On the mountain peak, a massive energy vortex revolved around Lin Yuan.
Streams of immense heaven-and-earth energy were first refined by the Green Lotus Seat before entering Lin Yuan's body. After undergoing further purification through the dual refinement of the Green Lotus Core Flame and the Fallen Heart Flame Sub-Flame, the enormous energy fused with the surging medicinal power of the Mighty Huang Pill, circulating together along the cultivation route of the Heavenly Flame Capital Codex.
As the Heavenly Flame Capital Codex circulated cycle after cycle, the vast medicinal power and heaven-and-earth energy were transformed into pure Dou Qi, which was absorbed by Lin Yuan's meridians and flesh. His aura steadily rose, and everything gradually entered a stable rhythm. The entire process flowed as smoothly as drifting clouds and flowing water.
As for exactly how much strength this Mighty Huang Pill would allow Lin Yuan to gain, only time would reveal the answer.
Once Lin Yuan entered a steady state of refinement, the mountain peak gradually returned to calm.
Qing Lin, guarding the perimeter, released three Sixth-Grade magical beasts. Their ferocious auras spread in all directions, sealing off the entire region. Any potential disturbance to Lin Yuan's cultivation was completely isolated.
Thus, three days passed in the blink of an eye.
During these three days, Lin Yuan's body remained motionless like a statue. The mountain peak was silent, broken only by the occasional low hum produced by the energy vortex formed through the circulation of the Heavenly Flame Capital Codex.
On the first day, Lin Yuan broke through to three-star Dou Emperor with unstoppable momentum.
Afterward, his concealed yet powerful aura continued to steadily rise as the medicinal power of the Mighty Huang Pill gradually unfolded.
Finally, on the third day, Lin Yuan's aura reached the bottleneck between three-star and four-star Dou Emperor. At that time, only thirty percent of the Mighty Huang Pill's energy remained.
Upon reaching the bottleneck, Lin Yuan did not grow impatient.
He clearly understood that the difference between three-star and four-star was not merely a simple star-level increase, it was the dividing line between low-tier Dou Emperor and mid-tier Dou Emperor.
Therefore, he chose to accumulate power before making a single decisive breakthrough.
Lin Yuan divided his mind into three parts.
One portion focused on absorbing the vast medicinal power of the Mighty Huang Pill.
Another portion fully circulated the Heavenly Flame Capital Codex to absorb heaven-and-earth energy.
The final portion controlled the Heavenly Flames to refine the residual medicinal energy from pills and heavenly materials he had previously consumed.
With the combined efforts of these three processes, power continued to accumulate within Lin Yuan's body, waiting for the moment of breakthrough.
Time flowed rapidly as Lin Yuan cultivated.
In the blink of an eye, the seventh day arrived.
At dawn on the seventh day, a sudden change occurred on the mountain peak where Lin Yuan was cultivating.
The energy vortex surrounding him trembled slightly before slowly dispersing. The spatial fluctuations around him also gradually returned to calm.
Then, Lin Yuan slowly opened his tightly shut eyes.
His deep pupils were as calm as a tranquil lake.
The surrounding air seemed to solidify, as if everything was silently gathering strength, waiting for the moment of eruption.
Lin Yuan dispersed the hand seal he had been maintaining and rose from the Green Lotus Seat.
Step by step, he walked toward the edge of the cliff.
With each step, his aura grew stronger.
The immense and pure Dou Qi accumulated within his meridians surged like a mighty river, rushing out from the meridians and merging into every part of his body.
By the time Lin Yuan reached the cliff's edge, his aura had already reached the critical point of breakthrough.
Gazing toward the sky, a sharp light suddenly appeared in his deep eyes, piercing and awe-inspiring.
"Break!"
With a long shout, the immense power that had been accumulated within Lin Yuan's body for days erupted completely.
His aura soared instantly like an unsheathed sword piercing the heavens.
Driven by this overwhelming force, Lin Yuan shattered the invisible barrier and stepped into the realm of a four-star Dou Emperor.
Even after reaching four-star Dou Emperor, his aura did not stop rising. It continued to surge wildly until it gradually slowed after reaching mid four-star Dou Emperor, eventually stabilizing at the threshold between mid four-star and late four-star Dou Emperor.
