Soon, he reached the back mountain, but there was no sign of Xiao Yan anywhere.
"It seems he already left. What a pity… now I'll have to look for him," he muttered with a regretful expression.
He was just a little disappointed that he didn't get the chance to meet Xiao Yan's famous teacher, Yao Chen [Lao].
"Let's go, little snake. We have to find Xiao Yan-ge, or else mother will scold us." Saying this, he dashed toward Xiao Yan's courtyard, hoping to find him there.
After a few minutes of running, he finally stopped in front of the courtyard. Walking up to the door, he knocked lightly.
"Who is it?" a voice came from inside.
"Xiao Yan-ge, it's me, Xiao Hai. Please open the door," he replied in his childish voice.
After a brief pause, the door creaked open and Xiao Yan stepped out.
"Oh, Xiao Hai. What are you doing here?" he asked curiously.
"It seems Xiao Yan-ge forgot our agreement to eat lunch together. But it's okay. Come with me now," Xiao Hai said earnestly.
"Uh… Xiao Hai, forget it. We can eat together some other day," Xiao Yan refused politely.
"Ahh… but mother told me to say that if you don't come, then you should be ready for a beating," Xiao Hai said innocently.
At those words, a chill ran down Xiao Yan's spine, and he shivered unconsciously as dark memories flickered in his mind.
"Ahaha… okay, okay. Let's go. We can't keep aunt waiting," he said quickly, closing the door in haste and urging Xiao Hai to lead the way back.
So, Xiao Hai had no choice but to run back with Xiao Yan.
Before long, they arrived at Xiao Hai's courtyard. As the gate creaked open, the two stepped inside. Xiao Qing wasn't in the garden, but the sound of pots clattering and a rich fragrance drifting from the kitchen made it clear she was still home.
Both Xiao Yan and Xiao Hai entered the main room and sat down at the dining table. Several dishes were already arranged, their savory aroma instantly making both of them hungry.
Although Xiao Yan hadn't wanted to come at first, those thoughts quickly disappeared. Now, there was only one thing on his mind—eating.
"Mother, we're back! When will the food be ready?" Xiao Hai called out loudly so Xiao Qing could hear.
"Just a moment—it's already ready," came Xiao Qing's reply from the kitchen. Soon after, she emerged carrying another steaming bowl.
"Oh, Xiao Yan also came. I thought I might have to use a little force this time, but it seems our Xiao Yan is smart enough to understand on his own. Good, very good." She smiled warmly as she set the dish down.
But Xiao Yan's back went cold. He didn't even want to imagine what would have happened if he had dared not to come.
"Haha, you must be joking, Aunt Qing. I'll come anytime you ask me to," he replied with an embarrassed laugh.
Xiao Hai, sitting nearby, tilted his head curiously. For some reason, it seemed as though Xiao Yan was actually afraid of his mother. He had countless questions in his heart, but in the end, he chose not to ask.
Soon, the dishes were fully served, and the three of them began eating together.
In the middle of the meal, Xiao Qing suddenly voiced her opinion about breaking the engagement. She comforted Xiao Yan, telling him not to worry too much, and to simply focus on his cultivation.
After the meal was finished, Xiao Yan prepared to leave. But just as he was about to step out, something seemed to come to mind, and he stopped.
"Uh… Aunt Qing, I have a favor to ask," he said with an embarrassed look.
"Haha, you also have a favor to ask? And from your aunt, no less? Just speak." Xiao Qing chuckled warmly, amused by his cautious tone. She was his elder, and he could have asked directly—but treating it as a favor showed his respect.
Xiao Yan then carefully listed out the materials he needed for the Spiritual Foundation Liquid, with the exception of the monster core.
Xiao Qing's lips curved into a faint smile. "Come by the shop tomorrow. I'll prepare them for you," she assured.
Relieved, Xiao Yan bid farewell and took his leave.
Afterward, Xiao Hai also retreated to his own room. As he lay down for a moment, a thought suddenly struck him.
"Ah! I really forgot to check the Devouring Pearl," he muttered, quickly sitting upright.
Opening his palm, a faint black liquid seeped out, swirling together until it condensed into a pitch-black bead that pulsed faintly with mysterious energy.
Closing his eyes, he let a thread of soul power probe into the Devouring Pearl.
The instant his soul sense spread inside, his expression froze in shock.
