The humid air of Wu Tan City felt heavy, saturated with the scent of medicinal herbs and the distant sound of training grunts. In a quiet courtyard of the Xiao Clan, a young boy of six sat cross-legged on a stone dais.
His name was Xiao Chen. To the world, he was just another branch-family orphan. To himself, he was a soul from Earth who had died in a mundane car accident, only to wake up in a world where the strong moved mountains and the weak were mere dust.
"System," Chen whispered in his mind. "Status."
[Infinite Doubling System]
Host: Xiao Chen
Current Realm: 9th Stage Dou Zhi Qi (Peak)
Talent Grade: Mortal (Superior)
Bloodline: Xiao Clan (0.1% Purity - Dormant)
Next Milestone: Breakthrough to Dou Zhe.
Breakthrough Reward: All stats will be multiplied by 2x.
Chen tightened his fists. He had been training like a madman for three years to reach this peak. Just a few houses away, the "genius" Xiao Yan was likely celebrating his own 9th Stage. Chen didn't want to compete for the spotlight yet—he knew the tragedy that awaited Xiao Yan, the loss of Qi that would turn the genius into a waste. Chen intended to use that period of distraction to build a foundation that even the Heavens would fear.
"Today is the day," Chen muttered. He swallowed a low-grade Foundation Building Pill he had saved for months.
The energy exploded in his chest. In the Battle Through The Heavens world, the transition from Dou Zhi Qi to Dou Zhe was the most critical first step. It required condensing the gaseous Qi into a liquid Vortex within the Dantian.
Most people struggled for hours. But as Chen began the condensation, the System's interface flickered gold.
[Detected breakthrough attempt. Optimizing Qi flow...]
The energy in the courtyard began to swirl. The air grew cold as the surrounding Qi was sucked into Chen's pores. Inside his Dantian, the chaotic mist began to spin. Faster. Tighter.
Clang!
A sound like a celestial bell echoed in his soul. The mist collapsed into a single, shimmering drop of golden liquid.
[Congratulations! Host has reached the 'Dou Zhe' Realm!]
[Activating First Doubling Sequence...]
Suddenly, a searing heat tore through Chen's veins. It wasn't the pain of injury, but the pain of expansion.
Talent: His meridians, previously wide, suddenly stretched and toughened. His ability to sense the world's energy didn't just improve; it became twice as sharp.
Bloodline: Deep within his bone marrow, a fleck of ancient, fiery power ignited. The 0.1% purity surged to 0.2%. It was still small, but the quality of his Qi shifted from a dull yellow to a vibrant, searing orange.
Soul: His perception doubled. He could hear the heartbeat of a bird on a roof three houses away.
Chen gasped, his clothes soaked in sweat. He stood up, and the stone dais beneath him cracked from the sheer involuntary pressure of his new Qi.
"One star Dou Zhe... but my Qi density feels like a three or four star," Chen whispered, looking at his hands. "If this doubles every time... by the time I reach Dou Di, I won't just be a God. I'll be the end of the universe."
A knock at the courtyard gate broke his trance.
"Xiao Chen? Are you there?" a youthful, energetic voice called out.
Chen composed himself. It was Xiao Yan. At this point in time, they were still "rivals" of the same age.
"Come in, Yan-er," Chen said, hiding his breakthrough pressure.
Xiao Yan walked in, grinning ear to ear. "I did it! I reached the 9th stage! I'll be a Dou Zhe by next month. We should spar—wait." Xiao Yan stopped, his eyes narrowing as he looked at Chen. "You... you feel different. Did you...?"
Chen smiled thinly, a spark of wit in his eyes. "The early bird gets the worm, Xiao Yan. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll catch up."
Little did Xiao Yan know, the gap that had just opened between them was one that no amount of medicinal pills or "Rings" could ever truly bridge. The era of the Infinite Doubling had begun.