The imperial capital, the Pill King’s Mansion.
When Liu Ling woke, his whole body hurt as though he had been crushed beneath a millstone.
He lay on a cushioned couch, his face pale and his lips cracked, a hollow weakness faintly emanating from his Qihai.
His cultivation had regressed.
He had fallen from a Five-Star Dou Zhe to three-star.
And this was after Gu He had done everything he could to treat him.
A middle-aged man sat beside Liu Ling's bed. His face was lean, his features carried a scholarly refinement, and a sixth-tier badge was embroidered on his Alchemist's robes.
Pill King Gu He.
He withdrew the fingers resting on Liu Ling's wrist, his brows faintly furrowed.
"How do you feel?"
Liu Ling struggled to rise and pay his respects, but Gu He pressed a hand to his shoulder.
"Don't move. There's still some residual Dou Qi in your body that hasn't been cleared away."
Liu Ling lay back down and gritted his teeth.
"Teacher, I've disgraced you."
Gu He did not respond to that. He simply looked at him, his tone level.
"Tell me. Who was it?"
Hearing his teacher's question, Liu Ling spoke quietly, somewhat ashamed.
"Xiao Baichuan, an adopted son of the Xiao Clan."
He paused, then added another sentence.
"I really didn't perform well this time. He caught me off guard..."
"Enough."
Gu He cut him off, his voice abruptly turning colder.
Liu Ling froze.
Gu He looked at him, a trace of disappointment flashing through his eyes.
I thought some old monster had injured Liu Ling, and now you're telling me it was a Xiao Clan adopted son?
Losing was one thing, but you're even making excuses to evade it.
"You still haven't realized where the problem lies."
Liu Ling looked completely bewildered.
"In this fight, you never had even the slightest chance of beating him."
Liu Ling's eyes widened.
"How is that possible!"
He abruptly sat up, aggravating his injuries. His face went white with pain, but he still gritted his teeth and spoke.
"Teacher, that Xiao Baichuan isn't even a Dou Zhe. With my cultivation as a Five-Star Dou Zhe, how could I have had no chance at all?"
Gu He looked at him and fell silent for a moment.
Then he spoke again helplessly, with a self-mockery his voice had never held before.
"It took me two entire days just to barely clear out the Dou Qi remaining in your body."
"His control over Dou Qi reached a level that even gave me trouble for a time, and you're telling me someone like that isn't even a Dou Zhe?"
Liu Ling opened his mouth, unable to speak.
He recalled that battle-Xiao Baichuan's effortless manner, the precise control of that palm strike against his Qihai.
Gu He turned around, his expression grave.
"Tell me everything you know about Xiao Baichuan."
Liu Ling lowered his head and told him everything he knew...
After listening, Gu He remained silent for a long time.
Then he waved a hand.
"Stay home and recover properly. Don't go out for the time being."
Liu Ling blinked.
"Teacher, you..."
Gu He turned and walked toward the door. Upon reaching it, he stopped without looking back.
"This boy has an expert behind him."
"But that expert had no intention of killing you. Otherwise, your injuries couldn't possibly have been this light."
Liu Ling looked utterly dumbfounded.
What did he mean, my injuries couldn't possibly have been this light?
I was beaten so badly my cultivation regressed, and I was unconscious for three days and nights!
That counted as light?
Gu He offered no further explanation and pushed the door open.
Standing in the courtyard of the Pill King’s Mansion, he looked toward Wutan City, a rare spark of interest flashing through his eyes.
Such exquisite control over Dou Qi-even he felt inferior.
Such techniques were absolutely beyond a young man. This boy definitely had an expert behind him!
Gu He made up his mind to go and see just who stood behind this Xiao Baichuan.
He was very interested in this method of using Dou Qi.
Three days passed in a flash.
When Xiao Baichuan entered the jade pendant's space again, Ling Xi was already waiting beside the Nine-Colored Stream.
