The gel formed from Dou Saint Essence Blood, Dou Saint Bone Marrow, along with various medicinal herbs, undoubtedly contained an immense amount of energy.
Xiao Ming had only cut off a small thumb-sized piece of the gel, yet his cultivation realm surged as if it were as easy as drinking tea.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In an instant, a gentle breeze blew, swiftly followed by a raging wind. With Xiao Ming at the center, the vast lake was drawn and condensed, forming a massive vortex.
The heaven and earth energy within the Small Pill Tower also rushed into his body, one after another. His body welcomed everything without hesitation, seemingly transforming into a black hole that absorbed and refined all the energy.
First change Dou Venerate, second change Dou Venerate, third change Dou Venerate... ninth change Dou Venerate!
By now, the thumb-sized piece of gel had been entirely absorbed by Xiao Ming.
'Half-Saint...'
Xiao Ming sat cross-legged on the lake's surface, unmoving, muttering to himself.
He was unsure of how long he had been cultivating, but with the assistance of that small piece of gel, he had unconsciously achieved the ninth change of the Dou Venerate stage.
At this stage, he had reached the true peak of the Dou Venerate realm, and his body had undergone nine transformations, reaching the pinnacle of the mortal body.
Another step, and he would become a Half-Saint, a completely different realm from Dou Venerate. This bottleneck had trapped countless peak Dou Venerates, and many of them died without breaking through to it.
Xiao Ming was confident that this bottleneck wouldn't hinder him for long. After all, he had only consumed a thumb-sized piece of the gel; he still possessed a piece almost the size of a brick.
'Eat one more piece and continue the breakthrough.'
Xiao Ming determinedly produced a milky-white gel and sliced a relatively large piece.
He placed it into his mouth and swallowed, triggering an overwhelming surge of energy.
Xiao Ming's Dou Qi became incredibly active, and his body seemed like a fully charged windmill. His Dou Qi whirled wildly, absorbing and assimilating all the energy.
...
In a small courtyard within the Small Pill Tower, three young women had gathered.
Qing Lin's eyes were fixed on the flowers in the courtyard with a downcast expression on her pretty face, "It's been well over a year, and still, there's no sign of Young Master emerging from seclusion," she said with a hint of frustration in her voice.
"Back then, Young Master mentioned he was only going to break through to the nine-star Dou Venerate, so why is it taking him so long?" A touch of sadness crossed her face as she remembered his parting words.
"Don't be too impatient. He might have something else to do," Xiao Yi Xian, who was standing next to her, said gently. While she, too, missed Xiao Ming dearly, her frustration didn't seem as pronounced as Qing Lin's.
"That could be, but if Young Master doesn't emerge soon, what will happen to my plan to leave? You know, there are no suitable snake-type experts here," Qing Lin grumbled, her brows furrowing.
Her cultivation had consistently lagged behind, preventing her from assisting Xiao Ming as she had always wished. Just when she managed to catch up to him, he would break through once again. Over a year ago, he even managed to defeat a two-star Dou Saint with ease.
She felt immense pressure from this achievement. Despite the fact that her cultivation speed was quite impressive, it paled in comparison to his lightning-fast progress.
Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian could only offer a helpless smile. She herself had access to everything she needed for cultivation within the Small Pill Tower. In consideration of Xiao Ming's face, the First Elder granted her access to an almost limitless supply of medicinal materials to use as she pleased. Of course, she only took what she needed and refined them into potent poison pills with Cao Ying's assistance. This allowed her to advance her strength more rapidly than Qing Lin. Nonetheless, in comparison to Xiao Ming, she fell short.
"If your intention is to venture outside, why not approach the First Elder and request a team to accompany you?" Cao Ying suddenly suggested, her lips curving into a smile as she briefly lifted her gaze from the pill recipe she held in her delicate hand. "The Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils rely on absorbing the Dou Qi of snake-type experts for accelerated cultivation, after all. The stronger the experts, the better the effect. Staying here for so long without a supply isn't ideal, is it?"
