Douluo Traversal: I Pull Out a Dou Technique, and You Don't Explode?

Jia Xingtian prepared a cup of tea for Liu Bai.

"Come, have some tea first. It couldn't have been easy staying in seclusion for so long."

Liu Bai downed it in one gulp.

Yao Ye took out a plate of pastries from the side.

"Little Bai, your strength has improved far too quickly. I'm so much older than you, yet you've left me far behind. When I first met you, you were only a little Dou Zhe, but now you're already a powerful Dou Ling in your own right. Really..."

Liu Bai smiled faintly.

"Yao Ye, stop teasing me. Without your help, how could I have improved so quickly?"

Over the years, whenever he needed anything for cultivation, Jia Xingtian and Yao Ye would prepare it for him immediately. The medicinal baths had never stopped for years, either.

Without those resources, if he had cultivated step by step on his own, he definitely would not have progressed so quickly.

"Sigh, why speak like strangers when we're family? They're all worthless little things, so there's no need to mention them again, Brother Liu. Speaking of which, now that you've broken through to Dou Ling, what are your plans? Will you continue cultivating in seclusion, or do you want to go out and gain experience? If you want experience, the army would be a fine place."

Jia Xingtian was an old fox. The moment Liu Bai came looking for him, he knew Liu Bai had something to ask. Combined with his recent breakthrough to Dou Ling, he was most likely planning to go out and train.

Liu Bai nodded.

"Elder Jia is right. I do intend to go out and gain some experience, but not in the army. I'm going to the Magical Beast Mountain Range!"

Jia Xingtian frowned.

"The Magical Beast Mountain Range? That's no good place. Magical beasts run rampant inside, and one careless mistake could put you in danger."

Liu Bai shook his head gently.

"Elder Jia, don't worry. With my current strength, as long as I don't venture too deep into the Magical Beast Mountain Range, those low-tier magical beasts in the outer regions can't threaten me at all. Besides, if there's no danger at all, how can one become a true powerhouse? I don't want to become a flower that can only grow in a greenhouse."

"This..."

Jia Xingtian fell silent. Indeed, if one wanted to become a true powerhouse and go farther in the future, life-and-death trials were unavoidable.

If one only cultivated in seclusion, sooner or later they would reach a point where they could no longer advance.

After considering it for a while, Jia Xingtian finally nodded.

"Fine. Since Brother Liu insists, then go. But the journey will be dangerous. You must remember to put your own safety first."

Liu Bai clasped his hands and nodded.

"Understood."

When Yao Ye heard that Liu Bai wanted to go out and train, she was initially worried. But then she thought of his current Dou Ling strength, along with that heaven-defying secret technique. There were only a few people in the entire Jia Ma Empire who could threaten him, so she relaxed. She took a token from her robes and handed it to Liu Bai.

Seeing Ma Qi Again

"Little Bai, this is a token of the Jia Ma Imperial Family. Seeing it is the same as seeing me in person. With it, you can travel freely anywhere in the Jia Ma Empire. It may not be of much help, but it should at least save you some trouble."

Liu Bai accepted it.

"Thank you, Yao Ye."

Yao Ye shook her head gently.

"Why are you thanking me? Haven't you helped me plenty as well?"

When she had first entered the army, many people had refused to accept her because of her identity as a princess. Liu Bai had stepped forward then and helped her establish authority within the army. Now, she was able to fully display her talents. She was exceptionally gifted in both military command and statecraft.

She managed the army in perfect order.

Liu Bai smiled, then rose to his feet.

"Time is of the essence. I'll set off now."

Yao Ye and the others also stood.

"Aren't you going to tell Xiao Yue? She'll be very sad if you leave."

Liu Bai shook his head and said helplessly,

"Forget it. Otherwise, that little girl will make a fuss again. It's not like I'm never coming back. I'll only be gone for a year or two at most. I'll apologize to her then."

Jia Xingtian stroked his beard.

"That's probably for the best. That little girl is especially attached to you. If she finds out you're going out to train for so long, you won't be leaving today."

The three of them then went out. Jia Xingtian and Yao Ye did not return until they had escorted Liu Bai out of the Imperial Palace, while Liu Bai finally embarked on his journey of training.

His first stop would be Bitter Sea Town, the place where he had first arrived.

Green Mountain Town was not far from Bitter Sea Town. He wondered how Uncle Ma Qi and the others were doing now.

Every so often over the years, he had asked people to deliver things to Uncle Ma Qi and the others. He had also asked Yao Ye to look after them a little. They should have been living fairly well these past years.

After several days of travel, he finally arrived at Bitter Sea Town.

The first thing he did was return to Ma Qi's home. Ma Qi was still living in the same house. Although Liu Bai had sent them plenty of money, they had remained in the same place.

They simply no longer had to work as hard as before.

Before he had even gotten close, Liu Bai could vaguely hear the whooshing sounds of fists being thrown in the courtyard.

He pushed open the door.

The sound of the door caught Ma Qi's attention. Turning around, he assumed one of his old brothers had arrived. Instead, he saw a young man who looked sixteen or seventeen, dressed in black and with a face as handsome as jade.

