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

A month later, the old doctor finally said those words.

"Today, we'll refine elixirs."

The old doctor spoke in a very solemn tone, as if he were announcing something important.

He took a deep breath and reviewed everything he had learned in the past month. His fire control was unparalleled. His medicinal herb identification skills were impeccable; he had been tested three times by the old herbalist, scoring full marks each time, until even the old man himself was tired of the last test. His elixir formulas were memorized flawlessly from first to third grade. As for the fire control, his Fire God Body's flames seemed to have eyes; with a mere thought, they could strike exactly where he wanted.

All four basic skills have been met.

"The Rejuvenation Pill," said the old medicine master, "the most basic recovery pill among the first-grade pills. The formula?"

"Three Rejuvenating Herbs, two Vitality Fruits, and a mixture of clear spring water."

"step?"

"First, roast the Rejuvenating Herb over a low flame until it is half-dry, then grind it into powder; next, refine the Vitality Fruit to extract its juice; finally, mix the powder and juice, and slowly condense it into a pill over a medium flame. The whole process takes about an hour."

The old doctor nodded in satisfaction: "Get ready."

Xiao Yan took out the medicinal herbs from his storage bag. They were of excellent quality, prepared in advance by the old herbalist.

He sat cross-legged, his hands outstretched, and a wisp of pale red flame rose from his palms.

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The fire of the Fire God Body is different from ordinary battle qi flames. Others control fire like driving a car, but he uses his own legs—he can go fast or slow as he pleases, without a steering wheel or an accelerator, and there is no barrier between his body and the flames.

The first step is to bake the rejuvenating herb.

Flames enveloped the three Rejuvenating Herbs, the heat gradually intensifying. The leaves curled slightly, their edges turning a pale green; at this moment, the medicinal effects began to seep outwards.

"Keep the heat low, even lower," the old doctor said, watching closely from the side.

With a slight thought, Xiao Yan caused the flames to fall.

Stay calm.

The leaves of the Rejuvenating Grass gradually dried, and a sweet medicinal fragrance filled the air, like freshly cut grass mixed with the scent of dew.

"Vitality Fruit".

This thing is even harder to care for than the Rejuvenating Herb. Its medicinal effect release range is extremely narrow; if the heat is too strong, it will scorch and wither, and if it is too weak, the medicinal effect will not be released. It's like walking a tightrope; you have to concentrate completely.

Xiao Yan adjusted the flames, held his breath, and precisely controlled the heat at that delicate balance point. It remained perfectly still.

The Vitality Fruit softened slowly in the flames, a thin crack appearing in its peel, from which a drop of pale green juice seeped out—the essence of its medicinal properties. Xiao Yan immediately increased the heat, forcing out and refining the juice drop by drop until the pulp was completely dried up and all the essence was released.

The old doctor looked at the wisp of flame and his lips twitched.

A month ago, he was still marveling at the absurd fire control talent of the Vulcan Body. Now, he doesn't know what to say.

This isn't fire control; it's the flames listening to him.

The second step is to condense the elixir.

The medicinal powder was slowly poured into the juice in the cauldron, while the flame was carefully controlled. The heat was gradually reduced, from strong to weak. First, a strong flame was used to accelerate the fusion of the medicinal properties, then a medium flame was used to stabilize the liquid, and finally, a gentle flame was used to slowly bring it to a close. It was as calm as receding tides. (The author is just making this up; is this really watching alchemy or potato cooking?)

The mixture changed from light green to deep blue, and then to a warm, light gold, which meant it was almost ready.

"Stay calm," the old apothecary said, his voice tense.

Xiao Yan did not answer. He was completely focused and could sense what was happening in the mixture: countless tiny medicinal particles were colliding, fusing, and condensing, waiting for a signal to bring them together.

He kept the heat steady.

After an incense stick has burned, the mixture begins to solidify.

Two incense sticks burned, and a perfectly round pill slowly rotated in the cauldron.

After three incense sticks

"It's done."

The old doctor's voice was a little excited.

Xiao Yan reached into the medicine cauldron and took out the pill. The Rejuvenation Pill was perfectly round and full, with a warm, pale yellow sheen on its surface, and it had a sweet, refreshing scent. While not of the highest quality, it was definitely among the top-grade.

"Success on the first try." The old alchemist stared at the pill, his tone complicated. "When I first tried to refine pills, I failed three times. The first time, I miscontrolled the fire and burned the herbs. The second time, the fire fluctuated during the condensation process and the cauldron exploded. The third time, I barely succeeded, and the quality wasn't even as good as yours."

He paused.

