Taking a Disciple

"Master!" Little Dugu Yan knelt down decisively and kowtowed to Qingxi.

"Have you thought it through?" A faint smile appeared on Qingxi's face.

"Yes, from now on you are my master! Master, please accept your disciple's kowtow." Dugu Yan said, moving to kowtow to Qingxi again.

"Don't be in such a hurry to apprentice. Cultivating immortality requires talent and spiritual roots. I will test your spiritual roots first; if you qualify, it won't be too late to apprentice. Otherwise, I will erase your memory of today." Qingxi raised her hand slightly, and a formation manifested beneath Dugu Yan's feet. Multicolored lights emerged around her, filled with strange, glowing characters.

Dugu Yan felt that everything before her was incredibly novel. She had never seen such things before, and this existence beyond common sense captivated her deeply.

After a while, the surrounding lights vanished one by one, leaving only two rays: one white and one cyan.

Qingxi waved her hand, extinguishing the formation beneath Dugu Yan's feet, and the two rays of light drifted toward her automatically.

"Master, how is it?"

"Dual Wood and Wind spiritual roots. Very good. Your aptitude is top-tier." She was slightly surprised.

She had assumed that in a different world, spiritual roots would not exist here.

Unexpectedly, not only did she possess dual Wood and Wind spiritual roots, but her aptitude was also quite impressive.

"I will pass on two techniques to you: 'Wind Control Technique' and 'Azure Wood Heart Method.' Oh, right, since you practice poison, here is the 'Shennong Herb Classic.' Learn that as well."

"Additionally, this is a body-tempering prescription. Find the medicinal ingredients yourself. Remember, you must temper your body before practicing the techniques."

Qingxi pressed her finger to Dugu Yan's forehead, not caring whether the girl understood; she simply shoved all the information into her mind at once.

"Qi Refining... Golden Core..." Dugu Yan felt dizzy, her mind suddenly flooded with so many characters that she couldn't even process them all.

"Alright, go digest the information yourself. First, eat this." A drop of translucent green liquid condensed at her fingertip and was pushed toward Dugu Yan.

"Oh." Dugu Yan stood stunned for a moment before opening her mouth to swallow the liquid.

"Master, what is this?"

She felt a warm sensation spreading throughout her body, emitting heat, and it felt incredibly comfortable.

"Origin Spirit Liquid. It can purge the potent toxins from your body and even grant you immunity to all poisons." Qingxi immediately condensed another drop, stored it in a porcelain bottle, and tossed it to Dugu Yan. "This drop is for your grandfather. Tell him to stop plotting against me, or I'll give him a beating!"

Dugu Yan caught it in a panic, her face filled with confusion. "What poison? Master, are you saying I'm poisoned? How is that possible? Our Dugu family are masters of poison for generations; how could we..."

She looked at her master's expression, and her voice gradually trailed off.

Judging by her master's expression, she didn't seem to be lying.

"Ask your grandfather yourself. First, absorb the spirit liquid; I will protect you."

"Oh." Dugu Yan sat cross-legged, slowly closing her eyes as two yellow spirit rings unfolded around her.

Qingxi's gaze fell upon the garden of Strange Flowers, as if searching for something. After a while, she beckoned with her hand, and a flower as bright as blood drifted over—it was the "Blood-Colored Swan Kiss."

Its function was to increase vitality, but it was incredibly toxic, capable of amplifying the toxins within a body a thousandfold.

Though it was extremely poisonous, for a little girl who had already consumed the Origin Spirit Liquid, it was the best possible immortal herb.

Seeing that the spirit liquid had been mostly absorbed, Qingxi tossed the Blood-Colored Swan Kiss in front of Dugu Yan. "Come, absorb this as well."

A long time passed, and the sun began to set. During this time, Dugu Bo had even come to deliver a meal, but seeing that Dugu Yan was nearly finished absorbing, Qingxi had long since retreated back into the Strange Flower.

She had discovered that cracks were appearing in her own Golden Core.

"Master! Master!"

"What is it!" Qingxi opened her eyes amidst a flurry of shaking to see the little girl looking at her with a bright, awakened expression.

"Well? Are you finished absorbing?"

"Look at the changes in me." Dugu Yan spun around, looking as if she were waiting to be praised.

