Though the Azure Sky Dragon Transformation Art was formidable, it was impossible to reach an advanced level in just a year or two.
At most, he could develop Azure Dragon Scales, making his physical defenses invincible below the Dou Wang stage.
Unfortunately, on the Dou Qi Continent, a powerful body without a matching Dou Qi cultivation level made one nothing but a living target.
"I'm still too damn poor." Xiao Han sighed.
He could not afford Heavenly Dragon Qi at this stage. Fortunately, he could still cultivate without it. The system had provided an alternative: he could use the dragon Qi of an Ancient Void Dragon.
"Zhu Kun, oh, Zhu Kun. For the sake of the Great Sun Thunder Body, let me give your daughter a generous gift." Xiao Han chuckled.
One of his six points instantly went toward purchasing a Heavenly Demon Phoenix's corpse.
He was not an alchemist and had no pills to entice Zi Yan with, so he could only rely on the Heavenly Demon Phoenix corpse he had bought with points.
This thing was far more tempting to an Ancient Void Dragon than pills.
Xiao Han did not save a single one of his remaining five points, either.
He exchanged one point for a ton of earth core soul marrow, which could improve his soul realm. Although he lacked the other ingredients to blend with it and could not drink it for now, with his mere Da Dou Shi strength, even bathing in it would slowly increase his soul power.
Soul power was immensely useful in battles at higher realms. Unable to become an alchemist, he could only make do with using points to improve it.
He exchanged one point for ten tons of earth core body tempering milk, which could cleanse marrow, refine bones, widen meridians, strengthen tendons, and temper bones. This also served as advance preparation for cultivating the Azure Sky Dragon Transformation Art. The stronger his body, the further he could advance in the art.
He exchanged another point for various supplementary medicinal ingredients, such as incense candle grass and snake-shedding flowers.
The remaining two points went toward two kinds of Strange Lightning: ten thousand beasts spirit lightning, ranked twenty-second on the Strange Lightning Rankings, and the Yin-Yang Twin Thunderbolts, ranked twenty-first.
Further up, bone-eroding yin lightning in twentieth place and heart-melting earth lightning in nineteenth each required two points to exchange for.
Higher still, each Strange Lightning ranked fourteenth through tenth required three points, so exchanging for just one kind costing two points was unlikely to push him all the way to Dou Wang.
The Xuanhuang Lightning he had used before ranked last on the Strange Lightning Rankings. After raising him from a five-star Dou Zhe to a One-Star Great Dou Master in less than half a month, it had run out of steam.
To reach Dou Wang in a short time, he would have to swallow at least two kinds of natural Strange Lightning.
"One ten thousand beasts spirit lightning to reach Dou Ling, and one Yin-Yang Twin Thunderbolts to reach Dou Wang. Just right." Holding lightning in each hand, Xiao Han chuckled and swallowed the ten thousand beasts spirit lightning first.
In an instant, he began slowly refining the immense power of the Strange Lightning.
The Da Dou Shi realm, which had refused to rise even one star despite two days of painstaking cultivation, quietly developed a crack the moment the ten thousand beasts spirit lightning entered his stomach.
While Xiao Han was dutifully swallowing and refining Strange Lightning at the inn,
Nalan Yanran had also finished pleading with Gu Yuan.
This happened to align with Gu Yuan's next move. Had Nalan Yanran arrived a little later, he would already have reached the Misty Cloud Sect.
The sooner he fed the Ninth-Rank Marrow-Cleansing Pill to Xiao Yan, the sooner Hun Tiandi's death would come.
Gu Yuan could hardly wait.
Outside the Jia Ma Imperial Capital, within the Misty Cloud Sect.
Xiao Yan paced anxiously outside Yun Yun's room.
The maids would not let him enter.
Nalan Yanran was a girl and had grown up under Yun Yun's care, much like a daughter.
Thus, the maids had never stopped her from coming and going.
But Xiao Yan was different. He was already a fifteen-year-old boy. In an ordinary household, he would have married and had children by now.
Naturally, he could not come and go as he pleased.
Inside the room.
