Sign-in Successful! Dou Wang! Tier 5!

Ruo Lin took a deep breath, suppressing the speechlessness in her heart.

If anyone else dared to speak to her like that, she would have scolded them long ago. But the Ye Xiu before her was a three-star Dou Ling—a fifteen-year-old three-star Dou Ling. She couldn't scold him, and she certainly couldn't beat him in a fight.

"Fine, I'll give it to you," Ruo Lin waved her hand. "Take as much leave as you want."

A genius of Ye Xiu's caliber was someone the academy would be desperate to pamper; let alone taking leave, they would even grant him an exemption from his studies.

She looked at Xiao Yan: "As for you, Xiao Yan, if you can last twenty rounds against me, I'll grant your leave."

Xiao Yan was stunned for a moment, then smiled: "Instructor, you said it yourself."

An incense stick of time later.

In the open space outside the tent, Xiao Yan lay on the ground, drenched in sweat and gasping for air.

Ruo Lin stood nearby, clapping her hands: "That barely counts as twenty rounds. I'll consider you passed."

Xiao Yan gave a wry smile: "Instructor, you are too strong. If you had used your full strength, I doubt I would have lasted even three rounds."

"If I had to use my full strength to deal with a new student who is only a Dou Zhe, how would I ever show my face in the academy again?" Ruo Lin shook her head helplessly: "Since you passed, your one-year leave is approved."

Xiao Yan scrambled up and grinned: "Thank you, Instructor!"

Ruo Lin waved her hand, signaling for him to get lost.

When Ye Xiu returned to the courtyard, the sky was already turning dark.

Ya Fei was sitting on a stone stool in the yard, and she stood up the moment she saw him enter.

"Senior, you're back."

Ye Xiu walked over to the rattan chair and sat down, saying casually: "Have you been here the whole time? Aren't you the chief auctioneer of the Miteer Auction House?"

Pretending not to hear Ye Xiu's teasing, Ya Fei followed him, stood by his side, bit her lip, and asked softly: "Senior, are you leaving?"

Ye Xiu glanced at her and nodded: "Yes, I'm leaving tomorrow."

Ya Fei lowered her head, silent for a moment, before looking up and forcing a smile: "Then Ya Fei wishes you a safe journey, Senior."

Ye Xiu didn't speak; he took several jade bottles from his storage ring and placed them on the stone table beside him.

"Take these."

Ya Fei was stunned for a moment, looking down at the jade bottles.

"This is a fourth-grade Gathering Qi Powder," Ye Xiu pointed to the first bottle. "Once you reach the peak of the ninth stage of Dou Zhi Li, taking this will allow you to break through to a Dou Zhe directly."

He pointed to the second bottle: "This is my own creation, a third-grade Two-Pattern Green Spirit Pill. Once you reach nine-star Dou Zhe, taking this will increase your chances of breaking through to a Dou Shi."

He then pointed to the third bottle, which contained three pills: "These are third-grade Green Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills, also my own creation. At the Dou Zhe stage, each pill you take will raise your level by one star, and there isn't much resistance to them. But you can only use three at most; any more would be useless."

After hearing this, Ya Fei was completely dumbfounded.

She looked at the jade bottles on the stone table, and her eyes slowly turned red.

A month ago, she was only at the seventh stage of Dou Zhi Li, stuck for three years without progress. Now, she would soon be able to break through to a Dou Zhe, and in the future, she would even be able to reach Dou Shi.

And all of this was given to her by the young man before her.

She looked up at Ye Xiu, her mouth opening as if to say something.

Ye Xiu waved his hand: "There's no need for thanks."

To be honest, he didn't have any real feelings for Ya Fei; he was just playing around. However, he would certainly fulfill the promises he had made.

Ya Fei bit her lip, suddenly stepped forward, and hugged Ye Xiu.

Feeling the softness in his arms, Ye Xiu stood still without moving.

Ya Fei held him, burying her face in his shoulder, and said in a muffled voice: "Senior, Ya Fei will remember your kindness for the rest of her life."

Ye Xiu patted her back: "Alright, let go."

Ya Fei released her grip, stepped back, and wiped the corners of her eyes.

Ye Xiu reached out and pulled her waist toward him.

Ya Fei's body trembled, and then she softened into his embrace.

"Let's go inside," Ye Xiu said.

Ya Fei blushed and nodded.

Early the next morning, the sky was just beginning to brighten.

Ye Xiu stepped out of the room and stood in the courtyard, stretching his limbs.

Ya Fei followed him out, standing at the doorway watching him.

Ye Xiu took a few more bottles of pills from his storage ring and placed them on the stone table.

"These are for healing and recovering Qi; you might need them if something goes wrong while you're cultivating."

Ya Fei nodded, remaining silent.

Ye Xiu walked to the door and looked back at her.

Ya Fei stood in the courtyard, watching him with reddened eyes.

Ye Xiu nodded, pushed the door open, and stepped out.

The moment the door closed, Ya Fei's tears finally fell.

One week later.

Qingshan Town.

This was a small town nestled at the foot of the Magical Beast Mountain Range. The streets were bustling with people, mostly mercenaries who had come to hunt magical beasts; they carried weapons and looked travel-worn.

Ye Xiu walked down the street, glancing casually at his surroundings.

The town was not large, consisting of only one main street lined with various shops selling weapons, medicinal herbs, medicinal pills, as well as a few taverns and inns.

He found an inn and rented a room.

Once inside, he closed the door securely and sat cross-legged on the bed.

As soon as he sat down, a voice rang out in his mind.

"Ding!"

"Detected that the host has arrived at the sign-in location: Magical Beast Mountain Range, Qingshan Town."

"Do you wish to sign in immediately?"

The corners of Ye Xiu's mouth curled up: "Sign in."

"Ding! Sign-in successful!"

"Congratulations to the host for obtaining cultivation: Three-Star Dou Wang!"

Boom!

A terrifying aura instantly erupted within Ye Xiu's body.

The power came so fast and so violently that he didn't even have time to react; it felt as if he had been thrown into a furnace, with every piece of flesh and every bone in his body undergoing a frantic transformation.

Dou Qi surged through his meridians like a breached flood, scouring his body over and over again.

In just a single breath!

Dou Wang! Achieved!

Ye Xiu opened his eyes and looked down at his hands.

He clenched his fist, relaxed it, and clenched it again.

The sense of power was more than a hundred times stronger than before.

"Three-Star Dou Wang..."

He muttered to himself, his mouth slowly spreading into a grin.

It wasn't over yet.

A massive amount of information suddenly flooded into his mind, sweeping over him like a tidal wave.

Blood Lotus Pill, Spirit Recovery Purple Pill, Dragon Strength Pill...

Refining techniques, heat control, herb combinations, pill-forming skills...

Everything exploded in his mind, as if he had already spent decades refining Grade Five medicinal pills with expert proficiency.

Ye Xiu took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart.

"Three-Star Dou Wang, Grade Five Alchemist."

He stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open.

Outside was the bustling street, with mercenaries coming and going, their shouts and laughter blending together.

Ye Xiu squinted as he looked toward the distant Magical Beast Mountain Range, where mountains stretched endlessly, shrouded in mist.

"Green Lotus Core Flame..." he murmured, "Wait for me, I'll be there soon."

--

(I've been busy with returning to school and re-examinations lately, apologies.)