[Great Dao Journal (Xiao Ting)]
[You have been chosen by the Great Dao to become a World Observer.]
[At any time, you may record your true experiences within the vast worlds. With a single thought, you may generate entries and upload your Traveler's Journal.]
[From the first time you begin recording, you will receive a blessing from the Great Dao on every birthday. The strength of the blessing depends on your cultivation realm, the time spent recording, etc.]
[If you persist in recording daily, you will receive a minor planar blessing every day. The strength of the blessing depends on your cultivation realm, the time spent recording, etc.]
[Blessings include but are not limited to: infusion of various levels of heaven and earth energy, falling opportunities and fortune/misfortune warnings, sudden comprehension of cultivation methods and battle skills…]
[Blessings are only couriers of opportunities and resources; they do not create opportunity by themselves.]
[You may freely choose whether to become a World Observer. Signing your name signifies acceptance.]
[Upon becoming a World Observer, you will receive one strand of Origin Qi and a one-time body refinement by heaven and earth energy.]
A torrent of information surged into Xiao Ting's mind, which he instantly digested and understood.
"As expected. I'm a transmigrator—how could I not have a cheat?" Radiance flared in his dark eyes.
This "Great Dao Journal" sounded lofty at a glance. It was obviously his transmigrator's golden finger finally arriving.
Before cheat: My cousin's a future Flame Emperor, my childhood sweetheart is the Ancient Clan's clan-leader's daughter; I can lie flat all the way to the Great Thousand World, carve my name in the Endless Fire Territory, and one day snatch Mu Chen's opportunities to become the Great Ruler.
After cheat: Everyone look me in the eyes when you talk.
"What's wrong? Xun'er's not willing?" Xiao Ting stared straight at Xun'er, making her even shyer.
Beauty before him, affectionate and loyal—he wasn't in a hurry to study this Great Dao Journal.
"Xun'er has asked Brother Xiao Ting out so many times, and Brother Xiao Ting always had reasons to refuse. Now it's Brother Xiao Ting inviting Xun'er—how could it be so easy?" Xun'er forced down her shyness and secret joy and blossomed into a playful smile. "We'll see how Brother Xiao Ting behaves. Xun'er will consider agreeing then."
"How about this—I'll personally cook dinner tonight?" Xiao Ting spoke with an expression of great sincerity.
"Pfft." Xun'er couldn't help but laugh.
Xiao Ting's cooking skills were indeed excellent. For a young master of the Xiao Clan to cook this well, he largely had Xiao Yan to thank.
When they were younger, Xiao Yan often declared that "This secret cuisine is the best in the world," but whenever he personally tried cooking, the results were terrible.
Instead, it was Xiao Ting who, just by listening to his instructions, managed to turn out genuine dishes.
Over time, Xiao Yan was utterly traumatized by the act of cooking.
Xiao Ting, on the other hand, ended up with culinary skills that made all the elders and juniors in the clan green with envy.
"Then I want ten dishes!" Xun'er raised her small hand and gestured coquettishly, putting on a greedy expression.
"No problem." Xiao Ting agreed readily.
Just cooking to win over a top-tier rich beauty like Xun'er? She was almost too understanding.
"I'll go prepare the ingredients, then. Just wait and see tonight."
Taking the chance, Xiao Ting suggested leaving—he needed to go study the Great Dao Journal.
"Then Xun'er will wait for Brother Xiao Ting." Xun'er nodded obediently.
With a smile, Xiao Ting turned and left, splitting off a sliver of attention to focus on the journal and write down his name.
Refusing a cheat would be the height of stupidity. As for suspecting grand conspiracies… he should first ask himself whether he was worth that kind of trouble.
The next moment, he felt himself re-enter that strange world.
Boom.
Heaven and earth energy condensed into visible lightning that crashed down from the sky.
Struck by the lightning, the intense pain he'd braced himself for never came. Instead, a vast torrent of energy surged into his body, roaming through his limbs and bones, into every cell.
All of his meridians opened up at once. His meridians, bones, and everything else were strengthened. Impurities and filth in his body shattered into nothingness; even his soul power grew.
The most obvious change came from the qi cyclone in his dantian. It rapidly expanded and condensed, becoming denser and richer until it was nearly liquid before finally stopping—this signified that his cultivation had reached the peak of Nine-Star Dou Practitioner.
