Chapter 36: Three Months in a Flash, Breaking Through to Nine-Star Dou Zhe

Chapter 36: Three Months in a Flash, Breaking Through to Nine-Star Dou Zhe

Time slipped away, and in the blink of an eye, Xiao Se had spent three full months in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

During these three months, Xiao Se first dedicated half a month to mastering the Profound-tier Advanced Dou Technique, "Roaring Lion Chant." Following that, he spent his time challenging various First-tier magical beasts within the mountain range to hone his combat skills while gathering the medicinal herbs he required.

On the rare occasions he encountered Second-tier magical beasts, he was able to handle them with ease by relying on his Dou Techniques and strategic planning; he had even managed to kill several Second-tier beasts despite the gap in his cultivation.

Xiao Se still refrained from using the power of the Demon Sword in battle, treating it merely as an ordinary longsword. He had come here to refine his combat prowess, not to rely on external items to bully the weak.

In this bloody and brutal training environment, Xiao Se not only successfully stabilized the two-star jump in strength he had previously experienced, but in the middle of the second month, he broke through another star, reaching the level of an Eight-Star Dou Zhe.

Likewise, he never abandoned the path of alchemy. Through the soul-forging effects of the "Guiyuan Soul Manual," he could now refine Second-tier medicinal pills with ease, and he could even succeed in crafting Third-tier pills once or twice out of every ten attempts. He was confident that once he officially broke through to the rank of Dou Shi, refining Third-tier pills would no longer be an issue.

Beyond his training, one must mention the three system exchanges that occurred during this time. Since trading for Dai Mubai’s ten levels of soul power, his luck had seemed to turn sour. The first month resulted in a failed exchange, the second yielded only a pair of shoes, and it was only yesterday, in the third month, that he exchanged for the "Zongheng Sword Technique" hidden by Guiguzi from the *Legend of Qin* world. With the system’s synchronization, the manual was converted directly into a Dou Technique.

Xiao Se had taken a brief look; while the power was not overwhelming—even the strongest moves, "Hundred-Step Flying Sword" and "Horizontal Sweep of the Eight Directions," were only equivalent to a Profound-tier Intermediate technique—they excelled in their ingenious moves. This would further enhance his close-quarters combat ability. It was, at the very least, a small consolation. If he could manage to unleash the "Hundred-Step Flying Sword" and "Horizontal Sweep of the Eight Directions" simultaneously, he might be able to achieve power surpassing that of a Profound-tier Advanced Dou Technique.

"Hoo." On a cliff hidden by large trees at the inner edge of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Xiao Se was slowly recovering the Dou Qi he had expended.

Not long ago, he had engaged in a fierce battle with a Blood-Ringed Snake—a magical beast on the verge of reaching the Third-tier—in order to harvest a Blood Lotus Fruit, one of the key ingredients he lacked for refining the Blood Lotus Pill. It must be said that this beast, whose base strength was no less than a peak-level Dou Shi, was incredibly formidable. At the very least, Xiao Se was far from being its match.

However, both parties coveted the soon-to-ripen Blood Lotus Fruit. The beast wanted it to break through to the Third-tier, while Xiao Se needed it to refine the Blood Lotus Pill and swallow the Heavenly Flame. Neither side was willing to give up easily.

Facing a peak Second-tier magical beast that far outclassed him in both speed and power, Xiao Se’s fight was the most frustrating of his life. Relying on the serpent’s keen speed, his Crimson Flame Sword attacks couldn't land a single blow. Had it not been for the Profound-tier Advanced movement technique he had mastered and his sharp soul perception, Xiao Se would not have lasted three rounds.

It was precisely because of this that Xiao Se employed a roundabout strategy. He repeatedly tossed beast fire to enrage the snake, lured it into a nearby valley, and trapped it in a deep pit he had prepared in advance. He then unleashed the "Crimson Flame Sword: Breaking the Limit," aiming for the creature's most vulnerable spot—its mouth—to severely wound and eventually kill it.

"Brother, how are your injuries?" Long Kui’s concerned voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

Xiao Se smiled and responded in his heart, "Don't worry. Before the fight, I took a Meridian-Protecting Pill and a Bone-Regenerating Pill. Although I suffered a few hits from the Blood-Ringed Snake, my meridians weren't seriously damaged. Most of my injuries are just surface wounds; a few hours of rest and I’ll be fully recovered."

Both the Meridian-Protecting Pill and the Bone-Regenerating Pill were Second-tier. The former protected the meridians from damage, while the latter provided even stronger healing effects than a typical recovery pill.

Hearing that Xiao Se was fine, the weight lifted from Long Kui’s heart. She then asked, somewhat puzzled, "Brother, it was so dangerous just now. Why didn't you use the power of the Demon Sword? If you had, killing that Blood-Ringed Snake would have been easy."

Xiao Se smiled. "The Demon Sword is powerful, but I haven't been tempered enough yet. If I blindly rely on external objects while neglecting my own strength, I won't last long. As long as I can manage a situation, I try not to use it. This is part of the challenge of this training."

Long Kui suddenly understood. "Then hurry and recover, Brother. I’ll stand guard for you."

Xiao Se replied, "Yes, and while you're at it, keep an eye on that Blood Lotus tree below. The only fruit on it hasn't fully ripened yet, so I haven't picked it, but I applied some growth-accelerating spiritual liquid to it. I imagine it will be ripe in a few hours."

The so-called growth-accelerating liquid was, naturally, from the Heaven-Gathering Bottle. Back at the Xiao Clan’s back mountain, Xiao Se had already filled a full jar with the green liquid, which he diluted and stored in jade bottles to keep the secret of the Heaven-Gathering Bottle from being discovered. The medicinal herbs he used for the pills he now consumed were all refined after being accelerated to their peak by the green liquid.

Of course, in most cases, Xiao Se transplanted herbs to his own training area. Only in rare instances, like the current one where the herb was rare and impossible to transplant, would he stay to guard it.

Time spent in cultivation passes quickly. Two hours flashed by in an instant, and before he knew it, it was afternoon.

On the cliff, Xiao Se’s tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open. He exhaled slowly and said with delight, "It's time to break through."

He immediately pulled out a bottle of Essence-Cultivation Liquid and swallowed it. After a moment of silence, a faint flow of energy suddenly surged from his body and poured wildly into his core. As the energy continued to pour in, a faint cyan-white light radiated from his skin, which had already been nourished by soul power and now glowed like warm jade.

A moment later, Xiao Se opened his eyes, and a sharp, almost tangible glint flashed through his dark pupils. Feeling the massive surge of Dou Qi within him, a brilliant smile spread across his handsome face. "Finally, I've broken through. It seems that battle with the Blood-Ringed Snake provided the catalyst I needed."

While there was only a one-star difference between an Eight-Star and a Nine-Star Dou Zhe, the increase in speed and power brought by the new realm was incomparable. Relying on the few Profound-tier Dou Techniques he possessed, along with his trump card, "Crimson Flame Sword: Breaking the Limit"—which was comparable to a Low-tier Earth-grade technique—Xiao Se was confident that, at the very least, no one in the entire Qingshan Town could threaten him.

"Brother, congratulations on your breakthrough." Long Kui’s light, clear laughter echoed from within the Demon Sword.

"Yes. It's time to go pick the Blood Lotus Fruit," Xiao Se nodded slightly.

Just as he was about to descend to harvest the fruit, several faint, indistinct voices drifted up from the valley below the cliff.