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

Xiao Ding is eighteen years old this year, and Xiao Li is sixteen years old.

In Wutan City, most young people of this age are still stuck in the Dou Qi stage, with very few able to break through to the Dou Zhe level. In the entire Xiao family, there are only four or five young people under the age of twenty who are at least Dou Zhe level, with Xiao Ding and Xiao Li being the most outstanding among them.

Xiao Ding is an eight-star Dou Zhe, and is expected to break through to the Great Dou Shi level within the year. Xiao Li is a three-star Dou Zhe, and his progress is also quite fast. The two of them owe their current cultivation levels half to their talent and hard work, and the other half to Xiao Yan's pills. He frequently stuffs third-grade Qi Gathering Pills and Yuan Condensation Pills into his two older brothers' hands.

As for Xiao Yan's own cultivation level, he revealed it step by step over the years—seven levels of Dou Qi at seven years old, Dou Zhe at nine, six stars of Dou Zhe at eleven, and Dou Shi at thirteen. Each step gave the "genius boy" enough room to grow, but the "Dou Shi" level was already astonishing enough in Wutan City.

Of course, his true strength is far more than that. But some things don't need to be known by more people; it's enough for him to know them himself.

---

That afternoon, the three brothers sparred at the training ground on the back mountain.

The autumn sun wasn't scorching, but it was still unbearably hot on the training ground. Xiao Ding took off his shirt, revealing his well-developed muscles, and punched the wooden stakes repeatedly. Each punch was solid and powerful, making the stakes hum and vibrate. Xiao Li practiced his leg techniques nearby, his movements agile and his kicks tricky, producing crisp "crack" sounds as they struck the stakes.

Xiao Yan sat on a rock by the field, holding a blade of grass in his hand, watching the scene idly.

"Big Brother's punches are too solid," he suddenly said, "He'll be at a disadvantage against speed-type opponents. Second Brother's punches are too floaty; he can't withstand a head-on collision."

Xiao Ding withdrew his fist and wiped his sweat: "You make it sound so easy, why don't you try?"

"Come on then."

Xiao Yan entered the arena and first exchanged blows with Xiao Ding.

  

He didn't use any battle aura, relying solely on physical skills and reflexes. When Xiao Ding threw a punch, he dodged to the side, grabbed Xiao Ding's wrist, and used the momentum to pull him away—Xiao Ding lost his balance and staggered two steps.

"You—" Xiao Ding was stunned for a moment.

"Your center of gravity is too high," Xiao Yan said. "Lower your stance by half an inch, and you'll have a more stable base. When you throw a punch, your waist should sink, and the power should come from your feet, not your shoulders."

Xiao Ding tried it and found that it was indeed much more stable. He threw a few punches and felt that the force was 20% greater than before, and it was also less strenuous.

"When did you learn all this?" Xiao Ding looked at Xiao Yan with surprise in his eyes.

"Perhaps I have a special talent," Xiao Yan thought for a moment and said, "How about letting my second brother fight me?"

"Great, Little Yanzi, I couldn't be happier."

Xiao Li happily agreed.

After they were ready, Xiao Li made the first move. Xiao Li swept in with a side kick, but Xiao Yan neither dodged nor evaded. Instead, he reached out and grabbed Xiao Li's ankle, shoving him to the side. Xiao Li lost his balance on one leg and fell on his backside.

"Hey!" Xiao Li got up, unconvinced. "You're cheating!"

"This is called using someone else's force against them," Xiao Yan said. "Second Brother, you kicked too far, you can't retract it. You should leave some force in your kick, so you can change your move at any time. Also, when you kick, don't lean your upper body back too much, otherwise your center of gravity will shift and you'll be easily used against them."

Xiao Li pursed his lips, but still tried it a few times and found that the flexibility of his leg movements had indeed improved a lot.

The three brothers practiced for another hour. Xiao Ding and Xiao Li's progress was clearly visible.

Xiao Ding's footwork became more stable, and Xiao Li's legwork became more agile. Xiao Yan would occasionally offer a few pointers from the sidelines, and sometimes he would demonstrate himself, his movements crisp and clean, clearly showing his rich practical experience.

During the break, Xiao Li wiped his sweat with his sleeve and suddenly said, "Third brother, what you're teaching us is different from what the family teaches us."

"The family teaches the basics," Xiao Yan said. "I teach filling in the gaps. If the foundation isn't solid, no amount of filling in the gaps will help."

Xiao Ding glanced at Xiao Yan, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but didn't.

"What does Big Brother want to say?"

Xiao Ding paused for a moment, then asked, "Third brother, just how strong are you now?"

Xiao Li also looked over, his eyes full of curiosity.

Xiao Yan was taken aback for a moment, then laughed: "Why are you all suddenly asking this?"

"When you taught us how to spar," Xiao Ding said, "you didn't use any battle qi. But when you dodged my punches, your reaction speed wasn't what an ordinary battle master should have. And your physical strength—I punched you and you didn't budge—that's not the physique a battle master should have."

Xiao Li nodded: "I think so too. The way you grabbed my ankle was incredibly fast. And your fingers—when you grabbed my ankle, it felt like I was being clamped in iron pincers."

