Yu Tianming, who was too impatient, had his brain's CPU rapidly processing, thinking about what excuse to come up with.
"Ah?"
Nalan Yanran stared at Yu Tianming in a daze, then glanced at Yun Yun. Her eyes suddenly widened, as if realizing something. She quickly stepped forward, grabbed Yun Yun's other hand, her eyes shining, and her little face extremely serious as she said with utmost sincerity.
"The teacher's kindness is engraved in Yanran's heart."
"In the future, I will definitely regard the teacher as the utmost priority in all matters and follow for a lifetime!"
Yun Yun's hands were held by both Yun Tianming and Nalan Yanran, and her face was instantly filled with a mix of tears and smiles. One expressed gratitude, while the other vowed a lifelong commitment – quite touching indeed.
Yun Tianming relaxed his expression, thinking to himself: Thanks to Nalan Yanran's interruption, his offensive behavior could now be justified.
"Sister Yanran is right. The Master's kindness will be remembered throughout our lives!"
Yun Tianming calmly released the other's hand, took a step back, and respectfully bowed to Yun Yun.
His gaze swept across the determined face of the other, and Yun Yun finally dispelled her doubts.
On second thought, what was she thinking? The other was just a young man of similar age to Yanran, so why would he, cough cough! She must have misunderstood!
Yun Yun's cheeks flashed a hint of embarrassment. Despite her mature appearance, in reality, she was wholeheartedly devoted to cultivation. Her secluded lifestyle left her with little emotional experience, perhaps not much more than that of a naive young girl in this regard.
"Alright, alright. Repaying and following, let's talk about that after you successfully advance to Dou Practitioner," Yun Yun instructed, pretending to be serious.
...
Inside a dedicated cultivation cave, Yun Tianming sat cross-legged in this cramped space of only five meters. This place was one of the central points of the Gathering Spirit Formation, boasting the most abundant natural energy.
"Finally, the day has come!"
Yun Tianming took a deep breath, opened a wooden box, and took out a Third Grade Pill: Condensing Qi Pill.
"Enhance!"
As a mysterious force infused into it, the pill's color became crystal clear, emitting a rich medicinal fragrance comparable to a Fourth Grade Pill.
[Enhancement Successful]
[Third Grade Pill: Condensing Qi Pill, upgraded to Fourth Grade Pill: Qi Gathering Powder!]
"Gu He, oh Gu He, I must thank you for this pill!"
As the saying goes, without the means, even a skilled wife cannot cook a meal. If it weren't for the Third Grade Pill refined by Gu He, even the system couldn't conjure a Fourth Grade Pill out of thin air for him. Yun Tianming looked at the pill in his hand, alternating between blue and green. Through Soul Perception, this Qi Gathering Powder strengthened by the system was not inferior in quality to the one held by Nalan Yanran. In fact, its medicinal power was even more refined!
After obtaining the Qi Gathering Powder, Yun Tianming chose not to immediately consume it. Instead, he sat in meditation, adjusting his body to the optimal state by cultivating his Dou Disciple and refining his body.
Three days later, feeling that his Dou Disciple realm had reached its fullest capacity, without any hesitation, Yun Tianming swallowed the Qi Gathering Powder.
As the Fourth Grade Pill entered his mouth, a cold breath spread within, instantly transforming into an incredibly pure energy. It flowed directly into Yun Tianming's body. His body trembled slightly, but his expression remained calm. His hands swiftly formed cultivation seals, manipulating the Dou Disciple within him, guiding the immense power of the pill to converge on his dantian.
Yun Tianming began to feel a tingling sensation all over his body, as if something was being expelled through his skin pores. This was the so-called "washing the essence and forging the marrow." The process was uncomfortable; the meridians constantly expanded, akin to a small water pipe being enlarged under increased water pressure.
Perhaps due to Yun Tianming's Wood Attribute Constitution, he could better catalyze the energy of the pill. Therefore, the process of refining the Qi Gathering Powder went smoothly. With the support of the pill's power, Yun Tianming's Ninth Stage Dou Disciple was rapidly climbing, gradually forming a vortex above his dantian.
This was a crucial step in condensing the Dou Disciple vortex. Any slight mistake could lead to failure, causing the Dou Disciple realm to drop to the Eighth Stage.
"Hoo~"
Yun Tianming took a deep breath, his hand seals changing as he began cautiously compressing the Dou Disciple vortex located in his lower abdomen. His powerful Soul Power, far exceeding his peers, allowed him to perceive the condensation of the Dou Disciple vortex from all angles. If he detected any instability, he could immediately make subtle adjustments. In a vivid metaphor, at this moment, he was like using invisible hands to mold a tornado, aiming to tame the fierce storm into a gentle breeze.
Seven days later, the energy of heaven and earth suddenly accelerated, surging into the cultivation cave and transforming into a powerful surge of Dou Qi!
"So, this is the power of a Dou Practitioner?"
Yun Tianming clenched his fist, feeling that his strength at this moment had increased by more than ten times compared to the Dou Disciple stage.
Advancing from Dou Disciple to Dou Practitioner marked the first bottleneck in a cultivator's breakthrough. Strictly speaking, only by becoming a Dou Practitioner could one truly step onto the path of cultivation. Before this, the Dou Disciple stage was merely for body strengthening, essentially still a mortal with a bit more physical prowess, fundamentally relying on youthful vigor.
Yun Tianming's mind stirred, using the rotation of the Dou Disciple vortex in his dantian to channel Dou Qi to his fist. This process was somewhat like an engine outputting power.
"Ha!"
A punch slammed into the rock wall in front of him, leaving a large fist imprint, with cracks spreading around. Yun Tianming nodded in satisfaction. If he were still a Ninth Stage Dou Disciple, he would need to exert full effort with a Dou Technique to achieve such destruction. Now, as a Dou Practitioner, a casual strike surpassed the entire strength of a Ninth Stage Dou Disciple.
This was the gap in Dou Qi realms. The hierarchy was strict, forming different class positions from top to bottom, which was a natural order. However, being a Dou Practitioner meant being at the bottom of the Dou Qi pyramid!
Yun Tianming quickly adjusted his mindset. Breaking through to Dou Practitioner didn't make him feel like he could float away.
A 13-year-old Dou Practitioner might be considered a top talent within the Jia Ma Empire. However, in the entire Dou Qi Continent, they were just ordinary individuals. Not to mention the talent ceiling in the Jia Ma Empire, where Xiao Yan became a Dou Practitioner at the age of 11 without using Qi Gathering Powder. He successfully condensed the Dou Disciple vortex solely with his own strength, becoming the youngest Dou Practitioner in the history of the Jia Ma Empire from a "humble little family"!
As for what happened later, those who understand, understand. The genius fell, plummeting overnight to the Third Stage of Dou Disciple.
"It will be approximately two more years until Yao Chen's awakening. With the Grandpa by his side, his cultivation speed is equivalent to cheating!"
"I have to make good use of the time and strengthen myself!"
Yun Tianming's expression became particularly solemn.
He didn't dislike Xiao Yan; on the contrary, he admired Xiao Yan's unwavering will. However, unfortunately, as a member of the Misty Cloud Sect faction, he was destined to be on the opposite side of Xiao Yan. Yun Tianming had to prepare for the confrontation in advance!
****
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