Xiao Yan Was Gradually Starting to Stop Being Human

Two days later, as the last rays of twilight sank into the western mountains and the courtyard was shrouded in the hazy night, the door to the side room creaked open gently.

Zi Yan, who had fallen asleep on the stone steps out of boredom, was also startled awake. She turned around and raised her head, her large, dark eyes shining brightly in the darkness, like two dazzling stars.

I don't know how she managed to wake up from her sleep without any trace of sleepiness in her eyes.

When Zi Yan saw Xiao Yan walking out dressed in clean white clothes, Zi Yan eyes lit up.

He looks better in white than in black!

She jumped up, instantly moved to the door, looked him up and down, and then stretched out her small hand—enough to kill Dou Ling expert—and squeezed Xiao Yan's arm slightly.

"Is your injury healed?"

Feeling the firm, resilient muscles in her hands, Zi Yan said with delight.

"Um."

Under the moonlight, Xiao Yan stretched his right arm and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

Within two days, the fractured bones, torn muscles, and internal organ concussion were all completely healed under the combined care of the Great Sun Separation Fire Body and Fourth-Grade healing pills.

"That..."

Seeing this, Zi Yan rubbed her hands together, her large, dark eyes filled with longing, but she hesitated to speak.

"You want me to help you refine pills, right?" Xiao Yan looked at the energetic little girl in front of him and nodded gently. "I will not forget what I promised you. Come in with me."

"Great!" Zi Yan cheered and followed Xiao Yan into the house. Her small hands glowed purple again, and the mountain of precious medicinal herbs that had been piled on the table, along with several new herbs that she had somehow pulled out from behind her, were all moved to the floor in front of Xiao Yan.

Looking at the dazzling array of potent medicinal herbs, even Xiao Yan couldn't help but frown.

"Zi Yan, you're eating all of these... like snacks?"

It's important to know that some of the medicinal herbs here would be too much for even Dou Wang expert to handle.

"Yes! Some of them taste weird, and some will make your stomach feel a little uncomfortable, but they're really fragrant and full of energy!" Zi Yan nodded matter-of-factly, pointing to several root-like medicinal herbs that looked ferocious and exuded rich energy. "Take this 'Earth Core Blood Python Vine,' for example. It smells amazing, but it tastes like stone chips when you chew it, and it burns your throat!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's lips twitched involuntarily.

The Earth Core Blood Python Vine is Fifth-Grade medicinal herb containing violent fire elemental energy. If an ordinary Dou Wang dared to eat it raw, even if he could bite it, he would most likely suffer burns to his meridians after taking it. Only Zi Yan, with her abnormal physique as Ancient Void Dragon, could eat it as a snack.

"Understood, leave it to me."

Xiao Yan took a deep breath and waved his hand to retrieve his medicine cauldron.

"I need to concentrate. It might be a bit hot, so please don't get too close."

Xiao Yan sat down cross-legged and gave Zi Yan some instructions.

"Okay! I promise I won't bother you!"

Zi Yan nodded vigorously, obediently sat down a few steps away, rested her chin on her hands, and stared intently at Xiao Yan and the medicine cauldron. She had glimpsed people from the Alchemy Department refining pills before, but she was never very interested and found it boring.

But at this moment, she didn't feel that way at all; instead, she felt a sense of anticipation.

Xiao Yan composed himself, flicked his fingertips, and a wisp of Green Lotus Myriad Beast Fire shot into the medicine cauldron. The cobalt blue flame instantly rose up, illuminating the room with a deep blue light, and the intense heat spread out.

He precisely controlled the flame temperature and began the operation.

Since he didn't intend to refine any particularly complex pills, Xiao Yan was actually quite relaxed. After all, for Zi Yan, maximizing the effect, improving the taste, and facilitating absorption were the primary goals.

Therefore, Xiao Yan adopted a relatively "rough" but efficient method— the Medicinal Liquid Purification and Concentration Method.

With a wave of his hand, he enveloped several medicinal herbs with similar properties in his Dou Qi and precisely threw them into the medicine cauldron.

Under the terrifying yet exquisite temperature of the Green Lotus Myriad Beast Fire, the hard roots and stems quickly softened and melted, impurities were burned away, leaving only the purest and most concentrated medicinal essence.

This process requires extremely strong spiritual power to control the flames and prevent the medicinal properties from being lost or destroyed.

However, given Xiao Yan's current Alchemy and his improved Fire Energy gained from burning himself for over two months, doing something like this would be a piece of cake.

The medicinal liquid swirls and concentrates under the licking of the flames, releasing an aroma ten times stronger than that of the medicinal herbs themselves.

