Chapter 561: Dou God

With the results of yesterday's simulation flowing through his mind, Xiao Ming's tone was calm and convincing.

Xiao Chen was momentarily stunned, then erupted into hearty laughter.

"Haha, the vigor of youth is indeed commendable! It seems like I've grown old. You're more talented than I am, and you've even surpassed Brother Xiao Xuan. I don't see the Dou God realm posing much of a problem for you. I recently visited the Heavenly Tomb; Brother Xiao Xuan has set up a perfect spot for you there."

"Good, then wait to hear my good news," Xiao Ming said, rising from his seat with a smile on his face.

His partners, who were sitting next to him, stood up in unison.

"Be careful when you try to break through, Husband. Remember, it's okay if you don't succeed this time. Don't push yourself too hard. You have two children to consider..."

Medusa was the first to step forward. She gently stroked Xiao Ming's cheek, her face full of tenderness. Since their marriage, her attitude towards him had become increasingly gentle, a stark contrast to the not-so-pleasant atmosphere when they first met.

Qing Lin nodded her head several times in agreement with Medusa's words. She silently threw herself onto his chest. Her slender hands clutched his clothes.

She couldn't bear to think of anything happening to her husband.

After a moment, she stepped back and tried to collect herself.

Xiao Yi Xian didn't say much, she just gave him a tender look and straightened the clothes that Qing Lin had ruffled. Her gentle gestures conveyed enough meaning. Meanwhile, Qing Lin joined her, looking a little embarrassed.

"Why are you getting so serious all of a sudden?" Zi Yan's lively voice sounded from the distance. "Xiao Ming will be fine. He still has to come with me to rescue my father, and then he has to marry me!"

"Hehe, Sister Zi Yan, looks like you forgot that darling is going to marry me as well." Cao Ying giggled in response.

"Hmph, I certainly haven't forgotten." Zi Yan snorted and puffed out her cheeks in response. The cute gesture was soon mimicked by the two little girls standing next to her, who puffed out their cheeks in unison, bringing a smile to everyone's face.

The atmosphere was lifted in an instant.

Xiao Ming looked at all his loving and caring wives and kissed each of them tenderly. He didn't forget to give his daughters a gentle peck on the cheek as well.

He turned to Cao Ying after bidding farewell to everyone.

"Shall we go?"

"Hmm." Cao Ying nodded gently.

With that, Xiao Ming wrapped an arm around her waist and shared a warm farewell smile with the rest of them. In an instant, they disappeared from sight.

...

In the Gu Realm, within the Heavenly Tomb.

A dense fog enveloped the space, imbuing it with a sense of solitude and silence, as if these were the only elements that existed in this world.

The foggy space suddenly twisted as two figures, a man and a woman, appeared. Looking at the familiar surroundings, the male figure unleashed his enormous soul power without pausing. The space then rippled slightly as they quickly moved towards the deepest part of the Heavenly Tomb. These figures were, of course, Xiao Ming and Cao Ying.

It was Cao Ying's first visit to the Heavenly Tomb. She couldn't help but look around with a curious expression as she flew alongside Xiao Ming. However, the look on her face quickly turned serious as she fixed her gaze on the latter.

"Are you sure my presence won't jeopardize your alchemy? After all, these are Golden Pills we're talking about."

After refining the seed flame of the Three Thousand Burning Flame, her alchemy skill had risen to that of a nine-colored Eighth-Tier Alchemist, a mere step away from reaching the Ninth Tier. However, even though it was only one step away, the distance was still immense. Not only did she require an abundance of soul essence to raise her soul realm, but she also needed the insights necessary to successfully refine Ninth-Tier Pills.

Hence, Xiao Ming quickly thought of taking her to the Heavenly Tomb. Here, she could hunt energy bodies to improve her soul realm, and at the same time, gain an understanding of his alchemy process to improve her own alchemy skills. It was a double benefit.

Xiao Ming chuckled lightly, "My Ying'er seems to have forgotten. As the Champion of the Pill Gathering, you have earned my guidance. What better way to learn than to observe first hand?"

