Body Refinement Eighth Layer, Qi and Blood Great Sun

Seeing Ye Xiaofan suddenly appear, Tie Wuqing, who had been sitting cross-legged beneath the Spirit Root Detection Stele studying the Heaven Mending Art, stirred and rose to her feet.

"Ye Xiaofan, how did it go?"

"Very smoothly. What about you?"

Ye Xiaofan grinned.

How could it not have gone smoothly? It felt like he had read a biography and somehow obtained a top-grade cultivation technique that could be cultivated all the way to the Mystic Immortal realm.

This inheritance trial had been ridiculously slapdash!

The corners of Tie Wuqing's lips lifted slightly. She was truly happy that Ye Xiaofan had obtained the Immortal Emperor's inheritance.

She then explained that her Spiritual Root Grade had been insufficient for her to participate in the inheritance trial, and that she had traded wine with the miniature dragon for the Heaven Mending Art, a top-grade cultivation technique capable of raising one's Spiritual Root Grade.

Hearing that, Ye Xiaofan turned to look at the miniature dragon, which was still hugging a Blood Qi Pill and gnawing on it.

His eyes flickered as he considered how to trick the miniature dragon into becoming his.

This fellow could casually give Tie Wuqing such a heaven-defying cultivation technique. He definitely had even better things in his possession.

That big shot had said it himself—he was to help look after this little dragon.

Since he was helping out, it was perfectly reasonable to get a few top-grade cultivation techniques from him, right?

As Ye Xiaofan thought about it, his grin nearly reached his ears.

"Brat, what kind of look is that? Believe it or not, I'll whip you with my tail."

Seemingly sensing Ye Xiaofan's ill intentions, the miniature dragon glared at him and threatened him in a babyish voice.

At the same time, he waved his tail.

Ye Xiaofan wiped away his smile, ignored the miniature dragon, and turned to Tie Wuqing.

"Gang Leader Tie, I plan to break through to the Body Refinement Eighth Layer before leaving. What do you think?"

"Alright."

Tie Wuqing nodded without asking further.

A flash of envy passed through her eyes, followed by bitterness. As expected of someone with an Eight-grade Spiritual Root—he had only broken through to the Body Refinement Seventh Layer three days ago, and now he was about to advance again.

At the same time, she secretly resolved that she had to successfully cultivate the Heaven Mending Art and raise her Spiritual Root Grade to the Seventh Grade.

Just as Ye Xiaofan entered cultivation,

At the bottom of the Clear Water River,

Xie stared darkly at the plain stone stele exposed within the deep pit ahead.

The four slightly faded golden characters, "Five Elements Daoist," were especially glaring upon the stele, as though they were silently mocking him, a tiny evil spirit that did not know its own limits.

He had guarded this place for a full day and night, repeatedly attempting to approach the stele.

Yet before he could come within ten feet of it, the stele would erupt with golden light and force him back.

Still unwilling to give up, he had summoned more than ten Ninth Level Body Refinement cultivators from Qingyang County.

Ordinary people could indeed approach it, but even more than ten Ninth Level Body Refinement cultivators could not move the stele, nor could they enter it.

"You will guard this place. If Ye Xiaofan appears, seize him immediately. Remember, I want him alive."

Xie gave the stele one last unwilling look before bursting from the water. A Gray Eagle Demonic Beast swooped over, caught him, and flew toward Qingyang County City.

He did not know whether Ye Xiaofan would appear here, so he needed to return and harvest some prey in preparation for leaving Qingyang County.

If Ye Xiaofan slipped silently away to Jinyang City while he continued waiting foolishly here,

He would die without a burial ground.

After Xie left, the oppressive feeling immediately dissipated, and faint relieved smiles appeared on the faces of the people and demonic beasts.

"We cannot remain underwater for long, and we must also watch out for passersby. We'll split into three teams and take turns guarding this place. Of the other two teams, one will stand watch outside while the other rests."

After Xie departed, Black Eagle, the strongest among these demonic beasts and humans, naturally took charge and began issuing orders.

Neither the humans nor the demonic beasts objected. They promptly followed Black Eagle's arrangements.

Inside the Inheritance Stone Tablet,

Thunderous tiger roars and dragon chants rang out from within Ye Xiaofan's body. As he breathed rhythmically, the air flowing from his nose and mouth spread outward in visible waves.

Helplessness filled Tie Wuqing's beautiful eyes.

The commotion from Ye Xiaofan's breakthrough was too great, preventing her from calmly comprehending the Heaven Mending Art.

So she simply gave up cultivating and stared blankly at Ye Xiaofan, seated cross-legged in the corner.

Before she knew it, she had become engrossed in watching him.

