Gaze and you will become stronger: starting from Doupo

Not far from here, there is an island that is attracting countless cultivators, where secrets that could overturn the status quo are buried.

"Master, where are we going next?" The little boy looked up at Jiang Han, his eyes clear as a spring.

Jiang Han patted the little one's head lightly, a mysterious smile playing on his lips: "Did you hear what they just said about Devil's Island? Our first stop in the Three Thousand Dao Provinces is there." Before he finished speaking, he waved his sleeve, and a dazzling light suddenly shone in the world. When the light faded, the figures of the master and his disciple had disappeared.

-

When Jiang Han and Xiaobudian reappeared, they were greeted by a vast, breathtaking forest. Ancient trees pierced the sky, their canopies spreading like umbrellas to block out the sun. Their trunks were covered in moss and vines, which snaked and intertwined as if countless giant pythons were writhing. Some ancient vines, like Titan serpents, wrapped around the entire mountainside, emitting a faint green glow and casting eerie shadows in the dark forest.

Fallen leaves piled up several feet high, the stench of decay mingling with the sweet, earthy smell of the earth filling the air. Rustling sounds occasionally drifted from the bushes as swarms of dark red beetles crawled by, leaving trails of slimy trails. An unsettling atmosphere hung in the air, as if countless eyes were lurking in the shadows, watching.

"Master, didn't you say we were going to Devil's Island?" The little boy tugged at Jiang Han's sleeve, his big eyes filled with confusion.

Jiang Han smiled without saying a word, pointing ahead. Parting the layers of vines, a majestic mountain suddenly appeared before them. Spiritual trees stood tall on the mountainside, their branches laden with glistening fruits that emitted a shimmering, precious light. A silver waterfall cascaded down from the mountaintop, crashing against the rocks and creating a white mist, a scene straight out of a fairyland.

However, a chubby four- or five-year-old boy shattered this dreamlike scene. Dressed in coarse cloth clothes covered in mud, he was crawling on the ground, digging frantically in the dirt, waving his chubby little hands and humming an off-key tune.

"Hey, what's he doing?!" The little boy stared wide-eyed in surprise. The chubby boy was digging at an astonishing speed, and in just a few breaths, he had dug a hole half a person deep. Dirt splattered on his round face, but it did nothing to affect his focused expression.

The chubby boy's face was round and chubby, like a ripe apple, his skin rosy from the sun. His big eyes were bright and mischievous, darting around every now and then, revealing a clever glint in them. Sensing someone approaching, he suddenly looked up, staring warily at the little boy and Jiang Han: "Who are you people?"

"My master and I are just passing by. What are you doing?" The little one squatted down beside the deep pit, tilting his head curiously.

"Cultivation, huh?" the chubby boy blinked and answered seriously, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"There are people who cultivate by digging in the soil?" The little one became interested. "What's your name?"

The chubby boy patted the dirt off his hands, stood up, straightened his clothes, and puffed out his chest: "I am famous, destined to be renowned throughout the world and awe-inspiring in this era. My name is Cao Yusheng." After saying that, he even shook his non-existent long hair in a serious manner, looking both comical and adorable.

After introducing himself, the chubby boy seemed to remember something and gestured to the little one to wait a moment: "You and your master wait here for me, I'll be there soon, don't leave." Before he finished speaking, he lay back down in the pit and began digging rapidly with his hands like he was pounding garlic. Amidst the flying dirt, his figure quickly disappeared at the bottom of the pit, leaving only a bottomless black hole that seemed to lead straight to the earth's core.

About fifteen minutes later, a cheer broke the silence. Cao Yusheng shot out from the bottom of the pit like a cannonball, holding a golden water chestnut that emitted a dazzling golden light. The dazzling light dyed his entire arm and fat face gold, and a rich medicinal fragrance filled the air, making people feel refreshed and relaxed, as if they were about to ascend to heaven.

"Haha, I got it!" Cao Yusheng danced with excitement. "This is a sacred medicine; consuming it can increase one's cultivation by a hundred years!"

The little boy's eyes widened in surprise. "This is a sacred herb!" He turned to look at Jiang Han, his eyes filled with shock. "Master, who is he? How could he discover such a rare treasure underground?"

Cao Yusheng laughed heartily, tore off a fifth of the water chestnut and threw it to the little one: "We're destined to meet, so I'll share some with you!" The golden juice flowed down the water chestnut and instantly turned into tiny golden flowers on the ground.

