Xiao Yi Xian: A little wager adds to the fun

"Don't worry. You won't overtake me." Chu Zhou met Xiao Yi Xian's now grayish-purple eyes and smiled confidently. "As the saying goes, sharpening your axe doesn't delay chopping wood. I've only been sharpening my axe so far. My physique hasn't shown its full potential yet."

What was the greatest benefit the Myriad Medicine Clarity Body offered his cultivation?

Naturally, it was the lack of resistance to Pills. He could keep taking Pills that raised his cultivation.

When Xiao Yan entered the Jia Ma Empire's Alchemist Tournament as a seven-star Dou Shi, he refined the Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pill, a top-quality Grade Four Pill whose difficulty approached that of a fifth-grade Pill.

After taking that Three-Pattern Green Spirit Pill, his cultivation rose from seven-star Dou Shi to one-star Da Dou Shi. He then won his first confrontation at the Misty Cloud Sect. Later, after killing Yun Leng during his second visit to the sect, he began his life on the run. Yao Lao helped him refine the remaining medicinal power in his body, raising him from one-star to three-star Da Dou Shi.

When he entered Jia Nan Academy's Inner Academy, he competed against the Medicine Gang's leader as a six-star Da Dou Shi and successfully refined the extremely difficult fifth-grade Dragon Strength Pill.

Yet at that point, Xiao Yan's Flame Mantra had only evolved to the Mid Xuan Tier.

Chu Zhou already had a tailor-made High Xuan Tier Cultivation Technique, had reached the peak of Dou Zhe, and possessed Heavenly Flames that grew alongside his cultivation.

Once he raised his cultivation to one-star Dou Shi, refining Grade Four Pills would be no problem at all, especially with the Myriad Medicine Clarity Body giving him the cheat-like ability to gain alchemy experience simply by eating Pills.

Then, as long as he obtained a Pill Formula for a Pill that directly raised a Dou Shi's cultivation, he could refine and take nine of them to reach Peak Dou Master.

"Let's both try to break through to Dou Shi today and see who's faster!"

Chu Zhou picked up a pastry and popped it into his mouth.

"You're on." Xiao Yi Xian's eyes curved with a smile. "Shall we put something on the line?"

"What do you want?" Chu Zhou asked with interest.

"I haven't decided yet." Various ideas flashed through Xiao Yi Xian's mind before she finally shook her head. "Just agree to one request that won't put you in a difficult position. How does that sound?"

"Sure." Chu Zhou nodded readily. "If I win, you'll dance for me in private, with just the two of us. How about that?"

"I don't know how to dance." Imagining herself swaying before Chu Zhou, Xiao Yi Xian felt inexplicably embarrassed.

"You can learn. That's all I want." Chu Zhou wiped the corner of his mouth. "You're the one who suggested a wager. You're not getting scared now, are you?"

"All right, it's a deal!" Xiao Yi Xian felt her chances of winning were good and immediately turned around. "I'm going to break through right now."

Watching Xiao Yi Xian leave, Chu Zhou smiled calmly and chose to log out of the Dou Qi Continent.

Back in the Blue Star world, he immediately left his study, went to the Central Platform, and leaped high into the air as blue-purple wings of flame appeared on his back.

With a gentle beat of his wings, he shot toward a nearby mountain, leaving traces of fire in midair.

About seven minutes later, Chu Zhou reached a deep valley surrounded by several mountains. He descended like a streak of light and finally came to a stop beside a pool.

The dark, still pool gave off a strange aura. Chu Zhou took a top-quality Grade Two Pill he had prepared earlier out of the Spatial Boundary and flicked it into the mountainside nearby.

The Pill's medicinal fragrance spread. Soon, rustling came from the woods, and a burly silver-furred ape appeared. It leaped between the trees, approaching the Pill by a roundabout route with a shrewd gleam in its eyes.

But when the Silver-Furred Ape reached the mountainside, it scratched its chin and head, sweeping its wary gaze over the surroundings.

