BTTH: From Genius to Invincible

Word Count: 2,761 Words

******

Xiao Yan spread his Dou Qi wings and flew back to the mountain peak. He needed to start refining pills right away!

The pill recipe and medicinal ingredients for the Zong Breaking Pill would arrive in a few days, but in the meantime, he still owed Zi Yan her pill and had to prepare Cai Lin's Heavenly Soul Blood Bone Pill.

He had come to realize that overthinking was pointless; what mattered most now was increasing his strength. If he could become a Dou Saint or even a Dou God, any trouble would resolve itself naturally.

Moreover, Xun Er had thoughtfully sent him the latter three seals of the God Seal Technique. The fifth seal, the Ancient God Seal, possessed power comparable to a Tian Class Dou Technique, which was exactly what he needed.

When Zi Yan saw Xiao Yan return, she fixed her eyes on him intently, determined not to give him another chance to escape. She even used her Ancient Void Dragon bloodline strength to seal off a portion of space, preventing anyone from coming to find him.

Refine it! Refine it for me! Don't you dare leave until you're done!

Little Fairy Doctor watched with an expression caught between amusement and exasperation as she planted herbs nearby.

The process of refining Zi Yan's pill went relatively smoothly; after all, it was only a high-grade tier 7 pill. The moment Xiao Yan finished, Zi Yan snatched it away and, with a whoosh, vanished into the void to absorb it.

"That girl, not even a single word of thanks," Xiao Yan snorted coldly, mimicking Zi Yan's mannerisms. "Next time, I won't refine anything for her."

Little Fairy Doctor covered her mouth to stifle a laugh. The scene oddly resembled a quarreling couple.

Just as Xiao Yan was about to start cultivating the God Seal Technique, two figures flew over.

"This old servant pays his respects to the Master." One of them, an elderly man, bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, while the young man beside him quickly followed suit upon seeing this.

Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned. He then noticed their purple hair and realized that these two were the transformed Amethyst Winged Lion King and his offspring. After transformation, the Little Lion King had successfully broken through to Rank 6, reaching the strength of a Dou Emperor. Meanwhile, the Amethyst Winged Lion King had surpassed Hai Bodong and advanced to the Dou Ancestor realm first!

"Lion King, what are you doing?" Xiao Yan asked with a wry smile as he quickly helped the Amethyst Winged Lion King up.

"Master, this old servant's second request is to follow by your side always." The Amethyst Winged Lion King had become smarter after his transformation and decided to increase his investment!

"Well... if you're willing, Lion King, you can join the Yan Alliance. In the future, you can follow Little Fairy Doctor." Xiao Yan had no reason to refuse a transformed Dou Ancestor and Dou Emperor.

Moreover, since Little Fairy Doctor's Woeful Poison Body was nearing eruption and she couldn't act recklessly, having the Amethyst Winged Lion King accompany her was beneficial.

"Yes, Master."

Little Fairy Doctor gently shook her head. "Xiao Yan, I don't need anyone following me. Let the Lion King handle other matters."

"You can't act carelessly right now. You need someone to look after you if anything happens," Xiao Yan said calmly.

Seeing she was about to refuse again, he added quickly, "Alright, that's settled."

Little Fairy Doctor could only roll her eyes helplessly. He was really treating her like a patient.

Then, the Amethyst Winged Lion King took out a pile of scrolls and brocade boxes. "These are high-grade medicinal ingredients and Qi Method and Dou Technique scrolls found in the imperial families of the three major empires, as well as from factions like Luo Yan Sect, Mulan Valley, Poison Sect, and Ten Thousand Scorpion Gate. Queen Yao Ye instructed me to bring them for you to select, Master."

Queen Yao Ye truly lived up to her reputation as a decisive ruler. Within just ten days, she had led the Yan Alliance's iron cavalry alongside Hai Bodong, Jia Xing Tian, Yun Yun, and Nalan Yanran to sweep through the three major empires. They had settled scores with Luo Yan Sect and several other major factions, forcing the remaining ones to surrender entirely.

She had moved all the treasures from those factions back, giving Xiao Yan first choice. After all, he was the absolute core of the Yan Alliance; as long as he stood strong, the alliance would endure!

Xiao Yan naturally accepted the medicinal ingredients. The three major empires had existed for many years and accumulated precious collections, including some tier 8 ingredients.

However, the Dou Techniques made him frown. Three Beast Savage Skill, Poison Techniques, Poison Palm, Ten Thousand Scorpion Poison Tail... They were so trashy that he wanted to toss them out. The highest grade among them was merely an Intermediate Di Class. Xiao Yan shook his head at the sight.

What was Xiao Yan's current status? He was cultivating the Gu Clan's exclusive Dou Techniques or the Hun Clan's forbidden methods; he wouldn't even glance at something like the Three Beast Savage Skill.

As for his own Xiao Clan's 'Breaking Through the Heavens,' well, he didn't understand it and would have to ask his ancestors when he visited the Heavenly Tomb.

