Advancing to Dou Ling! Preparing to Return to Douluo Continent

After closing the door, Xiao Wujiu placed a third-grade Qi Nourishing Powder in his mouth and began meditating, adjusting his condition in preparation for his upcoming breakthrough.

As he breathed in and out Battle Qi, his condition steadily improved. He immediately swallowed the Qi Nourishing Powder and began charging toward the Dou Ling realm!

The pores across his body contracted, locking all the energy within him.

In his inner vision, within the vortex, the fist-sized Battle Crystal resembled a dazzling sun. Its gentle radiance illuminated the entire vortex with exceptional clarity.

As the Qi Nourishing Powder's energy was digested and released, a surge of pure Battle Qi poured into the sun-like Battle Crystal, making it tremble. Then, a humming sound began to echo endlessly within the vortex.

It began to pulse rhythmically like a heart, while the formerly irregular Battle Crystal gradually became as smooth and round as a pearl.

Then, spikes began protruding from the Battle Crystal. Counting carefully, there were exactly nine of them—no more, no less.

Dou Ling, achieved!

As the sea-urchin-like Battle Crystal suddenly shuddered, an immensely powerful wave of energy exploded outward from it!

An overwhelmingly powerful aura spread outward with Xiao Wujiu at its center. Surging Battle Qi swept through the surroundings, instantly reducing the room's furnishings to a mess.

Xiao Wujiu slowly opened his eyes and looked helplessly at the wreckage of his room.

"Good thing there wasn't anything valuable here. Still, I'll have to refurnish this room."

"Forget it. It's already a mess, so a little more won't matter."

As he spoke, he took out a Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pill and swallowed it in one gulp. Two-Star Dou Ling, charge!

In the Xiao Clan's back mountain, Xiao Yan was practicing Eight Extremities Collapse while undergoing Yao Chen's devilish training.

Dull thuds of flesh striking flesh rang out from the forest. Xiao Yan gritted his teeth tightly and groaned beneath the Battle Qi whip wielded by Yao Chen.

"Hmm?"

Yao Chen, who was training Xiao Yan, seemed to sense something. He looked toward the Xiao Clan. Though the energy fluctuation was faint, there was no way he could have sensed it wrong.

Someone in the Xiao Clan had broken through to Dou Ling!

His expression was complicated. He increasingly could not understand Xiao Wujiu, because the only person who could have broken through to Dou Ling at this time was him.

He was only one or two months older than Xiao Yan, yet he already possessed the strength of a Dou Ling and also had the aptitude of an alchemist. Even if Xiao Yan had not had his Battle Qi drained by him, could he have become a Dou Ling by now?

For a moment, Yao Chen did not know whether his choice had been right or wrong.

"Teacher, why did you stop?"

No longer suffering his teacher's whip, Xiao Yan looked back at Old Yao in confusion.

Old Yao looked at the determined youth before him, whose very bones carried an unyielding spirit, and suddenly chuckled.

It was not as though he had never seen someone with extraordinary talent. Perhaps Xiao Wujiu's talent was even greater than "its," but so what?

Compared with talent, what he valued more now was character!

I hope I haven't misjudged this time.

Shaking his head, Yao Chen said, "Nothing. It's just that your cousin has broken through again."

"Broken through again..."

Xiao Yan remembered that Old Yao had previously said his cousin was at the peak of Nine-Star Da Dou Shi. If he had broken through again, then didn't that mean...

Smack!

Another dull crack rang out. Xiao Yan sucked in a cold breath from the pain, doing his part to warm the continent.

"Don't think about that nonsense. Right now, all you need to do is work hard."

"I told you this because I wanted you to take him as a goal and constantly push yourself to improve, not so you could wallow in sorrow over it!"

Yao Chen rebuked him, frowning deeply at Xiao Yan. He was also worried that Xiao Yan might be discouraged by this.

Xiao Yan clenched his teeth, his eyes filled with unwavering determination. After recovering for a moment, he said, "Again!"

His childish face was full of persistence and stubbornness, but Yao Chen inwardly sighed in relief. A gratified smile appeared on his face as he nodded slightly.

Light red Battle Qi shot out from his palm once more!

Another three months passed. Xiao Wujiu woke from cultivation once again. Feeling the surging Battle Qi within his body and the sense of strength filling him, he was intoxicated.

"My Two-Star Dou Ling realm has stabilized as well. I can begin preparing to go to Douluo Continent and find Dugu Bo."

"The matter of Xiao Yan's talent recovering was made public some time ago, when the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid appeared. The timing is just right."

Over these three months, he had cultivated several Xuan-tier Dou Techniques. With his current Battle Qi cultivation, he could now unleash their full power.

At the same time, he had sorted through some Huang-tier Dou Techniques. In Douluo Continent, those would be rare Self-Created Soul Skills. The Huang-tier ones happened to consist of martial arts techniques, while he had removed all those involving attributes.

He had also made ample preparations with his pill reserves over the past three months. He had even prepared three fifth-grade Dragon Strength Pills for emergencies.

Leaving his courtyard, he headed directly for Xiao Yan's separate residence. He remembered Ya Fei telling him that a mysterious alchemist had also purchased a large quantity of medicinal ingredients. After roughly calculating things, he knew that Xiao Yan was preparing to enter seclusion and make a final push toward Dou Qi.

So he headed straight for Xiao Yan's courtyard.

Knock, knock, knock—

"Please wait a moment. I'll be right there."

When Xiao Yan heard someone knocking, he immediately stopped cultivating. After putting on his clothes, he went to open the door.

"Cousin Wujiu?!"

After recognizing the visitor, he hurriedly welcomed Xiao Wujiu inside with great enthusiasm.

"Cousin Wujiu, come in."

After entering the courtyard, Xiao Wujiu did not go into the room. Instead, he sat down at the nearby stone table.

Xiao Yan sat down as well and asked curiously, "Cousin Wujiu, did you come to see me because something happened?"

"There is something, but it isn't urgent. I heard that your talent has recovered?"

Xiao Yan nodded and replied, "That's right. I took an elder alchemist as my teacher, and the problem with my body was resolved."

"An alchemist?"

Xiao Wujiu nodded. Then he took a jade case from his Storage Ring and handed it to Xiao Yan.

"In that case, as your cousin, I should offer something as well."

"This is..."

"Open it and see."

Xiao Yan opened it, and his pupils immediately constricted. "Qi Gathering Powder! No, Cousin Wujiu, this is far too valuable. I can't accept it!"

As he spoke, he tried to return it to Xiao Wujiu, but the latter held it down with one hand, making it impossible for him to move it even an inch.

"Keep it. We're family, and I refined the pill myself."

"If you can, then listen to the matter I want to ask of you."

Xiao Yan hesitated. Accepting it felt wrong, but refusing it felt wrong as well.

Because even without this Qi Gathering Powder, he would not refuse anything Cousin Wujiu asked of him.

"Kid, accept it. This Qi Gathering Powder isn't simple."

At that moment, Yao Chen's solemn voice sounded in Xiao Yan's heart.