Heavenly Eye Mountain Range, Heaven Beyond, Heavenly Strategy Manor.
After hearing Xiao Tian Ce's words, Xiao Qing was still worried, but she understood what the clan leader and her third uncle intended.
"A baptism? Third Uncle, I understand." Xiao Qing cupped her hands in salute.
"Good. Qing'er, go make the arrangements. Keep an eye on the Hun Clan's movements, and have our people remain concealed. They don't need to get too close. After all, the Hun Clan is in the open while we're in the shadows. We only need to know their general movements." Xiao Tian Ce nodded.
He was not worried about whether Xiao Qing could understand his and Xiao Xuan's actions. Her strength was quite impressive now, after all. Though her perspective was still somewhat lacking, that could be developed through training.
"I'll take my leave." Xiao Qing rose and saluted, then prepared to leave.
Just then, Xiao Tian Ce sensed Xiao Qing's aura and smiled. "Qing'er, wait."
"Do you have any other instructions, Third Uncle?" Xiao Qing turned and cupped her hands, without a trace of impatience on her face.
Seeing this, Xiao Tian Ce waved a hand to tell her to relax, then smiled. "I just checked. The Dou Qi in your body is already extremely condensed. If you truly can't suppress it any longer, go ahead and break through."
"Thank you for your concern, Third Uncle. I understand. If I really can't suppress it, I'll find an opportunity to break through." A smile appeared on Xiao Qing's face as well.
"Good, off you go. Remember to send word to your Uncle Tian Ming. He's been in the northwest for several years now. It's time he came back." Xiao Tian Ce smiled.
"Yes. I'll send word to Uncle Tian Ming once I leave."
With that, Xiao Qing departed.
After she left, Xiao Tian Ce recalled how she had looked whenever he saw her over the past few years and could not help sighing. "That child is still far too serious. She's really had it hard."
After his lament, Xiao Tian Ce did not begin cultivating. Instead, he did nothing at all, letting his mind go blank.
Three months later.
In the northeastern corner of Heaven Beyond, a plaza covering roughly thirty thousand square meters had been built. At its very center, an exquisite octagonal pagoda rose from the ground, reaching some three hundred meters high.
Now, guided by Xiao Qing, Xiao Tian Ce slowly approached with Xiao Chun and the recently returned Xiao Tian Ming.
On the front of the exquisite pagoda, three large gilded characters spelling out "White Jade Capital" stood out strikingly.
Beside him, Xiao Qing noticed the satisfaction in Xiao Tian Ce's eyes and immediately saluted respectfully. "Third Uncle, everything has been built according to your instructions. Could you take a look and see whether it's ready for use?"
Hearing this, Xiao Chun, who stood beside Xiao Tian Ce, stroked his beard with a satisfied smile. "Qing'er is growing more and more capable. Now that Heaven Beyond has this White Jade Capital, our clansmen will have a place to cultivate their Dou Qi and practice their Dou Techniques. By sparring with one another and advancing together, our Xiao Clan will surely regain its former glory."
"You flatter me, Second Grandfather. I merely followed the plans Third Uncle gave me. It's nothing worth mentioning." Xiao Qing cupped her hands and smiled.
"Tian Ce, now that the White Jade Capital is complete, can you tell us what mysteries lie within it?" Xiao Chun turned to ask Xiao Tian Ce.
At his question, everyone else looked over as well.
Seeing this, Xiao Tian Ce smiled faintly. "All right. Since everyone is curious about why I had Qing'er build this White Jade Capital, I won't keep you in suspense.
"Now, let me show you the means I've recently learned."
As soon as he finished speaking, the token hanging at Xiao Tian Ce's waist gave off a faint glow. Then, before everyone's eyes, rune after rune began to emerge from his hands.
Moments later, tens of thousands of densely packed runes floated around him.
Xiao Tian Ce's expression grew solemn, and he dared not be careless in the slightest. He sent the runes hurtling toward the White Jade Capital, each settling into place according to a precise pattern.
