Time slipped quietly by as they cultivated, and throughout this period, Xiao Ze remained immersed in his training.
However, he spent more and more time each day helping Xiao Xun'er nourish her meridians.
He was now just waiting for Xiao Xun'er to advance to One-Star Dou Zhe and trigger the tenfold feedback, allowing him to break straight through to Dou Master.
It wasn't that Xiao Ze couldn't break through on his own.
Rather, he was even more eager to experience the Dou Master realm granted by the system's feedback.
Perhaps it would be something unique?
He had also held back his progress before, and in return, he had gained a unique Dou Qi Vortex.
Throughout his cultivation from One-Star to Nine-Star Dou Zhe, that unique Dou Qi Vortex had helped him immensely.
Though his next step would be the usual transformation of Dou Qi into liquid, condensing it into a higher-quality form,
the system might still have a surprise in store for him.
Xiao Xun'er gently breathed out a mouthful of stale air. Her meridians tingled all over, leaving her with a strange sensation.
"Brother Xiao Ze is already at the peak of Nine-Star, with nowhere to release his Dou Qi, so now he has to pour it into me?"
A faint blush colored Xiao Xun'er's cheeks as she spoke, her breath sweet as an orchid.
Ever since Xiao Ze had stabilized at the peak of Nine-Star, he had come to see her every day to help nourish her meridians.
"Getting a good deal and still complaining. You really are something, you little rascal!"
Xiao Ze reached out and pinched Xiao Xun'er's cheeks, tugging them sideways.
He pulled them out of shape, but even so, it was hard to hide Xiao Xun'er's breathtaking beauty.
"Mmm!"
Xiao Xun'er patted Xiao Ze's hand and shot him a glare.
"By the way, after having your meridians nourished for so long, how do you feel now? Is it still helping?"
Xiao Ze stopped messing around, cleared his throat, and put on a serious expression.
"It still helps, just not as noticeably as it did at first. Of course, the stronger my meridians are, the better."
Xiao Xun'er smiled. "Since Brother Xiao Ze has nowhere to vent his Dou Qi, you might as well use it inside me."
"Heh. I would like to vent it, but you couldn't handle it, Xun'er. You couldn't even last more than an hour and a half today."
Xiao Ze teased her. "I've still got more than half my Dou Qi left!"
"Tsk! I have no idea how you ended up with such an absurd amount of Dou Qi inside you. It's practically monstrous!"
Xiao Xun'er sighed as she spoke.
"Does an ordinary Dou Master even have as much Dou Qi as you, Brother Xiao Ze?"
"I think so. In terms of quality, I'm still a little behind a Dou Master. After all, when Dou Qi turns to liquid, its quality undergoes a dramatic transformation."
Xiao Ze nodded. "But in terms of quantity, I should be among the very best even among low-tier Dou Masters."
Xiao Ze said modestly.
The truth was even more outrageous than he let on!
Even so, Xiao Xun'er stared at him in amazement, her gaze repeatedly falling on his lower abdomen.
"Could there be something unusual about your body, Brother Xiao Ze? Some special structure that lets you contain so much Dou Qi?"
"What, are you thinking of cutting me open to get a closer look?"
Xiao Ze covered Xiao Xun'er's eyes, stopping her from staring.
"Wait! Brother Xiao Ze, I think I can feel it!"
The two had been playfully bickering when Xiao Xun'er suddenly spoke up.
"Huh?"
Xiao Ze paused for a moment, then quickly understood what Xiao Xun'er meant.
He had sensed the change in the energy of the world around them.
"Hurry and cultivate. The opportunity won't wait! If you miss it, you'll have to wait a while longer!"
Xiao Ze quickly stepped aside. Xiao Xun'er nodded obediently and sat cross-legged on the stone platform.
Vast amounts of world energy surged toward her, flooding into her body.
"She's about to break through to Dou Zhe. Surely I don't need to teach her what to do?"
Xiao Ze stared intently at Xiao Xun'er. Breaking through to Dou Zhe shouldn't be too difficult for her.
