Nighttime Breakthrough

The pure medicinal liquid coursed through his entire body, the blissful sensation making Xiao Yan almost groan aloud. He could not help secretly marveling at Yao Lao's alchemy. Refining a pill meant purely to increase strength to such a level was something he would need to study for a long time.

The exquisite Crimson Lotus Karma Flame within him spun at high speed, constantly filtering out the impurities in the medicinal liquid so that the Dou Qi could be directly absorbed by his body.

The reason Heavenly Flames held such an extraordinary status was that, aside from enhancing one's strength, they often came with other miraculous properties that benefited their holders in many ways. The Crimson Lotus Karma Flame's ability to filter and refine energy was especially effective.

Surging Dou Qi poured into Xiao Yan's body and was smoothly absorbed. Ever since absorbing the Crimson Lotus Karma Flame, Xiao Yan had never stopped cultivating diligently. He had even deliberately suppressed his strength to take Zi Yan's punches, all so he could return to his former steady, grounded state of consolidating his foundation before advancing. It seemed that had been beneficial after all.

Now, absorbing the Imperial Extreme Pill came as naturally as water flowing into a channel. Unlike others, who would panic and struggle when faced with such a vast amount of Dou Qi, Xiao Yan felt incomparably refreshed with every strand he absorbed, like parched earth receiving long-awaited rain.

Chu Qun, who was keeping watch, was half reclining when he suddenly sensed the change in Xiao Yan's aura. His brow rose. "You advanced? Xiao Yan, just how many more surprises are you hiding?"

Back in Mist Poison Forest, the reason Chu Qun had taken the initiative to show Xiao Yan goodwill, and why he had followed Xiao Yan without hesitation while being pursued by the Green-Eyed Nightmare Toad, was because a special Dou Qi technique of his had revealed something extraordinary to him.

He had learned that Xiao Yan was only nineteen years old! That meant that, if Xiao Yan wished, he could still participate in the Ten Thousand Beasts Assembly ten years later! Yet he was already a two-star Dou Emperor. What terrifying news.

Chu Qun himself was twenty-seven this year and had already reached the six-star Dou Emperor level. That was already an astonishing record. His master had once told him that, in the history of Splendid Flower Tower, his cultivation speed ranked among the top three. But compared with Xiao Yan, Chu Qun felt he was not worth a damn.

Even if Xiao Yan could only advance one star per year over the next decade, he would at the very least be a Dou Zong ten years from now. Yet no Dou Zong had ever appeared in the Ten Thousand Beasts Assembly! Thus, after learning Xiao Yan's age, Chu Qun had firmly decided to get on the same ship as him. Xiao Yan was definitely no ordinary person. Chu Qun even suspected that he had some connection to one of the superpowers in the Central Plains. Otherwise, how could such a monstrous genius suddenly emerge from the Northwest Region?

Afterward, when Chu Qun saw the Fire Lotus explosion Xiao Yan had created, he had nearly had his teeth shattered from shock. How could such terrifying destructive power be unleashed by a Dou Emperor? Even the tower's elder consecrates might not all be capable of such a feat.

And now Xiao Yan's cultivation was rising again. Although Chu Qun knew Xiao Yan had taken a pill, judging by his current state of cultivation, he had clearly built every step upon an extremely solid foundation. This breakthrough had come naturally.

"What a freak!" Chu Qun cursed Xiao Yan's monstrous talent inwardly, then felt a little regretful. If his peerless looks had belonged to a woman, perhaps he could have won Xiao Yan over. Then his future would be bright with Xiao Yan to rely on. But given the current situation, he could only start as a friend. At present, he still seemed capable of being quite useful to Xiao Yan.

Thinking of his teacher's hopes that he would secure a place in the top ten upon entering the Ten Thousand Beasts Space, Chu Qun gave a bitter smile and muttered to himself, "Teacher, getting into the top ten really won't be easy. Every one of these people is more monstrous than the last!"

Of course, Chu Qun was not the only one shocked. When his watch ended and Yang Lingyan came to take over, the sight of Xiao Yan charging toward the bottleneck of the four-star Dou Emperor left Yang Lingyan no less stunned.

