Xiao Xun'er

As someone outside the clan, Ling Yin knew little about the Dou Di bloodline, but he could sense that the boy's talent was anything but ordinary. One day, he could rise to heights that even Ling Yin would have to look up to.

"There's no need."

Just as Ling Yin grew anxious and was about to speak again, Xiao Xun'er's voice slowly rang out. Her cool tones spread through the room, seeming to chill the air by several degrees.

"He is Uncle Xiao's adopted son, after all, and that makes him Brother Xiao Yan's younger brother as well. Whether out of affection or principle, we shouldn't touch him..."

"Miss, but..."

Ling Yin abruptly raised his head, still wanting to persuade her. But when his eyes met the piercing gaze from behind the screen, he forcibly swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue. He silently lowered his head and said no more.

"That will be all, Elder Ling."

Xiao Xun'er's tone carried an unquestionable resolve.

Seeing that her mind was made up, Ling Yin could hardly argue further. He could only bow his head in assent.

"Tomorrow, I'll go see this little brother Xiao Yuan myself."

"Yes..."

Six hours later...

With a peculiar expression, Xiao Yuan withdrew from his Soul Sea and returned to his physical body, which was still cultivating.

All the cultivation methods he had captured over the past six hours dissipated. Now, only a single method remained in his mind.

[Ten Thousand Transformations Source-Dividing Art]

[Rating: None]

He had obtained this cultivation method from a golden orb of light, but he had not deliberately reached for that orb.

Instead, while concentrating on catching the purple Spirit Arts, he had moved too forcefully, lost control, and accidentally collided with it.

Who would have thought that this collision would shatter the orb outright, leaving this cultivation method in his mind?

According to the pattern in the inheritance imprint, blue meant mortal tier and purple meant spirit tier, so a golden orb should have corresponded to a Divine Tier Spirit Art.

Yet this one was, unusually, unranked.

"I wonder if all the golden ones are like this, or if this one I got is an outlier."

Xiao Yuan lowered his head and murmured, his heart full of questions.

Of course, although unranked cultivation methods were standard cheat abilities for webnovel protagonists, that was not his main reason for choosing it.

What truly shook him to the core was this cultivation method's description.

[Divide the Origin, manifest nine bodies; while the Origin endures, body and soul remain undying]

This cultivation method could split his own Origin into multiple portions, each of which would form an External Incarnation separate from his original body.

Because the incarnations were formed from his Origin, they could also be considered independent individuals. They could use cultivation methods and combat skills, and withstand damage.

They could even cultivate! Moreover, the cultivation they gained could feed back into the original body.

According to the method's creator, it could theoretically produce nine incarnations—in other words, ten Xiao Yuans cultivating together!!

At this point, Xiao Yuan's breathing quickened, and his entire body trembled slightly with excitement.

That was a full tenfold increase in cultivation speed!!

Xiao Yuan continued reading the description.

The entire cultivation method was divided into four realms, each represented by the number of incarnations it could manifest.

These were the first realm, one source; the second realm, three sources; the third realm, six sources; and the fourth realm, nine sources.

However, the method only recorded how to cultivate up to the sixth incarnation. It seemed the creator had yet to develop the rest.

For now, the fourth realm's nine sources remained merely an ideal...

"I can only take it one step at a time."

Xiao Yuan sighed softly and remained seated cross-legged, intending to try this new cultivation method.

Setting aside the issue of its upper limit, the Ten Thousand Transformations Source-Dividing Art was already the cultivation method best suited to him among all the Spirit Arts he could find.

He closed his eyes and focused, sinking his mind into his Consciousness Sea to study the Ten Thousand Transformations Source-Dividing Art's circulation method in detail.

Early the next morning, dazzling sunlight shone through the window paper into the room.

The figure on the bed's eyelids fluttered slightly before his eyes abruptly opened. A faint golden-red light glimmered as his pupils dilated, then swiftly vanished.

"Cultivation at the Dou Zhe stage really is difficult. Without any resources, just absorbing Dou Qi, I'll need at least a month to advance by one star."

Xiao Yuan exhaled a breath of white, turbid air. Then he clenched his right hand into a fist before opening it into a palm, smacking his lips as he assessed the feeling and spoke.

"The improvement from this whole night of cultivation was practically negligible..."

"Looks like I need to browse the Market District and buy some cultivation resources."

The Ten Thousand Transformations Source-Dividing Art was like a Taotie. Ordinary Dou Qi energy could not possibly fill this bottomless pit.

He would have to absorb substances rich in energy to see any noticeable improvement.

No sooner said than done! Xiao Yuan sprang off the bed, quickly straightened his clothes, and prepared to head to the Market District.

Creak...

As soon as Xiao Yuan opened the door, he saw a young woman standing before him in a purple dress, half a head taller than him.

Who was this...?

"Sister Xun'er? What brings you here?"

Xiao Yuan froze in place, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

Xiao Xun'er was only fifteen, yet she had already blossomed into a graceful young woman. Her slender figure, around a hundred and sixty-four centimeters tall, stood before the door. Soft morning light fell upon her exquisite profile, bringing out the girl's gentleness and refined elegance to the fullest.

Xiao Xun'er's gentle gaze settled on him, but with that single glance, she discovered to her shock that the normally tranquil Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame within her had stirred slightly.

Even that slight stirring nearly frightened her into a cold sweat.

She let out a soft breath, her eyes curving slightly as a gentle smile returned to her lips. Her voice was sweet and mild, soft without the slightest edge:

"I went out for a walk this morning and happened to pass by. Since I hadn't seen you in so long, I thought I'd stop in to see you."

"Oh... So that's it..."

Xiao Yuan nodded as though he believed her, but inwardly, he knew things could not possibly be that simple.

He was six years younger than Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er. That age gap made it impossible for him to win Xiao Xun'er over before Xiao Yan.

So, after thinking it through, he had barely had any contact with Xiao Xun'er over these past nine years.

Now that this woman had come looking for him, it could not possibly be by chance.

"Then... Sister Xun'er, now that you've seen me, is there anything else?"

Xiao Yuan asked with feigned innocence, intending to sound Xiao Xun'er out first.

The girl's fingers curled slightly at her side. That faint restlessness from the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame had frightened her, but remembering the matter of the Dou Di bloodline, she gathered her courage again.

"From the look of things, were you about to go out, little brother Xiao Yuan?"

"Yes, I'm planning to visit Wutan City's Market District," Xiao Yuan answered frankly. "My cultivation has been progressing slowly lately, so I thought I'd go see whether I could buy some cultivation resources."

At his words, Xiao Xun'er's eyes shifted slightly.