Time flowed like water to the east, leaves scattered with the wind, and the days slipped by quietly and unnoticed.
In the Black-Corner Region stood Peace Town—a gateway checkpoint to the city of Jia Nan. Here, all acts of robbery, murder, and lawlessness were strictly forbidden.
Anyone who dared violate the rules would be swiftly executed by Jia Nan Academy's Enforcement Squad.
"Please, I'm begging you! Let me go! I only killed a few worthless nobodies with no cultivation. Why should I die for that? You people from Jia Nan Academy are too overbearing—aren't you afraid of public outrage?!"
In a dim alley, a burly man with a brutish face was kneeling, blood pouring from twin holes in his wrists. His fierce eyes had turned to pleading as he cried out to the young man approaching him.
"You knew the rules. There is no killing in Peace Town," came a cold voice.
A young man in light-blue robes walked forward, his expression unreadable. A long spear hung in his hand, and a sapphire badge adorned his chest. Upon it was carved the image of a dagger, stained with a trace of crimson blood.
"In your eyes, they were ants. But in my eyes... what does that make you?"
There was no hesitation. With a flick of his arm, the spear flashed like lightning and pierced the man's throat.
The body slumped to the ground. The young man stepped out of the alley's shadows, the soft light bathing his face—sharp features, sword-like eyebrows, and cold, starry eyes. His handsome face bore no emotion, as if the man he'd just killed had been livestock rather than a person.
He knelt to retrieve the storage ring from the man's finger, then vanished in a flicker of motion.
Outside the alley, a tall young man leaned against the wall and greeted him with a smile. "Xiao Yun, did you finish him off?"
Xiao Yun nodded calmly. "Mission complete."
After suffering a painful defeat at the hands of Xu Ning over a year ago, Xiao Yun had realized his combat shortcomings. Since then, he had joined the Enforcement Squad to hone himself through life-and-death battles. A year and a half had passed since that decision.
"Not surprising. You're already a six-star Dou Grandmaster, and with that spear in hand, taking out a five-star opponent is no challenge."
The taller youth looked at Xiao Yun's weapon with undisguised envy.
Xiao Yun smiled and glanced at the spear. The weapon, named Crimson Blood, had been a gift from Elder Huo when Xiao Yun announced he was joining the squad. Its fiery-red shaft was etched with Dou Qi inscriptions, and the tip held a tier-five fire-element magic core. With it, Xiao Yun could even hold his own against a Dou Spirit-level foe.
"Well, since the mission's done, let's head back to the squad base," the older youth said.
"I'm actually not going back," Xiao Yun replied. "With the Inner Academy selection in six months, I want to focus on cultivation and prepare to enter."
"Oh? That's fine, I suppose. With your strength, passing the selection is a sure thing. Still, you'll probably suffer a bit after entering. If you waited another year and broke through to Dou Spirit, it'd be a breeze."
He laughed. "But entering earlier isn't bad either. When you're in the Inner Academy, I'll treat you to a meal."
Xiao Yun nodded. He had been yearning to enter the Inner Academy for a long time. The young man before him—Senior Fang Xu—was already a student there.
Until recently, Xiao Yun simply didn't have the strength. But now, as a six-star Dou Grandmaster, he was easily the top of the Outer Academy. If he couldn't get in, then who could?
Jia Nan Academy's fame rested on two pillars: its headmaster Mang Tianchi, a half-saint powerhouse; and the Inner Academy's Heavenly Flame Refining Tower, which could drastically accelerate cultivation. The lower one's realm, the greater the effect.
As for the hardship Fang Xu mentioned—it referred to the academy's longstanding tradition: during the Fire Energy Hunt, older students would gang up on new entrants. Regardless of whether you came from the Outer or Inner Academy, if you were new, you had to be bullied at least once.
But Xiao Yun wasn't concerned. As a third-tier alchemist, he even had a 20% success rate when refining tier-four pills. Once inside, he could simply sell a few pills and easily buy all the Fire Energy he needed.
