Recently, several key figures in Starfall Pavilion had fallen into a strange state.
Pavilion Master Yao Chen had just taken on a new disciple. Rumor had it that the young man was a noble from some powerful clan and seemed incredibly talented. However, after accepting this disciple, Yao Chen immediately went into seclusion.
It was said that some people had occasionally spotted the pavilion master muttering to himself in secluded mountain forests.
Whispers spread that he now wandered disheveled, muttering things like "Dou Saint" and "Nine Grades" under his breath.
Some believed Yao Chen was about to break through, while others suspected that he had gone mad due to a mishap while refining pills.
Aside from Yao Chen, Senior Brother Han Feng also seemed to be in a poor mental state. He often appeared bruised and battered, and his words carried a sense of anxiety.
The only one who seemed relatively normal was Vice Pavilion Master Feng Xian, who spent his days leisurely wandering, sipping tea, walking birds, and watching cricket fights. When he encountered a disciple he liked, he'd give them a hearty laugh and a few pointers.
As a gift for being accepted as a disciple and in exchange for the Burning Art, Xiao Yan gifted Yao Chen and Feng Xian with a Heaven-Tier low-level fire-type cultivation method and an Earth-Tier high-level wind-type battle skill, respectively.
Upon receiving the fire-type method, Yao Chen, provoked by Xiao Yan's words, entered seclusion and vowed not to leave Starfall Pavilion until he achieved the level of Dou Saint. Meanwhile, Feng Xian simply gained... happiness.
An Earth-Tier high-level battle skill is still a valuable treasure for a Dou Venerate.
Although Feng Xian already had one or two, acquiring another out of thin air certainly sparked joy.
After all, freeloading is the source of human happiness.
As for Han Feng, his mental state collapsed. Seeing that both Yao Chen and Feng Xian had received gifts, he quietly approached Xiao Yan that night to ask if there might be a present for him as well.
What he got in return was a thorough beating from Xiao Yan.
Though only a Nine-Star Dou Emperor, Xiao Yan's cultivation methods and battle skills far surpassed Han Feng's, and his physical strength rivaled that of a Dou Ancestor. With the two guardian saints watching like hawks, Han Feng had no hope of defending himself and ended up with a black eye and a swollen face.
"Senior Brother, when you die, can I have your Sea Heart Flame?" said Xiao Yan, with an innocent look on his face.
Han Feng was chilled to the bone.
Especially since the short-tempered old man behind Xiao Yan seemed to already be sharpening his blade, ready to take him out.
Being targeted by a Half-Saint, Han Feng lived every day in constant fear, growing more haggard by the minute.
At the peak of a mountain in Starfall Pavilion, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged. The space around him had been sealed by the two guardian saints using spatial power—even a Dou Venerate would find it difficult to intrude.
And if they did, they'd be greeted by a Half-Saint's fists.
"Phew."Xiao Yan took a deep breath, calming his mind, and took out a black scroll—this was none other than the coveted Burning Art that Han Feng had dreamed of.
"Young Master, are you really going to abandon an Earth-Tier high-level method just to cultivate this lowly Yellow-Tier low-level one?" asked Xiao Wen beside him.
It was common knowledge that switching from a lower-tier to a higher-tier method improved the quality of one's Dou Qi. Although there'd be a temporary period of weakness, recovery typically took only a few days.
However, switching from a high-tier method to a low-tier one would decrease Dou Qi quality and could even result in a drop in cultivation level—known as Qi Scattering.
"That's right!"Xiao Yan nodded firmly.
Downgrading from an Earth-Tier high-level method to a Yellow-Tier low-level one would drastically reduce the quality of his Dou Qi and significantly weaken his cultivation.
But compared to the strange ability to absorb Heavenly Flames and the inheritance of a Dou Emperor, this temporary weakness was a small price to pay.
With the protection of the two guardian saints, the difference between being a Dou King or a Dou Emperor didn't really matter much.
Seeing Xiao Yan's firm resolve, the two saints stopped trying to persuade him. After spending time with him, they realized he wasn't just smart—he was cunning. If he chose to cultivate this Yellow-Tier method, he surely had his reasons. Pushing further would only make them look negligent.
After steadying his mind, Xiao Yan opened the scroll and gently touched the characters on it. The next moment, a stream of information flowed through his soul and entered his mind.
Memorizing the incantations and meridian pathways, Xiao Yan closed his eyes.
In the next moment, a deep red glow lit up on his body.
This was the Dou Qi generated from the Earth-Tier high-level method Blazing Eight Desolations Technique—fierce and forceful, radiating yang energy.
However, the very next moment, the Dou Qi began flowing along a new meridian path under Xiao Yan's soul guidance.
This was a completely new pathway, and as soon as the Dou Qi entered, it began to protest.
Fortunately, the Dou Qi was something Xiao Yan had painstakingly cultivated, so although it struggled, it still obeyed his will.
The vast Dou Qi was quickly guided into an unopened path by Xiao Yan's will. Even so, pain rippled through his meridians.
But his body had been soaked in rare treasures since childhood and strengthened further by cultivating the Crimson Flame Demon Body, making him incredibly resilient.
Soon, the deep red Dou Qi had circulated through his meridians according to the Burning Art. After just one full circulation, Xiao Yan was already sweating.
And as the Dou Qi returned to the cyclone, he clearly felt it had weakened slightly, its color now a bit duller.
"Continue!"Xiao Yan steadied his mind and guided the Dou Qi through another cycle. Each cycle consumed a significant amount of Dou Qi, and with every round, Xiao Yan's aura weakened further.
After nine rounds, the deep red Dou Qi turned dark red, and Xiao Yan's aura dropped to the level of an Eight-Star Dou Emperor.
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A wave of exhaustion hit him—it felt like he'd just finished a fierce battle.
"Continue!"Xiao Yan gritted his teeth.
After another nine rounds, the Dou Qi darkened to crimson, and his aura fell another star.
With every set of nine cycles, the color faded one shade, and Xiao Yan's aura dropped by one star.
By the time he completed 81 full circulations, his aura had dropped to that of a One-Star Dou Emperor, and his Dou Qi had weakened into a pale yellow mist.
At the mountain peak, Xiao Yan lay pale-faced on a large rock, his eyes sunken and his frame noticeably thinner.
Cold sweat streamed from his forehead.
"So weak… feels like my body's been hollowed out."
Xiao Yan's trembling left hand fished out recovery and energy pills from his storage ring and stuffed them into his mouth.
"Six-Flavored Earth Emperor Pill."
"Golden Cabinet Qi-Boosting Pill."
After taking four or five pills, some color returned to his face.
"So I've dropped to a One-Star Dou Emperor…"Xiao Yan frowned slightly. Losing a few stars was fine, but the moment his Dou Qi downgraded to Yellow-Tier low-level, the difference hit hard.
It felt like a once-mighty warrior had been completely drained—falling from peak strength into utter weakness. That drop was what really stung.
"If I don't use battle skills or my body, and just rely on Dou Qi, I might not even beat a peak Dou King… what a joke."
Sighing, Xiao Yan conjured a green flame in his palm.
"My Green Lion Demon Flame may not be a Heavenly Flame, but it's a top-tier beast flame. Swallowing it should upgrade the method to Yellow-Tier high-level."
"Phew... can't go on. Even walking makes me sweat."Xiao Yan wiped the sweat from his brow.
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