Golden Emperor Incinerating Flame, Secret Art Alchemy

Time always flew by during cultivation, and before he knew it, two and a half months had passed.

After Xiao Yan successfully refined the Super Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid, he had also achieved some success in replicating the Bloodflame Pill over those two months.

He did not know the exact types or ages of the medicinal ingredients, so the effects of the replicated Bloodflame Pill were rather difficult to put into words.

They all accelerated the consumption and regeneration of Battle Qi within the body, improving one's strength through that cycle. Yet some, like the genuine Bloodflame Pill, caused pain as though one had been cast onto burning coals when applied to the body—some were even worse—while others made one feel as though immersed in a hot spring, though their medicinal effects were even more pronounced.

With the aid of those two medicines, Xiao Yan's strength had risen rapidly. His level had broken through one after another, and he had already reached the Nine-Star Dou Practitioner level, seemingly only one step away from becoming a Dou Practitioner.

Some of the particularly violent products produced while refining Bloodflame Pills were unsuitable for his use and unsuitable for the Little Fairy Doctor as well, so he gave them to the Fire Cloud Wolf, which could withstand their medicinal power.

Having planned for Ya Fei to gather materials for some time, Xiao Yan used his Flying Dou Technique and swiftly returned to Wutan City.

When he entered the Mittel Auction House, Ya Fei was hosting an auction. After waiting for a while, Xiao Yan lay down on the large bed in that room and rested briefly.

After an unknown amount of time, he heard the door open. Xiao Yan sat up and looked at Ya Fei, clad in an exquisite red dress, with a smile. "It's only been a while, yet you've grown even prettier. How much of the stuff have you received?"

After closing the door, Ya Fei shot Xiao Yan an annoyed glance and walked in with graceful steps. "Medicinal ingredients, Magic Cores, pills, cultivation methods, Dou Techniques, and such won't multiply just because your mouth is sweet."

Xiao Yan handed some of Han Bo's belongings to Ya Fei and asked her to continue gathering alchemy materials, as well as Purpleheart Barrier-Breaking Pills, lightning- and wood-attributed cultivation methods and Dou Techniques, and Storage Rings.

"Give me however much you have." Xiao Yan also understood the limitations of the Jia Ma Empire as he rose from the bed.

Ya Fei removed a ring from her hand and shook her head helplessly. "With an appetite like yours, even if you joined the Mittel Family, I'm afraid we couldn't feed you for more than a few years."

"There are too many things I want to do. I can only work twice as hard." Xiao Yan accepted the Storage Ring and gave it a quick look, feeling a little more confident about his coming cultivation.

Ya Fei gave a charming smile. "Even geniuses work that hard. Ordinary people like me have even less reason to slack off."

After telling Ya Fei about the newly needed items, Xiao Yan took his things and returned home. He personally handed the Qi-Restoring Pills and Bone-Rebuilding Pills he had recently learned to refine to his father, then gave cultivation methods, Dou Techniques, and Storage Rings to his two brothers.

"Profound Tier cultivation methods, Dou Techniques, and Storage Rings!" Xiao Ding sucked in a cold breath. Only the clan heads and elders of the three great families were qualified to cultivate the first two. The Xiao Family and the Aoba Family held some advantage in cultivation methods, with Intermediate Profound Rank being their highest grade. As for Storage Rings, even the Xiao Family had possessed only two before this.

"Alchemists really make grand gestures!" Xiao Li was extremely excited. "With these two things, it'll be much easier for us to roam the world in the future! Little Yan, your talent surpasses both of ours. Going to the academy suits you better."

Xiao Yan smiled without explaining that going to the academy might not necessarily be safe for him. He still needed to find Skyfire Venerable beneath the Burning Heaven Qi Refining Tower.

After chatting for a few more moments, Xiao Yan returned to his residence. In the courtyard full of medicinal herbs, a young girl in a green dress with waist-length hair was tending to them.

He had planted those herbs merely to make gathering seeds more convenient, but he had raised them for six years nevertheless. Seeing Xiao Xun'er tending to them personally made Xiao Yan very happy. Sensing something, he stepped forward and said, "Xun'er, you've broken through and become a Dou Practitioner!"

Xiao Xun'er smiled. "It's all thanks to the resources Xiao Yan-gege provided. Otherwise, Xun'er would still need several years to break through and become a Dou Practitioner."