Once it was certain there was no danger, the ape pushed off with both legs and leaped high, catching a branch of a large tree. Its weight bent the trunk, carrying it right up to the spot on the mountainside where the Pill lay, and it immediately reached for it.

The instant the ape grabbed the Pill, a massive shadow appeared in the pool below. Water surged skyward, shooting toward the ape like an arrow.

It happened so suddenly that the ape was struck before it could react. The branch it was holding snapped outright.

As the rising water arrow dispersed, the ape lost its support and fell.

Splash!

A curtain of water surged up as a giant crocodile-like beast burst out with its jaws open, snapping at the Silver-Furred Ape.

"Now!"

Chu Zhou channeled Dou Qi into his legs and unleashed Explosive Flame Step, and a sharp sword appeared in his hand.

With a series of explosive cracks, he shot forward as though wrapped in a layer of fire, leaving a trail in midair. In the blink of an eye, he reached the giant crocodile's side.

"Mad Lion's Roar!"

Chu Zhou raised his Longsword, gathering the Dou Qi in his body into his hand and rapidly pouring it into the blade. It condensed at the tip, forming an energy lion's head that seemed to roar.

Boom!

The instant the giant crocodile bit into the ape, Chu Zhou drove his Longsword into its exposed belly with overwhelming force. The roaring lion's head slammed into it, blasting it backward into the enormous mountainside.

The sharp sword pierced the giant crocodile's belly and burst out through its back, radiating a fierce aura.

"Azure Slashing Sword Aura!"

Chu Zhou mobilized all the Dou Qi in his body, guiding it with his Soul Force to condense several strands of azure sword energy.

They erupted inside the giant crocodile, extinguishing its life completely.

Chu Zhou showed no mercy and followed through by killing the ape as well.

It all happened in the blink of an eye.

With just one Grade Two Pill as bait, Chu Zhou had successfully staged a hunt in which the predator became the prey.

With a wave of his hand, he stored the ape's and giant crocodile's corpses in his Storage Ring, then immediately used his Flying Dou Technique to return the way he had come.

Once he reached the villa, Chu Zhou took out the giant crocodile's corpse and began skinning it and cutting up the meat.

This giant crocodile was a Second-Tier Spirit Beast he had discovered while scouting the nearby area recently.

It was clumsy and had strong defenses, but its movement speed was only average and became even worse out of the Water Attribute. Its weak point was its underbelly.

From that moment, he had begun planning to kill it.

"I haven't tried Second-Tier Spirit Beast meat before!"

After finishing the cutting, Chu Zhou summoned the Mystic Yellow Azure Flame into his hands and began roasting the meat directly, using his alchemy techniques.

With perfect control over the heat, the Spirit Beast Meat cooked through without becoming tough, remaining tender and juicy instead. A little Sea Salt made it taste even better.

Chu Zhou quickly finished the Spirit Beast Meat and immediately logged into the Dou Qi Continent.

After passing through space and time, the Spirit Beast Meat in his stomach was compressed into a mass of pure energy.

This was a little shortcut Chu Zhou had discovered recently.

Entering the secluded chamber, Chu Zhou immediately closed his eyes and began cultivating the Azure Flame Soul-Refining Art.

Second-tier spirit beast meat won't disappoint me, will it?

As the Spiritual Power in his body rapidly transformed into Dou Qi, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Energy also began gathering at a tremendous pace.

Through his keen Soul Force, Chu Zhou sensed the Qi Spiral inside him spinning faster, like a black hole swallowing everything around it.

The Mystic Yellow Azure Flame sat at the very center of the Qi Spiral in his Dantian, rapidly refining and purifying the newly arriving Dou Qi.

Once enough had accumulated, Dou Qi Liquid began appearing within the Qi Spiral, and the previously fast-spinning Qi Spiral began rotating in the opposite direction.

The pure energy liquid condensed from Dou Qi within the Qi Spiral shot outward under the guidance of the reverse-spinning Qi Spiral, flowing throughout his body.

His meridians, bones, and muscles—every inch and every fiber underwent a transformation.