Dou Zhe, One Star!

Beneath the shade of the trees.

Beside a mountain pool.

Xiao Yan sat cross-legged as a gentle breeze brushed past him. When he finally opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashed from them, dazzling as golden light. Ripples spread across the water around him.

"Phew... The first cycle of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts. I've finally got the basics down!"

Xiao Yan beamed. With the Marrow-Cleansing Pill's help, he had crossed the threshold of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts at last.

The pill's effects had finally settled within him, too.

Cleansing his marrow had been its most basic effect. The layer of black sludge that had seeped from his skin and washed away in the pool told him his aptitude had been transformed from the ground up.

This was no mere return of the gifted boy he had once been. He was now a prodigy with the dormant bloodline of the ancient Xiao Clan, his talent on par with the younger generation of the Eight Ancient Clans!

Xiao Yan clenched his fists. The beginnings of defined muscles showed across his abdomen.

He breathed out slowly, excitement shining in his eyes.

"One-Star Dou Zhe!"

Yes, raising his cultivation was the least remarkable effect of the Marrow-Cleansing Pill. Yet it had lifted him straight from a worthless Three-Stage Dou Qi cultivator to a One-Star Dou Zhe.

He had already closed more than half the gap with Nalan Yanran.

Who knew where the two of them would stand in three years...

This wasn't how reclaiming my peak was supposed to go. Wasn't I meant to cultivate the Flame Mantra first, train like mad in the Magical Beast Mountain Range while applying some mysterious medicinal liquid, then haul the Heavy Xuan Ruler beneath a waterfall there and finally break through to Dou Zhe a year later?

"Tch..."

A smile flickered in Xiao Yan's eyes. He closed his hand, and the Mystic Staff formed in his grip. He swung it twice with a vigorous flourish, hoping to imitate the Great Sage, but nearly struck his own eye.

He put it away sheepishly. He would have to learn some staff techniques first.

"Yan'er, what are you doing here?"

Xiao Zhan flashed into view nearby, worry written all over his face. He checked Xiao Yan from head to toe and only relaxed when he found no injuries. "I haven't seen you for three whole days. I searched the entire Xiao Clan. It was Xun'er who told me you were cultivating on the Back Mountain..."

"Don't worry, Father. I'm grown up now," Xiao Yan said with a smile.

"Hahaha! That's my son!" Xiao Zhan's voice boomed as he patted Xiao Yan's sturdy shoulder. "I knew that business about breaking off the engagement wouldn't crush you. If it comes to that, I'll find you another match. Let that girl go."

"No need. I'd rather focus on cultivation. And Father, I just discovered I can cultivate again..." Xiao Yan grinned and stopped concealing his One-Star Dou Zhe aura.

"..." Xiao Zhan stared at him, stunned.

At last, tears streamed down his face. "Good, good! Heaven hasn't abandoned the Xiao Clan. Yan'er, I'm glad you're back..."

As a Five-Star Da Dou Shi, he knew exactly what that aura meant.

He had waited far too long for this day.

The Xiao Clan's Meeting Hall.

The clan elders had gathered, a pall hanging over them all.

In Wutan City, where the local powers were all small fry, a One-Rank Alchemist could turn everything upside down. Worse, he seemed to have a teacher who might be a Three-Rank Alchemist.

To the Empire, Wutan City was a backwater. Even an Alchemist of any rank was exceedingly rare there.

The city's three great powers had always fought over sales of healing medicines at their Market Stalls. Their customers were Mercenaries who risked their lives every day. The Jia Lie Family's cheaper medicine worked just as well, and that alone had left the Xiao Clan unable to compete.

The Xiao Clan's own Alchemists had been thoroughly outmatched.

"Grand Elder, that fellow's Spring Return Powder is far more effective than the Pills made by our Market Stall Alchemists. Business has been dismal. In just a few days, sales have fallen by half! The Jia Lie Family has taken our customers."

"If this continues, I'm afraid..." the Third Elder said, his voice heavy with distress.

"If there's no other way, I'll assassinate him." A ruthless glint flashed in the Second Elder's eyes.

"No!"

Xiao Zhan led Xiao Yan into the hall and took the seat at its head, his expression grave. "That One-Rank Alchemist must have backing from another power. His teacher might even be a Three-Rank Alchemist."

Alchemists held a lofty position on this continent. Offend one and you stirred up a hornet's nest. The trouble alone could overwhelm you. A Three-Rank Alchemist could call on a few friends and wipe out the Xiao Clan.

Xiao Yan's restored talent delighted him, but it had done nothing to remove the trouble facing the clan.

Since Nalan Yanran had broken off the engagement, quite a few powers seemed to have sensed the Xiao Clan's weakness and wanted to take a vicious bite.

And this was with Nalan Yanran showing restraint. She had not even announced the matter publicly, yet the clan was already in such peril.

"Brother Xiao Yan, where have you been these past few days? Xun'er has been waiting for you to keep our date."

Beside Xiao Yan, a pretty girl in a pale yellow dress leaned closer with a smile and whispered to him.

"Our date..." Xiao Yan paused.

"Don't tell me you forgot, Brother Xiao Yan?" Xiao Xun'er narrowed her lovely eyes and brought her face close to his. She was adorable, though she was trying her hardest to look fierce.

Xiao Yan could not resist reaching out to pinch her cheek.

"..."

The room fell quiet.

The Xiao Clan elders stared at the childhood sweethearts, speechless. Then Xiao Zhan barked, "Get out!" and drove them both from the hall.

"How could I forget? I'll take you around town tomorrow." Xiao Yan strolled along with his hands behind his head, a twig plucked from a nearby locust tree between his teeth.

"So Brother Xiao Yan didn't forget after all..." Xiao Xun'er said with a bright smile.

"But you don't seem very concerned about the clan's current crisis."

"Because it isn't much of a crisis." Xiao Yan smiled.

"I could ask you to deal with that One-Rank Alchemist, but killing him would be the crudest solution. It would only cause more trouble later."

"The best way is to crush him at what he does best: alchemy."

"..."

Xiao Xun'er froze for a moment. She looked at the spirited Xiao Yan beside her, stars seemingly reflected in her beautiful eyes. "Brother Xiao Yan..."

You really are becoming more and more mysterious.

But you're still the same Brother Xiao Yan I knew back then.

Ling Ying had reported everything that happened three days ago to her, word for word. The mysterious old man in the Storage Ring was no ordinary figure. With just a few words, he had helped Ling Ying break through and had even changed his aptitude.

According to Ling Ying, the bottleneck holding him back from Dou Zong had shattered. His cultivation, once at a standstill, was soaring again. He might even reach Dou Zun!

With an old monster like that helping you, Brother Xiao Yan, you'll be able to protect Xun'er one day, won't you?