Breaking Through to Dou Wang and Refining the Sea Heart Flame

Yao Lao was lost in thought when he caught sight of Xiao Yan looking eager to give it a try.

His eyelid twitched. "Don't tell me you're going to eat that thing?"

Xiao Yan nodded smugly.

To anyone else, the Life Devouring Pill's side effects might be a death sentence. But to Xiao Yan, who had the Horse and Dog Talismans to keep him alive, they meant next to nothing.

Want to drain my life force? Ask my Horse Talisman first.

"Don't be reckless! Just keep cultivating by devouring Heavenly Flames. Why take something that borrows against your future?" Yao Lao hurried to stop him.

He had never expected the usually steady Xiao Yan to consider such a perilous shortcut.

After all, he did not fully understand the extraordinary powers of Xiao Yan's talismans. He thought the boy was acting on impulse, and his anxiety sharpened his tone.

"Don't worry, teacher. I never do anything unless I'm certain it'll work. I wouldn't gamble with my future in cultivation," Xiao Yan said with a reassuring smile.

He could not properly explain the talismans' origins or workings to Yao Lao. His teacher only needed to know that he never made a losing trade.

Yao Lao thought of the baffling abilities Xiao Yan had displayed time and again. At last, some of the tension left him.

Xiao Yan carefully buried the pile of bones before putting the Life Devouring Pill into his mouth. He sat cross-legged and began refining its immense medicinal power.

Before long, Xiao Yan's aura began climbing at a visibly startling pace.

Six-Star Dou Ling... Seven-Star... Eight-Star... In the blink of an eye, he reached Peak Dou Ling.

He paused briefly at that threshold. Then a crisp sound rang out from within him, as though a barrier had been broken through.

The firm shackle between Dou Ling and Dou Wang shattered.

Xiao Yan's aura surged like a burst dam, and his cultivation rose steadily to One-Star Dou Wang.

Boom! An explosion sounded behind him. His Purple Cloud Wings spread uncontrollably, then a layer of blue-green Dou Qi slowly enveloped them. The two began to merge in a strange way.

At the same time, the Life Devouring Pill's brutal side effect took hold.

An invisible force ravenously devoured Xiao Yan's life essence. A lock of hair at his temple slowly turned white before his eyes.

But the moment the side effect struck, the noble horse showed its power.

A gentle warmth welled up inside Xiao Yan and flowed through his limbs. Wherever it passed, his drained life force sprang back like dead wood blooming anew. In an instant, the white lock of hair regained its original color.

"Incredible!" Yao Lao had watched the entire process. Even with all he had seen, he could not help crying out in astonishment.

Calling Xiao Yan's ability a divine skill would hardly have been an exaggeration.

Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes and stood, stretching his limbs. A series of crisp cracks sounded throughout his body.

"This feeling of breaking through... It's addictive!" He sensed the sweeping changes within him and smiled in satisfaction.

"You brat, how do you feel?" Yao Lao quickly stepped forward and asked with concern.

"Good. Very good." Xiao Yan clenched his fist, feeling the power surging through him. He could not hide his excitement.

"That Life Devouring Pill really is potent!" Yao Lao, who had witnessed everything from start to finish, could not help but sigh in admiration.

A pill that could carry someone across two major realms was rare even across the continent.

"Exactly. With this, I can produce Dou Wang experts in bulk!" Xiao Yan held the scroll containing the Life Devouring Pill Recipe, grinning from ear to ear.

Yao Lao stroked his beard and imagined that sight. He could not help drawing in a sharp breath.

Xiao Yan was privately planning the great force he would build in the future when another talisman arrived.

A brilliant golden gleam flashed in his eyes, and threads of scorching flame began to burn deep within his pupils.

Laser Eyes. This was the power of the Pig Talisman.

"What the hell, you brat? What new gift is this?" Yao Lao exclaimed when he noticed the change in Xiao Yan's eyes.

"I call it Laser Eyes." Xiao Yan grinned and carefully controlled its power. Two searing laser beams shot from his eyes and slammed into the opposite rock wall.

Boom! A huge crater was blasted into the hard stone, and the entire cave shook violently.

And that was with Xiao Yan deliberately holding back. At full power, the damage would be far more terrifying.

Yao Lao could only marvel at the baffling new abilities Xiao Yan revealed from time to time.

After familiarizing himself with the Pig Talisman, Xiao Yan turned his gaze to the deep-blue Sea Heart Flame.

Next, he would devour the Sea Heart Flame.

He made no preparations and took no supplementary pills. He intended to devour and refine the Heavenly Flame through sheer force.

Yao Lao could scarcely bear to watch such a nearly suicidal method. He hurriedly set up a Restriction at the cave entrance, retreated outside, and waited.

Day after day passed. In the blink of an eye, half a month was gone.

Throughout that long, grueling stretch, Xiao Yan endured through willpower alone.

At last, a long-awaited sound came from the cave that had been silent for half a month.

Yao Lao, waiting outside, caught it at once. A gratified smile appeared on his face as he stroked his beard.

He did it.

Then Xiao Yan emerged from the cave under his watchful gaze, seemingly transformed and radiating a powerful aura.

"Peak Dou Wang!" Yao Lao cried in delighted surprise when he sensed Xiao Yan's cultivation.

Xiao Yan nodded, unable to keep the smugness from his face.

He was thoroughly satisfied with the results of his seclusion.

After devouring the Sea Heart Flame, his cultivation had soared all the way to Peak Dou Wang. Only the final thin barrier separated him from Dou Emperor.

With the Inner Academy selection approaching, he had no time to break through to Dou Emperor. He decided to leave seclusion for now and seek a suitable opportunity to make the breakthrough after entering the Inner Academy.

Beyond his leap in cultivation, his soul had also advanced to Mortal Realm Great Perfection.

His physical strength had risen to a terrifying level as well.

His body could now rival that of a Peak Sixth Tier Magical Beast.

The Flame Mantra had also successfully evolved to the Early Earth Tier.

Everything here was settled, and the Inner Academy selection was close at hand.

"Time to head back to the academy!" Xiao Yan looked toward Jia Nan Academy, anticipation on his face.

He delayed no longer. His Dou Qi Wings spread behind him, and he became a streak of light racing toward Jia Nan Academy.