Two days later.
Xiao Long sat cross-legged on a rock. The water around him seemed to be stirred by something, ripples spreading outward in rings as even the pebbles at the bottom of the pool trembled faintly.
The mass of Dou Qi in his dantian grew more and more compressed. Condensing it from gas into liquid took more effort than he had expected.
Sweat ran down his forehead and dripped off his chin, landing on his knees and spreading into small, dark patches.
That final moment came without warning.
The center of his dantian suddenly contracted, as though something had collapsed inward. Then a brand-new power surged out from that point of collapse, countless times more concentrated than before.
He opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air, then looked down at his palm, spreading his fingers before clenching them again.
He was a Dou Shi now.
A seventeen-year-old Dou Shi might not be unprecedented in the Jia Ma Empire, but it was certainly something he could be proud of.
Before he could savor the sensation of this new power flowing through his meridians, the familiar panel popped up and floated before his eyes.
It was translucent, with cheap glowing effects around the edges, about as tasteful as the raffle screen at his company's annual party in his previous life.
[Dou Shi breakthrough achieved. Choose one of three Chinese animation rewards.] [1: "The Magic Kid"-Heavenly Execution] [2: "The Legend of Qin"-Lesser Si Ming] [3: "Fox Spirit Matchmaker"-Bittersweet Tree]
Xiao Long stared at those three lines for a long while, blinked twice, then blinked twice again.
He had already figured out the pattern. Any Chinese animation he did not choose would appear again at his next breakthrough.
Only the reward on offer would change.
The Magic Kid had offered the Shennong Ruler the first time, the Void Beast the second time, and Heavenly Execution this time.
The Legend of Qin had offered Jing Ni first, then Flame Spirit Ji, and now Lesser Si Ming.
Only Fox Spirit Matchmaker was appearing for the first time.
He skipped Lesser Si Ming outright.
A beauty was a beauty, but had he seen any shortage of beautiful women in this world?
Xiao Xun'er was always hovering around him, and Nalan Yanran had just landed him in a whole stinking mess today.
Besides, silent girls did nothing for him. She did not even appeal to him as much as Jing Ni or Flame Spirit Ji.
Heavenly Execution, though, genuinely tempted him.
Anyone who had watched The Magic Kid knew how vicious Heavenly Execution was. It attacked at range, and a single arrow could shear a mountaintop flat.
Sure, Nangong Yi had blocked it with an ordinary sword in the show, but was that remotely comparable?
Nangong Yi was a bona fide "Divine Weapon Beast in human form."
He was someone who could take on Divine Weapon Beasts with his bare body. There were barely a handful of people in the entire world of The Magic Kid who could compare with him.
With Heavenly Execution in his hands, paired with the Pig Talisman and Dragon Talisman from the Twelve Talismans, his ranged firepower would be maxed out. He could swagger sideways through the Jia Ma Empire without ever having to turn.
But as he looked at the third option, his finger stopped.
The Bittersweet Tree.
The tree that ran through the entire storyline of Fox Spirit Matchmaker, the root of all Red Thread Immortals and the starting point of every reincarnated bond.
What could something like that do in the world of Battle Through the Heavens?
Yet he hesitated.
It was not like Heavenly Execution. Heavenly Execution offered clear-cut combat power, solid and tangible killing force.
The Bittersweet Tree was undoubtedly a treasure. In the world of Fox Spirit Matchmaker, it was an existence that operated on the level of the world's laws. But would those laws still work in Battle Through the Heavens?
If it turned into an ordinary tree that did nothing but bloom once it arrived in this world, who could he take his grievance to?
Then again, none of the rewards from these three-choice Chinese animation selections had ever been junk.
The Shendu template went without saying. The Twelve Talismans and demonic spells would keep him set all the way to Dou Sheng, or even Dou Di.
The Rainbow Stone needed even less explanation. It gave him a practically endless supply of subordinates, though they were not as convenient as the Shadowkhan.
