Dou Zhe

Hiss!

As the hand seals formed, the surging Dou Qi within Nalan Chenfeng's body seemed to be drawn by some invisible force. Like wind sweeping past, it suddenly rushed back toward his lower abdomen.

The next instant.

All the pale white Dou Qi within Nalan Chenfeng's meridians gathered deep in his lower abdomen. Its color began to change, gradually shifting from pale white to a rich milky white, glowing faintly.

"Compress!"

Nalan Chenfeng steadied his mind and fully activated his soul perception, frantically compressing that mass of milky white Dou Qi.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The milky white Dou Qi immediately resisted fiercely, churning and surging like waves.

Yet before Nalan Chenfeng's soul perception, that resistance ultimately fell short. After holding out for only a moment, the mass of energy began to contract.

However, once the energy had shrunk to the size of a palm, it solidified once more.

"Compress again!"

At this final critical moment, Nalan Chenfeng held nothing back with his soul perception and suppressed it with all his strength once again!

On the Dou Qi Continent, not only could Dou Qi be cultivated, but there was also the mysterious power of the soul. The two complemented each other.

And because he had lived two lives, his soul power was far stronger than that of others at the same level. He had come to this conclusion after comparing himself with several people in the Nalan Clan.

In the blink of an eye,

"Bang!"

A faint muffled sound spread from within Nalan Chenfeng's body, and that stubborn feeling of resistance finally vanished like smoke.

"Phew..."

Nalan Chenfeng let out a long breath. His entire body felt somewhat drained, and his chest rose and fell violently.

Dou Zhe. He had finally reached this step, and he was only ten years old.

On the Dou Qi Continent, the Dou Qi stage could only be cultivated through gradual accumulation, guiding Dou Qi to temper the body. Thus, at this stage, the difference in one's background and faction was minimal.

Something like the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Liquid created by Yao Chen, which could raise one's strength during the Dou Qi stage, did not exist in the Jia Ma Empire.

Therefore, with the talent he had currently displayed, no one in the entire Jia Ma Empire could match him. Even Xiao Yan had only broken through to Dou Zhe at the age of eleven.

Xiao Yan had begun cultivating at four, while he himself had started when he was nearly five. There was also a difference of more than half a year between them.

"A Dou Zhe can look inward..."

After briefly regulating his breathing, Nalan Chenfeng put aside the joy of his breakthrough and sat down cross-legged again. He closed his eyes, and his consciousness gradually sank into his body.

Inner vision was an ability one could only master after reaching Dou Zhe. The stronger one became, the more thoroughly one could perceive one's own body.

At this moment, deep within Nalan Chenfeng's lower abdomen, where his consciousness reached, a palm-sized milky white vortex slowly rotated. Outside the vortex was a layer of milky white energy mist resembling a nebula.

"No wonder it is called Dou Qi before reaching Dou Zhe..."

The corners of Nalan Chenfeng's lips lifted slightly. Although the vortex in his dantian was small, the energy it contained was more than ten times stronger than when he had been at the ninth stage of Dou Qi!

There was an essential difference between a Dou Zhe and the ninth stage of Dou Qi. Only after becoming a Dou Zhe did one cultivate and wield true Dou Qi.

"Go!"

With a slight movement of Nalan Chenfeng's mind, a strand of milky white Dou Qi immediately separated from the vortex and surged through his meridians under the guidance of his consciousness.

"What a wondrous feeling..."

He repeatedly controlled the vortex, making it exhale and absorb Dou Qi. Only after he could operate it freely and sensed the scorching fluctuations within did Nalan Chenfeng stop his experiment and slowly withdraw his consciousness from his body.

The next instant, Nalan Chenfeng's tightly shut eyes snapped open. A faint yellow gleam flowed through his black pupils, lingering for more than ten seconds before gradually fading.

"Phew..."

Nalan Chenfeng moved his lips and slowly exhaled a somewhat turbid breath, his gaze slightly dazed.

"Fire attribute. Not bad at all. I just wonder whether there's even a trace of wood attribute in my body..."

Nalan Chenfeng murmured, sinking his consciousness into his body once more to investigate. Yet after searching for quite some time, he still could not find the trace of wood attribute he had hoped for.

On the Dou Qi Continent, the Dou Qi people cultivated possessed different attributes, determined innately by the soul. Alchemists were a special profession on the continent, held in the highest esteem. Like Dou Qi cultivation, their ranks were clearly divided.

To become an alchemist, one's Dou Qi had to possess both fire and wood attributes, with wood within fire and fire as the dominant attribute.

Although this restriction was not absolute, and some supreme experts could alter it, this attribute combination made alchemy twice as effective with half the effort. It was an essential foundation for becoming a high-tier alchemist.

"Nothing..."

After exploring his body for a long time without finding even a trace of wood energy, Nalan Chenfeng could not help frowning.

"Is the wood attribute temporarily impossible to sense because of the fire attribute, or is there no wood energy at all...?"

Nalan Chenfeng pondered. With a flip of his palm, a strand of faint yellow Dou Qi rose up, carrying a slight scorching fluctuation.

If it was not a balanced dual attribute of fire and wood, then someone who had just broken through to Dou Zhe would find it difficult to sense it for the time being. He would need an alchemist to verify the answer.

Even if he truly had no wood attribute, he would not be especially disappointed. With fire as his primary attribute, becoming an alchemist would be far easier than for those with other Dou Qi attributes.

The fire attribute was uniquely favored. It was the key attribute for becoming an alchemist. Although becoming an alchemist required a trace of wood attribute, fire was the main requirement.

On the Dou Qi Continent, there was no shortage of heavenly treasures that could develop other attributes after birth.

Thus, a person with the fire attribute only needed a trace of wood energy to fulfill the requirement. Compared with people of other attributes, that was already much easier.

"I'll go have Master Allen take a look."

After considering it, Nalan Chenfeng rose, pushed open the door, and headed directly for the medicine hall in the western courtyard.

The Master Allen he spoke of was the Nalan Clan's resident alchemist, a fourth-tier alchemist. With his soul perception, he could easily determine Nalan Chenfeng's Dou Qi attribute.

Nalan Chenfeng passed through several corridors, his steps light.

"Young Master Chenfeng."

The servants he encountered along the way all bowed and saluted him.

Ten-year-old Nalan Chenfeng was two heads taller than he had been four years ago. Though his figure was still somewhat slender, he already had the outline of a youth.

His well-fitted moon-white robe made his whole person appear even fairer and cleaner. There was both a youth's innocence between his brows and a calmness beyond his years.

"Mm..."

Nalan Chenfeng nodded slightly without stopping, continuing straight west.

On the western side of the Nalan Clan stood a quiet, independent courtyard. Above its gate hung a plaque bearing the words "Medicine Hall," its brushwork bold and powerful.

This was the residence of Allen, the Nalan Clan's resident alchemist, and also one of the most heavily guarded places in the entire Nalan Clan.

Before Nalan Chenfeng even drew close, a faint medicinal fragrance washed over him, mixed with the scents of various spiritual herbs. Breathing it in invigorated his mind.

"Young Master Chenfeng."

The two guards standing before the courtyard gate immediately bowed upon seeing Nalan Chenfeng.

"Is Master Allen here?"

Without slowing his pace, Nalan Chenfeng asked.

"Yes. Master Allen has not gone out today."