Advancement, Seven-Stage Dou Qi

Gu Yuan immediately sensed Xiao Fan's presence as well. When he turned around and saw that it was merely a child, he was slightly surprised.

Such a young child already possesses such powerful soul force? Gu Yuan was puzzled. If not for the resonance he sensed from the other's soul, he might have suspected that this child had been possessed.

Following her father's gaze, Gu Xun'er turned back and saw Xiao Fan as well. Her previously distracted eyes trembled, her lips clenched tightly, and her hands curled into fists...

Xiao Fan paid no attention to Gu Xun'er's strange reaction. He was more worried about Gu Yuan, afraid that his secret might be discovered. Yet when he saw the kindly smile on the man's face, Xiao Fan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The Great Elder's weathered face instantly broke into a smile upon seeing him. "Fan'er, what brings you here?"

Xiao Fan no longer looked at Gu Yuan and Gu Xun'er. He cupped his hands toward the Great Elder and said, "Great Elder, I came to ask for some cultivation resources."

Without beating around the bush, Xiao Fan stated his purpose directly. The Great Elder was somewhat surprised and asked curiously, "What stage of Dou Qi are you at now?"

The distinctions between Dou Qi stages were not obvious. Without testing through an instrument, it was difficult to tell at a glance.

Xiao Fan replied, "In reply to Elder, I am already at the fourth stage."

The elders and Xiao Zhan were all greatly shocked. The Great Elder even grabbed Xiao Fan's hand, saying emotionally, "Good, good, good! Fan'er, you truly have not disappointed us."

Gu Yuan also looked at Xiao Fan. Though somewhat surprised, he did not pay it much mind. He had seen far too many geniuses. Even among his own generation, there had been many stronger than him. But in the end, he alone had reached the very end.

After apologizing to the other elders and Gu Yuan, the Great Elder hurriedly pulled Xiao Fan out of the Xiao Family's main hall. After walking for quite some time, they arrived at a courtyard residence, the Great Elder's home.

Before the Great Elder could speak, however, a clear and ethereal voice rang out. "Grandpa!"

The newcomer was none other than the Great Elder's granddaughter, Xiao Yu. Though still young, her slender, long legs could not conceal the promise of beauty she possessed.

Yet Xiao Fan no longer had much impression of Xiao Yu. She seemed to be a student of Jia Nan Academy? But at this age, she probably hadn't gone to Jia Nan Academy yet.

"Hello, Sister Xiao Yu."

"Hm?" Xiao Yu was clearly stunned. "Hey, Xiao Fan, when did you become so polite?"

"..." Xiao Fan had no idea what his personality had been like as a child and could only smile awkwardly.

The Great Elder cheerfully watched Xiao Yu and Xiao Fan, harboring a few private thoughts of his own. Xiao Fan's talent is not bad. If he could get together with Xiao Yu... Ahem.

At that moment, Xiao Yu was tugging at the Great Elder's long, grizzled beard, making him wince in pain.

"Hey, old man, when can I go to Jia Nan Academy?" Seeing her grandfather lost in thought, Xiao Yu was extremely dissatisfied.

"Hiss..." The Great Elder first pushed Xiao Yu away before saying, "To enter Jia Nan Academy, you need at least the Eighth Duan of Dou Qi. You're only at the third stage, not even as high as Xiao Fan. And you still want to enter Jia Nan Academy?"

"What!"

Xiao Yu suddenly cried out, staring at Xiao Fan in disbelief. Her expression practically said, Him? His Dou Qi is higher than mine?

"Yu'er, you should rein in that temper of yours. Always being so Berserk..."

"Who are you calling Berserk?" Xiao Yu was immediately distracted by the Great Elder and loudly retorted.

"Hmph, I'm going to cultivate right now!" Xiao Yu glanced at Xiao Fan before striding away.

Watching Xiao Yu leave, Xiao Fan could not help wanting to laugh. It was not because he was interested in her, but because she reminded him of a certain equally petite, domineering, and unreasonable purple-haired Little Dragon Maiden.