"What kind of trash is this? No need for them. See if anyone in the Yan Alliance wants to cultivate them. If not, just put them in the public storehouse... Hmm? 'Sky Bird Nine Flying Wings,' a secret method for crafting flying-type Dou Techniques?!" A golden scroll suddenly caught Xiao Yan's eye.

Surprised, he took the golden scroll and slowly unfurled it. Several radiant golden characters appeared before him.

This 'Sky Bird Nine Flying Wings' wasn't a Dou Technique or Qi Method, but a crafting secret without grade classification. According to the records, the grade of the crafted flying-type Dou Technique depended entirely on the materials used.

In other words, whether the resulting Purple Cloud Wings would be low-grade or high-grade Xuan Class depended on the grade and bloodline purity of the Purple Cloud Black Fire Eagle used. If it was at the peak of Dou King with pure bloodline, the resulting wings would be High Xuan Class.

'This could be quite useful. If I have strong enough materials, coupled with the Three Thousand Lightning Movement and Wind and Thunder Fury Flame, my speed could increase another level.' Xiao Yan currently lacked suitable materials, but if they were strong enough, the crafted wings might not be below Di Class, possibly reaching high Di Class, or even Tian Class!

In the days that followed, Xiao Yan dedicated himself to his daily cultivation. Besides refining pills, he started cultivating the God Seal Technique. He needed to repay his debts with medicinal pills, settle accounts with the Alchemist Association, and elevate his alchemy skills to the peak of tier 7 to refine the Great Ancestor Pill.

Once he found the tenth Heavenly Flame, he planned to, as always, use the Great Ancestor Pill to break through to the Dou Ancestor realm!

Xiao Yan had collected nine kinds of Heavenly Flames unknowingly. This made him marvel at whether the Flame Mantra had the ability to attract Heavenly Flames. Others might struggle their entire lives to find just one, yet he had refined nine!

…

Time flew by.

"Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique!"

As the nearly 9-star Dou Ancestor-level Pill Lightning struck down, Xiao Yan activated the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change. Five fire spirits formed an array, merging into a pillar of flame that directly confronted the silver Pill Lightning.

After three months of diligent practice, Xiao Yan had finally refined a peak tier 7 medicinal pill - the Great Ancestor Pill!

Hai Bodong watched from the side with gleaming eyes. Among the veteran members of the Yan Alliance, he was the only one who hadn't reached the Dou Ancestor realm. However, knowing how precious the ingredients were, he didn't ask Xiao Yan for the pill. Xiao Yan had exhausted all his medicinal ingredients to finally produce just one.

He thought he'd first try using the Zong Breaking Pill himself. If it failed, he'd gather the ingredients and ask this kid Xiao Yan for help refining it later; after all, it wasn't like Xiao Yan could run away anyway.

"Huh? Why hasn't the lightning cloud dissipated!" Hai Bodong frowned. The Five Ring Flame Expelling Technique had already blocked the Pill Lightning, yet the lightning cloud remained!

To everyone's surprise, the lightning arcs flickering within the cloud began to change color, gradually shifting from silver.

"Red?! No, wait! Two-colored Pill Lightning, a tier 8 medicinal pill??!!!" Fa Ma, who had come to observe and learn from Xiao Yan's alchemy, was so shocked that his heart nearly leapt from his chest.

Why was the lightning cloud changing color?!

Xiao Yan's expression turned extremely grave as he watched the cloud shift from silver to red, as if preparing to unleash a second lightning strike.

If a second Pill Lightning descended, he wasn't sure he could withstand it.

A colored Pill Lightning accompanying a tier 8 pill possessed the might of a Dou Venerate! He wasn't confident he could withstand such an attack.

The gap between a peak Dou Ancestor and a Dou Venerate was immense!

Fortunately, the medicinal pill Xiao Yan refined was still a tier 7 pill. Even if it was peak tier 7, close to tier 8, it remained tier 7. Using Heavenly Flames and Soul State Spiritual Strength wouldn't attract a second Pill Lightning.

Nevertheless, nearly attracting that second strike filled Xiao Yan with secret joy. It was a promising sign.

'Perhaps in another year or two, I can step into that legendary tier 8 realm!'

Entering tier 8 meant possessing the ability to defy the heavens and change fate.

For instance, among tier 8 pills, there was one called the First Start Pill. When consumed by a child, it remained in the body, accompanying growth, gradually enhancing the physique and stabilizing the cultivation foundation.

Enhancing one's innate potential postnatally was truly defying destiny!

After storing away the medicinal pill, Xiao Yan noticed Nalan Yanran staring at him with her mouth agape. He raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Don't be discouraged. It's perfectly normal that you can't keep pace with my cultivation."

"You!" Nalan Yanran bit her lower lip in frustration. But what he said was true. Despite her diligent cultivation, the gap between them kept widening.

Fortunately, as the Little Sect Leader of the Misty Cloud Sect and a shareholder of the Yan Alliance, she had received substantial cultivation resources during the unification of the three major empires. Even so, she had only reached 4-star Dou Emperor, and that was after consuming a Mighty Huang Pill.

Her speed was already impressive. Within the Yan Alliance, her cultivation pace wasn't slow, but compared to monsters like Qing Lin and Xiao Yan, she seemed rather average.

