The power of a Dou Grandmaster settled within Feng Jiuge not as a raging river, but as a deep, placid lake.
The tri-colored Dou Crystal in his Dantian was a source of immense, controlled strength.
He had a handful of Fourth Class Beast Cores in his storage ring, treasures from the Dou King's legacy, each one a condensed battery of power equivalent to a Dou Spirit expert.
'Using these now would be a waste,' he concluded during a quiet meditation. 'They are a trump card, a reserve to fuel breakthroughs in the Dou Spirit realm. To use them to cross the minor stages of a Dou Grandmaster would be like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.'
No, he needed a different source of fuel. A renewable one. He needed to hunt. He was strong enough now to dominate Third Class beasts, the equivalents of his current realm. This path offered a dual benefit: a steady supply of beast cores for his cultivation and the brutal, real-world combat experience he desperately lacked.
He had no intention of wandering the vast Magical Beast Mountain Range aimlessly, however. Efficiency was key. He penned a letter and had it delivered to the Miteer Auction House. His request to Ya Fei was simple and direct: compile a list of known habitats for powerful Third Class beasts within a two-hundred-mile radius.
The response was swift. A detailed map, marked with a dozen locations, arrived the next day. Ya Fei, ever efficient, had delivered perfectly.
"I'll be gone for a couple of weeks," he told Qing Lin and Xiao Yixian. "Training. Stay within the city, and if you need anything, use this token at the auction house." He handed them a jade token Ya Fei had given him, a symbol of his status with their organization.
With that, he left. Once clear of the city, a pair of magnificent wings, woven from pure Dou Qi, erupted from his back. The "Eagle Wings" technique. He infused them with lightning-attribute Dou Qi, and they crackled with violet energy, propelling him forward at incredible speeds. He was a streak of lightning against the blue sky, heading for his first target.
His fifteen-day hunt was a masterclass in predatory efficiency.
His first target was a Third Class beast known as a Steel-Backed Ape, residing in a rocky canyon. The beast was pure strength, its fists capable of shattering boulders. Feng Jiuge didn't meet its strength head-on. He flew high above, a veritable god of the skies to the flightless ape. He became a high-altitude bomber, launching condensed spheres of fire Dou Qi—a self-created variant of his basic skills he called 'Ember Missiles'—down upon the beast. The ape roared in frustration, hurling rocks that he easily dodged. After wearing it down and angering it into a blind rage, he descended in a flash of lightning, his heavy black sword coated in the same energy, and ended the fight with a single, precise strike to the neck.
He searched the ape's cave with his Heavenly Perception Pupils. Behind a pile of bones, he found a stash of glowing Iron-Vein Ore, a valuable material for forging weapons. A worthy prize.
His next opponent was an Azure Water Serpent in a deep lake. It was a creature of the water element, its attacks fluid and hard to evade.
Here, Feng Jiuge demonstrated his adaptability. He coated his wings in fire Dou Qi, creating a 'Scorching Wake' that evaporated the water around him, creating clouds of steam that confused the serpent's senses.
He then switched to lightning, an element that conducted through water with devastating effect. He didn't even need to make direct contact.
He unleashed his "Lightning Serpent's Fang" into the lake, and the entire body of water convulsed with violet electricity, paralyzing the beast long enough for him to fly down and deliver the finishing blow.
Its lair, a damp cave behind a waterfall, held a chest containing several hundred gold coins and a few common water-attribute medicinal herbs.
Day after day, the hunt continued. He used his wood-attribute Dou Qi to create illusions in dense forests, confusing beasts with superior senses. He used fire to combat ice-attribute creatures, and lightning to overwhelm those with great physical defense. His analytical mind, combined with his versatile elemental control, made him the ultimate predator.
On the tenth day, he tracked a particularly powerful beast: a Three-Headed Demonic Hound, a peak Third Class beast with a vicious reputation. It could breathe fire, spew poison, and attack with razor-sharp claws. It was a challenge.
