12: Chapter 12 The Ruthless Emperor's Growth

"Master, you've returned." The deity of the human emperor banner spoke in a tone of surprise. "You were actually in a small village less than five thousand kilometers from the mountain gate..."

Chu Tianjiao smiled faintly. "Yes, I haven't been back for long, only a few hundred years."

He pointed in the direction Xiao Shitou had left.

"Go and look after that little fellow. Remember, you are only to help if someone more than two Realms above him makes a move. The rest of the time, it's up to his own ability."

"Yes, Master." The human emperor banner's deity responded respectfully.

The banner trembled slightly, transforming into a stream of light that chased after the direction Xiao Shitou had left, traversing a thousand miles in an instant.

Outside Qingshi Town, Xiao Shitou was walking along the mountain path when a small, palm-sized flag suddenly appeared at his waist.

The flag was exquisitely crafted but looked utterly ordinary, like a decoration one might hang in a common household.

Just as Xiao Shitou was puzzled, Chu Tianjiao's voice sounded in his ear. "This flag is a gift for you, a token for your journey. Keep it close to your person, do not lose it."

"Thank you, teacher!" Xiao Shitou felt a warmth in his heart and carefully stored the flag away.

He did not know that this seemingly ordinary flag was an imperial weapon of the extreme dao, powerful enough to suppress an entire Star Domain.

The youth, carrying the human emperor banner, walked out of Qingshi Town and into the vast world beyond.

Sunlight spilled over him, casting a long shadow—the beginning of a journey belonging to the Holy Body.

In the backyard of the private school, Xiao Nannan looked up at Chu Tianjiao. "Teacher, when will brother be able to come back to see Nannan?"

Chu Tianjiao patted her head. "That depends on when your brother can Breakthrough to the Four Poles Secret Realm."

"What's the Four Poles Secret Realm, teacher? Is it very powerful?" Xiao Nannan blinked her large eyes, completely ignorant of cultivation Realms.

A faint smile appeared on Chu Tianjiao's face. "The Four Poles Secret Realm... If you want to know how powerful it is, that will depend on your own comprehension, Xiao Nannan."

He took Xiao Nannan's hand. "Next, I will teach you some knowledge. Let's see if you, Xiao Nannan, can learn it."

"Really?" Xiao Nannan's eyes instantly lit up. "Can I also fly in the sky like brother?"

She had always envied her brother's ability to fly through the air.

Over the past four years, every time Xiao Shitou achieved a Breakthrough, he would take her for a few spins in the air. She loved that feeling of overlooking the earth and soaring against the wind.

"Of course you can." Chu Tianjiao said with a smile.

Holding Xiao Nannan's hand, he led her back inside the house and began her instruction.

But this time, what Chu Tianjiao taught was not cultivation methods, but knowledge—knowledge about the great Dao of heaven and earth, the Origin of all things, the evolution of Chaos, and the mysteries of Physique.

Especially concerning the Chaos Body.

Chu Tianjiao imparted to Xiao Nannan, bit by bit, all the insights about the Chaos Body from his first life.

From the beginning of Chaos and the division of Yin and Yang, to the derivation of the Five Elements and the growth of all things; from the Physique's Origin and the circulation of blood and Qi, to the resonance with the great Dao and the interweaving of Laws.

This knowledge was profoundly abstruse. Even the Elders of a Holy Land would feel dizzy hearing it, but Chu Tianjiao explained it in simple terms, narrating it in a way Xiao Nannan could understand.

Although Xiao Nannan did not fully comprehend it, she listened with utmost seriousness.

Her lively eyes were fixed intently on Chu Tianjiao, afraid of missing a single word. After the lessons, she would take out paper and pen, meticulously record everything she heard, and study it repeatedly.

However, as days passed, although Xiao Nannan memorized all the knowledge, she never took the first step in cultivation.

Her Life Sea remained silent, showing no sign of being opened.

Chu Tianjiao saw this and understood in his heart. "Still lacking some motivation?"

