My Xiao Yan Will Never Lag Behind Anyone

[Innate Fire Spirit Body: The purest fire-attributed constitution in the world, perfectly compatible with multiple Heavenly Flames and even divine flames.]

[Recommended to fuse the constitution when fusing with a Heavenly Flame.]

[Marrow Cleansing Powder (unranked): Can improve a cultivator's natural aptitude and bone structure; may be consumed repeatedly.]

Just reading the descriptions sent Xiao Yuan bolting upright in bed, excitement surging through him.

This reward was way too overpowered!

Just the ability to improve a cultivator's aptitude was enough to kick up a storm of bloodshed across the Dou Qi Continent.

Why did so many people get stuck at a certain level?

First, they lacked the right opportunity.

Second, their aptitude held them back!

Take Xiao Yan, for example. Without Yao Chen's appearance, if he had simply trained step by step, the most he could have managed was Dou Emperor or Dou Zong.

But after taking a single dose of Marrow Cleansing Powder, he might reach Dou Zun or even higher!

And that wasn't even mentioning that it could be consumed repeatedly!

Then there was the Innate Fire Spirit Body. It was the best of the best!

As everyone knew, constitutions existed on the Dou Qi Continent, and there was a distinction between innate and acquired ones.

Xiao Yi Xian's Woeful Poison Body, for instance, was an innate constitution she had been born with.

Though an acquired Woeful Poison Body could also be cultivated, it was extremely difficult, and the result was inferior.

What's more, the Innate Fire Spirit Body could contain multiple Heavenly Flames. It was practically an alternate version of the Flame Mantra!

Heavenly Flames were rare and immensely powerful. Few people could master two at once.

Across the entire Dou Qi Continent, only the Yan Clan's leader had managed it without relying on the Flame Mantra—and he had even fused them into a new Heavenly Flame.

To improve his daughter's compatibility with the Heavenly Flame, Gu Yuan had even forcibly implanted the Golden Emperor Incinerating Heaven Flame's seed into her when she was young, making her suffer the torment of the flame every night.

His goal was to temper the purest acquired fire constitution possible.

But speaking of that, Xiao Yuan couldn't help wondering again.

If Xun'er joining the Xiao Clan counted as part of the plot, did Xiao Yan sneaking into Xun'er's room in the middle of the night to nurture her bones and meridians with Dou Qi count as part of the plot too?

At the thought, Xiao Yuan already had a plan. That night, he would sneak over to Xun'er's courtyard and lurk outside, pressed against the wall.

Don't get the wrong idea. It wasn't to peep.

He just wanted to make fun of the plot and pick up a few rewards while he was at it.

Yes, that was all.

Once his thoughts settled, Xiao Yuan took out the Marrow Cleansing Powder and tossed it into his mouth, then sat cross-legged and prepared to cultivate.

As for the Innate Fire Spirit Body, he planned to save it until he drew a Heavenly Flame. That was how you maximized the benefits.

Little by little, Xiao Yuan entered a state of cultivation.

Though the clan wouldn't assign cultivation methods until the coming-of-age ceremony, they did have a basic breathing technique. At the very least, it was enough to cultivate to Dou Zhe.

Xiao Yuan formed a strange hand seal in front of his chest. His chest rose and fell gently, each breath flowing in a perfect cycle. With every turn of that cycle, faint white streams of air slipped in through his nose and mouth, entering his body to nourish his bones and flesh.

The medicinal power of the Marrow Cleansing Powder gradually spread through his limbs and bones, complementing the Dou Qi circulating through his body.

As Xiao Yuan devoted himself to cultivation, a graceful figure quietly slipped away from beyond the courtyard wall.

It was Xiao Xun'er, who had just joined the Xiao Clan.

She had originally come here because she had developed some interest in this Xiao Clan member named Xiao Yuan. But the moment she reached the door, she heard all sorts of astonishing things—even her own secrets had been exposed in their entirety.

She could now be certain that everything she had heard was Xiao Yuan's inner thoughts.

But someone was planning to sneak into her room under cover of night, then use Dou Qi to nourish her meridians and bones?

She naturally understood that it was well-intentioned. The problem was that, at the Dou Zhi Qi stage, transmitting Dou Qi required physical contact.

She was still so young that she didn't even have a betrothal, and now, on her very first night at the Xiao Clan, she was supposed to lose her chastity?

Absolutely not!

She didn't know how Xiao Yuan had learned all this, but she couldn't just sit around and wait for it to happen!

So Xun'er immediately called for her protector.

"Ling Ying."

"Miss, what are your orders?"

An old man appeared from the shadows of the room and bowed to the young lady beside the tea table.

"Elder Ling, I need you to do something for me."

"Please give your orders, Miss."

"Keep a close watch on someone named Xiao Yan tonight. If he tries to approach my courtyard, toss him over to Xiao Zhan, the Xiao Clan patriarch.

"Also, investigate Xiao Yuan thoroughly."

"Yes, Miss."

Ling Ying didn't understand why two insignificant Xiao Clan youths had earned so much of his young lady's attention. But if it was her order, he only needed to carry it out without question.

After Ling Ying vanished from the room, Xiao Xun'er raised her eyes toward the setting sun beyond the window.

Though she was now certain she could hear Xiao Yuan's inner thoughts, she was curious how he knew what would happen in the future—and why he had called her the Flame Emperor's wife.

Besides, there were things a junior of the Xiao Clan had no business knowing.

But she couldn't simply stir up trouble in the Xiao Clan and ruin her father's plans.

She would need to investigate Xiao Yuan's background and past thoroughly before deciding what to do.

At that very moment, Xiao Yuan remained absorbed in cultivation, completely unaware that he had caught the attention of the young lady of the Ancient Clan.

Night fell.

Xiao Yuan stopped cultivating, sprang off the bed, and stretched with a deep groan.

He could clearly hear his body crackling like popping beans.

"Not bad. Less than half a day, and I've reached the second stage of Dou Zhi Qi."

The Dou Qi in his body had grown a little purer and more substantial.

It wasn't because he had extraordinary talent. It was simply the effect of the Marrow Cleansing Powder.

"Right, time to head to the young lady of the Ancient Clan's courtyard and farm some rewards!"

Thinking of all the generous prizes still waiting in the reward pool, Xiao Yuan felt excitement surge through him.

He dashed out of his room, headed for Xiao Xun'er's courtyard, and hid behind a large water vat outside, holding his breath as he waited.

He didn't dare sneak into the courtyard. He knew perfectly well that Xun'er had a Dou Emperor-level Ling Ying by her side.

Minute by minute, the night grew quieter and quieter.

By the dead of night, Xiao Yuan still hadn't seen Xiao Yan.

"What's going on? Why hasn't Xiao Yan come? Maybe it's not tonight?"

Xiao Yuan muttered under his breath, thoroughly puzzled.

Then again, the original story hadn't said which night Xiao Yan had sneaked into Xun'er's room to do those things. It had only mentioned it in passing.

Still, Xiao Yuan decided to wait a little longer and see if anything happened by dawn.

But he wasn't the only one waiting in the deep of night. Xun'er was waiting too.

She was also waiting for news from Ling Ying.

What neither of them knew was that Xiao Yan was in his room, doing his utmost to cultivate.

He was desperately gathering Dou Zhi Qi.

As if something had lit a fire under him.

There was only one reason.

Xiao Yuan had become a genius just like him. No matter what, he, Xiao Yan, would never lag behind anyone!