Ya Fei covered her mouth, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. In an instant, she had deciphered Xiao Jietian's intentions.
"That must be it. During the Strong Ranking Tournament, Xiao Jietian tried to recruit Zi Yan, but the Great Elder showed up and interrupted him."
Han Yue nodded in agreement with Ya Fei's assessment, then proceeded to explain to the others the relationship between Zi Yan and the Great Elder.
"Isn't that like trying to abduct someone's granddaughter right in front of her grandfather? It would be strange if the academy's Great Elder could just sit by and do nothing, hehe!"
The image of Xiao Jietian's blatant recruitment attempt, conducted under Su Qian's very nose, painted itself vividly in Ya Fei's mind. She laughed so hard her entire body swayed. Her ample chest rose and fell with her mirth, creating an alluringly beautiful curve.
The others couldn't help but join in the laughter, though none were quite as exuberant as Ya Fei.
"A transformed magical beast? I'm quite interested in meeting her. Next time you deliver something to her, I'll come along."
Queen Medusa's focus, however, had been captured by a different detail entirely: Zi Yan's identity as a magical beast. Her own Snake-People tribe were, after all, also considered magical beasts in the eyes of the human world.
It was precisely this identity, coupled with the naturally alluring qualities of the Snake-People, that had made her tribe so vulnerable to ostracism and covetousness within the Jia Ma Empire.
"Alright, I'll be sure to call you, Fei Yan, then. What about the rest of you?"
Han Yue naturally agreed to Medusa's request without a moment's hesitation. She then turned to ask the others.
The remaining women all shook their heads gently.
"We'll pass. We'll meet her eventually, anyway."
Ya Fei, however, who possessed the deepest understanding of Xiao Jietian's ways, harboured another, more subtle guess about his current actions. Her sixth sense whispered that Xiao Jietian's schemes ran deeper than a simple recruitment attempt. But without concrete proof, she chose to keep her suspicions to herself.
Meanwhile, the subject of their gossip remained unaware.
Xiao Jietian sat cross-legged on the ground. He began to regulate his emotions, slowly emptying his mind of all distracting thoughts.
Sensing that his mental state had reached its peak, he directly immersed his consciousness into the Gui Water Spirit Thunder residing within his Qi Sea.
With utter concentration, he began guiding the Spirit Thunder towards his Dou Crystal. He moved with extreme caution, solely because the power coiled within the Gui Water Spirit Thunder felt incredibly potent this time.
A premonition hung over him: if he absorbed it carelessly and failed, not only would his cultivation realm drop, but a significant portion of the Spirit Thunder he had painstakingly condensed would also dissipate.
Within seclusion, one loses all perception of time's passage.
Outside, the sun continued its eternal rhythm of rising and setting. The petals on the lake outside continuously fell, withered, and were replaced by new blooms, marking the slow, inexorable march of the seasons.
After finishing their day's cultivation, the women gathered together once more, their conversation weaving through the evening air.
"It's already been half a year. Why hasn't the Young Master emerged from seclusion yet?" Qing Lin's gaze drifted towards Xiao Jietian's palace, then settled on Yun Yun and Ya Fei, whose bellies were now noticeably rounded. A nervous tremor entered her voice as she gripped Little Fairy Doctor's hand. "If another two months or so pass, the Young Master will miss his deadline."
She swallowed. "Could the Young Master be in some kind of danger?"
"Impossible." A domineering voice cut through the air. Medusa leaned against a pillar, her arms crossed. "Without this king's permission, it would be difficult for him to die. This king will not allow it. He is destined to be with this king... hmm... with all of you, forever." A faint flush crept onto her cheeks as she stumbled over her words, quickly amending her declaration.
"Sister Qing Lin, don't worry." Little Fairy Doctor pulled Qing Lin into a gentle embrace. "Xiao Jietian is fine. His aura is very stable. I feel that he will emerge from seclusion very soon."
