I've Had a Weak Stomach Since Childhood

Two and a half hours later, Xiao Yan emerged from her cultivation and brought herself into peak condition.

Then, taking the pill the Apothecary had refined, she swallowed the peach blossom flame in one gulp, successfully refined it, and used it to devour the second-tier beast flame.

A second-tier beast flame and a fifth-tier beast flame successfully fused. Although their core essences differed considerably, leaving some suspicion that "the strong had swallowed the weak,"

being able to fuse two beast flames so "easily" into a stronger flame still proved that the Flame Mantra possessed the ability to merge flames.

Xiao Yan and the Apothecary were both delighted.

Then Xiao Yan used the evolved flame to successfully evolve the Flame Mantra.

The technique still had not reached a high grade. Clearly, the energy of this relatively gentle peach blossom flame was rather "mild," making it unsuitable for pushing through grades.

Nevertheless, the Flame Mantra had reached the peak of yellow tier low grade.

Xiao Yan and the Apothecary estimated that any other beast flame would pierce that membrane and bring the Flame Mantra to yellow tier middle grade.

Of course, it might also fail to "break through."

Since all the flame's energy had gone into evolving the technique, Xiao Yan remained a two-star Dou Zhe, though the [quality] of her Dou Qi had improved somewhat.

Refining flames did not directly increase one's Dou Qi cultivation in the first place; instead, it strengthened the attack power of Dou Techniques and the strength of one's core essence.

Even refining heavenly flames did not directly increase one's cultivation. To do that, one had to absorb the energy within the "heavenly flame space."

Still, even as a two-star Dou Zhe, Xiao Yan's current strength was by no means poor-the Xiao Clan's Coming-of-Age Ceremony was still three days away.

Three days later, the Coming-of-Age Ceremony arrived as scheduled.

After several tedious proceedings, the ceremony finally reached the "ceremonial retest" stage.

With her strength as a two-star Dou Zhe, Xiao Yan thoroughly stunned the Xiao Clan and their guests, drawing waves of sharp intakes of breath from all around.

Then came all manner of praise-with a result like that, the Xiao Clan's other juniors could not even muster any jealousy.

The Dou Qi stages were extremely difficult to cultivate through. Most people had no idea how long they would remain stuck before becoming a Dou Zhe, and many had no hope of reaching that realm in their entire lives.

Reaching eighth stage Dou Qi by the Coming-of-Age Ceremony already qualified someone as a "genius." In nearly a hundred years, only two members of the Xiao Clan had broken through to Dou Zhe by then.

One was Xiao Yan, the "genius-trash-genius"; the other was Xiao Xun'er, the "genius-genius-genius."

Xiao Xun'er was "also" a two-star Dou Zhe. The two of them were the only juniors in this batch of the Xiao Clan's Coming-of-Age Ceremony whose strength stood far ahead of the rest.

The strongest of the others were merely Xiao Mei at the eighth stage and Xiao Ning at the eighth stage. Xiao Ning had already passed his Coming-of-Age Ceremony long ago and had reached the eighth stage over a year earlier.

Although Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er were "both" two-star Dou Zhe, Xiao Yan, whose cultivation had directly "caught up" to Xiao Xun'er's, was clearly the more eye-catching one.

Of course, without pills, Xiao Yan would probably have topped out at ninth stage Dou Qi by now. (This specifically referred to pills; Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid was a medicinal bath and did not count.)

And when Xiao Yan's talent was so terrifying that others could not even feel jealous, naturally there would be no scenes of some clown jumping into her face.

However, those who had mocked her when she became "trash" were probably going to lose sleep.

In fact, because Xiao Yan's strength had skyrocketed so quickly that it seemed somewhat unreasonable, some people automatically invented a reasonable explanation for it-

Those three years as "trash" had actually been her accumulating strength for a spectacular breakthrough!

She had concealed her edge for three years; when she finally broke her silence, her cry stunned the world!

After all, who kept cultivating every single day for three years after becoming "trash"? Most people could not even hold out for one year!

So she had not become a cripple at all. She had her own plans; they simply had not understood!

Xiao Yan's response to that was a dry chuckle. Buddy, you're seriously overthinking this.

Still, she could not be bothered to explain anything-the Apothecary could not be exposed yet.

Walk your own path, and let everyone else guess!

After the test ended, the two girls left arm in arm, without taking a single cloud with them.

"Big Sister Xiao Yan, you really are amazing! You've broken through to two-star Dou Zhe so quickly!" Xiao Xun'er said with a smile, holding Xiao Yan's arm.

Xiao Yan chuckled inwardly. Who knows what cultivation you're really at, you little imp? She felt like teasing her too:

"You're not bad yourself, Xun'er! You were still at ninth stage Dou Qi a year ago, only broke through to one-star Dou Zhe two months ago, and now you're already at two stars!"

