The Xiao Clan Back Mountain was quiet and secluded.
Xiao Fan called Xiao Yi Xian over and handed her the latest Poison Pills.
He had asked Yao Lao to painstakingly refine all of these Poison Pills.
As one of the continent's renowned top alchemists, Yao Lao's mastery of alchemy had reached the pinnacle. He also possessed exceptional control and profound insight when it came to refining poisons. The Poison Pills he made were naturally extraordinary in quality.
They were basically all fourth-grade Poison Pills!
Xiao Yi Xian, already a Nine-Star Dou Shi, stood graceful and elegant. Her delicate, otherworldly face was framed by a pair of large, limpid eyes that sparkled with lively light.
At that moment, she was gazing expectantly at the Poison Pills in Xiao Fan's hand.
After all, compared to ordinary herbs, medicinal pills were in a league of their own in terms of efficacy. Put simply, they were more poisonous... and more potent!
However, what had been worrying Xiao Fan lately was that his Xiao Yi Xian–brand charging station had hit a bottleneck.
The Poison Pills she absorbed were increasingly being converted into poisonous Dou Qi, rather than primarily improving her cultivation realm.
After all, if her realm did not rise, the poison within her body would not lose control and erupt.
Xiao Fan narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking to himself, What am I supposed to do? I'm only ten thousand experience points away from the peak of the Dou Emperor Realm.
At this moment, he was just one step away from reaching the peak of the Dou Emperor Realm.
But Xiao Yi Xian's strength was still too limited. At this stage, the energy her Woeful Poison Body could provide was somewhat insufficient for Xiao Fan, and could not help him overcome this final hurdle.
Xiao Fan narrowed his eyes.
There was another way: have her consume more Poison Pills. That would allow her realm to keep advancing.
But consuming a large number of Poison Pills all at once would bring her immense pain. That approach was unacceptable.
If only I could find a way to obtain more energy without hurting her...
Xiao Fan furrowed his brow and glanced at the system again, letting out a helpless sigh.
There were over ninety thousand Bragging Points sitting there. He had wanted to save up until he had a hundred thousand and buy a Nine Character Secret.
That's right, the Nine Character Secret was the only secret art in the system shop that was still on sale. It cost 100,000.
Xiao Yi Xian raised her eyes and stole a glance at Xiao Fan, who sat with his eyes closed, deep in thought. She was perceptive and had keenly sensed that he seemed troubled lately.
A look of concern quietly appeared on her lovely face, and she worried inwardly for Xiao Fan. Brother Xiao Fan must be fretting over how to improve his strength. I have to find a way to help him.
During this time, Xiao Yi Xian had continued consuming Poison Pills and cultivating assiduously day and night, repeatedly activating her Woeful Poison Body.
Throughout the process, her careful observations had led her to discover a secret: Xiao Fan could improve his strength by absorbing the energy released by her.
It's just that the energy I provide is still far too meager for him.
Xiao Yi Xian bit her lip, determination showing in her eyes as if she had made up her mind.
She remembered a curious tale she had once read in an ancient text: a woman with a Woeful Poison Body had married a man. Though he knew how dangerous her poison body was, he had remained unafraid thanks to a mysterious cultivation art.
On their wedding night, the two shared their first kiss. The intense emotions caused the poison within the woman's body to erupt even more violently, but the man tragically died.
"Brother Xiao Fan, no matter how fierce the poison is, can you always neutralize it with ease?"
Xiao Yi Xian looked at Xiao Fan.
Her voice trembled slightly, her eyes filled with both nervousness and anticipation. Without realizing it, she clutched the hem of her clothes tightly.
At her words, Xiao Fan's lips curled into a confident smile.
"Let alone you as you are now—even if you had poison at the level of a Dou Emperor, I could still neutralize it without a problem."
The unease in Xiao Yi Xian's heart eased a little, and she made up her mind.
She slowly uncorked the bottle and looked at the Poison Pills that could support her breakthrough to Dou Ling. Without the slightest hesitation, she tipped them all into her mouth.
Her cultivation should have proceeded one step at a time, following a gradual and steady path.
But at that moment, she could think of nothing but improving her strength as quickly as possible, so she could become a steadfast support for Xiao Fan and help him break through.
"Xiao Yi Xian, you..."
Xiao Fan's mouth twitched slightly at the sight.
As mentioned earlier, absorbing so many Poison Pills at once would not endanger Xiao Yi Xian's life, but it would cause her unbearable pain.
In an instant, Xiao Yi Xian's glossy black hair turned white, whipping wildly in the wind like frost and snow.
Her face twisted in agony, her brows furrowed like mountain peaks, and her lips lost all color. A pained groan escaped her mouth. "It hurts..."
Seeing this, Xiao Fan hurriedly sat cross-legged beside her, intending to circulate the Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Art and drive the rampant poison out of her body.
But just then, Xiao Yi Xian struggled to open her eyes. Her pale-purple eyes were hazy and unfocused.
She slowly raised a hand, caught hold of Xiao Fan's collar, and then gently kissed him.
Feeling the softness against his lips, Xiao Fan opened his eyes.
Damn! I'm the future Heavenly Emperor Xiao, and today I've been kissed against my will!
Xiao Fan's eyes widened as if he had witnessed the most unbelievable thing in the world.
But before he could recover from the sudden shock,
an even more vast torrent of energy surged out of Xiao Yi Xian's mouth, like a great river bursting its banks.
"This... that works too?"
Xiao Fan's eyes were filled with astonishment, as if he had discovered a whole new world. He hurriedly circulated the Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Art and absorbed the mighty energy with all his strength.
For a time, the air around them seemed to warp under the force of the energy, forming visible whirlpools that looked like ferocious beasts baring their fangs.
Xiao Yi Xian's body trembled slightly, but she clung tightly to Xiao Fan, as if she wanted to give him all her strength without holding anything back. She silently thought, Brother Xiao Fan, you have to become stronger.
As the Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Art continuously absorbed energy, Xiao Fan felt Dou Qi surge into his body like mighty, surging tides, flowing without end.
His meridians filled with immense power, and every inch of his skin seemed to cheer and dance, as if celebrating a grand revel.
Dou Zong... came as naturally as water flowing into a channel!
Who knew how much time passed before the surging flow of energy finally came to a gradual stop.
Xiao Yi Xian leaned weakly against Xiao Fan.
Her face was now as pale as paper, and her breathing was faint, like a candle guttering in the wind.
She had just consumed enough Poison Pills to break through to Dou Ling, but because she could not properly control their absorption, she had only barely reached Five-Star Great Dou Shi.
Xiao Fan gazed at her, feeling both moved and heartbroken. "You silly girl..."
His voice was full of helplessness and tenderness.
Xiao Yi Xian forced a faint smile and said softly, "As long as I can help Brother Xiao Fan, I'm willing to do anything."
Meanwhile, in Xiao Yan's room, Xiao Yan had already fallen fast asleep after cultivating all day.
Yao Lao drifted out of his Storage Ring and fixed his gaze on the back mountain.
"That aura... is someone breaking through?"