BTTH: Demon Emperor Xiao Yan

After successfully creating the Bloodfiend Flame, Xiao Yan did not allow himself to relax. Instead, he quickly immersed himself into a new round of cultivation. However, this time, his focus was not on Dou Qi, but on his soul.

At present, Xiao Yan's soul had already reached the peak of the Mortal Rank. From there, just one step forward would allow him to ascend into the Spiritual Rank. Yet, that single step was like a massive chasm—one that countless seventh-tier alchemists had failed to cross throughout their entire lives.

In theory, there were only a few conventional ways to enhance one's soul power. The first was the natural passage of time, combined with personal strength gradually increasing. The second method was through absorbing rare heavenly treasures specifically meant for nourishing the soul. However, while these methods worked to a degree, their effects were ultimately limited. Relying solely on them to break through into the Spiritual Rank was, for most, an unattainable dream.

That was because what truly distinguished a Spiritual Rank soul from a Mortal Rank soul was not just the increase in quantity—it was the emergence of "spirituality" within the soul. In other words, one needed to refine the quality and essence of the soul itself. Unless one encountered an extraordinary stroke of fortune, this transformation could only be achieved through specialized soul cultivation methods. Xiao Yan had been relying on a nameless chant he discovered in the past to slowly draw in soul essence and refine it.

However, with his current strength, the effect of that incomplete technique had become nearly negligible. While it could still draw in some energy, the process was far too slow and inefficient. It might take him years—perhaps even decades—of constant effort to break through using only that fragmentary method.

For most people, this would have been the end of the road. But Xiao Yan was no ordinary alchemist.

In his previous life, he had walked farther than any soul cultivator he'd ever known—his soul had ascended to the legendary Emperor Rank. Along the way, he had collected, created, and refined countless techniques. The nameless chant he'd used in his early years was merely a stepping stone he used when he was still weak.

"Nine Revolutions Spirit Refinement…"

As the name of the soul cultivation method he had developed in his past life surfaced once again in his mind, Xiao Yan's expression softened with a touch of nostalgia. This technique was not something he had stolen, purchased, or inherited. He had crafted it with his own two hands. On the entire Dou Qi Continent, no one else possessed it. It belonged to him alone.

In those early years, Xiao Yan had acquired a complete soul technique called the Soul Devouring Method. As its name suggested, the technique allowed the user to forcibly devour the souls of others to grow stronger. It was a dark and forbidden art. At the time, he was desperate to break into the Spiritual Rank and had used it without hesitation.

The method worked. His soul strength did increase.

However, devouring other souls came with consequences. The negative emotions and boundless resentment from those unwilling souls accumulated within him, tainting his inner spirit. Over time, his soul became fractured, chaotic, and unstable. He came dangerously close to descending into madness, losing himself entirely to the malicious voices that echoed endlessly in his mind.

At that critical moment, Xiao Yan had a realization: 'If Dou Qi could be condensed into tangible flames after refinement, then could soul power be refined in a similar way? Could a flame of the soul be born? And if such a flame could exist—could it be used to purify the soul itself?'

Fueled by this thought, he began countless trials and experiments. For days, weeks, and eventually months, he immersed himself in near-obsessive experimentation. He failed more than ten thousand times. But on the ten-thousand-and-first attempt—he succeeded.

He created a unique soul fire.

The moment he refined it, Xiao Yan felt it sweep across the fractured pieces of his soul, burning away the lingering resentment and purifying his spirit. His soul, once tarnished, became whole again. Even more astonishing was the fact that his soul power increased sharply in the process.

After confirming this soul fire's effectiveness, he immediately abandoned the Soul Devouring Method and began perfecting this new path. He discovered that the soul fire not only purified and stabilized his own soul—it could also extract the purest essence from ambient spiritual energy, much like a Heavenly Flame refining elemental forces in nature.

This discovery became the foundation for his new technique—the Nine Revolutions Spirit Refinement.

Years passed as he honed it. With its aid, he steadily rose through the Spiritual Rank, surpassing even the Heaven Rank, until he ultimately broke into the Emperor Rank—the summit of soul cultivation.

'Huff…' Xiao Yan exhaled slowly, withdrawing from the flood of past memories. A faint fire flickered within his black pupils. 'It's time… to walk the path I once forged again.'

Without further hesitation, he began the first step of the Nine Revolutions Spirit Refinement. In terms of classification, this technique could easily be considered a top-tier Heaven Rank soul cultivation method. Even among the ancient clans, this was the sort of technique that could spark wars.

One of the greatest strengths of the technique was that the soul fire it generated wasn't only used for cultivation—it could also be weaponized. While it couldn't harm physical flesh directly, it could burn and cripple the target's soul essence from within. And if paired with his Annihilation Flame Eyes, its lethality would rise exponentially.

But this soul fire was not easily obtained.

The process of condensing it was extremely dangerous. One mistake and the practitioner could end up with their soul burned to ashes, their mind shattered beyond repair.

That was the reason Xiao Yan had not attempted it earlier. Without a stable and solid soul foundation, cultivating this technique was no different from walking into death.

And even successfully forming the soul fire was just the beginning. After that, he would have to compress it countless times, refining it down until it transformed into a 'soul fire seed'. This seed would then serve as a soul furnace—constantly absorbing ambient spiritual essence and refining it into its purest form, which in turn would drastically enhance soul growth.

In combat, one would simply need to inject a wisp of soul power into the seed to activate the fire. Additionally, it could be directed inward, cleansing impurities from the soul, strengthening it, and polishing it to perfection.

But again, this forging process was perilous and time-consuming. There was no shortcut. Xiao Yan had named it "Nine Revolutions" because it symbolized nine great tribulations—nine transformative phases he had endured on his journey from a shattered soul to a divine one.

Despite its incredible potential, most people would never choose this technique.

In his past life, Xiao Yan had once offered to trade the Nine Revolutions Spirit Refinement with a renowned alchemist whose soul had already reached the peak of the Spiritual Rank. That alchemist read the entire manual—and then walked away without a word. He dared not try. The risks far outweighed the benefits.

But Xiao Yan was different.

He had created the technique himself. He understood its every nuance, its every danger, and its every opportunity.

If even he couldn't cultivate it—then no one in the world could.

(End of Chapter)

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