“Eight Extremities Ice!”
In a small forest on the mountain, a clear, resonant voice suddenly rang out.
A nimble figure moved through the forest; the dense thorns and thickets posed no obstacle to him.
Then, the figure abruptly stopped before a large tree, leaned slightly, and struck the tree forcefully with his elbow.
“Bang!” Wood splinters flew everywhere, and spiderweb-like cracks slowly spread from the point of impact.
“Creak…” The large tree, half-shattered by the blow, let out a groaning sound. A moment later, it finally toppled to the ground, powerless.
As the great tree fell, the figure, agile as a spirit monkey, retreated a step, then lightly sat down on a large blue boulder.
Observing the results of his efforts, a joyful smile spread across Xiao Yan’s handsome face. In these three months, this was the first time he had successfully used the Profound-tier high-grade Dou Skill, Eight Extremities Ice. And this Dou Skill, comparable to an Earth-tier one, certainly didn’t disappoint Xiao Yan; with only six segments of Dou Qi, the destructive power it unleashed was enough to rival eight segments of Dou Qi!
…..
The further one progressed in the initial stages of Dou Qi, the slower the cultivation speed became. After acquiring all the necessary medicinal ingredients, Xiao Yan had secluded himself for three months of arduous cultivation. It was only in the final days of the third month that he coincidentally broke through from five segments of Dou Qi to six segments…
A single segment increase in three months, though much slower than the previous two months, still left Xiao Yan extremely satisfied. He recalled that year, it had taken him over half a year to advance from five segments of Dou Qi to six. Today’s speed was already terrifyingly fast.
…..
After unleashing one strike of Eight Extremities Ice, Xiao Yan suddenly felt like a beached sea creature. A gnawing pain relentlessly eroded his nerves, and the veins on his arm twitched slightly—a clear sign of overexertion.
Licking his lips, Xiao Yan laboriously lowered his head to look at his elbow. The area was already a fiery red…
“Hiss…” His mouth stiffened, and Xiao Yan drew a sharp breath, then said with a bitter smile:
“No wonder I had to endure such brutal training. Otherwise, if I had used this strike, it wouldn’t have been the tree that broke, but my arm. This Eight Extremities Ice is truly harder than anyone’s body.”
Lying exhausted on the cold boulder, Xiao Yan’s slightly ragged breathing slowly steadied. The profound weariness in his body made him unwilling to move even a single finger.
With Xiao Yan’s current six segments of Dou Qi, he could at most use Eight Extremities Ice once. After using it, he would be completely drained of strength until his physical energy recovered.
Xiao Yan raised his head, squinting as he reluctantly watched the clouds drift across the blue sky. A gentle breeze swept by, blowing the black hair from his forehead.
Deep within his body, the Foundation Establishment Spirit Liquid, absorbed over the past few months, was subtly permeating every hour and minute, silently healing his fatigued body and cells, allowing them to restore strength to their master at the fastest possible speed.
“Teacher, how much longer until I can reach seven segments of Dou Qi?” With his eyes half-closed, Xiao Yan suddenly murmured.
Once he reached seven segments, he would be qualified to enter the Dou Qi Pavilion to seek cultivation techniques. Although he no longer needed the Xiao family’s Dou Qi cultivation techniques, he still needed this qualification, as it concerned his father’s reputation.
A cool breeze swept past, and the translucent figure of Old Yao appeared beside the boulder.
With a faint smile in his eyes, Yao Lao looked at the young man. He first examined the broken ancient tree, nodded slightly, pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, “Your Dou Qi cultivation speed is beyond my expectations. I originally thought that even with the help of the spiritual liquid, you would still need a year to reach the seventh stage… Perhaps the pressure you endured before was too intense, and now, with the reversal, you’ve become even more driven. At this rate, you will definitely reach the seventh stage of Dou Qi within two months.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s lips curved into a faint arc. He really wanted to know what kind of expressions those clan members who had mocked and ridiculed him for three years would have when they saw him display his true strength. The words he had spoken to Nalan Yanran in the great hall that day—weren’t they also meant for them?
“If I, Xiao Yan, could create a miracle three years ago, then three years from now, I naturally can too!” His eyes flashed slightly as Xiao Yan recalled the disdainful gazes directed at him in the great hall, and the somewhat lonely, yet unyielding and persistent figure of the young man he once was!
“Nalan Yanran, I am catching up to you step by step. Just wait patiently. Three years from now, we will meet at the Misty Cloud Sect!”
A hint of defiance suddenly appeared at the corner of his mouth. The young man stood up abruptly, threw his head back, and roared at the sky.
Watching the young man, Yao Lao smiled, not stopping him. People need pressure to mature. Xiao Yan now had enough talent; what he needed was a kind of pressure! Nalan Yanran’s appearance was precisely the best kind of pressure.
“Let her be your whetstone. The path to becoming a true powerhouse—you still have a very long way to go!”
“Go on, head home and cultivate!”
After shouting a few times, the smile on Xiao Yan’s face grew even brighter. He jumped down from the giant rock, waved at Yao Lao, and with a carefree laugh, dashed down the mountain.