If the Bittersweet Tree could appear among these options, that meant it would still have a use in this world.
Besides, he knew perfectly well that if he passed it up, it would be gone.
The next time Fox Spirit Matchmaker appeared, it might offer something else entirely.
Whether it was Tushan Honghong's Isolation Claw or the Void Tear, compared with something as fundamental as the Bittersweet Tree...
They still fell a level short.
More importantly, those things had all come into being because of the Bittersweet Tree.
Heavenly Execution was certainly tempting, but damage output was not his current weakness.
The Bittersweet Tree.
That's the one.
Once he made up his mind, the words on the panel began to blur, spreading like ink dropped into water before vanishing completely.
The next instant, a tree appeared within his mind, its trunk crystal clear and pink blossoms filling the sky.
At the same time, a ceaseless stream of information poured into Xiao Long's mind.
An odd expression immediately crossed his face.
"This... really does have something going for it!!"
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
In his own room.
Xiao Yan had formally taken the man calling himself Whitebeard as his master, despite the name being the same as someone from an anime he knew in his previous life.
Still, he thought it was probably just a coincidence. Surely Yao Chen could not be a transmigrator too.
"Eating this will really make me stronger? Are you sure you're not screwing me over? The problem is, can I even withstand swallowing this Qi Gathering Powder right now?"
Doubt filled Xiao Yan's face. Just moments ago, Yao Chen had told him that the fastest way to improve his strength was right in front of him.
He simply had to swallow the Qi Gathering Powder.
Xiao Yan felt uneasy about that. After all, he was now down to only the Third Stage of Dou Qi.
Although his meridians were already comparable to a Dou Zhe's, this Qi Gathering Powder could help someone at the Ninth Stage of Dou Qi break through to Dou Zhe.
Could he absorb such an enormous amount of medicinal power?
It made Xiao Yan wonder whether this Whitebeard was trying to screw him over.
"Don't worry. Your father will protect your meridians with his soul power. Yes, there will be pain, but how could the road to becoming strong ever be smooth sailing!!"
That was exactly how Yao Chen saw it. From his first glimpse of Xiao Yan, he had known this boy was destined to be his disciple.
And during his slumber, he vaguely remembered that to raise a powerful disciple, he had to make him suffer!
Only then could he have his new disciple find that treacherous student who had murdered his master.
With my wholehearted help, coupled with this little fellow's talent!!
Yao Lao did not know why meeting this little fellow had felt like a reunion with an old friend, as though he had seen him countless times before.
But he trusted his instincts, so he had held nothing back about his identity.
"Fine!"
Xiao Yan could only do as Yao Chen said.
If Yao Chen had not demonstrated his strength and his mastery of alchemy over the past two days, he would never have gone along with it.
If he wanted to improve his strength quickly, he could only put his faith in him.
The broken engagement was not settled yet. When the time came, he would personally go to the Misty Cloud Sect and ask Nalan Yanran what gave her the right to disregard his dignity.
Although his third brother had helped him regain some face, this matter was clearly far from over. There was no way he would leave his third brother to face it alone.
"Aah!!"
After regulating his breathing, Xiao Yan swallowed the Qi Gathering Powder. The terrifying sensation of swelling fullness immediately made him feel as though he was about to explode.
"Whitebeard, fuck your mother!!!"
Xiao Long had just arrived at Xiao Xun'er's courtyard. As someone with a rather special status in the Xiao Clan, she had a courtyard of her own.
Then he heard a faint scream coming from afar.
"What the fuck was that noise?!"
Xiao Long froze for a moment. Seeing him look into the distance, Xiao Xun'er quickly waved her delicate hand. "Hey, hey, Brother Xiao Long, what did you just say?"
"Right, I was asking whether you could give me something you cherish."
The moment Xiao Long finished speaking, Xiao Xun'er's little face flushed red!
Before you continue