Chapter 27

Time flows like water, always slipping quietly through the gaps between our fingers without us noticing.

The scorching summer has been replaced by the cool autumn, and the lush green branches are now tinged with spots of withered yellow.

It is still that neat little house, with sunlight streaming in, casting speckled shadows everywhere.

Inside the room, the young boy sits with his eyes closed, his hands forming a seal, his breathing as natural as if it were a part of him.

After months of arduous training, the boy's once innocent and delicate face has gained a touch of determination. His tightly pressed lips reveal a hint of stubbornness, and his skin, once as fair as a girl's, has turned slightly yellow from the beatings and training over the past few months. His seemingly frail body now harbors the explosive power of a cheetah.

From any angle, the boy seems to be undergoing a terrifying transformation, one that will shock anyone when it is complete.

With each of his smooth breaths, a faint stream of air tinged with a hint of green slowly seeps out of the wooden basin and, following his breath, flows into his body.

...

"Today, I will definitely break through to the seventh level of Combat Qi!"

While meditating, a confident thought suddenly sprang up in Xiao Yan's mind. The thought came without any apparent reason, but it appeared in his mind as naturally as water flowing downhill.

In the past month, Xiao Yan had attempted to break through to the seventh level of Combat Qi several times, but all of them ended in failure.

Perhaps because today's training added the final drop to the already full basin, the long-awaited inspiration suddenly appeared in his mind.

The sudden thought made Xiao Yan's hand seal tremble, almost causing him to break out of his meditative state. However, thanks to his strong willpower, he managed to suppress the excitement in his heart, focused his mind, and calmed himself down.

His breathing gradually steadied, and Xiao Yan began to greedily absorb the external energy, preparing for the breakthrough to the seventh level.

In the wooden basin, the green liquid rippled slightly, emitting a colorful glow. Gentle streams of energy began to emanate from the liquid, rushing into Xiao Yan's body one after another.

The pale green energy streams grew more and more numerous, and in just a moment, they completely enveloped Xiao Yan's body. Even the large wooden basin became faintly visible, creating a rather peculiar sight from a distance.

As Xiao Yan continued to absorb the energy without end, the color of the green liquid in the basin began to visibly fade.

Due to the massive influx of energy, Xiao Yan's face turned slightly flushed, and a faint green light began to emanate from it.

As he attempted to break through to the seventh level of Combat Qi, Xiao Yan had become a powerful magnet, not only rapidly drawing in the Combat Qi from the surrounding space but also causing small whirlpools to form in the green liquid in the basin.

The nine levels of the initial stage of Combat Qi are divided into three tiers: the first to third levels are low, the fourth to sixth levels are intermediate, and the seventh to ninth levels are advanced.

The seventh level of Combat Qi is the watershed of the initial stage. Once one reaches the seventh level, they enter the advanced stage of the initial level. At this point, the amount of Combat Qi stored in their body will be several times more than at the sixth level. Therefore, the seventh level of Combat Qi is often considered the first key to becoming a Combat Practitioner, and its importance cannot be overstated.

As the green energy streams rapidly flowed out, the color of the liquid in the basin became increasingly pale. Finally, at a certain moment, the green liquid turned back into a clear, transparent water.

Without the support of the foundation-building elixir, the pale green color on Xiao Yan's face gradually faded. Now, he could only absorb the thin Combat Qi from the surrounding air to maintain his attempt at breaking through.

Although absorbing the Combat Qi from the air could support Xiao Yan's breakthrough, it would take much longer, and even if he succeeded, it would take a month for the Combat Qi in his body to recover to a full state.

What Xiao Yan lacked most now was time!

The moment the elixir's effects disappeared, the black ring on Xiao Yan's finger glowed slightly, and a drop of emerald-colored supreme foundation-building elixir was projected into the wooden basin. Instantly, the clear water turned deep green again.

With the support of the fresh elixir, Xiao Yan's spirit was invigorated. After silently thanking the Old Medicine Master in his heart, he maintained his hand seal and controlled his breathing,疯狂地吸收着扑面而来的浓郁能量。

无止境的索取持续了足足半个小时后，终于开始逐渐减缓。此时，深绿色的液体已经又淡了几分。

当最后一缕温和的能量随着呼吸钻入体内，萧炎的身体微微沉寂，随即剧烈颤抖起来，小腹微微收缩，萧炎的眼眸骤然睁开，漆黑的瞳孔中，青白两色光芒急速掠过，嘴巴微微张大，一口有些浑浊的气体被吐了出来……

浑浊气体一离体，萧炎的小脸顿时精神了几分。

睁开眼睛愣了半晌，萧炎这才扭了扭脖子，发出一阵清脆的骨头声响，手掌微微握了握，一股充实的力量感让萧炎嘴角挑起了一抹喜悦。

“终于第七段了啊……”

微闭上眼睛，沉神感应了一下体内那充盈的斗之气，萧炎低笑着喃喃道。