Transformation Pill, Eight-Star Dou King!

Xiao Yang spread a huge map across the living room floor. He had bought it from the Inner Courtyard's Scripture Repository, spending a full hundred days' worth of "Fire Energy."

But it had been well worth the price; every blade of grass and tree had been marked with exceptional clarity.

Xiao Yang first explained the characteristics of the Spirit Vein Earth Eye he was searching for to Zi Yan, then pointed at the map. "Zi Yan, think carefully—have you ever been somewhere like this? If you can find it, the Transformation Pill is yours."

Zi Yan wore a miserable expression as she pondered for a long time. Then her face abruptly changed, and a complicated look flashed through her eyes, filled with hatred, fear, lingering dread, and wariness. "I remember now. There was such a place. I stumbled into it by accident after my second fight with that Snow Sky Demonic Ape.

"I was badly injured that time. If old man Su Qian hadn't found me later, I might already have died."

At those words, Xiao Yang's expression changed sharply as well!

What kind of magical beast could injure Zi Yan, a Void Ancient Dragon, to such an extent?

Although Zi Yan was still only in her juvenile stage, Xiao Yang knew perfectly well that she was the daughter of the previous Dragon Emperor, Zhu Kun, and possessed the purest royal bloodline of the Void Ancient Dragon Clan.

On today's Douqi Continent, where the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix had already gone extinct and only its descendants, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, remained, what magical beast could possibly injure Zi Yan so badly?

What was more, this was the remote Black-Corner Region, not the Central Continent!

Zi Yan might be mischievous, but she would never lie about something as important as her own life.

Closing his eyes, Xiao Yang slowly exhaled. Sure enough, the world he lived in now was real. The original novel had not described everything.

After calming himself, Xiao Yang asked again, "Then, Zi Yan, do you remember what injured you? Was it a magical beast?"

Zi Yan nodded. "It was definitely a magical beast. As for its strength, it should have been Rank 6, equivalent to a human Dou Emperor. But it was far too fast.

"I couldn't see it clearly. I only vaguely remember that it seemed to be a giant silver eagle—or perhaps a hawk—but it definitely had wings and could fly."

Xiao Yang nodded at this. That was no longer strange. In her early days, Zi Yan relied only on brute strength and her innate spatial talent; her flying ability had clearly not been fully developed.

If her opponent had been a flying magical beast that excelled in speed, then seriously injuring Zi Yan was not impossible.

"Right!" Zi Yan suddenly smacked her forehead, her cry interrupting Xiao Yang's thoughts. "I remember now! That big bird had golden eyes, and strangely enough, it seemed to have two pupils!"

Xiao Yang nodded, then took out the jade box containing the Transformation Pill and handed it to Zi Yan. "Here, this is the Transformation Pill. It's yours now. But it would be best if you waited a while before taking it."

"Why?" Zi Yan had long since been unable to wait. She had had enough of looking like a little girl.

"The Transformation Pill is a Seventh-Grade High-Level Pill. Its medicinal power is still a little too strong for you right now. Judging from your transformed appearance, you should still only be in your juvenile form.

"So when you take the Transformation Pill, I need to stay by your side in case anything goes wrong."

Xiao Yang said, "And I'm preparing to take a pill and enter seclusion to break through. So you'd better wait a little longer."

Zi Yan nodded. "Alright, I'll listen to you. We agreed before that as long as you gave me the Transformation Pill, I'd listen to you from now on. I'll stand guard outside for you. I definitely won't let anyone disturb you, so break through without worry!"

With that, Zi Yan carried a chair outside, thoughtfully closing the door behind her.

Seeing Zi Yan being so obedient, Xiao Yang could not help but curse his older brother inwardly for being utterly inhuman in the original novel. He had kept dangling a Transformation Pill in front of Zi Yan, yet never gave it to her, even after she returned to Dragon Island.

Back when they had gone to the Snake-People Race Royal City to seize the Green Lotus Core Flame, he had clearly heard Gu He say that he would trade a Transformation Pill to Your Majesty Queen for the Heavenly Flame.

Couldn't he just kill Gu He and take the Transformation Pill from him?

Always softhearted, letting everyone walk all over him—couldn't he learn something from Lin Dong next door?

What was settling accounts after autumn? What was a new emperor, a new court? What was exterminating your entire clan?

For little Zi Yan's sake, what did killing some damned Pill King Gu He amount to?

Gu He had not only competed with him for a Heavenly Flame, but had also remained obsessed with Yun Yun. The winner was king and the loser was bandit; now that he had won, wasn't it only natural to settle all the old scores?

After venting about his older brother, Xiao Yang finally felt refreshed. He then took out the second Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill and swallowed it in one gulp.

The pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth. Its immense medicinal power transformed into surging Douqi, circulating along the cultivation route of the "Great Sun Glazed Art." After one complete cycle, it burst into the Dou Crystal within his vortex like a mountain flood, charging in continuously with a thunderous roar.

A moment later, a faint crisp sound rang out within Xiao Yang's body. With that clear crack, the Dou Crystal in his dantian, which had already reached its limit, abruptly expanded from the size of an egg to the size of an adult's fist. Brilliant light surged forth continuously, illuminating the vortex as brightly as day!

Nine-Star Da Dou Shi, achieved!

Xiao Yang opened his eyes. After slowly regulating his breathing for a moment, he exhaled a breath of turbid air. Two sharp glints flashed through his eyes like bolts of lightning.

Strike while the iron was hot; the first burst of momentum was strongest, the second weaker, and the third spent.

Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Yang took out the blood-red Life Devouring Pill. At the same time, he crushed the Damage Transfer Card that he had never used in his left hand.

At once, specks of starlight gathered before Xiao Yang. One enemy's name after another flashed through his mind before finally settling on two words: Yun Leng!

Xiao Yang had originally wanted to choose Guardian Wu, but the Life Devouring Pill's side effects were ineffective against experts above the Dou Wang level. Settling for the next best option, he chose the direct culprit from the original novel who had caused the Xiao Family's destruction.

Then Xiao Yang swallowed the blood-red pill in a single gulp. Its vast medicinal power began to drive his Douqi upward with unstoppable force...

One-Star Dou Ling...

Five-Star Dou Ling...

Five-Star Dou Ling...

Peak Dou Ling... Dou Wang!

One-Star Dou Wang!

Three-Star Dou Wang!

Five-Star Dou Wang!

Seven-Star Dou Wang!

Eight-Star Dou King... No! Eight-Star Dou King! Xiao Yang abruptly opened his eyes, and his immense Soul Power burst forth, forcefully suppressing the surging Dou Qi within his body once more!

If he truly shot straight up to Nine-Star Dou King in one go, it would inevitably leave his Dou Qi unstable and his foundation unsteady.

This point had been mentioned more than once in the original work. Awakening one's bloodline power within the Heavenly Tomb was the most typical example.

And then there was the third assault on Misty Cloud. Though both were Peak Dou Kings, Nalan Yanran had been defeated in a single move.

Those were all bloody lessons. Xiao Yang would not ruin his own future.

As for the one-star gap between eight and nine stars, do not forget that Xiao Yang still had a Dou Ling Pill in his hand!

Having obtained the inheritance of an Eighth-Grade Alchemist, Xiao Yang was swimming in wealth!