Upon hearing Xiao Feng's praise, Mu Qingluan's eyes curved into crescent moons as she happily clasped her hands in greeting. "Qingluan greets Third Brother Xiao."
"No need for formalities. Since you're Little Yan's junior sister, you can call me Third Brother just like him," Xiao Feng said with a smile.
Halfway through his words, he took out a necklace and handed it to Mu Qingluan. "This is a protective necklace I personally refined. It can automatically release an energy shield when the wearer is attacked, strong enough to block all attacks below the Dou Ancestor level. Consider it a meeting gift."
"Thank you, Third Brother!"
Mu Qingluan's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, she accepted the protective necklace with a bright smile.
Though it was her first time meeting Xiao Feng, his face, which closely resembled Xiao Yan's, made him feel naturally familiar.
Of course, while Xiao Feng and Xiao Yan looked alike, their auras were vastly different. Anyone who knew them well could distinguish them at a glance.
Xiao Yan always carried a lazy and carefree air, whereas Xiao Feng exuded the imposing presence of someone accustomed to authority—someone not to be trifled with.
"You little girl, do you not know what it means to be polite?"
Feng Zun Zhe shook his head helplessly before taking out a black scroll. "Kid, I've long heard from Yao Chen that you have remarkable talent in artifact refinement.
Coincidentally, I have some expertise in this field as well. This scroll contains my insights into artifact refinement, and I'll give it to you as a meeting gift."
"Many thanks, senior. I'll gratefully accept it."
Xiao Feng's eyes gleamed with joy as he respectfully took the scroll.
Like Xiao Feng, Feng Zun Zhe lacked the talent to become an alchemist but possessed exceptional talent in artifact refinement.
Back when Feng Zun Zhe and Yao Chen trained in the Light and Shadow Realm, he had a stroke of luck and obtained a complete inheritance on artifact refinement. With Yao Chen providing rare materials, his skills improved rapidly, allowing him to become a grandmaster in the field.
It was said that the Bone Flame Ring in Yao Chen's possession was personally refined by Feng Zun Zhe as a birthday gift.
"Qingluan, since you have nothing to do, why don't you show Xiao Feng around?"
"Yes, teacher."
Hearing this, Mu Qingluan eagerly led Xiao Feng around the Falling Star Pavilion, introducing him to the other disciples along the way.
"Third Brother, watch out!"
As Xiao Feng strolled alongside Mu Qingluan, a familiar voice suddenly rang out. A sharp sound of something cutting through the air followed closely behind.
Xiao Feng's lips curled into a smirk. Without turning his head, he casually struck backward with his palm.
Clang!
Xiao Feng's jade-white right hand collided with a pitch-black heavy ruler, producing a crisp metallic chime.
Xiao Yan felt an overwhelming force surge toward him, sending him flying uncontrollably.
Just as he was about to crash to the ground, a pair of cyan battle qi wings unfurled behind him, allowing him to glide for dozens of meters before he steadied himself.
"Hmm..."
Xiao Yan looked at his still-trembling Heavy Xuan Ruler and his right hand, which had gone numb from the impact. Shaking his head helplessly, he sighed, "The gap is still too big."
Since returning to the Falling Star Pavilion with Yao Lao and becoming its Young Pavilion Master, Xiao Yan had access to far better training resources than before.
His cultivation had progressed at a staggering pace. In just over two months, he had broken through from a one-star Dou King to a three-star Dou King.
However, compared to Xiao Feng—the ultimate cheat—his speed was still lacking. The gap between them hadn't narrowed but had instead widened even further.
"Six-star Dou Ancestor!"
Upon sensing the energy fluctuations from Xiao Feng, Yao Lao's pupils contracted sharply as he muttered to himself, "This little lunatic is becoming more and more monstrous. Others slow down as they advance, but he just keeps getting faster. Could it be that his Dou Di bloodline is awakening?"
As a member of the Medicine Clan, Yao Lao knew well that among the Ancient Eight Clans, the strongest was once the Xiao Clan.
Moreover, with Xiao Xun'er, the young miss of the Gu Clan, inexplicably appearing in the Xiao Family of Wu Tan City, it wasn't hard for Yao Lao to deduce that the Xiao Family was actually a fallen branch of the Xiao Clan.
For Xiao Feng to leap from a one-star Dou Practitioner to a six-star Dou Ancestor in just over two years, the only explanation Yao Lao could think of was the awakening of a Dou Emperor bloodline.
Although the chances of a Dou Di bloodline resurfacing were rare, it did occasionally happen among the Ancient Eight Clans.
These clans had many descendants, and among the tens or even hundreds of thousands of newborns each year, a few would inevitably experience a bloodline resurgence. Such individuals would naturally receive the clan's focused attention and nurturing.
"Little Yan, if you want to defy fate and reverse the heavens, you'd better wait for your next life!"
Xiao Feng chuckled as he patted Xiao Yan's shoulder before clasping his hands toward Yao Lao. "Greetings, Elder Yao."
"No need for formalities."
Yao Lao stroked his beard before taking out a white jade pill bottle. "Little lunatic, you came at the right time. I've just finished refining the Green Fungus Pill. Take it with you and deliver it to Venerable Tianhuo."
The Green Fungus Pill was a special-tier eighth-grade pill, said to be capable of restoring a declining Dou Zun expert to their peak.
However, in practice, the pill could only restore two to three stars of cultivation at most.
Even after taking the Green Fungus Pill, Yao Lao's cultivation had only recovered to a seven-star Dou Venerate—far from his peak.
But for Venerable Tianhuo, whose peak strength had only been five-star Dou Zun, this pill would be enough to fully restore his power.
"Rest assured, Elder Yao. I will personally deliver this Pill to Venerable Tianhuo. I'm sure he'll be delighted."
After saying this, Xiao Feng suddenly changed the topic. "Elder Yao, I came to the Falling Star Pavilion today to ask you to refine a Heaven Soul Blood Fusion Pill for me."
"Heaven Soul Blood Fusion Pill?"
Yao Lao's expression shifted slightly, his curiosity piqued. "What effects does this pill have? I've never heard of it before."
The Dou Qi Continent had countless alchemists, and new pill formulas were created every year. Even someone as knowledgeable as Yao Lao couldn't possibly know them all.
(End of Chapter)
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