Breakthrough

"Enough messing around. Give me the medicinal ingredients, and Xiao Yan, go prepare a large basin of water," Old Yao instructed Xiao Yan.

Seeing that Old Yao was about to begin, Xiao Yan eagerly went to prepare it. After all, this concoction was mainly for his use...

Before long, the room fell quiet. Xia Mo and Xiao Yan watched from the side as white flames appeared in Old Yao's palm. He picked up a stalk of Purple Leaf Orchid Grass and tossed it into the flames. The fire churned, instantly refining it into a mass of green liquid...

Teacher's alchemy is truly formidable. Even with less than one-tenth of his strength remaining, he doesn't need a cauldron to refine low-grade pills, Xia Mo thought.

Old Yao grabbed another stalk of Purple Leaf Orchid Grass and tossed it straight into the flames...

After all three stalks of Purple Leaf Orchid Grass had been refined, the green liquid had grown much larger. The flames continued burning away its impurities until only a thumb-sized drop remained...

Next, Old Yao refined two Bone Washing Flowers and fused them directly into the green liquid. Then he refined a Wood-type Monster Core. After an unknown amount of time, the monster core was burned into a pale-green liquid...

Finally, Old Yao used the flames to temper it, blending the medicinal properties together and washing away the energy's violent nature...

The white flames dispersed, revealing an emerald-green drop of liquid floating above Old Yao's palm. Both Xia Mo and Xiao Yan could sense the abundant energy contained within it...

Xiao Yan foolishly asked Old Yao, "Do I just drink it directly?"

"If you want to die, then drink it directly. Pour it into the basin and cultivate inside it," Old Yao said, then had Xiao Yan enter the basin to cultivate.

"Teacher, can I drink this Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid directly?" Xia Mo asked.

"Normally, this stuff is only suitable for cultivation during the Dou Qi stage. It becomes useless afterward. The reason it isn't consumed directly is because the meridians might not be able to withstand it. And the efficiency of absorbing diluted medicinal liquid is inferior to using a cultivation technique. But with your physique, you should be able to handle it. Still, it probably won't do much for you. Judging by your progress, you should be able to advance to Dou Shi this month, so it won't be of much use to you," Old Yao said.

"Then please refine another batch for me as well, Teacher. The energy I've accumulated during this time is enough for me to advance, but I still lack an opportunity. Let's see whether this Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid can serve as the catalyst and allow me to break through," Xia Mo said.

Afterward, Old Yao refined another batch of Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid for Xia Mo. He then tapped Xia Mo on the forehead and said, "This is the formula for the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid. You can study it first. Don't cultivate today—adjust your condition instead. Breaking through to Dou Shi will cause quite a commotion, so it would be best to go to the rear mountain tomorrow to avoid being disturbed." With that, he entered the ring.

"Alright, Teacher," Xia Mo replied. He glanced at Xiao Yan before turning and leaving.

Early the next morning, Xia Mo sat at the entrance as usual, basking in the sun. He wondered whether he ought to get himself a rocking chair to lie in while sunbathing in the future.

Before long, Xiao Yan came over looking refreshed and full of spirit, clearly in high spirits. It seemed Xiao Yan had already gotten a taste of the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid's benefits.

"Let's go. We'll continue cultivating at the rear mountain," Xiao Yan said enthusiastically.

After informing Xiao Yi Xian, Xia Mo left the house. She was now completely absorbed in the Alchemist's Handbook and had no time to care about Xia Mo. Unless it was something important, she had forbidden anyone from disturbing her.

The two soon arrived at the rear mountain. Old Yao floated out from the ring and stood to the side with Xiao Yan, keeping watch to prevent anyone from interrupting. Xia Mo sat cross-legged, took out the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid, and poured it into his mouth.

As soon as the medicinal liquid entered his body, violent energy erupted rapidly. Fortunately, a magical beast's physique was exceptionally strong. Xia Mo immediately entered a meditative state and began refining the energy, turning it into pure Dou Qi that flowed into his monster core.

