Dou Qi, Eighth Stage

One month later.

The Black-Corner Region.

Black Seal City.

Fan Tian had hardly been idle that month. Using the pills in his possession and the terrifying strength of a Dou Zong expert, he had gathered many powerful cultivators under his banner in the Black-Corner Region.

Dou Huang experts who joined the Heavenly Mansion Alliance would receive an Emperor's Extreme Pill free of charge after three years, while Dou Wang experts would receive a Dou Ling Pill after two years.

Furthermore, anyone who joined the Heavenly Mansion Alliance would receive pills as a welcoming gift.

In just over a month, the Heavenly Mansion Alliance had recruited three Dou Emperors and eight Dou Wang experts.

Of course, some people schemed behind the scenes, sneering at this new faction and refusing to live under another's roof. Some even pretended to join to swindle pills, then fled!

Fan Tian did not care. He had plenty of pills, but they each had only one life.

He personally wiped out a faction, slaughtering a Dou Emperor in just a few breaths and hanging his corpse above Black Seal City's gates. Only then did everyone realize that this outsider, the Heavenly Mansion Alliance Lord, was not someone they could fool. Not only was his strength heaven-defying, but his methods were vicious as well, no less ruthless than those of the people on the Black List.

Besides displaying his methods, Fan Tian gave Yuan Yi, the former leader of the Eight Gates, an Emperor's Extreme Pill, and gave each of the three Dou Wang elders a Dou Ling Pill to improve their strength.

Being the boss was not actually difficult. You needed both a slap in the face and a sweet date.

The members of the Eight Gates were moved to tears, showering Fan Tian with flattery.

After all, flattery only cost a little saliva, while pills offered solid, tangible benefits.

After spending so many years clawing their way through the Black-Corner Region, they had fought others until their heads split and blood flowed, scheming against one another over the smallest scraps of resources. Who knew what price they would have had to pay to obtain high-grade pills capable of improving their strength?

Fan Tian was powerful enough and generous besides. He disdained scheming against a bunch of Dou Kings and Dou Emperors from a backwater like them, so everyone who joined the Heavenly Mansion Alliance submitted wholeheartedly and worked diligently.

Making the right choice mattered more than hard work.

You had to stand in the light, not merely stand there, much less stand there naked. The Heavenly Mansion Alliance provided food and drink. If it had not imposed certain requirements on character, people would probably have trampled its threshold flat!

Of course, Fan Tian had his reasons for establishing the Heavenly Mansion Alliance in the Black-Corner Region.

At present, only he, a transmigrator, and the Nihility Devouring Flame, which had escaped, knew that Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Cave lay in the Black-Corner Region, hidden deep beneath Jia Nan Academy.

If he wanted to lay his plans in advance, there was no avoiding this place. Although Sound Valley could take it effortlessly, that would draw too much attention and easily attract the notice of other top factions. A local faction would be more useful!

Moreover, Jia Nan Academy's headmaster, the Half-Saint Mang Tianchi, was an elder of the Lei Clan. Acting rashly and attracting the attention of those Emperor Clans would be quite troublesome.

Fan Tian had not forgotten that an Ancient Void Dragon at the nine-star Dou Saint late stage was still hidden at the Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion.

Zi Yan's father, Zhu Kun.

The third Peak Nine-Star Dou Saint on the Dou Qi Continent.

That dragon had coveted the Ancient Emperor's inheritance back then, only to become trapped by the Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion's formation. Despite his Peak Dou Sheng cultivation and the Ancient Void Dragons' considerable mastery of space, Tou She Ancient God had still outmaneuvered him and turned him into a gatekeeper.

Fan Tian had the origin qi gifted by the system. He had no desire to see the cave mansion opened.

If he could obtain a piece of Ancient Jade and toss it into the Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion, those outside would never be able to gather all eight pieces, and the cave mansion would never open. Even if Hun Tiandi and Gu Yuan knew the Ancient Jade was inside, they could do nothing about it. They might very well end up trapped by the formation like the Old Dragon Emperor.

