Valley Training

Xiao Yi Xian stayed in the valley for a day, then had Xiao Lan carry her back to the Myriad Medicine Pavilion. After all, she had two "little gold-eating beasts" waiting for her to support.

Early in the morning, as the sun rose and all things awakened, brilliant morning rays scattered like crushed gold, bathing people in a pleasant warmth.

There was a saying from his previous life: the day's plan began in the morning, and the year's plan began in spring. Though that might not necessarily hold true on the Dou Qi Continent, getting up early to train was certainly right.

Facing the morning sun, Xia Mo sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, sensed the Dou Qi energy, and then absorbed it into his body.

Training at the Dou Qi stage involved sensing Dou Qi energy and drawing it into the body, gradually strengthening one's meridians, converting part of it into Dou Qi, and storing it in the dantian. Once the ninth stage was complete, one could condense a Dou Qi vortex and advance to Dou Zhe. Magical beasts, meanwhile, condensed Monster Cores to store energy.

Training was a dull and tedious thing, but when one felt oneself growing stronger bit by bit through it, it became a wonderful sensation.

The house Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian had built stood at the center of the small valley, where energy was abundant. Sitting cross-legged at the doorway, Xia Mo steadily drew Dou Qi energy into his body. Feeling the growing energy within him, Xia Mo felt that he should be able to break through to the fourth stage of Dou Qi today.

That sudden thought stirred Xia Mo's mind, nearly causing him to leave his training state. Fortunately, he steadied himself and focused, greedily absorbing the energy of heaven and earth. Strands of energy were forcibly dragged into his body.

Thanks to Xia Mo's Magical Beast Body, he could do this. If an ordinary person absorbed energy so chaotically, their meridians would have long since been destroyed, leaving them crippled.

At the Dou Qi stage, one could not rely on medicinal pills. Not everyone was like Xiao Yan, with Old Yao refining Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid for him. Ordinary people could only steadily absorb energy, scour their meridians, strengthen their bodies, and gradually accumulate Dou Qi.

But some people were always different, like Xia Mo. His body was that of a magical beast. Magical beasts possessed strong bodies, and most of their energy was used to strengthen their flesh, with little being stored and converted in the dantian. Thus, they required even more energy to advance.

Xia Mo frantically absorbed the surrounding energy. After an hour of endless intake, he finally began to slow down.

As he absorbed the last wisp of energy, Xia Mo's body trembled and his lower abdomen contracted slightly. Opening his violet-gold eyes, he slowly exhaled a breath of foul air...

"Fourth stage of Dou Qi..."

"Simply absorbing the energy of heaven and earth is still too slow. At this rate, I'm afraid it'll take another half year before my Dou Qi reaches completion."

"Last time, I told Xiao Yi Xian that I wanted to learn about Medicinal Herbs. She should have a way, right? A physician may not be an Alchemist, but identifying Medicinal Herbs certainly won't be a problem."

"Although the Treasure Seeking Talent lets me sense the energy fluctuations of Medicinal Herbs, I can't tell whether they're poisonous, nor can I just eat them directly. If I eat the wrong thing, I'll be in trouble."

"For the next half month, I'll absorb energy first. Once Xiao Yi Xian teaches me about Medicinal Herbs, I'll start devouring them to gain energy."

Time passed bit by bit, and Xia Mo became utterly immersed in training. After all, there was basically nothing else to do on the Dou Qi Continent besides train—especially for him, living in a small valley within the Monster Mountain Range.

Over the past half month, his daily routine had been absorbing Dou Qi energy and practicing combat techniques. It was not quite so boring, though after practicing the Ancient Dragon Fist each day, he would be covered in bruises. Fortunately, training Dou Qi helped ease them.

"When Xiao Yi Xian comes, I'll definitely have her teach me how to prepare some Blood-activating and Stasis-dispelling Powder."

"Little Mo, I'm here! Look at the good things I brought you." It was obviously Xiao Yi Xian.

Before he saw her, he heard her voice. Of course, with Xia Mo's senses, he had already known where she was.

"What did you bring?"

"Look! Encyclopedia of Physician Medicinal Herbs, and it even has annotations. These books cost a full hundred gold coins, but luckily we can both study them. You'd better learn properly. Here, take them."