Yun Yun, Ya Fei, and Han Yue remained silent, their gazes all fixed quietly on the palace doors.
During this time, the women's cultivation realms had all improved significantly.
Little Fairy Doctor, relying on the poisons collected by Boundless Heavenly Hall and those sent by Tang Jue from the Izumo Empire, combined with the enhancement of the Netherworld Poison Flame, had already broken through to a Three-Star Dou Zun.
Yun Yun had broken through to a Three-Star Dou Zong.
Queen Medusa had also broken through to a Seven-Star Dou Zong. Freed from the turmoil of her dual souls, her cultivation was now progressing at an astonishing rate.
Ya Fei had broken through to a Two-Star Dou King, choosing to forgo the Dou Ling Pill.
Qing Lin had completely refined the Nine-Headed Heavenly Serpent's soul. With the addition of the Dou Ling Pill, her strength had reached the peak of Nine-Star Dou King.
Han Yue, aided by the lingering effects of the Heart Flame Body Tempering, the abundant heaven and earth energy of the Eternal Heaven Realm, and the energy crystals within the Boundless Heavenly Tower, had seen her cultivation directly break through to the peak of Four-Star Dou King. She, too, had chosen not to take the Dou Ling Pill.
Inside the palace, Xiao Jietian guided the very last wisp of the Gui Water Spirit Thunder into his Dou Crystal.
The moment it was completely absorbed, his aura began to surge uncontrollably.
Four-coloured lightning erupted from his body, crackling and popping with terrifying energy.
A massive pillar of lightning shot forth from Xiao Jietian, blasting straight through the palace roof and spearing towards the heavens.
The women in the lakeside pavilion were startled by the sudden commotion. They shot to their feet, their gazes fixed on Xiao Jietian's palace with a mixture of surprise and uncertainty.
"Is he coming out of seclusion?" Yun Yun murmured, her eyes on the lightning pillar. "What a powerful aura."
"It should be," Ya Fei agreed, having witnessed similar scenes over the past year. "It seems he gained a great deal from this seclusion."
Xiao Jietian's body rose slowly within the pillar of light, finally coming to rest ten metres above the palace roof, still seated in a meditative pose.
Beneath the women's astonished gazes, his aura continued its relentless climb. His entire form flickered with multi-coloured lightning.
His realm surged from a Four-Star Dou Huang all the way to the peak of Dou Huang. Then, the threshold to Dou Zong was shattered instantly under the onslaught of this overwhelming energy.
"Oh my god!" Han Yue's mouth fell open in shock. "What kind of speed is this?! He's already broken through to Dou Zong, and it looks like he's still going!"
"This is a characteristic of Xiao Jietian's cultivation technique," Yun Yun explained to Han Yue. "But the conditions are incredibly demanding. Not just anyone can cultivate it; only those who are compatible can even attempt it."
She paused, a fond smile touching her lips. "If he had been cultivating normally, he would probably be a Dou Zong by now anyway."
The others nodded silently in agreement. Xiao Jietian's physique was superior to theirs, yet his breakthrough speed had always been comparatively slow. This was because his cultivation focused primarily on condensing Spirit Thunder, with Dou Qi cultivation playing a secondary role.
This resulted in his realm advancing slowly during normal periods. But once a Spirit Thunder was successfully condensed, he could rocket upwards like a shooting star.
Xiao Jietian's aura surged once more. The lightning surrounding him grew even more explosive, its power so intense that the surrounding space itself began to visibly distort.
One-Star Dou Zong... Two-Star... Four-Star...
Approximately half an hour later, Xiao Jietian's aura had climbed to a Six-Star Dou Zong. There was still a faint tendency to rise further, but the momentum had gradually slowed.
Medusa felt his realm stabilise at Six-Star Dou Zong. A flicker of nervous tension stirred in her heart.
If he surpasses me... what will I do if he tries to suppress me in the future?
Her thoughts churned.
Should I obediently submit? Or should I struggle a little bit first, and then submit?
Truly, a difficult choice.