Three years later—
On the 6th floor of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, within the exclusive cultivation chamber reserved for the 1st ranker of the Strong Ranking, an ocean of pale-red energy surged endlessly. It hung thick in the air like a dense fog, saturating the entire room.
All of that energy was drawn unceasingly toward the stone platform, where a lone figure sat cross-legged. It was Liu Xi. A domineering aura spread from his body, swelling stronger and stronger as time passed, until it reached a critical peak.
On Liu Xi's handsome face, however, his brows were tightly furrowed. Within his body, his Dou Crystal and meridians had already been stuffed to the brim with Dou Qi. No more external energy could be absorbed, forcing him to compress the Dou Crystal again and again.
"Boom!"
With a thunderous roar, the Dou Crystal within his dantian suddenly shattered—only to reform moments later, condensing into a larger, irregular, spherical Dou Crystal as surging external energy continued to pour in. With the completion of this transformation, Liu Xi successfully broke through to the realm of Dou Wang. His aura, which had been stalled, erupted anew and climbed without limit.
An hour later, the rolling waves of power finally calmed. Liu Xi slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of ghostly blue light flashing across them. Rising to his feet, he stretched out his limbs, clenching his fist as he felt the torrent of power rushing through his veins. Every cell in his body seemed to be cheering. A laugh burst from his mouth, unable to be restrained.
"Hahaha! So this is the power of a Dou Wang!"
At his command, the very energy within the room stirred in resonance, converging toward his body and fusing with his Dou Qi. Behind him, fiery-red wings sprouted, their edges tinged with that familiar blue glow from the Nine Nether Ghost Flame Technique, forming a pair of massive Dou Qi Wings.
A single thought, and those wings could carry him soaring across the skies. But the room was far too small. With a light chuckle, Liu Xi withdrew the wings, his mind replaying the three years of bitter effort that had finally borne such reward.
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It had all begun three years ago, when he had plundered the fire energy of nearly half the senior students during the Fire Energy Hunting Competition. Word of that event spread across the entire Inner Academy like wildfire.
Back then, he was widely shunned. He had joined no faction and formed no group of his own, and naturally trouble came looking for him. Even a few Dou Ling–ranked students tried to pressure him—only to end up being humiliated by his Illusionary Heart Technique. After that, no one dared provoke him. Those weaker could not best him, and those stronger could not catch him, only to be tricked until they lost face.
From there, he threw himself into cultivation, fueled by the mountain of fire energy he had stockpiled. In just four months, he broke through to 7-Star Da Dou Shi. As a 4th Tier Alchemist, he had the ability to refine the 4th Tier Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill, but had never consumed one before. This time, however, he took one and directly reached 8-Star Da Dou Shi. Another pill after a month of consolidation pushed him to 9-Star Da Dou Shi.
"Sometimes breakthroughs really are this simple," Liu Xi mused at the time.
As months turned into years, his cultivation soared. He ascended step by step, breaking through into Dou Ling, and eventually to 9-Star Dou Ling. Alongside his rising rank, his alchemy also reached its peak—he was now only a step away from becoming a respected 6th Tier Alchemist.
With his reputation as a Alchemist, Liu Xi forged ties with many Inner Academy Elders. By refining high-grade pills for them, he was rewarded with fire energy, rare herbs, advanced Qi Methods, and powerful Dou Techniques. His Spiritual Power also grew rapidly, making his Illusionary Heart Technique even more formidable—he could now produce illusionary clones, disguise his form, and create seamless mirages that greatly enhanced his survivability.
Step by step, he climbed to the very top of the Strong Ranking, ultimately becoming the undisputed number one. From then on, his title of Demon Lord was no longer just a rumor—it was a reality. The tale of him daring to rob senior students during the Fire Energy Hunting Competition was still enthusiastically told by Inner Academy students to this day. Now, few even dared call him by his real name. Most addressed him directly as "Demon Lord."
Such was the way of the Dou Qi Continent: when weak, all would trample you; when strong, all would exalt you.
Reflecting on the past three years, Liu Xi couldn't help but feel a rush of emotion. 'If not for the fortune of obtaining the Illusionary Heart Technique back then, the road would never have been this smooth. Now that I've broken through to Dou Wang, and with the illusions to guard myself, it's time to truly set foot into the vast world and see its boundless wonders.'
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Smiling, Liu Xi adjusted his robes and reached for his Fire Crystal Card, which had already been upgraded to the Red Fire Crystal Card. The glowing numbers across its surface showed 2580 days of fire energy. An enormous amount—but here, in the 1st cultivation chamber of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, it would barely last him three months.
Still, ever since he became Strong Ranking number one and a 5th Tier Alchemist, fire energy had never again been a problem.
He pushed open the chamber doors and walked down the corridors of the underground tower. Now and then, a student passing by would stop to bow, respectfully greeting him as "Demon Lord."
Ascending level by level, Liu Xi finally reached the 1st floor. There, he encountered Elder Liu, the familiar administrator of the entrance floors—and one of the Elders he was closest to.
Liu Xi immediately stepped forward with a smile. "Elder Liu, what a coincidence!"
The old man's kindly face lit up. He regarded Liu Xi with the warmth of a grandfather gazing upon a beloved grandson. "So it's our little Demon Lord. You've finally emerged after such a long closed-door cultivation!"
He stopped mid-sentence, however, as he sensed the unmistakable pressure rolling from Liu Xi's body—an aura belonging only to a Dou Wang. After a moment's pause, his expression turned wistful. "Ah… so you've broken through. No wonder you've come out. To think, when you first arrived, you were only a Da Dou Shi. In just a few short years, you've nearly caught up with me. Time truly spares no one."
Liu Xi stepped forward to support the elder's arm, his tone sincere. "If not for Elder's care all these years, how could I have advanced so smoothly to Dou Wang?"
"Hah! You sly brat." Elder Liu chuckled. "Even without this old man, with your talent you were destined to reach Dou Wang sooner or later. So, now that you've broken through, what are your plans? If you'd like to stay, I can always speak to have you made an Inner Academy Elder."
Liu Xi thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I plan to return home for a time, then head out to see the wider world."
"…Well, that's as it should be. Young people ought to walk more roads," Elder Liu agreed with a trace of reluctance.
After taking his leave, Liu Xi went to the office of Grand Elder Su Qian to formally request leave. Su Qian, upon learning Liu Xi had already reached Dou Wang, was struck speechless with admiration. He granted the request without hesitation—after all, someone who had already become a Dou Wang could not be bound by trivial restrictions.
That very day, news spread like wildfire throughout the Inner Academy: the number one of the Strong Ranking, the feared and revered "Demon Lord Liu Xi," had broken through to Dou Wang.
Meanwhile, Liu Xi returned quietly to his room, packing his belongings. By tomorrow, he would set foot on the road home once more.
(End of Chapter)
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