"About to break through to the ninth Duan of Dou Qi?"
Recalling that pair of long, jade-like legs in his mind, Xiao Yan nodded slightly.
Xiao Yu's talent was actually quite good among the younger generation of the Xiao family, much stronger than Xiao Ning.
Of course, this kind of talent couldn't be compared to Xiao Yan and Xiao Xun'er. After all, the talent of these two was considered genius even in the entire Jia Ma Empire, as rare as a phoenix feather or a qilin horn.
However, in his memory, Xiao Yu seemed to have failed to break through to Dou Zhe later on and fell to the eighth Duan of Dou Qi. This was what caused her to only truly break through to Dou Zhe at the age of nineteen.
"For the sake of those beautiful legs of yours, I'll help you out this time."
Thinking this, a playful smile suddenly appeared on Xiao Yan's lips. He wondered how long it would take him in this life to change Xiao Yu's attitude towards him.
"Xun'er, eat some food."
Xiao Yan reached out and picked up some dishes that Xun'er liked.
"Thank you, Brother Xiao Yan."
Seeing Xiao Yan care so much about her, a sweet smile appeared on Xun'er's small face. Although she was still just a little girl of about ten, her smile was already more dazzling than the crystal lamp above the dining table.
"Xun'er, let me get some for you too."
Seeing Xiao Yan coax Xun'er into such happiness, Xiao Ning instantly lost the mood to boast about how amazing he and his sister were. He quickly tried to imitate Xiao Yan and curry favor.
"Thank you, cousin, but this is already enough for me to eat."
Xiao Ning's arm was pressed down before he could even lift it.
He saw that the originally sweet little face had become very cold, with an air of keeping strangers away.
Xiao Ning: "???"
After the banquet dispersed, Xiao Yan first escorted Xun'er back to her room before returning to his own small hut.
"Little girls this age are really clingy."
Xiao Yan couldn't help but gently rub his forehead.
Girls around ten years old are full of curiosity about the world and always have endless things to chatter about, thus always appearing exceptionally clingy.
Although Xun'er was a prodigy of the Gu Clan, she was ultimately still a girl of this age.
Regarding this, it was impossible for Xiao Yan to show even a hint of impatience. For a girl to be willing to confide so many of her innermost thoughts to you clearly meant she considered you a very important person.
"Little girl."
A gentle smile touched Xiao Yan's lips. He casually took off the black shirt on his body, revealing a bruised young body hidden beneath it.
In fact, every movement Xiao Yan made would pull at the bruises on his body, but what did this pain count for him?
Slowly stepping into the wooden basin filled with the Foundation Establishment Divine Liquid, letting the icy water stimulate his sore and swollen body, Xiao Yan finally let out a comfortable sigh.
"Although I have precious experience from my previous life, as if I have an endless treasure mountain hidden on me, I am ultimately incomparably weak now. Facing the Hun Clan, I don't even count as an ant.
The top priority is still to quickly improve my strength.
I still have a full three years until I'm fifteen. I wonder what level my strength can reach after utilizing these three years."
Xiao Yan exhaled a breath of turbid air and focused on cultivating.
This Foundation Establishment Divine Liquid was a medicinal formula he had deduced when he was a Dou Di. In addition, the quality of various materials surpassed that of the Foundation Establishment Spiritual Liquid, so its effect was also far superior to the original Foundation Establishment Spiritual Liquid. Not only did it greatly enhance Dou Qi cultivation, but it could also repair the physical body and strengthen the physique.
Coupled with Xiao Yan's tens of thousands of years of cultivation experience, this time, his cultivation speed was several times faster than in his previous life. Moreover, this speed was the result of him deliberately polishing his foundation and constantly tempering his Dou Qi to make it purer.
The night was silent, with only the silvery moonlight occasionally piercing through the gaps in the forest and falling on the young man.
As his chest rose and fell, gentle streams of energy continuously flowed into Xiao Yan's body. A portion of it repaired Xiao Yan's body through those bruised tissues, making his body stronger and more robust.
Another portion was drawn into his body to be refined, and after continuous tempering, it finally condensed into wisps of Dou Qi.
For the next few days, Xiao Yan maintained a regular routine, exercising his physical body during the day, cultivating Dou Qi at night, and simultaneously using the visualization method to refine his soul.
This almost insane training regimen would be difficult for even a strong person to adapt to, yet Xiao Yan's eyes remained calm, like an emotionless cultivation machine.
"Cultivating so crazily, and with such high efficiency, at this kid's speed, it probably won't take long for him to recover to Dou Zhe.
If everything is as he said, then this old man might be able to lie down and win this time."
In the back mountain of the Xiao family, Yao Lao's illusory figure floated quietly. However, when he saw the young man's completely unfazed little face, he couldn't help but feel a trace of emotion.
Time passed day by day, and Xiao Yan's body became increasingly powerful. His small arms and legs, which originally showed no signs of exercise, had subtly become a little thicker in these seven days, and his posture became increasingly upright.
And beneath that black shirt, lines symbolizing strength were faintly emerging.
Similarly, in these seven days, his Dou Qi was also growing stronger. That terrifying cultivation speed made even Yao Lao shake his head in disbelief when he saw it.
The moonlight was like water. The young man sat cross-legged, quietly soaking in the wooden basin, allowing the medicinal power emanating from the emerald-like liquid to nourish his body.
As the young man's chest slowly rose and fell, imperceptibly faint streams of air entered his body through his breath, leaving behind wisps of gentle energy that were converted into Dou Qi, and then slowly exhaled.
At a certain moment when the moonlight gradually faded and sunlight began to illuminate the horizon, Xiao Yan suddenly opened his eyes.
"Dou Qi, fourth Duan, success!"
Feeling the gradually filling Dou Qi within his body, a smile appeared on Xiao Yan's lips.
It only took him seven days to cultivate from the third Duan of Dou Qi to the fourth Duan. If such a terrifying speed were to spread to the outside world, it would probably make many people's jaws drop.
"It just so happens that today is the day for the Dou Qi test. I wonder what expressions those guys will have when they see my strength gradually recovering."
Although Xiao Yan was magnanimous enough not to take past cold shoulders to heart, it was always an interesting thing to see the changes in those guys' expressions.
"Never mind, let's stop cultivating here for today."
Looking at the gradually brightening sky, Xiao Yan got up, dressed, had breakfast, and then walked towards the direction of the test magic stone tablet.
The sky after breakfast was already very bright. In the test square, more than a dozen younger members of the Xiao family were already waiting quietly.
Although there was still half an hour before the test, they still waited here early.
These little fellows who arrived early mostly meant that they attached great importance to this test.
"Xiao Yan!"
Just as he walked into the test square, Xiao Yan heard an angry shout. Immediately after, he saw a pair of long, jade-like beautiful legs striding towards him.
(End of this chapter)