The internal space was enormous—nearly thirty cubic meters by his estimate, far larger than he had imagined. But that wasn't the most astonishing part.
It wasn't empty.
Not only had the Devouring Pearl collected spiritual liquid, but in one corner of the vast space lay piles of gold coins, scrolls, and jade boxes. Even more unsettling was the faint intuition tugging at his heart—there was something deeper hidden within, something he could not yet uncover.
Taking a long breath to steady his emotions, Xiao Hai once again examined the vast storage space within the Devouring Pearl.
He let his gaze sweep across the glittering piles of gold coins but decided not to bother counting them now. What truly caught his attention were the scrolls.
After nearly half an hour of careful sorting, he had gone through all of them. He didn't study their contents in detail, only identified what each scroll held.
According to his count, there were forty scrolls resting atop the heap of gold coins. Among them:
Five Qi Methods,Fifteen Dou Qi Skills,Fifteen scrolls containing knowledge on natural treasures, rare herbs, exotic metals, and magical beasts & Five journals
He had little interest in the journals for now. But the sheer number of Qi Methods and Dou Qi Skills left his heart pounding with excitement.
The Qi Methods were undoubtedly the most valuable. Though there were only five, each one was of high grade. Four of them were High-grade Xuan-rank Qi Methods, while the fifth—a Water-attributed technique called Sea Heart Method—was a Low-grade Earth-rank Qi Method.
Xiao Hai's hands trembled slightly. An Earth-rank Qi Method—from the very start!
This meant he wouldn't need to discard and switch to higher methods as he advanced, unlike most cultivators who wasted years repeating their training with new techniques. In the entire Jia Ma Empire, not even a single Earth-rank Qi Method was publicly available.
Unless fortune smiled on him with something even greater in the distant future, this was already a supreme foundation. For now, he couldn't imagine obtaining anything higher.
Although Xiao Hai wanted to begin cultivating immediately, he restrained himself. His mother was still in the house, and he didn't want her to notice anything unusual. Forcing his excitement down, he sighed softly.
Yet, a small regret lingered in his mind. If only I had discovered the Devouring Pearl sooner… I wouldn't have needed to ask for a Qi Method from the Jia Ma Royal Family. I could have demanded something far more valuable.
Shaking his head, he stopped overthinking and closed his eyes to rest.
Meanwhile, in Xiao Yan's room.
After returning from Xiao Hai's courtyard, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on his bed, preparing to meditate. Just then, Yao Lao's voice suddenly rang out.
"Xiao Yan, that child called Xiao Hai—who exactly is he?" Yao Lao asked in a suspicious tone.
"Uh? Teacher, what's wrong? He's my cousin," Xiao Yan replied in confusion.
"Do you know his cultivation stage?" Yao Lao pressed again.
"In tomorrow's test, he was recorded as an eight-star Dou Zhi Qi. Why? Did you notice something strange?" Xiao Yan asked, puzzled.
"Hmph, eight-star Dou Zhi Qi? You've been fooled by his appearance," Yao Lao chuckled lightly. "That boy isn't an eight-star Dou Zhi Qi at all—he's already a Dou Zhe."
"What?! Impossible!" Xiao Yan's eyes widened. "Yesterday he was clearly only an eight-star Dou Zhi Qi! How could he suddenly become a Dou Zhe overnight? Even if his talent matched mine, breaking through to Dou Zhe at the age of ten is absurd!" He shook his head, refusing to accept it.
"Nothing in this world is truly impossible," Yao Lao said calmly. "Remember this, Xiao Yan—never underestimate anyone. Even a dying beast, when cornered, can still kill a hunter."
Xiao Yan fell silent, his mind in turmoil. But as he calmed down, instead of discouragement, a new fire lit up in his heart.
So what if Xiao Hai reached Dou Zhe so young?
"If I was once the first genius of the Xiao Family—if I could reach Dou Zhe at twelve—then I can definitely climb back up again!" His fists clenched tightly, determination blazing in his eyes. "Teacher, change the plan. I want to reach the Dou Zhe realm within one year!"
Seeing Xiao Yan so fired up, Yao Lao smiled faintly. That was exactly why he had revealed Xiao Hai's true strength—to spark Xiao Yan's fighting spirit. Clearly, there was no need to worry anymore.
Nodding in approval, Yao Lao retreated into the ring, already adjusting the training plan to match Xiao Yan's renewed resolve.