When Xiao Xue spends experience points to increase her character level, she can choose to "Turn on Upgrade Effects" or "Turn off Upgrade Effects."
Once "Upgrade Effects" are turned off, the Dou Qi fluctuations generated during your Breakthrough will be automatically hidden.
Therefore, in the eyes of Jia Xingtian, Fa Ma, and the others, Xiao Xue wasn't breaking through, but was hiding her cultivation!
This meant that Xiao Xue's cultivation might even be more than a three-star Dou Master!
While Jia Xingtian and Fa Ma were shocked, they also completely dismissed any doubts about Xiao Xue having a Grade 8 Alchemist as a master.
With such talent, it didn't seem particularly strange to be favored by a Dou Zun expert and chosen as a Disciple.
Looking at the expressions of Jia Xingtian and Fa Ma, Xiao Xue knew that her goal had been achieved.
The strength of the Jiama Royal Family was actually quite limited; the strongest among them was only a Peak Dou Huang.
After the Central Plains dungeon opens, a Dou Huang wouldn't even count as cannon fodder; any High-Tier Dou Zong could wipe out the Jiama Royal Family.
But for now, in the Jia Ma Empire, a Dou Huang was still as rare as a phoenix feather or a unicorn horn, and the current Xiao Family was equally weak.
With a Peak Dou Huang and a Fifth-Grade Alchemist backing them, the Xiao Family's early development would be much better.
If it weren't for the sake of acting cool... no, if it weren't for recruiting this tool person who might be useful later, Xiao Xue wouldn't even have been willing to spend the points to level up these two Ranks.
"I'll have to trouble you two Seniors to look after the Xiao Family a bit while this Junior is out adventuring," Xiao Xue said with a smile.
———
A few days later, the Xiao Family.
Ling Ying, a rare Dou Huang expert of the Ancient Clan, knelt on one knee before Xiao Xun Er. "Young Miss, Miss Xiao Xue passed the Second-Grade Alchemist assessment in the capital, and her strength has also broken through to three-star Dou Master."
"A Second-Grade Alchemist..." Hearing this, Xiao Xun Er also felt some envy and longing.
However, her fire attribute was too pure and did not meet the Innate condition for an Alchemist to possess a trace of wood energy.
"three-star Dou Master... Did Sister Xue'er hide her cultivation?"
"Or is it like before, when she broke through five realms with a cup of water, and she just casually said something and broke through again?"
Whether it was the former or the latter, Xiao Xun Er couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "Sister Xue'er is really getting more and more amazing."
She sat by the windowsill, propping her chin on one hand, her eyes slightly dazed.
Xiao Xun Er had admired Xiao Xue since she was a child, feeling that Xiao Xue knew everything and was beautiful.
At that time, Xiao Xue still had the label of a favored daughter of heaven, cultivating extremely fast during the Dou Zhi Qi stage, and Xiao Xun Er saw her as a role model.
But the current Xiao Xue was even more terrifying than back then!
"In this world, truly no one can compare to Sister Xue'er." Xiao Xun Er propped her chin on one hand, a smile on her face.
Sister Xue'er is so amazing; I really want to stay behind her for the rest of my life.
The young girl didn't feel there was anything wrong with her thoughts at all.
———
Outside Qingshan Town, a special guest arrived.
It was a rainy day; a fine drizzle fell, and fallen flowers swirled in the rain.
A young girl stood quietly in the rain, fallen flowers and flowing water passing under her feet.
She didn't need an umbrella; when the raindrops approached her, they would naturally bypass her.
The newcomer was none other than Xiao Xue, who had come to find Xiao Yi Xian.
The introduction of Xiao Yi Xian was actually not very eye-catching, so ordinary that Xiao Xue didn't have much of an impression of it later.
When reading the original work in her past life, she had only skimmed over it.
In the original work, after Xiao Yi Xian bid farewell to Xiao Yan in Qingshan Town, she left the Jia Ma Empire and stayed in a small mountain village in the Izumo Empire for a year.
There, she stayed in the home of an elderly couple who had no children. The two elders treated her as their own, and the people in the village also treated her like family.
That year, she lived very happily. Having wandered from place to place since childhood, she had never enjoyed such a heart-warming feeling of happiness.
However, the outbreak of the Calamity Poison Body cruelly tore all this beauty to pieces.
