[Fifth-Grade · Marrow-Washing Cold Spirit Elixir]

That night.

Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on his bed. The half-bottle of Foundation-Building Spiritual Liquid was giving off a faint glow.

"You're betting that I can win it back in three years... Elder Xiao, I, Xiao Yan, won't let you down."

Xiao Yan took a deep breath, tipped back his head, and drained the bottle of Foundation-Building Spiritual Liquid in one gulp.

In an instant.

A warm current surged into his limbs and bones like a tidal wave.

Wherever that current passed, the meridians that had been blocked for years showed faint signs of loosening. Deep within his dantian, the long-dormant Dou Qi seemed to have received some sort of summons and began to churn and roil madly!

"This power..."

Xiao Yan's pupils constricted as he felt the earth-shaking changes within his body, his face full of shock.

The bottleneck that had kept him stuck at the third stage of Dou Qi for so long collapsed with a thunderous crash like a burst dam!

Streams of pure Dou Qi poured from his dantian, scouring every inch of flesh and every meridian in his body. The sensation of transformation made his scalp tingle.

"I'm about to break through!"

Xiao Yan was overjoyed. He hurriedly steadied his mind and guided the surging Dou Qi to wash through his meridians again and again.

Over the course of the night, his aura rose steadily.

Fourth stage of Dou Qi!

Fifth stage!

Sixth stage... At last, an invisible shackle was violently shattered, and an entirely new power erupted from within him!

Dou Zhe!

A realm countless people could not reach even after years of painstaking cultivation—yet he had crossed into it overnight!

Outside the small house, moonlight shone like silver.

Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes, feeling the abundant power within him. His eyes were filled with disbelief.

He lowered his head and stared at his palm, murmuring softly, "Dou Zhe... I really... broke through to Dou Zhe again?"

He stared blankly out the window, suddenly recalling Xiao Chen's faith in him during the day. His heart abruptly warmed.

He had thought it was merely a word of comfort from an elder, but he had never expected that bottle of spiritual liquid to truly become the key to breaking through his bottleneck!

"Uncle Xiao... I'll remember this favor!"

At the very moment Xiao Yan broke through.

On the other side of the Xiao Clan.

Xiao Chen was sitting cross-legged on his bed with his eyes closed when a cold mechanical voice suddenly exploded in his mind.

"Ding! Angel Round investment settlement in progress..."

"Investment target: Xiao Yan (Destined Fate · Rainbow-Gold Fortune)"

"Investment item: Grade Two · Foundation-Building Spiritual Liquid ×1"

"Item grade: Mid Grade Two"

"Fortune coefficient: Rainbow-Gold Fortune—hundredfold critical hit triggered!"

"Settlement result: 100x critical hit! Returned [Grade Five · Marrow-Washing Frost Spirit Pulp] ×1!"

"Return description: Marrow-Washing Frost Spirit Pulp, a Grade Five spiritual liquid. It can cleanse the marrow and temper the meridians, rebuilding one's foundation. Its medicinal power is so domineering that it can completely transform a Dou Zhe!"

Boom!

Xiao Chen's eyes flew open, a sharp light flashing within them!

"Grade Five... This is a treasure capable of completely transforming a Dou Zhe!"

Xiao Chen forcefully suppressed his excitement and carefully took the bottle of Marrow-Washing Frost Spirit Pulp from the system space.

The bottle contained roughly half a bottle of milky-white spiritual liquid. It faintly exuded a bone-chilling coldness; even through the bottle, he could sense the frighteningly pure medicinal power within.

"Good stuff, truly good stuff..."

Xiao Chen swallowed, a trace of resolve flashing through his eyes.

Although the original owner of this body was nominally an elder of the Xiao Clan, his cultivation was only One-Star Dou Zhe. In Wutan City, he was less than nothing.

Now that he had this bottle of Marrow-Washing Frost Spirit Pulp, it was the perfect chance for him to undergo a complete transformation!

