Morning mist drifted through the courtyards of the Xiao Clan, the rising sun casting golden light upon tiled roofs and ancient trees. The clan estate was peaceful, yet faint traces of Dou Qi lingered in the air as disciples cultivated in their respective courtyards.
A clear and slightly impatient voice suddenly broke the tranquility.
"Xiao Feng! Get up! The Patriarch has summoned everyone to the main hall!"
The voice belonged to Xiao Yu, whose temperament was as fiery as ever.
The wooden door creaked open.
"Sister Xiao Yu, why are you in such a hurry? I'm already awake."
Xiao Feng stepped out slowly from the courtyard, his expression calm.
Unlike the initial days when his heart fluttered from seeing the characters only in novel, in realm, he had completely calmed down.
Xiao Yu rolled her eyes, "The Patriarch rarely gathers all the juniors together. It must be something important. Stop wasting time!"
Before Xiao Feng could say anything else, she grabbed his sleeve and pulled him along the stone path toward the main hall.
Along the way, they saw various clan members walking the same way.
Xiao Clan Main Hall
The hall was already filled with the younger generation of the Xiao family.
Young disciples whispered among themselves, wondering what matter required the Patriarch to summon everyone so early.
At the front of the hall stood Xiao Zhan, the Patriarch of the Xiao Clan. His tall figure radiated natural authority.
Beside him stood a small girl dressed in pale clothes.
Her face was delicate like carved jade, her skin fair as snow. Though she looked only five or six years old, her quiet eyes carried a maturity that seemed far beyond her age.
After confirming that all the disciples had arrived, Xiao Zhan stepped forward.
His voice echoed through the hall.
"Listen carefully."
The chatter instantly died down.
Xiao Zhan gently placed his hand on the girl's shoulder and pushed her slightly forward.
"From today onward, a new member will live within our Xiao Clan."
"This child is Xiao Xun'er."
"She is a distant relative of our clan and will grow up here from now on."
His expression suddenly became stern.
"I expect all of you to treat her as family. If anyone dares to bully her…"
A powerful aura burst from his body.
"I will personally discipline them."
The disciples shivered slightly.
No one dared doubt the Patriarch's words.
Immediately, the hall became lively.
Many of the children stepped forward with friendly smiles.
Xiao Yu was the first to approach.
She placed her hands on her hips and spoke cheerfully.
"Cousin Xun'er, I'm Xiao Yu! From now on we'll get along well!"
Her eyes sparkled with confidence.
"If someone dares bully you, just tell me. I'll help you teach them a lesson!"
Behind her, several other children also stepped forward.
"I'm Xiao Ning!"
"My name is Xiao Mei!"
"I'm Xiao Lan!"
'Such a Cute girl!' Xiao Yan couldn't help but stare at Xue'er who looked like a doll. His heart couldn't help but flutter.
"Hello, I am Xiao Yan. The son of the Patriarch " Xiao Yan introduced himself.
His introduction seemed simple but he had unintentionally mentioned his status in the family.
Faced with so many unfamiliar faces, she felt slightly uncomfortable.
But she had been taught proper etiquette since childhood.
So she nodded politely
Watching the lively interaction of the younger generation, the elders of the Xiao Clan revealed satisfied smiles.
At that moment, Xiao Feng stepped forward as well..
"I am Xiao Feng.".
"Please take care of me in the future, Cousin Xun'er."
Xun'er looked at him quietly for a moment.
Compared to others, she had a vague intuition that this hot wasn't ordinary.
"Hello."
Her voice was soft, yet clear..
Seeing the slightly awkward atmosphere, Xiao Yu suddenly clapped her hands.
"Ah! Since Cousin Xun'er just arrived, she probably doesn't know the clan very well."
Her eyes brightened.
"How about I show you around the Xiao family?"
Xun'er hesitated briefly before nodding.
"Then… I'll trouble Sister Xiao Yu."
Her tone was polite and refined.
Just as they were about to leave, Xiao Mei spoke again.
"I'll come along as well."
Xiao Yu glanced at him.
"Fine. The more people, the livelier it will be."
Soon Xiao Mei, Xiao Ning, and several others joined them.
Thus, what should have been a simple tour quickly turned into a small procession of Xiao Clan juniors.
Xiao Feng very much liked liveliness. So he joined the group and blended in it. It was a way for him to pass his boredom.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan watched them from a distance.
He snorted softly.
"Hmph… childish."
Turning around, he quietly left the hall.
