One and a Half Months, Dou Qi, Eight Stages!

The Small Revitalizing Pill and the Greater Purple Spirit Pill posed no difference in difficulty for Yao Lao, and the same was true for Zhang Tian.

With nothing else to do, Zhang Tian watched Yao Lao's pill-refining techniques. Yet he discovered a vague, obscure feeling rising from his soul, which left him somewhat disappointed.

So I really don't have the potential to become an alchemist?

A full three hours later, Yao Lao finally removed seven pills from the teapot.

Three Small Revitalizing Pills and four Greater Purple Spirit Pills.

Yao Lao did not want to use his medicine cauldron to refine these pills, but refining without a furnace was impossible, so he simply used the teapot in the room.

Though he had refined them casually, this was still a level that ordinary Fourth or Fifth Grade Alchemists could never hope to reach in their lifetimes.

"They're done." Yao Lao smiled slightly, and three Small Revitalizing Pills floated into the air, supported by his Soul Power.

Zhang Tian stared blankly at the three pills before him.

"These are for you. They'll also be a great help to your cultivation."

Seeing Zhang Tian's expression, Yao Lao curled his lip and explained.

Though there were only three Small Revitalizing Pills, even twenty Greater Purple Spirit Pills could not compare to their medicinal potency. The energy contained within could raise a Dou Ling by one or two stars.

Zhang Tian gave a bitter smile and pushed the pills back.

"Don't look down on these pills. Though they bear the word 'Small,' the Great Revitalizing Pill is a precious pill effective even for Dou Emperors." Yao Lao glared at Zhang Tian. When had anyone ever returned pills he had given away? Who did not take them home like priceless treasures and carefully store them away?

"I'm telling you, I once saw a Dou Ling whose brain didn't work too well take a Small Revitalizing Pill with his ass. Although his anus was blown to pieces, he still rose two whole stars."

As though afraid Zhang Tian would not believe him, Yao Lao even gave a specific example.

Brain didn't work too well...

"Pfft." Xiao Yan, who had been meditating and cultivating, nearly failed to hold back his laughter. He clamped his mouth shut with all his might, looking utterly miserable.

Zhang Tian's face darkened. He had not expected this pill to be so potent.

Though he did not know what was wrong with his body, the fact that the effect of his taking pills was not even as good as someone else taking them with his ass was still quite a blow.

After sighing another hundred times in his heart, Zhang Tian still returned the pills to Yao Lao.

"These pills are extremely effective. You should save them for Xiao Yan."

After saying that, Zhang Tian could not help feeling a faint sadness. With this body of his, perhaps only an Emperor Pill Embryo could allow his cultivation to break through.

"Heh, you brat. You're refusing a gift for nothing."

Yao Lao glanced at the bare-bodied Xiao Yan, then at Zhang Tian. The thought in his mind could no longer be driven away. Whenever he looked at Xiao Zhan, he always felt as though a poisonous mushroom had sprouted atop Xiao Zhan's head.

Compared with Xiao Yan, Yao Lao undoubtedly wanted to win Zhang Tian over more. A Four-Star Dou Ling so young would certainly have a greater chance of helping him restore his body, and do so much faster, than Xiao Yan, whose prospects remained far away.

Yet Yao Lao felt that he had been slighted.

He secretly swore in his heart, From now on, I, Yao Lao, will never refine another pill for you. I'd rather feed Ninth Grade Mysterious Pills to dogs than give them to you. Just wait until your disciple surpasses your cultivation, then regret it bitterly.

Central State, Small Pill Tower.

The Pill Tower Old Ancestor, who was seated cross-legged atop the Pill Tower in cultivation, opened his eyes. He looked around in confusion, then sneezed.

Time passed swiftly, and this year's Spring Festival soon came and went. Since Wu Tan City now had only the Xiao Family left, the undercurrents that had once filled the city had vanished, making this New Year especially lively.

As an elder and the unspoken strongest person in Wu Tan City, Zhang Tian was constantly toasted during the banquet. If Xiao Zhan had not drunk more than half of it for him, Zhang Tian might truly have been unable to make it back to his room.

Xiao Yan, who had already reached the eighth stage of Dou Qi, received much praise and congratulations as well. Everyone wished for him to condense his Dou Qi Vortex and break through to Dou Zhe within the year.

