Homecoming

Xiao Li watched the azure figure recede until it vanished from sight.

"All right, stop staring. It's not as if you'll never see that girl again. Once your cultivation bears fruit, won't you be able to be with her every day?

"You're now a Two Star Dou Ling. That's considered quite good in the Jia Ma Empire, but it's nothing much on the continent.

"Cultivate diligently, boy. Only by working hard can you protect everything. The Dou Qi Continent is vast, and there are some lecherous sects that specifically collect talented women.

"Some women are born Daughters of Heaven. Without sufficient strength, you won't even be qualified to stand beside them.

"You must cultivate well. Don't wait until you encounter hardship to regret not cultivating properly in the past."

Old Wang spoke calmly, a trace of reminiscence flashing through his eyes.

"I understand." Xiao Li's gaze was resolute. From now on, he would cultivate even more diligently!

"What next? Are we heading straight to the Black Horn Region, or what?" Old Wang asked.

Xiao Li pondered for a moment. "I want to go home first and deliver a few things."

"Mm."

Jia Ma Holy City, Xiao Clan

"Ha! Ha! Ha!"

On the Xiao Clan's training grounds, more than a dozen young boys and girls were practicing their punches.

Standing before them was an exceptionally burly middle-aged man. With his hands clasped behind his back, he paced back and forth, occasionally correcting the Little Fellows' movements.

"All right, take a break."

At the Instructor's words, the Little Fellows all collapsed onto the ground.

"Since when did Eldest Brother start training the clan's disciples?"

A hearty voice rang out. The middle-aged man turned and saw that it was Xiao Li. Naturally, the only person Xiao Li could call Eldest Brother was Xiao Lin.

The moment Xiao Lin saw Xiao Li, he slung an arm around his shoulders. "Good lad, you're back? You've grown quite a bit taller too. And this cultivation of yours... you've reached the Dou Ling realm?"

Xiao Lin was now thirty-nine years old, and his cultivation had reached the Nine Star Dou Ling realm! He could be said to be the strongest person beneath the Patriarch.

Xiao Lin had attained his current cultivation entirely through Xiao Li's pill support. Although pills that directly raised a Dou Ling's cultivation were mostly Grade 5 Pills, Xiao Li could still refine Fourth Grade Pills that assisted Dou Ling cultivation.

With Xiao Li's pill support, Xiao Lin had rapidly reached the Nine Star Dou Ling realm. Presumably, he would break through to the Dou Wang realm within one or two years and become a Dou Wang powerhouse.

"I did some training in the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Not only did my Alchemy barely reach the Grade 5 level, but my cultivation also reached the Two Star Dou Ling realm. Eldest Brother, aren't I impressive?"

Xiao Li said with his head held high. It was not that he was childish; there was no need to put on airs before blood relatives, especially since he and Xiao Lin had an exceptionally close brotherly relationship.

"Heh, you brat. I'm starting to worry you'll become a Dou Wang before I do. Come on, let's go see Old Man." Xiao Lin pulled Xiao Li along, intending to take him to see the Patriarch—their grandfather, Xiao Ting.

"Little Fellows, today's training ends here. We'll continue tomorrow!" Xiao Lin called out to the Xiao Clan Disciples on the training grounds before hurrying away.

Xiao Ting had been in seclusion all these years. Unless there was something urgent, no one would disturb him. At present, all the Xiao Clan's Affairs were handled by Xiao Lin in his stead.

They arrived at the Patriarch's Secluded Chamber.

Xiao Lin stepped before the Stone Gate and inserted a stone key. The Stone Gate then opened.

Xiao Lin led Xiao Li inside. The moment Xiao Li stepped in, he sensed a fairly dense concentration of Lightning Attribute energy within this Secret Room. It was likely something Old Man had spent a great deal to arrange.

"Hmm? Lin'er, has something happened to the clan? If it isn't anything important, don't come disturb this Old Man." An aged voice sounded out.

"Heh, your little Grandson has come to see you. Does that count as something important?" Xiao Lin said with a grin.

"Oh? It really is Li'er! Li'er is here?" A Grey-robed Old Man slowly emerged from the darkness.

"Grandson greets Grandfather!" Xiao Li bowed to Xiao Ting.

"Good child, good child, get up quickly." Xiao Ting immediately pulled Xiao Li to his feet. His youngest Grandson was his pride.

"Grandfather, I haven't seen you for over half a year. Why have you aged so much again?" Xiao Li saw that the wrinkles on his grandfather's face had deepened considerably.

