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

early morning.

Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, his hands forming a mudra, his breathing long and steady.

He is seven years old this year.

The internal energy of battle circulates, reaching the peak of the ninth level, just one step away from becoming a Battle Master.

Physical condition, mental state, and the abundance of fighting spirit—all conditions reached their peak at this moment. The feeling was subtle, like a gust of wind you'd been waiting for suddenly arriving.

The time has come.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes.

The key to breaking through to the level of a Fighter lies in condensing the Qi vortex of Fighting.

Compress and rotate all the fighting energy in your body, forming a stable vortex in your dantian. This vortex will autonomously absorb the energy of heaven and earth, transforming it into fighting energy, thus transcending the scope of "fighting energy" and officially entering the realm of "fighter".

It's easier said than done.

The condensation of battle qi requires extremely strong control. The slightest carelessness can cause the battle qi to backfire, resulting in a decline in cultivation or even damage to the meridians.

He possesses the body of a fire god. This step is incredibly easy for him.

Although the Fire God Body cannot imbue one's Battle Qi with fire attributes, because Battle Qi at this stage is attribute-less—this is an ironclad rule—its perception and control over energy far surpass that of ordinary people.

He "saw" the fighting spirit within his body.

He sensed it not with his eyes, but with his soul. The fighting energy appeared as a faint white color, flowing through his meridians like tiny ribbons of light. He could clearly perceive the flow rate, density, and temperature of each ribbon.

"凝".

With a thought, Xiao Yan began to gather his fighting spirit into his dantian.

At first, it was slow, like a stream flowing into a lake. But soon, the speed increased, and more and more fighting spirit surged from all parts of the body, colliding, compressing, and swirling in the dantian.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Xiao Yan's forehead.

Condensing the vortex of battle energy is a delicate task. It requires controlling the flow of each strand of battle energy, preventing them from conflicting with each other, and ensuring they all rotate in the same direction. It's like bringing together a thousand streams of water and making them all turn in one direction simultaneously—if any one of them deviates, the entire vortex becomes unstable.

His soul perception was fully activated, like a pair of invisible hands, precisely controlling every strand of energy within his body.

a circle.

Two laps.

Three laps.

The fighting energy began to swirl, its speed increasing rapidly, forming a faint vortex. However, this vortex was loose and unstable, like a lump of dough that hadn't been kneaded properly, and it could fall apart at any moment.

not enough.

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Xiao Yan gritted his teeth and continued to compress.

The vortex shrank, its rotation accelerated, and the density of the battle qi increased dramatically. The originally loose, gaseous battle qi gradually solidified, like a cloud of white mist churning within the dantian.

Sweat dripped down his cheeks, staining the bedding and forming small dots.

at this time

A warm power surged from the depths of his blood, flowing along his meridians to his dantian. The power was not violent; instead, it carried a strange rhythm, like a pair of warm hands gently supporting the condensing battle qi vortex.

Then he felt that the previously somewhat difficult condensation process suddenly became smooth.

It was as if someone had quietly lent a helping hand when he needed it most. Just the right amount, not too much, not too little.

The power of the Vulcan Body acted as a catalyst, increasing the condensation speed of the battle qi vortex several times over. Under the pull of the warmth, the battle qi spontaneously rotated, compressed, and solidified, requiring almost no conscious control from him.

Xiao Yan's heart stirred, but he didn't get distracted and guided the conversation accordingly.

The vortex grew increasingly solid, gradually transforming from a hazy mist into a clear white cyclone. At the center of the cyclone, a wisp of pure battle qi was born, like a tiny seed, emitting a faint but steady light.

As soon as that "seed" appeared, the surrounding battle aura vortex immediately seemed to have found its backbone, rotating more stably and powerfully.

Xiao Yan could feel that the vortex in his dantian was autonomously absorbing the energy between heaven and earth, converting it into fighting qi, and storing it away.

Fighters!

Xiao Yan opened his eyes.

In that instant, a faint glimmer of light seemed to flash deep within his pupils. It was so fast that he didn't even notice it himself.

