The Strange Flame Rekindles in Battle Through the Heavens

Chapter 5 Foundation Building Elixir

After the commotion, Xiao Yan returned to his room, closed the door, and placed the medicinal herbs on the table.

At that moment, the old apothecary floated out of the ring and said teasingly, "Back from shopping with your little girlfriend?"

"What little girlfriend? How old is Xun'er anyway!" Xiao Yan rolled his eyes and said speechlessly.

"Hehe, fourteen is not young anymore, it's the age when love first blossoms. I think that girl has already taken a liking to you, you're really lucky!" the old apothecary said with a smile.

"What nonsense are you talking about? I only see him as a little sister." Because of the influence of later generations, Xiao Yan has always regarded Xun'er as a minor child. At her age, she would have just graduated from junior high school in our area.

"Really?" the old medicine master asked with a smile.

"Of course it's true," Xiao Yan said decisively.

Seeing that Xiao Yan refused to admit it, Yao Lao simply said, "It won't be easy to get her, even if she's willing. Her family..." Yao Lao stopped talking after mentioning her family.

Although the old man hadn't finished speaking, how could Xiao Yan not know? Even a Dou Huang was just a foot soldier in those people's eyes! Dou Zun or Dou Sheng would be more like it. As for whether he truly had feelings for Xiao Xun'er, he wasn't sure yet, but he knew that if Xun'er were ever held in someone else's arms, he would definitely feel uncomfortable.

The old doctor ignored Xiao Yan, who was in a daze, picked up the medicinal herbs on the table, and instructed Xiao Yan, "Go and prepare a large basin of clean water." Seeing that the old doctor seemed to be about to start refining medicine, Xiao Yan happily went to prepare it.

In the quiet room, the old apothecary picked up the Purple Night Orchid with his left hand, his eyes slightly narrowed. A white flame erupted from his left palm, engulfing the orchid... The flame churned, and almost instantly, the orchid turned into a ball of green liquid...

After all three purple night-blooming jasmine plants have been refined into a green liquid, the impurities contained within them are further calcined with a blazing flame until they are completely burned away.

Next, the old herbalist threw two more bone-cleansing herbs into the flames, then calcined them in the flames and dissolved them into the green liquid...

Finally, it was time to refine the magic core. Of the three medicinal herbs, the magic core was the most difficult to refine. It took more than an hour to burn in the fire before the magic core was reduced to a pale green liquid. This pale green liquid was then mixed with the green liquid that had just been refined, and the two gradually fused together.

The white flame in his palm disappeared, leaving a drop of emerald-colored liquid floating in the old man's palm.

Gazing at the drop of emerald-like liquid, Xiao Yan was secretly amazed. He hadn't expected that the demonic core, with its violent energy, would become so mild after being neutralized by the two materials.

"Hehe, the so-called alchemy is actually still based on magic cores. The process of alchemy is to continuously neutralize the magic cores with medicinal materials of other attributes until it becomes a pill that can be consumed."

The old apothecary casually took out a small jade bottle and filled it with the Foundation Establishment Elixir.

"Teacher's alchemy skills are truly amazing! Alchemy is as easy as drinking water for you! Even Gu He, the sixth-grade alchemist of the Jia Ma Empire, is nothing compared to you!" Xiao Yan rubbed his hands together and said with a smile.

"Stop flattering me! Although what you said is true, a sixth-grade alchemist is nothing in my eyes." Old Yao said this on the surface, but he was actually quite pleased. With a flick of his finger, a small drop of jade liquid fell from the bottle into the basin of clear water in the room, and instantly, the clear water turned blue.

"From now on, you will cultivate here. With your talent, it won't be a problem for your battle qi to increase several levels in a year," Yao Lao said with a smile.

"Teacher, will this Foundation Establishment Elixir allow me to reach the Dou Zhe level within a year?" Xiao Yan asked, looking at the blue liquid in the wooden basin.

