Enhanced Foundation Building Spiritual Liquid

After the two crossed the gravel path, Hun Ruoruo generously removed the heavy burden from Xiao Yan's back and stored it in her Storage Ring to avoid drawing too much attention.

The sudden release of pressure, even if only for a brief instant, made Xiao Yan feel as though the Dou Qi within him circulated a little more briskly, leaving him clicking his tongue in wonder.

Clearly, he had not realized before that carrying heavy objects could directly aid the cultivation of Dou Qi.

Freed from the restraints of the weights, the boy moved as swiftly as the wind. He impatiently pushed open the courtyard gate and rushed straight toward the house—after sweating profusely in such scorching weather, the clothes clinging to his skin made Xiao Yan feel uncomfortable all over. He could not even spare a thought for his exhaustion, wanting only to take a cold bath as quickly as possible and cool himself down.

Xiao Yan abruptly flung open the door and shuddered all over. The room was filled with bone-piercing cold air, and the sudden change in temperature made him sneeze violently.

"Teacher, what is this?!"

"I was wondering why it took you so long to buy a few medicinal herbs. So Ruoruo gave you some training, did she?"

Turning to see Xiao Yan's bedraggled state, Old Man Yao teased, "But you came at just the right time. I have just finished refining the Purple Leaf Orchid Grass and Magic Core. Once the Bone Washing Flower is crushed and refined into medicinal essence, the Foundation Building Spiritual Liquid will be complete."

At the same time, Hun Ruoruo entered the room and looked around at the surrounding walls. A faint layer of frost mist had formed in the somewhat damp corners, creating a rather peculiar sight.

"Old Man Yao's Bone Spirit Cold Flame truly is extraordinary. Only it could produce such waves of extreme cold and heat." Hun Ruoruo nearly let Old Man Yao's name slip out, but smoothly changed her words and offered praise instead.

At the sight of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, the Girl showed rare interest. Although she had discovered a fragment of Nihility Devouring Flame within the Storage Ring she had exchanged with Hun Tiandi, her Dou Qi attribute clearly made it impossible for her to refine it into her body.

And if a Heavenly Flame had not been refined into one's body, there was no way to conceal its aura perfectly.

Ordinary people might not notice anything amiss, but before someone who also possessed a Heavenly Flame, such concealment was practically nonexistent. It could easily be detected, putting them on guard.

Thus, to prevent Xun'er, who possessed the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, from seeing through the aura of the fragment flame in her Storage Ring, Hun Ruoruo had already made plans during her journey to Wutan City and hidden it in an exceptionally perilous location.

A precipitous peak shrouded in clouds and mist flashed through her mind. Hun Ruoruo smiled sweetly. "Come to think of it, this is the second time I've witnessed the power of a flame from the Heavenly Flame Ranking."

"Ruoruo, you've seen Heavenly Flames before?" Xiao Yan, only now coming back to his senses, asked rather foolishly.

"Brat, did the cold freeze your brain? With Ruoruo's background and strength, how could she possibly not have seen Heavenly Flames?" Old Man Yao laughed as he scolded him, drawing back the range of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame somewhat.

The boy was usually fairly clever, yet he always made such a fool of himself before Hun Ruoruo. He reacted like this merely upon hearing that she had seen Heavenly Flames. If he learned of the background behind her, who knew how shocked he would be?

Xiao Yan sniffed, looking displeased. "Forget her background. I haven't even seen her true strength. Of course I want to know."

Though he had indeed accepted her help and gained benefits from it, Xiao Yan knew nothing else about this mysterious Girl besides the fact that she was rich, powerful, and eccentric. She had not even told him her surname.

Given his knowledge and experience, if she refused to say anything, what could he do?

He could not exactly rely on wild guesses.

At his words, a rosy blush rose to Hun Ruoruo's pretty face. She looked both bashful and delighted. "Third Young Master cares so much about my personal privacy. It would have been fine if you asked me in private, but how could you ask in front of Old Man Yao?"

As she spoke, she turned her head aside and could not help picking up a strand of hair, continually twisting it between her fair, tender fingers, innocent yet alluring.

"You!"

Xiao Yan's face turned green. He stiffly turned to look at Old Man Yao, and sure enough, just as he expected, the old man was staring at him with an incomparably strange, teasing gaze, clearly delighted to watch the commotion.

This enchantress is making fun of me again!

Cursing inwardly, Xiao Yan looked embarrassed, his voice dry. "Um... Ruoruo, I'm about to cultivate now. How about you leave for today?"

As if that were not convincing enough, Xiao Yan pointed to his black shirt covered in white sweat stains, indicating that he needed to change clothes.

Hun Ruoruo understood at once. Blinking, she said, "Third Young Master, do you wish for me to bathe and dress you?"

"What are you talking about?!"

Xiao Yan's face flushed crimson with embarrassment, and he had long forgotten about asking after her background.

He did not consider himself some innocent young boy, but that did not mean he was shameless. His improper old Teacher was still standing nearby watching the show—how could he possibly continue that line of conversation?

If he showed any embarrassing reaction, he would surely be mocked for who knew how long.

Seeing that she had achieved her goal, the Girl sighed in feigned regret and stopped teasing him. "It's not as if I'm interested in looking at you. Hurry up, take off your clothes and sit in the wooden tub. Make sure you do so before Old Man Yao finishes refining the medicine."

Then, after Hun Ruoruo repeatedly assured him, Xiao Yan helplessly removed his clothes and sat inside the somewhat narrow wooden tub.

The small wooden tub, long criticized for its size, had now become his only shield for preserving his modesty.

Once Xiao Yan had settled into the tub, an enormous sphere of water appeared in Hun Ruoruo's hand in an instant. Unlike ordinary clear water, the water sphere in the Girl's hand seemed to emit a faint azure blue glow around its outer edge, looking exceptionally magnificent.

A moment later, the water sphere was sent into the tub. A cool, refreshing, and peculiar sensation washed over him, and Xiao Yan felt as if wisps of faint Dou Qi fluctuations passed through the outer layer of his skin, continuously nourishing and tempering his bones and blood.

The novel sensation was both soothing and fatigue-relieving, making him nearly moan aloud.

At the same time, Old Man Yao, having finished refining the medicinal herbs, glanced at Xiao Yan in the tub and stroked his beard. "You really are lucky, brat. Pure Water attribute Dou Qi is one of the best tools for assisting cultivation. The effects of this Foundation Building Spiritual Liquid will likely rise several levels higher."

With that, Old Man Yao flicked his finger, and the emerald liquid in his hand fell into the wooden tub, turning the originally cool, clear water a bluish-green.

"From now on, after tempering your body, cultivate within this Foundation Building Spiritual Liquid. With your cultivation talent and the help of the two of us, not only will reaching the seventh stage within a year be no problem, even breaking through to become a Dou Zhe should not be difficult."

Xiao Yan was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly.

For him, nothing brought greater peace of mind than becoming stronger. And because the obsession in his heart now had hope of being fulfilled, his urge to grow stronger had not weakened in the slightest. Instead, it had only grown more intense.

"Oh, I nearly forgot. Although the other medicinal herbs Ruoruo provided have all been refined into essence and stored away, there is not a single Bone Washing Flower left. In other words, in two months at most, you will have to go 'buy' this thing again."

Old Man Yao's ill-timed words interrupted Xiao Yan's surging enthusiasm. His entire body stiffened, and he looked mournfully toward the distance—

Hun Ruoruo pressed her red lips together, her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled beautifully, as though she had long seen through his intentions.

"Third Young Master, getting something for nothing won't do."