Lin Yuan possessed numerous Black-class Dou Techniques, but ordinary Dou Techniques could no longer significantly enhance his combat strength. He would occasionally flip through them, drawing inspiration from their techniques and concepts to enrich his knowledge and foundation, using them to refine his own Dou Techniques. However, he would not invest time in actually cultivating them.
At this moment, he stared at the Dou Technique scroll in his hand, falling into deep contemplation.
Thanks to his unique experiences and the education he had once received, Lin Yuan had long formed his own system of evaluation regarding combat and cultivation. It was under this system that he planned how to cultivate and how to strengthen himself.
Overall, Lin Yuan divided his power evaluation system into two major parts: the physical system and the soul system.
The soul system, as the name implied, encompassed all forms of power based on soul strength. Due to a lack of information, Lin Yuan had never been able to study this area in depth. Now that he had become a seventh-grade alchemist, obtained quite a few soul-related inheritances, and acquired the Shadow Clone technique that greatly saved time, he had already decided to thoroughly research this field in the future.
The physical system, on the other hand, was his tool for evaluating bodily strength and Dou Qi combat power.
Under the physical system, Lin Yuan divided his strength into six dimensions: attack, defense, agility, health, energy, and secret techniques. Each dimension could be further subdivided. For example, attack could be divided into close-range and long-range attack, agility into flexibility and speed, and so on.
Within this analytical framework, when choosing what to cultivate, Lin Yuan mainly considered three factors. First, whether the new technique provided a greater boost in the same dimension compared to what he already possessed. Second, whether it could stack with his existing methods within the same dimension. Third, whether it could compensate for any shortcomings in his current system.
When choosing a cultivation method, since each person could only cultivate a single one and cultivation methods were mutually exclusive, the choice naturally had to be the best among the best. Lin Yuan had replaced his previously cultivated Spirit Flame Art with the far superior Heavenly Capital Flame Codex.
However, selecting Dou Techniques was more complicated.
First, Dou Techniques that enhanced different dimensions could be cultivated together. For example, the Three Radiance Seal enhanced attack, while the Hundred Beasts Body-Refining Art enhanced health. Since they strengthened different dimensions, they complemented each other.
Second, Dou Techniques that enhanced the same dimension but could not be released simultaneously required a choice. For instance, the Three Radiance Seal competed with many other non-stackable offensive Dou Techniques he possessed. With the Three Radiance Seal in hand, there was no reason for him to cultivate those lower-level offensive techniques.
Third, Dou Techniques that enhanced the same dimension and could be stacked and released simultaneously could also be cultivated together. Flight-type Dou Techniques were a typical example. With Eagle Wings stacking with Dou Qi Wings, Lin Yuan's flying speed increased dramatically. This was precisely why he had been continuously deducing and refining the Mountain and River Seal, it possessed stackable properties as a technique he personally created. Similarly, the Blood Origin Transformation he derived from the Blood God Transformation was designed so it could operate in parallel with the Qi Origin Transformation, allowing two secret techniques to be used simultaneously.
Finally, any Dou Technique or secret art that could compensate for missing parts of his existing system was also a valid cultivation target.
Following this line of thought, Lin Yuan ultimately selected three Dou Techniques from the many scrolls in his storage ring: the High-Tier Black-Class illusion-type Dou Technique Illusory Sound Bewitching Heart, the Mid-Tier Black-class soundwave Dou Technique Mad Dragon Howl, and the High-Tier Black-Class soundwave Dou Technique Heavenly Dragon Chant.
Looking at these three techniques, Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. Not only did they make up for his shortcomings in soundwave damage and illusion techniques, providing him with new combat methods, but they could also be released simultaneously with his other Dou Techniques, complementing each other and jointly enhancing his combat strength.
Moreover, if his assumptions were correct, these three techniques could compensate for each other's weaknesses and unleash even greater power. Especially Heavenly Dragon Chant and Illusory Sound Bewitching Heart, which involved soul-based attacks—when driven by the soul power of a seventh-grade alchemist, they might erupt with unexpectedly terrifying might.
After making his decision, Lin Yuan left his courtyard and flew toward the Magic Beast gathering area in the rear mountain.
Over the next few days, bursts of dragon roars could occasionally be heard echoing from the rear mountain. These roars were accompanied by powerful soul fluctuations spreading outward, sometimes mixed with an indescribable pressure that inspired instinctive reverence.
