Xiao Yu could feel the surge of dou qi multiplying within him. As he gazed at the light red and faint green Dou Qi in his palm, he fell into deep thought. Suddenly, it seemed like he had grasped something important.
A flash of insight crossed Xiao Yu's eyes. He finally understood that the key to the Chaos Source Method was the ability to fuse all elemental Dou Qi into one, allowing him to fully develop all attributes! This discovery revealed an incredible potential for growth. Xiao Yu also realized why his original Qi cyclones had transformed into a vast sea of energy—the energy provided by a single Qi cyclone was insufficient to fully manifest his strength, but a sea of Qi could store enough Dou Qi to allow him to unleash his full power!
As for the slow pace of his cultivation that he had noticed before, Xiao Yu now understood the reason. It was like a container that could hold ten thousand units of water, but cultivating only fire attribute Dou Qi would fill just a small portion, leaving most of the capacity unused. This was why his cultivation speed had lagged behind.
Now that he could cultivate both wind and fire attributes simultaneously, his cultivation speed would greatly accelerate. However, Xiao Yu was puzzled about how to obtain a new elemental attribute.
He mused to himself, "My wind attribute likely came from Yun Yun, but the method... well, best not to dwell on that. Does this mean that acquiring new attributes in the future will involve similar means?"
Shaking his head vigorously, Xiao Yu rejected the thought. That would be too strange—and what if it involved a man? The very idea sent a shiver down his spine. "Absolutely not!"
"There must be something I haven't yet discovered," Xiao Yu thought. "But thinking about it is giving me a headache. I should just focus on my training for now. Tomorrow, we head into the desert!" With that, Xiao Yu closed his eyes and continued to consolidate his cultivation.
---
**The Next Day**
The scorching sun once again enveloped the desert, and waves of heat surged through the air. Xiao Yu opened his door and saw that Xiao Yixian and the others were already downstairs in the hall. Bu Lin and Otto were sitting nearby, seemingly discussing something.
Seeing Xiao Yu coming down, everyone greeted him. Xiao Yu approached Xiao Yixian and asked, "You're all getting along already?"
Xiao Yixian smiled and said, "Girls can become friends easily!"
Xiao Yu shrugged, nodded to Lin Fei and Xue Mei, and then walked over to Bu Lin and Otto.
Bu Lin smiled and said, "Little friend, all the items you requested are ready. Do you want them delivered now?"
Xiao Yu nodded. "Yes, please send them over. I want to head into the desert as soon as possible."
Bu Lin gave the order, and his men brought all the items Xiao Yu needed. There were quite a few, but with a swipe of his hand, Xiao Yu's storage ring emitted a soft glow, and the items disappeared into it.
Among the items was a third-tier magic core that Xiao Yu had specifically asked for. The resources of the Alchemist Association were indeed vast, and they managed to procure a third-tier magic core overnight.
All these items, including the magic core, were worth around 300,000 gold coins. However, Bu Lin refused the payment, leaving Xiao Yu no choice but to graciously accept his generosity. After chatting with Bu Lin and Otto for a while longer, Xiao Yu took his leave, ready to head into the desert with Xiao Yixian.
Bu Lin and Otto didn't try to stop them, smiling as they watched Xiao Yu and Xiao Yixian leave the Alchemist Association. Standing on the steps, Otto sighed, "Xiao Yu has limitless potential. Perhaps in the near future, we will witness a figure even more powerful than Gu He shining brightly in the Jia Ma Empire!"
Bu Lin nodded in agreement. "Indeed. When we reach the capital, we must introduce him to the president."
The president Bu Lin referred to was naturally Fa Ma, the president of the Alchemist Association of the Jia Ma Empire, a peak-tier fifth-grade alchemist and a Dou Emperor!
---
Far away, Xiao Yu hadn't heard their conversation. Turning to Xiao Yixian, he said, "Let's go meet up with my elder brothers. It's been years since we last met, and I heard from my father that they've established a mercenary group called the Desert Iron Mercenaries."
Xiao Yixian nodded. "Alright, I'll follow your lead. Do you know where they are?"
Xiao Yu held up a map. "The Desert Iron Mercenary Group is in Stone Desert City. We'll follow the map."
The vast desert stretched out before them, golden sand everywhere. The wind howled, and gusts of wind roared through the air.
Xiao Yu and Xiao Yixian stopped on a sand dune. With his strength as an eight-star Dou Master, Xiao Yu could endure the harsh desert environment. However, Xiao Yixian's face was flushed from the heat, clearly affected by the scorching weather. Thankfully, she had her own cooling pills to help her cope for a while.
"We're running low on water. You stay here for a moment," Xiao Yu said to Xiao Yixian.
"Where are you going to find water?" Xiao Yixian asked.
Xiao Yu glanced ahead. "I'll check the area up ahead. If we're lucky, we might come across a mercenary group and ask for some water."
Knowing Xiao Yu's strength, Xiao Yixian didn't object. She quietly reminded him, "Be careful."
Xiao Yu nodded. "Don't worry. Xiao Zi, watch over them!"
Xiao Zi blinked its large beast eyes and nodded slightly. Confident in Xiao Zi's combat abilities, Xiao Yu unfolded his Purple Cloud Wings, and with a flap, he soared forward like a streak of purple light.
After flying for a while, Xiao Yu's sharp senses detected faint energy fluctuations ahead. He sped up, landing on a small hill to hide his presence.
Looking down from the hill, Xiao Yu saw two groups in the desert. One side was a mercenary group, while the other consisted of six strange-looking creatures—humanoids with large serpent tails. The sound of their snake tails thrashing was unsettling. These creatures were undoubtedly the serpent people of the desert.
"What are the serpent people up to?" Xiao Yu wondered.
He listened carefully as the rough voice of the leading serpent man echoed from below, "Hand over the serpent girl in the carriage, and we'll let you go!"
"We can't trust the words of serpents! And this serpent girl is important to our employer. We can't allow the reputation of the Sand Mercenary Group to be ruined in my hands!" The leading human man's eyes flashed with coldness as he scanned the surroundings, assessing the situation.
Hearing the name "Sand Mercenary Group," Xiao Yu was slightly taken aback. He knew this group well—it was the largest mercenary group in Stone Desert City, stronger than his brothers' Desert Iron Mercenary Group. Judging from the conflict, the issue seemed to revolve around the serpent girl in the carriage. Xiao Yu shifted his gaze to the carriage guarded by the Sand Mercenaries.
The carriage was draped in a black cloth, obscuring its contents, but it was clearly something important to the serpent people.
"If you won't cooperate, then die!" the leading serpent man bellowed. At his command, the other serpent people's faces twisted with bloodthirsty intent. Their mouths opened, and their crimson tongues flicked out.
A battle was about to erupt!