Xiao Yan's Tragic De-Hua

Xiao Feng nodded slightly. "That's true, but you still have to break through to become a One-Star Dou Zhe first!"

"..."

The smile on Xiao Yan's face instantly froze.

"No... Brother Feng, Cousin Xiao Yan may have already awakened a Special Physique."

Xiao Xun'er suddenly seemed to recall something. Looking at Xiao Yan, her gaze could not help but carry a little more sympathy. "Have you forgotten? It was only after he successfully condensed his Dou Qi Vortex that his cultivation began to regress so strangely!"

"N-No way, right?"

Xiao Yan's lips twitched as his face filled with disbelief.

"As far as I know, not every Special Physique brings positive benefits to its wielder. Some physiques can even threaten the awakened person's life."

Xiao Xun'er explained seriously, "For example, there is a Special Physique known as the Misfortune Poison Body. It is notorious throughout the Dou Qi Continent.

"Those who awaken the Misfortune Poison Body do not need to cultivate Dou Qi for years on end. They only need to continuously consume poison to rapidly grow stronger.

"The Misfortune Poison Body automatically transforms the toxic power contained in poisons into an extremely special kind of Poison Dou Qi through a strange method.

"The stronger the poison, the greater the benefit to their strength.

"Provided they have enough poison, they need only a few years to grow from ordinary people into Dou Zong, or even Dou Zun-level experts.

"However, as the possessors of the Misfortune Poison Body consume more and more poison, the Misfortune Poison Body will eventually be unable to restrain the Poison Dou Qi in their bodies. At that point, they will have no choice but to endure the agony of Ten Thousand Poisons Devouring the Body, gradually dying amid torment.

"After a possessor of the Misfortune Poison Body dies, the deadly poison within their body will erupt as well, enough to wipe out all life within a thousand-mile radius!"

After hearing Xiao Xun'er's explanation, Xiao Yan's face turned completely dark.

Although discovering the "truth" behind his disappearing Dou Qi should have been something worth celebrating, Xiao Yan simply could not bring himself to be happy.

If his Dou Qi had truly disappeared so strangely because he had awakened some kind of Special Physique, was there any need for him to continue cultivating in the future?

"Xiao Yan, don't let your imagination run wild. This is only Xun'er's guess."

Seeing that Xiao Yan was about to be De-Hua'd along with Xiao Xun'er, Xiao Feng hurriedly patted his shoulder in consolation. "Even if we take a step back and assume that your cultivation really regressed so strangely because you awakened some Special Physique, that may not be a bad thing.

"Perhaps the physique you awakened is especially powerful and needs to absorb more Dou Qi before it can fully awaken. So you absolutely cannot give up cultivating!"

"Brother, don't worry. I'm not that fragile."

Xiao Yan forced a smile. "Since your injuries have recovered, I won't disturb your private time together any longer. I'll be going now~"

Watching Xiao Yan's lonely departing figure, Xiao Feng turned to look at the culprit behind all this and shot Xiao Xun'er an annoyed glare.

(^▽^)

Knowing she was in the wrong, Xiao Xun'er stuck out her little tongue in an adorable attempt to muddle through!

"You, honestly~"

After leaving the courtyard where Xiao Feng lived, the troubled Xiao Yan unknowingly made his way to the back mountain again.

Sitting atop a cliff, Xiao Yan gazed at the distant Monster Mountain Range and could not help roaring, "Old Thief Heaven, is it fun screwing with me? You could've awakened any physique in me, yet you had to give me one that devours my own Dou Qi!"

"Hehe, little fellow, your Dou Qi disappeared not because you awakened any Special Physique."

As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, an aged voice suddenly rang out.

"Holy shit!"

Xiao Yan's expression changed drastically. "Heaven has answered me!"

"Little fellow, I am not Heaven."

Under Xiao Yan's astonished gaze, a transparent elderly figure emerged from the ring on his right hand.

"Y-You... who are you?!"

Xiao Yan's pupils contracted slightly as he asked warily, "Why are you inside the ring my mother left me?"

"You may call me Yao Lao. I am an alchemist."

The white-robed old man stroked his beard and asked with a smile, "Little fellow, do you want to become an alchemist?"

"An alchemist?"

Xiao Yan subconsciously complained, "Who on the Dou Qi Continent doesn't want to become an alchemist? But those harsh requirements... Wait, are you saying I qualify to become an alchemist?"

"That's right! Your Soul Power is far stronger than that of ordinary people. Your Dou Qi attribute is Fire Attribute, with a trace of Wood Attribute mixed within it. You barely meet the requirements to become an alchemist."

Yao Lao deliberately put on a reluctant expression. "If I hadn't accidentally absorbed your Dou Qi over the past three years, allowing me to awaken from my slumber and leaving me owing you quite a favor, then with your barely passable talent for alchemy, I could not be bothered to accept such a foolish disciple."

"You..."

Hearing Yao Lao say this, Xiao Yan was both furious and delighted.

He was furious because Yao Lao had screwed him over for three years, but delighted because there was nothing wrong with his body and his cultivation talent remained intact.

"Alright, alright! Stop being angry. You have suffered quite a bit over the past three years, but without those experiences, your temperament would not have been tempered into such steadiness, nor would you have learned who truly treats you well."

Seeing that Xiao Yan looked ready to curse his mother out, Yao Lao hurriedly soothed him. "Besides, although your cultivation has been regressing over the past three years, it has not all been a bad thing.

"Your foundation has become incomparably solid through this tempering. Your future cultivation will yield twice the result with half the effort.

"As long as I give you a little help, it will be easy for you to break through to the seventh stage of Dou Qi within a year."

"Master, please accept this disciple's bow!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan no longer cared about being angry and immediately dropped to his knees.

As the saying went, beneath a man's knees lay gold.

Now was the time to cash it in!

"You are teachable indeed~"

Seeing how readily Xiao Yan could bend and stretch, Yao Lao nodded in satisfaction.

Early the next morning

Not long after Xiao Feng had finished washing up, Xiao Yan came knocking.

"Oh~ Has the sun risen in the west today? Xiao Yan, why are you up so early?"

Ever since Xiao Yan's Dou Qi had begun disappearing strangely, although he still set aside four to six hours every day for cultivation, he could not compare with Xiao Feng, who cultivated for at least Eight Hours every day.

"Ahem!"

Faced with Xiao Feng's teasing, Xiao Yan coughed awkwardly. "Um... Brother, I want to borrow some money from you."

"I knew you wouldn't come here without a reason!" Xiao Feng shook his head with a smile. "Go on! How much do you need?"

"About two thousand gold coins."

"Alright, wait here."

As soon as Xiao Feng finished speaking, he quickly walked to the corner of the bedroom, opened a hidden compartment embedded in the wall, and took out a Gold Card.