"This..." The little boy held a corner of the spirit plant, hesitating whether to accept it or not. But before he could react, Cao Yusheng had already clasped his hands in a fist salute, grinned and said, "The green hills remain unchanged and the green waters flow forever, we'll meet again." After saying that, he twisted his chubby body and ran off, disappearing into the depths of the dense forest in the blink of an eye.

"Hey, why did you run away? I haven't thanked you yet!" the little boy shouted in the direction Cao Yusheng disappeared. However, what answered him was a deafening roar.

A terrifying aura suddenly erupted from the deep pit, flames shot into the sky, and dirt and gravel rained down. The little boy's expression changed drastically, and he clenched his fists, exclaiming, "Master, there are powerful creatures down there!" He then realized that the fat boy hadn't been cultivating at all; he had clearly come to steal the sacred herb. Moreover, this sacred herb obviously belonged to someone, and now that the herb was gone, the creatures underground would surely be enraged!
"Roar--!"

With a deafening roar, a jade dragon burst forth from the earth. Its massive form stretched for hundreds of feet, its scales gleaming with a ghostly blue light, making it appear as if a true dragon had appeared in the world. Its whiskers danced wildly in the wind, and when its gaping maw opened, its gleaming white fangs flashed with a chilling light, sending shivers down one's spine. The jade dragon soared into the sky, instantly changing the weather; dark clouds pressed down overhead, and lightning flashed and thunder roared. Its body was wreathed in azure flames—the flames of the gods—which dyed the heavens a deep blue-green, distorting and warping space as if it might be torn apart at any moment.

The Azure Dragon's eyes widened in fury, fixed on the small half-spiked spirit plant in the little boy's hand, its gaze filled with murderous intent. It roared, its massive tail sweeping across the land, snapping trees in its wake and whipping up a gust of wind. "Master, that fat boy actually tricked us!" The little boy's face flushed red with anger, his fists clenched so tightly his nails almost dug into his palms. Faced with the Azure Dragon's overwhelming killing intent, he instinctively hid behind Jiang Han, but then bravely peeked out, meeting the Azure Dragon's gaze without fear.

Jiang Han remained calm, gently placing his hand on the little boy's shoulder. Spiritual energy flowed around him, his robes fluttering even without wind, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes. A breathtaking battle was about to erupt…

Amidst the verdant mountains and forests, a roar as powerful as thunder exploded. The enormous body of the Azure Dragon coiled up, its scales gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light in the sunlight, each one like a sharp blade. It opened its ferocious maw, dripping foul-smelling saliva from between its fangs, its scarlet vertical pupils fixed intently on the small figure below, its killing intent undisguised. "You bunch of thieves, you deserve to die!" the Azure Dragon roared to the sky, its roar shaking the mountains and forests, startling countless birds into flight, and causing leaves to rustle down. This roar was filled with overwhelming rage, its aura terrifying, far surpassing that of ordinary cultivators who had ignited divine fire. Its oppressive force enveloped the surroundings like a tangible substance, making the air thick and suffocating.

Just as the Azure Dragon was about to swallow the little one whole, a figure darted out from the side. Jiang Han moved like lightning, raising his hand and pointing a finger. The movement seemed casual, yet it contained boundless profound principles. In an instant, a dazzling white light burst forth, like a divine sword that split the heavens and earth, piercing directly through the Azure Dragon's body. The Azure Dragon let out a shrill wail that echoed through the heavens, its massive body trembling violently. Immediately afterward, an invisible yet extremely terrifying power surged forth, seemingly originating from the depths of chaos, directly slamming the Azure Dragon away. The Azure Dragon's massive body streaked across the sky like a shooting star, disappearing far into the horizon, leaving only its mournful wail echoing through the mountains and forests.

"Master, that fat boy didn't mean any harm by giving me the spirit plant. He just wanted to trick us into diverting the attention of that blue dragon." The little boy pouted, his face flushed red, looking very angry. He clenched his little fists, his eyes filled with anger and grievance. The danger he had just experienced still lingered in his mind, and being tricked by the fat boy only fueled his rage.

“Since you’re still angry, then teach him a lesson.” Jiang Han smiled knowingly, a hint of amusement in his smile. He then raised his right hand, palm outstretched in the direction the chubby boy had gone. Instantly, spiritual energy surged in the air, and ripples spread across his palm, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake. Within the ripples, a figure slowly took shape—it was the chubby-faced boy.

