Battle Through the Heavens: Heavenly comprehension

The surrounding world trembled slightly as a special energy, entirely different from the natural energy of heaven and earth, quietly poured into Xiao Yan's brow.

As his soul power operated according to the Purple Mansion Heaven Derivation Art, it transformed into a pure white vortex.

This vortex crushed and refined the special energy, carefully integrating it into his soul only after it had been purified into strands of soul power.

"With this Purple Mansion Heaven Derivation Art, my soul power can finally start improving from today!"

Feeling the fullness emanating from his brow, a look of admiration appeared on Xiao Yan's young face.

Becoming a genius who could start cultivating at the age of four and condense a Dou Qi vortex by eleven relied on soul power far superior to the average person.

Now, with his soul power further enhanced, his Dou Qi cultivation speed would also increase significantly.

Inside the Bone Flame Ring, Yao Lao keenly sensed this long-lost energy. After a moment, he murmured, "This is... spiritual energy!"

Spiritual energy was an energy present between heaven and earth that could nourish and enhance soul power.

Ancient alchemists had all mastered soul cultivation techniques to absorb spiritual energy and strengthen their souls.

However, with the passage of time, only a few old and powerful factions still retained such techniques on today's Dou Qi Continent.

"Could it be that Xiao Yan's mysterious constitution is getting stronger over time?!"

At this moment, Yao Lao finally grasped the true meaning of the term "genius."

A true genius wasn't just someone who displayed extraordinary cultivation talent at a young age but someone who possessed an exceptional physique from birth.

A genius like Xiao Yan, who had been cultivating since he was in his mother's womb, was destined for greatness!

On the other side, Xiao Lin began making arrangements within the Xiao family before stepping down.

Having walked on the brink of death, he now understood that the strength of the Xiao family was no longer something he could shoulder alone.

Instead of charging ahead recklessly, it was better to safeguard the family and give his genius grandson, Xiao Yan, ample time to grow.

By that time, the entire Jia Ma Empire would surely tremble before him.

From this day forth, Xiao Zhan officially took over as the Xiao family head, while Xiao Lin secluded himself in training. Unless the family's survival was at stake, he would no longer appear in public.

Although Xiao Lin had entered the Xiao residence severely injured, and no funeral was held, over time, people assumed that he had succumbed to his injuries.

Keeping his condition a secret was a strategy to deter the Xiao family's enemies.

Even the few within the Xiao family who knew the truth would sigh when outsiders mentioned the topic, further reinforcing the belief that Xiao Lin had passed away.

Time quietly slipped away like sand through fingers, and before they knew it, another year had passed.

Under the dark night sky, moonlight filtered through the antique-style window and spilled into Xiao Yan's room.

The furnishings inside were fully illuminated, appearing as bright as during the day. A moonstone placed by the bedside emitted a soft glow, lighting every corner of the room.

Tonight, Xiao Yan did not go to bed early as usual but instead sat cross-legged in rare meditation.

The reason was simple—after a year of accumulation, he had finally gathered enough Dou Qi to condense his first Dou Qi vortex.

Inside the Bone Flame Ring, Yao Lao rubbed his hands in anticipation. He had been waiting for this day since the moment Xiao Yan was born.

"Kid, my soul power is still severely damaged. I'll need to borrow some of your gentle Dou Qi to alleviate my injuries."

"Don't worry, I won't treat you unfairly. Once I recover, I will pass down all the knowledge of the greatest alchemist on the Dou Qi Continent to you. Not only that, but I'll also gift your grandfather some Earth-rank techniques and battle skills to aid his cultivation."

"With your current cultivation speed, it won't take many years before you restore my soul power to its peak."

Yao Lao muttered to himself, having long decided on the terms of their exchange.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan cleared his mind of distractions despite knowing Yao Lao would be absorbing some of his Dou Qi at this critical moment.

He swiftly formed the breakthrough hand seals with both hands.

His breathing gradually stabilized, and the faint Dou Qi within him began to circulate in harmony with his will.

In the spacious room, the previously still air suddenly rippled violently. Wisps of faint white Dou Qi seeped out from the air and continuously poured into Xiao Yan's body.

Thanks to nearly a year of cultivating the Purple Mansion Heaven Derivation Art, Xiao Yan's rapidly growing soul power had once again surged, enhancing his cultivation talent and increasing his absorption speed of the world's energy by almost fifty percent.

The continuous influx of energy from heaven and earth was refined into incomparably pure Dou Qi, which ceaselessly flowed into Xiao Yan's meridians.

Under his rapid refinement, it wasn't long before his meridians were completely filled with Dou Qi.

The collision of Dou Qi within his body caused his meridians to twitch slightly, sending waves of sharp pain through him, making the corners of his mouth twitch involuntarily.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan suddenly changed his hand seals—his index fingers and thumbs crossed, middle fingers touched, and all ten fingers formed an intricate and mysterious seal.

As his hand seals shifted, the surging Dou Qi within him seemed to be drawn by a powerful suction force, rapidly contracting toward his lower abdomen.

The pale white Dou Qi within his meridians simultaneously began to shrink toward the same point.

As all the Dou Qi gathered in his lower abdomen, its color gradually transformed from pale white to a milky white.

Focusing his mind, Xiao Yan exerted his formidable soul power to maintain absolute control over the Dou Qi, relentlessly compressing it to form a Dou Qi vortex.

The milky-white Dou Qi in his lower abdomen, when suppressed, immediately began to resist, churning violently.

However, having spent an entire year refining his soul power, Xiao Yan's control was absolute—this resistance was akin to an ant trying to shake a tree.

After an initial struggle, the Dou Qi was completely subdued.

Even Yao Lao, residing within the Bone Flame Ring, was left speechless at the strength of Xiao Yan's soul power.

"He's only just over four years old... If he continues to grow at this rate, who knows what heights he will reach in the future!"

"Boom!"

A muffled sound echoed softly within Xiao Yan's body as the relentless suppression continued.

Focusing his consciousness on his lower abdomen, Xiao Yan saw a palm-sized, milky-white vortex slowly rotating. Around its edges, a nebula-like layer of milky-white energy swirled gently.

Internal vision, a supplementary skill only accessible to Dou Practitioners and above, allowed him to examine the situation within his body with remarkable clarity.

As he observed the tiny vortex, a satisfied smile appeared on Xiao Yan's face.

Although the vortex was currently small in size, the energy it contained was more than ten times stronger than his previous ninth stage Dou Qi.

The difference between a Dou Practitioner and ninth stage Dou Qi was fundamental—before becoming a Dou Practitioner, the absorbed energy was merely called Dou Qi, but afterward, it became true Dou Qi.

Although the difference in terminology was just one word, the disparity between them was like heaven and earth, utterly incomparable.

Xiao Yan slowly exhaled a breath of impure air, memories of his past experiences flashing through his mind.

The insights gained from breaking through to a new realm were incredibly valuable.

[Congratulations! You have broken through to the Dou Practitioner level. Based on your years of experience practicing the Dou Qi Breathing Technique, you have achieved sudden enlightenment and comprehended the Dou Qi Foundation Technique!]

(End of Chapter)

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