Three days later.
A figure flashed swiftly across the yard, moving like a spirit carried by the wind. Gu He hovered in the air, his figure flickering like a ghost as he walked through the sky.
With each step, a whirlwind seemed to form beneath his feet, propelling him forward with incredible speed and grace, akin to a celestial being.
After a moment, Gu He descended gracefully into the courtyard, the whirlwind beneath him dissipating slowly as he landed.
"This Treading the Wind is finally coming together," Gu He murmured to himself, a hint of satisfaction curling at the corner of his mouth as he recalled his earlier speed.
The Treading the Wind was indeed a Advanced Black agility-type Dou Technique. After mastering it, Gu He's speed had increased fivefold. It was a pity, though, that his Dou Qi attribute wasn't aligned with the wind element. Otherwise, the boost would have been even greater.
As he settled into the courtyard, Gu He poured himself a cup of tea and drank it in one go.
"Whoosh!"
At that moment, a sharp sound pierced the sky above the courtyard. A massive figure descended, sending a cloud of dust into the air.
Gu He looked up to see a giant bird landing in the yard. The bird was entirely black, its feathers shimmering with a metallic sheen, and its talons, sharp as iron hooks, dug firmly into the ground.
A figure in white gracefully dismounted from the giant bird—it was the Little Fairy Doctor. The giant bird was her pet, the Iron-Winged Giant Eagle.
When Gu He had left the Misty Cloud Sect to take the Emperor's Pill for his breakthrough, the Little Fairy Doctor's Iron-Winged Giant Eagle egg had just hatched.
A few days after the hatching, she couldn't resist riding it to soar over the Misty Cloud Sect. At first, she wasn't quite accustomed to it, but after a few days, she grew comfortable, and soon she was riding the eagle daily, sometimes even taking Nalan Yanran along for the ride.
If anyone else had done this, the elders of the Misty Cloud Sect would have surely voiced their displeasure. But when it came to the Little Fairy Doctor and Nalan Yanran, even if they had complaints, they dared not speak up.
One was the direct disciple of the sect master, and the other was Elder Gu He's protégé. Neither was someone they could afford to offend. Thus, the elders could only turn a blind eye to the giant bird soaring through the skies every day.
After dismounting, the Little Fairy Doctor gently stroked the Iron-Winged Giant Eagle's neck and tossed it a second-grade pill. "Xiao Tie, go play in the back mountain. Don't cause any trouble!" she instructed.
"Screech!"
The eagle let out a cry, swallowed the pill, and with a flap of its wings, it took off toward the back mountain of the Misty Cloud Sect.
In the courtyard, Gu He couldn't help but smile when he heard the Little Fairy Doctor call the eagle "Xiao Tie."
He had casually suggested the name that day, and she had actually adopted it. It seemed his words carried significant weight in her mind.
What he didn't know, however, was that the Little Fairy Doctor had chosen the name after some deliberation. After all, Senior Sister Nalan had also suggested the name "Xiao Tie," and with Gu He echoing it, she felt compelled to go along with it.
"Teacher, hasn't Senior Brother come for special training today?" the Little Fairy Doctor asked casually as she sat down in the courtyard and poured herself a cup of tea.
"He should be here soon," Gu He replied, his powerful soul force already sensing a figure approaching the courtyard.
Sure enough, Liu Ling soon appeared at the courtyard gate. "Teacher, I'm here for special training," he announced.
Gu He waved his hand, and a large wooden barrel materialized in front of Liu Ling.
Without hesitation, Liu Ling filled the barrel with water and jumped in.
Gu He then placed several jade bottles on the table and instructed the Little Fairy Doctor, "Go ahead and add the ingredients for your senior brother."
The Little Fairy Doctor nodded obediently, picked up the Burning Blood Powder from the table, and walked over to the barrel. After pouring the powder into the water, it wasn't long before Liu Ling's agonized screams filled the yard.
Watching Liu Ling's skin fester and hearing his cries, the Little Fairy Doctor couldn't help but feel a pang of fear.
She glanced at Gu He, feeling a sense of relief. 'Thankfully, the teacher gave me the milder Jade Bone Powder. If I had to endure what Senior Brother is going through, I don't know if I could handle it. The teacher really does care for me the most.'
"Teacher, I'll go back to my room to practice," the Little Fairy Doctor said after enduring the screams for a while longer.
"Go ahead," Gu He replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. "If all goes well, your senior brother will break through to the Dou Master realm today. If you don't work hard, he might catch up to you."
"Senior Brother is going to break through?" The Little Fairy Doctor was slightly surprised.
Over the past few days, Liu Ling had been on the verge of a breakthrough, but she hadn't expected it to happen today. Still, she was confident in her own progress.
She had already reached the peak of the six-star Dou Master, and after taking another second-grade medicinal herb later, she was confident she could break through to the seven-star Dou Master. Even if Liu Ling broke through to Dou Master, she would still be seven starts ahead of him.
Nevertheless, she didn't dare to slack off. "Teacher, I will redouble my efforts in cultivation," she said obediently before leaving the pavilion and returning to her room.
After the Little Fairy Doctor left, Gu He turned his attention to Liu Ling in the wooden barrel. He could sense the slight fluctuations in Liu Ling's aura.
Although they were faint, Gu He's powerful soul force detected them clearly. If things continued this way, Liu Ling would likely break through after absorbing the dou qi in the barrel.
Gu He remained quietly in the pavilion, occasionally glancing at Liu Ling as he waited for the breakthrough.
Two hours later, Liu Ling's screams ceased. He sat cross-legged in the barrel, focusing on breaking through the barrier to the Dou Master realm.
"Boom!"
A muffled sound echoed as Liu Ling's aura surged, marking his successful breakthrough to the Dou Master realm.
…
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