Xiao Yan Begins Living Off a Woman

After a thoroughly satisfying battle, Ling Yuan gave Medusa the so-called billion little goodies.

Medusa's face was still somewhat flushed, and there was a trace of resentment in her eyes.

She had gained a proper understanding of Ling Yuan's lack of seriousness.

Ling Yuan leaned against the headboard, refreshed and relaxed, looking like some great lord. He deliberately put on a stern face and scolded, "How dare you? Is that the expression a maid should be wearing?"

Medusa rolled her eyes beautifully at Ling Yuan, then went to bathe.

These two intimate encounters had made Medusa loosen up considerably. She was no longer as cautious and timid as before.

She had probably seen from Ling Yuan's strength that this man was still quite interested in her.

He would not truly make things difficult for her over some trivial matter, which was why she dared to be so bold, even daring to roll her eyes at Ling Yuan.

When Medusa returned, Ling Yuan said, "Get yourself into proper condition. Your evolution will begin in three days."

There was nothing much to prepare. Wasn't it just some Ice Spirit Cold Spring? Ling Yuan could have as much as he wanted, so he had already prepared everything perfectly for her.

The main thing was for Medusa to adjust her mindset.

If her mentality was unstable and she was overly nervous, then no matter how many supplementary materials they had, the chances of a successful evolution would be greatly reduced.

After saying that, Ling Yuan also went to cultivate.

Though a tender haven was comfortable and could make one indulge in it, Ling Yuan had never forgotten that a tremendous threat still hung over the Ling Clan—the Soul Clan.

Hun Tiandi was a true tyrant with boundless ambition and ruthless methods. Even if Ling Yuan later released Zhu Kun to keep him in check, he did not dare guarantee that Hun Tiandi had not left behind other contingencies. He could not afford the slightest slackness.

Every extra day of hard cultivation and every bit of increased strength would give him a better chance against the Soul Clan in the future, as well as more confidence to protect himself and those around him.

He arrived at a secret chamber. It was not large, and its smooth stone walls shut out all sounds from the outside world.

He closed the chamber door behind him. After confirming that no one would disturb him, he raised a hand and released his clone from his Storage Ring.

After landing, the clone still wore that ordinary face and stood tall and straight. Without needing Ling Yuan's instructions, he consciously walked over to the Meditation Cushion in the corner of the chamber and sat down cross-legged.

Ling Yuan casually tossed several bottles of pills over and ordered, "Take these resources and cultivate properly. Don't hold me back."

The clone nodded slightly, accepted the resources, immediately closed his eyes, and began circulating his cultivation method to refine them.

Ling Yuan, meanwhile, took out the Soul Origin left over from robbing the Soul Hall.

When Ling Yuan had previously broken through to a Spirit Realm soul, he had used less than half of it. There was still quite a lot remaining.

With a thought, Ling Yuan took out an ancient-looking ring from his Storage Ring. He injected a thread of Dou Qi into it with his fingertip, and as the ring flashed, an illusory figure slowly emerged. It was none other than Yao Chen.

"Yao Chen, this is for restoring your soul. I've already tested it myself, and there's no harm in it. Refine it without worry."

Seeing Yao Chen in such a weak state, Ling Yuan was uncharacteristically generous. With a flick of his finger, he divided half the Soul Origin in his hand and sent it floating before Yao Chen.

He secretly calculated that Yao Chen would be working for him in the future. Moreover, this fellow had hopes of breaking through to become a Ninth-Grade Alchemist, making him a rare talent.

Reluctantly giving him some Soul Origin was not a loss. He could bring Ling Yuan even greater benefits in the future.

Yao Chen treated it like a priceless treasure. He even truly believed that Ling Yuan had tested it first because he was worried something might happen to him.

A surge of gratitude immediately rose in his heart.

"This subordinate thanks the Young Clan Leader!"

Though this Soul Origin was not much, it was enough to sustain Yao Chen's soul for a long time.

"No need for such formalities. Once we return to the clan, I'll give you some medicinal ingredients to repair your soul. We can then begin preparing for your resurrection."

Ling Yuan did not forget to paint Yao Chen a rosy picture and harvest his loyalty.

Yao Chen directly dropped to his knees. "Thank you, Young Clan Leader! This subordinate will henceforth serve the Young Clan Leader with every ounce of my strength until death, and I will never betray you!"

Ling Yuan watched him and curled his lips into an imperceptible smile. A trace of satisfaction flashed through his eyes—he had painted this picture very successfully.

After some time, he would conveniently kill Han Feng to avenge Yao Chen. Then Yao Chen would absolutely never betray him.

He waved a hand. "Get up. Hurry back and refine the Soul Origin. Restore your strength as soon as possible so you can help me with my affairs."

Yao Chen hurriedly rose to his feet, bowed to Ling Yuan once again, then transformed into a streak of light and entered the ancient-looking ring, focusing on refining the Soul Origin.

Ling Yuan raised a hand and fired a stream of Dou Qi at the ring, setting down a seal.

After finishing all this, Ling Yuan finally sat down cross-legged, but he did not immediately refine the remaining Soul Origin.

First, even if he refined all that remained, it would not be enough for him to break through to the middle stage of the Spirit Realm. Rather than waste it, he might as well save it for later.

Second, he feared that if his soul improved too quickly, it might produce side effects and instead affect his future cultivation.

