Five-Star Dou Zhe!

He gazed out at the gathering dusk and slowly spoke.

"Life has its rises and falls, and the martial path its ebbs and flows. These are only natural. A momentary standstill does not mean a lifetime of decline."

"Xiao Yuan has risen, his talent dazzling everyone. I understand that you feel anxious, that the gap between you weighs on your heart.

But everyone encounters different opportunities. He has his great path, and you have your own road ahead. There is no need to rush, much less belittle yourself."

For three years, he had watched the former genius grow ever more withdrawn. As a father, how could his heart not ache when he saw his son hiding alone in the back mountains, breaking down and venting his anguish? But as clan leader, he bore the weight of the clan on his shoulders. He could only watch in silence, never exposing what he saw.

Xiao Yan lowered his head and clenched his fists, his throat tightening.

"But I can't accept it... I work harder than anyone, so why can't I break through? I don't want to remain the useless wretch everyone talks about. I want to grow stronger too, to hold up the Xiao Clan..."

"I believe in you."

Xiao Zhan cut through his self-pity, his gaze utterly solemn.

"No son of mine will remain buried in obscurity forever. This temporary valley is only there so you can soar higher in the future. Even if the whole world refuses to believe in you, your father always will."

The evening breeze brushed past, scattering some of the gloom in the young man's heart.

Xiao Yan raised his head and looked into his father's steady, gentle eyes. There was no mockery in them, no disappointment, only wholehearted trust and acceptance.

The hurt he had bottled up for three years quietly began to loosen at that moment.

"Let's go back. It's getting late." Xiao Zhan smiled gently. "Above all, avoid impatience and agitation when cultivating. Only with a calm heart can you advance along the path. Take your time. I'll wait for the day you reach the summit again."

Xiao Yan drew a deep breath, suppressed the sting in his eyes, and nodded firmly.

"Yes! I understand, Father."

Father and son walked shoulder to shoulder through the dusk, slowly making their way toward the Xiao Clan estate below the mountain.

Three months later...

"Phew..."

Xiao Yuan slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, opened his eyes, and emerged from his cultivation state.

He sent his soul power into his body to examine himself. Joy appeared on his face as he sensed the immense reserves of Dou Qi within.

"Looks like I still underestimated the energy in those magic cores."

Xiao Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly, marveling inwardly.

He had originally thought that the medicinal potency of three rank-one magic cores and a few supporting herbs would only be enough to stabilize his cultivation as a Three-Star Dou Zhe, or at most let him attempt to cross the threshold into Four-Star Dou Zhe.

Only after actually refining them did he realize that the Origin energy sealed within the magic cores was far more substantial than it appeared. Coupled with the nearly lossless absorption and conversion of the Ten Thousand Transformations Source-Dividing Art, almost all that power had been retained, without a trace going to waste.

For three months, he had cultivated without rest, day or night.

With the help of the Ten Thousand Transformations Source-Dividing Art, the Origin power of the magic cores and herbs had been broken down and assimilated bit by bit, becoming torrents of Dou Qi that poured throughout his body.

Through that voracious absorption, his cultivation had charged forward in triumph.

From two stars to three, then from three to four,

Now, not a trace of the magic cores or herbs remained in the room. His cultivation art had devoured them all.

His cultivation had also fully stabilized at Five-Star Dou Zhe. In three months, he had risen four stars, his strength nearly tripling.

Feeling the surging power within him, a flicker of amazement crossed Xiao Yuan's eyes.

"Even among the Ancient Eight Clans, this kind of cultivation speed must be rare."

For an ordinary Dou Zhe to advance from two stars to five, even someone exceptionally talented would need several years and a vast quantity of resources. The slightest stagnation would slow their progress.

Yet with the heaven-defying ability of the Ten Thousand Transformations Source-Dividing Art and the tremendous energy within the magic cores, he had accomplished in just three months what took others years.

Of course, the advantages and disadvantages of this method were clear. The drawback was that the energy required would increase exponentially as he progressed.

The higher his realm became, the more terrifyingly astronomical the resources needed would be if he wanted to keep piling up breakthroughs with magic cores and heavenly treasures.

The advantage was that Origin converted by the Ten Thousand Transformations Source-Dividing Art had no fixed form. Like a universal key, it could power almost anything that required energy.

For instance, it could turn into Dou Qi, spiritual energy, soul power, and so on. Its marvelous uses were practically endless.

That power had neither the violence of Thunderfire nor the weight of wind and earth. It was merely a hazy gray ball of gentle light, slowly flowing around his fingertips.

With a thought, the gray light instantly became Dou Qi as crimson as fire. With another shift, it transformed into a cool wisp of soul fluctuations, gently rippling at the edge of his Consciousness Sea.

Watching the Origin change freely at his fingertips, Xiao Yuan understood.

This was what truly made the Ten Thousand Transformations Source-Dividing Art terrifying. It did not merely devour and refine external substances to break through realms; it gave him command over the fundamental transformations of Origin.

Xiao Yuan withdrew the wisp of Origin from his fingertips and slowly stood.

After sitting in meditation for so long, his muscles and bones erupted in a series of sharp cracks. His formidable physical strength merged with his vast Dou Qi.

He walked to the door, raised his hand, and slowly pushed open the wooden door that had remained shut for three months.

Bright sunlight instantly spilled into the room, dispersing the lingering traces of spiritual energy that had settled there. Shouts and sounds of practice drifted over from the training grounds outside, and the everyday bustle of the Xiao Clan washed over him.

"That ends my seclusion."

Xiao Yuan stepped out of the room, sunlight falling across the young man's shoulders.

The rich Dou Qi of a Five-Star Dou Zhe lay concealed within his body. Unless he deliberately released it, outsiders would struggle to gauge his strength. Yet his bearing carried a little more gravity and oppressive weight than it had three months before.

Xiao Yuan suddenly remembered the Xiao Clan's rule: after breaking through to Dou Zhe, every clan member received one chance to select Dou Techniques and a cultivation art.

After his breakthrough, he had gone straight to the Market District, then entered seclusion upon returning. Now he was already a Five-Star Dou Zhe, yet he had still never gone.

"I'll visit the Dou Technique Hall and pick out a couple of Dou Techniques."

His cultivation had soared, but he had very few Dou Techniques at his disposal. Possessing abundant Dou Qi without moves capable of unleashing all that power was, ultimately, a major weakness.

He walked slowly along the blue-stone corridor, passing Xiao Clan disciples coming and going.

Many were surprised to see Xiao Yuan, who had vanished without a trace for three whole months. They stopped to bow and greet him.

Most still held the impression they had formed a year ago, knowing only that Xiao Yuan had been at the Seventh Stage of Dou Qi then. None could imagine the terrifying realm his cultivation had now reached.

He crossed the outskirts of the training grounds without stopping and headed straight toward the Dou Technique Hall on the estate's western side.

The Xiao Clan's Dou Technique Hall was an important repository for the clan's Dou Techniques. Two Xiao Clan guards stood watch outside. Seeing Xiao Yuan approach, they hurriedly bowed and let him through.

As he stepped into the Dou Technique Hall, the faint scent of old books greeted him. Rows of wooden shelves stood neatly arranged, stacked with scrolls. Most were Low Yellow Tier or middle Yellow Tier Dou Techniques. A handful of High Yellow-Tier Dou Techniques had been placed separately on a wooden stand at the very back of the hall.