Three days later.
In a mountain valley at the rear of Jia Nan Academy.
Lin Yuan stood with his eyes closed, preparing his strike. He then took a deep breath, his eyes snapping open as a sharp light flashed within them. The Dou Qi in his body gathered in a profound manner toward his throat. From within his natal Blood Pill, strands of dragon aura tinged with faint purple surged forth like a tidal wave, rushing straight into his throat.
Lin Yuan's cheeks puffed slightly. Then he opened his mouth, and in an instant, a dragon's roar like thunder erupted from his throat. Invisible soundwaves swept across everything like a violent storm. The air before him seemed to be torn apart by the sound, spatial ripples spreading outward in layers.
Immediately after, the soul-shaking, thunderous dragon roar surged violently in all directions with Lin Yuan at its center.
Wherever the soundwaves passed, all beasts bowed low. Low-grade magic beasts that were weak and too close to Lin Yuan were directly shaken to death by the thunderous roar, while those farther away collapsed to the ground. Even some powerful Sixth-Grade magic beasts felt the supreme and noble dragon aura within the roar, causing their souls to tremble as they lowered their proud heads.
A single dragon roar from Lin Yuan was terrifying to such a degree.
After the violent sound tide dissipated, Lin Yuan swept the surroundings with his powerful soul force. Within dozens of miles, the spectacular scene of countless beasts bowing in submission was fully imprinted in his mind. He sensed his own condition and found that his Dou Qi circulation had become even smoother and more active, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
"After several days of effort, I've finally cultivated Heavenly Dragon Chant to the stage of major accomplishment. The Heavenly Dragon Chant Dou Technique treasured by the Mu Lan Valley is indeed extraordinary. Not only is its attack power formidable, it can also intimidate the enemy's mind and soul. Once cultivated to major accomplishment, it even has a chance to stimulate the cultivator's potential, allowing combat strength to surpass one's own limits. Although the amplification is limited, it's already astonishing for a soundwave Dou Technique."
Recalling the progress of his cultivation over the past few days, Lin Yuan gently rubbed his throat and took out a bottle of spiritual liquid from his storage ring, drinking it in one gulp. The dryness in his throat quickly vanished, replaced by a cool and refreshing sensation.
"This small formula I spent some effort researching produces quite a decent spiritual liquid. It's extremely effective at protecting fine meridians. Thanks to it, I was able to practice Heavenly Dragon Chant continuously without interruption and cultivate it to major accomplishment in such a short time. The icy-cool feeling after drinking it is quite comfortable, let's call it Ice Spirit Meridian-Guarding Liquid."
"And also…" Thinking of another gain, joy appeared on Lin Yuan's face. "I can now release Heavenly Dragon Chant without relying on hand seals. That means the idea of using powerful soul force to replace hand seals in mobilizing Dou Qi has been successfully tested."
"Although high-tier Earth-class Dou Techniques still require hand seals, Black-class Dou Techniques like Heavenly Dragon Chant can already be released by mobilizing Dou Qi through soul force. It was originally just a flash of inspiration, but I didn't expect my breakthrough in soul power to actually make it feasible. This technique should be quite useful in real combat."
"Using Heavenly Dragon Chant as an entry point into soundwave Dou Techniques and soul-based attacks through sound, next comes…" Lin Yuan took out Mad Dragon Howl and Illusory Sound Bewitching Heart, his gaze turning serious. "Following my plan, I'll try to take the strengths of these techniques and compensate for their weaknesses, and see if I can form the prototype of that Dou Technique."
Glancing at the three Shadow Clones around him, each busy with their own tasks, Lin Yuan's lips curled into a smile. "Thanks to the Shadow Clone technique, I have more time to learn, deduce, and create Dou Techniques. And with my enhanced soul power, I've optimized the Shadow Clones further. I can now split into three clones, with plenty of room for further improvement."
Immediately afterward, Lin Yuan's main body also resumed studying and deducing the Dou Techniques in his hands.
In the distant Chu Yun Empire.
Sky Poison City, this ancient city was a holy land in the hearts of countless poison masters of the Chu Yun Empire. Throughout history, several of the empire's strongest factions had established their headquarters here, accepting the worship of poison masters from all directions.
As a result, this city had always been the focal point of contention among the major powers of the Chu Yun Empire.