Back at Jia Nan Academy, the first thing Xiao Yun did after returning from Peace Town was head to his dorm. He scrubbed off the bloodstains and changed into a fresh outfit before walking toward his teacher's residence.
Elder Huo lived in a bamboo courtyard nestled within a tranquil forest grove. The atmosphere was serene and calming.
Standing at the entrance, Xiao Yun sniffed himself. No blood. Good.
He stepped inside.
"Come to visit your master, eh, my good disciple?" came a lazy voice.
Elder Huo lay comfortably on a bamboo recliner, flipping through a book.
He couldn't be more satisfied with Xiao Yun: outstanding talent, humble demeanor, and deep respect for his elders. To Elder Huo, the boy had no flaws.
Xiao Yun scratched his head sheepishly. "Actually, Teacher, I came to say goodbye. Today's the day the Academy sends mentors out to recruit students, and I plan to tag along. I want to visit my family and give them some cultivation techniques and Dou Skills I've picked up from the Enforcement Squad."
Though he had upgraded to a low-tier Earth-rank technique himself, Xiao Yun had not forgotten the hardships of practicing mere high-tier Yellow-rank skills back in the Xiao Clan.
Over the past year and a half, he'd amassed dozens of Black-rank manuals—many useless to him, but a priceless treasure for the Xiao Clan, who only had a single Black-rank technique to their name.
Elder Huo nodded. "You've been here for two years. It's only right to visit home. Just don't forget to return before the Inner Academy selection."
"I won't," Xiao Yun said with a smile. "I'll go pack now."
"Close the door on your way out."
After bidding Elder Huo farewell, Xiao Yun rushed to the Academy's aerial mount station. He caught up with the recruitment team just in time and explained his situation to the leading instructor. With their approval, he boarded a griffin bound for Wu Tan City.
Two Months Later — Wu Tan City, Xiao Clan Residence
Standing before the Xiao Clan's main gate, Xiao Yun gazed at the familiar compound, unchanged after two years.
The Xiao Clan hasn't changed... but I have.
He walked quietly through the winding paths. This return had been a sudden decision—he hadn't informed anyone ahead of time.
No one in the clan knew he was back.
That is, until he arrived at the courtyard of his old home... and ran into Xiao Zhan and three elders who were just about to head out for the Academy's recruitment fair.
"X-Xiao Yun?!" the four of them froze, then broke into joyous shouts.
"Uncle Zhan, Elders, long time no see," Xiao Yun greeted them with a warm smile.
"Hahaha, it has been a long time—two whole years! And you only now return?" Xiao Zhan laughed heartily and clapped him on the shoulder. "Aren't you supposed to be studying at Jia Nan Academy? What brings you back so suddenly? You didn't even tell us—we could've sent someone to fetch you."
"I'm only here to deliver a few things. I know the way—I didn't want to make a fuss."
"What do you mean 'make a fuss'? We're family!" the First Elder said, grinning. "Come, let's talk inside."
In the main hall, Xiao Zhan and the elders sat with Xiao Yun at a round table, eager for updates.
"We heard from Xiao Long and Xiao Hu that you've broken through to Dou Master and even become an alchemist?"
"And you're apprenticed to a master alchemist at the Academy too, right?"
Xiao Yun didn't answer. Instead, he pulled a silver badge from his storage ring and tossed it onto the table.
"Third-tier Alchemist!" gasped Xiao Zhan.
The badge bore three finely engraved silver ripples. All four men stared in stunned disbelief.
In all of Wu Tan City, among the three major clans, there wasn't a single alchemist. The only one around was Master Gu Ni from the Miteer Auction House—a second-tier alchemist—and even he was someone the Xiao Clan had to flatter to get a meeting.
And now, a ten-year-old boy from their own clan had become a third-tier alchemist?
"This... this can't be fake, right?" the hot-tempered Second Elder asked nervously. Falsifying an alchemist badge was a grave offense. If the Alchemist Association found out, Xiao Yun would be a fugitive across the entire continent.
"The hell are you saying? Look at the craftsmanship, those ripple lines—how could this be fake?" Xiao Zhan barked, smacking the Second Elder on the back. "Right, Xiao Yun? Tell them it's real!"