The monster core within Xia Mo's body began spinning at high speed, drawing in the energy of heaven and earth. As the energy from the medicinal liquid gradually diminished, the surrounding natural energy surged with increasing force. Xia Mo's body was like a black hole, endlessly absorbing all that energy without discrimination.

After three hours of continuous absorption, another stream of Dou Qi entered the monster core. The rapidly spinning core paused for a moment, then began rotating even more violently.

An even fiercer suction force burst from Xia Mo's body. The mixed energy between heaven and earth poured madly into him, its dense radiance forming a cocoon of light around Xia Mo.

"Teacher, is Xia Mo going to be alright?" Xiao Yan asked as he watched the surging energy before him.

"He's fine. Xia Mo should wake up soon," Old Yao replied. Yet inwardly, he thought, What kind of magical beast is Xia Mo? Breaking through to the second tier requires this much energy. His origins must be extraordinary—but how did he end up on this remote Northwest Continent?

Seeing the energy entering his body, Xia Mo wrapped the surface of his monster core with Dragon Phoenix Flame, using it to help refine the energy. Although magical beasts could absorb energy violently to cultivate, they still needed to refine it within their bodies before injecting it into their monster cores. Otherwise, if too much mixed energy entered the core, even if it did not explode, they would become mindless, frenzied beasts.

Massive streams of natural energy were refined by the Dragon Phoenix Flame into drops of pure liquid energy, which were then injected into the monster core.

As the natural energy washed through him, Xia Mo's meridians and bones became tougher and broader.

After absorbing an unknown number of drops of liquid energy, the rapidly spinning monster core abruptly stopped. It then slowly began rotating in reverse. Streams of energy poured from the core, spreading through his meridians and into every part of Xia Mo's body. Only after every inch of flesh and every bone had been thoroughly infused did it finally stop.

As the monster core stopped rotating, the suction force within Xia Mo gradually weakened. At the instant it vanished completely, Xia Mo opened his eyes. A flash of Purple-Gold Light passed through them, and an incomparably powerful aura surged forth from his body.

"Congratulations. The gap between us has grown even wider," Xiao Yan said.

"Thanks. With Teacher's help, you'll reach this level soon enough," Xia Mo said with a smile.

"Xia Mo, not bad. From today onward, you're a Dou Shi," Old Yao said with a smile, stroking his beard.

Xia Mo clenched his fist, feeling the ferocious power filling his body. He threw a punch, producing a series of explosive bursts in the air.

With a thought, Dou Qi surged forth. Purple-gold Dou Qi emerged over the surface of Xia Mo's body, then slowly contracted and clung tightly to his skin, forming a layer of Dou Qi defense. This was the Dou Qi Garment, an ability only Dou Shi possessed, which enhanced a Dou Shi's defense, attack, and speed.

After breaking through, Xia Mo practiced nearby to familiarize himself with the power of a Dou Shi. Stimulated by Xia Mo, Xiao Yan directly sat cross-legged atop a bluestone and resumed cultivating.

With my current One-Star Dou Shi Dou Qi cultivation, my strength should be comparable to that of a One-Star Da Dou Shi. I cultivate a Profound-tier high-grade cultivation technique, possess Profound-tier high-grade Dou Skills, and have the powerful physique and brute strength of a magical beast.

Xiao Yan has the Flame Mantra, which is comparable to a Profound-tier high-grade cultivation technique, as well as the Profound-tier high-grade Dou Skill Eight Level Collapse. Combined with the Green Lotus Core Flame, he only managed to kill a One-Star Da Dou Shi after desperately seeking an opening while at Five-Star Dou Shi, Xia Mo thought.

It seems a Da Dou Shi's defensive armor won't be easy to break. But once I reach Three-Star Dou Shi, even without the help of Heavenly Flames, a One-Star Da Dou Shi won't be my match.

I still need to keep cultivating, Xia Mo thought.

Having only just broken through, Xia Mo continued cultivating to stabilize his realm.

Old Yao looked at the two of them with satisfaction. Since Xia Mo had already broken through and no longer needed his supervision, he returned to the ring and fell into a deep sleep.

A gentle breeze blew. Though people were silent, heaven and earth had their own sounds. A youth, a child...