After countless hours of grueling combat, bloody skirmishes, and relentless devouring, Xiao Yao stood proudly at the peak of the Dou Zhi realm, just one final step away from breaking into the Dou Zhe stage.
Each breath he took was heavy with anticipation, his body glowing faintly with the residual energy of his many battles. The wild mountain air still clung to his tattered robes, torn at the sleeves and stained with monster blood, but his eyes… they burned with fervor.
Twelve years old—and yet already a hair's breadth away from stepping into a realm that most could only dream of reaching by sixteen.
He had done it. No, he was doing it.
"This world… is mine to rewrite," he muttered with a smirk, watching his stats flicker across the translucent blue screen in front of him. Numbers, rewards, titles—everything felt within reach now.
Besides devouring attribute Qi of various natures—fire, wood, earth—Xiao Yao had raked in an impressive haul of system currencies: 10,000 Sky Points and 2 Origin Points.
His heart had leapt when he saw the five-digit number. Ten thousand! That alone sounded like enough to buy a small arsenal, or at least something flashy enough to shake the Xiao clan awake. But reality struck harder than he expected.
He opened the Shop and searched for a basic Qi Gathering Pill, something every young cultivator longed for to ease the Dou Zhe breakthrough.
[Qi Gathering Pill – 204,800 Sky Points]
Xiao Yao stared at the screen, slack-jawed.
"…Bro, what is this? Robbery?" he muttered. "I could buy a carriage full of real herbs with this."
He sighed and swiped the screen away in annoyance. If the pill was out of reach, then he'd have to take the long route. But there was one thing he could do—upgrade his stats.
He navigated to the Attributes Upgrade Panel and zeroed in on a number that had been nagging at him for a while.
[Talent: 28]
Too low. Far too low.
He didn't hesitate. Without fanfare, he dumped the two Origin Points into Talent.
[Talent +1]
[Talent +1]
[Talent: 30]
"That's more like it," Xiao Yao muttered, nodding with satisfaction. He could feel it almost immediately. His body felt more receptive, his mind a touch clearer, his Dou Qi more obedient. Even comprehension during cultivation felt smoother.
But the excitement slowly waned, and a wave of exhaustion began to creep up on him.
"Time to go back," he whispered, glancing one last time at the edge of the forest. The magical beast mountain range—still dangerous, still full of promise—would have to wait.
As he turned back toward Wu Tan City, a breeze tugged at the ripped edges of his clothes. He looked down and frowned.
His shirt was in tatters, his pants weren't faring any better, and he looked more like a beggar than the soon-to-be Dou Zhe he was. "Yeah… can't go around looking like this," he muttered.
He briefly considered asking Xun'er to accompany him to the market. She had always been gentle, graceful, and—more importantly—unfazed by his eccentric behavior. But the thought died as soon as it was born.
"Nah… Not like this," he said, tugging at a sleeve that barely hung on to his shoulder. "She'll just nag me again."
A sigh slipped out as he quickened his pace, hands tucked in his pockets.
---
The familiar stone roads of Wu Tan City welcomed him, lined with bustling merchants and lively vendors hawking spiritual herbs and weapons. It was strange—after days in the mountains filled with monsters and danger, this city almost felt too calm, too normal.
He walked straight through the city gates, heading for the Xiao family residence. Guards at the front gate gave him a passing glance but didn't question his return—after all, Xiao Yao was technically still a member of the family, though not a very prominent one.
He slipped through the corridors quickly and made a beeline for his room.
Once inside, the door clicked shut behind him and silence settled like a warm blanket. He collapsed onto the bed, arms flopped out like a starfish, staring at the ceiling.
"Damn… I really worked myself this time," he whispered with a weak chuckle.
The faint scent of wood and dust in the room made him nostalgic. Everything was just how he had left it. A small table by the window, a wooden bookshelf with yellowed cultivation manuals he no longer read, and a tiny ceramic pot that once held a spirit plant—long since dried up.
After resting for about an hour, he finally sat up, stretching his sore limbs.
"I should go to the market. Maybe find a few outfits, grab some herbs too," he muttered as he moved toward the bedpost.
Bending down, he reached underneath the wooden slats and pulled out a small iron lockbox. The key had long been lost, but he knew the trick to pop it open—a little pressure on the left hinge and a firm twist.
Click.
Inside was a neat stack of golden coins, shimmering slightly in the dim light.
10,000 gold coins.
It wasn't the fortune of a noble family, but for a boy who had scraped and saved for over a decade, it was his treasure.
"All those odd jobs, herb-picking, and cleaning beasts' poop in the back garden…" he muttered with a soft smile. "At least it wasn't for nothing."
He paused, fingers brushing over the coins.
"This world may have Xiao Yan… but now it has me too."
He stood, determination rekindled in his eyes.
He'd upgrade his appearance, gather the materials he needed, and get ready for what was to come.
Xiao Yao had just changed into a fresh set of clothes, simple but clean. The fabric hugged his small frame comfortably, but he knew—one more fight with a wild beast or reckless cultivator, and it would be reduced to rags just like the last one.
"I need something tougher… something that can actually take a few hits," he muttered as he fastened his belt. "Also… maybe something for Xun'er."
The thought of her brought a rare softness to his expression. He hadn't seen her since returning, and guilt pricked at him for not even saying hello. She'd likely scold him, but… a gift might help soften that blow.
He left his room and headed out toward the city market, his bag of gold secured inside his spatial ring.
Wu Tan City's streets were already bustling with life. Cultivators in colorful robes, merchants shouting out deals, and the aroma of roasted beast meat mixing with incense created a noisy, chaotic charm.
The market square stretched wide, stalls packed so tightly it was hard to move. But despite the sea of activity, one stall stood out. Not for its popularity—but for the complete lack of it.
Curious, Xiao Yao made his way through the crowd and stopped in front of the nearly abandoned stand. His eyes immediately scanned the items: monster cores, weapons, accessories, and robes—each radiating a faint shimmer.
"Hmm?"
He picked up a Level 1 Monster Core and nearly dropped it when he saw the price tag.
"One thousand gold coins for a Level 1 core?" he exclaimed. "Isn't that kind of outrageous?"
The vendor, a portly man with slicked-back hair and a trimmed goatee, raised an eyebrow.
"Sir, it's not for poor people," he said with a sharp smirk.
Xiao Yao narrowed his eyes but didn't respond immediately. Instead, he turned his attention to the corner of the stall where something else had caught his eye—an unusually well-tailored robe and pants, dark navy trimmed with silver. A matching hairband and a pair of gloves rested beside them.
As his fingers brushed over the fabric, he could feel it—Dou Qi. Very faint, almost imperceptible, but there.
Most wouldn't have sensed it. Even an early Dou Zhe would probably miss it. But Xiao Yao, whose control over Dou Qi was already reaching the level of a seasoned warrior, could feel the thread of reinforcement embedded within the cloth.
"These aren't normal garments," he muttered.
"How much for this robe, the pants, and that necklace?" Xiao Yao asked, his tone casual as he pointed to a simple yet elegant necklace resting beside the clothes.
The stall owner smiled, trying to appear gracious. "All of them together? One thousand gold coins, sir."
Xiao Yao raised an eyebrow. "That's still way too expensive. How about… seven hundred gold coins for the necklace and clothes together?"