The Searing Poison was unlike any other—it was a terrifying venom powerful enough to harm even a 6th Rank Magic Beast, and in this case, it had even undergone a mutation, growing stronger still.
To completely refine such a poison, even Liu Xi had no idea when Xiao Yixian would awaken. Thus, he chose not to leave the courtyard or cultivate elsewhere.
He returned to his room, sat cross-legged on the bed, and took out the jade bottle containing the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk. Removing the stopper, he watched as a faint emerald mist drifted from the mouth of the bottle.
"I'll see just how much more benefit you can bring me," he murmured.
A single drop of jade-green liquid slid down his throat. Instantly, a vast surge of earthy power flooded his body like a breached dam. It coursed through his meridians, spread into his flesh and bones, and finally penetrated deep into his marrow.
In the next moment, Liu Xi's fair skin flushed crimson. Wisps of white steam rose from his body as waves of heat surged from deep within him. Already entering a state of cultivation, his brows furrowed slightly.
"This heat... though uncomfortable, it's not unbearable."
After all, he was already at the Dou Wang realm, and his body had endured refinement by Heavenly Flame. Every bit of improvement now was exceedingly precious.
Seventeen hours later.
When the final trace of energy from the Earth Core Body Tempering Milk was absorbed, Liu Xi's internal vision revealed faint streams of radiance flowing throughout his body. A vibrant life force pulsed within him, and his physical foundation had grown visibly deeper and denser.
A glimmer of joy lit his eyes as a faint smile tugged at his lips. "Not bad... I only broke through to 5-Star Dou Wang recently, yet now it feels as though I've tempered myself at this stage for years. Perhaps... it won't be long before I can attempt 6-Star Dou Wang."
He pressed a hand against the bed and lightly pushed off, landing gracefully on the ground. Stretching his arms, a surge of unmatched strength rippled through every fiber of his being.
Turning toward the window, he gazed at the azure sky beyond and thought, 'It took me a whole day to refine this Earth Core Body Tempering Milk. I wonder if Xian'er has awakened yet. Once she does, I can enter the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower and seek out the Fallen Heart Flame to test my earlier hypothesis.'
'If my theory proves correct... then the next time I face the Fallen Heart Flame, I'll have a way to fight back!'
Excitement flickered in his eyes at the thought.
With that, he stepped toward the door, his footsteps echoing softly through the quiet corridor.
He entered Xiao Yixian's room and approached her bedside. She was still asleep, her breathing calm and steady.
"She's still refining the poison?" he murmured in surprise.
Drawing nearer, he noticed that the black miasma on her face had almost fully dissipated, while the aura within her body grew increasingly stable and powerful.
Three hours later...
Xiao Yixian's eyelashes quivered slightly before she slowly opened her eyes. At first, they were blank and unfocused, but gradually they regained clarity and warmth.
"Xian'er, you're awake!" Liu Xi's voice carried a hint of delight.
Turning her head toward the sound, Xiao Yixian smiled softly, struggling to sit up. "Young Master, you're still here... you stayed with me the whole time?"
"There's no need for such words between us," Liu Xi chuckled gently. "How do you feel now?"
Her eyes lit up. Pulling off the blanket, she rose from the bed, standing gracefully before him. A surge of gray-white Dou Qi flared from her body, enveloping her slender figure in a shimmering Dou Qi veil that formed a thin, silvery robe.
A proud smile curved her lips. "Young Master, I've broken through to 9-Star Dou Shi! I'll soon reach Da Dou Shi. Also, the poisonous Dou Qi inside my cyclone is now completely obedient—it no longer runs rampant as before!"
Liu Xi's expression froze. "9-Star Dou Shi... from 2-Star to 9-Star in one leap?!"
He couldn't help but be astonished. Whether it was due to the Searing Poison's transformation or the purity of Nalan Jie's Dou Qi essence, the result exceeded his expectations entirely.
At last, he could only smile wryly. "At this rate, I fear in three or four years you'll surpass me."
Xiao Yixian dismissed the Dou Qi veil, walked up to him, and gently took his arm, teasing softly, "Then don't worry, Young Master. Even if my realm surpasses yours, I won't despise you."
"Oh? Talking to me like that already? Seems I'll have to remind you what it means to respect your Young Master."
...
Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower – Sixth Floor
In the first training chamber, Liu Xi sat cross-legged atop a lotus platform, eyes closed in deep meditation. Xiao Yixian's rapid progress had lit a spark within him—his pride wouldn't allow him to fall behind, not even to his own woman.
His Spiritual Power slowly surged from between his brows, following the aura of the Fallen Heart Flame that permeated the tower. His perception soon sank into that scarlet magma world once again.
Over the roiling lava, his Spiritual Power condensed, gradually forming a faint, translucent figure. Ever since his soul had reached the Perfection of the Mortal Realm, finding this place again felt natural, effortless.
He scanned the surroundings but found no trace of the invisible flame serpent. "So, the Fallen Heart Flame isn't attacking the seal today? Taking a break, are we?"
His gaze lowered to the bubbling magma. "You're down there, gathering strength. Once you sense my presence, you'll come out again."
Liu Xi wasn't here to fight—it was the opposite. He had come to study the Fallen Heart Flame.
Its terrifying ability to invade the soul, to manifest fire within one's spiritual consciousness, bore similarities to his own Illusionary Heart Technique.
That Soul Skill could cloud a person's perception and draw them into illusion, but it lacked direct offensive power.
'Techniques are never immutable,' Liu Xi thought. He wanted to unravel the mystery behind the Fallen Heart Flame's soul-burning force and fuse it into his Illusionary Heart Technique—to create a new Soul Skill, one capable of directly attacking the spirit.
Not only would this help against the Fallen Heart Flame, but also against the likes of Yao Chen... and one day, the Hall of Souls itself.
He had to forge a Soul Skill that could fight soul with soul.
A low hiss suddenly echoed from beneath the magma—deep, thunderous, and ancient, like a beast roused from slumber.
"Here it comes..."
The moment the sound rose, Liu Xi felt an invisible flame appear within his soul projection. Unlike the unconscious fragments spread throughout the tower, this one carried the Fallen Heart Flame's own will. A malicious intent began corroding his mind.
His expression hardened as he gathered his Spiritual Power to wrestle against the invading fire, attempting to dissect the mechanism of that insidious spiritual assault.
"Boom!"
A massive crimson pillar of fire burst upward from the magma, laced with invisible flames. Before Liu Xi could evade, it slammed directly into his soul projection.
In an instant, part of his soul body was annihilated. On the lotus seat, his real body's eyes snapped open, his expression grim, cold sweat forming on his brow.
"That... was truly unpleasant," he muttered. "But I got what I wanted—part of the wave pattern behind that malice."
(End of Chapter)
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