Soul Tempering

In a dense forest outside Wutan City, Xiao Fan sat cross-legged on the ground, staring blankly at his panel.

[Strongest Supporting Character System] (Pidàn)

Host: Xiao Fan

Level: 3 (181400)

Strength: One-Star Dou Zhe (11000)

Cultivation method: Radiant Sun Art

Dou Techniques: Yellow Tier Low Grade Fire Cloud Palm (adept), Profound Tier Low Grade Suction Palm (proficient), High Profound Tier Eight Extremes Collapse (proficient), Profound Tier Low Grade Dragon-Shocking Steps (major mastery)

Items: Low-Grade Storage Ring, Blood-Refining Pill, Third-Rank Wood-Type Magic Core, Green Lotus Core Flame map, Jia Nan Academy Admission Invitation, Shadowless Mask, Thousand-Flame Spear, pure soul experience (awaiting absorption).

Main quest: As a supporting character, you should clear every obstacle from Xiao Yan's path ahead of time! Leave Wutan City! This tiny city is holding you both back! (Completed)

As Xiao Fan examined the items on the panel, he suddenly noticed a new one called pure soul experience. A possibility occurred to him, and he asked the system, "Pidàn, what does pure soul experience mean?"

"Pure soul experience means the host can perfectly absorb the soul power within it and comprehend the soul fragments it contains," the system's voice slowly explained.

Excited by the system's answer, Xiao Fan asked, "You mean I can absorb all the soul power Yao Lao left behind, and learn everything it contains about alchemy?"

This was the accumulated alchemy knowledge of Yao Lao's entire life. Yao Lao had once stood at the pinnacle of Eighth-Tier Alchemists. If Xiao Fan could absorb it all, wouldn't that mean he would immediately become a Peak Eighth-Tier Alchemist, just like Yao Lao in his prime?

While Xiao Fan was lost in his fantasies, the system suddenly said, "That is correct in theory, but the host's current soul cannot absorb all of that soul power. Doing so would make the host's soul burst."

The system's answer brought Xiao Fan back to his senses. Indeed, if becoming an Eighth-Tier Alchemist were that simple, his journey through Battle Through the Heavens would be far too easy.

He took a deep breath and completely suppressed his excitement before clicking the quest to leave Wutan City and choosing to claim his rewards.

Ding! The host has left Xiao Yan's sphere of influence and departed Wutan City. Reward: one soul tempering.

Ding! The host has received the reward: bone spirit cold flame (incomplete form).

Ding! The host has gained experience +100.

Ding! The host has gained Dou Qi experience +200.

Ding! The host has gained Dou Qi experience +200.

Xiao Fan was overjoyed to hear the first reward, soul tempering. The system had already granted him the talent to become an Alchemist, and now Yao Lao had imparted his alchemy knowledge to him. An increase in his soul power would surely help him better absorb the soul power Yao Lao had left behind.

What he hadn't expected was to also receive an incomplete bone spirit cold flame. Even if it was incomplete, it was still a heavenly flame-and bone spirit cold flame ranked eleventh on the heavenly flame ranking.

After letting Pidàn know, Xiao Fan chose to undergo the soul tempering immediately.

The moment he made his choice, before he could react, he felt a stream of pure soul power pour into his mind.

As the pure soul power elevated Xiao Fan's soul, the Dou Qi awarded by the system's quest improved his body as well.

His strength as a One-Star Dou Zhe began to rise, his aura growing stronger at an astonishing speed.

Before long, the aura radiating from Xiao Fan slowly settled.

Still seated cross-legged, Xiao Fan opened his eyes, a sharp gleam flashing through them.

He examined his body and felt the abundant Dou Qi within him, unable to contain his excitement.

Who knew how long others had to cultivate to advance a single rank? With the system's help, every breakthrough came effortlessly to him. As long as he followed the quests, he would surely reach greater heights.

This gave Xiao Fan even more confidence in meeting the ten-year deadline.

Remembering the incomplete bone spirit cold flame the system had just awarded him, Xiao Fan hurriedly retrieved it from the system. A clump of cold white flame appeared before him.

The instant he took it out, Xiao Fan felt the surrounding temperature plummet.

The campfire he had built slowly died out, and ice gradually spread around the flame.

Looking at the bone spirit cold flame before him, Xiao Fan calmly reached toward its center.

The moment he touched it, Xiao Fan felt something warm flowing slowly beneath his fingers. The cold white flame began spreading along his outstretched right hand toward his body.

Before long, Xiao Fan was entirely enveloped in cold white flames. From a distance, all that could be seen was a white, human-shaped blaze.

Yet Xiao Fan could feel that although the bone spirit cold flame had engulfed him, it held not the slightest malice.

Xiao Fan seemed able to sense the flame's emotions. Like a mischievous child, it danced around him, frolicking with him.

The system had said that his Chaos Flame Body gave him maximum fire affinity, and Xiao Fan trusted its judgment. That was also what gave him the confidence to reach out and touch the flame directly.

As he sensed the flame, Xiao Fan felt the bone spirit cold flame slowly enter his body through every pore and gather again deep within him. At the same time, the heavenly flame burned away some of the impurities in his body.

As Xiao Fan absorbed it, the flames enveloping his body gradually disappeared.

Xiao Fan calmly extended his hand. Suddenly, a clump of white flame appeared in his palm-the bone spirit cold flame.

Looking at the bone spirit cold flame in his palm, Xiao Fan sensed its aura. It was indeed much weaker than the aura Yao Lao's flame had emitted when he refined medicinal liquid for them.

But as a heavenly flame, it was still far stronger than other beast flames or flames conjured from Dou Qi. It could serve as his trump card.

After putting away the heavenly flame and regulating his breathing, Xiao Fan opened his panel again.

[Strongest Supporting Character System] (Pidàn)

Host: Xiao Fan

Level: 3 (381400)

Strength: Six-Star Dou Zhe (6001000)

Cultivation method: Radiant Sun Art

Dou Techniques: Yellow Tier Low Grade Fire Cloud Palm (adept), Profound Tier Low Grade Suction Palm (proficient), High Profound Tier Eight Extremes Collapse (proficient), Profound Tier Low Grade Dragon-Shocking Steps (major mastery)

Items: Low-Grade Storage Ring, Blood-Refining Pill, Third-Rank Wood-Type Magic Core, Green Lotus Core Flame map, Jia Nan Academy Admission Invitation, Shadowless Mask, Thousand-Flame Spear, pure soul experience (awaiting absorption).

Main quest: none at present.

Looking at the panel, Xiao Fan saw that his system experience had only reached a little over three hundred. He was just short of advancing to level four. He wondered whether another system upgrade would unlock new functions.

Meanwhile, after the soul tempering and absorption of the heavenly flame, his strength had actually leaped from One-Star Dou Zhe to Six-Star Dou Zhe.

This rate of advancement was simply more terrifying than Xiao Yan's.

With his current strength as a Six-Star Dou Zhe, as long as he didn't court death by provoking anyone at Da Dou Shi or above, his trump cards should allow him to escape unscathed.

Compared with all that, however, Xiao Fan felt that absorbing Yao Lao's soul within his mind was another delightful gain tonight.

Although he couldn't absorb Yao Lao's entire soul in one go, tonight's system-assisted soul tempering had given Xiao Fan a wealth of Yao Lao's alchemy experience and several Dou Techniques.

At this stage, these would help him even more than the heavenly flame.

Raising his head to gaze at this unfamiliar starry sky, Xiao Fan quieted his heart and admired it for the first time. He wondered whether, among those bright stars overhead, one might be his home.