"The Magical Beast Mountain Range. Looks like I'll have to pay it a visit."
"But before I go, I should make sure I'm properly equipped."
"Fighting opponents above your level is thrilling, but if you can crush them with your cultivation, why fight above your level?"
"Only fake geniuses go around shouting about fighting above their level every day. Real geniuses are always one realm above you..."
Xiao Ze opened the system without hesitation.
He casually glanced at his [Trust Points], and a happy smile spread across his face.
[Current Trust Points: 1,000,000]
That's right!
After accumulating points for all this time, he had finally passed the one-million mark!
That was also why he'd felt a sudden urge to give his juniors some pointers today.
One million...
That was a whole million!
In his previous life, the only place Xiao Ze had ever seen that many zeroes was Chengdu.
He swallowed, tamped down his excitement, and slowly opened the [System Shop].
An dazzling array of goods met his eyes.
Without exception, he focused on the items that would help him most at his current stage.
[Azure Underworld Longevity Pill (Sixth-grade): 200,000 Trust Points. Effect: Adds ten years to one's lifespan]
[Bone Shedding Marrow Cleansing Pill (Sixth-grade): 200,000 Trust Points. Effect: Transforms the body and improves one's aptitude]
[Soul Spirit Pill (Sixth-grade): 200,000 Trust Points. Effect: Nourishes and repairs the soul, restoring soul power]
[Purple Gold Underworld-Connecting Pill (Seventh-grade): 500,000 Trust Points. Effect: Greatly improves comprehension]
[Life Devouring Pill (Seventh-grade): 500,000 Trust Points. Effect: ...]
Xiao Ze first focused on the pills.
After all, who could walk the martial world without getting hurt?
A pill that could save your life was worth its weight in gold.
But after browsing through the options, he found that sixth-grade pills were still too expensive. Even the most ordinary sixth-grade pill cost 200,000 Trust Points.
Precious pills like the [Imperial Pole Pill] cost as much as 300,000 Trust Points.
Seventh-grade pills were even further out of reach. At 500,000 Trust Points apiece, he could only afford two with his current fortune. What a profiteering system!
Fifth-grade pills were already enough for a Dou Emperor expert.
Still, having a sixth-grade healing pill would help Xiao Ze avoid plenty of unforeseen mishaps.
So, gritting his teeth, he spent 200,000 Trust Points on a [First-Turn Profound Yellow Pill], said to be capable of bringing the dead back to life and restoring flesh to bare bones.
After that, he bought several other odds and ends that could save his life.
For example, a one-use Teleportation Talisman. Tear it, and it would send him a thousand miles away in an instant.
Then there was a one-use Void-Breaking Talisman. Crush it, and it would greatly increase his flying speed for an hour.
And a one-use Sword Pellet. Pour Dou Qi into it, and it would unleash the hundred thousand sword auras sealed within. Its power was so great that even a Dou Emperor expert would be shredded to pieces.
All told, those items cost him another 200,000 Trust Points.
His Trust Points, which had stood at a million just moments ago, had dwindled to 600,000 in the blink of an eye.
His life-saving items were taken care of.
Yet Xiao Ze still felt somewhat uneasy.
Next, he planned to head to the Magical Beast Mountain Range and find the sixth-tier Amethyst Winged Lion King. According to the original story, the beast was incredibly powerful, with strength comparable to a high-level Dou Emperor.
Even Yun Yun, who had reached Three-Star Dou Emperor, had been beaten so badly that her cultivation was sealed and she was left gravely wounded. That showed just how powerful the beast was.
With his current strength as a peak Four-Star Dou Emperor, Xiao Ze didn't feel very confident.
Besides, the Magical Beast Mountain Range was vast beyond measure. Who knew whether even more terrifying demonic beasts were lurking within?
Xiao Ze wanted to hone his combat experience, but that didn't mean he wanted to walk to his death.
After turning it over in his mind, he ultimately decided to raise his cultivation.
"The Magical Beast Mountain Range is full of danger. With my strength as a Four-Star Dou Emperor, I can't guarantee my safety."
"I need to reach at least the high level of the Dou Emperor realm!"
His cultivation was currently at the peak of Four-Star Dou Emperor. A high-level Dou Emperor meant Seven-Star Dou Emperor, so he needed to advance by at least three minor stages.
"Relying on painstaking cultivation, there's no way I can advance three minor stages."
"Only by using a cheat can I just barely manage it..."
With that, Xiao Ze spent 300,000 Trust Points to buy three [Dou Huang Upgrade Cards] from the System Shop.
"One Upgrade Card raises me by one star."
"Three of them... should be enough to push me to peak Seven-Star Dou Emperor!"
After a major shopping spree,
Xiao Ze's million Trust Points had visibly shrunk.
In the end, only 300,000 remained.
He had no intention of spending those remaining 300,000 Trust Points. He planned to save them in case of an emergency.
"All right, the shopping spree is over."
"Now it's time for some hard cultivation!"
He closed the system.
Xiao Ze held one [Dou Huang Upgrade Card] in his hand and used it without hesitation.
In an instant,
a surging, pure stream of Dou Qi welled up inside him.
As his aura continued to rise, his cultivation advanced at a rapid pace. At last, the realm barrier between Four-Star and Five-Star cultivation crumbled beneath the torrent of Dou Qi.
And he officially reached Five-Star Dou Emperor!
Before long, he had reached the peak of Five-Star Dou Emperor!
"One [Dou Huang Upgrade Card] raises me by one star, and it really does only raise me by one star!"
"Before the breakthrough, I was a peak Four-Star Dou Emperor. Afterward, I'm a peak Five-Star Dou Emperor..."
"Damn, it won't even give me a little extra!"
Xiao Ze rolled his eyes. He'd thought there might be a pleasant surprise.
Maybe using one [Dou Huang Upgrade Card] could break him through two realms or something.
But now all those ideas had been dashed. The system hadn't given him the slightest room for wishful thinking.
He sighed, quickly collected himself, and began his next breakthrough.
Peak Five-Star Dou Emperor...
Peak Six-Star Dou Emperor...
Peak Seven-Star Dou Emperor...
This time, Xiao Ze's breakthrough took a while.
It took him a full week or so to advance from Four-Star Dou Emperor to Seven-Star Dou Emperor.
The change left Xiao Ze surprised.
"Does this mean that as my cultivation keeps rising, the time I need to break through will keep getting longer?" he wondered.
And this was only advancement within the Dou Huang Realm.
What would it be like when he reached Dou Zong, Dou Zun, and Dou Sheng?
Would every breakthrough from then on take even more time?
"Forget it. What's the point of worrying about that now? Borrowing trouble..." Xiao Ze laughed at himself.
He pushed open the doors that had been shut for so long and stepped out into the brilliant sunlight.
The dazzling light fell across him as he stood in the courtyard, savoring the feeling of freedom. The air carried a faint earthy scent, and the Magical Beast Mountain Range stretched endlessly in the distance.
Now, he had everything ready and was poised to set out!
Before you continue