"Hehe, this Queen has really fallen, actually wanting to rely on others."
The thought of becoming close besties with Xun'er only flashed through Queen Medusa's mind for an instant before she ruthlessly snuffed it out.
Having someone to rely on and to give her resources was naturally wonderful, but as the queen of the Snake-People Tribe, the only thing she believed in was herself.
Splash—
After her bath, Queen Medusa changed into her clothes, put on a black robe, and prepared to head out again.
First, she would go retrieve the remnant soul and damaged magic core of the Seven-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python. This concerned her evolution success rate.
At the same time, it would let her verify the authenticity of the plane's blessing, and in turn indirectly verify whether the contents written by Xiao Ting in the Journal copy were real.
Although this Journal copy had displayed the power to casually erase her existence, that didn't necessarily mean what was written inside was true.
…
In the back mountains of Misty Cloud Sect, Yun Yun suddenly opened her eyes while soaking in a hot spring to dispel her fatigue. Her tone carried unconcealed envy.
"To casually make a move and hand out a low-tier Earth-rank cultivation method and battle skill… that's really generous…"
If they had an Earth-rank cultivation method, her teacher's closed-door life-and-death seclusion to break through to Dou Ancestor would have several times more chance of success.
In the neighboring empires bordering the Jia Ma Empire—Chu Yun Empire, Luo Yan Empire, and Mulan Empire—there were Earth-rank cultivation methods and battle skills on the surface.
According to her teacher, Misty Cloud Sect had once possessed Earth-rank cultivation methods as well, and not just low-tier ones, but they had not been passed down.
The only way to obtain one now was to enter the Gate of Life and Death and undergo the inheritance trial.
Unfortunately, she and her teacher back then had only obtained high-tier Black-rank cultivation methods comparable to Earth-rank.
"I wonder if Yanran, after entering the Gate of Life and Death, will be able to obtain a higher-level inheritance."
Yun Yun pressed a single hand on the shore and stood up; her enchanting figure loomed indistinctly amidst the steam.
After changing into her clothes, she went to look for Nalan Yanran, planning to check her cultivation progress.
She would also tell her that Xiao Yan's talent had recovered, as a kind of mental spur.
Not becoming mortal enemies was one thing; the three-year agreement still had to be won if possible.
"Teacher."
Nalan Yanran had been meditating in cultivation; seeing Yun Yun seek her out, a smile surfaced on her face.
"Mm." Yun Yun assumed the posture of a strict master and began checking her disciple's homework.
After finishing everything, she finally spoke. "Yanran, Xiao Family's Xiao Yan—his cultivation has already recovered to Eight-Stage Battle Qi."
This matter had already been obtained through Misty Cloud Sect's information channels; it did not count as leaking information she had learned from the Journal copy.
"Eight-Stage Battle Qi!?" Nalan Yanran revealed a shocked expression.
Under normal circumstances, not to mention Eight-Stage Battle Qi, even a one-star Dou Practitioner would usually not catch her eye.
But Xiao Yan had still been only at Three-Stage Battle Qi a year ago, and it was common knowledge that at the Battle Qi stages one could not use external power to grow stronger. Thus, the Battle Qi stages were often used as a rough standard to measure cultivation talent.
The talent he was displaying now was even more dazzling than back then.
However, it was only for an instant. Nalan Yanran quickly regained her composure and said seriously, "Teacher, I am your disciple. Xiao Yan's talent may be stronger than mine, but once we both reach the Dou Practitioner realm, his cultivation resources and techniques and battle skills can't compare to mine, and I will work harder than he does."
Looking at Nalan Yanran's confident appearance, Yun Yun's lips moved slightly; for a moment, she didn't know what to say.
My foolish disciple, that person is a future Dou Emperor blessed by the plane's fortune; that person has a mysterious soul-body master; that person's cousin is a transmigrator.
If you compare resources and hard work… you're even less of a match!
Unfortunately, these were things she could not tell Nalan Yanran.
Just then, a piece of information suddenly surfaced in Yun Yun's mind.
Because her name had been mentioned by Xiao Ting in the Journal, at the appropriate time she would receive a blessing from the plane.
