Eight-Star Dou Zhe!

In less than a day, he had risen from having just broken through to the strength of a Five-Star Dou Zhe.

Such a terrifying rate of advancement was probably something only someone with a system like his could achieve.

Even Xiao Yan could only gaze up at him in admiration!

Xiao Tianci spent some more time completing this circulation cycle.

By then, his Five-Star Dou Zhe realm had thoroughly stabilized.

Still unsatisfied, Xiao Tianci opened his eyes.

Then, what he saw left him stunned.

If he had not been absolutely certain, he would have thought he had somehow wandered into a forest.

The wooden beams and pillars had actually sprouted buds, while the plants in the potted arrangement not far away had grown wildly.

The flowers had grown more than twice as large as before.

The entire room was filled with the breath of life.

"Though it's a little messy, I still prefer it to how lifeless it was before."

A smile appeared on Xiao Tianci's lips.

He picked up the unfinished copy of Breeding and Postpartum Care of Magical Beasts and continued reading.

As he focused on reading, his experience points steadily increased.

However, Xiao Tianci failed to notice that as his experience points rose, his cultivation technique began circulating automatically under the system's influence.

As azure Dou Qi circulated through his body, Xiao Tianci's strength rose at a rate almost visible to the naked eye.

Before long, he had finished the book in his hands.

Without hesitation, Xiao Tianci went to the bookshelf, randomly pulled out another book, and began reading.

This one seemed to be a novel titled <The Story I Had to Tell About My Snake-People Tribe Sister>.

And so, outside the window, day and night alternated. The sunlight dimmed, vanished, then shone brightly once more.

"Rustle."

Slender fingers turned another page.

Then, only four words came into Xiao Tianci's view.

End of Volume One.

Only then did Xiao Tianci come back to his senses.

Looking at the scorching sunlight outside, he suddenly realized that an entire day and night had passed!

Waves of hunger also rose from his stomach, reminding Xiao Tianci that it was time to eat.

"Sure enough, with my current strength, I'm still some distance away from Bigu."

Xiao Tianci stretched, then rubbed his stomach.

But his hand suddenly froze.

"This is... Eight-Star Dou Zhe? Am I dreaming?"

At that moment, he discovered that his strength had risen again, reaching the level of an Eight-Star Dou Zhe!

"Wasn't it only yesterday that I broke through to Five-Star? How am I already Eight-Star today?"

After coming back to his senses, Xiao Tianci recalled what had happened yesterday and naturally realized that his cultivation technique had circulated automatically while he was reading.

"Does it have to be this absurd?" Xiao Tianci sighed.

If such a terrifying cultivation speed got out, people would probably only look at him as if he were an idiot.

It was simply too fantastical.

Most importantly, his foundation was not unstable in the slightest. On the contrary, it was incredibly solid.

As his physique transformed toward the Azure Emperor Longevity Body, it had also improved dramatically!

Now, with physical strength alone, he could probably utterly crush all sorts of geniuses at the same level!

Xiao Tianci walked over to a wooden post and circulated azure Dou Qi into his palm.

Xiao Tianci suddenly threw a punch.

Bang!

The instant Xiao Tianci's fist struck the wooden post, a flash of azure light flickered across his fist.

Immediately afterward, the exceptionally hard wooden post snapped cleanly in the middle. Its upper half shot away with flying splinters, slammed into the wall, then slid weakly to the floor.

Some splinters even embedded themselves directly into the wall!

Looking at the power of his punch, Xiao Tianci could not help nodding in satisfaction.

This was merely physical strength. If he added the Rolling Stone Fist, its power would likely rise to another level.

Looking down on countless geniuses was no longer empty talk for Xiao Tianci.

What was more, his talent had been enhanced a full thousandfold by the system.

All of this was the foundation of his invincibility!

On the path of cultivation, diligence was certainly important, but talent was the foundation!

If one's talent was insufficient, no matter how diligent one was, the results would only be passable.

But if one's talent was powerful enough, even casual practice could yield results that made others green with envy!

And Xiao Tianci's current talent would undoubtedly make even geniuses jealous!

"Ding. The system has detected that the host has been reading continuously for an entire day and night. This system reminds the host to balance work and rest."

As the system's voice fell, a line of small text appeared on the screen before Xiao Tianci.

Mission: Balance work and rest. Successfully refine a first-grade medicinal pill, the Body Tempering Pill.

Optional: Accept or decline.

Mission reward: Increase knowledge and obtain one thousand experience points.

"Accept!" The instant Xiao Tianci saw the mission reward, he accepted without hesitation.

This single mission offered a full thousand experience points. Only a fool would refuse!

Yet even as he accepted the mission, he felt troubled.

Pill refining.

Since the system had issued this mission, Xiao Tianci undoubtedly possessed the talent to become an alchemist.

But the problem was that he did not have the formula for the Body Tempering Pill, nor did he even have the ingredients.

However, the system solved part of that problem the very next moment.

The panel had already displayed the materials and steps required to refine the Body Tempering Pill.

Moreover, the instructions were exceptionally detailed, detailed enough that anyone who was not an idiot could understand them.

"This system is pretty user-friendly. It actually gave me a pill formula for free." A curve formed at Xiao Tianci's lips.

After all, pill formulas were an alchemist's lifeblood. They could not be bought easily, and alchemists generally would not sell the tools of their trade.

But the next moment, as he looked at the herbs needed for the Body Tempering Pill, his smile turned bitter.

He had no money!

Although the raw materials required for this first-grade pill were nothing rare, they were still beyond what Xiao Tianci, who was utterly broke, could afford.

Even if he could apply for some clan resources, given his current status in the Xiao Clan, there would probably still be a huge shortfall to make up.

It seemed that borrowing money was his only option now!

In an instant, Xiao Tianci had already decided whom to ask.

Because of his talent, he had never had many friends. After both his parents died, the original owner of this body had cut off contact with most people.

Even those of his generation who had once been fairly close to him no longer wanted anything to do with him.

Only one person still had a passable relationship with him.

That person was Xiao Yu.