Although they had not seen each other for several years, he recognized that face at once.

"Xiao Bai?"

Liu Bai walked closer.

"What, Uncle Ma Qi? You don't recognize me after just a few years?"

Ma Qi was overjoyed.

"It really is you! Weren't you in the Imperial Capital? Why are you back?"

Liu Bai walked into the courtyard with a familiar smile on his face. "I came out to gain experience and decided to visit you while I was at it. It's been years, but Uncle Ma Qi still looks as impressive as ever."

"Haha, you brat! It's only been a few years, and you're already a head taller than me! The food in the Imperial Capital really does raise people well!"

Ma Qi laughed loudly as he stepped forward and gave Liu Bai's shoulder a hard pat.

He looked Liu Bai up and down. Though he could not tell his exact cultivation level, Liu Bai's calm, restrained bearing, so different from a few years ago, made him understand that the thin yet resilient youth from back then had now grown into a true powerhouse.

It was truly hard to imagine. The child he had picked up from the Magical Beast Mountain Range had grown so quickly. In only a few short years, he had reached heights that they could only look up to.

"So, you're not hauling goods anymore?"

Looking at the simple furnishings in the courtyard and the well-maintained weapons, Liu Bai asked.

"Pah!"

Ma Qi waved a hand.

"You send so many gold coins every year that we can't possibly spend them all. Why would we still haul goods? All that wind and sun, we quit long ago! Me, I'm now a proper peak Dou Zhe!"

As he spoke, he puffed out his chest, pride written all over his face.

"Once I take another step and break through to Dou Master, I plan to start a mercenary group! I'll take a bunch of brothers and roam the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, hunting magical beasts and taking jobs. Wouldn't that be far more impressive than hauling goods? By then, your Uncle Ma Qi will have made a name for himself in Bitter Sea Town!"

Liu Bai could see Ma Qi's cultivation at a glance. He had indeed reached the peak of the ninth star of Dou Zhe, but breaking through to Dou Master would probably not be so easy.

The limits of his talent were there.

Several years of peaceful living and medicinal pill assistance had allowed Uncle Ma Qi to rise from a Seven-Star Dou Zhe to the peak, but for someone no longer young, Dou Master might well be his limit.

Being able to enjoy his later years in peace and start a small mercenary group might be the best ending for him.

"A mercenary group? Not bad. Uncle Ma Qi is still as imposing as ever!"

Liu Bai smiled and played along, sincerely happy for him.

"Of course!"

Ma Qi proudly raised his head, then pulled Liu Bai toward the house.

"Come on, come inside and talk! I'll call Old Wang, Old Li, and the others right away! Your return is a huge occasion. Tonight, we have to drink properly—we're not going home until we're drunk!"

That night, Ma Qi's little courtyard was brightly lit and bustling with noise.

When the old brothers who had once hauled goods with him heard that Liu Bai had returned, they all came rushing over with wine and meat.

These straightforward men gathered around Liu Bai, chattering away as they asked about the Imperial Capital, marveled at his changes, drank deeply, and ate great chunks of meat. Their laughter shook the sky.

Liu Bai also completely let go of his usual composure and immersed himself in that long-missed liveliness and simplicity, as if he had returned to those difficult yet warm days from years ago.

It was not until late at night that everyone finally left to their heart's content.

The next morning, Liu Bai prepared to leave.

He stuffed a low-grade Storage Ring, which he had prepared long ago, into the hand of Ma Qi, who was still somewhat hungover but had insisted on getting up to see him off.

"Uncle Ma Qi, there are some medicinal pills inside. There are first-grade through third-grade pills: ones for recovering Dou Qi, healing injuries, and assisting cultivation. They should be enough to last you a while. When starting a mercenary group, safety comes first. These pills might save your life at a critical moment."

Liu Bai reminded him.

He had refined these pills during spare moments while practicing alchemy over the past few years. Their grades were not high, but to Ma Qi and the others, they were already precious treasures.

Ma Qi held the cool Storage Ring, his eyes reddening slightly.

He knew the value of what was inside, and he understood Liu Bai's intentions even more.

He did not refuse, merely nodding heavily.

"Xiao Bai, thank you! Go out and make your way without worries. Don't concern yourself with things here. Just make sure you stay safe!"

"I will."

Liu Bai patted Ma Qi's sturdy shoulder. Without saying more, he turned and strode away, his figure quickly disappearing at the entrance of the town.

Ma Qi stood where he was, staring in the direction Liu Bai had vanished. Only after a long while did he vigorously wipe his face, lower his head to look at the Storage Ring in his hand, and reveal a gaze filled with both emotion and pride.

"This kid... he's really grown up. And he's flying even higher now."

After leaving Bitter Sea Town, Liu Bai got his bearings, activated his movement technique, and raced toward the neighboring Green Mountain Town.

He remembered that cave was beneath a cliff somewhere in the Magical Beast Mountain Range outside Green Mountain Town.

His figure was like the wind, and before long, he arrived outside Green Mountain Town.