Xiao Yi Xian also pondered briefly before suggesting, "You could also consider going with Zi Yan for a while. Finding and subduing snake-type experts in the Beast Region would undoubtedly be easier with her help."
"Xiao Ming gave me a spatial jade slip some time ago for unforeseen circumstances. Now that we're in this realm, we no longer need to treat it as a life-saving measure. It's just that... after a year, we haven't heard anything from Zi Yan's side. We can't be sure she's finished unifying the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe. Knowing her, she would have returned to Xiao Ming's side by now or at least sent someone if she had succeeded..." At the end of her words, a trace of doubt crept into her tone.
With a high-star Dou Saint on Zi Yan's side, the unification of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe was a foregone conclusion. However, as long as the other Dragon Kings were not too stupid, they were unlikely to engage in a futile head-on battle with Eastern Dragon Island. It was more likely that, realizing their inability to win, many had chosen to flee across the void. Finding each of these potential threats could be a lengthy process.
It had to be known that, aside from Zi Yan, who possessed a royal bloodline, no one else could confront the so-called Dragon Kings.
There was also the possibility that Zi Yan was deliberately concealing the island's true strength, waiting for the other islands to take decisive action so she could eliminate all threats in a single blow. In any case, reuniting the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe may take some time.
Both suggestions were reasonable, but the girl who had to make the final decision was still hesitating.
"Um... First Elder... Sister Zi Yan... I'd still like to discuss this with Young Master," Qing Lin murmured, her chin resting thoughtfully in her slender hand.
Given how long she had waited for her Young Master before leaving, it was natural. What if he were to emerge from seclusion just as she set off?
Both Qing Lin and Xiao Yi Xian loathed being separated from him for extended periods of time.
Despite knowing that Xiao Ming was secluded within the same realm and that her own strength was gradually increasing, Xiao Yi Xian found it increasingly challenging to maintain her calm demeanor.
Cao Ying glanced at them both and let out an internal sigh. Both girls had spent significant time with Xiao Ming, yet their extraordinary talents hadn't accustomed them to the ever-lengthening durations required for cultivation. In truth, a year was a relatively brief span.
When she had compared Xiao Ming to a flame that attracted others despite the risk of getting burned, she had, in part, alluded to this very situation. The pressure he inadvertently exerted on everyone around him was profound. Keeping up with him was nearly impossible, and as time passed, others would inevitably fall behind.
BOOM!
Just as Xiao Yi Xian was about to comfort her little sister, a deafening noise abruptly interrupted the trio's conversation.
Their heads snapped in unison, eyes widening as they witnessed a blue mountain peak disintegrate into fragments, crumbling into rubble before their astonished gazes.
Simultaneously, a bone-chilling pressure, akin to the arrival of doomsday itself, radiated outward from the deep mountains like lightning.
Xiao Yi Xian's eyes filled with awe as she sensed the overwhelming pressure and a familiar aura intertwined within it.
"It's Xiao Ming! He's broken through to the Dou Saint Realm!"
Qing Lin appeared utterly bewildered. 'Dou Saint? Wasn't he supposed to break through to the nine-star Dou Venerate?'
Cao Ying, startled, involuntarily dropped the pill recipe she had been studying, her expression oscillating between shock and amusement.
Apart from Xiao Yi Xian, Cao Ying, and Qing Lin, the members of the Small Pill Tower within the realm also felt a wave of overwhelming pressure swept through them. Abandoning their tasks, they gazed in stunned silence towards the mountains' direction.
A figure clad in white slowly appeared in everyone's field of vision, stepping into the empty space.
"Xiao Ming?!"
"He's become a Dou Saint? But I thought he was only an eight-star Dou Venerate before!"
Voices of astonishment with different emotions filled the Small Pill Tower as they looked at the familiar figure.
"How is this possible? In just over a year, he's actually become a Dou Saint, and a genuine one at that?!"
Xuan Kong Zi, who had rushed over to discuss matters with the First Elder about the Hall of Souls, also found it hard to accept.
Previously, Xiao Ming could confront Dou Saints by relying on his soul power, a concept entirely distinct from becoming a Dou Saint himself.
