West side of the city.
Inside the main hall of a luxurious estate.
Crash!
Crack~
"Liu Yan, that useless piece of trash! He couldn't even catch a little brat and got himself killed instead! The most useless of the useless!"
"Balo, you go! Take two more Dou Shi with you! I refuse to believe some little whelp is that hard to catch!"
"You must bring that brat back to me!"
Cherlo slammed his teacup onto the floor, his face flushed red as he roared. He then pointed a finger at one of the men before him and commanded harshly.
The man he pointed at, Balo, trembled, his face turning pale. "My lord," he stammered, "I… I'm afraid we can't catch that boy anymore…"
"Hm?! What did you say!"
Cherlo was already seething. Seeing a subordinate dare to defy him, his eyes widened in fury. A terrifying pressure erupted from his body, bearing down on everyone present!
"My lord, it's… it's not that we don't want to go, it's just… The Mitteer Auction House has already put out the word… They said… that boy is an honored guest of theirs. Anyone who dares to touch him will be making an enemy of them…"
Withstanding the Dou Qi pressure of a Da Dou Shi, Balo's words came out haltingly, but he forced himself to deliver the news.
Upon hearing this, Cherlo's rage exploded, and he began to furiously smash everything in the living room.
"What?!"
"Argh! Damn it! Damn the Mitteer Auction House! Damn that little brat!"
"Get out! All of you, get out!"
"As you wish, my lord!"
Hearing his command, the men didn't dare to linger. They scattered like rabbits, disappearing completely in a matter of moments.
After some time, Cherlo had finally vented most of his anger. He walked to the head of the hall and sat down, completely ignoring the shattered tables and chairs.
"With the Mitteer Auction House protecting him, it'll be difficult to make a move on that brat anytime soon…"
His face was grim and he said nothing, his mind racing as he tried to figure out how to eliminate Zhou Changqing without confronting the Mitteer Clan.
That's right, he was no longer considering obtaining the technique for crafting treasure weapons.
Cherlo naturally coveted such a prize, which could rapidly expand his power and earn him a fortune. But compared to his own life and his current foundation, it had to take a back seat.
Unlike the other factions, he had already made a move in the open. This undoubtedly forged an irreconcilable feud between them.
Given the talent of that brat, Zhou Changqing, it probably wouldn't be many years before his strength completely surpassed his own.
When you provoke a prodigy like that—especially one with no powerful background—there is only one choice: eliminate him before he has the chance to mature and become a future disaster. He wasn't about to gamble on whether the boy would spare him after rising to power.
"Damn it, that useless Liu Yan!"
The thought sent another wave of curses through Cherlo's mind. That bastard got a clean death, but he left behind such a grave threat! He truly wished he could resurrect him just to kill him again, this time through slow, agonizing torture.
Compared to Cherlo, the other factions that had sent spies to watch Zhou Changqing were in a much better position. Although they were shocked by Zhou Changqing's talent, they weren't as fearful as Cherlo.
After all, they hadn't actually done anything. They were merely disappointed that such a valuable treasure weapon couldn't be theirs.
Now that the Mitteer Clan had made their stance clear, they had no intention of provoking them. Although the auction house in Wu Tan City was just a branch, they had to consider the entire Mitteer Clan behind it.
The Xiao Clan.
Inside a certain courtyard.
Xiao Yan was currently in his bedroom, soaking in a large wooden tub. He was continuously absorbing the Foundation Elixir in the water to enhance his Dou Qi.
It had now been a month and a half since Xiao Yan had entered the sixth stage of Dou Qi. He believed it wouldn't be long before he could break through to the seventh stage.
Under Xiao Yan's full absorption, the vibrant emerald green of the water gradually faded until it was completely clear.
At that moment, Xiao Yan opened his eyes, a look of pure bliss on his face.
"Hah… Teacher, at my current speed, how much longer until I reach the seventh stage of Dou Qi?" Xiao Yan asked as he climbed out of the tub and began to dress.
An ancient, weathered voice sounded in his ear.
"Hehe, your cultivation speed has somewhat exceeded my expectations. I originally thought that even with the help of the Foundation Elixir, it would take you a year to break through to the seventh stage. But from the looks of it now, you should be able to make it in another two months."
"Perhaps it's because you were suppressed for so long that the rebound is this fierce. That, combined with how you've been training more crazily than ever, makes such a result unsurprising."
"Of course! The suffering I've gone through recently is more than the last ten-plus years combined. Every day is either getting beaten up or training in Dou Techniques. If I didn't get these results, wouldn't all that pain have been for nothing?" Xiao Yan said, a little smugly.
After all, in less than a year, he had gone from the third stage of Dou Qi to being on the verge of breaking through to the seventh. It wasn't that he was arrogant, but he was certain no one in the entire Jia Ma Empire, or even the neighboring empires, could match such a terrifying cultivation speed.
Smack!
Just as Xiao Yan was preening, an invisible force rapped him on the head.
"Ow!"
"You brat, don't get complacent just because you've made a little progress. Your cultivation speed is decent, but there are plenty of others who are far superior."
"We don't have to look far. There's a little fellow right here in Wu Tan City who surpasses you by a wide margin. It's a pity he doesn't have what it takes to be an alchemist, or I might have been tempted to take him as my student."
Rubbing his head, Xiao Yan couldn't help but ask, "Teacher, who are you talking about? There's someone in Wu Tan City more talented than me?"
Perhaps due to Zhou Changqing's influence over the past three years, Xiao Yan had matured considerably, but he was still cheerful and open with those he was close to.
"Hehe, you know this person. It's… Your father is here. We'll stop this topic here for now. You should go see him."
The old man's voice cut off midway and then vanished.
"Father's here? Why would he come over so late at night?"
Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned. Though his curiosity was unsatisfied, he didn't press the matter. He walked to the door and opened it, just in time to see Xiao Zhan entering the courtyard.
"Hm? Yan-er, your senses are getting sharper."
Seeing Xiao Yan suddenly open the door, Xiao Zhan paused for a moment before smiling.
Xiao Yan quickly went to greet him, leading his father to the stone table in the courtyard to sit down. "Father, why did you come so late? Is there something you need me for?"
After sitting, Xiao Zhan nodded. "Indeed, there is some news I wanted to tell you."
"Do you remember that friend of yours, Zhou Changqing?"