The room was quiet. Morning light streamed in through the cracks in the window, casting thin streaks of light on the floor. Dust motes floated slowly in the light.

No one saw the moment he broke through.

No one knew that the youngest fighter in the Gama Empire had been born so quietly.

Rejoice, Your Majesty the Most Benevolent and Kind Emperor Yan, for you have taken your first step.

Xiao Yan stood up and stretched his limbs. His bones made slight cracking sounds, and his body felt as if it had been filled with a surge of energy, full and powerful. Dou Qi and Dou Zhi Qi are completely different concepts, like changing from a stream to a river; the quantity has changed, and so has the quality.

He raised his right hand, palm up.

A wisp of white battle aura slowly rose from his palm.

It is solid, pure, and has substance and form. Unlike the ethereal and elusive battle qi, this wisp of battle qi is like a white silk thread, visible and tangible, and you can even feel the slight warmth emanating from it.

He looked at it for a while, then put it away.

Then he did something: he wrapped the newly condensed battle qi vortex in his dantian with battle qi, layer upon layer, pressing it down to the deepest part.

Judging from external perception, he is currently only at the seventh level of Dou Qi.

Not a fighter.

Xiao Yan sat on the edge of the bed and thought for a moment.

A seven-year-old fighter is still too dazzling.

In a small place like Wutan City, news can't stay hidden. The Jia Lie family, the Oba family, and even forces further afield will all be watching him. What does a seven-year-old Dou Zhe mean? It means he'll at least become a Dou Huang, or even a Dou Zong, in the future. Who wouldn't want to recruit someone with that kind of potential? If they can't recruit him, they'll nip it in the bud.

He is seven years old and has no ability to protect himself. Although a Dou Zhe is stronger than an ordinary person, on the Dou Qi Continent, he is not even an ant. A Dou Wang could easily crush him, let alone the true powerhouses like Dou Zong and Dou Zun.

Concealing one's talents is the wisest course of action.

A seventh-level Dou Qi is already astonishing. To start cultivating at four years old and reach the seventh level at seven is a once-in-a-century achievement in the Jia Ma Empire. It's enough to inspire the Xiao family, but it's not too dangerous.

It's not too late for him to "improve" gradually when he's older and stronger.

In the original story, Xiao Yan became a Dou Zhe at the age of eleven. He was five years ahead of the time recorded in the original story.

"Brother Xiao Yan?"

The door was gently pushed open a crack, and Xun'er peeked in.

Xun'er has grown up a bit now, and her features have matured. She is no longer as timid as she was four years ago, but the way she looks at Xiao Yan still carries that soft-hearted dependence.

"Good morning, Xun'er." Xiao Yan smiled.

"Good morning, Brother Xiao Yan," Xun'er walked in, carrying a bowl of hot porridge. "Aunt Wenxin said that one shouldn't go hungry while cultivating."

Xiao Yan took the porridge and took a sip. The warm, fragrant rice slid down his throat, making his stomach feel much better. He suddenly felt that the first bowl of porridge after breaking through to the Dou Zhe level tasted especially delicious.

"Thank you." He put down the bowl and reached out to ruffle Xun'er's hair.

Xun'er blushed and tilted her head to look at him for a while, then suddenly leaned closer and whispered, "Brother Xiao Yan, did you... break through?"

Xiao Yan paused.

How did you know?

"You look different," Xun'er said, scrutinizing him intently. "Your eyes are brighter, and you feel warmer. It's only a little bit, but I can feel it."

Xiao Yan looked at her and remained silent for two seconds.

The Fire God Body's natural suppression and attraction to the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame made Xun'er exceptionally sensitive to him. This perception was more accurate than any detection method. She could accurately distinguish the changes in Xiao Yan's aura from among everyone in the room, even if these changes were so subtle that even Xiao Zhan couldn't detect them.

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

Xun'er nodded vigorously and extended her little finger: "Pinky promise. This is a secret between me and Brother Xiao Yan."

Xiao Yan chuckled and tugged at her little finger.

"Pinky promise."

Xun'er smiled happily and picked up the bowl of porridge, handing it to him again: "Then drink some more. Breakthroughs...breakthroughs must be very hard, right?"

