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

That night, in Xiao Yan's room.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the floor like a thin layer of frost. The autumn moon was exceptionally bright; even the shadow of the old locust tree in the yard was clearly visible.

Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, slowly releasing the suppressed Dou Qi within his body. The white Dou Qi flowed in his palm, solid and pure. Under the moonlight, the wisp of Dou Qi shimmered with a faint silvery-white luster, like a thin thread, quietly rotating.

He looked at the fighting spirit in his palm and made plans in his mind.

Seven-year-old fighter

Next, it's time to awaken the old medicine master.

In the original story, Yao Lao awakened when Xiao Yan was at his most desperate. After three years of being a useless person, enduring endless scorn and having nowhere to turn, he finally received that aged voice during his most difficult time.

As for how the difficulties arose, that's none of your concern.

But he no longer needs to wait.

Xiao Yan looked down at the black ring on his finger.

Under the moonlight, the ring's surface gleamed with a dark luster, like a silent eye.

Teacher, it's time to wake up.

---

Xiao Yan looked out the window at the moon, its clear light like water.

Utan is too small.

His stage is the entire Dou Qi Continent.

Xiao Yan stared at the black ring on his finger for a long time.

The moonlight shone on the ring, its dim luster flickering like a closed eye.

But he knew that the eye was actually open.

Medicine Dust, Venerable Medicine

Once the foremost alchemist in Central Continent and one of the founders of the Starfall Pavilion, he was betrayed by his own disciple, Han Feng, resulting in the destruction of his physical body and the slumber of his soul within this ring.

In the original story, Yao Lao absorbed Xiao Yan's Dou Qi for three years before revealing himself.

  

But the old medicine master of this world has not yet absorbed his fighting spirit.

Xiao Yan's Dou Qi never mysteriously dissipated. He cultivated for three years without missing a single day.

What does this mean?

This means that the old doctor is either still asleep or has been awake for a long time but has not shown his face.

Xiao Yan prefers the latter.

A former top expert of the continent, his soul sealed within a ring, could not possibly go unnoticed by the ring's owner as long as he cultivated Dou Qi. Xiao Yan began cultivating at the age of four, progressing through Dou Qi stages one, two, three... all the way to the peak of stage nine, and today he broke through to Dou Zhe. Three whole years of Dou Qi fluctuations—why wouldn't Yao Lao have noticed a thing?

Moreover, he didn't think his pitiful fighting spirit would be of any use to Yao Lao, who was once at the peak of Dou Zun.

Therefore, the old doctor must have woken up long ago.

For some unknown reason, they chose to remain silent.

Perhaps they are observing, perhaps they are waiting, perhaps... they are no longer willing to easily trust anyone.

After all, the last person he trusted killed him with his own hands, and that person was his adopted son.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath, took off the ring, and placed it in his palm.

The black ring lay quietly in his palm, its cool touch emanating from his hand. He closed his eyes, slowly releasing his spiritual power, like an invisible hand gently touching the surface of the ring.

Inside the ring,

It's not silence.

Xiao Yan's lips curled up slightly.

really.

There was an extremely faint fluctuation of soul energy within the ring, not the rhythm of slumber, but of wakefulness. It was like someone hiding behind a door, holding their breath, and listening intently to the sounds outside.

He kept listening.

Xiao Yan didn't rush to speak, but instead transformed his soul perception into a wisp of warm energy and slowly poured it into the ring.

It wasn't a wake-up call, it was a greeting.

It's like knowing there's someone behind the door, but instead of knocking, you gently place a cup of hot tea at the doorway.

A wisp.

Two strands.

Three strands.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Xiao Yan's forehead. The consumption of his soul power was considerable. After all, he was only seven years old. Although his soul power far exceeded that of his peers due to the tempering of the Fire God Visualization Diagram, the total amount was still limited.

But he wasn't in a hurry.

He poured his soul power into the ring strand by strand, as if to say, "I know you're here, but I mean you no harm. You can come out whenever you want."

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn has passed.

The soul fluctuations within the ring suddenly changed.

It was no longer a breathless stillness, but rather a hint of... hesitation?

It's like the person behind the door heard footsteps and was debating whether to open the door.

Xiao Yan continued to inject his soul power, neither urging nor forcing, but simply waiting quietly.

A moment later—

"...When did you find out?"

An aged voice echoed in Xiao Yan's mind.

It wasn't a loud explosion, nor a gasp of surprise, but a calm question tinged with a hint of helplessness.

