The Hidden Spirit Pill was a 4th-tier medicinal pill. Not only could it allow a 9-star Dou Master to break through to the Dou Grandmaster realm, but it could also suppress the unstable Dou Qi, solidify one's foundation, and heal all the hidden injuries from previous breakthroughs, laying the groundwork for the next advancement to the Dou Spirit realm.
A gentle medicinal power spread out in Xiao Yan's body as the Hidden Spirit Pill descended into his throat. Having endured so much pain, to suddenly feel the soothing effect of the medicinal pill almost brought tears to his eyes.
Medicinal pills were truly the best things in the world!
The blood-red flames gradually receded, and the solid ice in the underground cave had all been melted by the Ten Thousand Beast Flame.
Xiao Yan sat cross-legged with his eyes slightly closed, his eyelids trembling faintly. After a moment, he slowly opened them.
Faint blood-red flames lingered in the depths of his ink-black eyes. After a moment, the flame surged violently and covered his pupils entirely. His eyes had actually turned into red, beast-like pupils, emitting a faint demonic aura.
However, upon closer inspection, one would discover a hint of black hidden deep within the red.
Xiao Yan clenched his fists tightly. He could truly feel the terrifying power contained within this body. Thanks to the medicinal strength of the Hidden Spirit Pill, he had broken through to the Dou Grandmaster realm. Moreover, benefiting from the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, his physical body was now equivalent to a Rank 3 magical beast even in its normal state.
His body alone could withstand the attacks of other Dou Grandmasters when his Dou Qi Armor was activated!
Xiao Yan twisted his neck slightly, and the sound of his bones cracking resonated smoothly and clearly. He took a deep breath, his face full of comfort and intoxication as he listened to the clear sound.
"The feeling of being a Dou Grandmaster is simply amazing."
Lowering his head, Xiao Yan glanced at his fair skin and a hint of helplessness appeared on his face. The healthy, wheat-colored skin he had worked so hard to obtain had now reverted back.
Looking at his bare body, he gave an embarrassed laugh and hurriedly took out some clothes from his storage ring to put on.
~o(=∩ω∩=)Meow!!
Mao Wu emerged from the void and appeared in front of Xiao Yan, a glistening drop of blood floating on its pitch-black paw.
"Why did you bring me a drop of blood? Where did it come from?" Xiao Yan looked at the blood on Mao Wu's paw and sensed it was no ordinary.
Meow! Meow~~
"You're saying you devoured Yao Li's corpse and extracted this from it?" Xiao Yan had a look of disgust. What are you extracting corpse oil for?!
He took out a pill bottle, collected the drop of blood, and tossed the bottle into his storage ring. Just this single drop wasn't even enough to refine a pill.
Xiao Yan stroked Mao Wu's warm fur. What was originally just a little kitten had now started growing fur. He could clearly feel that the temperature of the black flames resembling fur had become increasingly terrifying.
"You've gotten stronger, but fortunately you haven't gone bald."
··*Meow~
…
'Barely reached the High Xuan Class.' Xiao Yan circulated his Dou Qi and confirmed that the Flame Mantra had evolved once again. However, what left him unsatisfied was that after refining the complete Ten Thousand Beast Flame, it had only advanced from the Low Xuan Class to the High Xuan Class.
The difficulty of this evolution was truly not ordinary. He had gone through great lengths to refine the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, yet it couldn't even reach the Di Class.
On the Dou Qi Continent, Qi Methods were undoubtedly the most crucial aspect of cultivation, as their strength directly affected both combat and cultivation efficiency.
If two individuals were at the same cultivation level, but one cultivated a Huang Class Qi Method and the other a Xuan Class Qi Method, then the one cultivating the Xuan Class Qi Method would definitely have far greater combat endurance.
Moreover, there would be a significant difference in the quality of their Dou Qi. For instance, If the one cultivating the Xuan Class Qi Method needed to expend one portion of Dou Qi, then the one practicing the Huang Class Qi Method would need to expend ten times as much, or even more, to possibly achieve the same result.
Of course, the most important factor was the cultivation speed. Back when Xiao Yan had reached the Dou Practitioner realm while practicing the Flame Mantra, he had made a very determined decision.
The Flame Mantra without devouring Heavenly Flames was simply the trashiest Qi Method Xiao Yan had ever seen. With his talent and diligence in cultivation, a one star progress in one year was nothing short of a disgrace.
The fact that he was still able to advance by one star per year while cultivating the Flame Mantra was simply a testament to his exceptional talent.
But there was nothing he could do about it. The Flame Mantra came with the promise of the Bone Chilling Flame. If it weren't for the Bone Chilling Flame within the storage ring, he would never have chosen to cultivate the Flame Mantra.
