Upon reaching the bottom of the valley, Xiao Se sat cross-legged in front of the wooden house, forming a cultivation hand seal, and immersed his mind into his body.
As Xiao Se entered a meditative state, the thick energy of heaven and earth within the valley became even more abundant. At that moment, Xiao Se appeared like a vortex, submerged in the ocean of energy, as waves of energy continuously poured into his body.
The overwhelming amount of energy was difficult to control. In desperation, Xiao Se swallowed a Meridian Protection Pill and began channelling the energy bit by bit.
The rest of the energy rampaged through his body. Thanks to the Meridian Protection Pill, which protected his meridians, the chaotic energy didn't cause significant harm. However, the pain it brought was still unbearable for most people.
Clenching his teeth, Xiao Se endured the pain and continued guiding the heavenly energy through his meridians, refining it into pure Dou Qi through his Flame Mantra technique and channelling it into his Dou Qi vortex.
As more and more powerful Dou Qi flowed in, the vortex of Dou Qi revolving around the purple flame seed spun faster and faster. The vortex's colour deepened, and eventually, tiny droplets of liquid began to form within it.
Meanwhile, outside in the valley, Xiao Se's vortex was absorbing energy at an increasing rate. Streams of pale blue mist spiralled around him, forming a radiant energy barrier several metres wide, glowing magnificently.
With his mind constantly scanning his body, Xiao Se could clearly sense his Dou Qi vortex shrinking, but the energy contained within it was becoming more powerful. At the same time, his physical body was undergoing a transformation, bringing him a sense of euphoria that almost made him moan in pleasure.
After a while, when the Dou Qi vortex shrank to the size of his palm, it stopped spinning, now filled with tiny drops of azure-white liquid.
Seeing that his vortex had come to a halt, Xiao Se couldn't hide his joy. His eyes snapped open, and a powerful aura surged out from within him, causing his hair to flutter and his clothes to billow as if caught in an invisible wind.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, on breaking through to Dou Shi. You have received a system patch. Do you wish to install it?]
"Install the patch," Xiao Se replied immediately upon hearing the system prompt in his mind, momentarily surprised.
[Ding! Patch loading, estimated time: one hour.]
Sensing the surge in Xiao Se's aura, Long Kui, who had been patiently waiting by his side, finally relaxed her tense expression and smiled sweetly, "Brother, congratulations on breaking through to Dou Shi."
"Yes," Xiao Se smiled, retracting his aura and standing up slowly. He gently caressed Long Kui's fair cheek. The journey of cultivation was often lonely and monotonous, but having someone so dear by his side made him feel incredibly fortunate.
In just seven months, Xiao Se had progressed from a Dou Zhe to a Dou Shi. His heart was full of excitement, which was impossible to suppress. Smiling at Long Kui, he walked over to a large boulder, clenched his fist, and felt an unprecedented surge of power filling his body.
As his Dou Qi vortex spun rapidly within him, the liquid droplets flowed through his meridians, spreading throughout his body. Azure-white Dou Qi surfaced around his body, forming a thin, translucent layer of energy. This layer, dotted with flickers of azure-white flames, was faintly visible.
The liquefaction of Dou Qi and the Dou Qi Armour were the hallmarks of a Dou Shi. However, Xiao Se's Dou Qi Armour was unique—derived from the Flame Mantra technique and beast flame—it contained the power of the Tier 5 Beast Flame of the Devouring Fire Serpent, making it far stronger than an ordinary Dou Qi Armour.
Standing still, Xiao Se raised his right fist, azure-white flames swirling around it, and punched fiercely at the boulder.
"Exploding Fist!"
With a loud mental shout, veins bulged on Xiao Se's right arm. His fist, carrying sharp and scorching force, smashed into the boulder.
At the point of impact, a deep fist mark appeared on the boulder. After a brief pause, cracks began to spread from the point of contact, extending like a spider's web until, with a loud bang, the boulder shattered into hundreds of pieces.
The Exploding Fist was a Xuan-level low-rank Dou technique that contained both visible and hidden forces. The visible force struck the surface while the hidden force affected the inside, causing an explosive effect.
Xiao Se had originally purchased this technique at the Miteer Auction House, and although it was a simplified version of the high-rank another technique, Xiao Se had mastered it to perfection. When combined with the beast flame, its power surpassed ordinary mid-rank Xuan techniques.
"Wow, brother, you've gotten so much stronger!" Long Kui's beautiful eyes filled with admiration as she watched Xiao Se smash the boulder with a single punch. She jumped onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Yes, my attack power, speed, strength, and explosive force have all increased significantly," Xiao Se laughed as he held Long Kui by the waist, spinning her around before gently setting her down.
"Brother, are you going to start absorbing the Purple Flame Seed now?" Long Kui asked, smiling as she tidied Xiao Se's slightly disheveled clothes.
Xiao Se shook his head, "The flame seed is still too weak to elevate my technique to the high level of the Yellow Rank. Now that I've become a Dou Shi, my body can handle more, so I'll cultivate it further before absorbing it."
An hour passed by as Xiao Se tested the enhancements brought by his new Dou Shi strength.
[Ding! System patch loaded successfully.]
[Ding! System personal panel opened automatically.]
Host: Xiao Se
Gender: Male
Age: Twelve
Cultivation: 1-Star Dou Shi
Dou Qi Attribute: Fire (with a trace of wood element)
Techniques: Flame Mantra (Mid-Yellow Rank), Guiyuan Soul Technique (rank unknown)
Dou Techniques: Scarlet Flame Sword (High Xuan Rank), Mystical Mist Step (High Xuan Rank), Fierce Lion Roar (High Xuan Rank), Qi Concealment Technique (rank unknown), Sky Splitting Kick
Exchange Attempts: 0
System Inventory:Heaven Controlling Vial , Flame Mantra, Return To Origin Soul Technique, Scarlet Flame Sword, Qi Concealment Technique
"System, this panel looks the same as before. What's new?" Xiao Se asked, confused.
[Ding! The system has added the X-ray Vision function.]
"X-ray Vision?" Xiao Se's eyes lit up as an unhealthy thought crossed his mind.
[Ding! X-ray Vision activating.]
As the system's voice fell, a faint white light flickered across Xiao Se's eyes.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Se's gaze swept across the valley. He saw the bed inside the wooden house, mercenaries fighting magical beasts on the valley cliff, and when his gaze fell upon Long Kui, a stream of blood dripped from his nose.
Xiao Se decided then and there—he would keep this ability a secret for the rest of his life.
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