That guess was quite accurate, but he did not care for the conspiracy theory behind it. Xiao Yan raised a brow. "Those things do indeed speed up cultivation, but the fact that you became a Dou Practitioner so quickly proves your outstanding talent."

"Speaking of talent, Xun'er is far inferior to Xiao Yan-gege. Back when you were at the Battle Qi stage, you did not have so many external resources." Xiao Xun'er looked at Xiao Yan a few more times, then said in delighted surprise, "Xiao Yan-gege is already a Nine-Star Dou Practitioner!"

The two looked at each other for a moment. Xiao Yan smiled. "There's no need for us to flatter each other."

Xiao Xun'er set the watering can in her hand aside. Her nose wrinkled slightly as she caught a special feminine fragrance, and she casually said, "You went to the Mittel Auction House as soon as you returned?"

Xiao Yan sighed. "Alchemists seem glamorous, but only those fated to become one can understand the hardships involved. I lack everything and can only ask an auction house with many channels for help."

"Just tell Xun'er what you lack. Whatever Mittel can find, Xun'er can provide as well." Xiao Xun'er waved her jade-like hand, and two large chests suddenly appeared on the grass.

With a bang, the two chests were jolted open, revealing the items within as they shone brilliantly.

"This is..." Xiao Yan stared in shock. "Magic Cores—second-tier, third-tier—and medicinal ingredients..."

"These things must be worth several million gold coins. You really are filthy rich, you little rich girl." Xiao Yan clicked his tongue in amazement.

It was not strange for Xiao Xun'er to take out anything, but for her to produce two chests of items he urgently needed without any preparation made the surprise especially intense.

Xiao Xun'er's cheeks reddened. It seemed she had been too hasty.

After storing the items in his Storage Ring, Xiao Yan took out a jade bottle. "This is one of my recent results: a medicinal liquid refined from various fire-attributed materials. It can rapidly consume the Battle Qi in one's body while accelerating its regeneration, increasing cultivation speed through that cycle."

Staring at the jade bottle containing red liquid, Xiao Xun'er said, "It was refined from purely violent medicinal ingredients. Its effects must come with no small amount of pain."

"You haven't read all those books for nothing." Xiao Yan praised her. "When you first use it for cultivation, your body will hurt as though it is being scorched by fire. But I'm rather greedy, so I already consumed Xun'er's share as well. This Fire Spirit Liquid now has only a mild effect that accelerates cultivation, making it most suitable for someone who has just broken through to become a Dou Practitioner."

Xiao Xun'er's heart turned sour. After pondering for a moment, she said, "Xiao Yan-gege, you actually don't need to cultivate so diligently. Xun'er also has a way to help you dissolve the engagement."

Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Xun'er with blazing eyes. "What is worth my painstaking cultivation has never been the engagement with Nalan Yanran."

Xiao Xun'er smiled sweetly. "Xun'er remembers Xiao Yan-gege saying that once I became a Dou Practitioner, you would teach me the Sacred Sun Technique. It seems it is time to fulfill that promise."

"That's nothing difficult." Xiao Yan handed Xiao Xun'er a medicinal liquid made by mixing the Upgraded Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid with the replicated Bloodflame Pill, then began explaining the cultivation method's contents.

Not long afterward, Xiao Yan lowered his head to look at the scroll Xiao Xun'er had given him before cultivation.

Secret art: Unity Return Art. It could gather the Battle Qi of two people cultivating the same cultivation method within one person's body, unleashing strength beyond their level.

So this was what she had been waiting for. Xiao Yan raised his head and looked at Xiao Xun'er, who had entered a cultivation state and was achieving remarkably effective results.

Given Xiao Xun'er's identity, she would not lack a cultivation method suited to her. Yet she now wished to cultivate the same method as him, which showed that she had prepared this secret art long ago.

Who told him to make that promise in the first place? Xiao Yan completely unfurled the scroll and read its contents, nodding thoughtfully from time to time. This secret art was not complicated to perform.

After a while, Xiao Xun'er opened her eyes excitedly and stood up. "Xiao Yan-gege, how is your understanding of the secret art?"

Xiao Yan pondered. "Let's try using it once. If it can raise my strength somewhat, perhaps I can refine the pill written in that prescription."

"That pill?" Xiao Xun'er murmured, taking Xiao Yan's hand.

After their fingers interlocked, they simultaneously circulated their cultivation methods. However, Xiao Xun'er drove her Battle Qi outward, while Xiao Yan received and controlled that Battle Qi.