He immediately got up and slipped into the crude alchemy room in the back courtyard. He carefully poured the Frost Spirit Pulp into a medicinal furnace, added several warming herbs, and used Dou Qi to activate the medicinal power, refining the entire furnace of spiritual liquid into a gentler medicinal bath.

The next moment, he removed his clothes and submerged himself in the scalding medicinal bath.

Hiss—!

Xiao Chen sucked in a sharp breath as an agonizing pain of ice and fire instantly swept through his entire body.

The medicinal power of the Marrow-Washing Frost Spirit Pulp was so overbearing that it made his scalp go numb, as though it intended to crush and recast every inch of his bones and flesh!

Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his forehead. His face twisted from the agony, yet his eyes remained fixed with determination.

"What does a little pain matter... Compared to becoming stronger, this is nothing!"

"I'm a man!"

"A man!"

Xiao Chen gritted his teeth and endured, guiding the icy medicinal power to scour his meridians and dantian over and over.

The Dou Qi that had lain dormant in his body for years now churned wildly as if gunpowder had been ignited.

One-Star Dou Zhe!

Four-Star Dou Zhe!

Six-Star Dou Zhe...

Over the course of one night, his aura rose step by step, as though no bottleneck could halt his advance!

When the eastern sky began to pale, Xiao Chen suddenly opened his eyes in the medicinal bath.

A dense wave of Dou Qi, nearly tangible, erupted violently from within him, making the entire alchemy room tremble slightly!

"Dou Zhe... Peak!"

Xiao Chen looked down at his long, powerful hands, feeling the surging power within him that seemed ready to overflow. A satisfied smile slowly spread across his lips.

Overnight, he had soared from One-Star Dou Zhe straight to Dou Zhe Peak!

If word of such a rate of improvement got out, it would be enough to shake all of Wutan City!

He slowly rose to his feet, his joints cracking in a crisp series of pops, as though his entire body had been remade.

His skin was lustrous as jade, faintly carrying a warm sheen.

His aura was deep and restrained, yet it gave off an unfathomable sense of pressure.

Even standing there with his hands behind his back, he faintly possessed the bearing of an expert.

"System-produced goods truly are premium!"

Xiao Chen smiled faintly, casually flicked his wide sleeve, and stood in the courtyard with his hands behind his back.

Though his realm had not risen by an especially great amount, his physical aptitude had improved enormously.

Put another way.

The old Xiao Chen had been a D-rank White Card, while the current him was a B-rank Blue Card!

Just then.

A servant responsible for delivering breakfast entered the courtyard carrying a food box. The moment he looked up and saw the figure standing there with his hands behind his back, he froze.

That man's aura was as deep as an abyss, his skin as lustrous as jade. Every gesture seemed to carry an indescribable pressure.

Was this really the inconspicuous branch elder from before?

"E-Elder Xiao... Your cultivation..."

The servant gaped in shock, nearly dropping the food box in his hands.

"Hmm?"

Xiao Chen turned around and gave him a casual glance.

"What about my cultivation? I merely slept well last night and woke up feeling refreshed."

"Y-Yes... This lowly one spoke out of turn, spoke out of turn!"

The servant hurriedly lowered his head and dared not look again. He set down the food box in a fluster, then ran out of the courtyard as fast as he could.

Xiao Chen watched his fleeing back.

Naturally, he knew that the enormous change in his aura—from One-Star Dou Zhe to Dou Zhe Peak overnight—could not be hidden from those who saw him every day.

However, he had no intention of deliberately concealing it.

Sometimes, being suitably unfathomable would instead help him establish a foothold in the Xiao Clan.

"Let it spread. Let those people who gossip behind my back know that this branch elder of the Xiao Clan isn't someone they can afford to provoke."

"Xiao Yan, you broke through to Dou Zhe, while I broke through to the peak."

"We both have bright futures ahead of us!"