At this moment, Xiao Jietian was no longer within the Eternal Heaven Small World. His figure had already appeared on the outskirts of Tianbei City.
He stood atop the crown of an ancient towering tree in a dense forest beyond the city walls, suddenly recalling that he had yet to perform his daily check-in. With a thought, he roused the system.
"System, why do you never remind me to check in?"
"Ding. This system currently lacks such a function. Check-ins depend entirely upon the host's own awareness. Moreover, unlike other systems, this one imposes no fixed time restriction—you may check in whenever you please."
"Will the rewards differ depending on whether I check in early or late?"
"Check-in rewards are completely random. What the host receives depends solely upon the host's fortune."
Xiao Jietian's first thought upon hearing this was: Whose luck is truly superior? Yun Yun and Ya Fei, though peerless in beauty and grace, did not seem to be especially favored by the Goddess of Fortune.
He shook his head, banishing the idle thought, and spoke calmly:
"Check in."
"Ding. Check-in at the Northern Territories of the Central Plains was successful. Rewards obtained: one Heavenly Enlightenment Peach Tree, twelve ingots of Cloud Dream Phoenix Metal, one complete set of the Nine Heavens Star Array, Deep Sea Spirit Cauldron, Rank 5: Life Spirit Flame, Rank 6: Eight Desolate Destruction Flame, Rank 7: Nine Nether Golden Ancestor Flame."
Xiao Jietian examined the rewards with keen interest.
He already got Void Devouring Purifying Lotus Flame, but in the Dou Qi continent, it was impossible to have 2 type of rank 2 and rank 3rd flame at the same time, so he was restricted to using Void Devouring Flame in the Dou Qi continent. Still, he was sure he could use it after becoming Dou Shang; he was sure he could use that flame. These new 3 flames. He doesn't need them, but he can use them well. As his other flame was very eye-catching and people could not recognize them, he would use them. The problem is that only he can use these flames; he cannot give these flames to others as he did with Little Fairy Doctor, giving her Nether poison Flame, and these flames will never merge or devour each other, as he has the fire god vein, so he can control these flames very smoothly.
Deep Sea Spirit Cauldron is ranked 10 on the Heavenly Cauldron list.
Cloud Dream Phoenix Metal—he was intimately familiar with this divine material. His previous stock had nearly run dry; these twelve fresh ingots would be more than enough to arm his wives and children with peerless weapons.
Next, he turned his attention to the Heavenly Enlightenment Peach Tree. The moment he read its description, a look of genuine delight spread across his features.
The tree possessed four primary effects.
First: cultivating beneath its boughs greatly accelerated both soul power and Dou Qi refinement. Soul force was of paramount importance in the Dou Qi Continent, yet techniques for cultivating and strengthening the soul were exceedingly rare.
In ancient times, there had once existed sects that specialized in soul cultivation, but they had long since vanished into the river of history.
Consequently, later generations possessed pitifully few soul-strengthening methods—even the mightiest ancient clans and sects held only a handful of mediocre ones.
In the early realms, soul power was seldom emphasized. Yet in the higher stages, it became indispensable.
Alchemists required a certain threshold of soul strength to refine higher-grade pills. To break through to Dou Di, three conditions must be fulfilled: sufficient Dou Qi cultivation, an Emperor-Realm soul, and Origin Emperor Qi. None could be lacking.
This single peach tree virtually guaranteed that everyone close to him could eventually reach Emperor-Realm soul power. The only variable was how long it would take, depending on individual aptitude.
Second: brewing wine or tea from its blossoms would enhance comprehension and bestow a one-percent chance of sudden enlightenment.
Comprehension was the cornerstone of all cultivation. Whether breaking through bottlenecks or mastering Dou Techniques, superior comprehension allowed one to avoid countless detours. It represented a person's innate ceiling.
An epiphany, however, could yield far greater boons. With sufficient luck, one might break through one or even several realms in a single sitting—or achieve sudden mastery of a Dou Technique, elevating one's battle power dramatically.
