"Dou Saint!"
Under the stillness of the night, Xiao Yan couldn't help but cry out. As someone who was only at the level of a Dou Grandmaster, the realm of a Dou Saint was far too distant—like the stars in the heavens, unreachable and beyond grasp.
Yet at this very moment, that star seemed to hang right before him, close enough that all he had to do was reach out and pluck it from the sky.
His cultivation, originally at Four-Star Dou Grandmaster, surged once more with the diffusion of that faint golden pill fragrance, breaking through to Peak Five-Star Dou Grandmaster before stabilizing.
A look of dazed disbelief filled Xiao Yan's eyes. It all felt like a dream—so fantastical, so tempting.
Staring at the three pills laid before him, he swallowed hard. A sliver of greed flickered in his gaze, and an intense hunger stirred deep within his body.
He unconsciously leaned forward, his right hand already lifting toward the first of the pills—a pure white one.
Watching him, Xun'er smiled softly. For her beloved Brother Xiao Yan, what were three pills? She didn't care in the slightest.
"Hm?"
Just as Xiao Yan's fingers were about to touch the white pill, his hand froze mid-air, trembling slightly—unable to move forward.
"Sigh... Xun'er, don't tempt me anymore. Put them away. I won't take them."
Shaking his head, Xiao Yan let out a deep sigh. With a wave of his right hand, he pulled out a jade bottle from within his robes and carefully placed all three sealed pills inside.
Despite the longing in his eyes and the turmoil in his heart, he resisted the allure. At last, he tossed the jade bottle to Xun'er.
"Xiao Yan-gege, you..."
"Don't say anything more, Xun'er. My mind is made up!"
Turning his head away, Xiao Yan dared not look back. He feared that if he saw her again, he'd falter. At this moment, it felt as though his heart was bleeding.
Dou Saint... That was a legendary realm—a step to ascend the heavens in a single bound.
Xun'er's eyes glinted with faint anger. She glanced down at the jade bottle in her hand, then back at Xiao Yan's retreating figure. In the end, she silently stored the bottle away.
"Then... where does Xiao Yan-gege plan to go next?"
She didn't try to persuade him again. She understood his nature—once he made a decision, it was nearly impossible to change.
"Where to..."
Xiao Yan murmured. His eyes briefly reflected confusion, but then a sharp light flashed within them. His fists clenched as a goal crystallized in his heart.
"I'll go to Jia Nan Academy first!"
Having given up the chance to instantly ascend, Xiao Yan reaffirmed the path that was uniquely his—Flame Mantra, and the road of fusing Heavenly Flames.
Jia Nan Academy was home to the Fallen Meteor Heart Flame, making it his ideal destination.
"Xun'er, believe me. Even without these pills, I'll catch up to you soon. Just wait for me!"
He stepped in front of her, gazing at her with affectionate determination. Their eyes met, and a faint blush crept across Xun'er's cheeks.
Though she knew in her heart that Xiao Yan's words weren't realistic, she couldn't bring herself to shatter his dream.
After all, once she returned, she would begin preparing to break through to Dou Saint. By the time Xiao Yan reached that level, she might already be on the verge of becoming a Dou God.
"Mm. Xun'er believes Brother Xiao Yan can do it."
She gave a gentle nod. Xiao Yan pulled her into a warm embrace, and the two held each other beneath the moonlight.
Deep in the nearby forest...
"Sigh, such a foolish boy..."
The Spear Venerate stood atop a massive tree branch, his gaze fixed on the distant pair. A soft sigh escaped his lips.
Those three pills—any one of them would have been enough to make his heart race. Especially that final one—if he took it, he could immediately break through to Dou Saint.
Yet someone could actually refuse such a fortune? If that's not foolishness, then what is?
The elder beside him remained silent, though his gaze toward Xiao Yan had shifted slightly.
To reject a chance at Dou Saint despite having it within reach—such restraint was beyond the grasp of ordinary men.
No wonder the Young Mistress favored him. Given time and opportunity, perhaps this young man truly could rise.
"Let's go. The Young Mistress has sensed us."
Feeling a faint ripple from afar, the elder's expression shifted. With a soft voice, his figure flickered and vanished into the night.
The Spear Venerate shook his head, then likewise disappeared without a trace.
Later that night, at the rear mountain...
Whether due to too much wine or the exhaustion of emotion, Xun'er now lay quietly on the grassy slope, her eyes closed in peaceful slumber.
Xiao Yan sat near the cliff's edge, his expression complicated. He stared silently at the starry sky, utterly without sleep.
"Huu..."
A soft breeze stirred, carrying a faint ripple of soul energy. Beside him, a soul form emerged—it was Yao Lao.
"Teacher."
"What's wrong? Feeling crushed?"
Yao Lao eyed the silent, dispirited Xiao Yan and couldn't resist a teasing jab.
"Yeah... a little, Teacher."
Leaning back onto the grass, Xiao Yan felt a deep sense of helplessness—like a speck of dust before the vast heavens.
Dou Grandmaster to Dou Saint—the gap was so enormous it made him feel hopeless.
He had feigned confidence before Xun'er, but only he knew how much he was struggling inside.
"Honestly, I feel crushed too."
Yao Lao had intended to motivate him, but seeing his state, he gave up.
Dou Grandmaster to Dou Emperor, perhaps a little tough love could work.
But from Dou Grandmaster to Dou Saint? Even the fiercest provocation would fall flat.
For a moment, Yao Lao was quiet. He, too, had seen those three pills. He simply hadn't spoken of them.
"Teacher?"
Xiao Yan turned, puzzled by the strange look on Yao Lao's face. He seemed just as stricken.
"Sigh... you don't understand what you gave up. Each of those pills was something even a Dou Saint would fight to the death for."
The sorrow in Yao Lao's voice was palpable. Even at his peak, he couldn't have refined such pills.
"I know, Teacher."
Xiao Yan responded quietly, once more turning his gaze to the starry sky, now gleaming like a cosmic tapestry.
"But Teacher, I still have to refine a body for you—to bring you back to life."
He slowly rose, facing the wind. The weight in his heart seemed to lighten.
"If I took those pills and became a Dou Saint... who would help you return?"
"You..."
Yao Lao was stunned. A strange emotion welled up within him. Tears nearly fell.
He hadn't expected Xiao Yan's rejection of the pills to be because of him.
"Besides, Teacher—if others can ascend to the peak..."
"Then why not me, Xiao Yan?"
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