"With the help of the Foundation Establishment Elixir, it shouldn't be a problem for you to reach the seventh level of Battle Qi within a year, but reaching the level of Battle Warrior will be a bit difficult. Why are you suddenly in such a hurry to become a Battle Warrior? You don't seem like the kind of person who's impatient! Besides, there are still two years until the family's coming-of-age ceremony." The old man said with some doubt.

"This... I have my own unavoidable difficulties," Xiao Yan said with a wry smile. Was he supposed to tell Yao Lao that Nalan Yanran would be coming to the Xiao family to annul the engagement in a year, and if he didn't reach the Dou Zhe level within that year, he would only be subjected to her humiliation without any power to retaliate, and would have to wait three years to avenge himself? He wasn't the Xiao Yan from the original story; he couldn't wait that long. His early cultivation and persistent efforts were precisely so that when Nalan Yanran arrived, he could say fiercely, "Want to annul the engagement? Then it will be the Xiao family announcing the engagement to the Nalan family."

Seeing that Xiao Yan was unwilling to speak, Yao Lao didn't press the matter. After all, everyone has their own little secrets, right? He stroked his beard and said calmly, "There are ways to quickly improve one's Dou Qi, but you'll have to endure some hardship."

"What's a little hardship? As long as I can quickly improve my strength, that's all that matters," Xiao Yan said nonchalantly. Hardship? Hadn't he suffered enough before he transmigrated? What's a little hardship compared to that?

Seeing that Xiao Yan agreed so readily, Yao Lao didn't say anything more.

"To quickly increase your battle qi, you need to increase your absorption speed, and the function of battle qi is to enhance the strength of your body and bones. Therefore, the only way to increase the efficiency of your battle qi absorption is to 'take a beating', and the harder you are beaten, the better the effect."

"Alright! So what if I get beaten up?" Xiao Yan nodded in agreement again.

"Alright then! It's already quite late, you should start cultivating now. Training can begin tomorrow." Seeing Xiao Yan's firm attitude, Yao Lao gave him a word of advice before transforming into a wisp of white light and disappearing into the ring.

Xiao Yan stripped off his clothes, revealing his naked body. He sat cross-legged in the wooden basin, clasped his hands in a strange mudra in front of him, and slowly closed his eyes, his breathing gradually becoming steady. As Xiao Yan's chest rose and fell slightly, the bluish liquid in the basin began to emit a faint aura, which slowly rose and finally entered his body through his mouth and nose.

Sensing the rapid increase in Dou Qi within his body, Xiao Yan's face broke into a happy smile. He thought to himself, "The Foundation Establishment Elixir is truly extraordinary; the speed at which I absorb Dou Qi has increased so much."

Having tasted the benefits, Xiao Yan cultivated even more diligently, greedily absorbing the gentle energy from the cyan liquid.

The cyan liquid seeped into Xiao Yan's body through his skin pores, nourishing his bones and meridians. With his relentless absorption, more and more energy emanated from the basin, eventually enveloping his entire body.

The cultivation continued until the next day, when sunlight streamed in through the window. Feeling the warmth of the sunlight, Xiao Yan knew it was dawn. He slowly inhaled the last wisp of energy from the wooden basin. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and after a moment, his dark eyes snapped open.

The white light still flashed in the black pupils, but this time it was tinged with a faint blue.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, blinked, and slowly stood up. Cool water dripped down his body as he stretched. Feeling the abundant battle energy within him, he said somewhat intoxicatedly, "That feels great!"

"Feeling good now? Since you've had your fun, let's start training!" The aged voice suddenly rang in my mind.

Xiao Yan rolled his eyes, then picked up a dry towel and wiped himself down briefly. After getting dressed and eating something, he headed straight for the back mountain of his clan…

After Xiao Yan left, Xun'er, who brought him meals every day, arrived. She knocked on the door, and when there was no response, she gently pushed it open. Upon entering, she found Xiao Yan gone, and noticed a pleasant fragrance in the air. Her extensive knowledge immediately told her that this was something that could help one quickly increase their fighting spirit. Looking at the wooden basin in the corner of the room, she chuckled softly and murmured, "It seems Brother Xiao Yan has quite a few secrets!"

(End of this chapter)