[Host: Xiao Ce] [Race: Human] [Cultivation: Two-Star Dou Shi] [Soul: Mortal Realm] [Physique: Sixth Rank] [Attribute: Fire with wood (fire attribute mutation)] [Cultivation method: Spirit Refining Art (low-grade Profound Tier)] [Dou techniques: Blazing Flame Sky-Splitting Palm (high Xuan Tier/novice), Flowing Wind Shadow-Stealing Step (high Xuan Tier/novice), Rock-Splitting Palm (high-grade Yellow Tier/minor mastery)] [Bloodlines: Dragon Phoenix Royal Bloodline, Xiao Clan Dou Di Bloodline (extremely faint)] [Constitution: Three Thousand Star Body] [Mount: None] [Pet beast: None] [Natural spiritual entities: Emperor Flame (faint), Myriad Beast Spirit Flame (infant stage)] [Deployment count: 0]
Xiao Ce raised his hand, aimed at the cliff beside him, and threw a punch.
Bang-!
After the dull boom, a fist imprint ten centimeters deep appeared in the cliff, surrounded by fine cracks. Then, with the fist imprint at their center, the cracks rapidly spread across the entire cliff.
Accompanied by violent tremors, the whole cliff collapsed with a crash.
"Wow, Father, you're amazing!" The Ninth Grade Golden Pill provided all the encouragement he could ask for, her eyes shining with admiration.
Xiao Ce smiled, his eyes flickering. "Haha, I really am pretty impressive."
"I never imagined that fus... awakening my bloodline this time would bring such a huge improvement."
That was no exaggeration.
Xiao Ce had expected that even after fusing with the Dragon Phoenix Royal Bloodline, an improvement of one or two ranks in his physique would already be considerable.
After all, he himself was far too weak to withstand the complete Dragon Phoenix Royal Bloodline.
Who could have imagined that, to successfully fuse with the Dragon Phoenix Royal Bloodline, he would spontaneously begin drawing in the energy of heaven and earth over an area so vast that it encompassed the entire core region of the Northwest Continent?
That immense energy, combined with the Dragon Phoenix Royal Bloodline, had shattered and reconstructed his body, bringing a qualitative improvement to his physique. It had leaped straight to the level of a sixth-rank Magical Beast, meeting the minimum requirement for bearing the Dragon Phoenix Royal Bloodline.
Now, with his physique, the Ancient Void Dragon's spatial talent, and the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix's extreme speed and beast flame, he could probably contend head-on with a Dou Huang expert.
His Dou Qi cultivation, which had originally been ahead, had now become what held him back.
"Father, should we leave first? I can sense many presences coming here from the core region of the Northwest Continent. Some have already reached Dou Zun cultivation.
"Or would you like me to dispose of them all?" The Ninth Grade Golden Pill tilted her head, speaking of cruel things in a soft, sweet voice.
Xiao Ce came back to himself and immediately said, "Let's not attract too much attention. Back to the Magical Beast Mountain Range first!"
The Ninth Grade Golden Pill nodded, then tore open space and left with Xiao Ce.
Not long after Xiao Ce and the Ninth Grade Golden Pill disappeared, several figures appeared in the valley.
Looking at the collapsed cliff, the figures exchanged glances, each remaining silent.
At that moment, they all realized that new upheaval might be coming to the Northwest Continent.
Inside the stone chamber in the little valley.
Xiao Ce and the Ninth Grade Golden Pill stepped out of a spatial rift. Xiao Ce's dragon horns and wings had all retracted, and his eyes had returned to normal.
His earlier form was merely the state in which his bloodline power was activated. He could turn it on or off at any time, which was very convenient.
Inside the stone chamber, the Mysterious Yellow Flame immediately approached upon seeing Xiao Ce return, bringing a cool, aloof face close and blinking calm eyes without speaking.
"It's all done." Xiao Ce patted the Mysterious Yellow Flame's head.
The Mysterious Yellow Flame gave a quiet hum and said softly, "As long as you're safe, Master."