Now, he had finally endured through the most difficult beginning. Once he reached the 5th-tier alchemist level and successfully refined the Blood Lotus Essence Pill, the Bone Chilling Flame would undoubtedly allow the Flame Mantra to evolve further!
Xiao Yan believed that in the end, the Flame Mantra would definitely surpass the Di Class and perhaps even the Tian Class!
"I want to know why the Eight-Winged Flame Demon Tiger ultimately chose you. What exactly did you say back then?"
The voice of the Amethyst Winged Lion King came from not far away. It had taken half a day for it to use its Amethyst Beast Flame to melt the ice created by the Bone Chilling Flame.
That cold energy that penetrated deep into the soul had even shocked the fire-attribute Amethyst Winged Lion King. It was now completely convinced that Xiao Yan had the support of a major power behind him.
But what it couldn't understand was why the remnant soul of the Eight-Winged Flame Demon Tiger had given the Ten Thousand Beast Flame to Xiao Yan and even bestowed all of its remaining strength to him.
It was the Beast Emperor of the Magic Beast Mountain Range! A fire-attribute Rank 6 magical beast. The Amethyst Winged Lion King simply couldn't comprehend it!
Why not choose it instead?!
Xiao Yan looked at the solemn-faced Amethyst Winged Lion King and merely smiled faintly. "Lion King, there are some things that are better left unclear. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. All you need to know is that I'm on the side of your Magic Beast Mountain Range."
What the Amethyst Winged Lion King didn't know was that when Xiao Yan had followed it inside and saw the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, learning about the entire sequence of events, he had already formed his own plans.
The moment Xiao Yan had intimidated Yao Li and prevented the 7-star Dou Emperor Mu Long from taking action, he was already destined to have the last laugh.
He had refined two Soul Guard Pills. He consumed one himself and had Mao Wu bring the other into the Ten Thousand Beast Flame to awaken the last remnants of the Eight-Winged Flame Demon Tiger's Spiritual Strength.
The Nihility Devouring Flame possessed the ability to devour anything, but Xiao Yan didn't have Mao Wu gnaw at Yao Ao's soul body. Instead, he had it erase the soul imprint left by Yao Ao, returning control of the Ten Thousand Beast Flame back to the Eight-Winged Flame Demon Tiger.
What Xiao Yan had said to the Eight-Winged Flame Demon Tiger back then was very concise: If I obtain the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, the Magic Beast Mountain Range will forever be my friend.
These words sounded like a promise on the surface, but in the circumstances of the time, they were also a veiled threat.
If I can't obtain the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, I will become the bane of the Magic Beast Mountain Range in the future!
The Amethyst Winged Lion King simply didn't understand this. It thought that even if it obtained the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, Xiao Yan would still help it deal with Yao Ao. Little did it know that if the Eight-Winged Flame Demon Tiger had chosen it, Xiao Yan would have turned around and fled.
The Amethyst Winged Lion King, possessing the power of the Eight-Winged Flame Demon Tiger and the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, would no longer need to care about the promise of the Body Transformation Pill. Moreover, Xiao Yan as the weakest party definitely wouldn't be able to help it deal with Yao Ao and Mu Long.
Regardless of whether Yao Ao lived or died in the end, it had nothing to do with Xiao Yan. After all, there was no real enmity between them without the Ten Thousand Beast Flame in his hands.
Three hundred years ago, the Magic Beast Mountain Range couldn't even withstand a single 7th-tier alchemist. Xiao Yan would have waited until he reached the 7th-tier alchemist before returning to take the Ten Thousand Beast Flame.
Thus, giving the Ten Thousand Beast Flame to the Amethyst Winged Lion King would have been a dead end!
Although the Eight-Winged Flame Demon Tiger seemed to have many choices, in reality, there was only one. That was to give the Ten Thousand Beast Flame to Xiao Yan and help him eliminate Yao Ao.
Once Xiao Yan had figured everything out, the Ten Thousand Beast Flame was already in his pocket. He had been gambling not for the Ten Thousand Beast Flame, but for the soul body of a high-grade 7th-tier alchemist.
He was betting that his hidden trump card, the Bone Chilling Flame, would be able to freeze Yao Ao's soul body!
Xiao Yan was very greedy. He would be going to the Imperial Capital in half a year. If he had the soul body of a 7th-tier alchemist, he could exchange it for some good items from the Hall of Souls.
What he wanted was an attack-type Di Class Soul Skill!
In the end, his greed paid off and his gamble succeeded.
"Let's head back. Little Fairy Doctor has been waiting for a long time."