Advancing to Dou Master

*Knock knock knock!*

Yun Yun was lost in thought, gazing at the mountain peaks outside the window, when suddenly, she heard a knock at the door. She quickly snapped out of her daze, stood up, and walked over to open the door. Standing outside was Gu He. Yun Yun immediately knew that Nalan Yanran must have said something to Gu He, prompting his visit.

Gu He smiled and said, "I heard you're back, so I came to check on you. Won't you invite me in?"

Yun Yun's cold eyes glanced at Gu He before she turned around and walked back inside. Gu He, delighted by her response, followed her in. After he sat down, Yun Yun said, "I'm fine. There's no need to worry."

Gu He, relying on his sharp spiritual senses as a sixth-tier alchemist, noticed that Yun Yun's aura seemed even more robust than before. Surprised, he asked, "Did you break through?" Gu He was shocked, knowing that Yun Yun had been stuck at the three-star Dou Emperor level for a long time. He hadn't expected that a trip to the Magical Beast Mountain Range would lead to her breakthrough.

Hearing Gu He's words, Yun Yun frowned slightly, as if remembering something. Her face paled a little, but then a blush of red appeared. Gu He couldn't help but stare in awe.

Sensing Gu He's gaze, Yun Yun quickly adjusted her expression and said, "Yes, I had significant gains from this trip to the Magical Beast Mountain Range. I had a battle with the Amethyst Winged Lion King and was injured, but I also learned valuable lessons from the fight, which led to a natural breakthrough."

"You were injured? Where?" Gu He asked anxiously.

Yun Yun shook her head and said, "It's nothing serious, just minor injuries. I've already recovered, and my strength has advanced to four-star Dou Emperor."

Seeing that Yun Yun was indeed fine, Gu He relaxed and said, "That's perfect. I'm planning a trip to the desert soon. Now that you're a four-star Dou Emperor, I'd like to invite you to join me."

Yun Yun frowned slightly and asked, "What are we going to the desert for? That's not the Yun Lan Sect's territory. The Snake-People Tribe resides there, and their leader, Queen Medusa, is said to have strength at the peak of Dou Emperor."

Gu He smiled faintly and said, "This time, I'm likely going to face Medusa."

Yun Yun, puzzled, asked, "What are you planning?"

"Different flames," Gu He said quietly. "As a sixth-tier alchemist, I might be the strongest in the Jia Ma Empire, but on the entire continent, sixth-tier alchemists are not considered top-tier. I've been stuck at this level for years, and now I think I've discovered the reason."

Yun Yun looked at him with her beautiful eyes and asked, "Are you saying that these special flames can help you improve as an alchemist?"

Gu He nodded. "On the Dou Qi continent, different flames are what alchemists dream of. If I can obtain one, I can advance my alchemy skills to the seventh tier, maybe even higher. This would benefit not only me, but you and the Yun Lan Sect as well."

Yun Yun fell silent, lowering her gaze in thought before looking at Gu He and saying, "It seems that there is indeed a special flame within the Snake-People Tribe in the desert. Very well, let me know when you're ready to head there. We'll go together to seize it."

Gu He nodded slightly and left. After he departed, Yun Yun looked at the distant sky and thought to herself, *The matter in the Magical Beast Mountain Range is over now.*

---

Meanwhile, Xiao Yu, in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, was in a tough spot. The sky above him was filled with thick clouds, forming a funnel shape. From the thick clouds, streaks of lightning danced erratically.

Xiao Yu felt immense pressure. A terrifying force from above had locked onto him, but the lightning had yet to strike. This anticipation was driving Xiao Yu crazy.

*Boom!*

A thunderous roar echoed across the heavens, causing all the magical beasts in the mountain range to tremble in fear. At the same time, they looked at Xiao Yu with reverence in their eyes.

The purple lightning in the clouds rapidly converged, forming a bolt as thick as a grown man's waist. Suddenly, the bolt struck down toward Xiao Yu at an alarming speed, too fast for him to evade.

The lightning surged into his body, slamming him into the ground and creating a scorched crater. In an instant, his clothes were burned away by the intense electricity.

Xiao Yu groaned in pain as his features twisted from the agony. He quickly circulated his Dou Qi to protect his internal organs from the damage caused by the lightning.

What Xiao Yu didn't notice was that the purple lightning was darkening, changing to a deep violet color. The bolt, once as thick as a waist, was now as thick as an arm, but its power had grown even more terrifying—proof that quality surpasses quantity.

*Crack! Crack! Crack!*

Three more bolts of lightning, brimming with immense energy, struck down in quick succession. Just as Xiao Yu struggled to rise from the crater, these three overwhelming forces surged into his body once again.

"Ah!" Xiao Yu couldn't hold back this time. A scream tore from his throat as the terrifying power of the heavenly tribulation caused him to spit out a mouthful of blood. His skin blackened, cracked, and blood seeped from the wounds, leaving him in a wretched state.

The violent power was almost too much for Xiao Yu to bear. He quickly sat down in the crater and began meditating, using the Chaos Cultivation Technique to absorb the rampant energy and strengthen his physique.

By now, the clouds had darkened into black, and the deep violet lightning had begun to turn red, signaling the preparation of the final bolt of the tribulation.

With the Chaos Cultivation Technique circulating, Xiao Yu rapidly refined the energy, converting it into Dou Qi. His strength soared, breaking through from a one-star Dou Master to two-star, then three-star, all the way to nine-star Dou Master. It wasn't until he encountered the barrier to Dou Grand Master that his progress slowed.

Frowning, Xiao Yu knew the importance of a solid foundation, so he began suppressing his strength. He reduced his power level from nine-star Dou Master down to one-star and then started allowing it to rise again. Just as this was happening, the final terrifying bolt of lightning descended.

Xiao Yu used his Vajra Protection Shield, but the thin lightning bolt shattered the shield with ease. Though weakened slightly, it struck directly at Xiao Yu's soul, causing his face to turn pale as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

He quickly steadied himself and ramped up the Chaos Cultivation Technique. The vast energy was swiftly refined, and his cultivation level continued to rise and fall. After about ten breaths, Xiao Yu finally stabilized his realm at six-star Dou Master. If he hadn't suppressed his strength, he could have broken through to Dou Grand Master, but that would have led to certain death.