Xiao Ce smiled. "With Golden Pill protecting me, there aren't many people on the continent who can hurt me."
"I'm more reliable," the Mysterious Yellow Flame said.
Hearing those plainly distrustful words, Xiao Ce smiled helplessly. It was a happy kind of trouble.
"Hmph, Father still wants me to protect him anyway." The Ninth Grade Golden Pill smugly stuck out her pink tongue.
The Mysterious Yellow Flame's eyes widened, and flames instantly surged, faintly warping even the surrounding space.
Seeing this, Xiao Ce simply left them alone. Although the pill and the flame each had their little tempers, neither had ever gone too far, and they would not cause any real trouble. If they wanted to squabble, he would let them.
Sitting on a cushion in the stone chamber, Xiao Ce turned his attention to proper business, silently making plans:
The Ninth Grade Golden Pill and the Mysterious Yellow Flame are exceptionally powerful, but I can't rely on them too much. I still need to temper myself and grow through my own strength. Otherwise, the road ahead will only grow narrower, and it'll be hard to become a top expert.
The enormous improvement in my physique has directly given me strength comparable to a Dou Huang expert. There are some resources I can go acquire ahead of time now.
Besides that, I can't neglect my Dou Qi cultivation. It affects not only the deployment counts I obtain, but also what I can achieve with alchemy.
Only by raising my Dou Qi cultivation can I refine high-grade pills, and high-grade pills will determine whether I can grow rapidly in the future.
So the most sensible course is to rely on my physical strength to obtain resources, rapidly improve my Dou Qi cultivation, and quickly bring the two into alignment.
Then I can refine high-grade pills and use them to keep my future growth from slowing down.
Having thought this far, Xiao Ce already had a plan.
For him, the quickest way to rapidly improve his Dou Qi cultivation was to devour natural spiritual entities with the Spirit Refining Art.
Devouring a single infant-stage Myriad Beast Spirit Flame had raised him from an Eight-Star Dou Zhe to a Two-Star Dou Shi, saving him at least several months of arduous cultivation.
And he happened to know of one such natural spiritual entity.
The Green Lotus Core Flame... I can't pass it up, no matter what.
Besides, I don't know whether the desert where my clone left his inheritance is today's Tagor Desert. If I can obtain my clone's inheritance in the Tagor Desert, that'll bring tremendous benefits too.
For now... I'll improve my alchemy first and digest everything I currently have. No biting off more than I can chew.
Even if the Green Lotus Core Flame falls into Queen Medusa's hands, I can snatch it away at any time. Besides... that might not be a bad thing.
As he pondered, a cold gleam flashed through Xiao Ce's eyes. I'll have to return to Wutan City after a while. The Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family can't be allowed to remain. As for the clan's three elders, everything is negotiable if they have the sense to step down. Otherwise... I'm not like Fourth Brother, who still cares about his blood ties with those old things.
Finishing his thoughts, Xiao Ce looked up and saw that the Ninth Grade Golden Pill and the Mysterious Yellow Flame had already returned to normal. The Mysterious Yellow Flame stood motionless, expression cool and aloof, like a statue.
The Ninth Grade Golden Pill, by contrast, circled the Mysterious Yellow Flame, chattering nonstop. The Mysterious Yellow Flame ignored her, but she did not mind.
This flame and pill seem to get along quite well. Xiao Ce had seen the underlying truth.
He gave a knowing smile, then suddenly remembered something.
His physique now rivaled a sixth-rank Magical Beast's. His capacity to withstand energy and the speed at which he digested it must have increased considerably. Then now... was it possible for him to absorb the Mysterious Yellow Flame?
The Mysterious Yellow Flame had possessed sentience for so long that its energy was certainly substantial. Absorbing it might raise his cultivation by several major stages!
At that thought, Xiao Ce asked the Mysterious Yellow Flame with some excitement, "Mysterious Yellow, my physical strength now rivals a sixth-rank Magical Beast's, and my strength has improved considerably. If I absorb you now, how long would I need to digest your energy?"
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