Battle Through the Heavens: Oh no, I've become the succubus Xiao Yan!

At the age of twelve, Xiao Yan had already reached the peak of a third-grade alchemist.

He had tried making a fourth-grade pill twice, and both times he failed. It wasn't because of a problem with fire control; the Fire God Body's fire control ability far exceeded the requirements of a fourth-grade alchemist. Rather, it was because his soul power was insufficient.

Refining fourth-grade pills requires even stronger soul perception. At the crucial moment of pill condensation, one must simultaneously perceive the subtle changes in the dozens of medicinal energies within the cauldron; the slightest carelessness will cause the cauldron to explode. Although Xiao Yan's soul power has become quite strong due to the tempering of the Fire God Visualization Diagram, it is still just a hair's breadth away from meeting the requirements of a fourth-grade alchemist.

"What's the rush?" said the old medicine master. "You're only twelve years old. I was already thirty when I broke through to the fourth rank."

"I'm not in a hurry," Xiao Yan said, "I'm calculating the time."

"What time is it?"

"Father is still a long way from the peak of Dou Ling, eldest brother needs to stabilize his Dou Zhe cultivation, and second brother has just broken through to Dou Zhe and his foundation is unstable. All of them need pills."

The old doctor glanced at him but didn't say anything.

This child's mind is filled with other people.

However, what Xiao Yan didn't say was that he was indeed in a hurry. He wasn't sure if his arrival would cause any changes. He just wanted to become stronger so that he would have more control in the future.

---

Although he can't refine fourth-grade pills for the time being, Xiao Yan has already mastered third-grade pills with great skill.

He could refine these three types of Grade 3 pills—the Nourishing Essence Pill, the Foundation Strengthening Pill, and the Qi Gathering Pill—with his eyes closed, achieving a success rate of over 90%. The old alchemist said that this success rate would rank him among the top ten alchemists he had ever seen.

Xiao Yan didn't care about Yao Lao's praise. What he cared about was how far these pills could help the Xiao family go.

Xiao Zhan is the biggest beneficiary.

It took him two years to go from the early to the middle stage of the Dou Ling realm. The Pei Yuan Pill stabilized his foundation, the Gu Ben Pill strengthened his Dou Qi, and Xiao Yan used the Fire God Body's flames to help him clear his meridians every day. Of course, Xiao Zhan was unaware of this step; he only felt that his cultivation had been particularly smooth lately.

"Yan'er," Xiao Zhan said one day after finishing his training, wiping his sweat, "I feel that my fighting spirit is much more solid than before. At this rate, I might reach the peak of the Dou Ling realm in a few years."

Xiao Yan smiled and said, "Good luck, Dad."

"You brat," Xiao Zhan patted his head, "you're always talking big."

But his eyes gleamed with barely suppressed excitement. The peak of the Dou Ling realm meant that the next level was Dou Wang. In Wutan City, Dou Ling was the ceiling. But in the entire Jia Ma Empire, there were no more than twenty Dou Wangs. If Xiao Zhan could reach that level, the Xiao family would truly be secure, and they could return to the capital.

Xiao Ding and Xiao Li are also making progress.

Xiao Ding has already broken through to the fifth-star Dou Zhe level, making him one of the top young talents in Wutan City. Xiao Li, on the other hand, has only recently broken through to the Dou Zhe level and is still hovering around the first-star Dou Zhe level. His foundation is solid, and at this rate, reaching the second-star level within the year should not be a problem.

Xiao Yan's elixirs played a crucial role in these advancements.

Xiao Yan was never afraid to let Xiao Zhan and his two older brothers know that he was the one who refined the pills. To the rest of the Xiao family, he only said, "I know a senior who is not convenient to show his face." But he didn't hide anything from Xiao Zhan and his two older brothers. Xiao Li even exclaimed repeatedly, "My brother Xiao Yan is simply a genius!"

Outside the family, only Consort Ya knew the truth about the Xiao family's elixirs.

Or rather, she guessed halfway. She knew the Xiao family had an alchemist behind them, but wasn't sure if it was Xiao Yan himself. Who would believe a ten-year-old child was an alchemist?

However, Ya Fei never pressed for details. She only wanted the pills to be distributed through her channels.

---

Every night, Xiao Yan would do the same thing: use the flames of his Fire God Body to nourish Yao Lao's soul.

Over the past two years, Yao Lao's soul condition has improved significantly. When he first awoke, his soul was so weak it was almost transparent, causing great concern that it might dissipate at any moment. Now, he can reliably wield the power of a Dou Zong, and can even briefly leave the ring to move within a few feet of Xiao Yan.

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"In two or three years," said the old apothecary, "I will be able to truly leave the ring. Although I will still not have a physical body, at least I will be able to move freely."

"But it will be a long time before Teacher regains his physical body, won't it?" Xiao Yan asked.

"The physical body..." Yao Lao paused for a moment, "Reconstructing the physical body is not easy. First, it requires the complete skeleton of a high-level expert, preferably a Dou Zun or higher. Second, it requires an eighth-grade pill, the Bone-Growing and Blood-Melting Pill, plus the essence blood of an ancient high-level magical beast. Most importantly, it requires at least three different flames to be combined and tempered, and secondly, it requires repairing the damaged soul's origin. These conditions are extremely demanding."

"Believe me, teacher," Xiao Yan said, "I will master it sooner or later; that day is not far off."

The old doctor looked at him with a complex expression, somewhat moved.

This child never forgot his promise. From the very first day he began nurturing his soul, he did so day after day for two years without fail. Not for any personal gain, but simply because he had said, "I will give you a physical body again."

"Yan'er," the old doctor said softly, "thank you. Meeting you as my disciple is a blessing in disguise."

"Master, you're here again," Xiao Yan rolled his eyes. "How many times have I told you? We're family, no need for formalities. This is so cheesy."

"Who said we're family?" Old Yao snorted. "I'm your master, you're my disciple, and besides, your surname is Xiao, and mine is Yao. When did we become family?"

"Aren't they family?"

He's still a proud little old man.

The old doctor's lips twitched, but he didn't reply.

In his heart, Xiao Yan was already like his own son.

After a long while, he finally spoke.

"...That's true."

---

into the night.

Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, slowly circulating the Burning Technique within his body. Crimson Dou Qi with a hint of gold flowed through his meridians, more solid and scorching than it had been two years ago.

His current cultivation level is Great Dou Master, but he still displays himself as a Dou Zhe Four-Star. No one has discovered Xiao Yan's true strength.

The visualization of the God of Fire rotated quietly in his mind. He had memorized the patterns of the first layer and the outline of the second layer was vaguely emerging, but he was still a little short of unlocking it.

My soul power is growing slowly but steadily. At this rate, I should be able to break through to the Great Perfection of the Mortal Realm in another year.

By then, fourth-grade pills will be no problem at all.