Yun Yun sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, resting with her eyes closed.
She naturally knew Xiao Yan had come.
But Xiao Yan wanted to return to Wutan City after arriving only a few days ago. If it were up to her, she would have been more than happy to let him.
A male disciple had been foisted on her out of nowhere. Even with her placid-as-water disposition, she was somewhat displeased.
But beneath another's eaves, one had no choice but to bow one's head.
Her former disciple, Nalan Yanran, had taken a Dou Zong as her master, and the Nalan Family's standing had naturally risen with the tide.
Even with her strength as a three-star Dou Emperor, she had to show them some courtesy, because that Dou Zong expert was still staying with the Nalan Family.
It would be bad if this caused a misunderstanding. Even when she and her teacher Yun Shan, two Dou Emperors, had joined forces, they had gained no advantage against that Dou Zong.
Moreover, the Dou Zong attached tremendous importance to Nalan Yanran's family. Naturally, one less complication was better than one more.
If her unsolicited disciple Xiao Yan wanted to go back, he could wait until he came of age a year later.
Outside the room.
Pacing anxiously, Xiao Yan naturally had no idea what his unsolicited teacher inside was planning.
He had nearly worn his lips out talking.
Unfortunately, no matter how he begged the maids, their answer remained the same.
"The sect master is in secluded cultivation. Please wait patiently, young master."
The two five-star Dou Zhe maids remained rigidly dutiful, each holding out a hand to firmly block Xiao Yan.
With only Dou Qi-stage strength, Xiao Yan truly had no way around them.
He could only stand at the door and call, "Teacher, your disciple has something urgent to discuss! Please allow me to leave the mountain and return to the Xiao Clan..."
But no matter how he shouted, Yun Yun remained unmoved inside.
What damn urgent business could a fifteen-year-old brat possibly have?
"Please, big sisters, move aside and let me in. I really have something urgent to discuss with Teacher."
With no response from his unsolicited teacher, the helpless Xiao Yan could only turn his attention to the maids guarding the door.
He even cast aside his dignity, taking one of them by the arm and shaking it as he wheedled.
When Nalan Yanran hurried over and ran anxiously into Yun Yun's little courtyard,
the sight before her immediately made her draw in a sharp breath.
"Xiao Yan has actually moved this fast!"
Nalan Yanran inwardly drew in a sharp breath.
The Answering Space truly had not deceived her.
The Flame Emperor really was a ravenous fiend of lust.
"In that case, it's not as though I have no hope." Nalan Yanran secretly rejoiced.
This was a future Dou Di!
In all these years, the entire Jia Ma Empire had not produced even a single Dou Zong apart from her teacher.
It would be a lie to say she did not regret losing such a mighty thigh to cling to.
But the engagement had already been broken. With her pride, going back on it was impossible. She could only use her own charms to make Xiao Yan fall at her feet.
After all, this fellow Xiao Yan was not picky about his prey, not even sparing his own older female cousin.
Peeping at her as she bathed...
At that thought, Nalan Yanran inwardly spat in disdain.
So young, yet already up to no good.
Smoothing the hair her run had disheveled, Nalan Yanran looked at Xiao Yan, who was unable to enter, and cleared her throat.
"Ahem, Xiao Yan, what are you doing?"
"Holy crap!"
Startled, Xiao Yan jumped straight up.
At that moment, he was utterly mortified.
What do you do when your former fiancée catches you wheedling at an older girl?
Xiao Yan's brain jammed for a second before the urgency of having his home raided and his clan exterminated snapped him awake.
"Nalan Yanran?"
He looked toward the courtyard entrance, where Nalan Yanran stood with her hands on her hips, watching him with a haughty air.
Xiao Yan's eyes immediately lit up.
As his unsolicited female teacher's former beloved disciple, surely she had a way to let him see her?
Without the slightest hesitation, Xiao Yan pushed hard off his legs and glided like the wind to Nalan Yanran, grabbing her delicate, fair arm.
He asked urgently, "Senior Sister Yanran, you have a way to let me see Teacher right away, don't you?"
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