Though he admitted to himself that the new girl was quite cute, he had no interest in joining children running around the clan estate.
The group soon arrived at the inner courtyards.
Xiao Yu walked at the front like a guide.
"This is my courtyard," She said proudly.
She then pointed to another nearby courtyard.
"And that one belongs to Xiao Feng."
Further ahead were several other residences.
"That's Xiao Ning's place… and over there is where Xiao Mei lives."
"Our parents usually return in the evening. If you run into trouble during the day, you can find us here."
Xun'er listened quietly while observing the surroundings.
The Xiao Clan estate was modest compared to the grand palaces she had seen before.
But strangely…
It felt warm.
They continued walking.
Soon they reached a large stone building.
"This is the dining hall," Xiao Yu said excitedly.
"And over there is the kitchen."
Xiao Feng suddenly pointed toward another direction.
"You forgot the training grounds."
Beyond the courtyard stood a wide open field where disciples practiced martial techniques.
"If you want to cultivate or spar, you can come here anytime." Xiao Feng explained.
The group didn't stop moving and soon they arrived at another area.
"Over here is the herb garden," Xiao Mei added warmly.
She led Xun'er toward a quiet corner of the estate.
Medicinal plants swayed gently in the breeze.
"It's very peaceful here. If you want to relax, you can come anytime."
Throughout the tour, Xiao Yu talked the most.
Xiao Feng and the others occasionally added details she forgot.
Gradually, the unfamiliar environment became less intimidating for Xun'er.
By the time the tour ended, her expression had softened slightly.
Finally, the group escorted her back to her courtyard.
Xiao Feng cupped his hands lightly.
"We'll leave now."
"Rest well."
Xiao Mei and Xiao Ning also said their goodbyes before departing.
Only Xiao Yu remained behind with Xun'er.
Xiao Feng walked quietly and headed to the back mountain. .
The morning sunlight filtered through the trees.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
...
The quiet courtyard gradually fell silent.
Xun'er walked slowly to the window, her delicate fingers gently pushing it open. Outside, the morning sunlight spilled into the room like flowing gold, illuminating the simple furniture within.
Compared with the magnificent palaces of the Gu Clan, this small courtyard of the Xiao Clan looked almost humble.
Yet strangely…
It did not feel cold.
Xun'er covered her heart and concentrated on sensing it. The golden flame slept quietly in her body.
When she remembered the faces of the children who took her to walk around the house, a stiff but happy smile appeared on her face.
Although she dislike both noise and crowd. The pure kindness from the kids was something she didn't feel in Gu family. It made her somewhat happy.
"Ling Ying?"
"Yes, Miss."
"Bodyguard?"
"Yes, Miss." Ling Ying glanced at the ancient mark on his palm. He was not a bodyguard. "But to be more precise, I should be considered your servant."
He obeys orders in daily life and rushes forward to block the knife and shake people off when necessary.
Otherwise, given the lady's status and position, how could a Dou Huang like him be eligible for the position of bodyguard?
If it weren't for the fact that his family had served the ancient clan for thirty generations throughout their lives, causing the foreign affairs elder to personally recruit soldiers, he would still be sweeping the streets in the ancient world.
Dou Huang?
The thing that the ancient clan has no shortage of is Elixir and resources. Even a pig can be promoted to the level of Dou Zong. As a Dou Huang, you can only do odd jobs and run errands for your superiors.
"That's the nanny." Xun'er clapped her fists and suddenly realized.
Uh... as long as you are happy.
Ling Ying: "Yes, Miss."
"Oh, yes."
Xun'er sat on the bed and looked around. The interior of this house was so simple that it looked like no one lived there. Only the small things in the corners brought some life to the room. "Has anyone lived here before?"
"No, Miss." Ling Ying shook his head.
Xun'er nodded slightly to show that she understood.
It would be good if no one had lived here before. That will save some trouble.
...
A few days later, in the Back Mountain,
Xiao Feng sat cross legged on a stone platform, taking out dozens of bottles of the Body Tempering Liquid.
I wonder how many levels I can break through with this amount. Maybe I can take this opportunity to break through Dou Zhe too.
After thinking for a moment, Xiao Feng unplugged the cork from the bottle and started drinking the Body Tempering Liquid directly.
Although it could also be used for medicinal bath, Xiao Feng didn't have the patience to absorb it slowly. He preferred short pain than long one.
Boom—
The moment the liquid entered his throat, it exploded like molten lava.
