Duoluo Dalu: Hail Hydra

The morning sun was only rising over the clan grounds as Xiaotian and his gang continued their daily routine. Their breath formed small clouds in the crisp morning air as they jogged in a neat formation. Sweat dripped down their faces, soaking their clothes, but no one dared to stop.

Meng Kong, panting heavily, huffed beside Xiaotian. "Young Master, are you sure running around like this will help?"

Xiaotian sighed, exasperated. "Yes, Meng Kong. This trains stamina. Without stamina, you'll be the first to collapse in a real fight."

Si Lin, who was keeping pace effortlessly, smirked. "So, what's the next plan?"

"For now, we build our physiques and focus on increasing our cultivation. After a year, we all get our first rings."

Mou San, running behind them, finally voiced what had been bugging him. "About that, why the whale rubber?"

Yu Hou'er perked up. "My papa has a lot of it. He says it's good for the blood flow and the body. And eats it before going to bed. But why do we need it? We're both too young for that, Young Master."

Xiaotian pinched the bridge of his nose. "Keep your mind clear, Huo'er. And group, come closer." They all huddled around him. "This is our new top-tier dragon secret: whale rubber is a substance that temporarily enhances the body's endurance. It can be used for what Hou'er said earlier, but it's main benefit is that..." He lowered his voice further, "One piece of it can help us absorb a spirit ring at least a thousand years higher than our limit!'

The whole team gasped. "Woah!"

"But I'm not clear about the other effects it'll have on us kids," Xiaotian continued. "So we can't waste it and has to keep it hidden somewhere."

Everyone nodded enthusiastically, fully convinced that they had stumbled upon something revolutionary.

Mou San asked next," Young Master, I can hide them in my family library at home. It's never used and is always locked. But what about those pills?"

"Brilliant idea, Mou San." Xiaotian lowered his voice, glancing around to ensure no one was eavesdropping. "These pills come from the Strength Clan," he explained. "They're rare and usually kept for their own use. They help increase cultivation speed and strengthen the body."

He held up a small jade bottle, eyes serious. "But remember, taking them alone won't be enough. You need proper training. Without exercise, the effects will be wasted."

His companions nodded, determination flashing in their eyes. Each of them took a pill, eager to push their limits and grow stronger.

"And before y'all forget, these are our group's dragon tier secrets. And why does that mean for us?" He had to ask, just so his team didn't take this lightly and yap to anyone else in the clan.

The team sang in unison:

"In the brightest day, in the darkest night,

Dragon secrets will be kept with all my might!

Those who ask to open my lips that be tight,

They shall be yelled at, leave my sight.

BEGONE THOT!"

Xiaotian couldn't help but nod with pride at his very own Green Lantern Corps.

That night, each of them locked themselves in their respective rooms, ready to cultivate to enjoy the remaining effects of the pill. Xiaotian sat cross-legged on his bed, concentrating on the energies that surrounded him and their flow within his body.

Almost immediately, he felt a surge of warmth spread through his body, like a gentle fire igniting in his dantian. His meridians tingled, and his spirit power started circulating at a much faster pace. His cultivation felt smoother, like a river flowing freely without obstacles.

He gritted his teeth, enduring the strange sensation. It works! He thought, exhilarated. The flow of spirit energy is faster than before.

Meanwhile, Xiaogang sat in his room with the lightning spirit core he had stolen in his hands. He placed the core on his lap and focused on absorbing its energy. The moment he started cultivating, small sparks of electricity danced around him, crackling against the floor. His entire body vibrated as the lightning energy fused with his own spirit power, accelerating his cultivation even further.

The others also shared almost similar experiences while following their new 'enhanced' cultivation.

But Meng Kong, on the other hand, had an entirely different experience. The moment he began cultivating, an unbearable itch spread through his lower body. He groaned, squirming in discomfort. "Argh! This is insufferable!" he thought.

The next morning, they all gathered in their usual spot, eager to share their experiences. Xiaotian was the first to speak. "So, what did you guys think?"

Si Lin stretched, cracking his neck. "It was amazing. My cultivation speed practically doubled. It felt like my meridians were completely unblocked."

Yu Hou'er nodded excitedly. "Me too! Everything felt so smooth! But… I did feel something strange in my body for a while. Holding onto the cultivation state made it fade, though, and I got better results."