Even if Xiao Ming had some evil cultivation method to devour the First Tianzun's body, such rapid advancement wouldn't be possible.
Unless he had somehow acquired the legendary Bodhisattva Heart, such a feat seemed implausible.
Bodhisattva Ancient Tree, becoming a Saint on the spot!
These were not empty words. The Bodhisattva Heart resided within the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree. Those who obtained it would have their hearts transformed into Bodhisattva Hearts, making becoming a saint a simple task. This was not just a rumor because an old expert had such good fortune. After swallowing the Bodhisattva Heart, this untalented two-star Dou Venerate broke through all the obstacles in his advancement in a simple fashion, and within a short five years, he reached the Dou Saint realm, shaking the entire continent in the process!
However, the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree had not appeared for so many years, and thus, the Bodhisattva Heart was naturally an unfounded tale and impossible to obtain.
As for the possibility of the Bodhisattva Heart being left behind from the past? That was even less likely.
The incredible effects of the Bodhisattva Heart could drive everyone crazy. If anyone could get their hands on it, it would be an immediate pass to reach the Dou Saint realm and enter the pinnacle of this world. Who wouldn't seize such an opportunity?
Not to mention the Bodhi Heart, even a slightly inferior Bodhisattva Seed would greatly increase the chances of successfully advancing to the Dou Saint realm.
If others obtained it, they would also keep it hidden.
Thus, Xiao Ming's cultivation speed was truly perplexing.
Standing beside Xuan Kong Zi, the First Elder remained much more composed. He smiled faintly and said, "No matter what method he used to break through to the Dou Saint realm, as long as our Pill Tower's strength grows stronger, it's a favorable outcome."
"Let's go, let's go take a look. There are some matters that need to be discussed, and Xiao Ming has had interactions with the Burning Flame Valley and Sound Valley. We can see what he thinks."
Spoiler----------------------------
Title: Emerging from Seclusion, Dou Saint, Bodhisattva Heart
----------------------------
[collapse]
The gel formed from Dou Saint Essence Blood, Dou Saint Bone Marrow, along with various medicinal herbs, undoubtedly contained an immense amount of energy.
Xiao Ming had only cut off a small thumb-sized piece of the gel, yet his cultivation realm surged as if it were as easy as drinking tea.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In an instant, a gentle breeze blew, swiftly followed by a raging wind. With Xiao Ming at the center, the vast lake was drawn and condensed, forming a massive vortex.
The heaven and earth energy within the Small Pill Tower also rushed into his body, one after another. His body welcomed everything without hesitation, seemingly transforming into a black hole that absorbed and refined all the energy.
First change Dou Venerate, second change Dou Venerate, third change Dou Venerate... ninth change Dou Venerate!
By now, the thumb-sized piece of gel had been entirely absorbed by Xiao Ming.
'Half-Saint...'
Xiao Ming sat cross-legged on the lake's surface, unmoving, muttering to himself.
He was unsure of how long he had been cultivating, but with the assistance of that small piece of gel, he had unconsciously achieved the ninth change of the Dou Venerate stage.
At this stage, he had reached the true peak of the Dou Venerate realm, and his body had undergone nine transformations, reaching the pinnacle of the mortal body.
Another step, and he would become a Half-Saint, a completely different realm from Dou Venerate. This bottleneck had trapped countless peak Dou Venerates, and many of them died without breaking through to it.
Xiao Ming was confident that this bottleneck wouldn't hinder him for long. After all, he had only consumed a thumb-sized piece of the gel; he still possessed a piece almost the size of a brick.
'Eat one more piece and continue the breakthrough.'
Xiao Ming determinedly produced a milky-white gel and sliced a relatively large piece.
He placed it into his mouth and swallowed, triggering an overwhelming surge of energy.
Xiao Ming's Dou Qi became incredibly active, and his body seemed like a fully charged windmill. His Dou Qi whirled wildly, absorbing and assimilating all the energy.
...
In a small courtyard within the Small Pill Tower, three young women had gathered.
