One-star Dou Master

"This is a Dou Master. It really is far stronger than a Dou Practitioner!"

Feeling the surging power within him, Yan Qingshan was thrilled. His aura burst forth, the hair behind him stirring without wind, his robes fluttering loudly as his overall presence suddenly multiplied countless times over.

"Shuguang, analyze the data!"

With a thought from Yan Qingshan, streams of data formed in his mind, displaying the current changes in his body.

Host: Yan Qingshan

Cultivation: One-star Dou Master

Cultivation Technique: Profound-tier High-grade Lionheart King's Art (one Lionheart Baptism)

Dou Techniques: Profound-tier High-grade Roaring Lion's Roar, Profound-tier Low-grade Phoenix Soaring Steps

Strength: 2.8 (20)

Status: Healthy

Agility: 2.6 (18.2)

Mental Power: 10 (70)

Primary Attribute: Wood

Secondary Attribute: Lightning (Thunder Eyes)

(Data collection target: One-star Dou Master; the median value for a One-star Dou Master is 1.0)

(Note: The values in parentheses are comparisons based on the original One-star Dou Practitioner data.)

Yan Qingshan was fairly satisfied with his data. Since the scale had been updated, his numbers looked somewhat modest, but the changes this time had actually been tremendous. After advancing, his strength, agility, and speed had directly doubled. At his level, one plus one was far more than two.

However, the reference target had changed. Compared to when he had been at the Dou Practitioner level, these figures seemed lower. Back then, he could exert a threefold statistical advantage over most Dou Practitioners of the same rank.

Now, setting aside his Mental Power, which had always far exceeded that of those at the same level, even his highest ratio, strength, was merely close to 3.0. His speed was only slightly above 2.5 by 0.1. It seemed as though his advantage over those of the same rank was gone.

In truth, this would become increasingly apparent as cultivation rose. Once one reached the Dou Master level, one was no longer at the bottom rung of the continent. Obtaining Profound-tier cultivation techniques and Dou Techniques might be difficult, but Yellow-tier High-grade cultivation techniques were genuinely not hard for Dou Masters to acquire.

There was only one tier of difference between Yellow-tier High-grade and Profound-tier High-grade. The latter might still hold an advantage in cultivation speed and recovery speed, but the enhancement brought by the quality of Dou Qi could no longer create such an overwhelming advantage as before.

The higher one's cultivation, the harder it became to fight across ranks. After reaching the Dou Saint realm, each star was a separate level, and fighting across stars became impossible.

At that level, there was basically no major gap between people in terms of cultivation techniques and Dou Techniques. Relying on high-tier Dou Techniques to fight across ranks as he had before simply did not exist anymore.

The Dou Saint level represented Heaven-tier cultivation techniques and Dou Skills. At that level, one's own cultivation technique would be Heaven-tier, and as long as they were willing to spend the time, Heaven-tier Dou Skills suitable for them could be obtained.

Moreover, the gap between a Dou Saint and a Dou Emperor was simply too vast. Dou Saints basically could not use the abilities of Dou Emperors, so even fighting across stars was nearly impossible.

After thinking things over carefully, Yan Qingshan slowly rose to his feet. Once he confirmed that there was nothing wrong with his body, he could not hide the smile on his face.

In less than a year, he had gone from a Dou Practitioner to a Dou Master. His cultivation speed was nothing short of miraculous, but there was quite a bit of weakness in his combat strength.

Yan Qingshan currently knew only two Dou Techniques. He barely had the means to escape and a trump card, but as for combat experience, there was nothing to speak of. He relied almost entirely on Shuguang's assistance to put on airs. In ordinary combat, he only had the fighting techniques of Roaring Lion's Roar, which was far too limited.

Yan Qingshan had thought a great deal during this time. He felt that he had previously fallen into a misunderstanding. When it came to Dou Techniques, he did not actually need to obsess too much over obtaining higher-tier trump cards.

At his current stage, he could completely learn a few more Profound-tier Mid-grade or Low-grade Dou Techniques to use in everyday combat, while Roaring Lion's Roar, with its great consumption, could serve as his trump card.

Yan Qingshan was considering how to obtain suitable Dou Techniques. He could go to the Mitel Auction House, but he had previously asked them to collect at least Profound-tier High-grade, or even Earth-tier, Dou Techniques. If he suddenly asked for Profound-tier Mid-grade or Low-grade ones now, would they become suspicious? It would be troublesome if that led to more complications. He hated trouble most of all.

"Young Master, you've come out of seclusion!"

Qingling's soft, sweet voice sounded by his ear. While lost in thought, he had unknowingly already come outside. The sight of Qingling's lovely, smiling face immediately improved his mood considerably. Smiling, he walked over and rubbed the little girl's head, giving her a head pat.

"Cough, cough..."

Qingling swayed her little head as she enjoyed Yan Qingshan's head pat. Just as the two were affectionately interacting, an ill-timed cough came from nearby. Yan Qingshan turned and saw that Xuelan, the third wheel, was glaring at him in displeasure.

Yan Qingshan snorted unhappily. "What are you looking at? Haven't you ever seen someone as handsome as this young master? Keep staring and you'll..."

"You broke through to Dou Master!"

Yet Xuelan did not argue with him this time. Instead, she spoke tentatively in a trembling voice, seeming eager to get an answer from him.

"Of course. Who do you think I am? How could I possibly fail to break through?"