Xiao Yan remained silent for a few seconds.

He glanced at his two older brothers. Xiao Ding was five years older than him and had taken care of him and watched him grow up since he was a child. Xiao Li was three years older than him. Although he was sharp-tongued and mischievous, he always saved the best things for him first.

"Don't tell Father," Xiao Yan said.

He slowly released a bit of his fighting spirit.

A crimson light swirled around him, more than ten times denser than ordinary battle aura. The temperature in the air suddenly rose, and the pebbles on the ground trembled slightly from the impact of the battle aura. Interspersed within the crimson light were extremely faint traces of gold—the mark of the Fire God Body.

Xiao Ding and Xiao Li both widened their eyes at the same time.

"This...this is a Battle Spirit?!" Xiao Li's voice changed.

"Five-star Dou Ling," Xiao Yan withdrew his Dou Qi, "I'm still a Dou Shi in public. Don't ask why, you'll find out later."

Xiao Ding took a deep breath and it took him a long time to recover.

"A thirteen-year-old fighting spirit..." he murmured, "Little Yanzi, are you even human?"

"Why aren't you human?" Xiao Yan patted his shoulder, looking helpless, as if to say, "Why are you all so surprised?" "I just cultivated a little faster, there's no need to be so surprised."

"A bit too fast?" Xiao Li's expression was as if he had swallowed a live toad. "You call this a bit too fast?"

Xiao Yan scratched his head, smiled, and didn't explain further.

Xiao Ding was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Xiao Yanzi, have you been hiding because you're afraid of bringing trouble to the family?"

Xiao Yan nodded.

"Big brother is so smart; he guessed it right away."

"I understand," Xiao Ding said. "I won't tell anyone."

"Me too," Xiao Li patted his chest, "Xiao Yanzi's affairs are my affairs, I won't tell anyone who asks!"

Xiao Yan felt a warmth in his heart as he looked at his two older brothers.

"Alright, keep practicing. When you all reach the Great Battle Master level, I'll give you older brothers a gift."

"Really?" Xiao Li's eyes lit up.

"real."

Xiao Ding was also a little curious about this generous gift.

---

In the evening, after finishing their training, the three brothers returned from the training ground on the back mountain and passed by the Xiao family's medicinal herb garden.

Xiao Ding suddenly stopped in his tracks: "Little Yanzi, where did you learn to make the third-grade Qi Gathering Pill and Yuan Condensation Pill that you gave us?"

Xiao Yan had already prepared his explanation: "I have some talent in alchemy, and I studied under a senior for several years. Perhaps because my talent is too strong, that senior wanted to teach me everything."

"Senior?" Xiao Li asked curiously, "Which senior?"

"It's not convenient to talk about it right now."

Xiao Ding glanced at Xiao Yan but didn't press the matter. He wasn't stupid. Xiao Yan had shown far more than a thirteen-year-old boy should have over the years. But he also knew that some things shouldn't be asked.

"Whoever that senior is," Xiao Ding said, "please thank him for me. These pills were a great help."

"I will."

Xiao Li suddenly asked from the side, "Third brother, you said you'd give us a gift when we become a Great Dou Master, so what kind of gift is it?"

Xiao Yan: "It cannot be said, it cannot be said."

"Tell me quickly, I'm very curious!"

"No, if I tell you, it won't be a surprise."

Xiao Li wailed in anguish, "I want to know even more now!"

Xiao Ding shook his head, but the corners of his mouth curved into a smile.

He knew his third brother was telling the truth. He also knew that everything his third brother did was paving the way for the Xiao family. Over the years, they had witnessed the changes in the family—Xiao Zhan had broken through from a Great Dou Master to a Dou Spirit, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li's cultivation had steadily improved, and the Xiao family's strength had grown rapidly.

He just didn't say anything, and they didn't ask.

Between brothers, the most important thing is trust.

---

That evening, Xiao Yan returned to his room and sat cross-legged in meditation.

The old apothecary floated out of the ring: "Is this how you're going to talk about your master today?"

"Hehe, teacher, don't be angry."

"You lad, but your talent is indeed the strongest I've ever seen." Old Yao stroked his beard. "You're not wrong."

"But are you going to reveal your hidden cultivation level today?"

"I didn't reveal everything," Xiao Yan said. "In fact, I only gave them a little hint, which is called desensitization training."

"Your analogy is ridiculous." The old doctor's face darkened.

"This is a perfectly normal analogy. Teachers shouldn't judge people based on prejudice."

Yao Lao had also gotten used to Xiao Yan's unserious behavior.

Or rather, neither the master nor the apprentice were actually respectable.

Xiao Yan closed his eyes and began to circulate the Burning Technique.

Crimson battle qi circulated through his meridians, interspersed with very faint gold. The resonance between the Fire God Body and the Burning Technique grew stronger and stronger, and with each circulation, the quality of his battle qi subtly improved.

His cultivation level is steadily increasing. Five-star Dou Ling is not the end. At this rate, breaking through to the peak of Dou Ling before the end of the year shouldn't be a problem.

After the peak of the Battle Spirit realm comes the Battle King realm.

At that time, with his combat power, no one in the Gama Empire will be able to threaten him.