Seeing that Xiao Yan was about to catch up to his cultivation level, Yang Lingyan recalled the arrogant words he had spoken to Xiao Yan after breaking through. Embarrassment rushed straight to his head. How had he dared to say such things back then?

Yang Lingyan had initially felt some hostility toward Xiao Yan. It was not only because he knew Xiao Yan was someone his father, Yang Yue, valued, but more importantly because he envied Xiao Yan's place in Qing Lin's heart.

Everyone in Heavenly Snake Mansion adored Qing Lin, who was like heaven's favored daughter, and that naturally included him. Watching the innocent, inexperienced, yet kind-hearted Qing Lin, Yang Lingyan had unconsciously fallen for her. In his mind, Qing Lin already belonged to Heavenly Snake Mansion. He was the most outstanding talent among the younger generation of Heavenly Snake Mansion, so if Qing Lin did not end up with him, who else could she be with?

So when he learned that Qing Lin talked about Xiao Yan every day, he developed an inexplicable anger toward this person he had never met, leading to their unpleasant first encounter. However, his fight with Zi Yan had made him recognize the limits of his own strength to some extent. In the Ten Thousand Beasts Space, Xiao Yan had effortlessly claimed the rankings in a way Yang Lingyan had failed to do, and Xiao Yan had even saved his life twice.

After seeing more and more of the surprises Xiao Yan revealed, Yang Lingyan could not help thinking, Perhaps only someone like him was worthy of being remembered by Qing Lin. Perhaps he was the true chosen prodigy. Compared to him, what did I even amount to?

Thus, Chu Qun and Yang Lingyan, each lost in his own thoughts, watched Xiao Yan cultivate throughout the night.

When the first ray of sunlight from the artificial sun of the Ten Thousand Beasts Space fell upon the three of them at dawn, Xiao Yan finally completed his final consolidation. He opened his eyes, and a powerful aura burst forth from his body—the early stage of the four-star Dou Emperor!

The moment Xiao Yan opened his eyes, he saw Chu Qun and Yang Lingyan staring at him with wide eyes. He immediately said apologetically, "Sorry, I got too absorbed in my cultivation. I'll take all the night watches tonight."

The two of them laughed it off and said it was fine. Everyone had unexpected circumstances sometimes.

Xiao Yan found their reactions somewhat strange, but he did not look into it further. After all, everyone had their own thoughts.

What delighted him more was this increase in strength. Supported by the Imperial Extreme Pill's powerful Dou Qi, he felt that the three-star Dou Emperor bottleneck could not restrain him at all. He simply rode the momentum and advanced, which was why he had not ended his cultivation in time. Of course, the breakthrough was not without hidden dangers. His condition had become somewhat unstable again, and he would need time to solidify his foundation.

Xiao Yan actually had a better way to increase his strength. The Sea Heart Flame he had obtained from Han Feng was still trapped by Yao Lao inside his Storage Ring. But before the Ten Thousand Beasts Assembly, Yao Lao had repeatedly reminded him that his foundation was important. Now that he had acquired a Heavenly Flame, he could not afford to rush. Yet now that his foundation was stable, he still did not dare absorb it. Absorbing it during the Ten Thousand Beasts Assembly would be too dangerous, and without Yao Lao, Xiao Yan did not dare act on his own for fear of overlooking some detail. It seemed he could only wait until after leaving the Ten Thousand Beasts Assembly to find a solution.

After briefly sensing the changes in his body, Xiao Yan continued onward. It was already the tenth day, and Small Market was about to begin.

Fortunately, the three of them had good luck. At noon, a waterfall spanning more than a thousand zhang appeared before them, one of the ten major Small Markets in the Ten Thousand Beasts Space—Thousand Scroll Waterfall!

Below the waterfall was a temporary market formed by several thousand people. It was precisely the height of trading, and the atmosphere was exceptionally lively.

Chu Qun looked at the two beside him and smiled. "We're finally here. Let's see what good things we can find this time!"