In the secluded rear mountains of the Xiao Clan, beneath a hidden cliff, Xiao Yun sat cross-legged inside a narrow cave. This was a place he had carefully chosen for training—a quiet, isolated location where he had always come to cultivate his Dou Qi.
Opposite the cliff, thick clouds and fog coiled around the distant ridges. Beyond those clouds lay the perilous Magic Beast Mountain Range, full of dangers. Below the cliff was a bottomless abyss, and the only path leading here had long been covered by Xiao Yun with weeds and rubble.
Thanks to this natural seclusion, he didn't have to worry about anyone disturbing him during a breakthrough.
"I remember Xiao Yan needed medicinal pills to help him break through to Dou Practitioner rank. With my panel, I should be fine without that, right?"
Breaking through to a Dou Practitioner wasn't a trivial matter. If the attempt failed, one's cultivation level could actually regress. Although all of Xiao Yun's previous breakthroughs had gone smoothly, he still couldn't help feeling nervous. After all, the half-digital panel he relied on was merely his own theory—it wasn't like he had proof it truly worked.
Taking a slow, deep breath, Xiao Yun closed his eyes and formed a series of hand seals, guiding the Dou Qi absorption technique. His breathing gradually settled into a steady rhythm. The faint traces of Dou Qi within his body began to circulate rapidly through his meridians.
Suddenly, the still air in the small cave rippled with force. Wisps of milky white Dou Qi began to emerge from the air, converging on Xiao Yun, seeping into his body in a steady stream.
Inside his meridians, the Dou Qi had already filled most of the channels. Taking another deep breath, Xiao Yun's hands formed a new, unusual seal, fingers dancing like practiced choreography.
As the seal changed, the surging Dou Qi inside him suddenly contracted, as though pulled by a powerful suction force, rapidly gathering in his lower abdomen.
Once all the energy had coalesced, Xiao Yun used his spiritual sense to further compress it, forcing the Dou Qi into a liquid-like state. Under the guidance of his soul power, the energy compressed like obedient soldiers following orders—no resistance whatsoever.
In no time, the Dou Qi condensed into a palm-sized mass. Under further pressure, with a soft whoosh, it transformed into a spinning vortex that hovered quietly in his lower dantian.
"Huh? That's it? It actually worked? So my guess was right after all—breaking through to Dou Practitioner wasn't hard at all."
Xiao Yun opened his eyes, scratching his head with a bewildered expression. The whole process had felt... oddly easy.
He had simply absorbed Dou Qi from the air, compressed it with his soul power, and—boom—he was a Fighter now. He didn't even feel like he'd exerted much effort. If not for the swirling vortex in his lower abdomen, he would've doubted whether the breakthrough had even succeeded.
This was completely different from what the clan elders had described. According to them, breaking through to Fighter was a treacherous ordeal, requiring immense willpower and long periods of struggle.
But for him? A bit of breathing, a little squeezing, and ten minutes later—ta-da! A Practitioner.
After a moment of contemplation, Xiao Yun closed his eyes again, his mind diving inward in a technique called Internal View—a support skill available only to Dou Practitioners.
His awareness drifted to his lower abdomen, where the palm-sized milky vortex spun slowly.
Though smaller in volume than the unrefined Dou Qi he had before, this vortex contained exponentially more power. After all, what he now had was true Dou Qi, not just the diluted energy gathered during the early stages of training.
"Now that I've broken through, I can finally visit the Dou Technique Hall and pick a cultivation method. Too bad I haven't had the chance to meet Master Yao Lao yet… Otherwise, I might've been able to learn Flame Mantra."
In this world, one could only start cultivating Dou Techniques after reaching Dou Practitioner rank. Only then would the Dou Qi begin to take on a color aligned with the attributes of the technique one practiced.
Right now, Xiao Yun's Dou Qi was still milky white, which meant it was unaligned, without any elemental attribute.
He stood up and walked out of the cave, climbing the steep, narrow path up the cliffside. After confirming there were no signs of others passing through, he finally relaxed and headed back to the Xiao Clan estate.
As he neared his courtyard, he saw four people standing at his front door—one middle-aged man and three elderly figures. All four were staring daggers at each other, clearly locked in some unspoken standoff.
Xiao Yun recognized them instantly. The middle-aged man was his uncle, Xiao Zhan—the current clan leader. The other three were elders of the Xiao Clan.
"Uncle, Elders... what are you all doing here?" Xiao Yun asked, puzzled. He'd been gone a good while for his breakthrough. Had they really just been waiting at his door this whole time?
