Chapter 7: Encountering a small pufferfish

That night, Chen Guan sat cross-legged on his bed, feeling the abundant power within him. Satisfied, he opened his eyes and retrieved a deep green pill the size of a dragon's eye from his spatial ring. The rich medicinal aroma wafted through the air, a testament to its extraordinary quality.

"A Tier Four Pill, the Qi Gathering Powder. Sister Ye really is generous. If I fail this breakthrough, I wouldn't have the face to see her again."

For most cultivators with Nine Segments of Dou Qi attempting to advance to the Dou Practitioner stage, the risk of failure was significant. A failed breakthrough would drop their strength back to Eight Stage of Dou Disciple.

But the Qi Gathering Powder in Chen Guan's hand eliminated that risk entirely.

The Qi Gathering Powder, a Tier Four Pill, guaranteed the condensation of the Dou Qi Cyclone for anyone with Nine Segments of Dou Disciple. To date, there had been no recorded failures.

The guarantee of success was enough to make countless cultivators drool with envy. Its value skyrocketed, making it a rare and sought-after treasure.

Chen Guan remembered well how, in the original story, Nalan Yanran had offered a Qi Gathering Powder as a gift to the Xiao family when breaking off her engagement, causing quite a stir.

In any auction house, a Qi Gathering Powder would fetch no less than ten thousand gold coins.

Compared to that, even the low-tier spatial ring on Chen Guan's hand seemed lackluster.

Both items were gifts from Yao Ye—a gesture of goodwill upon their first meeting just half a month ago.

This... soft meal really is sweet!

With a wry smile, Chen Guan tucked away this favor in his heart and focused on the task ahead. Setting aside all distractions, he adjusted his state of mind to its peak and swallowed the Qi Gathering Powder in one gulp, immediately forming the hand seals necessary for absorbing Dou Qi.

The pill dissolved instantly, releasing a surge of medicinal energy that coursed through his body, pooling in his dantian.

His dantian, now stretched to its limit, seemed on the verge of overflow. Acting quickly, Chen Guan directed all his mental focus—his soul power—into compressing and consolidating the surging Dou Qi, refining it over and over again.

Like sculpting clay, he tirelessly shaped the raw energy into something more refined, repeating the process countless times.

Eventually, the mass of Dou Qi in his dantian transformed into a small, milky-white vortex that rotated steadily.

The Dou Qi Cyclone was complete!

At nine years old, Chen Guan had officially advanced to the Dou Practitioner stage, taking a significant step forward on his cultivation journey.

With his newfound strength, Chen Guan could feel a power within him that could easily overpower several of his former selves from just yesterday.

In addition to the raw strength, he had now unlocked the ability to view his inner condition clearly through inner vision.

Suppressing the urge to challenge Zhao Gang to a sparring match, Chen Guan forced himself to remain calm and immediately tested his cultivation technique. The process was effortless, completing several cycles without strain.

"As expected, the efficiency of practicing a cultivation technique improves drastically after reaching the Dou Practitioner stage. Before this, it felt like working twice as hard for half the result, but now it's the opposite. Still, my body's enhanced resilience gives me a significant edge in combat."

Overall, Chen Guan was highly satisfied.

After a refreshing wash, he donned a light green outfit and noted with some amusement that his recent breakthrough seemed to have made him grow taller, giving him a more mature, almost teenage appearance.

Feeling cheerful, Chen Guan decided to take a break from his usual intense cultivation routine. He pushed open the door and stepped into the training grounds, letting the cool night breeze refresh him.

With the semiannual assessment approaching, the training grounds were bustling even at this hour. Many were sparring or training rigorously, a palpable sense of urgency hanging in the air.

As a well-known figure among his peers, Chen Guan's appearance outside his room caught many by surprise.

The "King of Diligence" stepping out for some fresh air? Unbelievable!

While curious, no one approached him, their relationships with him not deep enough for casual conversation. Polite nods served as greetings.

Chen Guan paid them no mind and wandered leisurely around the training grounds. Despite spending five years in this area, he had rarely taken the time to explore it fully, unlike his peers, who probably knew every corner by heart.

Eventually, his aimless stroll brought him near the main gate of the training grounds, where he noticed a young girl sitting on the steps. She appeared to be seven or eight years old, resting her chin on her hands with her cheeks puffed out like an irate little pufferfish.

Her attire and the composed guards behind her made her identity obvious.

It had to be her—the elusive little princess he had yet to meet.

As Chen Guan observed with a faint smile, the girl noticed him too.

"Hey, you! Were you laughing at me?" she demanded.

"Ahem. No, you must have seen wrong."

"Don't lie! I saw you staring and smiling. Come here. This princess is in a bad mood. Tell me a joke, and I'll forgive you."

Chen Guan, in good spirits, decided to humor her. Though he was under Yao Ye's protection and owed nothing to this little "pufferfish," he found her rather endearing.

"Alright, Your Highness. But first, you'll need to tell me why you're upset. That way, I can pick the right joke to cheer you up."

The little princess hesitated, resting her cheek on her other hand, creating an amusingly uneven expression.

"Why do you need to know that?"

"It's like treating an illness. To make you happy, I need to understand the problem, don't I?"

"Hmm... I suppose that makes sense. Well, it's like this: I went to the Alchemist Guild today, and Grandpa Fa Ma told me that if I could recite the properties of herbs without mistakes, he'd take me as his disciple. I practiced at home and could do it perfectly, but when I got there, I messed up twice! Now I don't know how to face my sister and Grandpa..."

The triviality of her worries made Chen Guan chuckle softly. A child's world was indeed simple, yet her mention of alchemy piqued his interest.

An alchemist, huh? What a fascinating profession.