Dou Qi, Seven Stages

Besides affecting its wielder, the Medicine Spirit Sacred Body could also influence the outside world.

However, unlike the Calamity Poison Body, it did not bring disaster to its surroundings.

Those with the Medicine Spirit Sacred Body emitted a special aura. It could help heal injuries and prolong one's life. Prolonged exposure could even strengthen one's cultivation aptitude, allowing even someone of mediocre talent to become a rare genius.

Moreover, this aura was immensely beneficial to the growth of medicinal herbs. They grew faster, and once mature, their medicinal properties were even stronger.

After reading about these three terrifying constitutions, Xiao Yan unhesitatingly ruled out the life-threatening Calamity Poison Body and wavered between the Beast Soul Dominant Body and the Medicine Spirit Sacred Body.

As more and more magical beast souls were fused into the Beast Soul Dominant Body, it continuously strengthened one's physical constitution.

That point alone was undoubtedly enormously valuable to someone cultivating the Flame Mantra.

At a critical moment, being just a little stronger might mean withstanding the tempering of a Heavenly Flame and successfully fusing with it.

Having seen the fusion of the Green Lotus Core Flame in the simulation, Xiao Yan understood the risks involved all too well.

Especially since Medicine Elder would restrict his strength for a long time. He would have to begin cultivating again from Three-Stage Dou Qi, yet there would be less than three years until he obtained a Heavenly Flame from Queen Medusa.

No matter how gifted he was, he did not have enough time to fully capitalize on that advantage.

Even fusing with the Green Lotus Core Flame, ranked nineteenth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, was already a near-death ordeal.

Xiao Yan felt that even if he and Medicine Elder could steal the fourteenth-ranked Fallen Heart Flame from Jia Nan Academy and gather all the information on the third-ranked Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame, he still might not successfully fuse with them all.

If he possessed the Beast Soul Dominant Body, the odds would undoubtedly be much higher.

Unlike the purely combat-oriented Beast Soul Dominant Body, the Medicine Spirit Sacred Body benefited not only its owner, but also other people and medicinal herbs.

Yet its drawback was extremely obvious: it required an enormous supply of cultivation resources, and it would be difficult to break through to become a Dou Saint in the future.

After pondering for quite some time, Xiao Yan ultimately chose the Medicine Spirit Sacred Body.

His situation was rather special. He had to consider not only himself, but Medicine Elder as well.

If Medicine Elder learned that he intended to fuse with magical beast souls, and had never heard of the Beast Soul Dominant Body, he might mistake Xiao Yan for some evil cultivator and kill him. That would be disastrous.

Though the Medicine Spirit Sacred Body had major drawbacks, Medicine Elder was highly skilled at refining pills, so resources were not too much of a concern. Besides, as long as he fused with multiple Heavenly Flames, the accumulation of medicinal power would not be a problem.

Through the simulation, he had not only confirmed that the Flame Mantra could be cultivated successfully and possessed terrifying potential.

Xiao Yan had also learned the locations of the Fallen Heart Flame and the Green Lotus Core Flame, as well as several incomplete maps related to the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame.

If he could fuse with every Heavenly Flame on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, there was a high chance he could surpass the highest cultivation technique grade on the Dou Qi Continent and become something beyond the Heaven Tier.

The Flame Mantra, which began at only the Low Yellow Tier, was undoubtedly the cultivation technique most suited to him.

First, his talent was exceptional. Even a Low Yellow Tier cultivation technique could grant him a decent cultivation speed at the start.

Second, others had only one lifetime, while he could repeatedly use simulations to search for Heavenly Flames everywhere. The Dou Qi Continent was only so large; with enough attempts, he would eventually set foot in every corner of it.

If it were a cultivation technique that began at the Earth Tier or Heaven Tier, Xiao Yan truly would not be able to cultivate it for the time being.

A Dou Zhe's meridians could not withstand the impact of such techniques drawing in the energy of heaven and earth. One had to reach a certain realm before changing cultivation techniques.

Having selected the Medicine Spirit Sacred Body as his simulation reward, Xiao Yan suddenly felt a warm aura erupt from deep within his body and swiftly spread through his limbs and bones.

This warm aura was hundreds or thousands of times stronger than Dou Qi. Under its nourishing warmth, Xiao Yan could clearly feel his body undergoing earth-shaking changes.

His meridians became broader and tougher, his bones grew sturdier, and his flesh and skin were constantly being strengthened, gleaming with a gentle, jade-like luster.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan hurriedly sat cross-legged. His hands swiftly formed cultivation seals as he activated the Three-Origin Circulation Method and guided Dou Qi to circulate rapidly through his body.

Along with the changes in his body, Xiao Yan's speed of absorbing the energy of heaven and earth surged dramatically.

In just one or two breaths, his surroundings were enveloped by dense energy of heaven and earth that was nearly tangible.

Relying on the Three-Origin Circulation Method, Xiao Yan rapidly refined the vast energy of heaven and earth. The cultivation technique's effects strengthened his meridians, bones, flesh, blood, and soul, while his Dou Qi visibly grew at an astonishing rate.

As his Dou Qi began circulating at high speed, that initial warm aura was also affected, pouring out faster and faster.

Once everything settled, Xiao Yan excitedly jumped off the bed.

His entire body brimmed with an indescribable vitality and fullness.

Looking at his youthful body, Xiao Yan's black eyes were filled with shock.

"Dou Qi... Seven Stages!"

According to the cultivation in the simulation, even after taking the Primordial Origin Pill and cultivating the Three-Origin Circulation Method, he would still need more than half a year to break through to this level.

But now, in the process of acquiring the Medicine Spirit Sacred Body, he had actually broken through another stage and reached Seven-Stage Dou Qi!

Within the Early-Stage Dou Qi realm, stages seven through nine were High Stage.

Seven-Stage Dou Qi could be called the dividing line of Early-Stage Dou Qi. Once one stepped into the seventh stage, one had entered the high level of the early stage.

At that point, the Dou Qi stored within one's body would be several times greater than that of someone at Six-Stage Dou Qi.

Therefore, Seven-Stage Dou Qi was generally regarded as the first key to becoming a Dou Zhe. Its importance went without saying.

Xiao Yan sucked in a breath of cold air. Once he calmed down, he noticed the difference between his cultivation just now and his usual cultivation.

The energy he had just absorbed and refined was enough to let him advance from the sixth stage to the eighth, yet he had only barely advanced one stage.

The reason for this was clearly related to the Medicine Spirit Sacred Body.

After gaining the Medicine Spirit Sacred Body, he required more energy for cultivation!

That made sense. Those with the Medicine Spirit Sacred Body needed several or even dozens of times the medicinal power of others to break through even when taking pills. Let alone accumulating energy through cultivation techniques.

Xiao Yan did not take this situation to heart at all.

As long as he wanted to cultivate the Flame Mantra, he could not avoid Medicine Elder.

And with Medicine Elder around, no matter how quickly he cultivated during the Dou Qi stage, the moment he put on the ring, Medicine Elder would reduce him back to Three-Stage Dou Qi.

Rolling his wrists, Xiao Yan looked outside and saw that the sun had already risen high. He murmured inwardly, I'll eat something first, then go see Grandpa and test whether the aura emitted by this Medicine Spirit Sacred Body can really heal people's injuries.

In the simulation, although the situation had steadily improved and Xiao Lin could still possess the strength of a Da Dou Shi after recovering, he had nevertheless died the year before Xiao Yan's engagement was broken.

And during the more than ten years Xiao Lin had left to live, his strength had never improved again.

Now, Xiao Yan felt that this situation was about to change once more.