Over the past half year, a newly risen force known as the Poison Sect had emerged with astonishing momentum, drawing widespread attention. Under the leadership of its sect master, the Heavenly Poison Woman, the Poison Sect annihilated countless opposing factions, rapidly expanding its sphere of influence. Several months ago, the Poison Sect also moved into this city, becoming a force that could not be ignored in this struggle for supremacy.
At this moment, in the rear mountain of the Poison Sect's headquarters within Sky Poison City, there was a poison pool shrouded in dense poisonous mist. Beside the pool, the Heavenly Poison Woman, whose name alone struck fear throughout the entire Chu Yun Empire, sat quietly with her eyes closed. Her figure was reflected upon a green jade stone platform, appearing solemn and mysterious.
She wore a slightly loose purple-red robe. At the cuffs, expensive violet-gold threads were lightly wound, giving off an air of luxury. However, what drew the most attention was the woman's long hair, brilliant and white as snow, flowing softly down her back like a cascading Milky Way.
Various scrolls and handwritten notes were scattered around her. Among them, a seven-colored scroll was particularly eye-catching. Closest to her were two notebooks that had clearly been frequently read, On Techniques of Dou Qi Control and My Insights on the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture.
Suddenly, the Heavenly Poison Woman opened her mouth, and a tremendous suction force burst forth, as if an invisible giant hand had tightly grasped the poisonous mist above the pool. The mist, which contained extremely pure poisonous energy, was drawn together under this suction and slowly condensed into a stream that was inhaled into her body.
Before long, the Heavenly Poison Woman slowly opened her eyes. A sharp glint flashed through her indifferent pupils, and at the same time, her aura began to rise steadily. A powerful Dou Emperor pressure spread outward, causing the entire rear mountain to tremble.
After sensing her cultivation, a hint of helplessness appeared in the Heavenly Poison Woman's cold, emotionless eyes.
"Late-stage one-star Dou Emperor, huh? As expected, after breaking through to the Dou Emperor realm, the speed of cultivation is no longer as rapid as before. Advancing stars at the Dou Emperor stage requires far more energy than at the Dou King stage. The further one goes on the path of cultivation, the more difficult it becomes."
"It seems I still need to eradicate more sects and obtain more resources to increase my cultivation."
The Little Fairy Doctor rose to her feet, preparing to store the items around her into her storage ring. When her gaze swept over the two familiar notebooks, the cold indifference in her eyes instantly softened. These two notebooks had been given to her by Lin Yuan when they parted ways. During her time in the Chu Yun Empire, together with the other resources Lin Yuan had given her, they had helped her rise rapidly and become a powerful figure in her own right.
"Lin Yuan… am I strong enough now to stand beside you?"
At that moment, a crisp ringing sound echoed through the air. The Little Fairy Doctor's eyes instantly turned sharp. "The Soul Heart Bell? Could it be that the people sent to search for that thing have returned?" she thought inwardly, doubt and anticipation intertwining. "It hasn't even reached the deadline I set. Could they really have found traces of the Netherworld Poison Flame?"
During the time she lived together with Lin Yuan in the valley, the Little Fairy Doctor had been deeply impressed by Lin Yuan's Heavenly Flame. Lin Yuan had once told her that there was a Heavenly Flame especially suited for someone with the Woeful Poison Body like hers—ranked twentieth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking: the Netherworld Poison Flame. He had also explained it to her in great detail.
The Netherworld Poison Flame, ranked twentieth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. After being tempered by the sky-covering poisonous miasma of poisonous marshlands for tens of thousands of years, the flame devoured endless toxic energy. After a hundred years it gained spirituality, after a thousand years it took form. When fully matured, its color leaned toward green, like ghostly flames drifting through poisonous miasma.
A trace of joy flashed through the Little Fairy Doctor's eyes, but it was quickly restrained. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her gaze and expression had returned to cold indifference. Once more, she became the decisive and merciless sect master of the Poison Sect, the Heavenly Poison Woman.
The Heavenly Poison Woman took a single step forward, and her figure instantly vanished from the spot.
Before long, she was already seated high upon the platform in the main hall. Below her stood several figures, bowing respectfully with awe-filled expressions. A Dou King at the forefront stepped forward and reported respectfully, "Sect Master, after our investigation, we have finally discovered traces of the Netherworld Poison Flame you mentioned."
"They actually found it," a hint of surprise flashed through the Heavenly Poison Woman's eyes, but she quickly suppressed her excitement and said calmly, "Well done. Now report the details of your findings to me."
