Another Year

After flipping through the auction house's catalog, Chen Xiao found many things he was currently lacking.

For example, healing medicine, just in case.

Even a first-tier Recovery Pill had a starting bid of fifteen hundred gold coins per bottle.

Pills that restored Dou Qi.

The likewise first-tier Spring Return Pill started at eighteen hundred per bottle.

Pills that increased cultivation speed.

Even the most basic Amplification Pill was second-tier, and the price had climbed to two thousand.

A low-grade Storage Ring had a starting price of fifty thousand, and to actually win it, the price would at least have to double.

Adding everything up, just arming himself a little would require a base of over a hundred thousand gold coins.

At the thought, Chen Xiao felt nothing but a headache.

He was short on money—short on a lot of money!

Originally, he had planned to use his daily free time to earn some extra cash, then buy medicines to aid his cultivation.

But now that he looked at it, he had been thinking far too simply.

In Wu Tan City, an ordinary Dou Zhe did not have many channels for making extra money. At most, they could help serve as guards when the major families transported goods and the like. Not only was it troublesome and time-consuming, the pay was pitifully low.

It was precisely because of this that most wandering Dou Zhe carried mercenary identities and ventured into the Magical Beast Mountain Range from time to time. Though it was somewhat dangerous, if their luck was good, one successful job could feed them for three years.

"Brother Chen Xiao, is there anything that caught your eye?"

Seeing Chen Xiao finish flipping through the booklet, Xiao Xun'er asked softly.

They had already stayed in the hall for almost an hour. People were entering one after another, making conversation rather inconvenient.

Chen Xiao shook his head slightly, set the catalog back in its original place, then stood and gestured for Xiao Xun'er to talk outside.

Xiao Xun'er nodded with a light smile and followed him to her feet without the slightest reluctance.

These so-called auction items were not worth a second glance to her at all. Today, she had merely come out with Chen Xiao to relax.

Under the puzzled gaze of the guard, the two walked out of the auction house. Chen Xiao then turned into a shop and bought a loose black robe as a backup.

"Xun'er, what level of strength do you think someone would roughly need to move freely around the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range?" Walking side by side down the street, Chen Xiao casually found a topic.

The Magical Beast Mountain Range was very close to Wu Tan City.

From the Xiao Family's Back Mountain, one could even see the outline of the range.

After reading through the auction house's catalog, Chen Xiao realized a problem: relying on conventional channels, earning enough resources to sustain his daily cultivation was basically unlikely.

So he had to think of other ideas!

As it happened, Chen Xiao knew that there was a cave in the Magical Beast Mountain Range that could make him rich overnight. The wealth inside would be more than enough to sustain his early-stage cultivation.

However, relying on his memory, Chen Xiao only knew the general information about that cave. Finding it would still require a bit of time.

"Brother Chen Xiao wants to go train in the Magical Beast Mountain Range? In Xun'er's opinion, it's still a little too early. There are also many mercenaries in Wu Tan City who often go to the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Dou Zhe-level mercenaries basically come back with some injuries every time. It's said they don't act alone either, but form teams each time. Even so, there are still casualties. By that logic, perhaps only the Dou Shi level would be safe."

Xiao Xun'er analyzed it quite convincingly, and the conclusion she gave was more or less the same as Chen Xiao's own estimate.

Helplessly suppressing his restlessness, he no longer had the mood to continue strolling around. The two returned straight to the Xiao Family and temporarily went their separate ways.

Watching Chen Xiao walk toward the side courtyard, a trace of doubt flashed through Xiao Xun'er's eyes.

"Old Ling, has Brother Chen Xiao already cultivated a Qi Method and converted his Dou Qi?"

Xiao Xun'er's voice was very soft, as if she were talking to herself.

However, she believed that the person hidden in the shadows would definitely be able to hear her.

Sure enough, very soon, a transmitted voice entered her ears.

"Miss guessed correctly. Moreover, this old servant can sense that the Qi Method he cultivates is not low in grade. It is even slightly higher than the Xiao Family's Furious Lion Vajra."

Hearing this, Xiao Xun'er was instantly stunned.

The Xiao Family's Furious Lion Vajra was renowned throughout Wu Tan City and ranked at the Middle Profound level.

Since Chen Xiao's Qi Method was a step above it, the answer was obvious.

A Profound High-Rank Qi Method!

Ling Ying and Xiao Xun'er thought they knew Chen Xiao inside and out, yet they could not understand where his Qi Method had come from.

Hardship forced people to grow, while desire gave them motivation.

A trip to the Mitre Auction House made Chen Xiao pay even more attention to cultivation. He even replaced his sleeping time with cultivation.

Although for cultivators, sleep was not a necessity, staying awake for long periods of time was still a mental burden.

Yet Chen Xiao maintained this state for a full year.

The Xiao Family's Back Mountain.

Aside from the occasional Xiao Family disciple who came to bathe in the pool, the place was silent and deserted most of the time.

Xiao Yan, who had yet to fall from grace, also rarely came here.

That made things convenient for Chen Xiao's daily training. By now, he was already an Eight Star Dou Zhe, and he had even practiced Yan Return Strike to the intermediate stage, able to rebound thirty percent of an enemy's attack power!

Yet despite such a tremendous change, in the entire Xiao Family, not a single person knew about it except Xiao Xun'er and Ling Ying.

It sounded rather unbelievable, but that was the truth.

The reason was probably that Chen Xiao's social circle was simply too small.

Even the Guards who often saw Chen Xiao only felt that he seemed more spirited. They would never have imagined that this child they had watched grow up had unknowingly already walked ahead of them.

After practicing Yan Return Strike, which had become familiar down to his bones, once more, Chen Xiao drew back his fists and stood still.

"Eight Star Dou Zhe, and Yan Return Strike has also reached the intermediate stage. The current me should have some ability to protect myself even against a One Star Dou Shi!"

Parentheses: only in theory.

After all, he had zero real combat experience.

Gazing at the outline of the Magical Beast Mountain Range beneath the moonlight, Chen Xiao had already made up his mind. Then, without looking back, he left.

After returning from the Back Mountain, when he passed behind Xiao Xun'er's courtyard, Chen Xiao hesitated briefly, but still went to bid Xiao Xun'er farewell.

"Brother Chen Xiao is planning to go to the Magical Beast Mountain Range?"

Chen Xiao had not even opened his mouth yet, but Xun'er had already guessed it from his expression.

In the entire Xiao Family, only she knew Chen Xiao's plans.

"Blindly training in seclusion isn't advisable. I'm going to get a little experience, so I don't end up becoming some pitiful stepping stone when I fight others in the future. But I probably won't be gone for too long."

The girl nodded slightly. "Then Xun'er wishes Brother Chen Xiao a fruitful return."

Chen Xiao smiled and nodded, saying nothing more.

The Magical Beast Mountain Range was not far. If everything went smoothly, he could be back in ten days or so. There was no need to make it seem like a final farewell.

After leaving Xun'er's place, Chen Xiao went to find the Elder who usually assigned him tasks and explained that he would be leaving for a few days.

Once everything had been properly arranged, Chen Xiao returned to his residence and took out the few hundred gold coins left under his bed.

Over the past year, he had once spent more than two thousand gold coins to buy an Amplification Pill to assist his training, as well as a map.

After simply packing his luggage, Chen Xiao washed up and no longer continued his high-intensity training.

Tonight, he would conserve his strength!