"Your talent... is unlike that of a human."

Xiao Yan smiled and carefully put away the Rejuvenation Pill.

"Master, I'd like to try the second grade."

"What's the rush? You haven't even mastered the first rank yet, don't be so overambitious."

"I'm already familiar with it," Xiao Yan said. "I've also memorized the formula for the Meridian Protection Pill."

Yao Lao opened his mouth, looked at Xiao Yan's serious eyes, and then swallowed his words back.

"...Alright then."

---

In the days that followed, he practiced the Burning Technique and Battle Qi during the day and refined pills at night.

A first-grade elixir, after three days of refining, has a success rate of over 80%.

I mastered the second-grade Protective Pulse Pill and Qi-Returning Pill in a week, using them with ease.

The third-grade Awakening Pill has a success rate of over 70% in just half a month.

The old doctor is almost withdrawn and doesn't want to talk anymore.

He had lived for hundreds of years and seen countless geniuses. But he had never seen anything like this. The Fire God Body's control over flames and its comprehension of the Dao of Fire, the soul perception honed by the Fire God Visualization Diagram, and the perfect synergy between the Burning Technique and the Fire God Body—these three enhancements combined made learning alchemy as easy as drinking water for Xiao Yan.

He covered in less than a month what others took decades to do.

In the original story, Xiao Yan's talent for alchemy was already outrageous; now, with the addition of the Fire God Physique, it's not just outrageous, it's cheating. Cheating should warrant a ban. But… well, who can blame me for being that cheater myself?

---

One night, after refining the Qi-restoring pill, Xiao Yan suddenly spoke.

"Master, I want to help you nurture your soul."

The old doctor was taken aback.

"The elixirs for nourishing the soul are all of high grade," he shook his head, "The Soul Nourishing Saliva is grade five, which you can't refine yet."

"I know," Xiao Yan said, "but it doesn't necessarily have to be done with pills."

He stretched out his hand, and a wisp of pale red flame appeared in his palm.

"Master, come out for a moment."

The old apothecary hesitated for a moment, then his soul slowly floated out of the ring.

Xiao Yan carefully brought the wisp of flame close to Yao Lao's soul.

The moment the flames touched the soul, Yao Lao shuddered.

It's not burning.

It is warmth.

It welled up from the depths of my soul, like the feeling of putting your hand into hot water in winter—no, even more comforting. It was like someone gently adding a drop of oil to a wick that was about to go out.

"This..." The old apothecary's voice was somewhat shocked, "Your fire can nourish the soul?"

"The flames of the Fire God Body can interact directly with the soul by nature," Xiao Yan said. "The Fallen Heart Flame can burn the soul, the Bone Spirit Cold Flame can freeze the soul, and the fire of the Fire God Body also has special effects on the soul—in addition to special attacks, it can also be transformed into nourishment."

The old doctor remained silent.

long time.

The feeling of his soul being nurtured... he hadn't experienced that in far too long. Since his physical body was destroyed and his soul took refuge in the ring, although his soul had regained consciousness, it had never truly recovered—without a physical body, the soul was like a tree without roots, only able to exist, never fully restored. Every time he used his soul power, he needed to sleep for a long time to recover.

And now, someone has added a drop of oil to his nearly extinguished lamp wick.

"The effect is far inferior to the Soul-Nourishing Saliva," the old medicine master calmed himself, his voice regaining its composure. "The Soul-Nourishing Saliva is a fifth-grade pill, and its nourishing effect is dozens of times stronger than your flame. But for daily nourishment... it's enough."

"Then I will help you nourish it every day," Xiao Yan said. "Once I reach the fifth rank, I will refine the Soul Nourishing Saliva for you."

The old doctor looked at him.

This child was thinking about helping him from day one. Not because he asked for anything, but because he wanted to do it himself.

"Alright," the old apothecary said softly, "Yan'er... thank you."

Xiao Yan smiled.

No more words are needed. The bond between master and disciple is never expressed in words.

---

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water.

Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, slowly circulating the Burning Technique within his body. Crimson Dou Qi flowed through his meridians, carrying a hint of heat, perfectly integrated with the flames of the Fire God Body.

Refining elixirs, cultivating oneself, and nurturing one's master's soul. Every day is fulfilling.

He couldn't reveal his identity as an alchemist yet. An eight-year-old alchemist—if word got out, it would only cause trouble. The Xiao family couldn't afford that right now.

But it's okay.

He has plenty of time.

Xiao Yan closed his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

We need to get stronger quickly so that we can face all threats with confidence.

Even though I'm already on a winning streak, I still need to work even harder tomorrow.