"It's not hard work." Xiao Yan took the bowl and took another sip.

It was actually quite tough. But with Xun'er by his side, he didn't feel it was tough at all.

---

These three years have gone by quite quickly.

Four years ago, when Xun'er first arrived, she was thin and small, and she didn't even dare to speak loudly. Now? Now she dares to loudly complain when Xiao Li is sneaking food, dares to lean over and ask "what's the pronunciation of this character?" when Xiao Ding is reading, and dares to push open the door and climb into Xiao Yan's bed at night—anyway, Xiao Yan never gets angry about these things.

Xiao Zhan's attitude towards Xun'er changed from initial politeness to genuine affection. Sometimes, when Xiao Yan saw Xiao Zhan serving food to Xun'er, he felt that this girl was his biological daughter.

"Xiao Yan!" Xiao Li's voice boomed from the courtyard, "Quick, help me catch this chicken! It's become a spirit!"

Xiao Yan ignored him and walked to the window, watching Xiao Li chasing a chicken all over the yard. Xiao Ding sat on a stone bench, shaking his head and sighing, a book in his hand, clearly unable to concentrate because of the noise.

In the past three years, the Xiao family has not changed much, but undercurrents have been swirling.

The Jia Lie family had come several times, ostensibly to pay a visit, but actually to probe Xiao Zhan's abilities as someone who had "condensed Dou Qi at the age of four." Xiao Zhan handled them with ease, but Xiao Yan knew that Xiao Zhan was under pressure.

The three major families in Wutan City are the Xiao family, the Jialie family, and the Aoba family. The Xiao family used to be ranked first, but it has declined slightly in recent years. That old fox, Jialiebi, has long wanted to take its place.

But there was no use in rushing. Xiao Yan should continue cultivating, eating, and playing with Xun'er. He knew that in the face of absolute power, these little tricks were nothing but a joke.

Today is the quarterly test day for the younger generation of the Xiao family.

The Xiao family has a rule that every six months, all members of the clan under the age of fifteen must go to the martial arts arena to test their progress in cultivating battle qi. This was set by Xiao Zhan to encourage the younger generation to cultivate and to help the family understand its talent pool.

Xiao Yan had participated before, but it was always just a formality.

When he was four years old, his test showing the first level of Dou Qi already astonished everyone. After that, in every test, his progress far surpassed that of his peers, and everyone's initial shock turned into habit.

But today, he plans to "improve" a little more.

---

The Xiao family's martial arts training ground, morning.

The sun wasn't too harsh today, its rays feeling warm and pleasant. A crowd had gathered around the training ground: elders of the Xiao family, clansmen watching the spectacle, and several maids carrying teapots. A few younger members of the collateral branches stood in a corner, whispering amongst themselves, their eyes occasionally glancing towards the center of the arena.

The tests proceeded as scheduled. Children under the age of fifteen lined up, taking turns to test their fighting spirit level. Some progressed quickly, some remained stagnant, and some even regressed—the one who regressed was dragged away by his parents by the ear, leaving behind a trail of wails.

"Every time, someone regresses," Xiao Li said, squatting next to Xiao Ding and cracking sunflower seeds. "Do you think they only think about eating when they're cultivating?"

"What right do you have to talk about others?" Xiao Ding said without even looking up.

"I've improved! Last time I got a third dan, this time I got a third and a half!"

"...You even have the nerve to say it's only halfway through."

"That's better than regressing!" Xiao Li proudly puffed out his chest.

Xiao Yan stood in the group, watching his two older brothers bicker, a slight smile playing on his lips. He always found it quite amusing to watch Xiao Li and Xiao Ding argue.

Soon it was his turn.

The murmurs from the sidelines grew noticeably louder.

"Here he comes, let's see what level Young Master Xiao Yan has reached this time."

"You were sixth dan last time, right? It's only been six months, can you reach seventh dan?"

"It's hard to say, he's always faster than me at guessing."

"I bet seven points, and a pot of wine."

"I bet you're an eighth-dan player, I'm sure I'll win that pot of wine."