The fight was brutal. He had to use his Tri-Unity Dou Qi to overpower it, his "Tri-Point Annihilation" piercing through its central head's fire breath to land the killing blow. The attack left him panting and drained, but victorious.
It was in this hound's lair, a sprawling cave system littered with the remains of its prey, that he found a true prize. Using his Heavenly Perception Pupils to scan the deepest recesses, he found a section of the wall that felt hollow. Smashing it open, he discovered a small, hidden chamber. Inside lay three skeletons, their bones crushed, and on their withered fingers were three storage rings.
His heart beat a little faster. He checked them. They belonged to low-level Dou Grandmasters, likely a team of adventurers who had fallen prey to the hound. His excitement quickly turned to mild disappointment. The rings contained a collection of several thousand gold coins, a decent pile of assorted Second and Third Tier medicinal herbs, and a few well-made weapons. But there were no cultivation techniques, no Dou Skill scrolls. Just the practical possessions of loose cultivators.
'Still, it's a net gain,' he thought, pocketing the rings. 'Wealth and materials are always useful.'
Over the fifteen days, he slaughtered eleven Third Class beasts.
Unfortunately, the nature of Dou Qi meant not every beast formed a physical core. He managed to harvest four precious Third Class Beast Cores, enough to fuel his next few breakthroughs.
More importantly, his combat skills had been tempered in the fires of real battle. He was no longer just a boy with immense power; he was a seasoned hunter.
He returned to Wu Tan City, his aura sharper, his eyes holding a new depth. Qing Lin and Xiao Yixian greeted him with hugs and worried questions, which he answered with a calm smile.
"The hunt was very successful," he told them, recounting some of the less-dangerous-sounding details. "I have what I need for my next stage of cultivation."
They were walking through the main market street, a now-familiar routine, enjoying the bustling atmosphere. Qing Lin was pointing out a stall selling candied fruits when Feng Jiuge's gaze drifted across the square. His eyes narrowed. His calm demeanor froze.
There, walking with an air of detached arrogance, was a handsome youth in fine robes. Beside him, a girl in a lavender dress glided with an ethereal grace, her beauty attracting numerous stares.
It was Xiao Yan and Gu Xun'er, or as the city knew her, Xiao Xun'er.
For a single, silent moment, the world fell away. The cheerful sounds of the market, the warmth of the sun, the presence of his companions—all vanished. All he could see was that face. The face of the boy who had arrogantly tossed coins at his feet. The face of the clan that was the reason his parents were dead.
A torrent of black, ice-cold hatred surged from the depths of his soul. It was a palpable thing, a pressure building behind his eyes, an urge to unleash his Tri-Unity Dou Qi and annihilate that smug face, that entire clan, from existence. He wanted to tear him apart.
But he didn't move. He didn't even blink. The smile on his face, a mask he had perfected over years of deception and pain, remained fixed. His control was absolute. To reveal his hatred now, in public, would be catastrophically foolish.
"Jiuge-gege?" Qing Lin's small voice broke through his inner storm. She had tugged on his sleeve, her brow furrowed with worry. She couldn't see his hatred, but she could feel the sudden, chilling shift in his presence. "What is it? You don't seem fine."
Feng Jiuge's focus snapped back to her. He blinked, the warmth returning to his eyes as he looked down at her concerned face. He gave her a gentle smile.
"It's nothing, Xiao Lin. I just saw someone I used to know. Don't worry about it." He turned away from the sight of his enemies, his hand resting reassuringly on her head.
They continued their walk, soon finding themselves in one of the city's most expensive restaurants. The life he was building was a shield against his past. The luxurious food, the fine clothes he bought for the girls, the safety their wealth afforded them—it was all part of it. As a 4-star Dou Grandmaster and the secret weapon of the Miteer Auction House, he feared very few in this provincial city.
'But the Xiao Family is different,' he reminded himself, watching Qing Lin happily devour a plate of sweet cakes. 'The Gu Clan protects them. An open move against them, even if I became a Dou Emperor, would be suicide. This is a long game. Revenge must wait until I can challenge the very heavens, until I am a Dou Saint, or even a Dou God.' The thought was sobering, but it cemented his resolve. Patience.
