Seven days later, Xiao Yan had exhausted all the materials the Desert Iron Mercenary Corps had gathered over half a month.
The basic materials were refined into a sufficient amount of Blood-Clotting Powder and Blood-Burning Powder.
The higher-grade materials were used to craft the Triple Flower Fire-Concentrating Liquid, which he needed for his own cultivation, as well as the Qi-Gathering Powder required for Little Fairy Doctor and others to break through to the Dou Practitioner level.
From three sets of Qi-Gathering Powder materials, Xiao Yan successfully refined three Qi-Gathering Pills.
This terrifying level of talent left Yao Lao utterly speechless once again.
After refining these materials, Xiao Yan, guided by Yao Lao, swiftly left Stone Desert City and returned to his family.
To obtain a large quantity of Beast Flames in the Jia Ma Empire, he would need the assistance of the Miter family, with Ya Fei's backing.
However, by the time he returned home, it was already evening. Xiao Yan decided not to rush to deliver the pills but to get a good night's sleep instead.
The prolonged alchemy session had left him mentally exhausted.
Soft snores escaped Xiao Yan's nose as he drifted into a deep slumber.
While he slept, the special spiritual energy in the air rippled gently, flowing into Xiao Yan's brow in delicate strands.
The pure energy not only alleviated his physical and mental fatigue but also subtly strengthened his soul.
During this process, Xiao Yan's breathing resonated deeply with the spiritual energy in the air.
As the spiritual energy poured in, Xiao Yan's soul power broke through like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, reaching the Intermediate Mortal Realm.
Xiao Yan wasn't sure how long he had slept, but when he awoke, the warm sunlight had already brightened the room.
"Xiao Yu? Why is she here?"
The moment he woke up, Xiao Yan sensed a pair of long, slender legs. Immediately, the image of a curvaceous and alluring woman appeared in his mind.
"Wait, this scene is still quite far from my courtyard."
Xiao Yan rubbed his nose and chuckled softly, unable to hide his excitement. "My soul power has broken through to the Intermediate Mortal Realm!"
At such a young age, achieving Intermediate Mortal Realm soul power was an exceedingly rare feat on the Dou Qi Continent.
After all, most alchemists below the eighth rank had soul power that lingered around the Mortal Realm.
After the initial excitement, Xiao Yan shook his head slightly.
If he had focused solely on cultivating his soul power, his current soul level would have been even more astonishing. However, the early stages of Dou Qi cultivation had consumed too much of his time.
In the future, cultivating Dou Qi and tempering his physical body would inevitably divert his attention.
But there was no other way.
To devour a Different Fire, he needed to improve in all aspects.
Strong Dou Qi and a robust physical body would allow him to withstand the impact of the Different Fire without dying, while a powerful soul would help him maintain clarity of mind, significantly increasing his chances of success.
However, others might not be so fortunate…
As Xiao Yan pondered, Xiao Yu strode into the room with her long, alluring legs. Her gaze swept the room before settling on Xiao Yan, who was lying on the bed. She walked over gracefully.
"Little Master, do we need to carry you on a sedan chair to get you to eat?"
Seeing Xiao Yu's chest appear even fuller as she crossed her arms, Xiao Yan reached out and pulled her onto the bed.
Xiao Yan flipped over, pinning Xiao Yu's long legs beneath him, and chuckled. "The sedan chair is for someone else."
Being pinned down in such an embarrassing position, as if she were a pillow, left Xiao Yu feeling dizzy.
After a moment, a blush spread across her cheeks, and she began struggling fiercely. "You little pervert, let me go!"
However, her strength, not even at the Dou Practitioner level, was no match for Xiao Yan's.
"Let's sleep a bit more. I'm not fully awake yet." Xiao Yan adjusted himself into a comfortable position and showed no intention of moving.
With the puppet automatically refining Blood-Clotting Powder and the sales channels in Wutan City and Stone Desert City, the supply of resources would remain stable.
Now, he needed to seriously consider the issue of Little Fairy Doctor's Poison Body cultivation.
The Poison Body was like a ticking time bomb.
To replace the Poison Pill Method with a cultivation technique, Xiao Yan would need to think carefully.
After all, the conditions for the Poison Pill Method were extremely demanding: three different types of Different Flames, the core of a seventh-rank Heavenly Poison Scorpion Dragon Beast, and Bodhi Transformation Saliva—each of which was incredibly rare.
Now, Xiao Yan needed to use a cultivation technique to replace the Poison Pill Method, which was far more difficult than relying on external items. Moreover, he had less than half a year before Little Fairy Doctor broke through to the Dou Practitioner level.
Before embarking on this monumental task, Xiao Yan decided to take a short break and indulge himself a little.
After struggling for a while and realizing she was no match for Xiao Yan, Xiao Yu exhaled softly, her breath fragrant. "The rest of the family is waiting."
"What's the matter that they need me?" Xiao Yan suddenly opened his eyes, blinking in confusion. Usually, his presence wasn't required.
"How should I know?" Feeling the weight on her lessen, Xiao Yu rolled over, her jade-like back, perky buttocks, and long legs forming an extremely alluring curve.
Tapping his storage ring, Xiao Yan retrieved a jade bottle and sat up slowly. "I won't tease you anymore. This bottle contains Qi-Gathering Powder, which will allow you to break through to the Dou Practitioner level directly."
Although Xiao Yu's well-nurtured talent meant she wouldn't fail to condense a Dou Qi vortex, without the Qi-Gathering Powder, it would take her a long time to accumulate the energy needed for the breakthrough through hard cultivation.
"Qi-Gathering Powder!" Xiao Yu's eyes widened, her gaze growing fervent.
This fourth-rank pill was worth several months of profits from the family's market.
Xiao Yan smiled. "I didn't need it when I broke through. Take it quickly, and don't let anyone else know."
Xiao Yu deftly tucked it into her sleeve. Seeing Xiao Yan's expectant posture, waiting for someone to dress him like a young master, she blushed and picked up a black robe, gently helping him into it.
The deep, night-like black robe shimmered mysteriously in the sunlight. Xiao Yan's delicate features carried an air of transcendent elegance and aloofness, while his bright eyes resembled deep, tranquil lakes.
"You're quite…" Xiao Yu clicked her tongue. As she adjusted Xiao Yan's black hair, she caught a glimpse of the flame-like mark beneath it. Her eyes narrowed. "Did you get a tattoo?"
"Let's go. We shouldn't keep everyone waiting." Xiao Yan smoothed his hair, covering the flame mark, and led Xiao Yu out of the room.
As they walked, Xiao Yan thought to himself: I need to find a way to conceal the Flame Mark. But… what's the big family matter? Could it be that Nalan Yanran is coming? That's way too early!
(End of Chapter)
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