Cao Ying pouted and playfully nudged him with her shoulder as they flew. "It's quite reasonable to assume that all the participants, especially those old folks, were primarily tempted by those rewards. Not to mention the fame, influence, and glory that the position of a champion represents..." 

"But do you really think your Ying'er cares about any of that? My only concern is whether I will be worthy enough to marry you alongside Sister Zi Yan. I don't want you to lose face because of me... However, that doesn't mean that I would be so selfish as to jeopardize your alchemy process."

As an Alchemist, it was needless to say she held great interest in witnessing the refinement of Golden Pills. However, she would be more than willing to give up this opportunity if it meant jeopardizing her beloved's breakthrough.

Xiao Ming heard her words and turned to look at her tenderly, his hand gently caressing her slender fingers.

"You don't need to fret about that, Ying'er. I've already discussed it with Ancestor Xiao Xuan. He will take care of your safety while you observe the process. Due to the scarcity of the necessary quality of medicinal materials on the continent, these Golden Pills will probably be the only ones I can refine for quite some time. I don't want you to miss this opportunity."

"Fine..." Cao Ying sighed and gave in. She felt Xiao Ming's strong and warm hand holding hers. As they continued to fly hand in hand, a sudden thought crossed her mind, causing a blush to creep onto her cheeks. She leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "You know, I'd much prefer your nightly guidance..."

Xiao Ming: ...

…

Moments later, they arrived at the heart of the Heavenly Tomb.

There, the ancient tomb Xiao Ming had encountered earlier stood in the middle of a desolate plain.

"Welcome back. And you brought your little partner with you this time. Not bad at all, young friend."

With the arrival of the duo, a figure slowly appeared with a comforting smile that felt as warm as a spring breeze. This figure was naturally Xiao Xuan, whom Xiao Ming had met that day.

"Cao Ying pays her respects to His Excellency Xiao Xuan," Cao Ying immediately clasped her hands and bowed respectfully.

"You can simply call me Ancestor, young lady. Even though you haven't officially married Xiao Ming yet, you're already a member of the clan." Xiao Xuan replied with a hearty laugh.

"Hm! Ancestor Xiao Xuan!" Cao Ying's pretty face lit up in delight.

Xiao Xuan nodded approvingly and then turned to look at Xiao Ming.

"It's hard to believe that only a few days have passed since we last met, and here you are, ready to break through to the Dou God realm. Haha, the men of our Xiao Clan have always been exceptional."

"Dou God..." He then gently murmured this title that had once driven him with immense dedication and effort. "On the Dou Qi Continent, it must have been ten thousand years since the last Dou God emerged."

"Come with me; I've prepared a spot for you."

With that, Xiao Xuan headed towards a distant location, with Xiao Ming and Cao Ying following closely behind.

Arriving at their destination, they found themselves before an ancient formation.

"This is a formation left over from ancient times. When activated, it can significantly enhance the chances of advancement. I attempted my Dou God breakthrough here. Unfortunately, the Hun Clan ambushed me and damaged the formation. However, I have repaired it over the past thousand years. I hope it will be of some help to you."

"Thank you, Ancestor. With this formation, my chances of a successful breakthrough are even higher!"

"No thanks are needed," Xiao Xuan responded with a gentle shake of his head.

"Make your preparations here. Come with me, young lady. Do not worry about him. Inside the Heavenly Tomb, no one can disturb either of you with me present."

Xiao Xuan then took a position nearby to keep watch, with Cao Ying accompanying him.

Meanwhile, Xiao Ming settled in the formation's center, placing the Ten Thousand Beast Cauldron and a set of medicinal ingredients in front of him.

It was time to start refining the Golden Pills before attempting the breakthrough...

…

For the next six months, the depths of the Heavenly Tomb were often filled with the fragrant aroma of medicinal herbs. This aroma attracted the attention of numerous Dou Venerate and Dou Saint-level soul bodies.

