Ever since Xiao Tian's reputation as a genius had soared, undercurrents had surged through Wutan City. The Jia Lie Family and the Ao Ba Family, which ranked alongside the Xiao Clan as the city's three great families, had posted assassination missions targeting Xiao Tian on the underground black market.
Time flew, and four years passed in a flash!
Xiao Tian was nine! Over those four years, his mastery of the Three Basic Techniques and the Sharingan had made a qualitative leap. But he had been confined at home, strictly protected by the Xiao Clan's guards and elders. Although he had long since become a Five-Star Dou Master and had a solid foundation, he suffered from a lack of actual combat. Bullying his little brother Er Huo every day was dull. Even the Transformation Technique could not fool Xiao Zhan, who had nearly questioned every last secret out of him, leaving him no choice but to use a mysterious master secretly teaching him as an excuse.
Moreover, three years ago, while bullying his little brother Er Huo, Xiao Tian had discovered a feature of the Immortal Heavenly Dao System: whenever he defeated an opponent recognized by the system, he earned points, which could advance his cultivation of the Three Basic Techniques, the Sharingan, and Dou Qi.
And so, within a few years, Xiao Tian had earned the title of the Xiao Clan's King of Fights! Children his age, and even those four years older, went weak in the knees at the sight of him.
Unfortunately, once he had farmed all the available points within the Xiao Clan, he could not farm them again. This left Xiao Tian yearning somewhat for life outside.
"I want freedom!" Fights! Farming points!
Over these years, the system's protection had kept the Testing Magic Stone Tablet from displaying his full cultivation. Otherwise, a nine-year-old Five-Star Dou Master would have turned the entire Jia Ma Empire upside down!
Xiao Tian would have been taken away because of it, too!
Furthermore, over these years, Xiao Tian had caught, roasted, and eaten Ah Huang, the dog Xiao Teng's family kept that bit people. The dogs Xiao Teng's family repeatedly raised afterward had also been caught and eaten by Xiao Tian using his Clone Technique and Transformation Technique. Left taking the blame, Xiao Teng had suffered so many grievances over those years that he could only look up at the sky and sigh, "Life is too hard for me!"
That day, after finishing some lovey-dovey time with Xun'er, Xiao Tian spotted his little brother Er Huo, Xiao Yan, looking rather glum along the road.
"Er Huo, what's wrong?" Over these four years, Xiao Yan's talent had still made him the clan's number-one genius on the surface, but he had now been stuck trying to break through to Dou Zhe for over half a year.
"Brother." Over the past few days, Xiao Yan had been thinking back to the nightmare his older brother Xiao Tian had spoken of four years ago. He could not help asking, "Brother, do you think your nightmare has come true? Every time I cultivate and gather Dou Qi, I always feel as though some of it is being devoured."
Xiao Tian feigned a frown, stepped forward, and thoroughly examined his little brother Er Huo's body.
"Nothing's wrong. Er Huo, let me play with that ring necklace of yours for a few days."
Although the ring necklace had been a gift from his mother, Xiao Yan did not refuse.
And so, three days later, Xiao Yan came looking for Xiao Tian again, his mind weighed down with worries.
"Brother, the speed at which I gather Dou Qi has tripled these past few days! I'm a Dou Zhe now!"
A Dou Zhe formed a vortex from the Dou Qi within their body! All beneath Dou Zhe were ants! It was a qualitative transformation!
"Er Huo, not bad! Remember to look out for your big brother from now on! Hehe! Want some? Your sister-in-uh! Your big sister Xun'er got these desserts."
Xiao Yan was in no mood to notice anything about a sister-in-law. Frowning, he said, "Brother, I realized that my Dou Qi gathering sped up like this ever since you borrowed that ring necklace. So I suspect there's something sinister about it. You haven't been wearing it, have you? Let's just get rid of it."
"Sure." Xiao Tian smiled. "Why don't we go to the back mountain and just throw it away, so it won't harm anyone else? Ah, if I'd discovered this earlier, you'd already be a Dou Shi."
"Brother, Dou Shi is too far off. Let's go to the back mountain."
Xiao Tian secretly rejoiced, imagining Yao Lao's flustered, furious expression.
At that moment, inside the soul ring, Yao Lao was going mad! Those two little children had brought him close to a mental breakdown!
Just another half year's worth of Dou Qi! Little children! Let this old man absorb it! Once I come out, I'll teach you the alchemist's path that towers above the Dou Qi Continent, and a cultivation method for becoming a Dou Di!
Yao Lao's heart was filled with bitterness.
They reached the back mountain.