An Unexpected Windfall, Double Happiness

He then took out a ninth-grade treasure pill and swallowed it in one gulp. This was the first time he had taken medicinal pills since he began cultivating.

Vast energy filled the surrounding void, tempering his body.

First, a gentle breeze brushed past, then fierce winds rose. Centered on him, endless green flames and starlight were drawn in and torn apart, forming one tornado after another.

Xiao Xuan's body refused nothing, seeming to transform into a black hole that absorbed all that energy into itself.

Chaotic and mottled energies entered his body, immediately prompting the green flames to intercept them and blanket his insides, as if he had been placed inside a furnace.

Every bit of absorbed energy had to undergo the furnace's tempering. The terrifying Heavenly Flames stripped away its impurities, turning it into pure energy.

Only then did that pure energy follow the intricate circulation of the cultivation technique through a full cycle, where it was refined once more before finally transforming into pure Dou Qi that nourished his body.

Cultivation knew no passage of time. As time went on, the medicinal energy of the ninth-grade treasure pill gradually dwindled, while the Dou Qi within Xiao Xuan's body soared at an astonishing rate.

Realms that ordinary people might need decades, or even several decades, to break through were forcefully pierced by Xiao Xuan with unstoppable momentum.

Eight-Star Dou Zun, Nine-Star Dou Zun, One-Turn Dou Zun... Four-Turn Dou Zun, Five-Turn Dou Zun, Six-Turn Dou Zun... Nine-Turn Dou Zun!

A powerful soul erupted, and a terrifying domain formed instantly. It broke through the secret realm's formation, blanketing the entire cave dwelling, sweeping up every flame within it, drawing away the starlight filling the sky, and directly plundering everything.

He tyrannically seized all energy. No matter how impure it was, once it entered Xiao Xuan's body, it had to undergo refinement in the furnace of Heavenly Flames.

"Nine-Turn Dou Zun, huh..."

Without moving an inch, he murmured to himself.

Having reached this point, Xiao Xuan stood at the true pinnacle of the Dou Zun realm. His body had undergone nine transformations and reached the limit of a mortal physique.

One more step would make him a Half-Saint, a realm entirely different from Dou Zun. Yet this bottleneck had prevented countless peak Dou Zuns from reaching Half-Saint until the day they died.

"Hehe, not bad. As expected of my son—you've already reached the peak of Nine-Turn Dou Zun."

A teasing voice suddenly rang out, startling him badly.

Turning around, he saw his father looking at him with a beaming smile.

Behind the old man, on the stone steps, stood a child of about two years old, barefoot.

The little girl's delicate, doll-like face made her seem like an exquisite porcelain doll, so adorable that one could not bear to put her down. Under the moonlight's reflection, her pair of lively black eyes appeared especially mischievous.

No wonder the old man had been so unconcerned and had so readily allowed him to go out and train. He had long since left a safeguard on him, ready to arrive whenever Xiao Xuan faced danger.

"Come, come, little girl. This is your big brother. Hurry and call him Big Brother!"

"Big Brother!"

Her soft, timid voice seemed capable of melting all ice, stirring the deepest protective instinct in his heart.

"Brat, this is the little sister I gave you during the years you were away—Ruo'er!

If you dare bully your little sister in the future, I'll break your damned legs."

At the sight of the little girl, Xiao Xuan's heart melted completely. This was his little sister.

"Old man, now that you have a younger one, you don't love the older one anymore.

But don't worry. Who would dare bully Ruo'er?

She's our family's little princess!

Oh, right. This is a Bodhi Pill I won at an auction through a lucky opportunity. It cost one hundred million gold coins.

I hope it can help you break through to Nine-Star Dou Saint.

Remember to pay me back the one hundred million gold coins.

And this is a Yishi Pill. Give it to my little sister once she is a little older; it will improve her aptitude."

Hearing Xiao Xuan's words, even Xiao Feng, the dignified Patriarch of the Xiao Clan, could not help but twitch at the corner of his mouth. He truly did not know the cost of daily necessities until he managed the household himself. At this moment, Xiao Xuan looked exactly like an extravagant spendthrift.

"You... Fine, you brat, you're ruthless. Do you really think one hundred million gold coins is a small amount? You prodigal son.

Even all your father's private savings don't amount to that much.

Still, this Bodhi Pill really is a good thing. Use it yourself—you haven't broken through to Dou Saint yet."

Xiao Xuan did not take back the pill he had handed over. "Your son's talent leaves yours in the dust. Stop being so sentimental.

A mere Nine-Star Dou Saint can't hold your son back."

"Huh... We haven't seen each other for over three years. How did you become so punchable?

Fine, I'll gladly accept it. Since you've broken through, I'll head back.

Your mother still doesn't know I brought her precious daughter out. If she finds out I took her treasured little girl out to wander around, huh... the consequences would be unimaginable."

"Fine. Once my little sister is older, I'll take her traveling again."

"Get lost. Don't teach your little sister to be like you, always thinking about running away from home.

If that happens, forget your mother—I won't go easy on you either."

Watching his father treasure his little sister so dearly, Xiao Xuan smiled bitterly. He could only hope she would not be spoiled into a haughty young miss in the future.

But with the Xiao Clan's way of teaching, that probably would not happen.

Xiao Feng picked up his precious daughter and left swiftly. He truly feared that his eldest son would lead her astray; if that happened, he would have no one to blame but himself.

With a bitter smile, Xiao Xuan said, "Ah, according to Father, I spent a year in seclusion this time.

Not bad. In one year, I went from Eight-Star Dou Zun to Nine-Turn Dou Zun.

The Bodhi Ancient Tree is said to appear once every thousand years.

According to the clan's secret records, it last appeared a thousand years ago.

It should emerge sometime within the next few years. I wonder where it will appear this time?

The Bodhi Ancient Tree... a hundred lifetimes of Samsara within one's heart..."

He tore open space, and when he reappeared, he was already in Manhuang Town.

"Have you heard? Dan Zun is preparing to establish the Dan Tower.

And that Fenyan Venerable is also planning to establish a faction. Apparently, the name has already spread—it'll be called Fenyan Valley."

"Haha, just as expected. After all, Dan Zun and Fenyan Venerable are the two peerless prodigies renowned across the Central Plains Continent.

They're only around thirty years old, yet they've already achieved so much. How many people fail to reach such a realm even by the time they die?

Perhaps in the future, we'll have to call them Fenyan Saint and Dan Saint."

"The Central Plains will gain two more super factions."

"Yes, yes. The Dan Tower is out of the question for me, since I know absolutely nothing about alchemy.

But Fenyan Valley... adding flowers to brocade is not as good as giving charcoal in the snow."

The moment Xiao Xuan appeared, he overheard the conversations of the diners in the tavern.

Dan Chengzi and Tang Xiao—were they about to establish their own factions and become founding patriarchs?

Perhaps neither of them could have imagined that the powers they founded would endure for a thousand years.

"I just came out of seclusion and heard about this. My congratulatory gifts can't be too simple.

You two had better remember this. Sooner or later, I'll make you repay me double.

For Dan Zun, a Medicine Master, the soul is especially important.

Besides, soul cultivation techniques are exceedingly rare on the Dou Qi Continent.

The Nine Revolutions Soul Forging Technique was obtained from the same inheritance anyway.

As for Tang Xiao, since Fenyan Valley has that name, how can it lack Heavenly Flames?"

As he spoke, a silver flame appeared in his hand. Within the rising flames, nine silver fire dragons could faintly be seen weaving through them.