A Year of Time

Time flew by. A year had passed since Xia Mo broke through to Dou Shi. Over the past year, Xia Mo had stayed indoors, rarely leaving his home, and finally advanced to a six-star Dou Shi. His alchemist rank had also reached the peak of the second grade, as certified by Old Yao.

That year, Xiao Yan also broke through to the eighth stage of Dou Qi. His strength was higher than before; after all, he was the weakest of the four, so he had no choice but to work hard. Xiao Yi Xian also advanced to Dou Zhe, and Xia Mo gave her the Profound-tier mid-grade cultivation method, "Wood Spirit Art," which he had obtained from the treasure trove. Xiao Xun'er's strength remained unknown, as she usually only displayed strength slightly above Xiao Yan's.

Over the past year, aside from cultivating, Xia Mo had also learned the Profound-tier low-grade Dou Technique, "Sucking Palm." Once mastered, it could pull in boulders weighing a thousand jin and forcibly tear the blood from a human body.

In the end, everyone—Xiao Yan and Old Yao—put their heads together, and Old Yao paired "Sucking Palm" with a complementary Dou Technique, "Blowing Fire Palm." It was Profound-tier low-grade and could create powerful wind pressure! One pulled while the other blew; used unexpectedly, they produced remarkable results.

"Blowing Fire Palm" also had a story behind it: its creator had been a blacksmith who forged iron his entire life and somehow created this Dou Technique. Truly, every profession had its geniuses.

Xia Mo recorded this day as "Venerable Yao Tells His Disciple Three Stories About Iron Men."

Over the past year, aside from cultivation, Xia Mo and Xiao Yan had practiced Dou Techniques in the back mountains. One day, after Xiao Yan clashed with Xiao Ning in the Dou Technique Hall, he took several Yellow-tier Dou Techniques to Old Yao and complained bitterly. Old Yao then told Xiao Yan to bring Xia Mo to the back mountains early the next morning.

Early the next morning, Xia Mo watched Xiao Yan excitedly lead him to the back mountains, having no idea what was going on. Then Xiao Yan's miserable life began. Before this, Xiao Yan had been enjoying the pleasure of cultivation brought by the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid. Xia Mo recorded that day as "The Beginning of the Flame Emperor's Miserable Life."

This was because Old Yao taught Xiao Yan a Dou Technique called "Eight Level Collapse": a Profound-tier high-grade Dou Technique, a close-combat technique famed for its overwhelming attack power. Once mastered, it contained eight layers of hidden force. With all eight layers stacked together, its power rivaled an Earth-tier low-grade Dou Technique!

Old Yao then told Xiao Yan that Eight Level Collapse did not have high requirements for Dou Qi, but it was a close-quarters combat technique and required a powerful body. And a powerful body began with learning how to take a beating.

That year, the two of them went to the small woods in the back mountains every day. While Xia Mo practiced Dou Techniques nearby, Xiao Yan, dressed only in shorts with his feet planted in the ground, was whipped by Old Yao with a Dou Qi lash. Every time Xiao Yan shuddered from the blows, Xia Mo would instinctively shudder too, because it looked incredibly painful. Xia Mo recorded this scene as "The Secret Old Yao and Xiao Yan Had to Tell."

Sure enough, if a person's success was not predetermined from birth, then they must have paid some unseen price. So Xia Mo faced trees and rocks every day, chanting, "Eight Level Collapse, Ancient Dragon Fist, Eight Level Collapse, Ancient Dragon Fist," as he diligently trained in the two close-combat Dou Techniques.

Xia Mo wanted to combine the two, using the tempestuous, frenzied attacks of Ancient Dragon Fist to conceal the hidden force of Eight Level Collapse. His fists, elbows, knees, and legs could all unleash hidden force.

There was also "Blazing Flame Slash," which he had previously obtained from the Marketplace: Blazing Flame Slash, an Earth-tier low-grade Dou Technique and one of Blazing Flame Valley's inherited Dou Techniques. Once mastered and activated with powerful flames, Blazing Flame Slash could rival an Earth-tier mid-grade technique.

Over the year, because Blazing Flame Slash was an inherited technique, Xia Mo had achieved minor success with it despite his still-low strength. It could be considered a powerful trump card.

