The Desert Iron Mercenary Group, Council Hall.
Xiao Yan, Xiao Ding, Xiao Li, Xiao Yi Xian, and Qing Lin took their seats one by one.
Looking at Qing Lin's composed expression below him, Xiao Yan felt a little wistful.
He really had never expected Qing Lin to end up with a personality like this!
From a timid little girl with no mind of her own, she had become a cultivation fanatic who believed that fists were the only truth!
Although Xiao Yan had now won her loyalty, leaving her tearfully grateful and willing to risk her life for him, this transformation still left him unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Still, being passionate about cultivation was a good thing!
After all, the stronger she became, the better she could protect him, right?
In the future, he could enjoy the pleasure of furrowing his brow and retreating behind Qing Lin and Xiao Yi Xian.
Sweeping his gaze over everyone again, Xiao Yan cleared his throat. "Everyone, half a year has passed. It's time we took stock. Let's each report our cultivation progress."
Over the past six months, he had been using Li Feiyu's name to supply his eldest brother and the others with large quantities of fourth- to sixth-tier pills to help them cultivate.
This had made their cultivation speed even faster than his had been back then!
After all, when he had cultivated back then, he had refined his own pills and could only take pills one tier above his own level.
His eldest brother and the others, however, had been taking pills three or four tiers above their levels thanks to his cheating.
Naturally, the effects were astonishing!
As the eldest brother, Xiao Ding spoke first:
"I'll go first. With the support of Little Yanzi's teacher, Mr. Li Feiyu, I've advanced from Five-Star Dou Master to Three-Star Dou Ling!
Still, although I've advanced quickly, my foundations have held steady. They aren't too shaky."
Xiao Li followed right after him.
"I'm about the same as my eldest brother. I've advanced from Three-Star Dou Shi to Two-Star Dou Ling."
Qing Lin also said calmly, "I'm a Nine-Star Dou Ling, as everyone already knows."
Xiao Yi Xian hesitated for a moment before speaking as well. "I've advanced from Seven-Star Dou Ling to Seven-Star Dou Wang."
Although Xiao Yan's frank explanations had already made Xiao Ding and Xiao Li aware of Xiao Yi Xian's extraordinary constitution, they still looked utterly astonished.
"Good heavens! Is the woeful poison body really that ridiculous? Xiao Yi Xian, which do you think is stronger, your woeful poison body or Qing Lin's Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils?"
At that, Xiao Yi Xian explained softly, "Little Sister Qing Lin's is stronger.
It took me nine months to go from Dou Zhe to Seven-Star Dou Ling.
Little Sister Qing Lin only took six months to go from Dou Zhe to Nine-Star Dou Ling."
Xiao Yan watched their debate with a smile, saying nothing.
Judging by the history of the Central Plains that Yao Lao had described, the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils were indeed stronger.
The highest recorded realm attained by someone with the woeful poison body was only a low-star Dou Sheng.
But as the sovereign of what had once been one of the Three Great Magical Beast Clans, a bearer of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils was traditionally expected to contend with the Ancient Void Dragon Emperor and the Heavenly Demon Phoenix King!
Although they were not renowned for combat prowess, their cultivation realm was by no means low. Their highest recorded achievement in history was Seven-Star Dou Saint!
As for the pinnacle of the Medusa Clan's combat strength, that was naturally the Nine-Star Dou Sheng realm of a fully matured nine-colored Heaven Swallowing Python!
However, when discussing the woeful poison body, Yao Lao had proposed a hypothesis with a strange look on his face.
Throughout history, no one with the woeful poison body had ever obtained the Heavenly Flame known as the netherworld poison flame.
If someone with the woeful poison body obtained the netherworld poison flame, combining the two might produce an effect where one plus one was far greater than two.
Then the pinnacle of the woeful poison body might also reach Nine-Star Dou Sheng!
After a few rounds of lively debate, everyone turned their eyes toward Xiao Yan.
His eldest brother, Xiao Ding, was the first to ask, "Little Yanzi, what realm are you at now?"
