Lin Yuan recalled the sensation he had just experienced when circulating Three Thousand Lightning Movement, his mind continuously thinking through and deducing the various principles and details of the technique.
"Three Thousand Lightning Movement is divided into three levels: Lightning Flash, Lightning Instant, and Three Thousand Lightning. The three realms progress step by step. Once cultivated to the final realm—Three Thousand Lightning—the movement technique is nearly instantaneous, allowing a cultivator at the Dou Emperor stage to possess speed not inferior to that of an ordinary Dou Ancestor."
"The core essence of this movement technique lies in controlling the release of power? The user must coordinate the appropriate movement techniques and footwork, releasing and utilizing wind and lightning power with extreme precision."
Thinking of this, Lin Yuan could not help but let out a light chuckle. The violent wind and lightning power was difficult for ordinary people to control, but for Lin Yuan—whose soul strength and Dou Qi control were both outstanding, precisely manipulating wind and lightning power was exceedingly simple.
"If that's the case, I might even have a chance to cultivate Three Thousand Lightning Movement to great completion before Zi Yan breaks out of the cocoon."
Thunder rumbled as time quietly passed within the valley. Compared to before, however, the valley now carried a bit more vitality. The source of this vitality was naturally the occasional peals of thunder produced by Lin Yuan while cultivating his movement technique, as well as the intermittent surges of Dou Qi coming from his clone in the distance, which was deducing the combined technique of the Mountain and Rivers Seal and the Sun Radiance Seal.
One day later.
Above the surface of a lake within the valley, Lin Yuan's figure stood upon the water after a full day and night of uninterrupted bitter cultivation. What was strange was that he had not unfolded his Dou Qi wings.
"Three Thousand Lightning Movement: Lightning Flash!"
Suddenly, he stepped forward. At the moment his foot landed, an almost imperceptible silver flash flickered. His body seemed to become illusory, and dozens of meters away, a figure quietly appeared like a ghost. Then another silver flash flickered, and dozens of meters farther, another figure appeared like a specter. This repeated until the fourth time, when the first illusory afterimage finally dissipated.
Lin Yuan steadied himself and glanced at the first afterimage that had just vanished not far away. A trace of satisfaction flashed through his eyes.
"Dozens of meters in an instant, along with four afterimages? Achieving such an effect purely through speed alone. Three Thousand Lightning Movement truly lives up to its reputation. In that case, the first level of Three Thousand Lightning Movement—Lightning Flash—can be considered complete. Next is the second level, Lightning Instant."
Four days later.
Within the valley, Lin Yuan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them wide.
"Three Thousand Lightning Movement: Lightning Instant!"
A faint silver glow flashed beneath his feet. His figure trembled, leaving an afterimage behind, while his true body silently swept into the air like a ghost. His figure trembled again in midair, leaving another afterimage behind, while his true body appeared a hundred meters away.
Lin Yuan's body paused briefly in midair before a pair of green flame wings shot out from his back. With a slight flap, they stabilized his falling figure.
"One hundred meters in an instant. At the Dou Emperor stage, I can briefly tread the void like a Dou Ancestor without even unfolding Dou Qi wings. In that case, the second level of Three Thousand Lightning Movement—Lightning Instant—can be considered complete. Next comes the third level, Three Thousand Lightning."
Ten days later.
In the sky, Lin Yuan let out a long breath, then slowly closed his eyes. As his eyes shut, silver radiance surged out from within his body, enveloping him completely in an instant.
Moments later, Lin Yuan's eyes snapped open. Several strands of silver light flashed through his deep pupils, and soon his eyes transformed into a dazzling silver, appearing extremely mystical.
"Three Thousand Lightning Movement: Three Thousand Lightning!"
A hint of solemnity flashed through Lin Yuan's silver eyes as his hands rapidly and smoothly formed a series of complex seals. As the seals changed, several mysterious runes condensed from lightning shot out from his body, and his aura began to fluctuate rapidly.
When the final seal fell into place, a brilliant light flashed from Lin Yuan's body. Two silver figures identical to his appearance suddenly appeared.
Lin Yuan looked at the two figures, then probed them with his soul power. A satisfied smile appeared on his face. Compared to the afterimages created by his Cloud Dragon Movement Technique, the clones formed by Three Thousand Lightning were fewer in number, but they were far more realistic and extremely difficult to distinguish even through soul perception, giving them tremendous tactical potential.
"Hundreds of meters in an instant, speed akin to spatial traversal, and the ability to split into two lightning clones that are very difficult to distinguish as real or fake through soul perception. In that case, the third level of Three Thousand Lightning Movement—Three Thousand Lightning, can be considered complete."
As he pondered this, Lin Yuan swallowed a qi-and-blood pill. As the medicinal power dissolved, it nourished the flesh that had been stimulated by wind and lightning power, further strengthening his physical body. During this period, while cultivating Three Thousand Lightning Movement, he had also begun experimenting with using wind and lightning power to assist in body refinement.