Just as Xiao Yan was about to cultivate the Flame Mantra, Xiao Li came running hurriedly.

"Third Brother! There's news about the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva!!"

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up, a smile forming on his lips. Could there really be such miracles in this world?!

"Second Brother! Where is it?" Xiao Yan was anxious; Little Fairy Doctor had less than half a year left.

Even the Clear Soul Nether Orchid no longer had any effect. Little Fairy Doctor seemed like someone suffering from a terminal illness. Others were worried for her, but she spent her days planting herbs and tending flowers.

Xiao Li grinned. "You have to thank Ya Fei this time. The Miteer Auction House plans to expand into a city called Black Emperor City in the Black-Corner Region. She happened to hear that the Black Emperor Sect is auctioning the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva!"

The Hall of Souls' intelligence network was formidable but not omniscient; information about auctions in certain cities could slip through.

And luck was on Xiao Yan's side, or rather, on the Little Fairy Doctor's side. By chance, Ya Fei learned about the auctioning of the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva and immediately sent someone to inform Xiao Yan.

"Heaven truly rewards those who persevere! Excellent! Second Brother, please inform Little Fairy Doctor and the Lion King; we'll set off for Black Emperor City at once!" Xiao Yan knew time was of the essence. If anything went wrong and the item wasn't auctioned, he'd don his Soul Robe and take it by force, even if it meant turning Black Emperor City upside down!

"Xiao Yan, do you need our help?" Hai Bodong asked seriously, seeming ready to lead troops to overrun Black Emperor City.

"Don't worry, Old Hai. With Little Fairy Doctor around, is there anything to fear?" Xiao Yan smiled and shook his head. Now that only the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva remained, Little Fairy Doctor didn't need to hold back; taking it by force wouldn't be an issue.

With strength approaching a half-step Dou Venerate, she could make the entire Black-Corner Region tremble.

Xiao Yan touched his storage ring, frowned, and said, "Second Brother, please ask Little Fairy Doctor and the others to wait for me. I need to attend to something."

With that, he flew toward the Snake-People Tribe on Misty Cloud Mountain.

In the palace of the Snake-People Tribe, Cai Lin sat like a noble and aloof empress, listening to the chieftains of various tribes report issues.

"Your Majesty, apart from the serpent tribes of the original Sky Serpent Mansion and Sky Serpent Empire that followed Saintess Qing Lin, the remaining serpent tribes that were at odds with the Sky Serpent Mansion have all joined us."

"The Rank 7 magical beast overlord in the Magic Beast Mountain Range still refuses to yield. Should we take stronger measures?"

Suddenly, Cai Lin's eyes sharpened. She looked at the assembled serpent leaders and said coldly, "That will be all for today. Dismissed."

"Huh?!"

The Snake-People leaders below were all dumbfounded. Hadn't the reporting just begun? How was it already over??

"Your Majesty..."

"I said, dismiss!" Cai Lin's triangular snake pupils fixed them with an icy stare. A chill ran through all the leaders. Regardless of their strength, they hurriedly retreated, not daring to utter another word.

"Hua She Er, you may leave as well."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Once everyone had left, a black flame emerged from the void. Mao Wu waved a claw, opening a spatial passage from which Xiao Yan stepped out.

Over the past few months, Xiao Yan had wanted to visit Cai Lin, but she always found excuses to avoid him.

Facing each other now, both remained silent.

Xiao Yan slowly approached the throne. Cai Lin actually showed a hint of nervousness at his approach. He took out two brocade boxes from his storage ring, placed them on the table, and said softly, "I've refined the Heavenly Soul Blood Bone Pill. The other box contains the Soul Lightening Pill."

"I've reviewed your tribe's secret method. Although it's already top-tier, it still has shortcomings. The secret method enhances the physical talent but neglects the soul. After the fetus takes shape, administer the Soul Lightening Pill, and I'll perform a technique to enhance its soul talent."

Both the Soul Lightening Pill and the soul enhancement method weren't from Xiao Yan or Venerable Yao. They originated from Hun Huzi.

This was the first time Xiao Yan consulted Hun Huzi about alchemy, seeking his help regarding the soul fetus. In his knowledge, when it came to matters of the soul, Hun Huzi was unparalleled.

Even Hun Huzi, who had lived for who knows how many years, was momentarily stunned to hear that Xiao Yan had used Soul Impact to its limit and produced such a unique soul fetus. He laughed and praised Xiao Yan as a genius.

Out of curiosity, Hun Huzi analyzed the Snake-People Tribe's secret method and, on the spot, created a method and pill recipe to enhance Spiritual Strength. His terrifying creativity amazed even Xiao Yan.

Cai Lin didn't open the brocade boxes. Instead, she looked directly at Xiao Yan. Finally, her red lips parted slightly as she asked, "You're leaving?"

"Mm." Xiao Yan nodded. After a brief hesitation, he explained, "We've found the last ingredient needed for Little Fairy Doctor's Woeful Poison Body, so..."

Before he could finish, Cai Lin's delicate hand grabbed his collar. With immense strength, she pressed him heavily onto the table and kissed him in a passionate and domineering manner.