Peak Six-Star Dou Zhe!

Since Yao Lao had become so shameless, why should he, Xiao Yan, hold back?

They were all High-grade Profound Tier Dou Techniques anyway, so what difference did it make? He might as well trade them for Beast Flames.

No, more than that, he could trade them for even more: other rare medicinal ingredients, countless gold coins, Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills of every attribute, and the most detailed map of the Jia Ma Empire. They had everything...

At the thought, Xiao Yan could not help licking his lips, a trace of greed flashing in his eyes.

And so, Xiao Yan began a frenzied shopping spree.

Of all the Beast Flames present, Xiao Yan pocketed nearly every one that had reached the quality of a Tier 2 Magical Beast.

He did not pass up any of the medicinal ingredients, Cultivation Methods, or Dou Techniques he had thought of earlier, either.

Most importantly, both sides believed they had made a killing and were extremely satisfied with the Profound Tier Dou Techniques Xiao Yan had traded away.

At least in a small empire like the Jia Ma Empire, High-grade Profound Tier Dou Techniques were already top-tier treasures, let alone the fact that Xiao Yan was bringing them out in batches to trade.

And everyone who witnessed the black-robed man create Profound Tier Dou Techniques on the spot regarded him as an expert above the Dou Emperor level, perhaps even a Dou Zong or a Dou Zun.

So after learning his true strength, no one dared covet the treasures he had gradually amassed through trading, for fear of bringing a fatal calamity upon themselves.

"All right, teacher, let's go back and level up!"

After trading for all the good things in the treasure-hunting area, Xiao Yan wanted nothing more than to leave as soon as possible and soothe his conscience.

But once he had fully left the Alchemist Guild, Xiao Yan quickly forgot about his conscience and began playing with a Storage Ring as if it were a precious treasure.

Inside were many bowl-shaped vessels, each containing a powerful flame, along with a dazzling variety of other items.

He had amassed nearly all the medicinal ingredients needed for first- through sixth-grade pills.

This was the happiest day of Xiao Yan's life.

Because he had spent a lot of money and bought so, so many things...

But! But!!!

The money... was someone else's! Yet the happiness was his own!

So this is what shopping feels like...

Xiao Yan could not help sighing with emotion.

Back in the cave from before, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the bed and waved his hand, taking everything out of the ring and setting all the vessels around him.

"Whew, two hundred kinds of Beast Flame! I, Xiao Yan, am about to take off."

In that instant, Xiao Yan recalled the story of the Xiao Clan and the faces of the many people who had thrown stones at him while he was down.

Xiao Ning, Xiao Yu, Xiao Mei, and the Three Great Elders...

But having lived another life, Xiao Yan no longer harbored the resentment he once had. All that remained was disdain and the resolve to grow stronger.

He swore that at this coming-of-age ceremony, he would shine even brighter. He would not settle for the mere Eighth Stage of Dou Qi, but become a Dou Zhe, or even a Dou Shi, or stronger still!

Xiao Yan clenched his fist and made the vow in secret.

Just then, Yao Lao's aged voice rang out again, drifting from the ancient ring and interrupting his thoughts with a reminder:

"All right, we've bought the flames. It's time to try evolving the Flame Mantra."

"Mm, you're right, teacher. Let's start now!"

Xiao Yan replied, refusing to stop at daydreaming and instead setting to work with his feet firmly on the ground.

Closing his eyes, Xiao Yan focused his mind and soon immersed himself in cultivation.

Observing the Qi vortex in his dantian, he slowly circulated his Qi along the Flame Mantra's cultivation route, transforming all of his milky-white Dou Qi into a wisp of pale yellow flame.

This was the mark of a low-tier Cultivation Method, a High Yellow Tier Cultivation Method.

But now, it was about to swim against the current.

As soon as Xiao Yan's thoughts cleared, the blue flame in a vessel beside him was drawn toward him. It became a wisp of blue smoke and poured into his dantian's Qi vortex, where the surrounding pale yellow flames devoured it fiercely until it vanished completely.

And light blue became the new predominant color of this flame Dou Qi.

Xiao Yan felt his cultivation rise by a noticeable degree, and his Cultivation Method was also circulating considerably faster.

Sure enough, the Flame Mantra could devour more than just Heavenly Flames. As long as it devoured flames, it could directly raise his cultivation and evolve the Cultivation Method; it was merely a question of how much.

It was just that Heavenly Flames produced the greatest increase.

But that did not mean other flames were completely useless.

A sufficient accumulation of quantitative changes could bring about a qualitative change. This was an eternal truth.

Meanwhile, Yao Lao silently observed Xiao Yan's condition from the side.

Sensing the fluctuations of Xiao Yan's power gradually growing stronger, Yao Lao once again wore a look of satisfaction.

The two said nothing to each other and continued on like this.

Time flew, and no one knew how long had passed.

After absorbing the first Beast Flame, Xiao Yan became unstoppable.

In the span of just a quarter of an hour, he went on to devour the second, third, and fourth Beast Flames in a frenzy...

Countless flames of Dou Qi flowed and burned through his meridians, thoroughly tempering the young man's body.

Wisps of white smoke rose from his skin, his body burned red, but the expression on his face remained unmoved.

Only after more than ninety percent of the Beast Flames had been fused did Xiao Yan's bottleneck loosen. He naturally reached the Six-Star Dou Zhe realm, and the Little Bone Spirit Cold Flame also grew considerably stronger.

But the Flame Mantra did not change much, remaining at the High Yellow Tier.

"Finally, it's your turn!"

Xiao Yan opened his eyes, held the last vessel in his hand, and stared intently at the dark brown flame inside.

Its presence is restrained, it contains a whole world within, and its color leans toward brown. Is this the Earth Dragon Bear's flame?

Looking at the wisp of flame, the young man could not help showing his longing.

On the path of cultivation, one must advance step by step.

Xiao Yan had been devouring low-tier Beast Flames to lay the groundwork for this moment, building up his strength before unleashing it and completely devouring this Fifth-tier Beast Fire.

Whoosh-!

The young man took a deep breath and expelled a mouthful of turbid Qi. Then, with a slight movement of his finger, a streak of Seven-Colored Divine Flame shot from its tip.

When the dark brown flame in his hand encountered the Seven-Colored Divine Flame, it was suppressed in an instant.

This was the source of Xiao Yan's confidence: a seven-colored flame that had fused more than two hundred kinds of Beast Flame and the Little Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

The divine flame soon displayed its full power, swiftly transforming into a fire dragon that swallowed the Dragon Bear's flame whole.

The seven-colored flame shone brilliantly as it roamed around Xiao Yan, finally coiling up deep within his dantian and settling there to digest its delicious feast.

By the time he woke, the sun had already risen outside.

At dawn, the first ray of sunlight from the sky shone through a crack in the cave, falling on the ground in a mottled pattern, simple yet intricate.

The young man abruptly opened his eyes. His once-weary soul had regained its vigor, while the Dou Qi in his body had grown ever more abundant, finally accumulating to a certain threshold before stopping.

Xiao Yan had reached Peak Six-Star Dou Zhe, and the Flame Mantra had reached the Peak High Yellow Tier, enough to rival a Peak Low Xuan Tier Cultivation Method.