Zi Yan's little nose twitched slightly, her eyes grew brighter and brighter, and she was almost drooling.

"It smells so good!"

Time passed in the leaping flames.

Xiao Yan skillfully blended various medicinal materials and liquids with similar or mutually reinforcing properties together, and continued to purify and concentrate them.

In the end, only a few clumps of viscous liquid of various colors and with astonishing energy fluctuations remained inside the cauldron.

That's about it...

As he watched the medicinal liquid being extracted, Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed. His soul power, like the most skillful hand, guided the viscous liquid to tumble and separate in the flames.

At the same time, add some refined honey, and then use your soul power to compress the liquid, making it take shape quickly!

"Hiss hiss hiss..."

With a soft sound, one by one, round and plump pills the size of longan fruits, radiating a soft luster, flew out of the medicine cauldron and landed in the jade plate that Xiao Yan had prepared beforehand.

These pills are golden and translucent, each containing pure and abundant energy, and emitting an alluring fragrance.

"This refining process was really simple. If only refining pills could be this easy..."

Looking at the golden pills, Xiao Yan clicked his tongue in admiration, then handed the jade plate in his hand to Zi Yan, who was staring at him expectantly, and said with a smile:

"Here, give it a try. The taste and energy content will be much better than eating those herbs raw."

"Uh-huh."

Nodding repeatedly, Zi Yan eagerly grabbed a golden pill, ignoring the residual heat on it, and threw it directly into her mouth, chewing it with her little cheeks puffing out.

Without much chewing, the pill melted instantly in her mouth, becoming the purest medicinal power that entered Zi Yan's body.

Therefore, the next moment, her little face instantly blossomed into an incredibly radiant smile of happiness:

"Mmm! Delicious! It's fragrant and sweet, with no strange taste at all. It's a million times better than eating medicinal herbs directly!" She jumped up and down happily. "Xiao Yan, you're amazing!"

Zi Yan, who had never tasted such delicious pills before, was so excited that she grabbed another handful and stuffed them into her mouth!

Finally, with her mouth stuffed full of pills, Zi Yan looked as cute as a little squirrel, prompting Xiao Yan to reach out and gently pat her head, his voice softening as he said:

"Eat slowly. These pills are too potent. You can't take them like you used to, and you can't give them to anyone else. They could kill someone."

This pill can't even be called a medicinal pill. Although Xiao Yan is Fifth-Grade Alchemist, the way he made this thing is actually similar to the crude pills that Xiao Yi Xian used ordinary flames to forcibly knead the medicinal materials together back in Green Mountain Town.

However, unlike the herbs used by Xiao Yi Xian, which have weak medicinal properties and can only exert their original effects after entering the body.

However, Zi Yan's medicinal herbs were all refined by Xiao Yan using Heavenly Flames before being combined together. The energy contained within them would cause even Dou Wang expert to explode if they consumed too much.

Only Zi Yan's beast-like physique could withstand such potent medicinal power; if a human were to take it...

Etc!

Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, then suddenly felt a strong urge to test the potency of this pill!

Once the thought arises, it's hard to stop.

Looking at the few golden pills remaining in the jade plate, each emitting an enticing fragrance and surging energy, Xiao Yan began to ponder seriously:

"Zi Yan has a special constitution, so this energy is like snacks to her. But I have the Great Sun Separation Fire Body protecting me, and my physical strength is comparable to that of Fourth-Order Magical Beast. I also have the Green Lotus Myriad Beast Fire within me, so even if the medicinal power is violent, I should be able to withstand it... I might as well take this opportunity to test the power of this concentrated medicinal liquid. Perhaps it will even be of some benefit to my cultivation?"

"Xiao Yan? What's wrong?"

Zi Yan, who was happily engrossed in eating, noticed Xiao Yan staring blankly at the pills and asked in a daze, her big eyes full of confusion.

"It's nothing, I just suddenly wanted to try your 'special snacks,' is that alright?"

Xiao Yan smiled slightly and asked softly.

"Hmm..."

Zi Yan really loved these pills, but since they were made by Xiao Yan, who was also her good friend, it wouldn't be unreasonable to share some with him...

After a moment's hesitation, she reluctantly handed the jade plate to Xiao Yan.

"Hey, you... eat less, okay..."

Seeing Zi Yan's reluctant expression, Xiao Yan couldn't help but smile, reached out and picked up a pill, then put it in his mouth.

I'll only eat one; the rest are for you.

The pill melted in the mouth, just as Zi Yan had described, with a strange sweetness.

