[ Congratulations Host — finally, you are not useless. ]
Max's eyebrow twitched.
"…System, I swear, one day I'm uninstalling you."
[ Host cannot uninstall me. ]
"Don't ruin the moment."
Max stood up, patting the dirt off his clothes. His body felt light — as if every movement flowed through space itself. Even the air around him bent slightly, rippling from the faint spatial Dou Qi he radiated.
He flexed his fingers.
A tiny crack appeared in the air.
"...Oh, that's sick."
The crack closed instantly.
He laughed softly. "Space manipulation at Battle Warrior stage… I'm so broken it's beautiful."
The System chimed again.
[ Reminder: Host should suppress aura. Your sister is already suspicious. ]
"Oh right," Max said, steadying himself. He forced all swirling energy inward, compressing it until he felt like… an ordinary 12-year-old again.
He smirked.
Perfect camouflage.
"So… what's next?"
[ Host should now stabilize foundation and improve physical strength. The Nine Profound Mountain Refining will complete your body tempering in approximately seven hours. ]
Max grinned. "And after that?"
[ You will surpass every genius in Jia Ma Empire. ]
Max thought for a moment.
Then he shook his head.
"Nah. Let's go slow. I don't want the entire clan drooling over me."
He whistled casually and started walking back toward home.
—
In the Xiao Clan kitchen
Xiao Tian's sister stirred the stew again, tasting it carefully.
"Almost done," she said with a satisfied nod.
But then she paused.
Her expression stiffened.
For just a moment — a heartbeat — a terrifying pressure brushed past her senses. A pressure so sharp and dangerous that her knees almost buckled.
It disappeared instantly.
"…What… was that…?"
She stared toward the forest.
A faint tremble ran down her arms.
"That wasn't Xiao Tian… right? No. No way."
She shook her head quickly, refusing to think further.
"Just my imagination… probably."
Still, her heartbeat wouldn't slow.
She turned back to the pot, trying to calm down.
—
At the forest edge
Max paused mid-step, tilting his head.
"…Oops. Did I release too much aura for a second?"
[ Host leaked enough pressure to scare a Dou Master. ]
Max winced. "Okay, yeah, not doing that again."
He resumed walking, hands in pockets, humming lightly.
"Man… I just wanted to visit BTTH, enjoy some spicy food, meet Queen Medusa, maybe flirt with some beauties…"
He sighed happily.
"And now I'm a mini-cultivation monster."
He reached the gate of his house and pushed it open gently.
His sister turned, brightening when she saw him.
"There you are! Come eat!"
Max smiled innocently.
"I'm home."
She gave him a warm, relieved look.
He sat down.
She placed the steaming bowl in front of him.
Max clasped his hands together.
She sat beside him.
As Max ate, he thought quietly:
Alright… it's time to start my BTTH journey properly.
'Though I need to make her stronger too,' Max thought as he looked at his sister, Xiao Yue.
Despite being eighteen years old, she was only at the Dou Master 3rd Stage. Her talent was really low.
"Sister, I got a master," he said out of nowhere.
She blinked in surprise. "No wonder you grew so strong in such a short time! But… how did your breakthrough happen so fast? Did your master hide your cultivation stage?" she asked, confused.
"No," Max shook his head. "I did it, as the technique I used was from different from the Clan, thats why."
He then reached into his spatial ring and took out a small jade bottle.
"Also… I have this for you."
"A… a pill?" Xiao Yue's eyes widened. She could feel the power sealed inside it — far stronger than anything she had ever touched.
"Yes. The Flame Lotus Rebirth Pill. With this, you can awaken a fire-type seed and greatly increase your talent," Max explained.
Her lips trembled. "Such a high-grade treasure… why are you giving me this?"
"I already have eaten one," Max smiled calmly. "Now go eat it — but do so in the bathroom. It will expel a lot of impurities. I'll stand guard outside in case anything happens."
He gently placed the jade bottle into her hands.
Xiao Yue swallowed nervously, nodded, and hurried inside to take the pill.
Xiao Yue closed the door behind her, clutching the jade bottle tightly.
The moment the latch clicked, Max leaned against the wall outside, folding his arms.
"…System," he whispered, "how strong will she get?"
[ Flame Lotus Rebirth Pill: Minimum result — Dou Master peak. Maximum result — direct breakthrough into Dou Grandmaster with fire-affinity awakening. ]
Max whistled low.
"Not bad… big sis is finally getting her power-up arc."
[ Host should prepare. The impurity expulsion will be intense. ]
"No kidding."
Inside the bathroom
Xiao Yue opened the jade bottle with trembling fingers. A single crimson pill rolled into her palm, radiating a gentle warmth.
So much power… and Xiao Tian gave it to me…
She swallowed hard — not from fear, but emotion.
Then she took a deep breath—
And popped the pill into her mouth.
It melted instantly.
BOOM.
A wave of scorching heat burst from her abdomen. She gasped, grabbing the wall as flames surged beneath her skin, veins glowing faint orange.
Her knees buckled.
Her heartbeat thundered.
"W-What… is this…!? So much power—"
Black sludge erupted from her pores, thick and foul-smelling. Her entire body convulsed as waves of impurities forced themselves out.
Her vision blurred.
Yet somewhere inside the agony, she felt it —A tiny spark.A flame.
Like a lotus petal unfolding inside her dantian.
It was… beautiful.
Outside
Max grimaced as he heard muffled groans.
"Yup. That's the good stuff. Pain builds character."
[ Host, the energy inside the bathroom is increasing rapidly. ]
"I can sense it. She's really pushing her limit."
The ground vibrated slightly.
A wave of heat leaked from beneath the door.
Max narrowed his eyes.
"…She might actually break through two stages in one go."
[ Probability: 67%. ]
Inside — Breakthrough
A fiery whirlpool formed around Xiao Yue's core.
Her meridians expanded.
Her bones creaked.
Her aura exploded outward like a blooming lotus made of pure flame.
Dou Master
Fourth Stage.
Fifth.
Sixth.
Seventh—!
CRACK.
A fiery ring burst around her body.
Dou Master 8th Stage.
Then everything calmed… but her dantian continued glowing.
Her eyes snapped open.
And a tiny red flame appeared above her palm — shaped like a lotus petal.
***
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