A scorching medicinal force rushed down his esophagus, slammed into his abdomen, and instantly spread through his limbs and bones. Xiao Feng's expression tightened as veins faintly bulged beneath his skin.
Compared to a medicinal bath, directly ingesting Body Tempering Liquid was far more violent. It almost made Xiao Feng unable to help but scream
But thinking that someone might hear it then investigate, Xiao Feng gritted his teeth and only made muffed sounds that wouldn't travel far.
If he had known it would be so painful, he would rather take medicinal bath than drink it directly.
The Chaos Body Refining Art began circulating on its own.
Buzz—
His flesh trembled, bones humming faintly as if struck by an invisible hammer. The medicinal power that rampaged through his body was forcibly dragged into a fixed route, repeatedly washed, compressed, refined and absorbed.
Crack… crack…
His muscles tightened, bones turned denser, and the gold color in his blood increased. The accumulated medicinal force finally reached a critical point. His meridians expanded violently and his body transformed once more.
Chaos Body Refining Art : Level 1 middle...late...peak
Chaos Body Refining Art: Level 2!!!
But that wasn't the end. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Xiao Feng began to try condensing the Dou Qi Cyclone to break through Dou Zhe.
His mind sank completely, consciousness tightly locking onto the vague region where Dou Qi was meant to gather.
At present, his Dou Qi was still scattered throughout his body, flowing freely yet lacking a core. To step into Dou Zhe, he needed to condense it and form a Dou Qi Cyclone.
Xiao Feng used his strong Soul to gather the Dou Qi spread throughout his body.
With middle stage of mortal rank soul, it wasn't hard for him.
The hard work was condensing cyclone.
Streams of pale Dou Qi were drawn inward, swirling slowly at first, then faster and faster, forming a faint vortex within his dantian. The residual medicinal power from the Body Tempering Liquid was dragged along, forcibly mixed into the spinning Dou Qi.
A Dou Qi Cyclone was not something that could be formed casually. One misstep, and the gathered energy would scatter, causing backlash to the body.
Time passed slowly and Dou Qi in air was rapidly sucked in Xiao Feng's body. The Innate Holy Body was like a black hole, creating a small cyclone of Dou Qi above his head.
Both inside and outside his body were cyclones, creating quite the spectacle.
Time passed and
Xiao Feng's eyes narrowed and the Dou Qi condensed inward, layer by layer, tighter and denser, until a small but stable cyclone finally took shape.
The moment it stabilized—
Boom!
A powerful suction force increased, causing the Dou Qi Cyclone above his head to expand and almost all the Dou Qi in the back mountain was sucked in his body.
The Dou Qi Cyclone spun rapidly, greedily devouring everything.
Crack!
An invisible barrier shattered.
One star Dou Zhe.
Xiao Feng's aura surged upward in a straight line.
His body trembled lightly as the Dou Qi naturally circulated through his meridians, smooth and unobstructed. The cyclone rotated steadily, providing a constant source of power.
Four faint shadows appeared behind him but they quickly, making it impossible to tell whether they were real or illusion.
Xiao Feng slowly opened his eyes. A faint golden glimmer flashed across them before disappearing, returning to back.
He let out a long breath, the air expelled forming a visible ripple before dispersing.
"I really shouldn't have tried to be brave. It's so fucking painful."
Although he broke through in both body refining and Dou Qi cultivation, Xiao Feng felt lingering fear from that pain.
He didn't want to experience it again.
But thinking about his future breakthrough in Body Tempering , Xiao Feng gritted his teeth.
"Sigh, short term pain is truly worse than long one. Medicinal bath will definitely be painful as well like described in novels. Rather than suffering that hell, it's better to suffer this hell which only last few minutes."
Xiao Feng still held on to his principle of short term pain than long term one.
He took out all the bottles and combined them all into one single bigger bottle.
Rather than experiencing the pain hundreds of times, it's to experience it only once.
And...
If he gave up now, Xiao Feng had a feeling that he would never dare to drink this stuff again in his life.
Xiao Feng directly started drinking the Body Tempering Liquid like water and finished it all in one go.
Instantly, a strong pain shot to his head, causing him to hawl from pain like a dead pig, "Awww..."
Now, he couldn't even bother taking care of his image or hiding.
The Chaos Body Refining Art operated, refining the liquid rapidly, strengthening his body.
After he broke through level 2, the speed of Chaos Body Refining Art increased and the pain tolerance of Xiao Feng's body also increased. If he hadn't taken so much Body Tempering Liquid together, he probably wouldn't have to go through this pain.
...