Two-star Dou Master

The carriage rolled slowly across the wasteland. Inside, Jiang Donghua sat cross-legged, a faint red glow circulating around him.

[Host: Jiang Donghua]

[Realm: One-star Dou Zhe (999/1000)]

[Idle Gain: Main body 2 points/hour, clones ×2 (2 points/hour each)]

[Current Total Gain: 6 points/hour]

[Estimated Breakthrough Time: 0.1 hours]

"Almost..."

Jiang Donghua closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, sensing the surging Battle Qi within him.

Over the past ten days, he had deliberately slowed his breakthrough pace, repeatedly refining his Battle Qi within his body to ensure a stable foundation.

But now, the threshold of breakthrough could no longer be suppressed!

"Buzz—"

A strand of pure Battle Qi surged from his dantian, flowed through his meridians, and finally gathered above his head into a small vortex.

The air inside the carriage seemed to be drawn in. The water cup on the table trembled faintly, while a few grains of sand stirred without wind.

Across from him, Liu Yuting blinked her large eyes and leaned closer curiously.

"Big Brother Jiang, are you breaking through again?"

Jiang Donghua did not answer. Every bit of his focus was immersed in the final stage of the breakthrough.

[Breakthrough Threshold!]

[Realm Advancement: Two-star Dou Master!]

"Boom!"

A wave of Battle Qi, denser and more solid than before, erupted outward. The clutter in the carriage was tossed into the air by the blast, and several medicine bottles fell to the floor with a crash, shattering apart.

Yan Feng abruptly opened his eyes. With a press of his palm, an invisible barrier enveloped Jiang Donghua, preventing his Battle Qi from leaking out and causing unnecessary trouble.

"This kid..."

Yan Feng's tiger-like eyes widened, his voice filled with barely concealed shock.

"Ten days, from one star to two stars?"

Even within Jia Nan Academy's Inner Academy, such speed would have been among the very best!

Jiang Donghua slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and opened his eyes, the sharp gleam in them withdrawing inward.

[ Ding! ]

[Realm Breakthrough!]

[Two-star Dou Master (1/2000)]

[Idle Gain Increased: Main body 2 points/hour, clones ×2 (2 points/hour each)]

[Current Total Gain: 6 points/hour]

Feeling the fuller, richer Battle Qi within him, he allowed the corner of his lips to rise.

"Thank you for standing guard, Instructor Yan."

Yan Feng gave his shoulder a heavy pat, shaking the entire carriage.

"Good kid! In all my life, I've never seen anyone else cultivate this fast!"

Liu Yuting covered her little mouth, her bright, watery eyes full of admiration.

"Big Brother Jiang, you're incredible!"

Liu Mingyu, however, wore a complicated expression. Father was right. This guy is someone I absolutely can't afford to offend...

As for Zhou Yan, he had already curled up in the corner, his face deathly pale as he wished he could hide himself in the shadows.

Ten days, from one star to two stars?

Was he even fucking human?!

Jiang Donghua ignored everyone's reactions and silently brought up the system panel, studying the newly unlocked data.

"Two-star Dou Master..."

The number gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake. When Jiang Donghua had broken through ten days ago, he had still been able to comfort himself with luck.

But now...

"Cough!"

Zhou Yan suddenly began coughing violently. A sweet, bloody taste rose in his throat, and to his horror, he discovered that he had bitten his gums hard enough to draw blood.

As if sensing something, Jiang Donghua turned his head and met the bloodshot eyes in the corner.

The moment their gazes met—

"Whoosh!"

Zhou Yan lowered his head as though he had been scorched by a branding iron, his forehead slamming heavily into his knees.

Strangely, the resentment he had expected did not surge forth. Instead, he felt a helplessness that seemed like resignation...

"I see."

Jiang Donghua chuckled inwardly.

He knew that look all too well. There was no envy left in it, only deep fear and admiration.

"Classmate Zhou."

Jiang Donghua suddenly spoke.

"Want to try some freshly picked sea buckthorn berries?"

He tossed over a bright red berry, his movement as natural as if he were looking after an old friend.

Zhou Yan caught it in a fluster. Morning dew still clung to its skin. He looked up blankly, only to find that monster smiling at him without the slightest trace of malice.

"They're sweet."

Those three airy words were more devastating than any mockery.

