Heavenly Star Mountain Range – Falling Star Pavilion.
The Violet-Gold Lion King lay sprawled idly at the entrance of the courtyard, eyelids half-closed. A faint yet potent fluctuation of blood essence emanated from its massive frame, its every breath exuding rich vitality.
Within the courtyard, Xiao Xun'er sat quietly beneath a tree, a book cradled gently in her hands, her eyes serene as they traced the pages.
Far off, atop a distant cliff, a lone figure stood, gaze complicated as he watched the girl and the lion.
In just two short months, both had grown stronger once again.
The cultivation of the Violet-Gold Lion King was now inscrutable to Elder Feng. As for Xiao Xun'er… she was on the verge of breaking through to the Dou Venerate realm.
She was only sixteen.
A sixteen-year-old Dou Venerate—Feng Zunzhe didn't even dare to imagine it.
Where on earth had such a monster come from? Her cultivation speed was terrifying—was she overdosing on pills?
Just as that thought passed through his mind—
"Buzz..."
A ripple spread through the Star Realm. In the sky, a pitch-black spatial rift tore open. Elder Feng leapt into the air instantly, Dou Qi surging around him as he braced for conflict, his guard up.
Anyone capable of tearing space within the Star Realm was, without exception, a true powerhouse.
From within the rift, a figure stepped out. Long silver hair flowed behind him, a radiant smile dancing on his handsome face. Silver light flickered in his eyes.
"Whew, finally made it back."
Breathing in the crisp air of the Star Realm, Chen Xiaoming stretched lazily. Behind him, the spatial rift sealed itself shut.
Elder Feng, still hovering in the sky, let out a sigh of relief, his Dou Qi settling down. He stared at the newcomer in the sky. For some reason, he had a strong feeling—this man had grown even more powerful than before.
"Whoosh, whoosh!"
Two figures shot up from below—it was Xiao Xun'er and the Violet-Gold Lion King. Upon seeing Chen Xiaoming return, joy flashed in Xiao Xun'er's eyes as she walked forward obediently.
"Teacher, you're back."
Chen Xiaoming chuckled and gently ruffled her hair. Having a well-behaved disciple really was a blessing. He quietly gauged her cultivation—peak Nine-Star Dou Ancestor—and nodded with approval.
Two ranks in two months. That was actually considered slow. If she had fully utilized the special pills he had given her, she could've broken through to Dou Venerate by now.
"Teacher, I…"
Xiao Xun'er looked up at him, hesitating. She was well aware that her progress had been slow—only two ranks in two months, and she still hadn't broken through.
"It's fine. Just follow your heart. Cultivation should always be true to oneself."
Chen Xiaoming waved it off lightly. Cultivation was a deeply personal path—no two journeys were the same.
The road he walked might not suit her. As her teacher, he would of course provide her with the best external resources—but how and when she used them was entirely up to her.
"Mm."
Seeing that her teacher wasn't upset, Xiao Xun'er's face lit up, and she nodded sweetly.
Just then, the Violet-Gold Lion King turned its glowing eyes toward Chen Xiaoming, drooling like a child who'd seen his favorite snack.
"Hmm? Had fun, didn't you?"
Chen Xiaoming saw through the beast's cultivation with a single glance—Nine-Star Dou Venerate. In just two months, it had forced its way up from a mere Three-Star.
But its Dou Qi was unstable, and blood essence was leaking from its body in waves, dissipating into the air.
Clearly, the beast had devoured every last pill Chen Xiaoming left behind—all at once.
"You gluttonous fool…"
He slapped the Lion King's back, annoyed.
"Boom!"
A burst of dazzling silver light surged into the beast's body, launching it like a comet into the ground below.
Climbing out of the crater, the Lion King blinked in confusion at Chen Xiaoming. Just as it opened its mouth, it felt something stir inside.
The runaway blood essence had stabilized, now condensed into a glowing orb within. As it tested drawing from the orb, it found no resistance—its face broke into a dopey grin.
Chen Xiaoming couldn't help but laugh at the sight, shaking his head before turning his gaze to Elder Feng.
"Disciple, you may leave for now."
Xiao Xun'er looked up at him, then nodded and gracefully retreated. A silver light spread around them, sealing off the space.
She didn't linger, instead landing softly in the courtyard.
No one knew what was discussed that day.
But the very next morning, Elder Feng stepped down and handed over the position of Pavilion Master of Falling Star Pavilion… to Chen Xiaoming.
And so, the Pavilion was renamed:
Titled Palace.
No one understood the meaning of the name. Elder Feng, Xiao Xun'er, and the others were all confused.
Chen Xiaoming simply smiled and said nothing. Explaining wouldn't help—they wouldn't understand anyway.
"If you've got a cheat, you deserve a title—only cheaters survive!"
The sudden upheaval threw the entire Falling Star Pavilion into an uproar. Doubts and objections rose immediately—but Elder Feng suppressed them all.
Especially after Chen Xiaoming revealed his cultivation: Dou Saint, and his status as a Nine-Star Alchemist.
That silenced everyone.
In the Dou Qi Continent, strength is supreme.
A sect with a powerful leader was something everyone could accept—happily, even.
Besides, aside from the name, nothing else changed. Elder Feng still ran the day-to-day operations. No staff were replaced.
Because, frankly, Chen Xiaoming was too lazy to manage a sect. And he had no intention of making Xiao Xun'er do it either.
Running a sect was a waste of effort—his disciple's time was better spent on cultivation.
So, after boosting Elder Feng's strength to Five-Star Dou Venerate over the course of a month, Chen Xiaoming handed everything over.
After all, the man was quite good at it.
Meanwhile, Chen Xiaoming began expanding the Star Realm itself. A single realm was far too small for a sect of his making.
Space energy spread outward continuously. In order to preserve the Star Realm's natural environment, Chen Xiaoming carefully avoided meteorite clusters, expanding space around the outer perimeter.
Even for someone as OP as Chen Xiaoming, it took half a year of hard work to complete the expansion.
In the void, he waved his hand, placing the final green mountain in its spot. He exhaled deeply, satisfied as he looked over the new realm—lush mountains and clear waters.
In just half a year, he had increased the Star Realm's size over a hundredfold.
Though it still paled compared to ancient realms like the Ancient Realm, it was a respectable start.
"Alright, this'll do for now. Let the others handle the rest."
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