The difference was that when the purple-haired Little Dragon Maiden hit someone, she hit to kill.

"Fan'er, your Sister Xiao Yu just has a somewhat fiery temper. She's actually a very good person." The Great Elder tried to salvage Xiao Yu's image in Xiao Fan's eyes.

"Yes, Great Elder. Sister Xiao Yu treats me very well."

His vague memories gradually became clearer. Xiao Fan recalled that he had once seemed to have offended this older sister and had been chased around and beaten by her, though he had forgotten the exact reason. But later, when Jia Nan Academy recruited students, Xiao Yu had still set aside their past grievances and taken him through the back door into Jia Nan Academy. She had even looked after him greatly for a time at the academy.

Seeing Xiao Fan speak this way, the Great Elder found him even more pleasing to the eye. What did it matter if Xiao Fan was not originally from the Xiao Family? As long as he and Xiao Yu ended up together, would he not become part of the Xiao Family anyway?

He then removed a rather exquisite ring from his hand and gave it to Xiao Fan.

Xiao Fan was startled. Although he knew the Great Elder regarded him unusually well, he had not expected to be valued this highly. He could not help blurting out, "A Storage Ring!"

"Oh? Fan'er knows quite a lot. That's right, this is a Storage Ring. It has followed this old man for several decades. Though its space is not large, only a dozen or so cubic meters, it can still hold most items."

The Great Elder smiled warmly at Xiao Fan. Xiao Fan was truly flattered. Though the space was not large, it was not something the current Xiao Family could casually give away. In a small place like Wutan City, the number of people who possessed Storage Rings could be counted on one's fingers.

Of course, Xiao Fan also understood what accepting this ring meant, but he would not refuse. The Storage Ring would be of great help to him.

Taking the ring, Xiao Fan briefly inspected the items inside. "Medicinal herbs, Magic Cores, gold coins..."

Logically speaking, one should not use external items to accelerate cultivation during the Dou Qi stage, but using medicinal baths to strengthen the body was still quite common.

There were no Dou Skills or cultivation methods, but that made sense. Xiao Fan was only at the Dou Qi stage right now, so how could he cultivate such things? Besides, he did not need cultivation methods or Dou Skills.

"Thank you, Great Elder!" Xiao Fan's gratitude this time was especially sincere.

"Fan'er, cultivate diligently. Your future achievements will certainly not be low. The future Xiao Family will have to rely on you."

Xiao Fan nodded, though he likely would not meddle in the Xiao Family's affairs again. Still, he could save the Great Elder's faction if necessary.

Thinking of how Xiao Yan had always caused one disaster after another in his previous life, only for Xiao Fan to clean up after him, and then disappear for long stretches afterward, Xiao Fan did not even know what to say.

After returning to his secluded little courtyard, Xiao Fan took the Magic Cores from the Storage Ring. Though they were not high-grade, merely first- and second-tier Magic Cores, they were enough for Xiao Fan's current cultivation.

In his previous life, he had taken many detours in his haste to break through to become a Dou Zhe, all because no one had guided him. He had even been so eager for quick success that he left lasting damage in his body. But now, with sufficient energy and experience in breaking through, he could begin from a much higher starting point.

Sitting cross-legged, he formed hand seals with his palms. The Magic Cores were placed beside him. In an instant, they began to tremble continuously as invisible strands of energy slowly gathered, eventually pouring endlessly into Xiao Fan's brow...

The energy within Magic Cores was extremely violent. If one's will was not firm enough, forcibly absorbing the energy contained within them would only result in one's body exploding. This was why Alchemists were needed to refine Magic Cores.

But Xiao Fan was not afraid. The soul power of Mortal Realm Grand Perfection could not be shaken by mere first- and second-tier Magic Cores.

With a muffled boom, all the Magic Cores turned to dust. Their energy transformed entirely into Dou Qi within Xiao Fan's body, and Xiao Fan successfully broke through in one stroke to Seven-Stage Dou Qi, entering the high stages of Dou Qi.