Though he found it hard to believe himself, Xiao Zhan still had faith in his prodigious nephew. He turned to Xiao Yun, clearly hoping for confirmation.
Facing their skeptical expressions, Xiao Yun finally sighed. "My teacher is Elder Huo from the Alchemy Division of Jia Nan Academy—a fifth-tier master alchemist. With someone like him backing me, do you think I'd dare forge a badge?"
The room instantly fell silent.
"And," he added with a faint smile, "I've not only reached third-tier alchemy—I've also advanced to the Dou Grandmaster realm."
As he finished speaking, Xiao Yun channeled the Dou Qi in his body. A gentle crimson glow shimmered at his fingertips. Then, with a flick, he launched the energy outward like a tiny arrow.
Boom!
A vase in the corner of the hall exploded into ceramic dust.
"External Dou Qi release—that's the signature of a Dou Grandmaster!" Xiao Zhan's voice was filled with excitement. "Then it's true! If you've reached that level, then the third-tier alchemist claim must be real too! I knew it—our Xiao Yun wouldn't lie!"
The other elders nodded in astonishment, their disbelief melting into awe.
"Alright, Uncle Zhan, Elders," Xiao Yun said, his tone growing more formal. "I came back this time to express my gratitude to the clan. You all supported me when I had nothing. Now that I've achieved a bit of success, I brought back some cultivation methods and battle techniques as a token of repayment."
With that, he waved his hand, and with a flash of light, a pile of scrolls appeared on the table.
The elders' eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
"These are all techniques I acquired from Jia Nan Academy," Xiao Yun explained. "Among them are three mid-tier Black-rank cultivation methods—one each for fire, water, and wood attributes. The rest are low-tier Black-rank techniques."
At his words, the elders jumped to their feet like someone had lit a fire under their chairs.
To them, these scrolls were treasures beyond compare.
Back when the Xiao Clan had offended a powerful enemy, they were forced to flee from the capital, Jia Ma Sacred City, and settle in this backwater town of Wu Tan. In the process, most of their advanced techniques and scrolls were lost. They'd only managed to salvage a single Black-rank cultivation manual, which could only be practiced by the clan leader. Everyone else—including the three elders—had to make do with basic Yellow-rank techniques.
Now, Xiao Yun had returned with a treasure trove that could rewrite the clan's future.
With these techniques, even a mediocre Xiao clansman could push beyond their limits. A person who might have otherwise been stuck as a Dou Grandmaster for life now had a real shot at becoming a Dou Spirit—or maybe even a Dou King!
"Xiao Yun… your gift is too generous. The heavens must truly be watching over the Xiao Clan to give us a genius like you!" Xiao Zhan said, visibly moved.
"Don't get too emotional just yet," Xiao Yun added with a grin. "I also brought some pills."
Another wave of his hand, and six jade bottles appeared neatly on the table.
"There are two Qi Gathering Pills—low-grade, fourth-tier pills I refined myself. They're guaranteed to help anyone at the ninth stage of Dou Qi successfully form their Dou Qi cyclone and step into the Dou Practitioner realm."
He pointed at the remaining four bottles.
"The other four are Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills—high-grade, fourth-tier pills. When taken by someone at the Dou Grandmaster level, they can almost certainly boost their strength by one star."
The elders gasped.
The Qi Gathering Pills had been Xiao Yun's early practice work, but even so, they were still immensely valuable. As for the Purple Heart Pills, he had acquired those from missions while working with the Enforcement Division—plundered from the storage rings of criminals he'd helped eliminate. In over a year and a half, he'd only managed to gather four.
"These two Qi Gathering Pills can be given to the most promising juniors of the clan," Xiao Yun said casually. "As for the Purple Heart Pills, one each for you, Uncle Zhan, and the three elders."
His tone was as light as if he were handing out candy—not top-tier pills that could cause a bidding war among even major clans.
Xiao Zhan and the three elders sat in stunned silence, a sense of overwhelming joy flooding over them like a tidal wave. They could hardly breathe from the sheer euphoria.