Qing Lin's eyes were fixed on the flowers in the courtyard with a downcast expression on her pretty face, "It's been well over a year, and still, there's no sign of Young Master emerging from seclusion," she said with a hint of frustration in her voice.
"Back then, Young Master mentioned he was only going to break through to the nine-star Dou Venerate, so why is it taking him so long?" A touch of sadness crossed her face as she remembered his parting words.
"Don't be too impatient. He might have something else to do," Xiao Yi Xian, who was standing next to her, said gently. While she, too, missed Xiao Ming dearly, her frustration didn't seem as pronounced as Qing Lin's.
"That could be, but if Young Master doesn't emerge soon, what will happen to my plan to leave? You know, there are no suitable snake-type experts here," Qing Lin grumbled, her brows furrowing.
Her cultivation had consistently lagged behind, preventing her from assisting Xiao Ming as she had always wished. Just when she managed to catch up to him, he would break through once again. Over a year ago, he even managed to defeat a two-star Dou Saint with ease.
She felt immense pressure from this achievement. Despite the fact that her cultivation speed was quite impressive, it paled in comparison to his lightning-fast progress.
Hearing this, Xiao Yi Xian could only offer a helpless smile. She herself had access to everything she needed for cultivation within the Small Pill Tower. In consideration of Xiao Ming's face, the First Elder granted her access to an almost limitless supply of medicinal materials to use as she pleased. Of course, she only took what she needed and refined them into potent poison pills with Cao Ying's assistance. This allowed her to advance her strength more rapidly than Qing Lin. Nonetheless, in comparison to Xiao Ming, she fell short.
"If your intention is to venture outside, why not approach the First Elder and request a team to accompany you?" Cao Ying suddenly suggested, her lips curving into a smile as she briefly lifted her gaze from the pill recipe she held in her delicate hand. "The Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils rely on absorbing the Dou Qi of snake-type experts for accelerated cultivation, after all. The stronger the experts, the better the effect. Staying here for so long without a supply isn't ideal, is it?"
Xiao Yi Xian also pondered briefly before suggesting, "You could also consider going with Zi Yan for a while. Finding and subduing snake-type experts in the Beast Region would undoubtedly be easier with her help."
"Xiao Ming gave me a spatial jade slip some time ago for unforeseen circumstances. Now that we're in this realm, we no longer need to treat it as a life-saving measure. It's just that... after a year, we haven't heard anything from Zi Yan's side. We can't be sure she's finished unifying the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe. Knowing her, she would have returned to Xiao Ming's side by now or at least sent someone if she had succeeded..." At the end of her words, a trace of doubt crept into her tone.
With a high-star Dou Saint on Zi Yan's side, the unification of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe was a foregone conclusion. However, as long as the other Dragon Kings were not too stupid, they were unlikely to engage in a futile head-on battle with Eastern Dragon Island. It was more likely that, realizing their inability to win, many had chosen to flee across the void. Finding each of these potential threats could be a lengthy process.
It had to be known that, aside from Zi Yan, who possessed a royal bloodline, no one else could confront the so-called Dragon Kings.
There was also the possibility that Zi Yan was deliberately concealing the island's true strength, waiting for the other islands to take decisive action so she could eliminate all threats in a single blow. In any case, reuniting the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe may take some time.
Both suggestions were reasonable, but the girl who had to make the final decision was still hesitating.
"Um... First Elder... Sister Zi Yan... I'd still like to discuss this with Young Master," Qing Lin murmured, her chin resting thoughtfully in her slender hand.
Given how long she had waited for her Young Master before leaving, it was natural. What if he were to emerge from seclusion just as she set off?
Both Qing Lin and Xiao Yi Xian loathed being separated from him for extended periods of time.
Despite knowing that Xiao Ming was secluded within the same realm and that her own strength was gradually increasing, Xiao Yi Xian found it increasingly challenging to maintain her calm demeanor.
Cao Ying glanced at them both and let out an internal sigh. Both girls had spent significant time with Xiao Ming, yet their extraordinary talents hadn't accustomed them to the ever-lengthening durations required for cultivation. In truth, a year was a relatively brief span.