Then Xiao Tian Ce brought his palms together with a forceful clap and shouted in a low voice, "Spirit Gathering Array, arise!"
In an instant, all the runes shone at once, forming an extraordinarily profound array. Threads of spiritual light, visible to the naked eye, connected the runes.
Boom!
When Xiao Tian Ce activated his spiritual energy again, a powerful wave of air erupted from the entire array. It swiftly formed a vast curtain of light that enveloped the whole White Jade Capital.
Meanwhile, an array at the very top of the White Jade Capital continued spinning.
Only after completing all this did Xiao Tian Ce breathe a sigh of relief. Then he recited, "In heaven stands the White Jade Capital, with twelve towers and five cities. An immortal strokes the crown of my head; my hair is bound, and I am granted eternal life."
While everyone was still puzzled, they suddenly discovered that the Dou Qi between heaven and earth throughout Heaven Beyond was being sucked into the White Jade Capital like a raging gale.
"W-what kind of array is this? It can actually gather the Dou Qi between heaven and earth on its own?"
Xiao Chun cried out in astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief. He had never heard of anyone in this world capable of gathering the Dou Qi between heaven and earth into a single place.
After all, the Dou Qi between heaven and earth was incredibly violent. Even when cultivating, one had to use the cultivation method within one's body to filter that violent Dou Qi before absorbing it.
Moreover, rashly absorbing the Dou Qi between heaven and earth directly could easily cause problems.
Now, through means Xiao Chun knew nothing about, Xiao Tian Ce had gathered Dou Qi inside the White Jade Capital. Would anyone dare enter? How was its interior any different now from the spatial turbulence that cultivators avoided like the plague?
"Tian Ce, did you go to all this trouble just to turn the inside of the White Jade Capital into a storm of void turbulence?" Xiao Chun was thoroughly puzzled. Astonishing as the earlier display had been, he now hoped Xiao Tian Ce could explain what he was trying to accomplish.
At this, Xiao Tian Ce swept his gaze over everyone and found the same look in all their eyes. His expression remained calm and unperturbed as he simply smiled. "There's no rush. Wait a little longer, and you'll see."
Though everyone was eager to learn what was happening, they forcibly suppressed their curiosity.
Finally, after about a dozen minutes, Xiao Tian Ce saw the array atop the White Jade Capital shudder with a thunderous tremor and exclaimed excitedly, "Hahaha, it finally worked!
"Everyone, didn't you want to know why I did this? Why not follow me inside and take a look?"
With that, under everyone's astonished gazes, Xiao Tian Ce strode quickly toward the White Jade Capital. From his excitement, one might have thought there was some treasure inside.
Everyone was baffled, but they were also unwilling to let him enter alone, so they hurried after him.
A short while later, when everyone followed Xiao Tian Ce into the White Jade Capital, every last one of them except Xiao Tian Ce froze, dumbstruck.
The violent, terrifying void turbulence they had expected was nowhere to be seen. In its place was Dou Qi so gentle that it could be absorbed directly. At the very center, there was even liquid formed from condensed Dou Qi. Just a single drop, once absorbed, would be enough to instantly restore a Peak Dou Emperor whose Dou Qi had been exhausted to their peak condition.
"Heavens, what sort of divine means are these? If someone cultivated inside the White Jade Capital, even a Dou Sheng Expert could break through quickly!" Xiao Chun was utterly astonished.
"Patriarch, why is it like this in here?" Xiao Bieli hurriedly asked.
"Yes, Third Uncle, how did this place become like this? From the looks of it, as time passes, the environment here will only become more suitable for everyone's cultivation!" Xiao Qing could no longer contain herself either.
Seeing the overwhelming delight on their faces and the confusion in their hearts, Xiao Tian Ce finally smiled faintly. "An improved Eighth-Level Spirit Gathering Array. It seems the results are quite good!"
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