“It’s best if you don’t ask what I’m looking for.
Knowing too much…
won’t do you any good.”
Yan Qingshan took back the map, looking up at the end to give a deliberate warning.
Although Xue Lan acted out of kindness, he did not want this matter known by too many people.
His current strength was too weak; while a 6-Star Dou Zhe could be considered someone of note in Qingshan Town, in Rock Desert City, he wasn’t particularly powerful.
While Da Dou Shi were rare in Rock Desert City, there was at least a double-digit number of known Dou Shi.
As a 6-Star Dou Zhe who practiced a High Xuan Class Qi Method and Dou Technique, he should be invincible among the city’s Dou Zhe.
However, when facing a Dou Shi, he could perhaps handle a Low Stage one, but he would absolutely be no match for a Mid Stage or higher.
Although he had other methods, those weren’t things to be used lightly.
Unless necessary, he had no desire to stir up trouble or get embroiled in a mess.
“Tsk…
Fine, be all mysterious then.”
Xue Lan muttered an unhappy complaint but did not press further.
“Young Master!
Sister Xue Lan!”
Qing Ling, in her pale green dress, returned to the living room after finishing her chores.
This time she did not leave; instead, she stood obediently behind Yan Qingshan, her soft, tender hands gently massaging his forehead to soothe the fatigue brought on by his lack of sleep.
“Hateful, arrogant brat.
Qing Ling has never served me like that!”
Xue Lan felt a surge of annoyance seeing Yan Qingshan enjoy himself with his eyes closed.
She hummed in dissatisfaction, speaking in a low voice.
Behind Yan Qingshan, Qing Ling’s face reddened slightly at the words, but her movements remained entirely steady, gentle, and unaffected.
Leaning back in the soft chair, Yan Qingshan replied unceremoniously with his eyes shut.
“Qing Ling is my maid, so of course she serves me.
What is your status that you dare to even think of such a thing?
Someone like you is even worse than Qing Ling; you couldn’t even be a good maid.
At best, you’re the material for a personal guard.”
Whether intentional or not, Yan Qingshan’s tone shifted slightly when he spoke the words ‘personal guard.’
“You brat, I’ve tolerated you for a long time!”
Xue Lan was first enraged, but then she caught a sliver of a different meaning in his words.
Fuming, she stood up to strike him, her jade leg sweeping directly toward his head.
“Sister Xue Lan, don’t!”
Seeing this, Qing Ling naturally grew frantic.
Shouting, she leaped forward to block for Yan Qingshan.
Just as she performed a front flip and expected a heavy impact, she felt a catch.
Before she could hit the ground, she fell into Yan Qingshan’s embrace.
“You…
you’re a Dou Zhe?
That just now was…”
Xue Lan had felt a tinge of regret after her impulsive move, but having already thrown the kick, it was difficult to retract.
When Qing Ling jumped in to shield him, she had been terrified.
However, just as she was about to hit Qing Ling, a burst of pale green Dou Qi arrived first, blocking her boot. Get faster updates on g.com.
Then, a precise force jolted her right leg back just enough to make her retreat.
Recalling that burst of Dou Qi, Xue Lan was stunned.
Originally, she thought Yan Qingshan was just some silly, rich young master from a great family out for a stroll in Rock Desert City.
She had even wondered why such a young master wouldn’t bring bodyguards.
But once Yan Qingshan displayed the strength of a Dou Zhe, her doubts vanished.
Though a Dou Zhe was only one rank higher than the Dou Zhi Qi stage, the significance was entirely different.
The overall environment of the Jia Ma Empire was relatively peaceful.
While Dou Zhe were common, a young Dou Zhe with some life-saving means—as long as they didn’t actively seek death—faced little risk traveling the empire.
Thus, many practitioners from families began their path of tempering after becoming a Dou Zhe.
Yan Qingshan’s display of strength truly surprised Xue Lan.
He looked only fifteen or sixteen yet was already a Dou Zhe out on a journey of experience; this was almost unimaginable in a small place like Rock Desert City.
More importantly, Yan Qingshan’s Dou Qi confirmed her previous suspicions.
Xue Lan was considered a genius girl in the small Rock Desert City, so she had naturally understood and longed for high-level Dou Qi.
Born as a commoner mercenary, she could only come into contact with Huang Class Dou Qi.
She had felt the Huang Class Dou Qi of ordinary Dou Zhe before, but a mere sliver of Dou Qi that made her own energy tremble had to be higher than Huang Class.
A Dou Zhe of this age with such high-level Dou Qi—now, even if Yan Qingshan told her his real identity, she wouldn’t believe it.
His exceptional conditions fit every stereotype of a genius from a great family out for tempering.
“This is a gift of thanks for you, not part of the commission.
It should help increase your chances of breaking through to Dou Zhe.
However, this method is tailored specifically for you; if given to anyone else, it might become poison.
Be careful.”
Yan Qingshan flicked a scroll toward her.
Xue Lan caught it instinctively, only to be yanked out of the living room by the momentum of the Dou Qi attached to the scroll.