With everyone looking at him, Xiao Yan fell into thought.
His true strength was actually quite easy to explain.
When he first left Wutan City, he had been a six-star Da Dou Shi.
During three months in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, he had used five bottles of companion amethyst source to break through to Three-Star Dou Ling.
Then, during six months in Black Rock City, he had used the remaining ten bottles of companion amethyst source to break through to Three-Star Dou Wang.
Now, after six months in Stone Desert City, although he had run out of companion amethyst source, he had still smoothly broken through to Nine-Star Dou Wang with the sixth-tier pills he refined himself.
But with the pills now interfering with his outwardly displayed strength, explaining that was a little trickier.
Still, everyone was making leaps and bounds anyway. Taking this opportunity to raise his publicly displayed realm would not seem out of place.
After thinking it over, Xiao Yan put on an ashamed expression. "I can't compare with you gifted talents and your rapid progress. Even with my teacher's pills helping me, I'm still only a Nine-Star Great Dou Master."
This brought him back to his original plan.
Keeping his publicly displayed strength two major realms below his true strength.
After reporting his realm, Xiao Yan could not help sighing inwardly once again.
He had always followed the path of lying low, and even after coming to the Dou Qi Continent, he had continued to uphold that principle.
Unfortunately, his talent in this life was simply astonishing, and the resources of the Dou Qi Continent were a little too abundant.
He had kept lying low all along, yet the more he hid, the higher his cultivation climbed. Now, he had become a genuine genius!
He truly had not expected this.
But at the thought that this body might carry heaven-shaking fortune and schemes, Xiao Yan sighed again.
I have to keep lying low and stockpiling trump cards. I'm still a long way from feeling safe!
Meanwhile, a thousand miles away in the Misty Cloud Sect, Nalan Yanran was excitedly preparing to enter secluded cultivation.
At the same time, she was somewhat puzzled.
How strange. Ever since Master returned from the Magical Beast Mountain Range, she's been acting oddly toward me.
I've asked Master several times for pills to speed up my cultivation, so I won't lose the Three-Year Agreement.
But for some reason, Master always hems and haws, telling me not to rush and saying she'll try to mediate the Three-Year Agreement again.
Master really has gone senile!
Even if she wants to mediate, our side needs an overwhelming advantage in strength first. Only then can we negotiate terms!
Otherwise, even with mediation, you'll still get the short end of the stick if you aren't strong enough!
When I saw that I couldn't wear Master down, I simply went to find Martial Uncle Pill King Gu He instead.
To my surprise, Martial Uncle Gu He was incredibly generous and gave me plenty of third- and fourth-tier pills to help me cultivate.
Those were third- and fourth-tier pills!
My cultivation progress now is nothing short of ideal!
Only two years and three months have passed, and I've already advanced from Three-Star Dou Zhe to nine-star Dou Shi!
What heaven-sent talent!
Even Master back then probably did no better, right?
In this little time, that Xiao Yan from Wutan City has probably only just condensed his dou qi vortex and become a Dou Zhe, hasn't he?
Hmph, how could he possibly compare with me?
Even if his status as an Alchemist lets him invite several people to support him at the Three-Year Agreement.
This time, I've obtained fifth-tier pills from Martial Uncle Gu He. After this seclusion, I'll most likely be able to break through to Da Dou Shi by the time of the Three-Year Agreement!
An eighteen-year-old Da Dou Shi!
What does that mean?
A heaven-sent genius!
When the time comes, no matter how many Dou Shi that rotten Xiao Yan invites to help him, he still won't be able to beat me!
Then I'll give him a vicious slap in the face!
I'll make him understand that a genius is a genius!
Not someone any roadside nobody can challenge and try to exploit!
Then, if Master still insists on mediating, I can give her some face and agree to mediation from my lofty position.
Imagining herself sweeping all opposition aside nine months from now, Nalan Yanran grew incredibly excited.
"No! I can't keep thinking about it! Any more and my head will be in the clouds! Seclusion, seclusion! Hurry up and enter seclusion! When I emerge, I'll face the challenge with an invincible bearing!"
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