He Is the Strongest Dou Zhe I've Ever Seen! Please Keep Reading! Please Vote!

"Young Lady, that boy named Jiang Lin is already a Dou Zhe, and a Two-star Dou Practitioner at that."

Late at night, somewhere within the Xiao Family's Inner Academy, Ling Ying, his entire body concealed within the shadows, knelt on one knee in a shadowed corner of Xiao Xun'er's room and reported what he had seen that day.

"Mm. How many years did Brother Xiao Yan cultivate properly for?" Xiao Xun'er pondered for a moment before asking.

"...In reply to Young Lady, he began at seven and became a Dou Zhe at eleven. Four years." As Ling Ying answered, his expression twisted somewhat, as if he had recalled an unpleasant memory. Xiao Yan had officially begun cultivating at seven, but the brat had actually possessed Dou Qi from the age of four. So where had the Dou Qi Xiao Yan cultivated over those three years, from age four to seven, gone???

The answer was that it had been cultivated into Xiao Xun'er!

How had it ended up being cultivated into Xiao Xun'er?

Shh! Be good, don't ask. If you ask again, this old man will show you whether a Dou Emperor's blade is truly fast.

"Mm..." Ling Ying's answer caused Xiao Xun'er to fall silent for a while. Her Cyan-Gold eyes seemed to sink into some memory.

As intelligent and understanding as she was, she could actually sense Ling Ying's inner conflict.

In a sense, Xiao Yan had climbed into Xiao Xun'er's chambers right under Ling Ying's nose, and that was practically Ling Ying's tacit approval. But why had Ling Ying allowed it? Because Xiao Xun'er had just fused with a wisp of Golden Emperor Blazing Heaven Flame Seed Flame at the time. Her delicate meridians were being tempered by the Golden Emperor Blazing Heaven Flame, and the pain had been unbearable. She could only endure it through sheer willpower.

Later, however, Ling Ying and Xiao Xun'er discovered that to speed up the fusion of the Golden Emperor Blazing Heaven Flame, Xiao Xun'er's Dou Qi had to be used to slowly temper it. The Golden Emperor Blazing Heaven Flame Seed Flame was like another Old Yao ring, requiring a massive amount of Dou Qi to activate. Once activated, it would no longer have any negative effects on Xiao Xun'er.

Then, by chance, when Xiao Yan was four or five, he secretly cultivated Dou Qi without anyone in the Xiao Family knowing. Out of curiosity, he tried injecting the Dou Qi in his body—which naturally nourished meridians—into his frail and sickly "distant cousin" from childhood. Unexpectedly, it eased the pain of fusing the Golden Emperor Blazing Heaven Flame.

As her secret guardian, Ling Ying immediately tried other methods, such as seeing whether his own Dou Qi could achieve the same effect.

The answer was no. Perhaps Ling Ying's Dou Qi was too strong. Rather than being as gentle as the initial Dou Qi that specifically strengthened meridians, it had no effect whatsoever on the fusion of the Golden Emperor Blazing Heaven Flame. It had even nearly triggered a protective riot from the Golden Emperor Blazing Heaven Flame.

In the end, Ling Ying had no choice but to tacitly accept Xiao Yan's role as a Dou Qi-producing tool, because only Xiao Yan could continuously produce the Dou Qi that accelerated the fusion of the Heavenly Flames within Xiao Xun'er.

Ling Ying had also considered grabbing a few lucky people from the Central Continent, but seeing how efficient the Xiao Yan-brand Dou Qi generator was, he gave up that dangerous idea.

Of course, had Ling Ying done so, he would eventually have discovered that only the Dou Qi produced by the Xiao Yan-brand Dou Qi generator could accelerate the fusion of Heavenly Flames. (Xiao Yan seemed to have some kind of chosen-one setting later on, but I didn't finish The Great Ruler.)

And so, the Dou Qi cultivated by the Dou Qi generator—no, Xiao Yan—over those three years had all gone into Xiao Xun'er. Only after unintentionally helping her speed up the fusion of her Heavenly Flame did he begin cultivating properly at the age of seven.