When the Calamity Poison Body broke out, the number of deaths in the village was just a cold number.
Everyone reads novels; these numbers aren't important, they just increase the sense of reality and immersion.
But now, Xiao Xue had a different feeling.
She looked up at the raindrops in the sky and murmured to herself:
"A single speck of dust from an era, when it falls on a person, is a mountain."
Looking at the entire Fighting Qi Continent, Qingshan Town and the place where Xiao Yi Xian had stayed, which didn't even count as a starting village, were simply too minuscule.
But the world was just like this.
For Xiao Yi Xian, what she lost was rare family affection, but for the vast Fighting Qi Continent, it was just a small piece of news.
This was very normal. Although sad, between heaven and earth, humans are inherently small.
When she saw more people in the village dying in pain because of her, in the end, Xiao Yi Xian finally left with a weary body under the hateful and fearful gazes of the villagers.
Were the villagers bad?
Not necessarily.
But they would be afraid, they would feel terror, and they couldn't suppress it!
["To create a great villain, first give him super high intelligence, a powerful body, and top-tier combat skills..." Before he could finish, he was interrupted.
"Give him a... terrible life too," the other person said.]
To create a villain, you only need to give them a terrible childhood, then a ray of redeeming light, and then take that light away.
Just reach out a hand, pull him up from the bottom of the valley, and then keep pulling him along like that, only to push him into an even deeper abyss.
That kind-hearted Xiao Yi Xian, after losing the light in her heart, fell and became the Sect Master of the Izumo Poison Sect, the Sky Poison Lady!
Fortunately, because of Xiao Yan's existence, Xiao Yi Xian eventually changed back into that kind and beautiful girl.
However, she ended up with a lifelong regret because of a certain missed opportunity.
Xiao Xue looked back and toward Qingshan Town not far away, her lips curling into a light arc. With a flash, she vanished from the spot.
In this life, let me be your light.
After the rain comes the sunny day.
———
Wan Yao Pharmacy.
This was the only medicinal herb shop in Qingshan Town.
Xiao Xue walked in wearing her Second-Grade Alchemist robes and was immediately greeted with a warm welcome.
Though named Wan Yao Pharmacy, in a small place like Qingshan Town, all the medicinal herbs inside added together weren't as valuable as the single storage ring of herbs Fa Ma had given her.
"Lord, what do you need?" A graceful beauty with a slender waist stepped forward and asked respectfully.
Upon seeing her, Xiao Xue immediately verified her identity with the System and confirmed that she was the Xiao Yi Xian she was looking for.
Xiao Xue vaguely remembered that at the beginning of the original text, Xiao Yi Xian mainly had a good waist and temperament; although her looks were decent, they weren't peerless.
Later, after the Calamity Poison Body awakened, Xiao Yi Xian directly became an earthly beauty on par with Xiao Xun Er. She wondered if it was a mutation from eating poison.
One could only say that among the three—Xiao Xun Er, Medusa, and Xiao Yi Xian—one possessed the Dou Di Bloodline, one was a Nine-Colored Sky Swallowing Python, and one had the Calamity Poison Body; their looks and figures improved along with their cultivation.
However, Xiao Xue's [Charm 10] was an existence at the level of Nuwa showing off her skills.
Therefore, she wasn't particularly envious of these Physiques that came with automatic beauty enhancement upon cultivation.
Xiao Xue casually took out a piece of parchment. "Help me find the medicinal herbs on this."
Xiao Yi Xian took the parchment and looked at it. "We only have some of the medicinal herbs on here right now."
"Our Wan Yao Pharmacy is planning to explore deeper into the Magical Beast Mountain Range after the rain. Perhaps there are the herbs you need there."
"I wonder if you would be interested in temporarily joining our mercenary group and going together?"
Xiao Xue nodded indifferently, which served as a silent agreement to Xiao Yi Xian's words. Xiao Yi Xian said no more and turned to fetch the medicine.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Xiao Yi Xian returned with the part of the herbs Xiao Xue wanted. "Lord, all the herbs you need are here."
Xiao Xue looked them over; the preservation of the herbs was excellent. It was clear that Xiao Yi Xian also had a considerable level of research into medicinal herbs.
"Are you a Physician?" Xiao Xue asked, looking at Xiao Yi Xian.
"I see you have good talent. Would you like to be my Disciple?"