His figure then flickered, and he soon arrived before the purple cocoon of light.
At this moment, the cocoon had undergone significant changes compared to before. The glow of the runes on its surface had grown increasingly intense, and faint cracks were spreading across it. From within the cracks, threads of dazzling purple radiance seeped out, along with an extremely powerful and noble life aura faintly emanating from within.
The enormous purple cocoon released a joyful soul fluctuation.
"This restless little fellow must be feeling stifled as well," Lin Yuan thought to himself. He gently touched the giant cocoon and said with a light laugh, "Zi Yan, don't rush. You must wait until the moment you are fully perfected before breaking out of the cocoon."
Under Lin Yuan's soothing, the purple giant cocoon settled down and continued to frenziedly devour the surrounding energy.
"Judging by the situation, Zi Yan's cocoon-breaking moment isn't far off—probably within the next few days. Since that's the case, I'll further optimize the release details of Three Thousand Lightning. The combined usage of Three Thousand Lightning Movement and Cloud Dragon Movement Technique also needs some fine-tuning. Blending the extreme speed of Three Thousand Lightning with the agility of Cloud Dragon Movement should make the combination no weaker than ordinary Earth-Class movement Dou Techniques."
Half a month later.
Lin Yuan's gaze was focused as he carefully considered the connection details between Cloud Dragon Movement Technique and Three Thousand Lightning Movement. Suddenly, a trace of joy flashed through his eyes, as though he had grasped some inspiration. Immediately, he moved his feet, preparing to verify his idea.
At that very moment, the entire valley seemed to be shaken by an invisible force, causing Lin Yuan's movement to halt abruptly.
He quickly cast his gaze toward the location where Zi Yan had cocooned. He saw that the purple cocoon was now erupting with dazzling purple brilliance. A powerful and noble aura spread outward from the cocoon, and as the runes upon it flickered, the surrounding space rippled as well.
Sensing this aura, Lin Yuan's eyes lit up with joy. His figure flickered, and he instantly appeared before the purple cocoon. Powerful soul power swept across it in an instant.
"It's breaking the cocoon—has the advancement succeeded? I've been waiting for you for so long, Zi Yan!"
As his words fell, the purple cocoon's radiance grew even more brilliant, as though an immense life force within was surging violently, trying to break through this layer of light that was both protection and restraint.
The intense light on the cocoon grew stronger and stronger, accompanied by continuous faint cracking sounds. Finally, amid a crisp cracking noise, the cracks rapidly expanded. Countless streaks of dazzling purple radiance burst forth from the fissures, shooting straight into the sky.
Fortunately, due to the layers of spatial barriers set up by the First Elder, the outside world did not notice the disturbance here.
The cracks multiplied and widened further, until a large piece of the cocoon shell finally fell away. As the first piece broke off, the entire cocoon seemed to trigger a chain reaction, rapidly shattering apart. One of the most brilliant purple pillars of light violently shot into the sky, eventually colliding with the spatial barrier and sending ripples spreading outward like waves on water.
After that, a noble aura originating from bloodline pressure spread in all directions.
And at this moment
At the very bottom of the endless magma sea beneath the Blazing Sky Refining Qi Tower, within a mysterious space shrouded in darkness and silence, permeated with an ancient and time-worn aura.
At the very center of this space floated an enormous mass of light. Within it stood a towering stone gate that soared tens of thousands of feet high, radiating an eternal, primordial presence.
Engraved atop the stone gate were four ancient characters:
"Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion."
The script was not ornate, yet within its simplicity resided an overwhelming majesty—as though it stood above heaven and earth themselves.
Before the stone gate lay an equally vast plaza, so immense that its scale defied imagination. Within the void above the plaza, an incomparably colossal mysterious creature lay coiled.
Its entire body gleamed with a violet-gold luster. Icy scales covered its winding form, and an indescribably terrifying might flowed silently from it.
It remained motionless within the dark void, as though locked in deep slumber.
Suddenly
In the boundless darkness, the enormous eyes that had been shut for countless years snapped open!
Within those cold, gigantic pupils surged waves of ecstatic emotion.
"This… this is the aura of my child!"
The violet radiance persisted for a short while before gradually dimming. Moments later, it completely dissipated, and the figure within finally appeared before Lin Yuan's eyes.
When Zi Yan's human form emerged, even though Lin Yuan had encountered countless beauties before—even though he had already anticipated it, his eyes still could not help but flash with unconcealed astonishment.
At this moment, Zi Yan's jade-like body was fully revealed. A faint violet glow lingered around her form, lending her an alluring, almost demonic charm. Long, smooth purple hair cascaded down her back, reaching all the way to her shapely hips. Her graceful, well-proportioned figure was easily comparable to that of Queen Medusa herself.
Where was the gluttonous little girl of the past?
Only the faintly familiar contours within her peerlessly beautiful face allowed Lin Yuan to confirm that this was indeed Zi Yan after growing up.
"Perfect."
