Third Stage of Dou Qi!

It seemed that the events of the day had brought Lin Xiao and Old Medicine closer.

Their bond as master and disciple had grown deeper as well.

"Xiao Xiaozi, when do you plan to absorb this Soul Bone?"

Old Medicine changed the subject, no longer mentioning what had just happened. Who didn't have a secret or two? He already knew plenty.

That was enough.

"Later. My Soul Power is already at level 20."

"When I refine this Soul Bone, I plan to convert most of the Soul Power it contains into energy for cultivating Dou Qi."

"My Dou Qi hasn't even broken through to the Dou Qi stage yet."

"Even with you keeping them in check, Teacher, the imbalance between the two energies feels awful inside me. One is low and the other high. It's really uncomfortable."

Lin Xiao slowly explained. He had originally planned to use the Soul Bone to break through to level 20, but he hadn't expected the Ice Empress's Soul Power to push him straight to level 20.

Fortunately, his teacher had told the Ice Empress to raise his Soul Power to level 20 first. Otherwise, it would have taken more effort.

Old Medicine nodded lightly. That was more or less what he had been thinking.

"Xiao Xiaozi, what comes next? Do you have any plans?"

Old Medicine asked outright. Now that he knew how things would unfold, what they did next was crucial.

"I'll head to the Star Dou Great Forest to meet the Auspicious Beast first, then go to the Body Sect for my Body Martial Soul's Second Awakening."

Lin Xiao had a clear plan and knew what he needed to do. (PS: This humble author hasn't forgotten about the Snow Empress. Leaving her for now is preparation for impersonating Xuan Zi and carrying out a robbery later.)

Old Medicine nodded slightly. As long as he had a plan.

Without worrying further about Lin Xiao, Old Medicine turned into white mist and entered the ring.

After putting himself in order, Lin Xiao headed toward the Heaven Dou Empire.

Judging by the timing, Huo Yuhao should have finished Shrek's assessment by now.

Lin Xiao remembered that a year had passed between Huo Yuhao's escape from the White Tiger Duke Mansion and the end of his first semester. (This was written in chapter 49 of the original.)

Shrek held its assessment three months after enrollment. Some time after it ended, Huo Yuhao went to the Far North during his vacation. By this reckoning, his assessment should have ended already. With Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao at his side, victory was only to be expected.

So far, Lin Xiao had spent a month following Huo Yuhao into the Star Dou Great Forest, over a month staying there, and another two-plus months traveling to the Far North.

Almost half a year had slipped by before he knew it. Time really flew.

Still, I've already taken the Ice Empress. Huo Yuhao, what will you use as your second Martial Soul now?

Lin Xiao was rather curious.

Still, as long as it was ice-attributed, his Extreme Ice would completely suppress it. There was nothing to worry about.

Inside the ring, the Ice Empress, in her Soul Spirit form, sensed the abundant energy around her.

But when she saw Electrolux's gray mass of energy, she couldn't help trembling. Is this the other Senior?

He's so powerful too.

"Little scorpion, now that you're here, you're family. Don't be shy."

Electrolux's voice rang out. He seemed quite courteous toward the Ice Empress.

"Say, Electrolux, don't frighten the Ice Empress."

Old Medicine appeared inside the ring and smiled at her.

"Grandpa, this grandpa didn't frighten me. I'm just too weak."

The Ice Empress hurried to explain. It would have been a lie to say she wasn't afraid. These two were towering big shots. What would she do if she accidentally offended them?

Old Medicine smiled. "Don't be shy. Just call me Grandpa Medicine from now on. As for that fellow, call him whatever you like."

"Just call me Elder Yi. Grandpa Yi sounds a little strange."

Electrolux hurried to speak. At last, they had someone else here, and she was far more interesting than Old Medicine.

The Ice Empress nodded repeatedly. "Grandpa Medicine, Elder Yi."

Her sweet tone thoroughly won the two elders over.

"You can stay here from now on. If you want to go out, just go."

"If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask us two old fellows."

Old Medicine spoke gently and reached out to rub the Ice Empress's head. In her current little scorpion form, she looked rather docile.

The Ice Empress nodded repeatedly. These two grandpas were simply too kind.

Outside, Lin Xiao had already left the Far North and set out on the road to the Star Dou Great Forest.

Two months later, in a safe spot within the Star Dou Great Forest.

At that moment, frost swirled around Lin Xiao. The Ice Empress lay lazily on his lap, blissfully drawing in the Dou Qi radiating from his body.

The warm Dou Qi delighted her.

Inside Lin Xiao, his Dou Qi continued to grow fuller as the Ice Empress's Soul Bone at his chest slowly sank into his body.

Unlike Huo Yuhao, he hadn't let the Ice Empress alter his bones. His body was his own, and what belonged to him was ultimately best.

As he gradually fused with the Torso Bone, the icy aura radiating from Lin Xiao grew increasingly dense. The cave froze over, and rows upon rows of ice crystals spread across his surroundings.

Lin Xiao continuously converted the Soul Power contained in the Soul Bone into Dou Qi, refining it according to the Flame Mantra's cultivation method.

Little by little, his strength increased. Cultivating Dou Qi was unlike cultivating Soul Power; there was no restriction at every ten levels.

Given enough time, Lin Xiao could easily lie low until he was invincible under heaven before emerging.

That said, cultivating Dou Qi was a hundred times harder than cultivating Soul Power.

Reaching the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi in such a short time would not be easy.

Lin Xiao couldn't possibly absorb all the energy inside the Soul Bone. During the conversion, some flowed into the ring, where Old Medicine stored it away.

And so, Lin Xiao settled into quiet cultivation.

A month later, Lin Xiao awakened from his cultivation. The two energies inside him seemed unbalanced again, with his Dou Qi surpassing his Soul Power.

"Third Stage of Dou Qi!"

Lin Xiao drew a deep breath. Finally! I've finally reached the Third Stage of Dou Qi! Hahahaha!

Cultivating Dou Qi really was difficult, but once he succeeded, the rewards were tremendous.

Lin Xiao's face was full of smiles. He had successfully refined the Soul Bone, reached the Third Stage of Dou Qi, and brought his Soul Power to level 20.

What a huge leap forward! I've already reached the level the Flame Emperor was at back then. Hehehe!

Lin Xiao's noisy shouting woke the Ice Empress.

"Xiao Xiaozi, you're only at the Soul Elder level. What's there to show off about?"

The Ice Empress rolled her eyes at Lin Xiao, speechless. He's only a Soul Elder, and he's this happy? His temperament still needs work.

Lin Xiao couldn't be bothered to explain it to the little scorpion. She wouldn't understand the feeling of making progress like this.

"Ice Empress, are you saying I'm at the Soul Elder level now?"

Lin Xiao quickly caught the key point. The aura he gave off was that of a Soul Elder, but his Soul Power was only at level 20.

In other words, the Third Stage of Dou Qi was equivalent to a Soul Elder.

Lin Xiao was already making calculations in his mind.

"That's right. A Soul Elder," the Ice Empress said.

The Ice Empress's four-hundred-thousand-year Soul Bone really did contain a tremendous amount of energy.

After marveling at that, Lin Xiao shattered the ice inside the cave with a palm strike and greeted the sunlight he hadn't seen in so long.