"Huh? How did I get back here again!" The chubby boy landed, staring at the familiar trees around him, his mouth agape, his face full of surprise. Before he could even figure out what was going on, a white, chubby fist loomed larger and larger in his vision.

"Bang!" The little boy's angry punch landed squarely on the fat boy's chubby face. The force of the impact caused the fat boy to let out a wail, flying backward and crashing heavily to the ground, rolling around and howling in pain.

"Fatty, you actually schemed against me and Master! I'll teach you a lesson!" the little boy roared angrily, but one punch was clearly not enough to vent his anger. He flashed forward and, with a whoosh, clenched his fist and slammed it towards the fat boy again.

Seeing this, the chubby boy quickly scrambled to his feet, rapidly forming hand seals and chanting incantations as he faced the little one. Runes flickered around him, condensing into a powerful force. However, to the chubby boy's horror, just as his attack was about to strike, the little one suddenly erupted with dazzling light, illuminating the heavens and earth with radiant celestial glow and flowing auspicious light. A mysterious and powerful force spread out, and the chubby boy felt as if he had suddenly plunged into quagmire; his attack froze, his body immobilized, instantly bound and imprisoned. His eyes widened in disbelief, and he could only watch helplessly as the little one's fist grew larger and larger.

"Bang, bang, bang..." The little boy unleashed ten punches at the chubby boy before finally stopping. He clapped his hands, the anger on his face dissipating, replaced by a hint of smugness. Meanwhile, the chubby boy rolled around on the ground, wailing at the little boy, "Monster...you're a monster!" At this moment, the chubby boy's face was swollen like a pig's head, covered in bruises, looking utterly miserable.

"Let's see if you dare to cheat people again!" The little one put his hands on his hips, raised his head, and felt extremely satisfied.

"What's with your grotto-heaven?!" The chubby boy glared at the little one, his eyes filled with doubt and jealousy. In the Three Thousand Dao Continents, among his peers, he was among the most monstrously talented, having already opened ten grotto-heavens at the tender age of four. But now, this guy he'd encountered had completely shattered his arrogance; that one grotto-heaven was truly too mysterious!
"Master said, it must not be said!" The little boy proudly raised his fist at the chubby boy, looking quite smug.

"What about that giant dragon?" Fatty asked, as if he had just remembered something.

"Of course, it was chased away by Master," the little one replied.

Upon hearing this, the chubby boy turned his head to look at Jiang Han, only to find the other looking at him with a mocking expression, his face full of amusement. This gaze made the chubby boy's heart tremble, and he subconsciously took a step back.

"You've vented your anger, now it's goodbye forever!" The chubby boy dusted himself off, glared at the little one, and turned to leave. But just as he lifted his foot, he was shocked to find that his waist was entangled by a layer of ripple-like silk threads. These threads seemed ethereal, yet they were incredibly strong. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free and could only move within a certain range.

"What do you want to do to me? I also have a master! He is incredibly powerful, even those sect leaders have to show him respect!" Meeting Jiang Han's gaze, the fat boy suddenly shivered, his voice filled with fear.

"Such a temperament at such a young age, truly worthy of being the reincarnation of a ruthless Taoist!" Jiang Han sighed, looking at Cao Yusheng and recalling the fat Taoist Duan De he had seen in the Shrouding the Heavens world. That familiar appearance and similar temperament made him smile with a touch of nostalgia.

"Stay by my side until your master comes looking for you." A calm voice drifted through the air. Before Cao Yusheng could refuse, Jiang Han had already led him away into the mountains and forests.

Time and space shifted, and in the blink of an eye, they arrived at the edge of the Five Elements Continent. Here, there was no sunlight all year round; the sky was gray and shrouded in thick fog, creating a suffocatingly oppressive atmosphere. A putrid stench permeated the air, and even the wind seemed heavy.

Devil's Island, despite having the word "island" in its name, is neither in the sea nor in ordinary waters, but hangs in the void like a mysterious giant shadow. Once it appears in the world, it never falls until it disappears again. Its existence is full of mystery and danger, attracting countless cultivators to venture there, and causing countless others to perish there.

In the past, if Devil Island had appeared within the Five Elements Continent, the Immortal Mountain would have immediately sealed it off, prohibiting other forces from participating. (End of Chapter)