However, as soon as these souls approached the perimeter, many of them were swiftly captured by Xiao Xuan to later serve as sources of soul essence for Cao Ying's breakthrough into her Soul Realm. The remaining ones fled faster than rabbits, ensuring that Xiao Ming remained undisturbed.

The Ninth-Tier Golden Pill lived up to its status as a pinnacle pill just below the Di Tier Pill. It proved to be an extraordinarily difficult pill to refine, far beyond expectations.

Xiao Ming's success rate in refining these pills was not as high as other pills. Fortunately, he was still able to refine some of them.

Rumble!

Accompanied by the rolling thunder of the Pill Lightning, he successfully secured the fourth Ninth-Tier Golden Pill. He swallowed the Nine Mysterious Golden Lightning that descended from the sky. His body glowed with golden light, and with a muffled groan, his strength increased significantly.

'As expected, the Nine Mysterious Golden Lightning that appeared during the refinement of the Golden Pill has greatly increased my strength. I've now reached the advanced Nine-Star Dou Saint stage.'

Xiao Ming steadied his breath, and a trace of joy appeared on his face. He then opened his mouth and released a black flame.

'Now, it's time for the breakthrough!'

Xiao Ming pulled out four pills that glowed with golden light. They were the Ninth-Tier Golden Pills he had been diligently refining for the past six months.

He parted his lips slightly and inhaled deeply after hesitating for a moment. The four golden pills, along with the Nihility Devouring Flame, all flew into his mouth.

Boom!

Xiao Ming's complexion immediately turned fiery red as the pills and Heavenly Flame entered his body.

An unbelievably powerful, terrifying energy surged within him at an alarming speed. In the blink of an eye, his meridians swelled, sending searing waves of pain through his body.

Sweat poured from his pores like a steady stream as he endured the excruciating pain of this surge of energy. His hands moved quickly to perform a series of intricate hand seals.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Inside the Heavenly Tomb, the abundant energy of the world surged relentlessly toward the center of the formation, enveloping him in a dense mist of energy.

The concentration of this energy fog continued to intensify as moments turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours. It resonated harmoniously with Xiao Ming's inner energy, gradually forming a cocoon of energy around him that glittered with a faint light.

'You can do it, my darling...' Cao Ying quietly cheered him on in her mind as she watched this scene unfold.

Xiao Xuan watched the cocoon and thought to himself, 'Young friend, I have faith that you're going to succeed. The fate of the Xiao Clan now rests firmly on your shoulders.'

...

Time passed quickly during cultivation. Nine months passed unnoticed within the Heavenly Tomb.

Those nine months in the Heavenly Tomb were equivalent to just over a month on the Dou Qi Continent. Including the six months that Xiao Ming spent refining the pills, a little over two months had passed in the outside world.

During those two months, the Heavenly Court initiated a new round of expansion across the Central Plains.

The Heavenly Court had already established itself as the dominant faction in the Central Plains. Therefore, there were no significant disruptions or opposition.

Even the Ancient Clans refrained from challenging the Heavenly Court in terms of territorial division.

This development was the cause of heated discussions throughout the Central Plains.

Everyone understood that the Ancient Clans' concession was largely due to Xiao Ming's formidable strength. What the outside world failed to notice, however, was Xiao Ming's long absence from the public eye...

Xiao Ming had been diligently absorbing energy and striving to break through to the Dou God Realm during the nine months he had spent in the Heavenly Tomb. Despite the feeling that he was on the verge of a breakthrough, he still had a feeling that something was still lacking. However, that changed today when he felt fully prepared and absorbed the Origin Qi decisively.

Suddenly, a powerful, mighty aura permeated every corner of the Heavenly Tomb.

Countless soul bodies, overwhelmed by fear, were instantly compelled to the ground, trembling uncontrollably. This included everyone, from Dou Venerates to Dou Saints. Even Cao Ying, who was standing next to Xiao Xuan, was affected, and Xiao Xuan himself was no exception.

Pinned to the ground, Xiao Xuan had never experienced such a sensation before. Yet, at this moment, his heart was overflowing with boundless joy.

"A success!"

"Dou God!"