"Yes, Sect Master," the leading Dou King replied respectfully, then presented a notebook. "We received information that someone had seen green ghostly flames suspected to be the Netherworld Poison Flame at the edge of the Nether Poison Ancient Marsh within the Chu Yun Empire. We went there to conduct a detailed investigation and compiled our findings into this report."
The Heavenly Poison Woman lightly waved her sleeve, and a gust of wind swept the notebook into her hand. She opened it and carefully read through it. "The Nether Poison Ancient Marsh…"
Moments later, she raised her head, her cold gaze sweeping over those below as she said indifferently, "You've done well this time. There will be rewards. Take my token and go to the treasure vault to select three of the highest-grade reward items."
As she spoke, she tossed a violet-gold token toward the leading Dou King. Excitement flashed through their eyes as the Dou King respectfully accepted it. "Thank you, Sect Master."
"You may withdraw," the Heavenly Poison Woman said with a wave of her hand. The group immediately bowed and retreated.
After they had left, the Little Fairy Doctor slowly walked to the peak of the rear mountain. Under the moonlight, she took out two carefully preserved notebooks from her storage ring. One recorded in detail all the information Lin Yuan knew about the Netherworld Poison Flame, while the other contained Lin Yuan's insights and summaries on how to subdue a Heavenly Flame.
"Lin Yuan… was this also within your expectations?" the Little Fairy Doctor murmured softly as her gentle gaze fell upon the notebooks. She then lightly shook her head. "Perhaps this is what you meant by being prepared for anything. Thank you."
She raised her head to look at the bright full moon hanging in the sky, a faint sense of longing welling up in her heart.
"Lin Yuan, where are you at this moment? What are you doing right now? I wonder when we will meet again."
Under the moonlight, in the rear mountains of Jia Nan Academy, the dragon roars that had continued for more than ten days had long since fallen silent.
By a pool deep within a secluded valley, Lin Yuan sat before a desk formed entirely of condensed Dou Qi, focusing intently as he wrote upon a scroll. Before long, he set down the pen, stretched lazily, and relaxed his slightly tired body.
Gazing at the exquisite scroll before him, a satisfied smile appeared on Lin Yuan's face. "This should be the first Dou Technique scroll I've created so far."
"This Dou Technique uses Heavenly Dragon Chant as its foundation, integrating the vocal techniques and Qi circulation methods of Mad Dragon Howl, along with the soul-attacking methods of Illusory Sound Bewitching Heart, that use sound as a medium, as well as some of my own techniques for utilizing soul power. If cultivated to major accomplishment, its power will definitely not be inferior to a Di-class Dou Technique. Moreover, the stronger the user's soul power, the more pronounced its effects will be."
On the emerald jade scroll rod were engraved several bold and vigorous characters, the name of this newly born Dou Technique: Heavenly Dragon Eightfold Sound. When naming it, Lin Yuan had briefly hesitated between Heavenly Dragon Eightfold Sound and Dragon Chant Soul-Seizing Divine Art, but ultimately chose the former.
Supporting his cheek with his right hand, Lin Yuan let his gaze linger on the scroll, his eyes drifting as his thoughts wandered.
"If Heavenly Dragon Eightfold Sound is to advance further, it will likely need to incorporate the characteristic of Earth-class Dou Techniques that draw upon heaven and earth energy, or integrate even more profound methods of utilizing soul power. But for now, that's not urgent—let's set it aside."
"The most tedious step in creating scrolls—engraving soul imprints is extremely easy for me now. So… should I make some scrolls for trade?"
"In the future, I could turn the Dou Techniques I've mastered into scrolls and send them into the hands of some of my opponents. I'll deliberately leave behind a few false flaws within these techniques. When they think they can defeat me by exploiting those weaknesses, I'll catch them off guard and strike back hard. Heh heh heh~"
After a bout of wild thoughts, Lin Yuan seemed to feel much more relaxed.
He raised his head and gazed at the bright moon in the night sky, his mind involuntarily recalling those days in the small valley of the Magic Beast Mountain Range. Back then, he had once lain on the grass together with the Little Fairy Doctor, gazing up at this same luminous full moon.
Moonlight flowed like water, bathing Lin Yuan's face as a faint sense of longing rose within his heart.
"Little Fairy Doctor, where are you at this moment? What are you doing right now? I truly look forward to our reunion."
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