"Yanran, what did you say? A Seven-Star Dou Shi?" Nalan Jie's expression immediately froze when he heard it. He could hardly believe his own ears.
Nalan Su felt as if he had been struck by a bolt from the blue upon hearing the news.
If the one betrothed to Yanran back then had been Xiao Ze, the fourth young master of the Xiao Family, that would have been wonderful. There would not have been this matter of breaking off the engagement now.
Nalan Su was not the only one thinking this way. How could Nalan Jie not have thought the same?
Even Nalan Yanran herself shared that very thought.
Xiao Ze's cultivation talent was simply astonishing!
Even Nalan Yanran, who had always been accustomed to being a favored daughter of heaven, could not help but feel sincere admiration.
Otherwise, with her proud nature, she would not have so easily conceded to a boy her own age.
Yun Yun said, "Never mind. I had originally thought that if such a talented young man could join our Misty Cloud Sect and receive proper training, perhaps we could cultivate a powerful expert for the sect."
"But since he thinks so little of our Misty Cloud Sect, and even looks down on me, Yun Yun, as a teacher, then forget it."
Nalan Yanran had not finished speaking just now.
Now, she added, "Teacher... Xiao Ze seems to be an Alchemist as well."
Yun Yun's expression was once again filled with shock, as were Nalan Su and Nalan Jie beside her.
"What? An Alchemist? At such a young age, he has already become a first-grade Alchemist?"
Nalan Yanran replied, "He seems... to be a Tier 3 Alchemist."
"Tier 3!!!"
Countless shocked cries suddenly rang out within the Misty Cloud Sect.
A teenage boy was not only a Seven-Star Dou Shi, but also a Tier 3 Alchemist.
Yun Yun had never heard of such talent in all her years in the Jia Ma Empire.
She suddenly wanted to meet Xiao Ze, whom Yanran had mentioned, in person and see whether he truly possessed the Tier 3 alchemy ability Yanran described at such a young age.
Naturally, Xiao Ze knew nothing about what had just happened at the Misty Cloud Sect.
For the next few days, he cultivated within the family.
Then, one evening, Xiao Ze looked at the system panel, where a random mission had been issued.
[Current Mission: Help your father, Xiao Zhan, increase his strength by one star and unlock the main storyline: Revitalize the Xiao Clan.] [Reward: Eight-Star Dou Shi realm.] [Accept mission? Please choose.]
Not to mention that completing the mission would grant him a one-star increase in strength and allow him to advance to an Eight-Star Dou Shi.
Even without any mission reward, Xiao Ze would still have been willing to help his father, Xiao Zhan, improve his strength.
Xiao Zhan was currently a Five-Star Grand Dou Shi. After all these years, he had made little progress and had already entered a bottleneck.
At a time like this, if he had profound Dou Techniques and cultivation methods—
Along with medicinal pills as support, he could break through that threshold.
Yet after so many years—
The Xiao Family, in the tiny backwater that was Wutan City, had no resources or medicinal pill support.
As the clan leader, Xiao Zhan naturally had little chance of breaking through or improving.
Thus, his strength had remained stagnant until now.
Speaking of this, Xiao Ze could not help but viciously disdain Gu Yuan, the Ancient Clan's clan leader, in his heart.
If only Gu Yuan had taken out a few scraps that no one in the Ancient Clan cultivated and given them to the Xiao Family, Xiao Zhan, as clan leader, would not still be merely a Grand Dou Shi.
Then he could at least be said to have fulfilled Xiao Xuan's request.
The more things were like this, the more Xiao Ze, who was bound to the Xiao Xuan Panel, had to revitalize the Xiao Clan and restore its glory from a thousand years ago.
He would slap that old turtle Gu Yuan hard across the face.
Xiao Ze accepted the system mission, then obtained a prescription from Medicine Elder.
It was a prescription for something called the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill, which could directly help a Grand Dou Shi increase their strength by one star.
However, it was a Fourth-Grade Medicinal Pill. Given Xiao Ze's current alchemy level, he was not yet capable of refining it.
Yao Chen said, "It's fine, little fellow. Your teacher can help you refine this Fourth-Grade Medicinal Pill, the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill."
"However, you are still only a Dou Shi. This Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill is meant to help Grand Dou Shi improve their strength. What do you need it for?"
"I want to help Father improve his strength. He has been stuck at the Five-Star Grand Dou Shi realm for a long time," Xiao Ze said.
Medicine Elder was extremely satisfied when he heard Xiao Ze's answer.
A disciple who understood filial piety and gratitude was countless times better than his eldest disciple, Han Feng.
Moreover, Xiao Ze's talent was so exceptional, including his talent for alchemy.
It had not even been that long, yet he was already able to independently refine Tier 3 Medicinal Pills.
Thinking of this, Yao Chen came to appreciate Xiao Ze even more.
After spending three or four days, Xiao Ze gathered all the medicinal ingredients for the Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill and made a special trip to the Mittel Auction House.
After obtaining the ingredients, he gave them to Yao Chen and had him refine the pill.
When Yao Chen had been alive, he had been an alchemy grandmaster capable of refining eighth-grade medicinal pills.
A mere Fourth-Grade Medicinal Pill was nothing to him. He refined it successfully with ease.
Xiao Ze was extremely satisfied when he saw the Fourth-Grade Medicinal Pill in his hand.
"With this Fourth-Grade Medicinal Pill, I can definitely help Father increase his strength and reach the Six-Star Grand Dou Shi realm."
With that thought, Xiao Ze immediately went to the Xiao Family's inner courtyard.
Upon seeing Xiao Zhan, Xiao Ze immediately said—
"Father, you have been stuck at the Five-Star Grand Dou Shi realm for a long time, haven't you?" Xiao Ze had barely begun speaking.
Xiao Ze sighed. "Yes. Your father has been stuck at the Five-Star Grand Dou Shi realm for a very long time."
"Speaking of which, your brother Xiao Yan being publicly rejected by that girl from the Nalan Family is partly Father's responsibility."
"If Father had been strong enough, that girl from the Nalan Family would not have dared to come to our door and break off the engagement in public. She simply looks down on our Xiao Family and has the Misty Cloud Sect backing her."
Xiao Zhan sighed.
However, when he looked at Xiao Ze before him, his mood eased considerably.
"But Ze'er, you truly comfort Father. I heard from Xun'er a few days ago that your strength has actually advanced to the level of a Seven-Star Dou Shi?"
Xiao Zhan's face was full of shock.
During this period, Xiao Ze's rate of improvement had simply been too astonishing.
It had even exceeded Xiao Zhan's comprehension.
Xiao Ze said, "Father, my strength is indeed at the Seven-Star Dou Shi level now."
Xiao Ze released a trace of his Dou Qi for Xiao Zhan to sense.
It really was the power of a Seven-Star Dou Shi!
Xiao Zhan immediately became excited.
"Hahaha! My son, Xiao Zhan's son, is truly extraordinary! In just over a month, you rose from First Stage Dou Qi to the strength of a Seven-Star Dou Shi. Even among the Jia Ma Empire, or even the Misty Cloud Sect, no outstanding member of the younger generation could improve their strength so quickly."
In his excitement—
Xiao Zhan suddenly noticed that Xiao Ze had handed him a pill box containing a purple medicinal pill.
"What is this?"
Xiao Ze replied, "Father, this is a Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill, a Fourth-Grade Medicinal Pill. It can directly help you increase your level by one star."
"What?!" Xiao Zhan immediately became excited, and he froze.
A Fourth-Grade Medicinal Pill?
Before you continue