However, this sweet sensation lasted only a moment!

The next instant!

Boom--!

An unimaginable surge of violent energy erupted like a volcano that had been suppressed for millennia. The medicinal properties transformed into scorching magma, bursting forth violently in his mouth, throat, and esophagus!

This energy is incredibly pure, yet it also carries the primal, ferocious, and all-consuming medicinal power unique to herbs like the Earth Core Blood Python Vine.

"Hmm!"

Xiao Yan groaned, his face instantly turning as red as blood, and the veins on his forehead and neck bulged out like earthworms!

He felt an indescribable torrent of heat violently rushing into his limbs and bones, as if it would burst and burn his meridians, internal organs, and bones to ashes!

"Puff!"

A mouthful of scalding blood uncontrollably spilled from the corner of his mouth.

The violent energy raged wildly within his body, and the dark red glow of the Great Sun Separation Fire Body responded by spontaneously protecting his major organs, barely resisting the scorching heat that was about to incinerate him.

However, this energy was far too immense and too rapid, far exceeding his expected limits.

His Dou Qi was shattered by this external torrent, making it almost impossible for him to circulate effectively, and his meridians were filled with a tearing, throbbing pain that made his teeth ache.

"Xiao Yan?! Are you alright?!"

Seeing that something was wrong, Zi Yan was so frightened that she immediately dropped the pills in her hand and rushed anxiously to Xiao Yan's side.

She never expected that the delicious little pills she could easily digest would be like poison to Xiao Yan!

At this moment, Xiao Yan's eyes were bloodshot, and dark red light and blazing bright red light flashed alternately under his skin. The sweat that had just seeped out was evaporated into white vapor by the high temperature on his body surface.

"Uh, I underestimated the medicinal power produced by combining the herbs. This energy... is too overwhelming!"

Alarm bells rang in his mind.

This was a medicinal power that no ordinary Fifth Tier magical beast could withstand. Seeing that Zi Yan was alright, he became somewhat negligent. Now that he thought about it, he was at most on par with Fourth-Order Magical Beast. Comparing his physical attributes to a Supreme Realm magical beast like the Ancient Void Dragon was really a bit presumptuous!

However, it's not a big problem. He's already refined the Heavenly Flames, so a little bit of medicinal power won't be enough to kill him!

He no longer tried to suppress the violent energy, but instead relied on his powerful soul force to forcibly guide the extremely chaotic battle Dou Qi within his body and the external torrent, struggling to circulate his cultivation technique!

"Give it to me... to refine!"

Flame Mantra! Green Lotus Myriad Beast Fire!

Deep within his dantian, the swaying blue lotus seemed to sense its master's crisis and suddenly burst forth with a dazzling cobalt blue light!

The pure power of the Heavenly Flames surged forth, actively meeting the raging torrent of energy.

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle--!"

Like a scorching hot iron plunged into cold water, the violent energy collided, eroded, and merged violently with the Green Lotus Myriad Beast Fire.

This process was incredibly painful, but fortunately, Xiao Yan was now the king of pain tolerance, so he just had to endure it!

Under the suppression of the Heavenly Flames and the frenzied operation of the Flame Mantra Technique, the violent energy that was about to burst him was finally forcibly refined, purified, and integrated into his own Dou Qi, strand by strand. The Great Sun Separation Fire Body also greedily absorbed this pure energy like parched land, repairing the minor damage that had been torn apart.

The pain reached its peak, but accompanying it was an unprecedented, frenzied rotation and expansion of the Dou Qi Vortex within the body!

He was originally at the level of Eight-Star Da Dou Shi, not far from the nine-star realm. Under the violent impact of this terrifying energy, he shattered like paper!

Buzz--!

A powerful energy surge suddenly erupted from Xiao Yan's body, causing the air in the room to vibrate and hum.

A powerful aura swept out like a tidal wave, causing Zi Yan's purple hair to flutter backward.

The raging torrent of energy was finally partially tamed, no longer destroying everything as before.

The remaining immense medicinal power, like a tamed wild horse, transformed into the purest Dou Qi under the guidance of the Heavenly Flames and the transformation of the Flame Mantra, continuously flowing into his newly broken-through, more resilient and expansive meridians and qi vortex.

The red light emanating from his body gradually subsided, and the bulging veins slowly disappeared, replaced by a crystalline and resilient luster like white jade. Although his face was still somewhat pale and there were traces of blood at the corners of his mouth, his aura was several times stronger than before.

Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes, a hint of lingering fear flashing in them, which was then replaced by the joy of breaking through.

Nine-Star Da Dou Shi!