Xiao Yan smiled and responded to each of them, basking in the limelight. Though Xiao Ning and the other young men were unconvinced, they had no choice but to swallow their resentment and drink in silence, watching Xiao Mei, Xiao Lan, and the other girls crowd around Xiao Yan and fawn over him.

"Kid Yan's doing pretty well." Zhang Tian exhaled, and drowsiness kept washing over him. In the blink of an eye, he too had become an Eight-Star Dou Ling. He was only one step away from Dou Wang, and Zhang Tian greatly anticipated transforming Dou Qi into wings and soaring through the sky.

"Right, I need to give Xiao Yan the Sucking Palm." Zhang Tian suddenly remembered that, as Xiao Yan's teacher, he had yet to teach him a single Dou Technique. Otherwise, Yao Lao would surely mock him again someday.

Remembering the murderous look in Yao Lao's eyes three days ago when he had used Bone Spirit Cold Flame to burn the iron sheet and produce the Sucking Palm, Zhang Tian felt that Yao Lao could laugh at him for at least half a month.

After handing Xiao Yan the manual containing the Sucking Palm's cultivation method, he instructed him to turn it over to the Xiao Family once he had learned it. This could be considered a small contribution from him to the Xiao Family.

They had been feeding and accommodating him so well all this time, and he always felt that he had not fulfilled any responsibilities as an elder.

"When Xiao Yan breaks through to Dou Zhe, have him take the Marrow Cleansing Rebirth Pill so he can undergo a second transformation and temper his body."

Every time one broke through a major realm on the Dou Qi Continent, the body underwent a qualitative change. If one could temper the body a second time, the benefits to one's meridians and bones would be immeasurable. Even the Dantian could be expanded considerably.

The amount of Dou Qi within one's Dantian was the symbol of a Dou Zhe's strength. Only when there was a difference of one major realm would there be a qualitative gap. Every breakthrough was, in truth, an expansion of the Dantian within the body, allowing it to hold more Dou Qi.

If an ordinary person's Dantian had a width of ten, then after reaching Dou Zhe and filling it with Dou Qi, they would be a one-star Dou Zhe.

But after Xiao Yan expanded his Dantian, it would reach eleven, perhaps even higher. His upper limit would be directly raised to that of a two-star Dou Zhe.

Three days ago, Zhang Tian had already sought out Yao Lao. With his help, he refined the Jade Bone Iron Orchid, worth tens of thousands of gold coins, into a pill.

"The City Lord's Mansion has arrived! Why haven't you come out to welcome us?" Just as Zhang Tian was about to leave the banquet and return to his room, an arrogant voice rang out. A guard captain of around forty led a group of men inside.

Xiao Zhan instinctively tensed as he felt immense pressure from the man.

The guard captain immediately looked toward Xiao Zhan, Zhang Tian, and the Xiao Family's First Elder, who were seated side by side in the seats of honor.

"The City Lord's Mansion has arrived, yet Clan Head Xiao did not come out to welcome us. What an impressive show of authority!"

"Do not falsely accuse the Xiao Family of disrespecting official authority." The Third Elder immediately widened his eyes and spoke up.

The Fourth Elder's heart tightened, and he silently cursed that things were going badly.

Sure enough, Zhang Tian and the First Elder looked at the Third Elder as though he were an idiot. Xiao Zhan's old face reddened, and he lowered his head at once.

"Did this official ever say that?" The leading man swept a contemptuous gaze over the crowd, somehow giving off the air of someone suppressing all heroes beneath him.

How did this guy become an elder? Could it be because of Xiao Zhan? Recalling Xiao Zhan's reddened face just now, Zhang Tian immediately felt that things were not so simple.

However...

It really is annoying, interrupting our drinking. There probably isn't even anything important, is there?

He slowly rose to his feet.

Xiao Family, Library.

An old man in gray robes sat there with a withered face, as though he had not moved in a long time. Dust covered his body. After a long while, as though sensing something, a trace of emotion appeared on his face.

"Gu Men, a Nine-Star Great Dou Shi approaching the strength of a Dou Ling..."

Then he sensed another aura.

"Only the strength of a Five-Star Great Dou Shi... It seems what happened back then affected Xiao Zhan greatly. No, Xiao Zhan is no match for Gu Men."

The old man tried to rise, only to be forced back several steps by a burst of aura.

Only someone whose strength had reached his level could sense the terror of that aura.

"Dou Wang?! No, that's not right. It's still a little short. This Zhang Tian is terrifying indeed."