"Octane Blast—!"
Yang Fan's fist slammed into the massive boulder before him.
Externally, the rock seemed unchanged—but in the next instant, it crumbled from the inside out.
Another month had passed in the blink of an eye…
Not long after borrowing Yao Lao's power to unleash six layers of hidden force, Yang Fan could now replicate it with his own strength. Yet for a full month, this Xuan-tier technique had stubbornly refused to advance beyond six layers.
"Master…"
"No!"
Yao Lao cut him off before he could even ask.
He knew exactly what this brat was scheming—to borrow his power again and "feel" the true essence of Octane Blast.
Yes, it would accelerate Yang Fan's breakthrough now.
But later?
When Yang Fan surpassed even Yao Lao's current strength, whose power would he lean on then?
Cultivation must ultimately rely on oneself!
"Cultivation isn't a race," Yao Lao chided. "Impatience invites disaster."
With a flick of his translucent hand, the vial of Blood Incineration appeared in his palm.
The sun blazed overhead—the perfect time to temper Dou Qi with Blood Incineration.
Yang Fan gritted his teeth, enduring the baptism of pain.
Months of this torment still couldn't numb him to its bone-deep agony.
Yet the results were undeniable.
Lately, he'd felt the barrier to Dou Shi trembling within reach—only to vanish when he tried to grasp it.
This teasing nearness left him restless.
Yao Lao called it the prelude to breakthrough. When it came? Only Yang Fan's body would decide.
Days… or months!
"Focus your mind!" Yao Lao warned. "One stray thought could send you into demonic deviation—even I might not save you."
His voice carried soul-crushing authority. Yang Fan's spirit shuddered at the sound.
No room for daydreams!
…
Time slipped away.
When Yang Fan awoke again, midnight had fallen. The forest's chill made him rub his neck.
Dou Qi surged—a ball of orange-red energy flared in his palm.
Damn it.
Still no breakthrough.
Yao Lao kept saying "don't rush," but who could stay calm when Dou Shi was so close?
He couldn't!
Becoming a Dou Shi meant manifesting Dou Qi Armor, condensing Qi into liquid—a leap in power.
Yang Fan stared at the Dou Qi in his left palm… then summoned soul power in his right.
A bold idea sparked in his mind—
Buddha's Wrath… Fire Lotus?!
Xiao Huo Huo (Little Fire) next door fused two flames into an explosive, rank-defying skill.
Yang Fan only had one flame—but he possessed two energy systems: Dou Qi and soul power.
What if he merged them?
A Soul Power-Dou Qi Bomb?
A technique surpassing Flame Splitting Tsunami?
There was no one around. Nothing to lose…
Let's try!
The moment his palms neared each other, the air rippled violently.
Yang Fan moved with extreme caution.
'I'll abort instantly if things go wrong', he vowed.
No way I'm dying by my own stupidity!
"Hoo—"
Slower…
Slower…
Slower…
He repeated the mantra, sensing how even a millimeter's shift between the energy spheres warped the air.
After ten painstaking minutes, soul power and Dou Qi pressed flush against each other.
Now… witness the miracle…
Suddenly—the night air froze. Already cold, it now bit to the bone, chilling even fire-attribute Yang Fan.
The frigid surge instantly vaporized both energy spheres in his palms.
"You little lunatic! Are you insane?!" Yao Lao's face twisted in fury. "Fusing two different energies causes explosions! You'd be reduced to paste!"
Thankfully, he'd intervened in time. Otherwise, Yang Fan would've been minced meat.
"Master, don't hit me!" Yang Fan yelped, peeking from behind his training boulder once Yao Lao's anger seemed to subside.
So close!
Had Yao Lao been a second later, fusion would've occurred.
Yang Fan knew his master cared—enough to abandon his own body reconstruction for his sake. But just now… he'd sensed no violent rejection between soul power and Dou Qi.
A nuance only he could feel.
"Dou Qi is Dou Qi! Soul power is soul power!" Yao Lao snapped. "Different cultivation systems! Incompatible energies! Like trying to mix oil and water—or eating shit because someone dared you!"
It was basic common sense!
Yet this brat had to taste it anyway.
Calming down, Yao Lao sighed. "Having ideas is good… but not recklessly."
Yang Fan's wild creativity actually intrigued him.
Maybe it could work…
But without safeguards? Certain death.
"Tell me," Yao Lao urged. "What did you feel?"
He'd never forced rigid dogma on Yang Fan. Innovation in cultivation was encouraged.
"It's… hard to describe," Yang Fan admitted. "The energies clashed fiercely as they approached—but right before merging, the resistance… softened."
He couldn't articulate that fleeting sensation, but he believed in soul-Dou Qi fusion.
"That's because true fusion never happened," Yao Lao explained. "If most of the energies intermingled, their conflicting natures would collide like opposing techniques—explosively."
Yang Fan nodded slowly.
Theoretically, a temporary Soul-Qi Bomb was possible.
His challenge? Prevent detonation during fusion… and time the explosion perfectly upon release.
Thank you, Master.
I understand it now!
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