The creak of the door resounded as it was gently pushed open, flickering with the swaying lamplight. Xiao Yan shook his head vigorously, dispelling the lingering effects of alcohol, and then closed the door behind him. He wobbled to the side of the bed and plopped down.
“Phew…” he exhaled a breath of wine, rubbing his aching head with a wry smile. Knowing that he would be leaving the next day, his elder brothers had plied him with copious amounts of alcohol. If not for the journey ahead, they might have continued drinking until he was completely inebriated.
Removing his shoes, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, forming hand seals as he gradually stabilized his breathing. Moments later, a thread of vapor was expelled from his fingertips. Once the alcohol was purged, his mind felt clearer. He pondered for a while, and then lightly tapped his ring. A green light suddenly filled the room, quickly dimming again. In an instant, a lotus-shaped throne appeared before him, hovering in mid-air, perfectly still.
Gazing at the exquisitely crafted lotus throne, excitement flickered in Xiao Yan’s eyes. He gestured, lowering the throne, and then leapt onto it, settling cross-legged.
The weight of his body caused the throne to descend rapidly, but it stopped at table height. As he settled, a warm energy permeated through his skin, circulating over his body, bringing a soothing sensation that made him take a deep breath.
Forming the hand seals again, Xiao Yan closed his eyes and entered a meditative state. A faint green aura enveloped him, emanating from the throne.
His consciousness sank within, habitually moving to the energy vortex in his dantian. Scanning the purple vortex, he was slightly surprised to find fourteen drops of purple liquid already formed.
“I didn’t expect that even with my slowed cultivation, I managed to form another drop,” he marveled inwardly. His mind shifted, and a strand of purple energy split from the vortex, flowing along the meridians of the Burning Decree.
As his energy began to circulate, a stream of fiery energy from the environment rushed towards the lotus throne. Upon touching the green aura, it shrank to a fifth of its original size, becoming more refined. Among the faint yellow fiery energy, traces of green energy were subtly interwoven, likely filtered by the green aura.
The refined energy flowed into Xiao Yan’s body with his breath. As the first thread entered, he paused, noting the green energy mixed within. He directed a thread of purple flame to encompass it, attempting to refine it further. To his delight, the green energy was so pure it could be directly injected into the vortex without further refinement.
“Could this green energy come from the Green Lotus itself? No wonder it’s so pure, having been tempered by the Earth Fire for nearly a millennium.”
Realizing the potential, Xiao Yan rejoiced. The refined energy could save him at least seventy percent of his usual refining time. “What a treasure,” he thought, swiftly separating the green energy and injecting it into the vortex, while repeatedly refining the yellow energy.
With this efficient process, his energy rapidly replenished. He trained intensely from late night until dawn, when the last thread of energy entered the vortex. Sighing in relief, he prepared to end his session, but the purple vortex quivered. Surprised, he focused his consciousness, discovering a new drop of liquid energy forming.
“So, the fifteenth drop is finally forming,” he thought, maintaining his mental stability as the vortex calmed. The small drop rolled among the others, like a playful fish.
At the moment of formation, Xiao Yan felt a change in his body. His muscles felt lighter and stronger. He understood he had now become a two-star Dou Shi. Opening his eyes, purple light flashed briefly before fading. He stretched, bones cracking, and stepped off the lotus throne.
Placing the lotus back into his ring, he gazed at the sky, slightly startled. “It’s already morning?”
He packed high-quality healing potions and a variety of rare elixirs, including a jade bottle filled with twenty-three Qi Restoring Pills, preparing for his journey. The healing potions in Shi Mo City were few and of poor quality, so these would be invaluable to the Molten Iron Mercenary Corps.
After arranging everything, he slung the Heavy Black Ruler over his back and quietly left the room. Outside, the sky was just beginning to lighten. He took a few steps, and a soft voice called out, “Young Master, are you leaving?”
Sighing, Xiao Yan turned to see a small figure. “I have important matters to attend to, but I’ll return soon. Work hard, little one.”
Green Lin, with her emerald eyes, asked, “Will you really come back?”
“Of course. Take care.” Crouching, Xiao Yan patted her head and petted the two-headed fire snake coiling around her arm. “Live for yourself. Don’t worry too much about what others think.”
Green Lin nodded, eyes misty. “Promise to come back…”
Xiao Yan bid her farewell, turning to leave. High above, Xiao Li watched with a grin, “Still the same after all these years.”
Xiao Ding, leaning nearby, added, “He’s growing stronger. We need to keep up, or we’ll only hold him back.”
Both laughed heartily, watching as the young man disappeared into the early morning light.
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