"Mm..."

As clever as Xiao Xun'er was, how could she miss Xiao Yan's teasing? "Hehe..."

"Big Sister Xiao Yan, have you already guessed a few things?" Xiao Xun'er glanced around, leaned closer to Xiao Yan, and lowered her voice, sounding a little sheepish.

"Yes! From what I've deduced, I'm afraid I'll have to reach the Dou Sheng realm before I can visit your home."

Xiao Yan raised her left hand and sighed as she watched the pink flame rise from it.

Seeing this "peach blossom flame," Xiao Xun'er could not help feeling a little awkward, but she said softly, "I believe you'll definitely break through to Dou Sheng, Big Sister Xiao Yan."

"Hehe, then I'll take your good wishes."

Xiao Yan casually acknowledged what sounded like a "polite platitude," but did not take it to heart.

"Come on, Xun'er. Let's skip cultivation today and go out and have some fun."

"All right, Big Sister Xiao Yan..."

Watching the two girls affectionately linking arms, the Apothecary hidden inside the ancient ring felt distinctly unsettled and recalled past experiences...

Better left unmentioned.

Not long after the Xiao Clan's Coming-of-Age Ceremony, Jia Nan Academy's recruitment team arrived in Wutan City.

Xiao Zhan and the Three Great Elders all wanted Xiao Yan to enter Jia Nan Academy, but she said her teacher would soon take her away to gain experience, leaving Xiao Zhan and the others no choice but to drop the matter.

Then, upon hearing that Xiao Yan was not going to Jia Nan Academy, Xun'er decided not to go either.

After all, Jia Nan Academy had a "fixed course length": students could only stay in the Outer Academy for five years and the Inner Academy for three.

Once that period ended, regardless of their cultivation, they had to "graduate" or "complete their studies" and leave Jia Nan Academy.

Of course, those who wanted to "stay at the academy" could become instructors or something of the sort.

However, Xiao Yan would probably leave to gain experience soon, and there was no telling when she would go to Jia Nan Academy.

Without Xiao Yan to accompany her, Xiao Xun'er could not be bothered to go either.

For her, anywhere would do for cultivation. Crowded places were actually less convenient.

The fallen heart flame was only available in the Inner Academy, and it provided a significant boost to those below Dou Wang.

However, once she broke through to Dou Wang, she would have to return home for training. Xiao Xun'er had not had her fill of fun yet and was in no "hurry" to return.

Besides, her cultivation speed was already far from slow. Although the golden emperor burning heaven flame was not a "cultivation cheat," its ranking spoke for itself.

The golden emperor burning heaven flame was far more effective than the fallen heart flame at boosting cultivation speed. After she returned to the Ancient Realm, there would also be plenty of ways to raise her strength quickly.

That gave her even less reason to attend Jia Nan Academy.

Of course, if Xiao Yan went to Jia Nan Academy after a year or two of gaining experience, she could certainly consider it then...

Xiao Yan also knew that Xun'er had powerful backing and did not care about Jia Nan Academy, so she did not try very hard to persuade her.

Thus, the two continued cultivating in the Xiao Clan.

Two months later, after she had become proficient at controlling the "Fused Peach Blossom Flame," Xiao Yan asked her family... asked Xun'er for another beast flame.

Actually, Xiao Yan had asked her family for a beast flame. Although Xiao Zhan and the others found it a little strange, they intended to buy one for her.

However, the Xiao Clan was somewhat short on liquid funds and needed time to move some money around. Then Xun'er caught wind of the news.

With her "background" exposed, Xiao Xun'er directly displayed the generosity of a "rich lady," pressing a beast flame into Xiao Yan's hands the very next day.

Xiao Yan... could not refuse.

After she swallowed the third beast flame, the Flame Mantra at the "peak of yellow tier low grade" shuddered and successfully broke through to yellow tier middle grade.

At the same time, Xun'er also noticed something "strange" about Xiao Yan's "beast flame"-

She had not noticed before, but now that she looked, Xiao Yan's beast flame actually possessed the characteristics of three beast flames at once!

Although each characteristic had been weakened, they had still been fused together. Without an extremely profound understanding of flames, that would have been impossible.

Never mind a Dou Zhe-even a Dou Ling would struggle to accomplish that.

Xiao Xun'er did not think of the cultivation technique, but she did "guess" why Xiao Yan needed beast flames.

-"A secret art for improving fire control ability."

Even Xun'er could not help marveling that this secret art really had something to it.

Then beast flame after beast flame was delivered to Xiao Yan in an endless stream, as though they cost nothing.

Of course, Xun'er did not publicize this "secret" either.

And under Xun'er's "feeding," Beast flames forcibly pushed the Flame Mantra all the way to yellow tier high grade...