Time drifted by, and several days slipped past in the blink of an eye. During those days, Xiao Fan's life followed the same three-point routine.
Every day, he went to the bustling inn as usual, bragging to earn points.
He only got up at a leisurely pace once the sunset's afterglow had spread across the sky, then strolled back to the Xiao Clan Back Mountain.
The Xiao Clan Back Mountain was quiet and secluded, the perfect place for Xiao Fan to work out a new cultivation method in solitude.
He immersed himself in the method's complexities, and time flew by as he focused.
Only when night fell and stars dotted the sky did he drag his slightly weary body back to his room. After a quick wash, he got ready for bed.
And at some point, Xiao Yi Xian had begun slipping into Xiao Fan's room under the cover of night.
Her fair face always wore a pitiful expression as she whispered, "I can't sleep. I can only feel safe enough to fall asleep when I'm in your room."
At first, Xiao Fan hadn't quite gotten used to it, but after several days, he gradually grew accustomed to the little girl's clinginess.
After all, having such a soft, fragrant girl nestled against him brought a warmth and comfort that he couldn't help but sink into.
Every night, with Xiao Yi Xian's gentle breathing beside him, he slept especially soundly.
On this seemingly ordinary day, Xiao Fan finally reached a crucial moment in his study of the cultivation method.
His aura surged around him, and the air itself seemed to stir in response to his presence.
Suddenly, an astonishing vision appeared in the sky: a pitch-black, bottomless black hole slowly took shape.
It was like a mysterious giant beast opening its maw, greedily devouring the surrounding light, as if it meant to swallow every bit of energy in heaven and earth.
This strange sight naturally caught Yao Lao's attention.
Yao Lao had been guiding Xiao Yan in his cultivation.
Suddenly, his expression turned grave. He looked up at the mysterious black hole in the sky.
"That is..."
Noticing Yao Lao's unusual reaction, Xiao Yan looked at his master in confusion and asked,
"What's wrong?"
Yao Lao kept his eyes fixed on the black hole in the sky and said slowly, "At the very least, that's the sign of a Heaven Tier cultivation method coming into being..."
"Heaven Tier?"
At the words, Xiao Yan's eyes widened in shock.
That was a legendary Heaven Tier cultivation method, spoken of only in tales across the Dou Qi Continent!
"Mm... An Earth Tier cultivation method couldn't create a spectacle on this scale..."
Yao Lao furrowed his brows slightly, surprise and solemnity showing in his eyes.
Xiao Yan's heart stirred. Xiao Fan's figure flashed through his mind, and he drew a sharp breath. "Hiss... Brother Fan did this?"
Yao Lao nodded faintly, a complicated look passing through his eyes. "It should be. In the entire Xiao Clan, he's the only one with the ability to cause such a startling commotion."
In Yao Lao's eyes, Xiao Fan was even more unfathomable than the Eight Ancient Clans.
As Xiao Yan listened to Yao Lao, a flicker of longing appeared in his eyes.
Ever since he'd learned that Xiao Fan had advanced to Dou Zong, turbulent waves had been stirring in his heart.
Watching Xiao Fan grow stronger by the day had inevitably made him anxious. Every day, he tried to ask Yao Lao in roundabout ways if there was a method to improve his cultivation quickly.
But what sort of person was Yao Lao?
He had weathered the vicissitudes of time, cultivating from a low level to a high one step by step. His understanding of the path of cultivation was profound.
Naturally, he saw through Xiao Yan's impatience at a glance and said sternly, "Xiao Yanzi, you've been rather restless lately."
Xiao Yan froze at his words.
He thought back over his actions these past few days. Images came to mind of himself eagerly asking Yao Lao about cultivation methods and struggling to focus while practicing.
Feeling somewhat ashamed, he gave a wry smile. "I'm just having a bit of trouble with the gap between us..."
Yao Lao looked at Xiao Yan with a trace of tenderness in his eyes. He gently patted his head and reassured him, "It's normal to feel that way. Even in Central Plains, where powerful experts abound and brilliant talents shine like stars, he'd still be among the very best."
"But Xiao Yanzi, remember this: everyone has their own path to walk. We can't rely on others all the time."
Yao Lao knew that Xiao Yan was sorely tempted by the Heaven Tier cultivation method.
After all, it was the stuff of legend, a cultivation method countless people dreamed of obtaining.
He deliberately goaded him. "Wouldn't that make you someone else's follower? Do you really want to spend your whole life beneath his heel?"
As it turned out, Yao Lao knew Xiao Yan's temperament inside out. The provocation worked like a charm.
Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, a stubborn glint flashing in his eyes. "Hmph, as if! Even if he becomes a future Great Emperor, I'll... Uh..."
Challenge a Great Emperor?
Xiao Yan smiled bitterly to himself. It was easy enough to say, but doing it would be another matter entirely.
Still, he quickly rallied and said with determination, "I'll become just as strong as him!"
Seeing that Xiao Yan's fighting spirit had been successfully rekindled, Yao Lao smiled in relief and nodded to himself.
Good. Xiao Yan might not measure up to that Xiao Fan in any way just yet, but he had his own strengths. With that refusal to admit defeat, anything was possible.
He truly was a fine disciple, just as Yao Lao had thought.
At the Xiao Clan Back Mountain, Xiao Fan sat quietly atop a boulder, a brush in his hand and a focused, penetrating look in his eyes.
He carefully recorded his insights into the cultivation method, along with its intricate energy circulation routes, stroke by stroke in an old-fashioned book.
He had named the method "Heaven-Swallowing."
Though it was astonishingly high-ranked, reaching Heaven Tier, it had a remarkable quality: it was exceptionally easy to learn, with scarcely any obstacles to cultivation.
It turned out that Xiao Fan had used Xiao Yi Xian's unique Woeful Poison Body and the mysterious Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Art as his reference, then carefully worked out this unorthodox Heaven Tier method after countless studies and experiments.
The Heaven-Swallowing method was astonishingly powerful. It could devour the energy of all things and convert it into the cultivator's own cultivation, rapidly increasing their strength without leaving behind an unstable foundation. It was a cultivation method cultivators could only dream of. However, all things in the world had two sides, and this method was no exception.
Its only drawback was that whenever a cultivator reached a major cultivation boundary and was about to advance, the vast energy accumulated inside them would erupt.
This was somewhat like the way Xiao Yi Xian's Woeful Poison Body flared up, but far more violent.
If the cultivator failed to control the energy when it erupted, they wouldn't explode and die, but they would be trapped in a predicament, stuck at that level and unable to advance until they had completely digested or absorbed the violent energy.
Xiao Fan frowned slightly. He knew he wasn't incapable of refining the method further, but given the limited time and the constraints he faced, this was as far as he could take it for now.
Still, he felt a trace of anticipation. Perhaps once his Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Art reached great mastery and he gained new insights into the path of cultivation methods, he would be able to improve the Heaven-Swallowing method and make it flawless.
At the thought, Xiao Fan narrowed his eyes, a satisfied look crossing his face.
After all... that energy could become nourishment for him.