Zhou Yan suddenly realized that the other man had already reached a height he could never attain, so high that... he no longer even had the right to resent him.

"Th-thank you..."

His dry voice rasped like sandpaper. Zhou Yan mechanically bit through the skin. Sweet-and-sour juice burst in his mouth, mingling with the lingering taste of blood and brewing into a bitter flavor.

The carriage suddenly jolted violently, and the berry pit in Zhou Yan's hand rolled into a crack in the carriage.

Watching that tiny black speck vanish into the dust, he inexplicably recalled something his father often said.

"Yan'er, a man must accept his fate."

Amid the howling wind and sand, no one heard the nearly inaudible sigh from the corner.

Jiang Donghua sat cross-legged in the corner of the carriage, carefully studying two Battle Skill scrolls by the light coming through the window.

The parchment for Blazing Palm had already yellowed somewhat, and its edges bore scorch marks from flames.

Its opening line read:

"The essence of this skill lies in the word 'burst.' Fire-attribute Battle Qi must be compressed within the palm before being unleashed in an instant."

"Simple and brutal."

He continued reading and found that the cultivation method was indeed straightforward.

First Layer: Gather flames in the palm, enough to burn through a three-inch wooden board.

Second Layer: Release flames outward, reaching up to one zhang.

Third Layer: Strike with both palms at once, doubling the power.

Several crude humanoid diagrams had been sketched beside it in charcoal, marked with the routes of Battle Qi circulation.

At the bottom was another small line of writing.

"Beginners must keep track of their training time to prevent fire poison from attacking the heart."

Jiang Donghua raised an eyebrow. That was a useful reminder.

He opened Cloud-Chasing Steps. This one was clearly much newer, the ink still crisp and clear.

"Movement techniques emphasize the three principles of 'lightness, speed, and change'..."

The contents were equally concise.

Cloud-Trace Form: Straight-line acceleration, suitable for pursuit.

Mist-Veiling Form: Short-range maneuvering, suitable for close combat.

At the end, it even thoughtfully noted:

"When first learning, it is recommended to practice on soft ground to avoid injury from falling."

Jiang Donghua stared at the two Battle Skill scrolls before him as the system screen unfolded automatically.

[Available Idle Projects]

Blazing Palm (Yellow-grade High-tier)

Current Progress: 0\/100 (Beginner)

Idle Gain: 2 points\/hour

Assignable Targets: Clone 1\/Clone 2

Cloud-Chasing Steps (Yellow-grade High-tier)

Current Progress: 0\/100 (Beginner)

Idle Gain: 2 points\/hour

Assignable Targets: Clone 1\/Clone 2

"Now that's more like it."

He nodded in satisfaction and lightly tapped the air with his finger.

Clone 1 assigned to idle training Cloud-Chasing Steps

Clone 2 assigned to idle training Blazing Palm

Now all he had to do was lie back and relax~

At the end of the wasteland, more than a dozen carriages arrived one after another, kicking up clouds of dust.

"Hahaha, Yan Feng, you old bastard, you got here pretty fast!"

A tall, thin instructor with a goatee shouted from afar.

Yan Feng stood before the carriage with his arms folded, a smug smile on his face.

"Zhao Si, your speed won't do. I've already been waiting here for two days."

The other instructors got out of their carriages one after another, followed by the students each had recruited.

Most of these young people had steady auras. A few had even reached the level of One-star Dou Zhe, clearly talents selected from all over.

"Oh? Yan Feng, what good seedlings did you pick up this year?"

A plump female instructor asked with a smiling face.

"Don't tell me they're all crooked melons and cracked dates again?"

Yan Feng's eye twitched. Without drawing attention, he shifted toward the carriage, just enough to block everyone's probing gazes.

"Hmph. We'll see who's who at the selection tournament."

He cursed those old foxes inwardly. Every last one of them was trying to pry information out of him!

Inside the carriage, Jiang Donghua concealed his aura and suppressed his strength to the level of a One-star Dou Zhe. Through the gap in the window, he observed the instructors outside. Every one of them was a Da Dou Shi, though their exact strength was impossible to tell.

"As expected, none of Jia Nan Academy's instructors are pushovers..."

Liu Yuting leaned over and whispered, "Big Brother Jiang, why won't Instructor Yan let them know your true strength?"

Jiang Donghua smiled faintly.

"When you play cards, you always have to keep a trump card up your sleeve."