At that moment, Lin Yuan's gaze sharpened.
A low shout escaped his mouth.
"Break again!"
With that command, the aura that had begun to stabilize surged upward once more.
His cultivation broke through the limit again, finally stabilizing at late four-star Dou Emperor.
After completing the breakthrough, Lin Yuan exhaled deeply.
With a thought, waves of surging Dou Qi poured out from his body, and a powerful sense of fullness filled his heart.
"Refreshing. The feeling of this power truly puts one at ease."
Closing his eyes, Lin Yuan carefully sensed the changes within himself. A satisfied smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
"This breakthrough not only raised my Dou Qi cultivation to four-star Dou Emperor, but my soul strength has also improved slightly. I'm very close to the late stage of the seventh tier now."
"My body has also undergone another round of tempering and has grown much stronger."
"In that case, I might as well push forward in one go."
With that thought, Lin Yuan returned to the Green Lotus Seat and adjusted his breathing briefly.
Soon after, he retrieved a crystal-clear jade bottle from his storage ring.
Inside the bottle lay a silver pill, quietly resting and emitting a soft silver glow while releasing dense medicinal mist.
It was the Profound Thunder Body Tempering Pill.
A high-tier sixth-grade pill capable of tempering a cultivator's body with the power of wind and lightning, strengthening the flesh as well as the resilience of the meridians.
"Using this pill should allow my body to undergo another major breakthrough."
Lin Yuan sighed softly.
Without hesitation, he swallowed the pill.
Then his consciousness sank into his body as he carefully guided the surging medicinal power.
The moment the pill entered his body, a violent power of wind and thunder intertwined with a cool medicinal force, rampaging through his body.
Under Lin Yuan's guidance, these forces began repeatedly destroying and repairing his physical body.
With each cycle of destruction and restoration, Lin Yuan's body gradually became tougher, and his blood vitality grew increasingly vigorous.
One Day Later
After a full day and night of intense body tempering, Lin Yuan slowly opened his eyes.
Several streaks of lightning flashed within his pupils.
He took a deep breath, then exhaled sharply. A sword-like breath of Qi shot out from his mouth, whistling as it cut through the sky and leaving a pale streak in the air.
Lin Yuan stood up and stretched lazily.
Immediately, the bones throughout his body crackled loudly.
A profound sense of comfort surged from deep within his body, spreading throughout him and causing him to let out a satisfied groan.
"Refreshing!"
Clenching his fist, Lin Yuan felt the surging power within his body, and a feeling of extreme exhilaration rose in his heart. He suddenly threw a punch toward the ground.
A terrifying force erupted instantly.
The mountain trembled violently as cracks spread outward from Lin Yuan like a spiderweb, covering an area of dozens of meters around him.
Afterward, Lin Yuan withdrew his fist and stood upright, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
"My physical body and blood vitality have broken through. Right now, my body is no weaker than that of an ordinary high-tier Sixth-Grade magical beast."
Thinking of the rapid progress he had made in just a day and a night, Lin Yuan could not help but sigh.
"Although this high-tier sixth-grade pill is extremely valuable, the body-tempering and strengthening effect it produced in just a few days is comparable to a full year of tempering with a Natal-Blood Core Pill."
"No… that's not quite right."
Lin Yuan soon rejected his own comparison. After thinking carefully for a moment, he quickly discovered the subtle difference.
"The body-tempering from the Natal-Blood Core Pill not only strengthens the body while refining blood vitality, but also raises the body's potential and upper limit. The Profound Thunder Body Tempering Pill, on the other hand, stimulates the body's potential, allowing it to reach its current upper limit more quickly. Each has a different focus, they complement each other."
According to Lin Yuan's own estimation, the Hundred Beasts Spirit Refining Art he had cultivated to completion with the assistance of Zi Yan, the royal bloodline of the Ancient Void Dragon had given his body an extremely high upper limit.
Even if it could not reach the level of the Ancient Void Dragon clan, it would certainly not be weaker than most Heaven Demon Phoenixes of the same rank.
Thinking about the gains from this secluded cultivation, Lin Yuan pressed his temple and pondered silently.
"For me, breakthroughs in physical strength are actually easier than breakthroughs in Dou Qi. With the Hundred Beasts Spirit Refining Art perfected, I can rapidly advance my body's progress simply by using certain pills."
