Three Great Elders Enter the Spirit Battle Realm!

Although he had yet to enter the Spirit Battle Realm and could not yet take the Spirit Ascension Pill or Form Creation Pill, with such a large supply of Pure Yuan Pills, was he afraid he could not advance further?

It was merely a matter of time!

"Three Elders, your cultivation is still some distance from the Spirit Battle Realm, so I asked Teacher to refine some pills that force rapid advancement."

"After taking them, you can enter the Spirit Battle Realm, but for ten years, you will be unable to absorb Heaven and Earth Energy to cultivate."

"However, in my view, these costs are worth it."

That was not all. Xiao Yan took out another eight Jade Bottles. Five Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pills were distributed one to each person, while the remaining three pills, which emitted faintly chaotic energy fluctuations, hovered before the three elders.

"Oh? There is such a pill?"

Third Elder was impatient by nature. Without another word, he swallowed it.

Unable to cultivate for ten years?

What a joke. To the Xiao Family, that drawback was practically nonexistent!

With Yang Yuan Pills and Pure Yuan Pills, what sensible person would painstakingly cultivate?

Wasn't it far better to directly take pills and raise one's cultivation?

"The Young Clan Leader has considered everything thoroughly. This old man will take the pill at once. Clan Leader, please stand guard for us."

"Hehe, five Dou Lings in one family. Even that old fellow Nalan Jie does not have so many Dou Ling Experts under him, does he?"

Great Elder and Second Elder exchanged smiles, then swallowed their breakthrough pills without hesitation as well.

Never mind merely being unable to cultivate on their own—even before Xiao Yan rose to prominence, they would have been willing to remain unable to grow stronger for the rest of their lives in exchange for the power of the Spirit Battle Realm!

What did such a minor drawback amount to?

How many Peak Great Dou Shi remained stuck at that final step until they died of old age, unable to advance even an inch?

In that situation, what did ten years without cultivation matter? Even if they had to trade ten years of lifespan for it, countless Peak Great Dou Shi would be willing!

"Yan'er, this pill will not have any other side effects, will it?"

Watching the three elders sit cross-legged on the spot and refine their pills, Xiao Zhan trusted his son unconditionally, yet he could not help worrying.

"Don't Worry. A pill refined by Teacher could never have severe drawbacks like the Life Devouring Pill."

Xiao Yan was completely confident.

The Xiao Family needed strong experts, but it would not use pills to turn its upper ranks into expendable death soldiers. That would be putting the cart before the horse.

"Life Devouring Pill? What kind of pill is that?"

Hearing this, Xiao Zhan relaxed, then asked curiously.

"The Life Devouring Pill is ranked at the peak of the seventh tier. It can forcibly raise someone around the level of a Da Dou Shi to the Dou Wang class in an extremely short time."

"However, once one takes this pill, one can only maintain a lifespan of three years. It was once an extraordinary pill that shocked the entire Dou Qi Continent, but it has now been lost."

Xiao Yan explained at length.

"Hiss—"

"A batch-produced army of Dou Wang death soldiers. What a tyrannical Life Devouring Pill!"

"But a Da Dou Shi can take it, reach the Dou Wang level, and then have only three years of lifespan left?"

"Yan'er, your father has a bold idea. If a Da Dou Shi on the verge of dying from old age takes the Life Devouring Pill, would he not only reach the Dou Wang realm, but also live another three years?"

Xiao Zhan first sucked in a cold breath, then discovered the loophole.

"How could that..."

"Uh, it actually should work."

Xiao Yan was startled by his father's wild idea and instinctively thought it was impossible.

After all, soaring from Da Dou Shi to Dou Wang while gaining another three years of life—how could one claim all the benefits?

But after thinking it over carefully, it really could work.

In Dou Qi cultivation, the higher the realm, the longer one's lifespan.

The increase in lifespan during the early stages was not particularly obvious, nothing compared to Dou Saint powerhouses who could live for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, but gaining ten or twenty years from Da Dou Shi to Dou Wang was not excessive, was it?

One gained ten or twenty years of lifespan, then the Life Devouring Pill devoured it until only three years remained. Logically speaking, there was no problem.

Buzz!

As father and son chatted, the auras of the three elders changed almost simultaneously.

Their Dou Qi circulated at high speed. Three refined yet heavy Battle Qi Armors automatically covered their bodies, while the Dou Crystals at their Qi vortices transformed into sea-urchin-like shapes.

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

Three powerful auras surged upward at once, instantly enveloping the entire council hall. Just as they were about to spread outside, a Bone Spirit Fire Talisman appeared from thin air and sealed off the space of the entire hall.