[Misty Cloud Sect's founding ancestor Yun Po Tian once shook the Battle Qi Continent. His sword intent was powerful and his Soul State lofty. His death was related to the people of Hall of Souls. If one sacrifices the origin of a Hall of Souls member within the Gate of Life and Death, one can obtain Yun Potian's inheritance.]
Immediately after, countless scenes flashed through Yun Yun's mind.
A middle-aged man with blurred features, like a sharp sword piercing through the heavens, stirred the winds and clouds.
Suddenly, a strange "jie jie jie" laugh sounded. Heaven and earth were dyed blood-red, and countless chains shot out from the void, launching a sneak attack on the middle-aged man.
The scene shifted again. The middle-aged man, gravely wounded and on the verge of death, returned to Misty Cloud Sect and left behind an inheritance. His shattered remnant soul became the origin of the Gate of Life and Death.
An inheritance of high-tier Earth-rank cultivation method and battle skills!
"Hiss…" Yun Yun's breathing stalled.
So this is what Misty Cloud Sect's true peak once was.
"Teacher?" Nalan Yanran called out softly.
"Mm, your teacher just remembered something important. I'll be leaving first." Yun Yun returned to her senses, suppressed the shock in her heart, and instructed Nalan Yanran, "Cultivate diligently. In a few days, I'll go find some good things to help improve your strength."
People of Hall of Souls, huh.
She had to work hard to search for some and sacrifice them to the ancestor!
And also verify the authenticity of this plane's blessing.
…
"As long as Brother Xiao Ting didn't misunderstand, that's good."
While Yun Yun was pondering how to go cause trouble for Hall of Souls, Xun'er lay on the big bed in the boudoir of her room, the corners of her lips curved in a smile.
What Xiao Ting had said wasn't wrong. Giving out a low-tier Earth-rank cultivation method and battle skill was indeed an easy matter for her.
Even giving out high-tier Earth-rank cultivation methods and battle skills wouldn't be that difficult.
She didn't even need to go through the clan. Her own father was a nine-star Dou Saint!
The reason she hadn't given them was because she was afraid of scaring Xiao Ting.
Someone who could casually hand out high-tier Earth-rank cultivation methods—just how terrifying would that background be?
Even though Xiao Ting now knew her identity, she still couldn't give them, because Xiao Ting didn't know that she knew that he knew, and she couldn't let Xiao Ting know that she knew that he knew.
According to common sense and her own personality, in order to take care of Xiao Ting's self-esteem, she absolutely wouldn't hand out high-tier Earth-rank cultivation methods; she'd even hesitate over whether to give a low-tier Earth-rank.
After all, the strongest thing the Xiao Family had now was only mid-tier Black-rank, and on the surface there were no Earth-rank cultivation methods or battle skills in the entire Jia Ma Empire.
However, after she had the Journal copy in hand, she'd decided to give a low-tier Earth-rank.
"Thunder-Flame Body Tempering Art is derived from Heavenly Thunderflame Scripture. After Heavenly Dragon Seal, there are still two additional seals, all high-tier Earth-rank that brush against the threshold of Heaven-rank."
"Once Brother Xiao Ting breaks through to Dou Ancestor, or reaches Dou Emperor before the age of twenty, I can hand him the advanced version. He won't feel any pressure switching to it then."
Xun'er turned over and hugged a pillow; a unique medicinal fragrance drifted into her nose.
This pillow was a hugging pillow personally made by Xiao Ting after listening to Xiao Yan boast about him, and it was also the first gift Xiao Ting had given her.
"Tomorrow I can go shopping with Brother Xiao Ting."
…
The night passed without further words.
When the morning sunlight cut through the darkness—
In a private courtyard of the Xiao Family, the surrounding energy suddenly became turbulent.
Inside the cultivation chamber of that small courtyard, Xiao Ting's body was like a black hole, crazily devouring the heaven and earth energy nearby.
This situation immediately attracted the attention of Xun'er, who was washing up in a nearby private courtyard. Her eyes flashed in surprise.
"That direction… Is Brother Xiao Ting going to break through to Dou Master!?"
But how could that be!?
Equally shocked was Yao Lao, inside the ring on Xiao Yan's hand, who could directly sense the changes in the heaven and earth energy.
"This little fellow only just revealed a one-star Dou Practitioner cultivation yesterday."
"To think he'd hidden it this deep!?"
…