"Alchemy… medicinal pills… truly miraculous."
"Unfortunately, although my alchemy skills are already quite high and I possess a decent supply of medicinal ingredients, the number of pill formulas in my possession is still rather limited."
Thinking of this, Lin Yuan turned his gaze toward the direction of the Black-Corner Region and muttered softly to himself.
"It seems the time has come. I should go claim Han Feng's grand gift package."
"Han Feng inherited a large portion of Yao Venerable's legacy. Surely he can greatly supplement my foundation in alchemy."
"Besides, I recently subdued Yuan Yi and the Eight Gates. It's the perfect opportunity to make use of them."
"And it's about time to take Qing Lin and Zi Yan out to travel. I should return to the Jia Ma Empire to keep that appointment."
Three Days Later — First Elder's Residence
Su Qian looked at Lin Yuan and asked seriously,
"You truly plan to take Zi Yan and Qing Lin outside for training?"
Lin Yuan nodded.
"That is correct, First Elder. I intend to continue my earlier journey across the northwestern continent. I returned to the academy ahead of schedule because I needed to break through to Dou Emperor. Now that my cultivation has stabilized, I plan to continue my travels."
Su Qian nodded. He had already known about this matter. Lin Yuan had originally taken a two-year leave from the academy to travel.
"As for Qing'er…"
Lin Yuan paused slightly. Both of their gazes shifted toward Qing Lin.
At this moment, Qing Lin was emitting the aura of a four-star Dou King. During the time she had been guarding Lin Yuan, she had already broken through to three-star Dou King, and after Lin Yuan finished his seclusion, she consumed a Dou Spirit Pill and advanced again to four-star Dou King.
After a moment of thought, Lin Yuan spoke slowly.
"To be honest with you, Grand Elder, I plan to take Qing Lin to receive an inheritance—an inheritance of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils."
"Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils inheritance? From the Heaven Serpent Mansion?" Su Qian raised his brows and warned,
"Lin Yuan, I should remind you that the Heaven Serpent Mansion is extremely obsessed with the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. If they discover Qing Lin possesses them, it's impossible to predict what they might do."
Lin Yuan shook his head.
"Please rest assured, First Elder. It is not from the Heaven Serpent Mansion. I've already made preparations against them. I created a secret technique capable of concealing the aura of Qing'er's Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils."
Hearing this, Su Qian relaxed somewhat, but curiosity arose again.
"If not the Heaven Serpent Mansion, then where?"
"The Snake-People Tribe," Lin Yuan answered frankly.
"They possess an inheritance of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils passed down since ancient times. For certain reasons, Queen Medusa of the Snake-People is willing to give this long-preserved inheritance to Qing'er."
"The Snake-People… Queen Medusa?"
Su Qian suddenly recalled certain ancient records he had once read and nodded in realization.
"So that's how it is. The Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils originate from the bloodline of humans and snake-people. Although extremely rare, the Snake-People tribe did indeed produce experts with those eyes in ancient times. It's entirely possible they possess such an inheritance."
"If it's a legacy they have preserved for so long, it surely isn't ordinary. In that case, it's definitely worth the trip."
"After all, although the academy has deep foundations, when it comes to such a special physique like the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, our resources are still somewhat lacking."
However, Su Qian suddenly changed the topic and looked at Lin Yuan with a strange expression, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"But the Snake-People are not exactly friendly toward humans. Under such circumstances, Queen Medusa is willing to give you that inheritance…"
"It seems your previous travels were quite extraordinary, kid."
Hearing this, Lin Yuan scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly.
Then both of them turned toward Zi Yan.
Zi Yan's face was filled with expectation. Seeing them looking at her, she immediately shouted,
"I don't care! I'm going too!"
As she spoke, she winked at Lin Yuan, signaling him to help her.
Seeing Zi Yan's cute expression, Lin Yuan chuckled inwardly and turned to Su Qian.
"First Elder, Zi Yan has already reached the Dou Emperor realm. I believe it's time for her to see the outside world. I will take good care of her."
Su Qian looked at Zi Yan's eager eyes. He knew that this little girl had already been bored staying in the Inner Academy for far too long.
Besides, with Lin Yuan accompanying her, there should be no major problems.