Yan Qingshan answered readily. Having cultivated a Profound-tier High-grade cultivation technique and undergone a Lionheart Baptism that transformed his aptitude, his understanding of this cultivation technique had reached an extremely deep level. Before becoming a Dou Ling, he would encounter almost no barriers. This breakthrough to Dou Master had come naturally.

"You seem to have only just turned sixteen. You only just had your Coming-of-Age Ceremony, right?"

Xuelan could not help exclaiming in amazement. She truly was shocked. As a resident of Stone Desert City, a small city of the empire, she understood better than most what becoming a Dou Master meant.

When a Dou Practitioner broke through to become a Dou Master, it meant leaving the common ranks behind. Although Dou Masters could still only be considered part of the lower class on the continent, they had undoubtedly risen beyond the bottom rung. Even the rulers of some local towns were no more than Dou Masters, and one could make a living anywhere in the empire with such strength.

More importantly, Yan Qingshan was still so young. He had become a Dou Master just after turning sixteen. His future would surely be unimaginably bright.

"Stop looking. It won't be yours no matter how much you stare. If you're so envious, why not cultivate properly instead?"

Yan Qingshan waved his hand before Xuelan, then continued, "By the way, what attribute are you? At the Dou Practitioner stage, it's best to have a cultivation technique above the Profound tier. You helped me greatly this time. I can't promise anything else, but I can find a way to get you a Dou Qi cultivation technique."

"I... I'm wind-attributed!"

Xuelan bit her lip and hesitated for a moment before finally lowering her head and speaking. Naturally, she had her pride, but having grown up in a place like Stone Desert City, she understood better than others just how rare and precious a good Dou Qi cultivation technique was.

Her family was not poor by Stone Desert City standards, but neither was it particularly well-off. They barely lived above the poverty line, and the strongest person in her entire family was only an Advanced Dou Practitioner. After she became a Dou Practitioner, her family had found her a Yellow-tier High-grade cultivation technique. That was practically the very limit of what someone of her background could come into contact with.

A Profound-tier cultivation technique was something beyond her reach. Now that Yan Qingshan had offered to give her one, her pride made her instinctively want to refuse, but when she thought of her family and of wanting a better future, she still chose to lower her head.

At that moment, she felt deeply ashamed, with a faint sense of guilt, as though she had delivered the message solely for the benefit she was receiving now. She felt miserable over her own actions.

A shadow suddenly appeared before Xuelan's eyes. Then her fair, smooth chin was lifted, and her head was turned to face Yan Qingshan's smiling face. "Why are you lowering your head? Is there something shameful about being this young master's female guard?

"You don't think this cultivation technique is being given to you for free, do you? This young master won't let you go until I've squeezed every bit of value out of you!

"Now lift your head and stick out your chest. Let this young master properly inspect whether his future female guard is suitably well-endowed. I hear female guards need to protect their masters at close quarters..."

Yan Qingshan rubbed his hands with a mischievous grin, his words full of flirtatious teasing. Of course, he could guess why Xuelan looked and felt this way. After all, he too came from a mercenary family. Giving it to her outright would hurt her pride, so it was better to muddle the relationship a little with playful banter. That way, neither of them would feel awkward.

"Who—who agreed to be your guard? Don't you dare try anything!"

With a rosy flush spreading across her lovely face, Xuelan pushed Yan Qingshan away. Ripples of spring stirred in her beautiful eyes, carrying the air of a reluctant yet welcoming refusal.

Yan Qingshan caught the delicate hand struggling before him and directly slipped a Storage Ring onto it. "If you accept my things, you're mine. I'm forcing this deal on you. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Hmph, you... you... I'll only be your guard. Don't think I'll casually agree to anything else."

After putting up a token show of reserve, Xuelan still tacitly accepted the arrangement. She found a scroll inside the Storage Ring and carefully opened it. "A Profound-tier Low-grade cultivation technique, Wind Spirit Art, and a matching Profound-tier Low-grade Dou Technique, Wind Spirit Sword Technique. Th-this is far too precious!"

Xuelan muttered to herself. A Profound-tier cultivation technique alone was beyond anything she could hope to possess, and this was even a cultivation technique with a matching Dou Technique. Its value was multiplied several times over.

Yan Qingshan shook his head beside her. "It came from the Storage Ring of a Da Dou Shi from the Mo Clan. I never expected a Da Dou Shi to be cultivating only a Profound-tier Low-grade cultivation technique. How badly must he have been doing?

"Practice this set for now. When the chance comes, an Earth-tier cultivation technique might be difficult to find, but I can still think of a way to get Profound-tier High-grade wind-attributed cultivation techniques and Dou Techniques."

"N-no need. This set is enough. It's already very good."

Upon hearing that, Xuelan abruptly raised her head to meet Yan Qingshan's eyes, then instinctively turned her head away and spoke quietly. She clearly did not want Yan Qingshan to trouble himself for her sake.

"Silly girl, you've already sold yourself to me. When did you get to decide these things?"

Yan Qingshan smiled and lightly patted Xuelan's head. The little leopardess was not as easily tamed as the little snake girl, so she instinctively retorted.

"I'm only your guard, responsible for protecting you. Since when did that become selling myself?"

Xuelan pouted in dissatisfaction, though there was still a hint of coquettish reluctance in her manner.

"You don't get to decide!"

With one sentence, Yan Qingshan ended the topic, then walked past the two girls in another direction.

"Honestly, so overbearing and excessive!"

Xuelan muttered with a pout, but the smile at the corner of her lips could not be concealed. Then she turned and pulled Qingling over, and the two girls began whispering together.