"They have entered the Spirit Battle Realm!"

Xiao Zhan's eyes shone. The family had gained another three Dou Ling Experts.

"Hahahaha! So this is the Dou Ling realm? This old man's strength has increased at least threefold!"

"Who would have thought that in just over a year, this old man would break through from a Two-Star Great Dou Shi to the Spirit Battle Realm!"

"With the family gaining three more Dou Lings, the five of us joining forces need not fear even if Misty Cloud Sect's Great Elder Yun Leng comes to attack!"

The three elders rose to their feet and slowly restrained their Dou Qi fluctuations. Their faces were full of high spirits, and even the aged wrinkles on their faces had faded somewhat after the breakthrough.

Five Dou Lings in one family—did even the Nalan Family and the Mu Family possess such splendor?

"Father, Fourth Uncle-Grandfather, Three Elders, remain in the hall and cultivate in seclusion. Take all the Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pills, Spirit Ascension Pills, and Form Creation Pills, and raise your strength."

"After refining them, my Xiao Family will have at least five combatants above the Eight-Star Dou Ling level. If luck is on our side, we may even have one Creation Qi Realm expert comparable to a Dou Wang, along with four Peak Dou Lings!"

Xiao Yan spoke solemnly.

After daybreak, Hai Bodong would set off for the Black Corner Region.

With Yun Leng's temperament, treating his sect's honor as more important than his life, even if the Imperial Family intervened and even if Yun Yun warned him, he definitely would not behave himself.

There was no need to trouble Teacher over a mere Dou Wang, was there?

After this round of improvements, if Yun Leng dared come, he would make him leave in disgrace!

"Good!"

The Xiao Family's five upper ranks naturally did not refuse. In unison, they swallowed the Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pills and sat down cross-legged where they stood.

The council hall's space was sealed by Old Yao's Fire Talisman. Unless an expert above Five-Star Dou Zong came, no one could hope to break through it.

With that confidence, Xiao Yan did not remain in the hall. Instead, he returned to the back mountain.

For no other reason than that Old Yao had sent him a voice transmission.

"Teacher, weren't you going to rest? Why did you suddenly decide to refine the Talisman Puppets again?"

Returning to the Cave in the back mountain, Xiao Yan asked in confusion.

Teacher had just said he had gained something from alchemy. Could that insight be related to refining Talisman Puppets?

Had he found a way to combine the advantages of Dou Qi Puppets and Origin Energy Talisman Puppets?

"Hehe, inspiration is like a flash of lightning—gone in an instant."

"While refining pills, I was thinking that by combining the systems of two continents, whether pills, Puppets, Runes, or Formations, their essence is the application and combination of all materials in Heaven and Earth."

"In the original plan, combining Talisman Puppets with Dou Qi Puppets would both lower the cost and ensure sustained combat ability."

"But now, I also want to incorporate Formations into them. You heard Hai Bodong speak of the Misty Cloud Sect's Sect Protecting Array, did you not?"

Old Yao's figure floated out from the ring. With a wave of his hand, one hundred and eight Low-Grade Talisman Puppets filled over ninety percent of the Cave.

"The Cloud Smoke Covering Sun Formation gathers the power of over a thousand Misty Cloud Sect disciples. With a Dou Wang presiding over it, it can contend with a Dou Emperor."

"Teacher, do you mean these Low-Grade Talisman Puppets can form a Formation too?"

Xiao Yan was greatly startled.

Why had Teacher's ideas become so wild as well?

Origin Energy Talisman Puppets, Dou Qi Puppets, and now Formations?

Good heavens, what terrifying weapon was he trying to create?

Still, if I remembered correctly, the ancient manual left by the Creation Saint really did contain Heavenly Demon Puppets that could form a Formation...

"This old man studied Hehuanzi's Sea of Fire Great Formation, along with the Formations I saw while traveling the continent in the past, and I previously developed a Formation of my own."

Old Yao smiled proudly, feeling quite accomplished, before continuing:

"Reforge these Talisman Puppets and inscribe Runes upon them. I am confident I can make them form a Formation on their own. At that time, they can serve as the Xiao Family's Clan Protection Array and should be able to trap a Dou Wang."

"Oh, right. Does the Xiao Family currently have one hundred and eight Third-Rank Monster Cores? Of course, Fourth Tier ones would work even better. If you have one hundred and eight Fourth Tier Monster Cores, the Talisman Puppet Formation alone can contend with a Dou Emperor!"