Cao Ying: If You Can't Write, Then Don't

"Hiss."

Ye Qingzhou took out a spear and demonstrated the Fire Python Heavenly Dance Spear Technique in the open space.

As he channeled Dou Qi into the spear, his spear technique seemed to transform into a fire serpent, weaving nimbly under his control.

Ye Zhong paused with his teacup in hand, somewhat surprised.

"Fire Python Heavenly Dance!"

Ye Qingzhou channeled the Dou Qi in his body into his spear, and after charging it for a long time, a flicker of fire seemed to flash through his pitch-black eyes.

Dou Qi surged over the spear and transformed into a colossal Fire Python several zhang long. It flew out and struck a large tree on one side of the courtyard, blasting it to pieces in an instant. Flames rose from the fragments and only went out after burning them to ashes.

"Elder, what do you think?" Ye Qingzhou returned to the stone table, spear in hand.

Ye Zhong clenched the hand resting on his leg into a fist and asked, "Did you truly only begin practicing this Dou Technique yesterday?"

"Yes, Elder." Ye Qingzhou nodded. "Is there a problem?"

Was there a problem?

As far as Ye Zhong was concerned, there was a huge problem.

Ye Qingzhou had only begun practicing yesterday, yet he was already close to reaching the beginner level.

Beginner, minor mastery, proficiency, major mastery, and perfection were the levels of mastery over a Dou Technique.

The difference between levels was easy to understand. Take Ye Qingzhou and the Fire Python Heavenly Dance Spear Technique, for example.

At the beginner level, he would have to use thirty percent of his Dou Qi and charge it while standing still for ten seconds before he could possibly execute it successfully.

At the proficiency level, he could execute it successfully using twenty percent of his Dou Qi and charging it while standing still for less than ten seconds.

At the perfection level, he could use ten percent of his Dou Qi and execute it after charging for a few seconds while fighting an opponent.

In short, the higher his mastery, the less Dou Qi it took to execute the same Dou Technique, the shorter the charging time, and the more flexibly he could use it.

At the beginner level, Ye Qingzhou could execute Fire Python Heavenly Dance three times in thirty seconds before exhausting his Dou Qi.

At the perfection level, Ye Qingzhou could execute Fire Python Heavenly Dance ten times in a hundred seconds before exhausting his Dou Qi.

Of course, this was only an example. It did not mean that was how things stood when Ye Qingzhou executed the Dou Technique now.

With the strength and experience of a Dou Zong, Ye Zhong naturally saw through Ye Qingzhou's level of mastery over the Fire Python Heavenly Dance Spear Technique at a glance.

Come to think of it, he had also been a Da Dou Shi when he practiced this Dou Technique back then.

It had taken him seven days to reach the beginner level, breaking the clan's three-hundred-year record and earning him the title of genius.

Yet Ye Qingzhou seemed likely to be even faster than him!

"Not bad." Naturally, Ye Zhong would not tell him the truth. Putting on a stern manner, he said, "You're considerably slower than I was when I reached the beginner level in this Dou Technique, but far ahead of many others. It seems this Dou Technique suits you very well."

"Pfft." Ye Xinlan couldn't help covering her mouth and letting out a chuckle.

"Xin Lan, what are you laughing at?" The corner of Ye Zhong's eye twitched, and black lines covered his forehead.

He had forgotten that his granddaughter knew how long it had taken him to reach the beginner level in Fire Python Heavenly Dance.

"Nothing, Elder." Ye Xinlan also knew she couldn't let her grandfather lose face. She smiled and said, "I'm happy at the thought of nearly reaching the beginner level in the Crimson Flame Bodhi Scripture."

"A young lady should be graceful and dignified," Ye Zhong admonished her before saying to Ye Qingzhou, "Go practice again. I'll give you pointers at the crucial moments."

"Yes, Elder." Ye Qingzhou immediately took his spear back to the open space and practiced the Dou Technique.

At his current level, even without reaching the beginner level, executing each move four or five times was no problem.