In the original story, the reason the Ruthless Empress was able to rise was largely because her brother was captured by the Yuhua Divine Dynasty to be sacrificed for refining the immortal-becoming cauldron. That heart-wrenching pain and obsession became the greatest driving force for her cultivation.

But in this life, due to his intervention, Xiao Shitou was safe and sound. Xiao Nannan had lost that extreme stimulus.

"Perhaps my appearance has altered your path?" Chu Tianjiao murmured to himself, looking at Xiao Nannan who was diligently taking notes.

The young girl had her head lowered, her dark hair cascading down, her profile appearing exceptionally soft in the candlelight.

She was already eleven years old, much taller than four years ago, but still youthful.

"Perhaps it's not yet the time..." A flash of inspiration crossed Chu Tianjiao's mind. "Yes, it's not the time. What she needs is not just knowledge, but also a catalyst, a catalyst that can truly enlighten her."

Chu Tianjiao smiled slightly and stopped forcing the issue.

He returned to his daily routine, teaching the children in the private school to read and do arithmetic every day, while also continuing to instruct Xiao Nannan in various knowledge. The days flowed by, calm as water.

Soon, a year passed.

At the end of the year, Xiao Shitou returned.

The youth who had been away for a year had a more composed Aura. Having experienced battles, life-and-death situations, and Opportunities during his training outside, he had now advanced from the Dao Palace Realm to the Four Poles Secret Realm.

The Four Poles Secret Realm cultivates the four limbs, supporting the four directions of heaven and earth. Xiao Shitou's every movement now carried a majestic Aura, faintly able to stir the essence of heaven and earth.

"Teacher, I have returned." Xiao Shitou bowed respectfully.

Chu Tianjiao nodded. "Not bad. Breaking through one Realm in a year while maintaining a solid Foundation."

"It is all thanks to your excellent teaching, teacher." Xiao Shitou said sincerely. During his training outside, he truly understood how precious the teachings from his teacher over the past four years were—those techniques for battle, methods for preserving his life, and the discernment to judge others were all priceless treasures.

Seeing her brother return, Xiao Nannan jumped for joy.

The siblings talked for a long time in the backyard of the private school. Xiao Shitou recounted the world outside—the vast Eastern Barren Lands, the mysterious Northern Plains, the prosperous Central Region, the perilous Southern Ridge, and the treacherous Western Desert.

Xiao Nannan listened, enthralled, her eyes sparkling with yearning.

Xiao Shitou stayed at home for a month, playing with his sister, helping his teacher with tasks, and occasionally instructing the older children in the private school in some basic martial arts.

A month later, he set out on the path of cultivation once more.

"Nannan will wait for brother to come back!" Xiao Nannan waved goodbye as usual.

"Mm, brother will be back soon." Xiao Shitou patted his sister's head, then turned and left.

In the following days, Xiao Shitou returned once every year.

When he returned the second year, he had already stabilized the first stage of the Four Poles. His every movement possessed the strength of dragons and elephants.

When he returned the third year, he had Broken Through to the second stage of the Four Poles. His speed was such that he could chase the wind and race lightning.

When he returned the fourth year, he had Broken Through to the third stage of the Four Poles. His defense was so strong he could withstand Magical Artifacts head-on.

When he returned the fifth year, he had Broken Through to Four Poles Perfection, just one step away from entering the Dragon Transformation Secret Realm.

And Xiao Nannan gradually grew from a naive young girl into a peerless beauty.

At sixteen, Xiao Nannan had fully blossomed.

She possessed a face capable of toppling cities and kingdoms, with features like a painting, skin fairer than snow, and dark hair like a waterfall. Even dressed in simple clothes, she could not conceal her transcendent, ethereal Aura.

The boys in the private school began to sneak glances at her. Some of the bolder ones even wrote love letters and gave gifts.

Xiao Nannan paid no attention to any of it, but the boys' actions still disrupted the normal order of the private school.

Chu Tianjiao saw this and made a decision.

One day, he called Xiao Nannan over and handed her an exquisitely crafted wooden box.