All-Round Improvement, Parting with Xiao Yi Xian

After more than a month of focused study, Xiao Yan's alchemy had undergone a qualitative leap.

Several aspects were essential to refining medicinal pills.

Sufficient Dou Qi to complete the refinement, control over flames, and soul perception.

As for Dou Qi, Xiao Yan had now reached the Dou Ling realm, and his cultivation method had advanced to the initial Xuan Rank. His reserves of Dou Qi were more than enough to refine Tier 6 Medicinal Pills.

He even felt somewhat confident about refining certain lower-tier Tier 7 Medicinal Pills. However, he did not have any medicinal ingredients of such high grade, so he had not attempted it for the time being.

It was worth mentioning that Xiao Yan had refined two types of Tier 6 Medicinal Pills over the past month.

The first was the Imperial Extreme Pill, a renowned Tier 6 Medicinal Pill.

Xiao Yan had only barely gathered enough ingredients for one batch. Refined with the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame, its quality was not far behind the one Xiao Yan had refined with the Green Lotus Core Flame in the original story.

Both were of exceptional quality, with a high chance of allowing a Dou Emperor to break through two stars after consuming one.

He kept this pill in his Storage Ring, intending to give it to Yun Yun when he revealed his identity in the future, so she would not cut off contact with him outright.

Besides the Imperial Extreme Pill, the other Tier 6 Medicinal Pill he had refined was the Myriad Beast Blood Pill.

This pill was based on a formula he and Yao Lao had created after discussing it together. It used vast quantities of magical beast flesh and blood as its primary ingredients, supplemented by medicinal herbs. Refined with the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame, it produced the Myriad Beast Blood Pill.

This pill had no other effect after being consumed. It simply enhanced the body's physical qualities. The weaker one's body was, the greater the improvement; conversely, the stronger it was, the smaller the gain.

Since Xiao Yan had already absorbed the Silver Moon Wolf King's essence blood upon returning to the small valley, his physical strength had successfully reached the level of a sixth-tier magical beast.

Thus, the Myriad Beast Blood Pill did not improve him very much.

So he simply gave the pill to Xiao Yi Xian.

In the end, Xiao Yi Xian refused it, saying that her cultivation was already progressing quickly enough and that she did not need such a pill. She told Xiao Yan to save it for his family instead.

Xiao Yan did not listen at all. Taking advantage of Xiao Yi Xian's inattention, he stuffed the pill into her mouth.

The Myriad Beast Blood Pill's main ingredients were magical beast flesh and blood, something he truly did not lack. The magical beast flesh and blood stored in his Storage Ring was enough to refine three pills.

After giving one to Xiao Yi Xian, he still had two left. They would make perfect meeting gifts for the two elder brothers who had always doted on him.

The result was...

After the pill entered her stomach, Xiao Yi Xian fell unconscious for two days and two nights as the Myriad Beast Blood Pill crazily strengthened her body.

When she woke, her physical strength was already comparable to that of a peak third-tier magical beast. The improvement was simply enormous.

Back to the matter at hand.

His advancement in alchemy was also closely tied to the improvement of his soul power.

After his physical strength surpassed his soul power, his soul power seemed to have been provoked. Though he had not actively cultivated it any differently than before,

it had directly risen to the sixth tier in just over a month, even faintly touching the seventh tier—the peak of the Mortal Realm soul.

Xiao Yan gained a deeper understanding of his Soul Talent.

With talent like this, even Yao Ling from the original story could not compare to him.

Though Yao Ling had reached the Heavenly Realm soul at a young age, he had relied on the Yao Clan's immense resource support.

Xiao Yan did not even possess a soul cultivation method. He had reached this level through natural growth alone.

Yao Ling's Soul Talent was as far above that of everyone else on the continent as heaven was from earth. Yet Xiao Yan's talent was likewise as far above Yao Ling's.

In the former comparison, Yao Ling was heaven.