A stream of dazzling golden energy, like tangible flames, surged into his meridians. Xiao Yan tried to use the Unity Return Art to fuse it, and his Battle Qi coiled around it in a spiral.

Nearly half of his strength had come from external aid, but the Sacred Sun Technique purified his Battle Qi with every circulation. The Beast Flame he had fused with could also refine Battle Qi, so its quality improved every day.

Even so, compared to the Battle Qi Xiao Xun'er had just converted, there was still a gap.

The moment the two came into contact, Xiao Yan immediately discovered that his Battle Qi was being slowly shrunk by a wave of high heat. The Beast Flame within his Qi vortex trembled at that moment.

Even if Xiao Xun'er could not fully wield its power, the might of a Strange Flame was not something a fifth-tier Beast Flame could contend against. Xiao Yan sighed inwardly.

The Golden Emperor Incinerating Flame ranked fourth on the Strange Flame list. As the inherited Strange Flame of the Ancient Clan, its defining characteristic was its incomparably high temperature, said to be capable of burning even Battle Qi.

Fortunately, the two cultivated the same cultivation method. Though one person's Battle Qi was shrinking, it still entwined and twisted together into one strand. Indeed, because of that difference, it twisted especially tightly.

At that moment, Xiao Yan's aura underwent a qualitative transformation. Already extremely close to becoming a Dou Practitioner, he experienced a sublimation, and a layer of golden gauze-like clothing covered his robes.

The Unity Return Art had succeeded. Xiao Yan flicked his Storage Ring and retrieved a third-tier medicinal cauldron, then snapped his fingers and fired out a cluster of golden flame.

After adapting to the Golden Emperor Incinerating Flame obtained from Xiao Xun'er's body, Xiao Yan began dropping Buddha-Heart Fruits into the medicinal cauldron one by one.

This was his first time using a Strange Flame. Although it was not pure, and Xiao Xun'er herself could only wield limited power, with further losses once it reached his hands, it was still far beyond a fifth-tier Beast Flame.

The scorching temperature quickly baked out the medicinal power of the Buddha-Heart Fruit. Xiao Yan had refined this ingredient many times in the valley, but this time was by far the easiest, and the medicinal fragrance that spread out was exceptionally rich.

Xiao Yan's spirits rose. After refining the Buddha-Heart Fruit, he immediately began refining the next medicinal ingredient.

The highest-aged ingredient required for the Spirit Awakening Pill was thirty-year Clearheart Trifoliate Herb. For Xiao Yan, who possessed the Palm-Heaven Bottle, this allowed him to ripen large quantities of medicinal herbs and accumulate refinement experience.

One medicinal ingredient after another was perfectly refined into medicinal liquid. Xiao Yan's expression turned solemn as he tossed a third-tier wood-attributed Magic Core into the medicinal cauldron.

With the amount of Battle Qi supplied by an Advanced Profound Rank cultivation method, along with Qi-Restoring Pills to replenish his expenditure, he did not lack Battle Qi when refining the third-tier Spirit Awakening Pill. Yet his power had been somewhat lacking, and he had always stopped at the pill-fusing stage.

Now, his strength had risen to that of a Dou Practitioner due to the secret art, and he had also activated the Golden Emperor Incinerating Flame. The Magic Core, which once took a long time to refine, shed its hard shell after only a short while and transformed into a jade-green paste.

Several materials that had never fused together before now merged under the tempering of the golden flames as naturally as water flowing into a channel, forming a round, lustrous pill.

"The Third-Grade Spirit Awakening Pill is refined!" Xiao Yan excitedly removed the pill from the medicinal cauldron.

Even a portion of a Strange Flame provided an enormous boost to alchemy. No wonder alchemists were willing to spend their entire lives searching for Strange Flames.

After giving Xiao Xun'er a Qi-Restoring Pill to recover her expenditure, Xiao Yan felt that the opportunity had arrived and swallowed the Spirit Awakening Pill.

The moment the pill entered his mouth, it transformed into a stream of heat. With only a slight circulation of Xiao Yan's cultivation method, the energy of heaven and earth around him surged madly toward him.

Watching Xiao Yan become covered in a layer of tangible energy of heaven and earth in the blink of an eye, Xiao Xun'er stuffed the Qi-Restoring Pill into her mouth. A flash of astonishment crossed her lively eyes. "He's about to break through!"

A Dou Practitioner not yet eleven years old who had refined a third-grade pill—either achievement alone was astonishing!