“Eight Extremes Collapse!” A crisp shout suddenly echoed through the small grove atop the mountain. A nimble figure leaped and dodged with agility, the thorny underbrush posing no hindrance. In the next moment, the figure abruptly stopped before a tree as thick as half a handspan. The figure’s feet shifted, body leaning to one side, as an elbow slammed fiercely into the tree.
*Boom!*
A dull sound followed by splinters flying in all directions. Spiderweb-like cracks spread out from the point of impact.
*Creak…*
The tree, now with a gaping hole, swayed with a creaking noise. Moments later, it crashed to the ground, weakened and defeated. As the tree fell, the agile figure, like a swift monkey, leaped away and landed lightly on a giant blue-green boulder.
Looking at the result, Xiao Yan’s handsome face was filled with joy. It had been three months since he first successfully used the Eight Extremes Collapse, a high-level Mystical Rank fighting technique. The destructive power unleashed with just the sixth level of Dou Qi was indeed comparable to that of the eighth level!
…
As the levels of Dou Qi progressed, the rate of improvement slowed down. Since acquiring all the necessary herbs, Xiao Yan had been training in seclusion for three months. In the last few days of the third month, he unexpectedly jumped from the fifth to the sixth level of Dou Qi…
While it took three months to reach the sixth level, which seemed slower than the initial two months, Xiao Yan was more than satisfied. In the past, it took him nearly half a year to make the same leap. Now, his progress was truly terrifying.
…
After using the Eight Extremes Collapse, Xiao Yan felt as if his body had been squeezed dry, a numb, painful sensation gnawing at his nerves. The veins on his arm twitched slightly, a sign of overexertion.
Licking his lips, Xiao Yan painfully turned his head to look at his right elbow, which was now red and swollen.
*Hiss…*
Clenching his jaw, Xiao Yan sucked in a breath of cold air, muttering, “No wonder I needed such harsh training. If not, the tree wouldn’t be broken, but my arm instead. This Eight Extremes Collapse is a test of who has the tougher body.”
Lying exhausted on the cold boulder, Xiao Yan’s breathing gradually steadied. However, the aching numbness in his body made him reluctant to move even a finger.
With his current sixth level of Dou Qi, Xiao Yan could only use the Eight Extremes Collapse once, and after that, he would be completely drained until his stamina recovered.
Lying on his back, Xiao Yan lazily gazed at the clouds floating in the azure sky. A gentle breeze blew, ruffling a strand of black hair across his forehead. The Foundation Strengthening Spirit Liquid, absorbed over the past few months, silently seeped out from every corner of his body, repairing his tired muscles and cells, rapidly restoring his strength.
“Teacher, how long do I need to reach the seventh level?” Xiao Yan asked softly, his eyes half-closed.
Reaching the seventh level would give him the qualification to enter the Dou Qi Pavilion to seek cultivation techniques. Though he no longer looked up to the techniques of the Xiao family, he still needed this qualification for his father’s sake.
A gentle breeze swept past, and the transparent form of the Pharmacist Elder appeared beside the boulder.
Smiling, the elder first examined the broken tree on the ground, nodding slightly. After a moment of contemplation, he said, “Your progress is faster than I expected. With the help of the spirit liquid, I thought it would take you a year to reach the seventh level… Perhaps because of the intense suppression in the past, you are now rebounding more strongly. At this rate, you will definitely reach the seventh level within two months.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s lips curved into a faint smile. He wondered what expressions those clansmen, who had mocked him for the past three years, would have when they saw his strength. His words to Nalan Yanran in the hall were also a message to them.
“I, Xiao Yan, created a miracle three years ago, and I can do it again!”
His gaze flickered, and Xiao Yan recalled the lonely, yet determined figure in the hall, standing firm amidst the disdainful gazes.
“Nalan Yanran, I am slowly making my way towards you. Wait patiently. In three years, we will meet at the Cloud Rending Sect!”
A rebellious smile tugged at his lips as the young man leaped up, roaring to the boundless sky.
Watching the roaring youth, the Pharmacist Elder smiled, not stopping him. People need pressure to mature. Xiao Yan had the talent; now, he needed the pressure to drive him forward.
Nalan Yanran had provided the perfect pressure.
“Use her as your touchstone. The path of the strong is long, and you have much to go!”
“Come, let’s go home and train!”
After shouting, Xiao Yan’s smiling face radiated joy. He leaped off the boulder, waving to the Pharmacist Elder, and dashed towards the foot of the mountain, laughing heartily.
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