Gazing at the grown Zi Yan, Lin Yuan silently gave her the highest possible score.
At that moment, Zi Yan stretched lazily, just like someone who had only just woken up. Instantly, her already captivating curves were accentuated even further. She slowly opened her eyes, looked at Lin Yuan standing before her, and a mischievous thought arose in her heart.
She shot him a shy, flirtatious glance filled with tender allure, clearly hoping to see him flustered.
However, while her appearance and figure were undeniably stunning, her childlike temperament clearly had yet to catch up. Not only was she unable to fully wield this charm, but she also failed to make the well-traveled Lin Yuan feel embarrassed.
Instead of the reaction she hoped for, what she received was a playful, teasing smile from him.
Seeing that smile, Zi Yan immediately felt unconvinced.
In the next instant, her figure flashed. She descended from the air and landed directly in Lin Yuan's arms.
Lin Yuan chuckled helplessly and caught her with both arms—one supporting her back, the other cradling her knees. The smooth, jade-like sensation caused his heart to stir slightly.
Zi Yan mischievously lifted his chin with a finger. Just as she was about to tease him—
Suddenly!
Her body trembled violently.
An unusual green radiance surged out from within her body. Under its influence, Zi Yan's form rapidly shrank, as though time itself were reversing. In just a few breaths, the peerless beauty with her exquisite figure reverted back into her former small-girl appearance.
Seeing this, Lin Yuan thought to himself.
"As expected… the medicinal effects of the Transformation Grass haven't fully dissipated yet."
Zi Yan herself was startled by the sudden change. When she realized she had returned to her childlike form, her delicate brows shot upward.
"Damn it! My perfect figure is gone!"
Seeing the amused expression on Lin Yuan's face, her mentality instantly collapsed. She began bumping her little head against his chest in frustration.
"Ah! Ah! Ah! Damn Transformation Grass!"
Watching her antics, Lin Yuan laughed softly. He set her down, then retrieved one of his robes from his storage ring and draped it over her.
After that, he lightly flicked her smooth forehead and chuckled.
"This is pretty good too. You're so cute—how could anyone not like you?"
Zi Yan stomped her foot angrily, causing the ground to quake violently, fully displaying the terrifying physical strength she had gained after advancing.
She snorted coldly.
"Hmph, hypocrite. You clearly liked how I looked just now. Don't think I didn't notice the look in your eyes when you first saw me grown up."
Hearing this, a trace of awkwardness flashed across Lin Yuan's eyes. But he quickly pressed a hand down on her head and said gently.
"Whether it's your grown-up appearance or how you are now, I like both the same. Because they're both Zi Yan. It's just that the focus of that liking is a little different."
Hearing his words, Zi Yan finally felt satisfied.
After helping Lin Yuan strengthen his dragon aura earlier, she could now sense his emotions much more clearly. Those words had been sincere.
"Oh right, this is for you. An improved version, try it and see if it suits your taste."
As he spoke, Lin Yuan took out a bottle of pills from his storage ring.
Zi Yan's eyes immediately lit up. After being in seclusion for so long, she hadn't tasted delicious pills in ages.
She quickly opened the bottle, popped several into her mouth, and began chewing. Her eyes gradually narrowed, and a blissful expression spread across her face.
"Mmm~ Lin Yuan, these are so good! Even better than before!"
Hearing this, Lin Yuan smiled faintly, pride showing on his face.
Of course they were delicious—during this time, he had invested quite a bit of effort into studying culinary techniques. As a result, his cooking skills had improved by leaps and bounds.
Now, he was confident enough to say that he was the best cook among alchemists, and the best alchemist among cooks.
Since creating the Shadow Clone technique, Lin Yuan had been continuously refining it. With repeated improvements, along with the significant increase in his Dou Qi cultivation and soul strength, he could now maintain up to four shadow clones simultaneously.
With this, his lack of time was essentially resolved.
He now had ample time to study, research—and even spare one clone solely to focus on culinary arts.
Before long, Zi Yan had finished all the pills in the bottle and once again looked at Lin Yuan expectantly.
Lin Yuan took out a large pile of pills from his storage ring and handed them to her. As she ate, he carefully examined her body.
"Mm… your foundation is extremely solid. The medicinal energy accumulated within your body has been mostly digested—this advancement was flawless."
Then, his eyes showed a hint of surprise.
'And… after advancing, this girl's method of absorbing medicinal energy has subtly changed. It's noticeably faster than before. Also, the circulation of Dou Qi within her body is quite different now. It's as if her cultivation technique has changed entirely.'
With this thought, Lin Yuan looked at Zi Yan seriously and asked.
"Zi Yan, what cultivation technique are you practicing now? It seems different from before."
Hearing his question, Zi Yan stopped eating and tilted her head in confusion.
"It's the one that just popped into my head during the advancement. Once I started circulating it, it began running on its own."
Hearing her answer, interest appeared in Lin Yuan's eyes.
"Oh? A cultivation technique that appeared on its own during advancement?"
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