The moment they saw Xiao Yun, their tense expressions melted away, replaced by overly enthusiastic smiles.
"Ah, Little Yun, you're back!" Xiao Zhan was the first to speak, his tone full of warmth. "I just happened to be passing by and realized I hadn't checked in on you for a few days. When I saw you weren't home, I figured I'd wait a bit."
The three elders nodded along with identical smiles, claiming they too were just "passing by."
Xiao Yun looked at their faces, each one grinning like a blooming chrysanthemum. He didn't buy it for a second. He knew exactly why they were here—they were trying to win him over to their side.
After all, for a family like the Xiao Clan—trapped in the remote Wu Tan City—a young genius with an extraordinary future held tremendous influence.
Once he invited them into the courtyard, Xiao Zhan couldn't hold it in anymore and spoke again, "Little Yun, those past few times when you refused to attend the Magic Stone Tablet test, no one expected much. But this time? You stunned the entire clan! And judging by your aura… you've already broken through, haven't you?"
"Yes, Uncle. Right after the test, I went to the back mountains to cultivate and managed to break through."
"Hoo—seven years old and already a Dou Practitioner! Heaven truly smiles upon our Xiao Clan! Our return to the capital is only a matter of time now!" The three elders gasped dramatically, contributing to global warming with their collective intake of cold air.
…
After some small talk, Xiao Yun noticed they still hadn't gotten to the point, so he decided to push things along.
"Uncle, Elders, was there something you wanted to discuss?"
Xiao Zhan glanced at the First Elder, who made no move to speak. Sighing, he took the lead.
"It's nothing major. We just wanted to know what plans you have for the future."
"You know our Xiao Clan isn't exactly a great power. A genius like you would be wasted if you stayed here. We don't have the rare herbs or top-tier resources to support your growth, so we wanted to hear what your own plans are."
The First Elder chuckled and added, "We've thought of two possible paths for you. The first is Misty Cloud Sect—the strongest sect in the Jia Ma Empire. They have countless experts. With your talent, you might even be accepted as a personal disciple of the Sect Leader."
"The second is Jia Nan Academy. They gather talented youths from across the continent. In that kind of competitive environment, your progress might be even faster. I've heard they even have Dou Ancestor-level experts there. The only drawback is the distance—it's located far away in the Black-Corner Region. If anything happens, the clan won't be able to help you."
"Of course, the choice is yours. We old geezers are just offering our humble advice."
Xiao Zhan gave the First Elder a pointed look—"Old geezer"? Speak for yourself! I'm still in my prime!—but didn't say it out loud.
Misty Cloud Sect? Absolutely not. I wouldn't go there even if I were a dog.
Xiao Yun didn't even need to think it over. He replied firmly, "I want to go to Jia Nan Academy."
He wasn't stupid. He knew Misty Cloud Sect was tied to the Hall of Souls. If he joined them with the label of 'Xiao Clan genius,' it'd be like walking into a lab to get dissected.
Not that the others would believe him. They had no idea that the old Sect Leader Yun Shan was involved with the Hall of Souls. Even if he said something, they'd just assume he was imagining things.
"I prefer a challenging environment," Xiao Yun added. "Jia Nan Academy brings together the best of the best. I believe I'll grow faster there."
"Hmm, with your talent, you'll shine no matter where you go," Xiao Zhan nodded. "Jia Nan Academy will be sending recruiters to Wu Tan City soon. We'll let you know when they arrive."
"Yunlan Sect isn't bad either, but since you've made up your mind, we won't push it. At least now we won't have to arrange an escort party," one of the elders added with a sigh.
Honestly, Xiao Zhan had hoped Xiao Yun would choose Misty Cloud Sect. It would've been a huge advantage for the Xiao Clan to have that kind of backing. Misty Cloud Sect even had Dou Emperor-level powerhouses!
Sighing again, Xiao Zhan reached into his robe and pulled out a black card. "You'll face all kinds of inconveniences on the road without money. This card has a hundred thousand gold coins on it—not much, but it's the clan's token of support."
Xiao Yun hesitated. He wasn't really a child. A hundred thousand gold coins might not sound like much, but for the Xiao Clan, that was a significant amount.
Noticing his hesitation, the First Elder stroked his white beard and smiled. "Go ahead and take it. The amount was something we all chipped in together. It's just a small gesture."
Only then did Xiao Yun step forward and accept the black card with both hands.
"Thank you, Uncle. Thank you, Elders."
"Don't thank us just yet," one elder chuckled. "There's still more where that came from…"