Two days later, the flames inside the furnace died down. Five pills of different colors shot out and hovered in midair.
At once, the room filled with the rich fragrance of medicine and the uniquely sweet, cloying scent of poison. Xiao Chen exhaled a breath of stale air and used his Battle Qi to draw the five pills into his hand.
"That took a lot out of me. I can't do that again next time!"
Xiao Chen rubbed his temples. The moment he stood up, an unprecedented wave of exhaustion washed over him, nearly making him collapse.
It seemed that splitting his attention to refine five different fifth-tier pills at once had indeed taken a heavy toll on his mind. Even with the soul power of the Spirit Realm, he could barely handle it.
Seeing this, Xiao Yi Xian hurried over and steadied Xiao Chen, her eyes filled with deep concern. "Brother Xiao Chen, are you all right? Do you feel unwell anywhere?"
"I'm fine. I'm just a little drained. I'll be all right after some rest!"
Xiao Chen raised a hand and rubbed Xiao Yi Xian's head, then took a Spirit Awakening Pill from his storage ring and tossed it into his mouth. His mind instantly cleared.
Only after seeing that Xiao Chen really was all right did Xiao Yi Xian breathe a sigh of relief. She helped him sit on the edge of the bed, then, without giving him a chance to argue, pushed him down onto it. "Brother Xiao Chen, you're getting a good rest today. Take the pills tomorrow!"
Xiao Chen had wanted to say, "Now that the pills are ready, it's best to break through as soon as possible!" But when he met the worry in Xiao Yi Xian's eyes, he could only swallow the words.
Besides, waiting one more day wouldn't make a difference. There was nothing in the Imperial Capital that could threaten him, so he might as well rest. As the saying went, a full belly and warm clothes led to certain thoughts. Lying on the soft bed, Xiao Chen's mind began to wander, and his gaze toward Xiao Yi Xian grew increasingly heated.
"Brother Xiao Chen, you're exhausted already. Don't tell me you still want to challenge me?"
Xiao Yi Xian's delicate face was full of teasing. But when she thought of how every one of her past challenges had ended with Xiao Chen pinning her down, a flame called revenge suddenly blazed in her heart.
Xiao Chen raised an eyebrow, a hint of disdain appearing on his face. "Hah! Xian'er, you seem to have gotten something wrong. You're the challenger!"
"Hmph! Brother Xiao Chen, you're certainly arrogant. Looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson!"
At that, the teasing faded from Xiao Yi Xian's face. She raised a hand to sweep her hair back, tied it up with a ribbon, then slowly leaned down.
An hour later, Xiao Yi Xian lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. "Impossible. I was so close. Why did I lose?" She simply couldn't understand it. Xiao Chen had clearly been weakened, so why had she still been the one to lose?
"Xian'er, you've learned your lesson this time, right? Don't go provoking people without enough strength to back it up. A moment's satisfaction from a sharp tongue won't do you any good!"
A smile tugged at Xiao Chen's lips. He hadn't spent these two days refining pills for nothing. Though it had taken a heavy toll on his mind, he was exceptionally vigorous physically.
He'd also fought to replenish his energy, growing stronger as the battle went on and restoring his vitality and spirit. Xiao Yi Xian had faced Xiao Chen at the peak of his condition. Even after giving it everything she had, defeat had been her only option.
Xiao Yi Xian puffed out her cheeks without saying a word, then raised her pale, delicate foot and kicked at Xiao Chen. But he caught it and began to toy with it in his palm.
Feeling the heat against her foot, Xiao Yi Xian seemed to think of something, and the blush on her cheeks deepened. She shot Xiao Chen a look of utter disgust. "Pervert! Let go!" As she spoke, she lifted her other foot and gently pressed it against his most vulnerable spot, slowly grinding her sole against him in an attempt to defeat him that way.
"Ahem... Xian'er, that look in your eyes isn't working. It's got no bite. Look more disgusted... yes, just like that!"
With Xiao Chen's guidance, Xiao Yi Xian worked hard on her expressions while also increasing the force of her attack.
Half an hour later, Xiao Yi Xian looked down at Xiao Chen from above, her eyes full of disdain. "Hmph! Brother Xiao Chen, you didn't see this coming, did you? In the end, Xian'er won!"
That's right, Xiao Chen had been defeated. But he had brought it on himself. If he hadn't coached Xiao Yi Xian during their battle and helped her comprehend a new Dou Technique, he probably wouldn't have lost the spar.
Xiao Chen lay limp on the bed and sighed helplessly. He'd only offered a few casual pointers, but Xiao Yi Xian was exceptionally talented. She'd truly grasped something and put it to perfect use.
But a loss was a loss. He wasn't too proud to accept defeat. He could always find another chance later... Hmm... Thinking of Xiao Yi Xian's terrifying talent, Xiao Chen suddenly felt that winning in the future would probably get harder and harder.
After all, that had been a Heaven-tier Dou Technique. Without one of the same tier, it would be difficult to stand against it. With that in mind, Xiao Chen tried to concede, only to find he couldn't make a sound—his mouth was blocked.
With no other choice, he tentatively tried to push aside the soft thing blocking his mouth with his tongue. After some time, Xiao Yi Xian seemed to remember that Xiao Chen couldn't speak. She hurriedly gave him some water, removing the restriction.
"Ah! Sorry, Brother Xiao Chen. Xian'er got carried away!"
Xiao Yi Xian looked uneasy, afraid that she'd gone too far and made Xiao Chen angry.
Xiao Chen climbed out of bed and waved it off without a care. "Come on! In a spar, fists and feet have no eyes. Getting hurt is inevitable. Do I seem like such a petty person?"
"A loss is a loss, and I can accept it. How could I blame you, Xian'er?!"
Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian breathed a sigh of relief. A smile bloomed on her delicate face again, and she threw herself into Xiao Chen's arms. "Brother Xiao Chen is the best. I knew you wouldn't be angry!"
"Xian'er, I'm going to take the pills and break through. Keep watch for me!"
After holding Xiao Yi Xian close for a while longer, Xiao Chen felt that he'd mostly recovered his strength. It was time to break through.
He'd been stuck at the One-Star Dou Wang level for nearly three months. It was getting a little hard to justify not breaking through.
If anyone else had heard what Xiao Chen was thinking, they would probably have cursed him out. Forget three months—even Dou Wangs who had to wait three years for a breakthrough to the next star would have gladly done so.
"All right!"
Xiao Yi Xian nodded obediently. Reluctant to leave Xiao Chen's arms, she finally got up and stepped aside, quietly taking on the role of his guardian.
Xiao Chen first took out a Poison Pill and tossed it into his mouth. The tremendous medicinal power of the fifth-tier Poison Pill exploded within him, but before its terrifying toxicity could spread, it was completely absorbed by the Woe Poison Body.
Xiao Chen's cultivation far surpassed Xiao Yi Xian's, and his poison body was even more overbearing. A single fifth-grade Poison Pill was refined in an instant, turning into pure energy.
Before long, the Poison Pill within him had been completely digested. Having tasted the benefits, Xiao Chen flipped his hand, and four more Poison Pills appeared in his palm.
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