Ling Yuan put away the Soul Origin, closed his eyes, and began circulating his cultivation method, concentrating on cultivating his Dou Qi.

He planned to stabilize his current Dou Qi realm first. Once he returned to the Ling Clan, he would consult his father.

There was no reason not to ask a late-stage Six-Star Dou Sheng for advice.

Improving one's soul was difficult for others, but for Ling Yuan, it was no great challenge.

Not to mention that he could rob the Soul Hall for all its Soul Origin, the Ling Clan itself was wealthy and deeply established. The clan possessed plenty of medicinal ingredients and pills that could improve the soul.

Moreover, in his memories, the Ling Clan also possessed an inheritance treasure ground specially used to improve the soul. Cultivating within it could rapidly raise one's soul realm.

The Ling Clan was not the only one with such a treasure ground. Every major Dou God Clan basically had its own inheritance treasure ground, though each clan's treasure ground focused on different aspects.

The Ling Clan's treasure ground focused on improving the soul. The Shi Clan's treasure ground focused on tempering the body, making clan members' bodies as unbreakable as steel. The Yao Clan's treasure ground was beneficial for comprehending alchemy and improving one's talent for refining pills. The Yan Clan's treasure ground was exceptionally rich in fire-attributed Dou Qi, making it suitable for Yan Clan descendants to cultivate. The Lei Clan's treasure ground was the Demon Lightning Pool...

These Dou God Clans had remained standing on the Douqi Continent for thousands of years not only because of their Dou Di Bloodline, but also because of such foundations.

With the support of his clone and abundant cultivation resources, Ling Yuan was essentially cultivating at double speed with cheats, his Dou Qi rapidly increasing.

At the same time, in Wutan City thousands of miles away, Xiao Yan sat in the courtyard of the Xiao Clan residence with a face full of worry. Sitting on the stone steps with his chin propped in both hands, his brows were tightly furrowed, and his mind was filled with the coming coming-of-age ceremony a few months away.

The Xiao Clan had clear rules: when clan descendants came of age, they had to reach the eighth stage of Dou Qi. If they failed, they would be assigned to one of the clan's shops to help manage its business and would no longer have the chance to focus solely on cultivation.

Xiao Yan knew that his father, Xiao Zhan, was the current clan leader of the Xiao Clan. Given Xiao Zhan's status, even if Xiao Yan failed to reach the eighth stage of Dou Qi, making an exception and allowing him to remain in the clan to continue cultivating would not be difficult.

But he was unwilling to accept that.

His cultivation had stagnated for years before, leaving him stuck at the third stage of Dou Qi and making him the target of ridicule within the clan. Xiao Zhan had lost plenty of face because of him.

Now that he had finally resumed cultivation, if he still failed to meet the requirements at the coming-of-age ceremony, then even if Xiao Zhan made an exception to protect him, he would inevitably be pointed at and criticized again. He would make his father lose face once more.

But reality was cruel. He had only recently resumed cultivating and was still at the third stage of Dou Qi, a full five realms away from the eighth stage.

Trying to break through five realms in just a few months was simply a fantasy. It was completely unrealistic.

"Brother Xiao Yan, are you worried about the coming-of-age ceremony in a few months?"

A clear and gentle voice suddenly rang out. Gu Xun'er skipped over in a pale purple dress, a sweet smile on her face.

Xiao Yan raised his head. When he saw Gu Xun'er, the worry on his face faded somewhat.

He nodded. Not bothering to hide his thoughts, he sighed again, his tone carrying a hint of bitterness.

"Yes. There are only a few months left before the coming-of-age ceremony. I'm only at the third stage of Dou Qi right now, so I can't possibly reach the eighth stage. I'm afraid I'll make Father lose face again this time..."

"Brother Xiao Yan, don't worry. I have a pill here that can help you quickly reach the eighth stage of Dou Qi, so you won't have to worry about the coming-of-age ceremony anymore."

As she spoke, she brought out the hand she had hidden behind her back. Resting in her palm was a small and exquisite jade bottle carved with simple patterns, and a faint medicinal fragrance could be smelled from it.

"Ta-da~ This is the Foundation Establishment Pill. Unlike ordinary pills, it is specially used to assist those in the Dou Qi stage in breaking through realms. It can quickly stabilize your foundation and raise your Dou Qi. It is perfect for you."

Gu Xun'er shook the jade bottle in her hand, her tone carrying a few traces of pride.

Yao Chen had been taken away by Ling Yuan, and the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid was gone. Yet Xiao Yan still had Gu Xun'er by his side.

Without Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid, there was still the Foundation Establishment Pill.

Xiao Yan was deeply puzzled. "Xun Er, I remember that when those in the Dou Qi stage absorb Dou Qi, they cannot use pills. Otherwise, it will affect their future cultivation and may even leave hidden dangers. Can this Foundation Establishment Pill really be used?"

"Brother Xiao Yan, this Foundation Establishment Pill is different from other pills. Its medicinal properties are very mild. It will not disrupt the Dou Qi in your body; instead, it can help you absorb Dou Qi better and stabilize your realm. Even those in the Dou Qi stage can use it without worry. There will not be any hidden dangers."

In the end, in order to keep his father from losing face again, Xiao Yan still chose to accept the Foundation Establishment Pill Gu Xun'er gave him.

Without Yao Chen, Xiao Yan had no choice but to start living off a woman.