Xiao Yi paused, waiting for everyone to digest what he had just told them before continuing:
"This talisman must wait until the year he turns fifteen, when his bones and meridians have fully matured and can bear this power. Place it over his dantian then, and the Dou Qi stored within will return to him in its entirety, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, helping him soar into the heavens in a single bound."
Xiao Yi's voice was quiet, yet it reached every ear clearly. His words were like a powerful dose of reassurance, settling every anxious heart back into place. Fifteen! They only had to wait another two years! Two years of waiting in exchange for a fifteen-year-old Dou Zhe with no lingering complications-what an incredible bargain!
"Before then, however, to repair the damage caused by that White Ghost and keep Xiao Yan's body from completely forgetting how to circulate Dou Qi, he must remain at the level of Three-Star Dou Qi. This is both his foundation and the catalyst. Any higher would harm his body; any lower would let it grow rusty. Three stars is just right."
The explanation was reasonable, seamless as a heavenly robe. Everyone saw the light and nodded in agreement. Indeed, Xiao Yan was, after all, the genius who had reached Nine-Star Dou Zhe at twelve!
Now that a ghost had injured him, and the power he had lost and regained was too immense, he needed time to heal and a more mature body to bear it. That made perfect sense! All at once, the way everyone looked at Xiao Yi changed completely. They regarded him as a master, as their benefactor.
Xiao Zhan slowly unclenched his fists and let out a long, heavy breath, as though exhaling all his frustration and