In the latter, Xiao Yan was heaven.

With both his cultivation and soul power improved, there was no need to mention his control over flames.

With the fire affinity of a Fire Spirit Body, Xiao Yan did not fear even comparing himself with Yao Lao in this regard. He could even easily surpass him.

He could even control tiny strands of flame and send them through another person's pores into their meridians without harming them in the slightest.

He had also used this to slightly improve the Flame Burst Fist. When it struck an enemy, the flames would enter the opponent's body directly and detonate within, causing even greater damage.

With the improved Flame Burst Fist, along with Flash Step, the movement Dou Technique he had successfully begun learning over the past month, he could temporarily set aside his Dou Technique training.

In the small valley, Xiao Yan sat on a rock and stared into the distance in thought:

More than a month has passed. I've digested all my gains, and my cultivation has reached its limit. If Teacher possesses me, I can reach the level of a Dou Zong.

My physical body has reached the sixth tier, which is more than enough for the Tagor Desert.

So...

He came back to himself and glanced at the small wooden cabin, as well as Xiao Yi Xian, who was gathering medicinal herbs not far from it.

It's time to leave after all.

Xiao Yan rose to his feet, deciding to be direct and tell her plainly that he was leaving.

He walked over to Xiao Yi Xian.

Xiao Yi Xian had just finished gathering herbs. A little dirt had smeared her fair, delicate face, but it did nothing to diminish her cuteness.

"Young Master Xiao, judging by your expression, you have something to say. You're leaving, aren't you?" Xiao Yi Xian asked with a smile, her expression calm.

Xiao Yan choked. "You guessed?"

Xiao Yi Xian's smile blossomed. "We've lived together for so long. I can read your thoughts at a glance."

"You don't need to worry about me being sad. I was actually considering how to tell you that I wanted to leave too. Since you also had the thought of leaving, it saves me from having to bring it up first."

Xiao Yan froze. "You're leaving? Where are you going?"

Xiao Yi Xian looked into the distance. "The Chu Yun Empire, I suppose. Sister Yun Zhi said that it is a land of poison masters, and it would suit my growth very well."

"The Chu Yun Empire?" Xiao Yan frowned, knowing that place was dangerous.

In the original story, Xiao Yi Xian had become the Heavenly Poison Maiden there. She seemed glorious on the surface, but who knew how many hardships she had endured?

Yet on the Northwest Continent, it was the only place where Xiao Yi Xian could grow rapidly.

Xiao Yan knew that he could not, and should not, stop someone else from wanting to become stronger.

He did not try to dissuade her. Instead, he separated a wisp of the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame's subsidiary flame and handed it to Xiao Yi Xian. "This is a subsidiary flame of the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame. Absorb it into your body. It will not go berserk. In a crisis, inject Dou Qi into it, and the flame will unleash its power. You can use it to flee or to fight enemies."

"And I will be able to sense this aura as well. When the time comes, I will go find you."

Xiao Yi Xian accepted the flame in a slight daze. She wanted to force out a smile, but tears slid down uncontrollably. "You awful guy."

Xiao Yan was puzzled. "What?"

"Why are you so awful? I clearly wanted to pretend I didn't care, but you care about me so much, worry about me so much, that I can't keep pretending."

As she spoke, she threw herself into Xiao Yan's arms and choked out, "You're not allowed to forget me! Otherwise, you won't be my best friend anymore—Xiao Lan will be!"

Xiao Yan hugged Xiao Yi Xian tightly, his tone serious. "If I die someday and look back on my life, you will absolutely hold great weight in my memories. I will not forget you."

"After I leave, you must not forget me either."

Xiao Yan released Xiao Yi Xian. The Purple Cloud Wings spread from his back as he flew decisively into the sky.

Watching Xiao Yan fly away, Xiao Yi Xian murmured, "Great weight? Xiao Yan, do you know... if I die someday and look back on the past, you will be all of it."