BTTH: Demon Emperor Xiao Yan

The vast magma world was devoid of any signs of life. There was only dead silence, broken occasionally by the sudden eruptions of magma currents from deep within. At the very bottom of this sea of magma, a faintly glowing blue lotus swayed gently amidst the searing heat. Seated cross-legged at the lotus's very center was Xiao Yan, currently immersed in cultivation.

Although there was no concept of time in the magma, Xiao Yan could vaguely sense that nearly three months had passed since he began cultivating here. During this time, aside from occasionally applying the Bloodburn Elixir externally, he had remained submerged in the scorching magma, using its wild fire attribute energy to temper his Little Glazed Gold Body.

However, even Xiao Yan hadn't anticipated that, even with the support of such an extreme environment and auxiliary items, cultivating the Little Glazed Gold Body would still be so arduous. Then again, this was to be expected. Earth Rank Dou Techniques were already harder to cultivate than Profound Rank ones, and among them, Body Tempering Dou Techniques were notoriously the most difficult.

Moreover, Little Glazed Gold Body was originally a simplified version of a Heaven Rank technique. Though Xiao Yan had downgraded it to Earth Rank, it was still far more complex than typical techniques of the same grade. If not for his wealth of experience from his past life, even a Dou Huang-level expert would likely fail to cultivate this skill to completion.

As time wore on, the reddish liquid covering his skin thinned significantly. Yet, this time, Xiao Yan didn't reapply the Bloodburn Elixir. Instead, as a brilliant golden light burst forth, his body—silent for three months—finally stirred. He opened his eyes, and within the depths of his black pupils, a glint of gold flashed by, eerie and mesmerizing.

"Little Glazed Gold Body, manifest!"

With a low shout, a golden radiance suddenly exploded from Xiao Yan's body. This light was dazzling, so intense that if he were above ground, the entire Rock Desert City might have seen it.

The golden glow didn't last long before it receded, eventually forming a faint sheen on the surface of his body. With this golden layer covering him, he could now remain submerged in the magma without relying on the Nine Nether Illusion Flame for protection—and still remain completely unscathed.

Feeling the surging strength coursing through his body, Xiao Yan couldn't help but grin. After three months of intense cultivation, combined with the help of the Green Lotus Platform and the Bloodburn Elixir, he had finally reached minor completion of the Little Glazed Gold Body. At this stage, even if he relied solely on his physical body, he could contend with Dou Huang-level opponents. If he combined this with techniques like the Heavenly Flame Three Mysterious Change, he might even challenge Dou Zong powerhouses!

His gains during this period weren't limited to his physical body. While tempering himself with fire attribute energy, he also diverted some of it to his Dou Qi cultivation. Compared to three months ago, his internal Dou Qi had grown severalfold in strength. Right now, he was already at the peak of Five-Star Dou Wang, and it wouldn't be long before he broke through to Six-Star.

Three months from peak Three-Star Dou Wang to the brink of Six-Star—this kind of progress was frankly terrifying. If the so-called top ten experts of the Jia Ma Empire learned about this, they would probably be dumbfounded. After all, for those cultivators at this level, even advancing by a single star often required years of hard work. But Xiao Yan had advanced this far with only a few months of seclusion. His talent was nothing short of breathtaking.

"It's about time to head back..." Xiao Yan glanced at the surrounding magma, feeling a bit reluctant. The fire attribute energy here was simply too rich—perfect for cultivation. If he stayed here longer, he could drastically shorten the time it would take to reach the Dou Huang realm. Unfortunately, there were still many things he needed to do, and he couldn't afford to remain in seclusion indefinitely.

Even though he was confident he could soon break into Six-Star Dou Wang if he stayed, he understood that cultivation must have balance—relaxation and progress should go hand in hand. Blindly pursuing breakthroughs could lead to inner instability or even qi deviation. Thus, he chose not to push further for now.

Besides, he knew himself well—once he hit Six-Star, he'd be tempted to keep pushing. But he still had important affairs to handle. Staying here longer simply wasn't practical.

Just as he was about to leave, Xiao Yan's gaze shifted to the subtle magma currents deep within the lake. These hidden undercurrents were extremely well-concealed, and even he couldn't determine their source. They moved with incredible speed, and if caught off guard, even a Dou Wang expert could be gravely injured. If these currents could somehow be used offensively...

A thought flashed in his mind.

The eruption of these magma currents resembles the explosive nature of Eight Extreme Collapse, he mused. The current version of Eight Extreme Collapse emphasizes sheer force, but what if I could blend in the hidden explosiveness and unpredictability of these currents? The technique's power might reach a whole new level!

He exhaled deeply. Though he itched to immediately experiment, he also understood that this wasn't the right place. If he failed, fine—but if he succeeded, the resulting force could easily collapse the surroundings. That would be far from ideal.

Suppressing the urge to test his idea, Xiao Yan channeled Flame Glide Steps and swiftly darted through the magma. After three months of dwelling here, he had grown intimately familiar with the elemental flow. Now, as he moved, his steps began mimicking the magma's ebb and flow—becoming unpredictable and elusive.

"Now that everything here is wrapped up, it's time to leave the Tager Desert," Xiao Yan said as he surfaced from the magma. He quickly pulled out a clean robe and dressed. After all, he still had a promise to fulfill to a Dou Huang expert—one that directly impacted his future venture into the Black-Corner Region. He couldn't afford to be careless.

(End of Chapter)

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