It's like someone who's been hiding for a long time has finally been found, and while they breathe a sigh of relief, they also feel a little embarrassed.

Xiao Yan opened his eyes.

A phantom figure floated out of the ring.

It was the silhouette of an old man, with white hair and beard, a thin face, but an imposing presence between his brows. His silhouette was faint, like a wisp of smoke that might dissipate at any moment, but his eyes—those eyes did not hold the confusion of someone just waking up, but only a clear, scrutinizing, and complex expression.

He didn't just wake up.

He had been awake for a long time.

"Just a guess," Xiao Yan smiled. "Maybe my intuition is pretty accurate."

Yao Lao was slightly taken aback, not expecting Xiao Yan to say that, and then let out a low laugh.

"Good lad," he shook his head, "not bad at observation."

He looked at Xiao Yan with a hint of appreciation in his eyes, but more so with scrutiny.

"I have indeed been awake for a while," Yao Lao did not deny. "I sensed it when you first started cultivating at the age of four."

"You've been watching me for three years?" Xiao Yan asked.

"More or less." The old doctor nodded. "I've been watching every single one of your cultivation practices and every breakthrough you've made over these past three years."

Xiao Yan looked at him and suddenly felt a bit conflicted.

Three years.

The old man of medicine silently watched him for three years from inside his ring.

Watch him cultivate from the first level of Dou Qi to the ninth level, watch him break through to Dou Zhe, watch him hide his true strength, watch him make a pinky promise with Xun'er, watch him play around with Xiao Ding and Xiao Li.

I watched for three years without saying a word.

"Why didn't you come out sooner?" Xiao Yan asked.

The old doctor remained silent for a while.

The moonlight shone on his shadowy figure, making his aged face even more blurred. He seemed to be carefully choosing his words, or perhaps he was simply recalling something.

"Because I dare not," he said softly at the end.

Xiao Yan was taken aback.

"You dare not?"

"I can't believe it," said the old doctor. "The last time I trusted someone, my body was destroyed and my soul fell into a deep sleep."

His tone was calm, so calm it sounded like he was telling someone else's story. But Xiao Yan sensed something beneath that calmness—not hatred, but hurt.

Being betrayed by the closest person is a wound that is deeper and more unforgettable than hatred.

"For the past three years, I have been observing you," the old doctor continued, "observing your cultivation habits, your conduct, and your attitude towards those around you. I want to confirm one thing: to confirm whether you are someone I can trust again."

Xiao Yan listened quietly without interrupting.

"You started cultivating at the age of four. Before the fifth stage, each breakthrough was very steady, without any rush or impatience," said the old doctor. "After the sixth stage, you began to deliberately control your progress, not letting the breakthrough speed be too fast to attract attention. You broke through to the Dou Zhe stage at the age of seven, but you concealed your abilities and only showed the seventh stage of Dou Qi."

He looked at Xiao Yan, a meaningful glint in his eyes: "A seven-year-old child already knows how to hide his talents. This kind of temperament, let alone a seven-year-old, even a seventeen-year-old might not have it."

Xiao Yan touched his nose, feeling a little embarrassed.

He had been observed for three years without noticing anything. As expected of the Old Master Yao, the number one alchemist on the continent, even in his weakened state, he was still far superior to a seven-year-old brat.

"So," Xiao Yan said, "you've been waiting for the right opportunity?"

The old doctor did not answer directly, but nodded slightly, which was taken as tacit agreement.

"I want to see," he said, "whether you can find me. If you never find me in your entire life, it means your soul's perception is not enough, and I may come out on my own; if you do find me, I will come out naturally."

"Now that you've discovered me yourself and taken the initiative to stand up for me, it means you're even more outstanding than I thought."

Xiao Yan looked at Yao Lao and suddenly smiled.

"You've been observing me for three years now."

The old apothecary snorted: "Of course I, Venerable Medicine, am careful when accepting disciples. Besides, do you think I want to watch over them for three years? Your second brother, Xiao Li, chases chickens all over the yard every day, giving me a headache."

Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh.

The old doctor smiled too.

That was the first time he had laughed out loud in three years, even though he had been inside the ring for all three of those years.

After laughing, Yao Lao composed himself and looked at Xiao Yan seriously.

"However, the soul power you just infused into the ring..." He frowned, "You knew I was already awake, yet you still poured soul power into it?"

"Yes," Xiao Yan nodded, "your soul is very weak, but soul power can nourish it. Although you are awake, your soul is not in good condition, and I can feel it."

