Resentful Dragon Poison within him to reap the ultimate reward.

"Do you remember the 'Sacred Dragon Transformation' Wu Huang employed when you fought him?" Yaoyao continued. "That was a method of utilizing the power of the Sacred Dragon Qi. However, Wu Huang didn't even utilize a tenth of the Sacred Dragon Qi's true power," Yaoyao explained. "Now, half of the Sacred Dragon Qi that was within him has been seized by the Resentful Dragon Poison inside you. So, if you can truly harness the Resentful Dragon Poison for your own use, you will then understand the immense power generated when these two forces combine."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan's eyes lit up, and a sense of excitement stirred within him. Yaoyao's words made him eagerly anticipate the day he could finally subdue the Resentful Dragon Poison…

However, this matter couldn't be rushed. According to Yaoyao, the 'Great Dragon Subduing Mark' Origin Pattern Barrier was not simple to inscribe and required the collection of rare catalyst materials. Fortunately, Yaoyao had suppressed this recent outbreak of the Resentful Dragon Poison, so there should be no immediate danger.

Having finished, Yaoyao stretched her slender arms, her body arching gracefully. She then languidly rose, casting a disgusted glance at the bloodstains on her dress, and pursed her red lips.

"Yaoyao," Zhou Yuan said with an ingratiating smile, "give me your clothes later, and I'll help you wash them!"

Yaoyao's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. She then walked over to Zhou Yuan, revealing an exquisite smile that left him momentarily dazed. However, a sharp pain in his ear immediately followed. Yaoyao had extended her slender, elegant fingers, fiercely twisting his ear. "Zhou Yuan," she said with a cold laugh, "it seems the Resentful Dragon Poison poses no real threat to you, if you can speak so glibly so soon. Perhaps next time, I should let you suffer a little longer before intervening."

Yaoyao didn't possess much Origin Qi, so her physical strength wasn't considerable. This amount of pain was entirely negligible for Zhou Yuan, yet he still quickly begged for mercy. After a moment of expressing her displeasure, Yaoyao let out a soft hum and turned, heading towards the small building.

Zhou Yuan watched Yaoyao's retreating figure with a smile, then said sincerely, "Yaoyao, thank you. You saved my life again."

Yaoyao's footsteps paused briefly. Her red lips seemed to curl imperceptibly, then she continued walking away, her clear, cool voice drifting back. "First, clean yourself up. Also, Shen Wanjin is waiting for you outside; he seems to have some news about that 'Heaven-level Mission'..."