Xiao Ze felt unusually pleased when Xiao Xun'er's gentle, ethereal voice reached his ears.
Fortunately, he had transmigrated early enough to get ahead of Xiao Yan and snatch Xiao Xun'er away first.
He had now bound himself to Xiao Xuan's panel.
Take back everything the Ancient Clan had stolen, restore the Xiao Clan's glory in the Central Plains, and take revenge on that old bastard Gu Yuan.
Those were all things he would need to do in the future.
Xiao Xun'er before him was naturally no exception; he would claim her as well.
After opening the door, Xiao Ze looked at Xiao Xun'er standing before him.
She still thought his strength was at only one stage of Dou Qi. Afraid that he would be discouraged, she had come specifically to comfort him.
"Brother Xiao Ze, come with me to the Xiao Family's Back Mountain. Xun'er has something to tell you."
Xiao Xun'er spoke, then walked ahead, waiting for Xiao Ze to accompany her into the family's Back Mountain.
Although Xiao Xun'er did not want her identity exposed, she had concealed everything about herself all these years.
But when she saw that Xiao Ze's strength had not improved in the slightest after all these years and remained at just one stage—
Xiao Xun'er felt that he could not continue wasting away like this. Once he missed the optimal age for cultivation, perhaps his potential would end there.
So, she planned to have the only Dou Emperor by her side—and the Ancient Clan's only Dou Emperor—inspect Xiao Ze later.
She wanted to know what exactly had gone wrong with his cultivation.
After so many years, he should not have made no progress whatsoever.
But after arriving at the Back Mountain, Xiao Xun'er opened her mouth, originally intending to ask Xiao Ze to reveal his strength and release his Dou Qi.
Xiao Xun'er froze because she discovered that Xiao Ze's strength had reached the seventh stage.
Otherwise, he could not possibly possess such powerful Dou Qi.
"What? Seventh-stage Dou Qi?" Xiao Xun'er's expression was full of shock. She thought she had seen wrong. When had Brother Xiao Ze reached the seventh stage of Dou Qi?
When had this happened? How did she not know about it at all?
Moreover, they had just tested their strength at the family's Testing Plaza not long ago.
He had clearly possessed only one stage of Dou Qi then. How could he now...
Xiao Xun'er's expression was filled with surprise because this had truly caught her off guard.
For his strength to surge so much in such a short time, the only possibility was that he had taken medicinal pills.
But then again, during the Dou Qi cultivation stage, one could not take excessively potent pills. Otherwise, if the body could not digest them, the powerful medicinal effects would harm the user instead.
Xiao Xun'er asked in astonishment, "Brother Xiao Ze, when did you reach the seventh stage?"
Xiao Ze smiled. Before he could speak, Xiao Xun'er said excitedly and happily.
"That's wonderful, Brother Xiao Ze! Xun'er had been worried, but it seems Xun'er's worries were unnecessary."
"Although Xun'er didn't know what had gone wrong with Brother Xiao Ze's cultivation before, causing his strength to remain stagnant..."
"But looking at it now, Brother Xiao Ze's strength and talent are indeed far greater than others'. Xun'er truly did not misjudge you."
Breaking through to the seventh stage in such a short period truly was astonishing.
Even Xiao Xun'er herself, without the Ancient Clan's immense resources and the power of her bloodline, could not have achieved a cultivation speed like Xiao Ze's through her own efforts alone.
[Current mission: Cultivate for one hour.] [Reward: Condense a Dou Qi Cyclone and break through to Dou Zhe.]
Xiao Ze was extremely excited. After transmigrating to the Douqi Continent so many years ago, he and Xiao Yan had shared the same fate and experienced what it truly meant to be trash.
But then again, Xiao Yan had at least risen before three years ago.
Xiao Ze was different. From beginning to end, he had possessed only one stage of Dou Qi.
Only now, after binding himself to Xiao Xuan's panel, did he truly understand just how great the gap between a genius and trash was.
"So I can enter the Dou Zhe realm just by cultivating for another hour?"
Xiao Ze spoke inwardly. As expected of the Xiao Family's ancestor.
Xiao Ze accepted the mission. Looking at Xun'er before him, he said, "Xun'er, stand guard for me. I'm going to cultivate for an hour."
"Alright, Brother Xiao Ze. During this time, I absolutely won't let anyone disturb your cultivation," Xiao Xun'er answered.
Then Xiao Ze sat down and began cultivating. Once he started, he cultivated for a full hour.
During that hour, Xiao Ze's Dou Qi realm continuously rose.
Before long, his Dou Qi realm had already risen to the eighth stage.
"Brother Xiao Ze has reached the eighth stage of Dou Qi?" Xiao Xun'er was astonished.
Just as she murmured to herself, Xiao Xun'er discovered in shock that Xiao Ze's strength was still increasing.
The eighth stage of Dou Qi was not his limit.
Ninth stage.
Peak ninth stage.
After an hour had passed, he began condensing a Dou Qi Cyclone.
"This is..."
Xiao Xun'er's expression was filled with shock. Brother Xiao Ze was condensing a Dou Qi Cyclone? Was he about to advance to Dou Zhe?
Xiao Xun'er could not believe it. It had taken her so many years to go from the seventh stage to the ninth stage, and she had yet to break through to Dou Zhe.
Yet Brother Xiao Ze had done it in just one short hour?
The hour ended.
Xiao Ze looked at the system panel, where several lines of text were displayed.
[Current mission: Cultivate for one hour.] [Reward: Condense a Dou Qi Cyclone and advance to Dou Zhe.] [Reward distributed.]
Xiao Ze looked over his attribute panel and sensed his own strength. Sure enough, he now possessed the strength of a Dou Zhe.
He was no longer in the Dou Qi stage.
Xiao Ze was extremely excited. He was now far ahead of the protagonist, Xiao Yan, having become a Dou Zhe first.
Xiao Ze was thrilled and exhilarated.
He had cultivated for only a little over an hour in total, yet he had already reached such a level of speed.
No wonder Xiao Xuan had been called the number one genius of the Douqi Continent.
A half-step Dou Di!
If not for the Douqi Continent lacking Origin Qi, the essential substance required to advance to Dou Di, he would likely have become a Dou Di a thousand years ago.
The Xiao Clan would not have declined because of Xiao Xuan's death.
After reaching the Dou Zhe stage, Xiao Ze returned his attention to reality.
He looked at Xiao Xun'er's astonished expression and reaction.
Xiao Ze smiled but said nothing.
At that moment, he noticed several lines of text appear on the system panel.
[Current mission: Retake the strength test at the Test Magic Stele.] [Mission reward: Cultivation technique, Burning Art.] [Accept mission? Please choose.]
Before you continue