If becoming a Dou Zhe at eleven made him a cultivation genius rarely seen once in a century in the Jia Ma Empire, then at Xiao Yan's proper pace, becoming a Dou Zhe at eight would have made him a sect prodigy even in the Central Continent, second only to those cheaters capable of awakening Imperial Marks.

"That Jiang Lin had a record of being at Dou Qi Stage One in Qingshan Town two years ago, right?" Xiao Xun'er murmured.

"Yes." Ling Ying lowered his head as he answered. He had investigated the matter, and the more thoroughly he looked into it, the more unreal it felt.

From Dou Qi Stage One to a Two-star Dou Practitioner in two years. Just two years.

During the Dou Qi stage, Jiang Lin's cultivation could not be sensed, but after becoming a Dou Zhe, Ling Ying could see Jiang Lin's cultivation level with perfect clarity.

(During the Dou Qi stage, one needed a Demon-Sealing Stone tablet to test Dou Qi. After becoming a Dou Zhe, one could judge it directly from one's aura.)

"If Brother Xiao Yan removed the unnecessary expenditure, his cultivation speed would at most match Jiang Lin's, right? With medicinal pills, perhaps he would even be faster." Xiao Xun'er murmured. This tiny borderland truly hid crouching tigers and hidden dragons.

However, Xiao Xun'er, acting as judge here, was clearly suspected of making a biased call. Jiang Lin had only ever seen what medicinal pills looked like in books. He relied entirely on bitter cultivation twice a day, one hour each time. Well, it did not seem all that bitter. But Jiang Lin had no choice. His meridian-burning cultivation method could only be practiced twice at most; any more, and his body would not be able to take it.

"However, he may have run into trouble recently. Their carriage was attacked on the road, and that Yellow-grade intermediate Black Blade he gave Xiao Yan was not made by Jiang Lin himself," Ling Ying added.

"Do they need help?" Xiao Xun'er asked. Jiang Lin's identity as an Artifact Forger did not particularly draw her attention; at most, it made her slightly surprised by his outstanding talent. But Jiang Lin's cultivation speed had stirred a desire to nurture talent in Xiao Xun'er. Someone like him would have little trouble reaching Dou Emperor or Dou Zong in the future. As for Dou Zun, that would depend on fate. A Dou Saint? That was too far away.

If a small favor could gain her a future dark guard with the potential of Ling Ying, it would be a worthwhile investment for Xiao Xun'er.

Jiang Lin (referring to Xiao Yan): You're taking him in as the Gu Clan's son-in-law?

Xiao Xun'er: Mm.

Jiang Lin (referring to himself): You're taking me in as a dark guard for the Gu Clan???

Xiao Xun'er: What? Is there a problem?

Jiang Lin: Who are you looking down on?! Today, I'm going to blow up together with you adulterous pair!

Xiao Xun'er: Offer him Dou Saint resources.

Jiang Lin: Deal!

Dou Saint Jiang Lin (bringing out a Heaven-grade magical treasure): I was your family's dark guard before becoming a Dou Saint, and I'm still your family's dark guard after becoming a Dou Saint. Didn't I become a Dou Saint for nothing?

"...I don't think it will be necessary for now. He is the strongest Dou Zhe I have ever seen in the Jia Ma Empire." Ling Ying said this with an odd expression. Strongest Dou Zhe. What a strange, niche term.

Xiao Xun'er could not help recalling Jiang Lin's armor and fell silent.

"Forget it. If fate brings us together, lend him a hand. Otherwise, it would be a waste of such cultivation talent." Xiao Xun'er sighed softly and said no more.

"Understood." Ling Ying nodded, gave a quiet acknowledgment, and his figure gradually faded into the shadows.

Meanwhile, Jiang Lin, who was staying overnight at the Xiao Family with Uncle Fu, was studying the beast-skin scroll in his hand.

Based on his previous experience, and now as a Two-star Dou Practitioner, he could already focus his spiritual power, press the beast-skin scroll against his forehead, and send his spiritual power inside.

At once, entirely new information appeared in Jiang Lin's mind:

Profound-grade low-level secret skill: Mystic Armor Puppet Technique