Meng Kong, completely unbothered, grinned. "I had an itch and it was insufferable! So I started cultivating along with rubbing my peepee, and it felt so good. I'll do it every day from now on!"

A horrified silence fell over the group.

Xiaotian clenched his fists, his eye twitching. "Shut up, Meng Kong! We didn't need that image in our minds!"

Yu Hou'er teared up, looking traumatized. "Now we're gonna have nightmares about that…"

Mou San sighed deeply, rubbing his temples. "And here I thought we were making serious progress."

Despite the unwanted mental image, the results were clear: the pills had worked. Their cultivation had improved significantly, and the group was now more motivated than ever to train harder.

Their daily routine was now fully established: wake up, warm-up exercises, stamina training, breakfast, classes, lunch, hitting the clan library, taking the pill and exercising again before late night cultivation. Xiaotian, Xiaogang, and Si Lin spent their library time productively, while the others had their own interests. Meng Kong loved looking at fighter illustrations, Mou San indulged in action novels, and Yu Hou'er devoured romantic fantasy works.

However, after a few weeks, Xiaotian noticed something unusual. Unlike his friends, who were sore every morning, his body felt perfectly fine. Not only that, but his training was showing results faster than everyone else's. It wasn't anything absurd, but it was noticeable. He paid close attention and realized something shocking: his body healed faster.

Accelerated Healing! Xiaotian thought in excitement. Finally, an abusable cheat!

It wasn't instant like Wolverine's, but it was closer to how The Flash healed. Minor injuries vanished in minutes, while more serious ones took hours instead of days. This changed everything.

With this new discovery, Xiaotian began training at night in his backyard, pushing his body to the limit. A short nap was enough to fully recover his energy, allowing him to train twice as much as anyone else. He even considered ways to integrate his healing into combat, making himself a battle maniac that just wouldn't stay down.

Unfortunately, not everything was smooth sailing. The clan's elders never let an opportunity pass to mock them. And then there was Yu Feng, the little brat who made it his life's mission to be an annoyance. He would show up every now and then, flanked by his lackeys, wearing an arrogant smirk.

"Haahaah, losers~! Look at you guys, wasting our clan's food and resources. I got my first spirit ring at seven. From the looks of it, you guys won't be getting one even if you turn ten!"

His friends laughed along with him, completely ignoring the fact that Xiaotian and Xiaogang were the clan leader's sons. The mockery didn't faze Xiaotian, but deep down, he made a silent promise.

"Just wait until I get my first ring. Then I'll shove your head up your anal ring."

Despite the clan's disdain, Xiaotian and his gang still had fun. Regular barbeques, occasional pranks, and, of course, the traditional young master privilege of picking on some kids.

What? A young master's gang wants what a young master's gang wants.

However, Xiaotian had issued a very serious warning to the group, just in case something unexpected happens. "If you ever bully a kid, and he stares into the empty space whispering 'System,' apologize immediately and treat him like you treat me. He will be our golden ticket to the top!"

The gang didn't understand, but they nodded solemnly anyway.

And just like that, ten months passed in a blink. Xiaotian had grown significantly stronger. His stamina, strength, and reflexes had all improved, and his accelerated healing allowed him to push his limits daily. The team, too, had progressed, though at a normal pace compared to Xiaotian's monstrous growth.

Despite consuming the first core, Yu Xiaogang didn't undergo a secondary awakening. However, his cultivation speed had improved significantly. Hoping for better results, the team gave him the second core as well. While it too, didn't trigger a secondary awakening, it still strengthened his martial soul in a way he couldn't fully grasp yet. For, without a spirit ring he couldn't summon his spirit to test the changes, but the last ten months had been enough for him to become a level 10 Spirit Scholar.

Under Xiaotian's insistence, Xiaogang and the rest of the gang chose to keep their rapid progress a secret until now, focusing on strengthening their physiques before taking the next step.

One evening, as they were finishing up their library session, a clan messenger arrived.

"Young Master Xiaotian, Young Master Xiaogang, the patriarch has summoned you."

The entire team froze. The message was clear. It was time. The first spirit ring.

Xiaotian felt a smirk creeping onto his face. "Finally… time to shut Yu Feng up for good."

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