His Scheme Succeeded

After returning to his own courtyard, Xiao Yan held Xiao Yi Xian and lay down on the bed for a proper sleep. He did not stretch and get up until noon the next day.

Xiao Yan truly had been exhausted these past few days.

Looking at Xiao Yi Xian still sleeping beside him, Xiao Yan could not help poking her delicate, seemingly breakable little cheek with a finger. Feeling her soft body and peaks still pressed against him, the newly awakened Xiao Yan could not help reacting.

He hurriedly suppressed the lust in his heart. No matter what, their first time could not begin while she was asleep, could it?

Careful not to wake Xiao Yi Xian, Xiao Yan cautiously got out of bed.

Looking at Xiao Yi Xian's slender, exquisite curves on the bed and recalling the hidden fullness beneath them, Xiao Yan calculated their ages. On the generally early-maturing Dou Qi Continent, many people their age already had children running around.

"Perhaps it's about time?" Xiao Yan could not help thinking.

He took several deep breaths and forcibly cast aside the romantic thoughts in his heart.

"Creak."

Just as Xiao Yan had finally rid himself of those improper thoughts, the door was pushed open by a small figure.

"Young Master, you're awake. Would you like a meal?" The little person who entered was Qinglin, the girl who had bumped into Xiao Yan yesterday.

"Yes. I slept for an entire day, so I'm rather hungry. Have the servants bring it over. But remember to keep your voices down. Xian'er is still asleep," Xiao Yan instructed, then suddenly realized something. "Have you been standing guard here all this time? How did you come in right after I woke up?"

"Young Master, according to the group's arrangements, whenever a captain or vice-captain rests, someone must remain on guard nearby. Qinglian and two others are responsible for guarding Young Master. It happens to be Qinglian's shift right now." Qinglin—no, she should be called Qinglian now—answered timidly. Her emerald eyes unconsciously lifted as she furtively watched Xiao Yan's expression.

"I see." Xiao Yan smiled gently and lightly rubbed Qinglian's little head. "Do you like the name Qinglian?"

"Mhm." Qinglian nodded like a pecking chick and softly replied.

"That's good." Xiao Yan took a bag of gold coins from his Storage Ring and placed it in Qinglian's hands. "Give this to the other two guards. Tell them to arrange all your shifts during the day from now on. You're still young, so you need enough sleep at night."

"Ah, this... this won't do! Qinglian can't accept this!" Qinglian repeatedly waved her hands and tried to push the gold coins back to Xiao Yan.

"There's nothing wrong with it. These coins aren't just for you. The two of them have worked hard standing guard for so long too. This bag is also my reward for them. Take it!" Xiao Yan forcibly stuffed the coins into Qinglian's hands. Before she could refuse again, he added, "All right, hurry and have them bring the meal. I'm starving. Don't forget to tell them to be quiet."

As he spoke, Xiao Yan pushed Qinglian out the door.

With a bang, he locked the door.

"Finished talking with the little girl?" The moment Xiao Yan shut the door, he heard Xiao Yi Xian, who had somehow awakened, still lying on the bed and smiling sweetly.

"Uh... when did you wake up?"

"Right when you said to keep it down because Xian'er was still sleeping." As she spoke, Xiao Yi Xian cast him a somewhat resentful look. "Really, you know to tell others to be quiet, yet you were speaking so loudly yourself."

"Uh... that was just an accident, wasn't it?" Xiao Yan said awkwardly. "Then you didn't know about what happened before that, right?"

"What happened before that? What are you referring to?" Xiao Yi Xian asked suspiciously, her gaze gaining a hint of scrutiny, as if asking whether he had done something to wrong her. Yet beneath the blanket, her little hand could not help clenching, and an imperceptible blush appeared on her pretty face.

"Oh, nothing. It's just... I changed clothes, and I wanted to know whether you saw it," Xiao Yan said without blushing or missing a beat.

"Pah! Who would watch you change clothes!"

Although Xiao Yan's clothes had not changed at all from before he went to sleep, the two tacitly chose not to dwell on the matter.

Having rested for an entire day, all their previous exhaustion had completely faded. Naturally, Xiao Yi Xian had no reason to remain in bed.

She got out of bed and changed clothes beneath Xiao Yan's fixed gaze. After giving him an annoyed glare, the servants delivering their meal arrived.

After quickly finishing lunch, the two, who had wasted an entire day, should get down to serious business.

"I plan to rest this afternoon and adjust myself to peak condition. Tonight, I'll refine the Green Lotus Core Flame," Xiao Yan said.

Xiao Yi Xian gave him a worried look upon hearing that. "I've always heard that a person can only refine one Heavenly Flame. Will there really be no problem with you refining two at the same time?"

"Don't worry. I told you before that the cultivation method I practice is rather special. It can refine multiple Heavenly Flames for my own use. Nothing will happen." Xiao Yan held Xiao Yi Xian's little hand with one hand and comforted her. But seeing the worry still lingering in her beautiful, pitiful eyes, the lust he had barely suppressed earlier began rising again.

