Chapter 38: He's the Strongest Dou Zhe I've Ever Seen!
"Miss, that boy named Jiang Lin is already a Dou Zhe—and a two-star Dou Zhe at that."
Late at night, within the Xiao Clan's inner courtyard, Ling Ying knelt on one knee in the corner of Xiao Xun'er's room, completely hidden within the shadows, reporting what he had witnessed that day.
"Hmm… How many years did Brother Xiao Yan train formally?" Xiao Xun'er pondered aloud.
"…Reporting to Miss, he started at age seven, reached Dou Zhe at eleven—four years in total."
Ling Ying's voice tightened slightly as he responded, his tone darkened by memory. Xiao Yan officially started cultivating at age seven, but the truth was, he had Dou Qi as early as four years old. So, the real question was—what happened to the Dou Qi he cultivated between ages four and seven?
The answer: it went to Xiao Xun'er.
And how exactly did it end up there?
Shhh. Don't ask. Ask again and I'll show you how fast a Dou Huang's blade can cut.
"Hmm…" Xiao Xun'er fell silent at Ling Ying's answer, her golden-blue eyes momentarily lost in memory.
She, clever and perceptive, could sense Ling Ying's internal conflict.
In truth, it was under Ling Ying's watch that Xiao Yan ended up sneaking into Xiao Xun'er's room. Which meant Ling Ying had allowed it—perhaps even deliberately. Why? Because back then, Xiao Xun'er had just fused with a wisp of the Golden Emperor Flame's child flame. The intense burning had left her meridians agonizingly tender, and she could barely endure it.
Later, Ling Ying and Xiao Xun'er discovered that the only way to accelerate fusion with the flame was to use Xiao Xun'er's own Dou Qi to refine it slowly. The child flame, much like Yao Lao's ring, required massive amounts of Dou Qi to activate. Once activated, it would no longer harm her.
Then, one day by chance, four- or five-year-old Xiao Yan—completely unnoticed by the clan—began cultivating Dou Qi. Out of curiosity, he injected a bit of his Dou Qi into his "frail and sickly distant cousin," and it unexpectedly eased the burning pain from the flame fusion.
Ling Ying, acting as a secret protector, tested other options—like using his own Dou Qi.
But the answer was clear: no. His Dou Qi was too strong, lacking the gentle, meridian-nourishing quality of Xiao Yan's beginner-stage Dou Qi. Worse yet, it nearly triggered a hostile reaction from the flame.
In the end, Ling Ying had no choice but to accept Xiao Yan's role as a living Dou Qi generator. Only he could consistently produce the specific kind of Dou Qi needed to help Xiao Xun'er merge with the flame.
Ling Ying did briefly consider capturing a few "lucky kids" from Central Plains to experiment with… but after seeing how efficient Xiao Yan was, he dropped that idea.
(And if he had, he'd have discovered that only Xiao Yan-brand Dou Qi had this special effect—probably due to some "destiny protagonist" setup. But hey, the translator didn't finish The Great Ruler, so who knows.)
So it went: Xiao Yan, the Dou Qi generator, unknowingly spent three years refining energy directly into Xiao Xun'er. After helping her complete her fusion with the child flame, he officially began cultivating at age seven.
If becoming a Dou Zhe at eleven was a once-in-a-century prodigy in the Jia Ma Empire, then by his true potential—reaching Dou Zhe at eight—he'd be considered a top-tier genius even in Central Plains, just shy of those who awaken "Emperor Marks."
"That Jiang Lin… didn't he only have Dou Qi Stage One two years ago, in Qingshan Town?" Xiao Xun'er murmured.
"Yes…" Ling Ying answered, lowering his head. He had verified it himself. And the more he verified, the more unbelievable it felt.
From Stage One to two-star Dou Zhe. All in just two years.
Back in the Dou Qi stages, it was impossible to gauge someone's strength unless they tested on the sealing monument. But after reaching Dou Zhe, their aura gave everything away—and Ling Ying had clearly seen Jiang Lin's.
"If Brother Xiao Yan hadn't spent so much energy elsewhere, his cultivation speed would match Jiang Lin's, right? Maybe even faster with pill support…" Xiao Xun'er muttered. Truly, this backwater place was hiding dragons and tigers.
Still, she was clearly biased. Jiang Lin hadn't even seen a real pill—his cultivation relied entirely on twice-daily, one-hour sessions of hard work. Well… it wasn't exactly hard, but still. His meridian-burning cultivation method couldn't be used more than twice per day. Any more and his body wouldn't endure it.
"But he might be in trouble. Their carriage was attacked on the road. That black dagger he gave Xiao Yan—wasn't his own forging." Ling Ying added.
"Should we help?" Xiao Xun'er asked. His identity as a blacksmith didn't impress her much—at most, she acknowledged his exceptional talent. But his cultivation speed sparked a true appreciation. With such potential, reaching Dou Huang or Dou Zong was all but certain. As for Dou Zun? That would depend on fate. Dou Sheng? Too far away to even imagine.
If she could easily invest in someone who might become another Ling Ying-level bodyguard… why not?
Jiang Lin (pointing at Xiao Yan): "You're recruiting him as the Gu Clan's son-in-law?"
Xiao Xun'er: "Mm-hmm."
Jiang Lin (pointing at himself): "And me… you want me as a shadow guard?"
Xiao Xun'er: "What? Problem?"
Jiang Lin: "The hell? You're underestimating me! I swear, I'll explode right here with you lovebirds!"
Xiao Xun'er: "Dou Sheng inheritance."
Jiang Lin: "Deal!"
Dou Sheng Jiang Lin (unleashing a Heaven-Rank treasure): "Before I became a Dou Sheng, I was your family's guard. After I became a Dou Sheng, I'm still your family's guard. What's the point of becoming one then?!"
"…I think we won't need to help for now. He's the strongest Dou Zhe I've ever seen."
Ling Ying's expression was oddly serious. Strongest Dou Zhe. Such a niche, unfamiliar title.
Xiao Xun'er couldn't help but recall Jiang Lin's armored form and fell silent.
"Forget it. If fate wills it, I'll lend a hand. Otherwise, what a waste of talent." She sighed softly, ending the conversation.
"Understood." Ling Ying nodded and disappeared into the shadows.
—
Meanwhile, in a temporary Xiao Clan residence, Jiang Lin was inspecting the beast hide scroll he had acquired earlier.
With experience from last time—and now as a two-star Dou Zhe—he could focus his spiritual energy and press the scroll to his forehead, projecting his mind into it.
Immediately, a new piece of information surfaced in his consciousness:
[Low Xuan-Rank Secret Technique · Mystic Armor Puppet Art]
(END CHAPTER)
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