Spirit Devouring Art

Xiao Fan had no idea what happened to Zi Yan afterward. At this moment, he was studying the condition of his body after reincarnation.

Reincarnation did not seem to mean starting over, at least not entirely. His soul had undergone earth-shattering changes.

As a former Half-Emperor, he understood that on the Dou Qi Continent, becoming a Dou Emperor required both cultivation and the soul. Neither could be lacking, and the soul was even more important than one's Dou Qi level.

It was precisely because he had reached the Emperor Realm in soul strength in his previous life that he was so utterly astonished by his current self.

"Mortal Realm Grand Perfection..."

Feeling the tremors emanating from his soul, Xiao Fan could clearly sense every movement in his surroundings—the spiders weaving their webs, the ants crawling about... all of it lay within his perception.

"If I find an opportunity or some herbs that nourish the soul, I could probably break through to the Spirit Realm in one go."

He had had no teacher in his previous life, and everything had been explored through his own efforts. Only after achieving some success at Jia Nan Academy did he come into contact with alchemy and learn the importance of the soul.

Xiao Fan was exceptionally talented. In just a few years, he had surpassed Elder Huo of Jia Nan Academy's Alchemist Department. Of course, that had also caught the attention of a certain little glutton.

"Little Yan..."

Recalling her embarrassment when they first met, Xiao Fan could not help laughing. Back then, while gathering herbs, he had found Zi Yan hanging from a tree, completely wrapped in spider silk.

Zi Yan had been remarkably carefree. Rather than crying or making a fuss, she had actually fallen asleep while hanging there, drool pouring from her mouth like a waterfall. Fortunately, her nonchalance had kept the fifth-tier Bloodthirsty Demon Spider from being drawn over.

"Since I have been given another life, I can no longer drift through it muddleheadedly. Only strength gives one the right to speak. I will make up for every regret from my previous life."

"Spirit Devouring Art..." Xiao Fan sensed the technique emerge in his mind. The origins of the Spirit Devouring Art were unusual; it was a technique he had discovered in a Treasure Cave within the Magical Beast Mountain Range in his previous life.

The technique had no grade. It had only one brief explanation: all things in the world possessed spirit, and all spirit could be turned to one's own use.

Xiao Fan had already tested it earlier. By circulating the Spirit Devouring Art, he could absorb the energy within Magic Cores, allowing him to break through to Four-Stage Dou Qi.

"It seems Jia Nan Academy will begin recruiting in another year..."

The minimum requirement for Jia Nan Academy was the Eighth Duan of Dou Qi. "Breaking through to the Eighth Duan of Dou Qi in a year does not seem too difficult?"

Xiao Fan muttered softly. Raising his strength too early was not good for one's foundation, but the Spirit Devouring Art was simply that tyrannical. It absorbed all living spiritual things without reason, yet caused no harm to the foundation.

For a time, Xiao Fan had wondered how the owner of such a tyrannical technique had perished.

"Backstabbed by a woman."

"Then that explains it."

"So sincerity cannot earn sincerity."

Xiao Fan could barely wait to leave the Xiao Family, but he could not obtain more of the Xiao Family's resources. To gain more resources, he had to reveal more strength. Yet he was not truly a member of the Xiao Family; if his secrets could not be concealed, he would likely be captured and studied.

"A massive amount of energy..."

"I've got it!" Xiao Fan struck his palm. This point in time was special—special to him as well. It was also when he had gradually become her lapdog.

It was both the beginning and the end.

"That old fellow Gu Yuan should be sending Gu Xun'er here around this time, right?"

Only at the very end of his previous life had Xiao Fan realized that everything he had done had merely made him a clown. In this life, he would never walk the same road again.

"Though it is only a Sub-Flame of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, it is still the fourth-ranked Heavenly Flame on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. The energy it contains is considerable."

"If I had possessed the Spirit Devouring Art at this time in my previous life, I could probably have broken through to the Dou Zhe realm in one go..."