Xiao Yan swallowed and said somewhat unnaturally, "Well, there is a slight side effect when refining multiple Heavenly Flames."

"A side effect?" Hearing those words, Xiao Yi Xian became even more worried. She anxiously asked, "What side effect?"

"Well, I'm not entirely sure either. I just have a feeling there may be one. How about you guard me tonight while I refine the Heavenly Flame?" Xiao Yan's gaze drifted uncertainly.

Xiao Yi Xian felt that something was off. Xiao Yan seemed inexplicably guilty, but she did not think too much about it and directly agreed.

"Okay."

At night, in the courtyard's dedicated cultivation chamber.

Xiao Yan had already adjusted his body to its peak condition. Looking at the green fire lotus within the Bone Flame Ring, a trace of hesitation flashed through his eyes.

Is it really okay for me to do this? But then he thought, It's going to happen sooner or later anyway. What's there to hesitate over?

"Creak!"

The cultivation chamber door opened from outside, and accompanied by a fragrant breeze, Xiao Yi Xian's graceful figure entered.

Xiao Yi Xian was especially beautiful today. Pure moonlight streamed through the newly opened door and fell upon her slender body. Tonight, she wore a pure white gauze dress without any other adornments. Only a thin waist cord cinched the garment, outlining her slender willow waist and curving figure. Her hair, which she usually tied up slightly, was now completely loose, and there even seemed to be droplets of water not yet wiped dry upon it.

"You took a bath?" Xiao Yan asked in surprise.

"Mhm." Xiao Yi Xian's reply was so soft that Xiao Yan nearly failed to hear it. Seeing his somewhat dazed expression, Xiao Yi Xian reached out and shut the door, leaving only Xiao Yi Xian and Xiao Yan in the room.

"Aren't you going to refine the Heavenly Flame yet?" Xiao Yi Xian walked to another meditation cushion in the room, sat down cross-legged, and urged him.

Her voice, like the chime of wind bells, shot through Xiao Yan's spine like lightning, making him shudder.

At that moment, Xiao Yan's heart suddenly calmed.

He took the Green Lotus Core Flame from within the Qinglian in the Bone Flame Ring. The instant it appeared, the flame spontaneously gathered into the shape of a green lotus.

Tranquil, beautiful, and captivating, yet carrying enough heat to vaporize steel, it instantly turned the previously cool cultivation chamber into a massive furnace. The droplets left on Xiao Yi Xian's body after her bath evaporated in an instant, only to be replaced by beads of sweat that rolled from her cheeks down her neck and into the valley below.

Although Xiao Yan had only refined one Heavenly Flame before this—the Volcanic Rock Flame—he had refined it in several stages. Thus, Xiao Yan's experience in refining Heavenly Flames was extremely abundant. Furthermore, he had a Heavenly Flame stronger than the Green Lotus Core Flame protecting him this time, so Xiao Yan's refinement process was exceptionally bold.

Without taking any precautions, Xiao Yan thrust his right hand directly into the scorching green flames and fiercely reached for the small wisp of Green Lotus Core Flame origin within them, gripping it without hesitation. Even as the extreme flames burned away his flesh and reduced his blood and bones to ash, he merely furrowed his brow and gave a muffled grunt.

"Ha!" With a low shout, Xiao Yan pulled back his hand along with the Green Lotus Core Flame origin, then directly stuffed it into his mouth.

The violent flame origin began rampaging through Xiao Yan's body the instant it entered. His blood, bones, meridians—everything seemed destined to be burned to ash before it would settle down. But how could Xiao Yan allow it to run wild? A crimson flame, stronger and hotter than the green flame, rose from Xiao Yan's dantian and swiftly surged over to surround the green flames.

If it were outside, the Green Lotus Core Flame might have been able to rely on its vast Heavenly Flame energy to resist. But here, the Green Lotus Core Flame had only a trace of its origin remaining. It was absolutely no match for the Volcanic Rock Flame, which ranked two places above it, not to mention that Xiao Yan was operating the Flame Mantra to tip the scales.

Before long, the previously arrogant Green Lotus Core Flame was defeated. Like a captured prisoner, it was escorted by the Volcanic Rock Flame along the cultivation path of the Flame Mantra. Soon, the Green Lotus Core Flame completed one full circuit under escort and finally returned to Xiao Yan's dantian together with the Volcanic Rock Flame.

A sense of sudden enlightenment spread from the depths of Xiao Yan's soul. At that moment, the Flame Mantra evolved automatically. Many circulation paths that had not existed before emerged, continuously expanding and extending. From Mid Black Tier to High Black Tier, then Earth Tier!

But just as the Flame Mantra was about to reach Earth Tier, it suddenly lacked the strength to continue. The evolution of the cultivation method came to an abrupt halt. No matter how Xiao Yan prayed, it was useless. In the end, it stopped at a level above High Black Tier but below Earth Tier. If he had to define it, it would be a Half-Step Earth Tier cultivation method.