"Hehe, I'm old. I probably don't have many years left. But it's fine. The Xiao Clan has Lin'er and you. Grandfather can leave in peace." Xiao Ting was very open-minded.

Xiao Li's expression darkened. Using his Soul Force, he could sense that his grandfather's vitality was exceedingly weak. He likely had less than three years of Lifespan remaining.

"Grandfather, do you still have no sense of breaking through to the Dou Emperor realm?" Xiao Li asked. A Dou Wang's Lifespan was not much different from that of an ordinary person, though they could live free of illness or disaster until the end of their natural Lifespan.

Only upon reaching the Dou Emperor realm would one's Lifespan increase. Then, upon reaching the Dou Zong realm, one could become the foundation of a clan.

Xiao Ting shook his head. "Reaching the Nine Star Dou Wang realm should be possible, but the Dou Emperor realm... probably not. Don't worry. Grandfather's body is in good condition. There won't be any pain when I go."

Xiao Ting himself was very open-minded. At his age, he had already accepted such things. Still, he had to make one last attempt. Whether he could succeed, only heaven knew.

Xiao Li took out two Jade Bottles from his Storage Ring and stuffed them into Xiao Ting's hands.

"Grandfather, this is a Longevity King Pill, a Grade 5 Pill. After taking it, you can increase your Lifespan by around three years. The other bottle contains Dou Spirit Pills. Although, with your current cultivation, a Dou Spirit Pill may not raise your cultivation by a full star.

"It will still be very useful for your cultivation. It can help you quickly reach the Nine Star Dou Wang realm, after which you can begin attempting a breakthrough to the Dou Emperor realm."

Xiao Ting stared blankly at the two Jade Bottles in Xiao Li's hands. "Li'er, this..."

Xiao Li interrupted him. "Grandfather, don't think of refusing. First of all, you are the oldest and strongest person in the clan, so these two pills are most useful to you.

"I can refine pills for Eldest Brother and the other Elders later. If you can reach the Dou Emperor realm, it will benefit both me and the clan."

"That's right, Old Man. I still need one or two years before I can break through to the Dou Wang realm. If you can successfully break through to the Dou Emperor realm, it will be immensely beneficial to our family," Xiao Lin said anxiously as well.

"All right, this Old Man will accept them for now. Li'er, once this Old Man breaks through to the Dou Emperor realm, whatever you want, Grandfather will find it for you!" Xiao Ting said earnestly.

Xiao Li nodded. "The more powerhouses our Xiao Clan has, the better. Grandfather will be the first Dou Emperor born in the Xiao Clan in nearly a hundred years. In the future, the Xiao Clan will definitely have more than one Dou Emperor!"

"Mm. Our Xiao Clan's ancestors were extremely powerful. Unfortunately, we Unworthy Descendants have failed to restore our ancestors' glory. Li'er, the task of revitalizing the Xiao Clan falls to you—and to Lin'er as well."

Xiao Ting's words startled Xiao Li. Could it be that the Xiao Clan knew something at this point?

Xiao Li did not dwell on it. The more one knew, the greater the pressure. For now, increasing his strength was what mattered most.

"Grandfather, take the Longevity King Pill first. The Longevity King Pill is the most useful thing for you right now."

"Mm, I understand." Xiao Ting opened the Jade Bottle containing the Longevity King Pill. An exceptionally rich aura of life immediately wafted out, its dense vitality spreading through the room. Xiao Ting felt much lighter after merely taking a breath.

The Longevity King Pill was a thumb-sized white pill that resembled a pearl, yet it was filled with dense vitality.

Xiao Ting swallowed the Longevity King Pill and began refining its medicinal power.

Let me clarify the setting for the Dou Spirit Pill. It is a Rank 5 Peak Pill; this is the lowest quality a Dou Spirit Pill can be. If it is refined to a more ordinary standard, it becomes a Grade 6 Pill, so calling it a Grade 6 Pill is not wrong. A well-refined Dou Spirit Pill is Grade 6, while Rank 5 Peak is the lowest-quality Dou Spirit Pill.

Also, whether a Dou Spirit Pill can raise a Dou Wang's cultivation by one star depends on the situation. The energy required to raise a One Star Dou Wang to Two Star Dou Wang differs from that needed to raise an Eight Star Dou Wang to Nine Star Dou Wang, so Xiao Li did not make any absolute claims. Pills are better taken sooner rather than later, of course. Old Wang's Dou Spirit Pills are of fairly good quality.

Old Wang's Alchemy is sufficient to refine Imperial Origin Pills, so refining Dou Spirit Pills is much easier for him.