He trusted Lin Yuan greatly, not only his character but also his strength. Recalling the brief sparring match they had once had, Su Qian felt extremely reassured. With that level of strength, Lin Yuan would be more than capable of handling situations within the northwestern region.
Thinking of this, Su Qian nodded.
"Very well, Zi Yan. Since you wish to go, you may follow Lin Yuan."
"But remember, you must listen to Lin Yuan and not act recklessly."
He then turned to Lin Yuan and spoke seriously.
"Lin Yuan, you will be the leader of this training trip. Make sure you take good care of Zi Yan and Qing Lin. I'm entrusting them to you."
Lin Yuan cupped his fists respectfully.
"Yes, First Elder. I will certainly take good care of them."
Hearing this, Zi Yan immediately cheered,
"Yay!"
Seeing her happy expression, Su Qian could not help but smile.
"When do you plan to leave?"
"In the next few days."
"In that case, before you leave, could you help refine a Breaking Zong Pill? We've gathered the ingredients again."
"Of course. Please hand the ingredients to me, First Elder."
After discussing several other matters, Lin Yuan left with Qing Lin and Zi Yan.
Three Days Later, Lin Yuan's Courtyard
Lin Yuan placed a hand over his chest, sensing the Fallen Heart Flame sub-flame beating within his heart. His gaze turned toward the direction of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
His deep eyes seemed capable of piercing through space itself, seeing the enormous fire python coiled beneath the tower within the endless sea of magma.
After a moment, Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly.
"It's not the right time yet. I'll let you keep that energy for now. When we meet again…"
He did not finish the sentence.
Turning around, he looked at Qing Lin and Zi Yan.
"Are you both ready? If so, we can depart."
"I'm ready, Young Master," Qing Lin replied.
"Let's go! Let's go!" Zi Yan's voice carried obvious impatience.
"Alright then. Let's move."
As his words fell, three streaks of light—cyan, purple, and green, shot across the sky and flew toward the Outer Academy.
Black-Corner Region, Maple City
Maple City was the residence of the Number One Alchemist of the Black-Corner Region, Medicine Emperor Han Feng.
At its center stood a quiet bamboo forest.
The outer perimeter of the forest was guarded extremely tightly. Anyone who approached within a certain range would immediately be attacked indiscriminately by the guards.
Deep within the bamboo forest stood a bamboo pavilion. Its verdant color resembled emerald, and a faint bamboo fragrance lingered in the air.
Not far from the pavilion was a wide square.
At the center of the square stood the most eye-catching object, a massive crimson medicinal cauldron.
The cauldron was enormous, its surface covered with countless mysterious patterns. Carved upon its body were vivid images of fierce beasts.
It was the Ten Thousand Beast Cauldron, ranked upon the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking.
Seated cross-legged on a cushion in front of the cauldron was Han Feng.
At this moment, his eyes were cold and focused as he controlled the deep-blue flame inside the Ten Thousand Beast Cauldron, which resembled flowing lake water.
Under his control, massive heaven-and-earth energy continuously gathered into the cauldron.
He was completing the final step, condensing the pill.
Half an hour later, a strange medicinal fragrance and powerful energy fluctuation suddenly surged from within the cauldron.
However, when the pill attempted to fly out, the Ten Thousand Beast Cauldron completely sealed the fragrance and energy fluctuations inside.
A moment later, Han Feng waved his hand.
The cauldron lid lifted automatically.
A medicinal pill carrying a rich fragrance shot out, and he caught it steadily before placing it into a prepared jade bottle.
A proud smile appeared on his face.
"Mighty Huang Pill… nothing impressive."
But soon his expression turned colder, as if he had thought of something unpleasant.
"If it weren't for that old fool Venerable Feng in Central Plains constantly suspecting me, I would have long completed the examination for Seventh-Grade alchemist."
"Why should I be trapped in this remote region? Damn it!"
As he spoke, Han Feng suddenly began coughing violently. His aura became unstable.
After coughing for quite some time, he finally calmed down.
Han Feng exhaled deeply and muttered bitterly,
"Old man… back then, if you had just given me the Flame Mantra, everything would have been perfect."
"I would still be your good disciple, and you would still be my good master."
"We could have had a bright future together."
"But now…"
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