Before she realized what was happening—Bang!—the door slammed shut.
“You brat!
Would it kill you to say a few more words?!”
Xue Lan shouted indignantly, raising her hand to knock but then putting it down.
She turned toward the courtyard gate to leave.
On the way out, she unfurled the scroll, and her scream followed.
“Golden Silk Cistanche…
Yin-Pattern Scorpion powder…
1st Rank Earth-attribute Monster Core…”
“Heavens, these items combined must cost five thousand gold coins.
What kind of method did this little bastard give me?”
…
At the East Gate of Rock Desert City, two camels—unique beasts of the desert—speedily exited the gate, heading toward the vast, boundless eastern desert.
Amidst the swirling sand of the immense desert, a youth dressed in light clothing that offered little protection against the sun walked barefoot through the storm.
A layer of pale green Dou Qi, resembling a Dou Qi Gauze, swirled around his vital areas as he pushed slowly against the wind.
Behind him, rows of footprints were deeply embedded in the yellow sand.
The marks of five toes were quickly blurred by the wind.
After some time, these footprints were entirely covered by the shifting sands, hiding all traces beneath the desert floor.
The youth was not alone; two camels followed behind him, loaded with dry rations, clean water, and other essential supplies.
One of the camels was ridden by a girl in a pale green outer robe.
Wrapped tightly to avoid being harmed by the sand, the girl’s face was full of worry, and her eyes held a trace of heartache as she watched the youth in front.
Under the exposure of the scorching sun, the yellow sand beneath their feet was almost like glowing-hot iron pellets.
Every time one’s foot stepped down, it was impossible not to frown or wince.
This was even with desert boots; if one stepped barefoot without any protection, blood blisters would form in no time.
Barefoot walking like this youth was simply a suicidal act.
Yan Qingshan was naturally not seeking death but using this harshest environment to temper himself.
He aimed to sublimate and strengthen his own Dou Qi, making it more condensed and pure.
Wood-attribute Dou Qi was practically the least advantageous of all types.
In terms of damage, forget Lightning, Fire, or Wind—even Earth was stronger.
It held no place in defense, and its auxiliary healing was inferior to Water.
Aside from the superior self-recovery of Wood-attribute practitioners, it held no other advantages.
However, because of its nature, Wood-attribute Dou Qi was easily countered by Fire or Lightning, just as delicate plants perish before high temperatures.
Wood was too easily targeted, even with high-level Dou Qi.
In such a situation, Wood-attribute practitioners naturally refused to be suppressed, leading to various methods of tempering.
What Yan Qingshan was using now was a plan specifically designed for himself: using the extreme environment of the desert to condense his Wood Dou Qi so that his energy would not be heavily affected the moment it encountered high-temperature Fire Dou Qi.
Furthermore, the desert offered not only extreme conditions but also highly erratic weather and sudden events.
Barefoot desert walking was an essential experience for his cultivation in this environment.
Yan Qingshan pushed all other thoughts aside, focusing entirely on his slow pace.
The Dou Qi on his body was like a sliver of green candlelight in a gale—flickering but refusing to be extinguished.
Amidst the howling winds and chaotic sands, it grew increasingly solid and powerful.
As he walked slowly, the headwind carried fine sand that stung his face and other exposed areas.
This forced him to maintain a sufficient Dou Qi membrane to avoid being disfigured by the storm.
After more than half a day’s journey, Yan Qingshan could feel that his Dou Qi was nearly eighty percent depleted.
However, the remaining energy was incredibly refined and condensed.
He could also feel that his cultivation, which had met a bottleneck, was starting to loosen slightly.
Yan Qingshan looked at the sky.
The scorching sun hung directly overhead, releasing its ferocity.
Waves of sunlight brought dense solar energy, and the Fire-attribute energy in the air was extremely active, making him feel as if he were inside a furnace.
In this situation, even though he circulated his Qi Method frantically and his internal cycles were fast, the Wood-attribute dou qi in the external environment was simply too scarce.
Even at full power, his recovery speed was extremely slow.
If the Magic Beast Mountain Range was a paradise for the Wood attribute—where lush vegetation provided infinite vitality even in the depths of winter—then the Tager Desert was a purgatory for it.
Even basic recovery was exceptionally difficult.
This was only because Yan Qingshan practiced a High Xuan Class Qi Method; if it were a Huang Class Qi Method, half a day of circulation wouldn’t recover even a sliver of Dou Qi.
“Qing Ling!”
Yan Qingshan’s parched lips were somewhat pale.
When he turned his head to shout, his lips nearly split from the movement, the skin pulling painfully.
“Young Master!!!”
Qing Ling hurried to drive the camels to Yan Qingshan’s side, making the two beasts sit to surround him.
She carefully set up a frame and a large piece of tarp, forming a simple, windproof sunshade.
From the storage ring Yan Qingshan had given her, she took out prepared supplies.
Using a clean, damp towel, she wiped his face and body before carefully reapplying the sun-protection and sand-protection ointment.
(End of Chapter)