Though it had ultimately fallen just short, Xiao Yan did not lose heart. After all, the seventeenth-ranked Volcanic Rock Flame was a full three ranks below the fourteenth-ranked Falling Heart Flame. It was only natural that it could not reach Earth Tier.

Setting aside the regret in his heart, Xiao Yan turned his attention to the two Heavenly Flames he had refined.

Within his dantian, two Heavenly Flames, one green and one red, stood facing each other. The red Heavenly Flame was comparatively stronger, but it had not reached the point where it could completely overwhelm the green one. Although both Heavenly Flames had already been refined by Xiao Yan, they still opposed one another and stirred restlessly, wanting to fight in Xiao Yan's dantian. Only the Flame Mantra between them prevented that impulse.

But this could not continue. To eliminate the danger of having two Heavenly Flames coexist, and to unleash their greatest power, the only option was to completely fuse the two Heavenly Flames into one.

With a shift of his mind, the Flame Mantra within Xiao Yan began circulating rapidly, and an endless stream of Flame Mantra Dou Qi poured between the two Heavenly Flames.

With another thought, the Flame Mantra's restraint over the two Heavenly Flames instantly vanished. The Green Lotus Core Flame and Volcanic Rock Flame slammed into each other as though they had encountered mortal enemies. The green and red Heavenly Flames continuously crushed and pressed against each other, each driving its power to the limit.

The Green Lotus Core Flame was ultimately slightly weaker than the Volcanic Rock Flame, and it was also the newcomer in Xiao Yan's body. In the end, it was gradually suppressed by the Volcanic Rock Flame. But Heavenly Flames had always been violent by nature. Even if it could not win, it would drag its opponent down with it!

The clash and slaughter of the two Heavenly Flames soon stirred raging waves within his dantian. Scorching storms swept through it continuously, and even Xiao Yan's Dou Qi vortex began to grow unstable. Xiao Yan quickly focused his mind and operated the Flame Mantra with all his strength to condense Dou Qi. Vast amounts of Flame Mantra Dou Qi flooded into them as he carefully mediated the conflict between the two Heavenly Flames, soothing their emotions as though calming children.

The two Heavenly Flames, originally wild and violent, gradually calmed under Xiao Yan's soothing. They no longer seemed as hostile toward each other as they had at the beginning. Xiao Yan let out a breath of relief and continued pushing their fusion forward.

Perhaps the Flame Mantra's effects were even more miraculous than Xiao Yan had expected. The following fusion process did not encounter any major problems.

Just when Xiao Yan thought he was about to succeed, a terrifying and violent aura emerged from the two Heavenly Flames and rapidly swelled.

Xiao Yan's heart skipped a beat. He immediately mobilized even more Flame Mantra Dou Qi to mediate, but it was still useless. The two Heavenly Flames were like a married couple already on the verge of divorce, unable to come together no matter what. Left with no choice, Xiao Yan could only separate them first.

Just as Xiao Yan was feeling somewhat discouraged, he suddenly discovered that the confrontation between the two Heavenly Flames seemed to have lessened considerably. This discovery immediately lifted his spirits.

After briefly regulating his breath and recovering some Dou Qi and energy, Xiao Yan attempted the fusion again. Though he still failed at the final hurdle this time, Xiao Yan could sense that the rejection between the two Heavenly Flames had diminished a little more.

Cultivation had never been smooth sailing. Much of the time, it relied on repeated, painstaking effort.

Time silently passed. Xiao Yan did not know how many times he had attempted to fuse the Heavenly Flames. Once again, he injected a wisp of Flame Mantra Dou Qi into the two Heavenly Flames.

Buzz!

A strange ripple suddenly spread out, jolting the somewhat dazed Xiao Yan awake.

At the center of his dantian, above the Dou Qi vortex, a fused lotus flame of mingled green and red stood atop an illusory volcano. It emitted terrifying heat, yet contained no trace of violent chaos.

Succeeded?

Joy rose in Xiao Yan's heart as he guided this wondrous Heavenly Flame into the Spirit-Nāling within his Dou Qi vortex.

As the Heavenly Flame entered the Spirit-Nāling, an unusual lustful fire surged forth from within it and spread throughout Xiao Yan's body in an instant.

Xiao Yan had expected this long ago. He did not resist much and allowed the evil energy to spread through his body.

He slowly opened his eyes, and a searing glint of fire shot forth, leaving a mark on the ground before him. But Xiao Yan paid no attention to that.

Because of the evil energy spreading through him, Xiao Yan's eyes turned an unhealthy blood-red. Driven by desire, he looked toward the fresh and elegant beauty not far away.

Xiao Yan walked toward Xiao Yi Xian step by step. Xiao Yi Xian seemed to have anticipated this moment. Though her face was flushed as if blood might drip from it, she still took the initiative to throw herself into Xiao Yan's embrace.

The lingering flames burned away Xiao Yi Xian's dress, leaving only her perfect body exposed before Xiao Yan.

"Xian'er."

"Mhm."

"Roar."

"Ah~"

As a beastly roar sounded, a soaring melody rose, and they remained awake through the night...