Time slipped away, and dawn broke. Two figures lay bare on the ground, entwined in each other's arms, their gazes locked. Xiao Yi Xian's face flushed with embarrassment, while Xiao Heng remained calm as still water.
"High Dou Zhi Qi cultivation really lets you do as you please," Xiao Heng said, sitting up and shaking his head with a wry smile.
"I… I'll take responsibility," Xiao Yi Xian stammered, hastily dressing and fleeing into the cabin.
"Jie! Jie! Jie!" Xiao Heng chuckled, rising to absorb Dou Zhi Qi in the crisp morning air. She's adorable when she's flustered, he thought.
Five months remained until the Xiao clan's coming-of-age ceremony, with Jia Nan Academy's recruitment soon after. He had to attend—killing strong humans yielded energy droplets far superior to those from beasts, as he'd learned during Xiao Yi Xian's Calamity Poison Body outburst. But humans banded together, unlike scattered beasts. Targeting one risked provoking a group, and without a Tian Class technique like Ghost Possession, he'd be hunted to death. Patience is key, he mused.
For now, he relied on Xiao Yi Xian's strength. The stronger she grew, the more he could leverage her power. Stronger foes were harder to kill, and late-stage cultivation slowed inevitably—but his "slow" was lightning-fast compared to others. After enrolling at Jia Nan Academy, he planned to take her to the Chu Yun Empire. His cultivation speed was consistent anywhere, and the Nether Poison Swamp there was tailor-made for her Calamity Poison Body, offering endless toxins for anyone below Dou Zong. A perfect training ground for her.
Xiao Heng ended two hours of Dou Zhi Qi cultivation and turned to alchemy. Refining pills was time- and energy-intensive, with no shortcuts, only experience. Still, it honed his soul force, a worthwhile trade. After a morning of refining, he entered the cabin, finding Xiao Yi Xian engrossed in crafting poisons. He crept closer, waiting silently until she finished.
"Time to hunt for food," Xiao Yi Xian said, glancing up.
Pop! Xiao Heng stole a quick kiss on her cheek before soaring out of the valley with his Purple Cloud Wings, leaving her heart racing.
"Oh no!" A puff of toxic smoke rose as Xiao Yi Xian, distracted, added the wrong ingredient. Surprisingly, it didn't ruin the poison—it made it deadlier. A happy accident, she thought, blushing.
___
Outside, Xiao Heng swiftly secured dinner: a Wood Ridge Sheep and a few first-tier herbs. He'd discovered some herbs could be eaten like vegetables, converting to Dou Zhi Qi energy. As a Two-Star Dou Shi, his combat prowess had surged. The same techniques now packed several times the punch compared to his Dou Zhe days. He could one-shot less agile second-tier beasts and dispatch third-tier ones before half his qi was spent.
His condensed energy droplet was now fist-sized, its purity vastly improved. But each Dou Shi star demanded exponentially more energy, and second- and third-tier beasts were scarcer than first-tier ones. Fighting third-tier beasts risked attracting fourth- or fifth-tier ones, slowing his level progression. No rush. Cultivation's fast early, slow later—natural law, he reasoned. His Devouring Blue Flame needed growth too.
Days passed in a blur of cultivation, alchemy, combat experience, and droplet gathering. Monotonous, but necessary.
___
As the night sky faded, white hair draped across Xiao Heng's chest. Both panted, drained from a night of passionate "battle."
"Be gentler next time," Xiao Yi Xian said, her voice tinged with grievance. Her faint fragrance mingled with sweat, creating a unique allure.
"Sorry, got carried away. It's a bit swollen. I'll refine a pill tomorrow to ease it," Xiao Heng said, cradling her. He'd checked the "wound" again—it had indeed widened. My bad.
"No next time!" Xiao Yi Xian gripped his "vital point," freezing him in place.
"I'm leaving for a bit soon—two or three months at most," he said, stroking her white hair, now fully transformed by her Calamity Poison Body.
"Going home?" she asked, her slender fingers tracing his chest.
"Yeah, I almost forgot I'm turning sixteen. It's time for the clan's coming-of-age ceremony," Xiao Heng said.
"Sixteen, and look at what you've done to me! Calling you a centuries-old lecher would be a compliment," Xiao Yi Xian teased weakly, still catching her breath.
"You're wronging me! My alchemy teacher's a master, but he's got a filthy mouth—a true old lecher. He corrupted my pure, young heart," Xiao Heng said solemnly, pinning the blame on Yao Lao's silent spirit. He can't protest anyway.
"Really?" Xiao Yi Xian eyed him skeptically.
"Of course! How else would a kid like me know so much?" he insisted, feigning innocence.
"Stay here and cultivate while I'm gone. After the ceremony, I'll wait for Jia Nan Academy's recruiters, enroll, then come back for you," he said, toying with her softness.
"You're not studying at Jia Nan Academy?" she asked.
"I'll take a year's leave. We're going to the Chu Yun Empire. The Nether Poison Swamp there's perfect for your training," Xiao Heng explained.
"I can go alone. You should study," Xiao Yi Xian suggested.
"What, your high Dou Zhi Qi making you look down on me?" Over five months, Xiao Heng had risen from Two-Star to Eight-Star Dou Shi, his Devouring Blue Flame reaching Dou Shi level. Its droplets still fueled his growth, not the flame's. Xiao Yi Xian, however, was a Nine-Star Da Dou Shi, capable of overpowering him effortlessly. With ample poisons, her Calamity Poison Body was unmatched.
His flame could consume herbs, but its efficiency paled compared to her body. Refining pills for himself was enough, and her strength was his strength. She's my ace.
"No, I just don't want to hold you back," she said.
"The academy's too cushy. Jia Nan's edge is a cultivation-boosting Heavenly Flame, but my Devouring Blue Flame's enough," Xiao Heng said.
"Alright, I'll train harder too," Xiao Yi Xian vowed.
"Then I'm counting on you," Xiao Heng said, burying his face in her warmth.
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