His ordinary, not particularly handsome face seemed more and more infinitely charming the longer she looked.

Before she knew it, a vivid blush had crept up to the roots of her ears.

Elsewhere,

The miniature dragon also set down the Blood Qi Pill in his claws and studied Ye Xiaofan.

As a Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, he had possessed Ninth Level Body Refinement cultivation the moment he was born.

After eating his eggshell, he had easily completed three Blood Replacements and even cultivated the Qi and Blood Like a Dragon phenomenon.

And now, as he watched Ye Xiaofan break through to the Body Refinement Eighth Layer, the commotion was even greater than during his own First Blood Replacement.

He was the pure-blooded descendant of the innate Ancestor Dragon, a genius with a Nine-grade Spiritual Root.

Ye Xiaofan had merely an Eight-grade Spiritual Root, and he was merely breaking through to the Body Refinement Eighth Layer. Why was his breakthrough causing an even greater disturbance than his own First Blood Replacement?

The miniature dragon felt that something was wrong, yet could not figure out what it was.

How could he know that his memories had been slightly altered by that old man he detested?

Ye Xiaofan knew nothing of the strange reactions from Tie Wuqing and the miniature dragon.

As his five organs rumbled, streams of qi and blood, each as thick as eleven strands of hair, surged forth and flowed through his limbs and bones with the rhythm of his breathing.

They continuously tempered his sinews, bones, skin, flesh, and blood.

The aura Ye Xiaofan emitted grew increasingly tyrannical. His entire body resembled an overloaded engine, his skin scalding hot and flushed red.

Qi and blood continuously poured from his pores and gathered around him, like a fiercely burning blaze of blood-red flames.

As time passed, the blood-red flames grew ever more vigorous and scorching.

The next moment,

The blood-red flames burned to their limit and transformed into a rising great sun.

Tie Wuqing's beautiful eyes were filled with shock, and her lips trembled slightly.

"Qi and Blood Great Sun... He actually cultivated the Qi and Blood Great Sun phenomenon at the Body Refinement Eighth Layer."

At that moment, the aura Ye Xiaofan gave off had already surpassed even hers—she was a Ninth Level Body Refinement cultivator who had undergone one Blood Replacement and cultivated Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke.

The miniature dragon rubbed his gleaming black eyes, seemingly unable to believe what he was seeing.

As a divine beast with inherited memories, his shock was even greater than that of Tie Wuqing, this insignificant nobody.

At this moment,

He felt as though his understanding of the world had gone astray.

In his inherited memories, some geniuses could cultivate the qi and blood phenomenon—Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke—before undergoing a Blood Replacement.

But to cultivate a higher-level phenomenon, every single one of them had needed to undergo at least one Blood Replacement first.

As a divine beast, his Spiritual Root Grade had even reached the Ninth Grade.

Even he had only cultivated Qi and Blood Great Sun during his Second Blood Replacement.

The miniature dragon was bewildered. He began to suspect that there was something wrong with his inherited memories.

Thus, one person and one dragon widened their eyes and stared fixedly at Ye Xiaofan.

As though they were looking at a monster.

The Qi and Blood Great Sun became increasingly scorching, transforming from a newly risen morning sun into the blazing sun of noon.

He had successfully broken through!

A smile touched Ye Xiaofan's lips as the qi and blood phenomenon withdrew back into his body, transforming once more into qi and blood that coursed through his limbs and bones.

"Refreshing!"

Ye Xiaofan exhaled a breath of hot air, clenched his fist, and casually swung it a few times.

The air instantly trembled, producing successive sonic booms.

"Strength of One Dragon, Five Elephants. Not bad."

Hearing Ye Xiaofan mutter to himself, Tie Wuqing rolled her eyes at him speechlessly.

Did he even hear what he was saying?

Was that something a human could say?

She was a mighty Ninth Level Body Refinement cultivator who had undergone one Blood Replacement and cultivated Qi and Blood Wolf Smoke, yet her strength had only barely reached the Strength of One Dragon, Three Elephants.

He had only reached the Body Refinement Eighth Layer, yet he already possessed the Strength of One Dragon, Five Elephants—and he was somehow still dissatisfied!

Tie Wuqing could not help inwardly berating Ye Xiaofan for being utterly inhuman.

"Just so-so."

The miniature dragon could not stand the sight of Ye Xiaofan and muttered in a babyish voice.

At the same time, he casually waved his little claw through the air. The sonic boom it produced was even more terrifying than the one Ye Xiaofan had just made.

"Hmph, only the Strength of One Dragon, Five Elephants. This lord has the strength of six dragons."

Seeing Ye Xiaofan and Tie Wuqing looking at him,

The miniature dragon raised his head and puffed out his chest, speaking with a proud expression.