After their meal, and after dropping the girls back at their courtyard, Feng Jiuge made his way to the Miteer Auction House. It was time to follow up on his most important request.
He met Ya Fei in her private chambers. She was, as always, a vision of seductive elegance.
"I trust your 'training' was successful?" she purred, her eyes trailing over his slightly more rugged form.
"It was," he said, cutting to the chase. "But I am here about another matter. The Beast Flames for my friend. Have you made any progress?"
Ya Fei's playful demeanor became serious. She gestured for him to sit. "I have. As you can imagine, a request for Fifth Tier Beast Flames is not a small matter. I had to report your progress and your request to the Patriarch of the main family, Tengshan himself."
Feng Jiuge's eyes sharpened. "And?"
"And," she smiled, a genuine, excited glint in her eyes, "he was... very intrigued. By your age, your alchemy skill, and your ambition. He has agreed to your request. In fact, he has exceeded it."
"Exceeded it?"
"He has authorized the release of five Beast Flames from our family's collection," Ya Fei announced, savoring the moment. "All from Fifth Class beasts. Three of them are flame element, and two are wood element."
Feng Jiuge was genuinely surprised. This was far more than he had hoped for. Five Fifth-Tier flames was an astronomical price. It was a resource that even a Dou King would covet. "There must be a price," he stated, knowing the Miteer family did nothing for free.
"There is," Ya Fei confirmed, her expression turning intense. "Patriarch Tengshan was deeply impressed by my reports of you becoming a Fourth Tier Alchemist at the age of thirteen. He sees an unprecedented opportunity. He has a condition."
She leaned forward. "In six months, the empire-wide Alchemist Grand Meeting will be held in the capital. It occurs only once every five years. The Patriarch's condition is this: you will participate in that meeting, representing the Miteer family... and you must win the championship."
Feng Jiuge was silent. The Alchemist Grand Meeting. It was the largest, most prestigious gathering of alchemists in the Jia Ma Empire. The participants would be seasoned masters, prodigies from powerful clans, and elders who had been practicing alchemy for decades. And they wanted him, a thirteen-year-old, to win it all.
He considered it for a long moment. It was a monumental challenge. But it was also a stage. A stage to announce his arrival, to build a reputation that would be unshakable. And the cost... five Beast Flames. It was worth the risk.
He looked at Ya Fei and gave a slow, deliberate nod. "Tell Patriarch Tengshan that I accept his condition. Send the Beast Flames as quickly as possible. I will need time to help my friend get used to them."
A look of pure, unadulterated delight washed over Ya Fei's face. She almost vibrated with excitement. If he won, her discovery, her protégé, would be the champion of the entire empire. Her status in the Miteer family would not just rise; it would soar to the highest echelons. "Excellent! I will contact the Patriarch immediately!"
Feng Jiuge left her to her excited preparations. His own mind was already calculating, planning his approach for the next six months.
Ten days later, a heavily guarded convoy arrived from the Miteer main family. Five exquisite jade boxes were delivered to Feng Jiuge's courtyard, each one radiating a powerful, contained energy and sealed with powerful arrays.
He opened them one by one.
The first contained a sphere of swirling purple flame, with a solid, crystalline core, like a burning amethyst. This was the Purple Amethyst Lion Flame.
The second held a thick, viscous flame that burned a deep, earthy crimson. The Crimson Earth-Core Flame.
The third was a small, blindingly bright orb of golden-white fire, radiating an intense, pure heat. The Scorching Sunbird Flame.
The fourth box revealed a gentle, vibrant green flame that flickered in the shape of a tree, pulsing with life. The Verdant Heartwood Flame.
And the fifth contained a flame that looked like liquid jade, twisting and writhing like a living vine. The Jade Spirit Vine Flame.
Five Fifth-Tier Beast Flames. The tools for Xiao Yixian's transformation, and the down payment on a promise he had made to a Dou King.