"Got it. I'll definitely study hard." Xia Mo nodded fiercely. He knew Xiao Yi Xian did not earn much at the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion, because its owner was an utterly unscrupulous miser.

Xiao Yi Xian, wait for me. Once I become a Dou Zhe, I'll be able to protect you in Qingshan Town.

And so, Xiao Yi Xian stayed in the small valley for a day, made Xia Mo a lavish dinner, and returned to the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion with Xiao Lan the next morning.

Before he knew it, three and a half months had passed, and Xia Mo had finally completed the Dou Qi stage.

Over those three and a half months, Xia Mo trained while studying Medicinal Herbs. He marked and compared those found in the small valley, while recording those absent with different marks. Fortunately, his soul power was strong, and he finished studying the several volumes of Encyclopedia of Physician Medicinal Herbs in three and a half months.

To continue improving in the future, he would need to search for Medicinal Herbs not found in the small valley and compare them. He would also need to find an Alchemist to learn from, but if he lacked the talent of an Alchemist, he could only spend a fortune to buy what he needed.

During the half month after receiving the herb manuals, Xia Mo found two Qi Gathering Grass plants in the small valley. With their help, he advanced to the fifth stage of Dou Qi.

Over the following first month, Xia Mo found three Qi Gathering Grass plants, one Purple Orchid Leaf Grass, and two Bone Washing Flowers in the small valley. With the help of these five medicinal herbs, he advanced to the seventh stage of Dou Qi.

In the second month, Xia Mo found three Dark Orchid Flowers deep in the small valley—mild in nature and able to calm the mind—as well as three Flame Tail Grass plants, fire-element medicinal herbs that could speed up the circulation of Dou Qi. With the help of these five medicinal herbs, he advanced to the eighth stage of Dou Qi.

In the third month, Xia Mo found an Origin Spirit Fruit tree deep in the small valley. After refining three Origin Spirit Fruits, he reached the complete ninth stage of Dou Qi.

After reaching completion at the ninth stage, Xia Mo did not continue taking medicinal herbs. Instead, he practiced combat techniques every day, tempered his Dou Qi, and slowly absorbed the energy of heaven and earth, seeking to reach the point where a full vessel overflowed. After all, he could not afford Qi Gathering Powder.

Another half month passed like this, and Xiao Yi Xian came to the valley once more.

"Sister Xiao Yi Xian, read in the valley for a while first. I'll finish today's training," Xia Mo said. After half a year together, he had accepted reality.

Xia Mo sat cross-legged and slowly absorbed the Dou Qi energy between heaven and earth. Perhaps because Xiao Yi Xian was there, he felt especially relaxed today, and his efficiency in absorbing Dou Qi was higher than usual. Strands of Dou Qi were drawn from the air and continuously entered Xia Mo's body.

As the refinement continued, the Dou Qi within him swelled until it could no longer increase. Xia Mo knew that it was time to condense a Dou Qi vortex—or rather, a Monster Core.

Xia Mo focused his mind and used his innately powerful soul perception to compress the Dou Qi. Feeling its resistance, Xia Mo increased his output and compressed it until it was the size of a fist.

"Not enough, still not enough." Xia Mo instantly pushed his soul perception to its limit and crushed down fiercely.

"Did I succeed?" Xia Mo collapsed from exhaustion. Before long, however, as newfound strength flowed through his body, all his fatigue vanished.

Feeling that abundant power, Xia Mo gathered himself and looked inward. As a Dou Zhe, he had gained an auxiliary ability, and there in his dantian, a Monster Core spun rapidly.

"Ha ha! Hahahaha!"

"What happened? What happened?" Xiao Yi Xian rushed anxiously from the kitchen.

"Sister Xiao Yi Xian, I'm a Dou Zhe now. From now on, let me protect you."

"You're a Dou Zhe? Really? Really?" Xiao Yi Xian was filled with excitement, as though she were the one who had advanced.

"It's true, Sister Xiao Yi Xian. From now on, I can go out with you."

"Dou Qi Continent, here I come..."

PS: From now on, the precise Dou Qi ranks of one to nine stars will be used uniformly. Unless his magical beast identity is discovered, others will refer to ranks by stage.