It was a good idea, but difficult to put into practice!

Fan Tian would have to unify the Black-Corner Region first, then make his move against Jia Nan Academy. In any case, the Lei Clan had no attention to spare right now. Whether Mang Tianchi could even survive in the Soul Realm remained uncertain!

As for Jia Nan Academy's two hidden Peak Dou Zong experts, they would be rather troublesome. He might have to ask a Dou Zun from Sound Valley to intervene.

But if they happened to possess a Spatial Jade Slip from Mang Tianchi, things would become troublesome.

Fan Tian's head ached a little!

Still, although Mang Tianchi belonged to the Lei Clan, Jia Nan Academy was not a Lei Clan faction. Its students, teachers, and elders had all been recruited and trained from outside. He estimated that only the Thousand and Hundred Elders and Su Qian belonged to the clan.

Even Hu Gan, the Outer Academy's deputy headmaster, could not break through to Dou Zong. He certainly was not a member of the Lei Clan.

Overall, Jia Nan Academy was a decent place, and Fan Tian liked it very much. If he could resolve matters there another way, that would be acceptable too.

Humming a tune, Fan Tian headed toward Cao Ying and Dan Chen's room. During this time, not only had their alchemy improved, but their cultivation had also risen by one star.

They truly deserved to be future members of the Pill Tower's Three Giants. Compared to them, Han Feng was nothing at all!

The Jia Ma Empire.

Wutan City.

The Xiao Clan.

Today was the important day of the Xiao Clan's Coming-of-Age Ceremony. Factions large and small throughout Wutan City had sent representatives to attend!

Meanwhile, Nalan Yanran's visit to the Xiao Clan with a Deacon of the Misty Cloud Sect to break off her engagement had barely stirred any waves in the Jia Ma Empire!

No one had time to bother with squabbles between juniors. Besides, actually marrying the Misty Cloud Sect's young sect master to a useless wretch with three-stage Dou Qi would have been the real news.

"Dou Qi, eighth stage!"

On the high wooden platform, the enormous Black Stone Stele suddenly blazed with light. Large golden characters appeared on its surface, their strokes soaring like dragons and dancing like phoenixes!

Silence. The entire venue fell silent!

Everyone in the honored guests' seats was dumbstruck.

"This Third Young Master of the Xiao Clan really did jump five stages of Dou Qi in a single year, just as the rumors said!"

"The Xiao Clan has struck it rich this time!"

"At this rate of cultivation, in a few decades, the Xiao Clan might... produce a supreme expert at the Dou Emperor level."

The honored guests exchanged glances, a trace of shock flashing through their hearts!

Every Dou Emperor possessed the power to overturn rivers and seas and stand alone against ten thousand foes. No empire would lightly choose to offend a Dou Huang expert.

"Teacher, look at their dumbstruck faces. They look like dogs!" Xiao Yan puffed out his chest and swept his gaze over the crowd, speaking softly to Yao Lao inside his Storage Ring.

"Heh, how could a disciple of mine, Yao Chen, possibly stop at the Dou Emperor level? The people of this Jia Ma Empire are ultimately rather low-class!" A calm voice rang out from the Storage Ring.

"My disciple, once the Coming-of-Age Ceremony is over, you can leave the Xiao Clan to train in the outside world with full justification!"

"Yes, Teacher. I can hardly wait. Aside from Father and Xun'er, there's not a single decent person in the Xiao Clan!"

At the mention of Xun'er, a gleam of smug satisfaction appeared in Xiao Yan's eyes.

Luckily, he had often climbed into that girl's room as a child, capturing her heart through honeyed words and physical contact.

Even after his cultivation talent had vanished, Xun'er still called him Brother Xiao Yan at every turn. That pleased him greatly!

Once the time was ripe, I would make her mine.

As for you, Nalan Yanran, I will make you pay a devastating price!

A trace of cold ruthlessness crossed Xiao Yan's face!