Though breaking through to Dou Zhe was difficult for ordinary people, and they might need to try a dozen or even twenty times,
the breakthrough required condensing a Dou Qi Vortex inside the body.
If the attempt failed, they would fall from the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi to the Eighth Stage of Dou Qi!
Some people bounced back and forth at this stage, up and down like a seesaw, never managing to condense a Dou Qi Vortex.
Naturally, they couldn't break through to Dou Zhe!
Of course, they could also rely on an external aid: an Alchemist's methods!
Qi Gathering Powder could guarantee that a person would condense a Dou Qi Vortex!
In the original story, when Nalan Yanran came to break off her engagement, this Qi Gathering Powder had been part of the compensation!
That alone showed why Alchemists were so sought after and revered throughout the Dou Qi Continent!
It was because the pills they refined had such powerful effects.
Cultivators from the lowest to the highest tiers all needed pills!
Unfortunately, the requirements for becoming an Alchemist were strict, and Xiao Ze's attributes didn't qualify.
All he could do was hope the system would grant him the qualifications to become an Alchemist in the future.
Xiao Ze's thoughts flashed by.
In the original story, Xiao Xun'er seemed to have successfully condensed a Dou Qi Vortex on her first try. It should go smoothly this time, too.
The system had helped Xiao Ze condense his own Dou Qi Vortex. Though he had gained some relevant experience, he felt Xiao Xun'er wouldn't need his help.
With her incredibly powerful background, she should have had every cultivation method, from the lowest to the highest tier, at her disposal.
"If she really struggles, I'll offer her some pointers!"
Xiao Ze thought to himself, keeping a close eye on Xiao Xun'er's progress.
Xiao Xun'er furrowed her brows slightly as she felt the Dou Qi gathering inside her grow too vast to contain.
She knew perfectly well how to condense a Dou Qi Vortex.
She had even read countless classic accounts of people doing it.
The key techniques for condensing a Dou Qi Vortex were already etched into her mind.
Her formidable control, combined with meridians nourished until they were practically unbreakable,
allowed Xiao Xun'er to compress the Dou Qi inside her with abandon, without worrying that she might hurt herself.
Pale, attribute-less Dou Qi flowed through her meridians, then gathered in her lower abdomen.
The pale Dou Qi gradually grew denser, its color deepening until it turned milky white.
With a foundation solid to an absurd degree, astonishing control, and well-practiced technique,
Xiao Xun'er's breakthrough proceeded in perfect order.
Seeing this, Xiao Ze let out a sigh of relief.
"Thump!"
A soft, muffled sound rang out inside her. Xiao Xun'er slowly opened her eyes, which shone brightly as energy gathered within them.
Seeing this, Xiao Ze smiled and congratulated her.
"Xun'er, congratulations. You're now a true Dou Zhe."
[ Ding! Xiao Xun'er's strength has increased, reaching One-Star Dou Zhe! The host has received tenfold feedback! ]
[ Congratulations, host! Your strength has increased to One-Star Dou Master! ]
The familiar notifications made Xiao Ze even more delighted!
"Brother Xiao Ze, I've finally become a Dou Zhe. Now we're at the same level!"
Xun Er happily stood up. She could feel the Dou Qi filling her body, its energy far more terrifying than that of Dou Qi at the earlier stages.
"I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush just yet!"
Xiao Ze smiled and raised a hand, stopping Xiao Xun'er from coming closer and telling her to wait.
As Xiao Xun'er looked on in confusion,
Xiao Ze chose to claim his reward. Vast amounts of world energy began gathering around him.
Feeling the familiar fluctuations of a breakthrough, Xiao Xun'er's mouth slowly fell open!
"Watching you break through gave me some insight, so I'll try breaking through to Dou Master, too."
Xiao Ze smiled, while Xiao Xun'er looked as if she might burst into tears.
"I just made it to the Dou Zhe level, and now you're about to become a Dou Master!?"
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