Ye Zhong always spoke up at crucial moments, pointing out the key points of cultivation to Ye Qingzhou.

"All right." Once Ye Qingzhou had used up most of his Dou Qi, Ye Zhong continued, "Go get some rest. Don't practice anymore today. I'll come again tomorrow."

With that, Ye Zhong rose and left at great speed. Otherwise, he feared he wouldn't be able to keep the expression off his face.

But after returning to his residence, he immediately notified several of the clan's elders.

"Xin Lan was right. Qingzhou's cultivation and soul talents really are above hers."

"Let's find a time to test his talent for alchemy. If that's outstanding enough too, we'll immediately nurture him as a seed."

Ye Zhong's word was practically law in the Ye Clan, and Ye Qingzhou had indeed displayed talent that earned Ye Zhong's recognition, so none of the elders objected.

Resources should naturally go first to the one with the greatest talent, the one who might help the Ye Clan maintain its position as one of the Pill Tower's Five Great Families.

Ye Qingzhou knew nothing of any of this.

After finishing his Dou Technique practice, he returned to the secret chamber to restore his Dou Qi and study the fifth-tier alchemist's notes.

Once he had restored half his Dou Qi, he immediately took out an ordinary medicine cauldron and began refining Qi Gathering Powder, a sought-after fourth-tier medicine.

"These fifth-tier alchemist's notes really do have something to them."

An hour later, Ye Qingzhou held a porcelain bottle and smiled with satisfaction.

This time, he had refined the medicine more than ten percent faster than before, and its quality was better too.

Some of the key points recorded in the notes were indeed spot-on.

"So having a good teacher really is important."

"Yao Chen deserves at least half the credit for Xiao Yan's achievements in alchemy."

Afterward, Ye Qingzhou began cultivating.

Then midnight passed, and the diary gave him a reward.

It was the same as yesterday, but the effects were even greater.

Ye Qingzhou could clearly feel his cultivation improve. A wealth of alchemical knowledge and insights into cultivation and Dou Techniques surfaced in his mind, while his physique and soul power grew slightly stronger.

"That feels good. A few more times, and as my mastery of the Crimson Flame Bodhi Scripture keeps improving, I'll soon be able to break through to Two-Star Da Dou Shi."

"Then I'll try taking a Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill to raise my cultivation by one star and see whether that can make the diary give me another reward."

Once he had fully mastered the increased strength, Ye Qingzhou summoned the diary with a thought and began writing.

["To be continued"... "arduous cultivation"... "Seventh Stage of Dou Qi"... "strengthening" "Suction Palm"... "important day"...]

[On the stone tablet, the enormous golden characters made everyone's hearts stop beating for an instant.]

[Dou Qi... seventh stage!]

"Mm, I'll leave it there this time." Ye Qingzhou stretched lazily.

After eleven months, Xiao Yan's cultivation had risen from the Third Stage of Dou Qi to the seventh stage.

Everyone who had mocked him back then had received a soundless slap in the face.

The story stopped at the most classic showing-off-and-face-slapping moment of a wish-fulfillment novel.

"The Light Boat Has Passed Ten Thousand Mountains."

"The Light Boat Has Passed Ten Thousand Mountains."

"Aah!"

"Don't let me find out who you are, or I really will bite you."

"If you can't write, then don't. If you're going to write, do it properly."

"Every time, you leave me hanging and make me miserable."

"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

"You're so mean!"

In the Little Pill Tower, Cao Ying had finished refining medicine early and even prepared fruits and vegetables in advance, just waiting for midnight to pass.

Sure enough, the diary updated on time, and she read it with great relish.

She had even imagined herself on the future Flame Emperor's path to rising to prominence.

Especially this part, where his strength was tested before the coming-of-age ceremony.

She couldn't wait to see Xiao Yan reveal his strength and watch the other Xiao Clan disciples who looked down on him with their dog eyes be utterly dumbfounded.

And at the most crucial moment, it suddenly stopped!

"The Light Boat Has Passed Ten Thousand Mountains, I'll remember you!"