Third: the peach gum that exuded from the trunk. Its effects were comparatively ordinary—when used in alchemy it greatly enhanced hemostatic properties—but it possessed one quality beloved by women above all others: beauty preservation and anti-aging.
Selling it for profit was utterly impossible. If his wives learned of this effect, not a single drop would ever reach the market.
Moreover, he had no need for such petty gains.
Fourth: the immortal peaches themselves.
Consuming them granted a massive influx of cultivation base. Xiao Jietian had yet to sample one, so the precise amount remained unknown, but judging from the description, even a Dou Sheng could absorb a tremendous quantity of pure Dou Qi, dramatically shortening their cultivation time.
The tree fruited on a long cycle—blossoming once per year, ripening once every ten. Of course, by nourishing it with heavenly materials and spiritual liquids, the cycle could be shortened.
Xiao Jietian decided at once to plant the tree within the Eternal Heaven Palace, atop Heavenly Beast Mountain—the single richest concentration of heaven-and-earth energy in the entire Small World.
He glanced at the tree itself.
It was no frail sapling. Already its trunk was as thick as a grown man's waist; its canopy spread wide like a vast emerald umbrella, utterly unlike any ordinary peach tree.
He even pictured the future: when it bloomed, the entire crown would become a sea of soft pink petals drifting endlessly downward like immortal snow. He would recline beneath it, sipping fine wine, while the Little Fairy Doctor and the others danced gracefully around him.
At that thought, he silently resolved to teach his wives a few dances—perhaps those graceful, synchronized routines favored by the chaebol heiresses of a certain eastern kingdom. One could question their virtue, but never their aesthetic taste.
An emperor's enjoyment must include fine wine and beautiful dancers. He truly had lived too plainly before. How could an emperor's life lack such splendor?
Xiao Jietian then turned to the fifth reward: the Nine Heavens Star Array.
This grand formation drew upon the power of the Nine Heavens Stars themselves, channeling stellar force into both defensive barriers and devastating offensive arrays.
It could be jointly operated by multiple cultivators—the stronger each participant, the greater the stellar power summoned. Its most profound capability was the manifestation of Star Dharma Idols—towering stellar avatars capable of crushing enemies. He immediately decided to impart this array to Medusa and Qing Lin. It would greatly enhance their ability to protect themselves.
Both women were proud and strong; they disliked relying on him to handle every threat.
Before departing for the Central Plains, they had already discussed their ambitions: together they would forge a vast and enduring empire for him. Their current seclusion was preparation for exactly that.
This array would serve as a vital cornerstone of their plans. The waters of the Central Plains ran deep; countless hidden powerhouses lurked in the shadows.
Take, for example, the Saber Venerable from certain altered versions of the original tale—each death only accelerated his rebirth and cultivation speed, far outstripping even Xiao Yan's pace.
Xiao Yan required exotic flames to advance; Saber Venerable simply needed to die.
Such a formation would also serve perfectly as the guardian array of Boundless Heaven Hall.
In the future, when Dou Zun or Dou Sheng battled, stray shockwaves could level entire cities or sunder half a mountain range.
Xiao Jietian was deeply satisfied with this check-in's harvest. Though none of the rewards were overwhelmingly domineering, each was supremely practical—and more importantly, they could benefit everyone around him.
This was precisely the kind of reward he cherished most.
What use was personal invincibility if those he loved could not keep pace? To stand alone at the pinnacle, surrounded by empty wind—that was not the path he desired.
He closed the system interface and stepped forward.
In an instant, his figure vanished from atop the tree and reappeared several thousand meters away.
On this journey, he intended to traverse the entire Western Territories of the Central Plains before turning south toward the Southern Territories.
Half a month later—
His cultivation had reached the absolute peak of nine-star Dou Zun, poised at any moment to break through into one-turn Dou Zun.
At this moment, he stood before the gates of a colossal city, gazing upward at its towering walls, and let out a soft sigh.
"Finally… I have arrived."
Beside him stood two graceful figures—one clothed in violet, the other in crimson.