"What?" Qingxi frowned slightly and inspected the little one's meridians. They were indeed much sturdier and more open than before. The toxins in her body had been completely cured, and with the effects of the Blood-Colored Swan Kiss, it would be no exaggeration to say her future progress in poison would be rapid.

"I'm a level 35 Spirit Grandmaster now! I jumped fourteen levels in one night! I've never encountered anything like this before."

"Naturally. With the spirit liquid combined with a ten-thousand-year 'Blood-Colored Swan Kiss,' it would be strange if there weren't any changes. Keep working hard. I need to continue cultivating and strive to take human form as soon as possible. Oh, and next time, have your grandfather bring some history books about the Douluo Continent so I can study them."

"Alright, Master. But Master, aren't you already able to take human form?"

"This is just a soul state; I am still far from true incarnation." Qingxi yawned. "I am going to enter a deep sleep for a while. Just leave the books to the side."

"Yes, yes! I'm going to find my grandfather now. I'll try to have my third spirit ring by the time I come back." Dugu Yan was excited; she couldn't wait to share the news with her grandfather.

"Remember, keep our affairs a secret." Qingxi watched the little girl run off into the distance and shook her head slightly. "So impulsive..."

Yet, the scene before her felt somewhat familiar.

To be honest, Qingxi quite liked this little girl; looking at her was like seeing herself from years ago.

Youthful and reckless, a spirited, high-spirited youngster.

For the next period, Qingxi remained in a state between dreaming and waking. She felt weak, and the Golden Core within her was no longer fusing, with several more cracks appearing.

Occasionally, when she woke up, the little girl was gone, leaving only a letter saying that the academy had started and that she had finished her body tempering a while ago. She said she was afraid Qingxi would be lonely, so she left Xiao Jiu to keep her company and promised to return when she was on break.

Beside her lay a thick stack of books, already covered in dust.

Qingxi spent nearly a day understanding this world. It was an era where spirit masters flourished.

First, one awakens a martial soul, followed by innate spirit power, and then one climbs upward through cultivation. Every ten levels constitute a stage, divided into: Spirit Scholar, Spirit Master, Spirit Grandmaster, Spirit Elder, Spirit Ancestor, Spirit King, Spirit Emperor, Spirit Sage, Spirit Douluo, and Titled Douluo.

Any Title Douluo at level ninety or above can choose their own title.

Those from level ninety-one to ninety-five are ordinary Title Douluo.

Those from level ninety-six to ninety-eight are Peak Douluo.

A soul power of level ninety-nine is a Limit Douluo. Such individuals are almost legendary existences throughout the entire Douluo Continent.

As for the acquisition of soul rings, they are obtained by hunting soul beasts.

What Qingxi found even more bizarre was that, according to the records of people in this world who had cultivated until now, the maximum lifespan was only a little over two hundred years, belonging to a level ninety-nine Limit Douluo.

Beyond that, there were no records once one reached level one hundred.

She felt puzzled; the lifespan of mortals was unexpectedly so brief.

In her world, cultivation was for longevity and freedom, and it was not strictly necessary to attain some broken godhood.

Throughout the long passage of time, despite natural selection, the human race had never been wiped out, constantly striving to become stronger since ancient times...

The Qi Refining stage involves gathering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; once spiritual energy enters the body and transforms into spiritual power, the dantian becomes gaseous, allowing for the initial mastery of techniques and divine sense.

In the Foundation Establishment stage, the dantian becomes liquid, divine sense multiplies, one can abstain from grains, fly on swords, and live for over three hundred years.

In the Core Formation stage, the liquid elixir transforms into a core, granting a lifespan of five hundred years.

The Golden Core stage can break the thousand-year limit.

The Nascent Soul stage grants a lifespan of two thousand years.

The Soul Division stage grants a lifespan of five thousand years.

The Integration stage breaks ten thousand years, the Mahayana stage grants fifty thousand years, and the Tribulation Transcendence stage grants a lifespan equal to heaven and earth.

Not to mention the realms of Immortals and Great Luo Golden Immortals that follow... at that point, one can roam beyond the three realms, unbound by the laws of nature.

She saw the possibility of immortal cultivation in Dugu Yan, yet in ten thousand years, not a single person had created such a cultivation system.

As for the Ten Core Competitiveness Theories.

Qingxi's gaze lowered, falling upon the book she had been using as a footrest, and she kicked the book into the Fire Attribute Spirit Pool.

"What kind of nonsensical garbage is this, to have the nerve to poison my eyes."