Xiao Yan walked to the testing stone and pressed his hand on it.

The testing stone is an heirloom of the Xiao family. Its grayish-white surface is engraved with nine lines that can sense the level of one's fighting spirit, with the number of lit lines indicating the result. Nine levels is the maximum; anything above that is a Dou Zhe (a type of martial artist), and the testing stone can no longer detect that.

Xiao Yan controlled the suppressed Dou Qi within his body and slowly released it.

Seventh dan.

Seven lines lit up on the test stone, the light steady and soft.

There was a moment of silence on the sidelines.

Then--

"Seventh Dan!"

"You were only a sixth dan six months ago, and you've improved by one dan!"

"Seven years old, seventh level of Dou Qi..."

The speaker's voice trembled slightly. Seven years old, seventh level of Dou Qi—what does that mean? It means that what others take ten years to achieve, he accomplished in three.

Second Elder Xiao Bai stroked his beard and sighed, "Yan'er's talent is indeed outstanding. At seven years old, he's at the seventh level; breaking through to the Dou Zhe level in two more years won't be a problem."

"Two years?" someone muttered quietly. "I don't think it will take two years."

"The Xiao family's greatest talent in a century..." another elder sighed, shaking his head. "Back then, the patriarch only broke through to the Dou Zhe level at eighteen, which was already remarkable. This child..."

Although the words were not finished, everyone understood the meaning.

Xiao Zhan stood on the sidelines, a slight smile playing on his lips, but he managed to nod and say, "Not bad."

Just two words.

But everyone saw the clan leader's clenched fists and reddened eyes. If there hadn't been so many people around, Xiao Zhan probably would have jumped up and roared.

Xiao Yan withdrew his hand and then walked off the stage without changing his expression.

The seventh level of Dou Qi was already the limit he could display to outsiders. Any higher would be too exaggerated—improving by one level every six months would be genius, improving by two levels would be monstrous, and improving by three levels would warrant investigation.

Seven years old, seventh dan – just right. Enough to make the Xiao family proud, but not enough to cause too much trouble.

As soon as he stepped off the stage, Xun'er ran over.

"Brother Xiao Yan!" She tugged at his sleeve, her eyes sparkling. "Seventh level of Dou Qi! Brother Xiao Yan is so amazing!"

Xiao Yan looked down at her and couldn't help but laugh: "Why are you more excited than I am?"

"Of course!" Xun'er said earnestly, her little face flushed red. "Every time Brother Xiao Yan makes progress, Xun'er feels very happy."

Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment, and a warm feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.

He reached out and ruffled Xun'er's hair: "Then I'll improve a few more levels in the future, so I can make you happy more often."

Xun'er nodded vigorously, then held up seven fingers, gesturing with her fingers: "Seven—section—".

She was gesturing earnestly, but her little finger was sticking up too high, making it look like she was gesturing the number eight.

Xiao Yan smiled and pressed her fingers down one by one: "This is seven, not eight."

Xun'er looked down at her hands, the tips of her ears turning slightly red, but she still stubbornly said, "I...I know! I just didn't do a good job just now..."

Xiao Yan didn't expose her, but simply took her hand and said, "Let's go back and have dinner."

Xun'er's hand was small and soft, fitting perfectly in his palm. She didn't pull away; instead, she subtly tightened her grip a little.

The two walked through the crowd, with murmurs rising and falling behind them.

"Look, Young Master Xiao Yan and Miss Xun'er are inseparable... They look so well-matched."

"Yes, they are a perfect match, and I agree to this marriage."

"They're a match made in heaven, they don't need your approval, you ugly freak."

"At seven years old and already at the seventh level, he's still so composed. He's destined for greatness."

"The clan leader is blessed."

Xiao Ding stood on the sidelines, watching his younger brother lead Xun'er away, and shook his head with a smile. Xiao Li leaned over and chuckled, "Big brother, do you think third brother will marry Xun'er in the future?"

Xiao Ding flicked him on the forehead: "Instead of worrying about this, you should worry about your own cultivation."

"Ouch—what are you doing, ouch!"