Without a word, she raised her hand and laid a sword across Xiao Baichuan's neck.
The blade pressed against his throat, its chill piercing to the bone.
Ling Xi's phoenix eyes brimmed with menace, her voice icy.
"You lecher, did you enjoy using my body?"
Every hair on Xiao Baichuan's body stood on end, and he hurriedly spoke.
"No, no, no! I didn't do anything!"
"I just... killed someone."
Ling Xi frowned.
"Who did you kill?"
Xiao Baichuan swallowed.
"Huang Aotian, the holy son of the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix Clan."
Ling Xi's sword paused.
Seeing this, Xiao Baichuan immediately began explaining what had happened in the Heavenly Snake Realm over the past two days.
But to Xiao Baichuan's surprise, Ling Xi showed no reaction whatsoever after hearing him out.
Ling Xi waved a hand, her tone casual.
"It doesn't matter. Just a holy son."
"At worst, I'll go corner the Heavenly Phoenix Emperor at his door and beat him until he accepts my apology."
Xiao Baichuan's face was full of question marks.
Wasn't that bullying an honest bird?
He could not help asking.
"Won't that push the Heavenly Phoenix Emperor too far?"
Ling Xi sneered.
"He wouldn't dare."
"If he dares lose his temper with me, I'll join forces with the Great Void Dragon Emperor and blockade his doorstep."
Seeing this, Xiao Baichuan knew he had no place interfering in battles between Dou Di, so he said no more.
Ling Xi also told him about the auction on this side.
"On your end, I've already helped you break through to Dou Zhe."
"Yao Chen also gave me a scroll containing a Qi Method, something called the Flame Mantra."
"He said it could evolve. It sounded pretty impressive, so I cultivated it."
"All right, I'm going to clean up the mess you made now. That's it for now."
Hearing this, Xiao Baichuan nodded in agreement, and the two switched once more...
His consciousness went dark. When he opened his eyes again, he saw the familiar ceiling and familiar bed curtains.
He was back.
Xiao Baichuan abruptly sat up. The first thing he did was try circulating his Dou Qi.
He immediately discovered that a solidly condensed Qihai was indeed nestled within his Dantian.
One trip across worlds and back, and I really became a Dou Zhe!
Yet what surfaced in Xiao Baichuan's mind was the terrifying power within Ling Xi's body, capable of conjuring clouds with a turn of the hand.
One casual palm strike, a Hundred-Zhang Palm Print, tearing through the heavens!
Then he looked at the tiny Qihai within his own Dantian.
A drop of water gazing upon the vast ocean!
Xiao Baichuan clenched his fists, a trace of yearning flashing through his eyes.
He realized he had fallen a little in love with that feeling.
Conjuring clouds with a turn of the hand, summoning rain with a flip of the palm.
Deciding life and death with a word, shattering another's mountains and rivers with a palm.
Xiao Baichuan took a deep breath and silently swore.
I must become a Dou Di!
Xiao Baichuan got out of bed and pushed open his door, preparing to gather some supplies before heading to the Magical Beast Mountain Range to train.
He had just stepped outside when he discovered a young woman standing there, though he did not know when she had arrived, a maiden's fragrance wafting from her.
She wore a pale purple dress, her ink-black hair cascading like a waterfall. Her cool, serene bearing resembled a lotus blooming for the first time, yet a rare, sweet smile graced her face at that moment.
He knew this young woman: the Gu Clan's young lady, Gu Xun'er.
Xiao Baichuan looked puzzled.
He certainly did not remember ever having anything to do with this young lady of the Gu Clan.
"Miss Xun'er?"
Gu Xun'er looked at him with a tranquil smile.
"Brother Bai Chuan."
Xiao Baichuan was even more puzzled. Why had she come to stake out his door so early in the morning?
"Is there something you need?"
Gu Xun'er took a small medicine bottle from her sleeve and held it out to him.
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