Central Plains, Tianhuang City.
A vast plaza of broken stone sprawled out under the open sky. At its center stood an enormous stone platform, atop which loomed a black spatial wormhole, dozens of meters wide, rotating slowly with a constant hum. A terrifying spatial fluctuation overflowed from it in waves.
"Puff… puff…"
Silence reigned for a moment—until a low rumbling broke it. With each sound, the space around the wormhole shuddered violently. In the next instant, two figures shot out like streaks of light, landing firmly on the stone plaza.
"Whew, finally out! Damn spatial wormholes… I swear I'm never using one again."
One of the two, a silver-haired young man, touched down and inhaled deeply, savoring the fresh air like someone just freed from confinement. He was, of course, Chen Xiaoming. Beside him stood Xiao Xun'er, who had been pulled along on this journey.
"But we've finally made it to Central Plains' core region."
Looking around, the plaza was now beginning to bustle with people, all emerging from the wormhole. Where there had been silence, vitality now surged.
The Dou Qi Realm was immense. Outside of the scattered frontier lands, the majority of the realm's powerhouses gathered in Central Plains, the heart of the realm.
Central Plains itself was divided into five regions: East, South, West, North, and the Central Region. Beyond these lay secluded powerhouses who had carved out their own spatial realms, dwelling entirely within self-created worlds.
If Central Plains was the center of the Dou Qi Continent, then the Central Region was the core of that center—a place where countless legendary factions had built their headquarters.
The most powerful forces known openly throughout the Dou Qi Continent were all headquartered here.
One Hall, One Tower, Two Sects, Three Valleys, Four Pavilions—these were the pinnacle factions on the surface.
And Chen Xiaoming's purpose for coming this time? Naturally, it was the "Tower" in One Hall, One Tower—the Pill Tower.
"Let's go," he said simply.
Though teleportation arrays were scattered throughout the Central Region for short-distance travel, Chen Xiaoming had no interest in using them. With a casual wave of his right hand, he grabbed Xiao Xun'er and soared into the sky.
"He's flying through the air? A Dou Ancestor? Is he really a Dou Ancestor?"
As the two figures vanished into the sky, the people in the plaza finally snapped out of their stupor, exclaiming in disbelief.
In Central Plains, even among so many elites, a Dou Ancestor was still a powerhouse—one that countless cultivators would give everything to become. Yet those who could truly reach such a height were vanishingly few.
But Chen Xiaoming was long gone. Even if he had heard those cries, he wouldn't have cared.
Dou Ancestor? What's so surprising about that? Just wait a bit longer—soon, he'd show them what a Dou God looks like.
High above, he carried Xiao Xun'er across the sky. The location of the Central Region had already been scouted during their journey here. By flight alone, it would take about half a month to reach.
But Chen Xiaoming didn't mind at all. In fact, he welcomed it—he needed the experience points. Traveling while sightseeing and grinding some XP along the way? Not a bad deal.
"Teacher, are we going to the Pill Tower?" Xiao Xun'er finally asked.
Over the course of their journey, she'd found Chen Xiaoming to be… difficult to describe.
He clearly possessed a mysterious, unfathomable power—but unlike her father or the many powerhouses she knew, he lacked that awe-inspiring aura one would expect. At times, his behavior was just plain odd. In the local parlance of the Dou Qi Continent, one might say he had some screws loose—perhaps even overdosed on Dou Qi and cooked his brain.
Yet she couldn't deny one thing: he'd shown her genuine kindness. He'd even given her a glowing, mysterious stone that greatly aided her cultivation.
In the five short months since she had left the Xiao Clan, her strength had skyrocketed to Three-Star Dou Grandmaster—a speed faster than consuming pills.
The rapid progress shocked her so much that she'd stopped using the stone, fearing it might undermine her foundation.
But upon closer inspection, she found her Dou Qi was dense and stable, tempered as if through endless trials. After confirming with Chen Xiaoming that it wouldn't harm her cultivation base, she resumed using the stone with full confidence.
Through this journey, Xiao Xun'er had gradually warmed up to her strange teacher.
Now, looking toward the heart of the Central Region, she spoke softly.
"Mhm, we're going to see the alchemists at the Pill Tower," Chen Xiaoming replied with a gentle smile.
Seeing her obedient demeanor, he felt a wave of satisfaction. His gaze swept over her—refined temperament, noble birth. She was truly a treasure.
To be paired with someone like Xiao Yan… what a waste. Such good cabbage, given to a pig.
His thoughts drifted, and an image appeared in his mind—but then a chill ran down his spine. He shivered, quickly shaking it off.
"Ahem. Disciple, haven't your recent breakthroughs slowed a bit?"
Chen Xiaoming frowned slightly as he noted her current cultivation level. Just a month ago, she'd broken through to Dou Grandmaster. Now, she'd only gained two stars?
Xiao Xun'er blushed, lowering her head and muttering softly.
"Teacher… two levels in one month isn't slow…"
If she hadn't said anything, it might've been fine—but now Chen Xiaoming raised a brow, his gaze sharpening.
This was his first disciple. How could she have such a timid attitude? Clearly, it was time for some proper education.
"Are you still worried that this kind of rapid progress will hurt your future cultivation?" he asked, his tone carrying a new firmness.
They came to a stop mid-air, facing one another. Xiao Xun'er's expression grew tense as she hurried to explain.
"Teacher, it's not like that, I just… I was afraid…"
Gentle and quiet in demeanor, Xiao Xun'er nonetheless possessed a firm and resolute heart. Once she made a decision, it was difficult to sway her.
Now, confronted by Chen Xiaoming's questioning, she seemed momentarily lost, unsure if she should speak the truth.
Seeing her hesitation, Chen Xiaoming's mind worked quickly. If it wasn't fear of foundation instability, then perhaps it was her bloodline—or the Heavenly Flame within her.
He shook his head lightly. As her teacher, it was time to guide her properly—not manipulate, no, definitely not manipulate—educate.
Hands behind his back, Chen Xiaoming turned slightly, eyes gazing out at the endless sky and land. His voice, deep and solemn, reached her ears.
"Disciple… do you know how vast this world truly is?"
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