He was a year younger than Xiao Yan, started cultivating a year later than his adult-minded cousin, and had never trained as diligently. Not long ago, he'd only just broken through to Dou Practitioner and hadn't even learned any true cultivation methods yet.
At fifteen, being a One-Star Dou Practitioner already marked him as a rare genius. Reaching Four-Star Dou Practitioner before eighteen would absolutely be within reach.
By the Jia Nan Academy's continent-wide enrollment standards, that would be at least S-Rank potential.
Now, however, he was a peak Nine-Star Dou Practitioner—under the age of fifteen!
Xiao Ting understood that because he'd signed his name and become a World Observer, he'd received that heaven-and-earth body refinement.
His cultivation talent had now reached the ceiling for ordinary people. Compared to Xun'er, who'd had her body tempered since childhood by the Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame, the only thing he lacked was the power bonus from Dou God bloodline.
All this took long to describe, but under the influence of the Great Dao Journal, it happened silently within a single breath.
Just then, a delicate shout suddenly rang by his ear:
"Xiao Yan, Xiao Ning is your cousin. Why would you be so heavy-handed with him?"
After the adult ceremony's cultivation test segment, there was still a challenge segment for disciples below Dou Practitioner, used to test their combat skills and battle-technique mastery.
Unhappy with Xiao Yan's limelight, Xiao Ning believed that someone who advanced so rapidly must have unstable foundations, so he stepped out to challenge him.
Yet even after taking medicinal pills to forcibly raise his cultivation, he was still beaten badly by Xiao Yan, suffering serious injuries.
This finally made Xiao Ning's older sister, Xiao Yu, unable to refrain from stepping up to teach Xiao Yan a lesson.
"How laughable. Just because he's your blood brother, you get to have double standards?" Xiao Yan met Xiao Yu's gaze coolly, boredom in his eyes. Even with so many outsiders present, he couldn't help mocking her: "It was just a meaningless challenge. Why did he have to step forward?"
"If he wanted to fight, fine—it could've ended after he lost. Why did he have to take pills and forcefully raise his cultivation just to fight me?"
"When he forcibly raised himself to Dou Practitioner and insisted on a fight, why didn't you stop him then, hmm?"
A string of unanswerable questions turned Xiao Yu's face dark with anger.
She leapt into the air and landed on the high platform, her voice cold. "I only know that you've gravely injured my brother, and I must seek justice for him. If you're a man of any courage, accept my challenge."
Xiao Zhan's expression sank, and the Great Elder, Second Elder, and others also changed looks.
Xiao Yu making such a scene on behalf of Xiao Ning only made the Xiao Clan look ridiculous in front of outsiders.
Irritated by her unreasonable attitude, Xiao Yan was ready to lash out and curse her thoroughly.
But before he could speak, another figure leapt onto the platform and stood in front of him. "Xiao Yu, you're not the only one who dotes on her kin. Let me, the cousin, fight on my cousin's behalf."
The one who stepped up was Xiao Ting—the very one who'd displayed eight-stage Battle Qi a month ago during the junior disciples' cultivation forecast evaluation.
Had Xiao Yan not just jumped from the third to the seventh stage of Battle Qi, stealing all the limelight, Xiao Ting would have been the brightest star among the Xiao juniors.
As for Xun'er… her surname was Gu.
"Xiao Ting."
A flash of emotion crossed Xiao Yan's eyes as he hurriedly tried to make Xiao Ting step down.
He'd already decided to risk everything today to teach this long-legged, brainless woman a lifelong lesson.
"Xiao Ting, this has nothing to do with you." Xiao Yu's face shifted slightly as she spoke coldly, "I only want to give Cousin Xiao Yan some guidance on how to cherish his clansmen. I'll hold back."
"Then why not guide this cousin of yours instead?" Xiao Ting took a step forward, smiling mildly. "I just broke through to Dou Practitioner a few days ago and I'm not very familiar with controlling my Battle Qi yet. Cousin, you've studied at Jia Nan Academy; you're an elite who cares so deeply for your brother. Surely you'd be happy to give me some pointers."
The entire scene froze as if someone had hit the pause button.
Xiao Zhan's pupils shrank. His right hand unconsciously clenched so hard that the cup in his grip turned to powder as he sprang to his feet. "Xiao Ting, you broke through to Dou Practitioner?!"
…