When she had compared Xiao Ming to a flame that attracted others despite the risk of getting burned, she had, in part, alluded to this very situation. The pressure he inadvertently exerted on everyone around him was profound. Keeping up with him was nearly impossible, and as time passed, others would inevitably fall behind.
BOOM!
Just as Xiao Yi Xian was about to comfort her little sister, a deafening noise abruptly interrupted the trio's conversation.
Their heads snapped in unison, eyes widening as they witnessed a blue mountain peak disintegrate into fragments, crumbling into rubble before their astonished gazes.
Simultaneously, a bone-chilling pressure, akin to the arrival of doomsday itself, radiated outward from the deep mountains like lightning.
Xiao Yi Xian's eyes filled with awe as she sensed the overwhelming pressure and a familiar aura intertwined within it.
"It's Xiao Ming! He's broken through to the Dou Saint Realm!"
Qing Lin appeared utterly bewildered. 'Dou Saint? Wasn't he supposed to break through to the nine-star Dou Venerate?'
Cao Ying, startled, involuntarily dropped the pill recipe she had been studying, her expression oscillating between shock and amusement.
Apart from Xiao Yi Xian, Cao Ying, and Qing Lin, the members of the Small Pill Tower within the realm also felt a wave of overwhelming pressure swept through them. Abandoning their tasks, they gazed in stunned silence towards the mountains' direction.
A figure clad in white slowly appeared in everyone's field of vision, stepping into the empty space.
"Xiao Ming?!"
"He's become a Dou Saint? But I thought he was only an eight-star Dou Venerate before!"
Voices of astonishment with different emotions filled the Small Pill Tower as they looked at the familiar figure.
"How is this possible? In just over a year, he's actually become a Dou Saint, and a genuine one at that?!"
Xuan Kong Zi, who had rushed over to discuss matters with the First Elder about the Hall of Souls, also found it hard to accept.
Previously, Xiao Ming could confront Dou Saints by relying on his soul power, a concept entirely distinct from becoming a Dou Saint himself.
Even if Xiao Ming had some evil cultivation method to devour the First Tianzun's body, such rapid advancement wouldn't be possible.
Unless he had somehow acquired the legendary Bodhisattva Heart, such a feat seemed implausible.
Bodhisattva Ancient Tree, becoming a Saint on the spot!
These were not empty words. The Bodhisattva Heart resided within the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree. Those who obtained it would have their hearts transformed into Bodhisattva Hearts, making becoming a saint a simple task. This was not just a rumor because an old expert had such good fortune. After swallowing the Bodhisattva Heart, this untalented two-star Dou Venerate broke through all the obstacles in his advancement in a simple fashion, and within a short five years, he reached the Dou Saint realm, shaking the entire continent in the process!
However, the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree had not appeared for so many years, and thus, the Bodhisattva Heart was naturally an unfounded tale and impossible to obtain.
As for the possibility of the Bodhisattva Heart being left behind from the past? That was even less likely.
The incredible effects of the Bodhisattva Heart could drive everyone crazy. If anyone could get their hands on it, it would be an immediate pass to reach the Dou Saint realm and enter the pinnacle of this world. Who wouldn't seize such an opportunity?
Not to mention the Bodhi Heart, even a slightly inferior Bodhisattva Seed would greatly increase the chances of successfully advancing to the Dou Saint realm.
If others obtained it, they would also keep it hidden.
Thus, Xiao Ming's cultivation speed was truly perplexing.
Standing beside Xuan Kong Zi, the First Elder remained much more composed. He smiled faintly and said, "No matter what method he used to break through to the Dou Saint realm, as long as our Pill Tower's strength grows stronger, it's a favorable outcome."
"Let's go, let's go take a look. There are some matters that need to be discussed, and Xiao Ming has had interactions with the Burning Flame Valley and Sound Valley. We can see what he thinks."
Spoiler----------------------------
Title: Emerging from Seclusion, Dou Saint, Bodhisattva Heart
----------------------------
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