The old doctor's illusory figure trembled slightly.

He lowered his head, looked at his translucent palm, and remained silent for a long time.

"You child..." His voice was a little hoarse, "Knowing I was pretending to be asleep, not only did you not expose me, but you also secretly sent me your soul power?"

"It's not about sneaking around," Xiao Yan said, "it's about giving you a way out. If you don't want to come out, I won't force you. But I want you to know that someone is waiting for you outside."

The old man raised his head and looked at Xiao Yan.

Under the moonlight, a seven-year-old child sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes bright and a smile playing on his lips. It wasn't as if he was speaking to a phantom, but rather to a living, breathing person.

"Teacher," Xiao Yan said, "I know who you are."

The old doctor's eyes changed.

"You are Yao Chen," Xiao Yan said, enunciating each word clearly, "the number one alchemist in Central Continent, one of the founders of the Pill Tower, and once a top expert on the continent. You were betrayed by your own disciple Han Feng, your physical body was destroyed, and your soul was sealed in this ring."

The old man's illusory figure trembled violently.

"How...how do you know all this!"

His voice changed. He had observed the child for three years, and the child had never shown any sign of knowing his identity. He had assumed Xiao Yan simply possessed strong soul perception, able to sense someone inside the ring, but how could a seven-year-old possibly know names like Yao Chen and Han Feng?

"How do you know Han Feng? How do you know I'm Yao Chen? Who exactly are you?!"

Xiao Yan sighed inwardly as he observed his reaction.

"Teacher, there are some things I can't explain right now," he said, "but I want you to know one thing—Han Feng betrayed you for the sake of the Burning Technique and colluded with the Soul Palace. I know all about these things concerning you."

The old man's illusory figure suddenly froze.

He wasn't shocked by the truth; he knew perfectly well why Han Feng had betrayed him. The Burning Technique, the Soul Palace—he knew these things better than anyone else.

He was shocked that Xiao Yan knew all this.

"How do you know?" The old apothecary's voice was very low, so low it was almost frightening. "Only Han Feng and I know about the Burning Technique. The Soul Palace... I've never mentioned it to anyone."

He stared at Xiao Yan, his aged eyes now showing a hint of wariness and vigilance.

"Who exactly are you? Are you from the Soul Hall? Or were you sent by Han Feng?"

Xiao Yan did not back down. He knew that Yao Lao would lose his composure if he heard what he said.

"If I were from the Soul Palace, or sent by Han Feng," he said calmly, "I wouldn't have approached you on my own initiative. I should have just handed you over."

The old doctor remained silent.

Xiao Yan is right. If there were truly malicious intent, he would have been captured by the Soul Palace long ago. Instead, he proactively confronted them and nurtured them with his soul power.

"I'm not a member of the Soul Hall, nor am I Han Feng's man," Xiao Yan said. "I am simply Xiao Yan. As for how I know all this..."

He thought about it and carefully considered his words.

"There are some things I can't explain. But you can verify them; every word I say can be verified. You'll naturally find out in the future."

The old doctor looked at him and remained silent for a long time.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the two figures. One was old, the other young; one a phantom, the other a real person; one covered in wounds, the other a novice.

This was the first meeting between Yao Lao and Xiao Yan.

"You child..." The old doctor sighed, the wariness in his voice slowly fading, replaced by a bitter smile, "You speak and act like a child who is not seven years old at all. It's simply terrifying."

Xiao Yan smiled and said, "I'll take it as a compliment."

"Then, teacher, please rest. My soul power can continue to nourish you."

"No need," the old apothecary waved his hand. "You're already tired enough. Rest tonight, and we can talk about it tomorrow."

He paused, then added, "And... thank you."

Xiao Yan was taken aback: "Thank me for what?"

The old doctor did not answer.

His illusory image slowly dissipated and returned to the ring.

Yao Lao was also disturbed by Xiao Yan's words and wanted to go into the ring to think it over.

The ring lay quietly in Xiao Yan's palm, no longer cold, but with a faint warmth.

Xiao Yan put the ring back on his finger and looked at the moon outside the window.

The moon was still the same moon, but he knew that from this day forward, everything would be different.

The old doctor was not asleep; he was watching over me the whole time.

Three years of silent observation were not indifference, but caution born of countless wounds. And what he did today was not to wake a sleeping person, but to finally get someone who was awake but afraid to come out to open the door.

Xiao Yan closed his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Teacher, this time, you won't be disappointed, and you won't lose.