For a woman of her background and age to reach the peak of the Dou Spirit realm—it likely wouldn't be long before she stepped into the Dou King level.
Such aptitude even surpassed that of Xiao Lin!
"You are indeed perceptive and not like most women," Gu Yuan nodded slightly, offering a rare note of praise. "Naturally, I won't have your Xiao Clan look after my daughter without compensation."
As he spoke, Gu Yuan casually flicked his fingers, and two streams of water-blue light shot out, landing beside the bed.
The light faded, revealing two exquisitely ornate scrolls before Qin Yueyao and the others.
Gu Yuan said calmly, "I came in haste today and didn't bring any proper gifts. One of these—this cultivation method—is to celebrate the birth of a Xiao Clan genius, and the other, a Dou Technique, is a token of thanks for taking care of my daughter."
Xiao Lin was about to offer polite thanks, but before the words could fully leave his lips, the man before him vanished into thin air.
Such a display of power left everyone in the room stunned, drawing sharp gasps.
After regaining his composure, Xiao Lin led his son Xiao Zhan over to the bed and said to his daughter-in-law, "Yueyao, let's take a look at the cultivation method and Dou Technique."
Qin Yueyao nodded slightly and unfurled the scroll with a quick glance. Her expression instantly shifted to one of shock. After skimming the Dou Technique as well, she looked up and exclaimed, "These are high-rank Earth-tier cultivation methods and Dou Techniques!"
"What?!" Even Xiao Lin, with his decades of experience and steady temperament, lost control of his expression.
Even basic Earth-tier methods were nearly nonexistent in the Jia Ma Empire, and that middle-aged man had casually gifted a matched pair of high-rank Earth-tier manuals.
The fact that they were a set made them even more valuable than two unrelated high-tier scrolls.
Xiao Lin quickly regained his clarity, and his expression grew stern as he swept his gaze over the maids and steward in the room. "What happened here today—no one is allowed to speak a word of it. If I so much as hear a whisper of this outside…"
He didn't finish the sentence, especially since his grandson had just been born, but the weight behind his words left no room for doubt.
Lowering his gaze, Xiao Lin turned to his daughter-in-law. "This cultivation method and Dou Technique were clearly meant for you. You may cultivate them, but you must not pass them on to anyone else—not even to Zhan'er."
Qin Yueyao nodded heavily. Smart as she was, she understood perfectly what her father-in-law meant.
High-tier Earth-rank manuals were too valuable. If word got out, it could spell doom for the Xiao Clan.
And considering that middle-aged man's terrifying strength, no one could predict his temperament. If he were displeased, the consequences might be even more severe than a clan-wide catastrophe.
Even Xiao Yan himself was a little surprised by Gu Yuan's gift.
This man had not so much as offered a token in the original timeline—except for arranging a wife for him. Yet now, he had freely given away a high-tier Earth-rank cultivation method and Dou Technique.
It seemed that the butterfly effect had already begun.
If he hadn't created his own cultivation method, if he hadn't enhanced both his and his mother's aptitudes, Gu Yuan would never have been moved to such generosity.
Especially his mother's current strength—it far exceeded Xiao Yan's earlier expectations.
The Dou Crystal that had previously resembled a sea urchin had, just days later, retracted its nine spikes—clearly marking the peak of the Dou Spirit realm!
To think that the Xiao Clan's current cultivation methods could nurture someone at the peak of Dou Spirit by the age of thirty—this was already the mark of an astonishing genius in the Jia Ma Empire.
So long as she didn't perish prematurely, once her son grew up, the Xiao Clan would very likely see the rise of a Dou Emperor.
And that was just a projection based on her innate talent.
If he factored in the cultivation method and Dou Technique gifted by Gu Yuan, Xiao Yan believed that with his mother's current aptitude, even breaking through to the Dou Ancestor realm was entirely possible.
The thought that his birth alone had nearly rewritten the Xiao Clan's destiny left Xiao Yan brimming with excitement.
A Dou Ancestor wielding a high-rank Earth-tier Dou Technique—in the Jia Ma Empire, such a figure would be absolutely peerless.
However, after the prolonged ordeal of being born, Xiao Yan was starting to feel a bit exhausted.
He resolved that after some rest, he would work on achieving the next level of insight—so he could begin cultivating Dou Qi immediately and further expand his lead.
Naturally, news of Xiao Yan's birth caused a stir throughout Wu Tan City.
To be born with three segments of innate Dou Qi—many clan disciples in Wu Tan couldn't even achieve that after a year or more of dedicated cultivation.
Yet this little one was born already possessing such strength.
People couldn't help but quietly wonder: Could someone really begin cultivating while still in the womb?
Of course, no one dared voice such thoughts aloud. Instead, they all offered their congratulations to the Xiao Clan for producing a rare genius—one destined to rival even the former Clan Head, a Dou Huang expert.
One month later, the Xiao Clan held a grand celebration for Xiao Yan's first-month milestone.
But Xiao Yan didn't find the event enjoyable at all—in fact, the noise and chaos gave him a splitting headache.
It was worlds apart from the peaceful environment he used to require for enlightenment.
He idly fiddled with the ancient, worn-looking ring hanging from his neck, trying to ease his frustration.
Due to his extraordinary aptitude, his mother had placed the ring—within which Yao Lao's soul was sealed—around his neck early on.
"I wonder at what age I'll be able to 'revive' Yao Lao?" Xiao Yan pondered to himself.
To awaken Yao Lao required two things.
First, he needed to reach the Dou Practitioner level.
Second, Yao Lao had to absorb his Dou Qi for three years in order to regain enough strength to reappear.
Xiao Yan knew that Yao Lao retained some awareness throughout this time.
The three-year wait was merely to ensure he had enough power to defend himself should they run into someone from the Soul Hall.
After being shown off a bit and returned to his crib, Xiao Yan closed his eyes once more and resumed his meditative insight.
As a genius from birth, his mother had frequently spoken to him about Dou Qi cultivation, encouraging him to grow into a powerful warrior.
With proper cultivation knowledge now embedded in his mind, Xiao Yan's extraordinary comprehension was finally able to shine.
The orthodox method of cultivating Dou Qi required forming hand seals and sitting cross-legged in meditation to focus the mind and guide the flow of heavenly energy.
But what Xiao Yan now aimed to overcome was the limitation of posture.
He wanted to cultivate without the need to sit—whether lying down, face down, or standing, he wanted to be able to train anytime, anywhere.
However, this breakthrough proved to be harder than he anticipated.
One had to remember, the widely practiced Dou Qi cultivation method across the Dou Qi Continent was devised by the ancient Dou Emperors. It had stood the test of time and become the universally adopted standard for a reason.
To attempt a revision of such a method was no small feat.
Several months later—
After yet another session of being infused with Dou Qi knowledge, Xiao Yan had fully grasped the fundamentals of Dou Qi cultivation. He had also observed many Xiao Clan members during their own training sessions.
With this wealth of information, Xiao Yan's insight deepened further, and his speed of comprehension significantly increased—until, at last, he achieved a breakthrough.
[Through deduction using the 'Dou Qi Cultivation Method,' and after days of study, you have gained enlightenment. You have mastered the Dou Qi Breathing Technique!]
(End of Chapter)