That year, Xia Mo followed the Xiao Clan to an auction. Sitting in a corner near the edge, he saw a mature and alluring woman dressed in red robes standing on the auction platform. It was Ya Fei.

Xia Mo swept his gaze around and discovered Xiao Yan in a black hooded robe in a corner. Not far from him, in the dark part of the hall, a man stared at the woman onstage while continuously moving his hands around his lower body. Xia Mo recorded that day as "Lord Flame Emperor Witnesses a Middle-Aged Man Doing That to Ya Fei in Public."

That year, the three great families gathered at the auction house to compete for a Profound-tier high-grade cultivation method, going back and forth against one another. Xia Mo recorded this moment as "The Love-Hate Entanglements of Wutan City's Three Great Families" and "How to View a Profound-tier High-grade Cultivation Method Worth Five Hundred Thousand."

That year, in order to save costs, Xia Mo used inferior Medicinal Herbs when learning to refine Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid. Xiao Yan disdained using them, because Old Yao refined better ones for him.

So Xia Mo had him take them to auction, intending to turn him into a son who cheated his father. Then Xiao Yan's father, Xiao Zhan, spent forty thousand gold coins on a bottle of inferior Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid. Yet Xiao Xun'er ended up paying for it, turning Xiao Yan into a kid who cheated his wife instead. Xia Mo recorded that day as "The Mystery of the Flame Emperor Cheating His Father and Wife."

That year, Xiao Yi Xian realized she had no talent for alchemy. After reading the complete explanation of Medicinal Herbs and studying the mutual generation and restraint of medicinal properties, she no longer obsessed over the Alchemist's Handbook. She resumed seeing patients at the Xiao Clan's medical hall, healing the sick and helping the world. Xia Mo recorded this scene as "Calamity Descends, Yet She Heals the World—Xiao Yi Xian."

Over the past year, Xia Mo visited Jia Lie Ao once every half month. He did not kill him, but each time, he put a sack over Jia Lie Ao's head and beat him up. It got to the point where Jia Lie Ao did not dare leave the house. Yet even staying indoors could not save him; he could not escape even at home. Jia Lie Ao became utterly disheartened and nearly wanted to die.

Later, Xia Mo feared that Jia Lie Ao might truly kill himself, so he did not visit him for a month. Jia Lie Ao thought he was safe, but the next time he left home, before he had even left Jia Lie Family territory, Xia Mo put a sack over his head and beat him up again. From then on, after Jia Lie Ao returned home, he was never seen again.

Xia Mo recorded this incident and wrote a short story called "The Mystery of Jia Lie Ao's Disappearance." He published it at his own expense and mobilized the general public to search for the missing person, Jia Lie Ao.

That year, the Jia Lie Family believed that many things had been done by the Xiao Clan, but the Xiao Clan insisted they had not done them. They said the Jia Lie Family was looking down on them, and that if the Xiao Clan truly wanted to do something, they would do it openly and honestly. The Jia Lie Family was so enraged that they nearly fought the Xiao Clan to the death.

In the end, both families considered their respective strengths and found there was no need to waste time, so they returned home. But the Jia Lie Family could not swallow this insult. At the cost of substantial benefits, they hired an outside First-grade Alchemist.

Later, Xia Mo discovered that this alchemist was named Liu Xi. He studied under the Third-grade Alchemist Xuan Hao, possessed mediocre talent and no brains, and loved beautiful women. Whenever he saw one, he could barely walk, and he defiled countless women of the Jia Lie Family. Xia Mo recorded this period as "The Beginning of the Jia Lie Family Going Green" and published it once more.

That year, many amusing things happened. This rich and colorful life added another book to Xia Mo's collection: "Anecdotes," authored by Lord Xia Mo, Volume One, "Secrets of Wutan City." This book was selectively published, and all rights of interpretation belonged to Lord Xia Mo.

Xia Mo suddenly discovered that there were joys in life beyond cultivation. He just did not know whether he would be beaten to death if people discovered it in the future. The more he thought about it, the more Xia Mo shivered, quickly putting away "Anecdotes."

In short, this year, the young man's spirit admired a thousand autumns, aspiring to become the foremost figure in the world!