Compared to meeting Gu Xun'er again, Xiao Fan clearly valued increasing his strength more. Time waited for no one. His goal in this life was to grow stronger without end—and, of course, there was also his Little Dragon Maiden...

"Xiao Fan, are you in there!"

The knock at the door drew Xiao Fan's attention. Or rather, his Mortal Realm Grand Perfection soul had long since detected Xiao Yan's approach.

The visitor was none other than Xiao Zhan's son, Xiao Yan. Like Xiao Fan, he was a genius who had entered the Dou Qi stage.

Xiao Fan and Xiao Yan did not have a good relationship, at least not in his previous life. It was not just envy, but jealousy as well—jealousy that Xiao Yan could so easily obtain Gu Xun'er's love.

Yet when he opened the door again, Xiao Fan did not show Xiao Yan any unpleasant expression. He merely glanced casually at the ring hanging around Xiao Yan's neck.

"If I remember correctly, a powerful soul seems to reside in that ring?"

Xiao Fan instinctively wanted to snatch it away, but he suppressed the thought. That was a Dou Zun-level powerhouse. If he had truly fallen unconscious, there was no way Xiao Fan's Mortal Realm Grand Perfection soul would fail to detect even the slightest trace of him.

That left only one possibility: the other party had awakened long ago and was perhaps even testing Xiao Yan.

No matter how weakened he was, he was not someone Xiao Fan, with his mere Four-Stage Dou Qi, could contend against.

Withdrawing his gaze, Xiao Fan spoke calmly.

"Xiao Yan? What is it?"

Xiao Yan's expression shifted. He felt that Xiao Fan was very strange today—somewhat cold.

Still, Xiao Yan rubbed his hands together and shamelessly said, "Brother Fan, I wanted to ask you about how to use Dou Qi."

Xiao Fan naturally knew that Xiao Yan had already successfully condensed Dou Qi at this time. His talent was not inferior to Xiao Fan's in the slightest.

"Dou Qi has many uses, such as nourishing the body, expanding the meridians, regulating the human body, and so on."

"Nourishing the body..."

Xiao Fan explained a great deal of knowledge about Dou Qi to Xiao Yan. Xiao Yan nodded repeatedly after hearing it, as though something had occurred to him.

After seeing Xiao Yan off, Xiao Fan watched his retreating figure with a grave gaze. They were far from having no enmity between them. On the contrary, Xiao Fan could guess that Gu Xun'er's future choice to seize Origin Qi might also be connected to Xiao Yan before him.

Xiao Fan knew clearly that Xiao Yan would always be someone unwilling to admit defeat. He could never willingly accept someone standing above him. Their future techniques even had some conflicts, as both required vast amounts of external energy and rare treasures, such as Heavenly Flames...

The two had also quarreled many times over the ownership of Heavenly Flames. If not for the Dou Zun behind Xiao Yan and his consideration for the Xiao Family, Xiao Fan might have killed Xiao Yan long ago.

Naturally, Gu Xun'er's secret assistance had also been indispensable.

But none of that mattered to him now. The memories he possessed after reincarnation were his greatest wealth. All he wanted now was to leave the Xiao Family as soon as possible and obtain the treasures within his memories ahead of time.

After Xiao Yan left, the ring around his neck flashed with light. Yao Lao was somewhat startled. "Such powerful Soul Force! It is even much stronger than this brat's!"

Upon arriving at the Xiao Family's main hall, Xiao Fan's pupils abruptly contracted. His heart, which should have been calm, stirred once more.

He had come to ask the Great Elder for some cultivation resources, but instead saw the person he least wanted to see.

"Gu Xun'er..." Xiao Fan thought to himself.

At this moment, Xiao Zhan and the three elders stood in the hall. Xiao Zhan was looking warmly and somewhat fawningly at a middle-aged man. Xiao Fan could not sense the slightest aura from him, but he knew full well that this man was Gu Yuan, patriarch of the Gu Clan—a peak nine-star Dou Saint and one of the continent's strongest experts.