"What an interesting idea. This old man agrees!"
The Venerable Tian Huo carefully finished reading the two manuscripts before slowly closing them. A lingering sense of fascination remained in his eyes.
Both manuscripts had ignited his enthusiasm as a researcher.
The ideas concerning the Devil Poison Spot in particular had shown him a possible path for future advancement.
If one's talent or time was insufficient, then one could borrow the strength of others and gather the power of many to nourish oneself.
If this research succeeded and the method possessed sufficient versatility, then this secret technique and the concept behind it would possess the power to overturn the existing order.
At the thought of this, the Venerable Tian Huo's heart couldn't help but tremble.
He gave Lin Yuan a deep look before impatiently returning to his Storage Ring.
At present, countless inspirations were surging through his mind, and numerous questions worth researching kept flashing through his thoughts. He wanted to record every one of them.
Without dwelling on the Venerable Tian Huo's thoughts, Lin Yuan casually waved his hand and drew the snow-white Storage Ring from the table into his palm before handing it to the Little Fairy Doctor.
"Little Fairy Doctor, Senior Yao possesses an extremely vast amount of knowledge. Learn from him properly and make up for your weaknesses."
"I understand. Thank you."
The Little Fairy Doctor nodded softly.
She knew that Lin Yuan had secretly made numerous preparations to resolve her Woeful Poison Body and strengthen her cultivation foundation.
"Hehe."
Lin Yuan gave her a mischievous smile and raised his eyebrows teasingly.
"Our relationship has already reached this point. Do you still need to say something like that? If you really want to thank me, hurry up and resolve your Woeful Poison Body. I'm already getting impatient."
The Little Fairy Doctor immediately understood what he meant.
Her face flushed as she glared at Lin Yuan, but she did not refute him.
"Hmm? She's back?"
Lin Yuan suddenly turned toward the rear mountain with a light chuckle.
Before long, a streak of purple light appeared in his field of vision and shot toward the courtyard.
"Zi Yan is back. What a coincidence. I was just about to go look for her."
In the blink of an eye, Zi Yan landed in the courtyard.
The moment she saw Lin Yuan, she excitedly ran toward him.
"Lin Yuan! Lin Yuan! Look what I found!"
Her delighted voice rang beside Lin Yuan's ears.
Zi Yan raised her head and looked at him, her exquisite purple eyes filled with joy.
"Zi Yan, you're this happy. What did you find?"
Lin Yuan asked curiously.
At the same time, a trace of curiosity rose within him.
This was the first time he had seen Zi Yan become so excited over finding something.
Zi Yan gave a proud smile before carefully taking out a jade box and handing it to Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan opened the jade box.
A faint beast roar suddenly sounded.
Inside was a verdant plant radiating an extremely powerful energy.
Lin Yuan focused his gaze and quickly recognized it.
"This is Transformation Grass?"
Transformation Grass was the primary ingredient of the Seventh-Grade peak Transformation Pill. It was an extremely high-quality and exceptionally rare medicinal herb.
Over the years, Lin Yuan had destroyed numerous powerful factions throughout the Northwestern Region, yet he had never managed to find a single stalk.
This thing was difficult to purchase even in the Central Plains.
The Central Plains contained the Beast Region, and as long as one was a Magical Beast, Transformation Grass was useful.
After all, even without refining it into a Transformation Pill, Transformation Grass itself could accomplish roughly half the effects of the pill.
One could say that the value of Transformation Grass alone was already comparable to an ordinary Seventh-Grade medicinal pill.
"Hehe!"
The corners of Zi Yan's mouth stretched into a huge grin as she happily said,
"It's Transformation Grass! My luck is pretty good, right? These past few days, while I was taking revenge... I mean, searching for treasures in the rear mountain, I found another stalk!"
She tugged on Lin Yuan's arm and tempted him.
"Hurry up and refine a Transformation Pill for me! Once I eat the Transformation Pill, I'll be able to turn into the grown-up Zi Yan you like!"
The little girl had always been bothered by the fact that eating the Transformation Grass had caused her to become smaller rather than larger. She still believed that consuming a Transformation Pill would allow her to grow into her mature form.
In reality, she had misunderstood.
The age of her physical appearance was primarily related to her cultivation.
In the original trajectory, after breaking through to the Dou Ancestor realm, this girl completely absorbed the medicinal effects of the Transformation Grass, yet she still usually maintained her childlike appearance.
It was only after she absorbed the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit and advanced to the Dou Saint realm that she completely transformed into her adult appearance.
According to Lin Yuan's calculations, if Zi Yan consumed a Transformation Pill now, it would have three effects.
First, it would allow Zi Yan to freely switch between her human and beast forms.
Second, it would increase the amount of time she could maintain her grown-up form.
Third, it would accumulate energy for her breakthrough to the seventh rank.
That was all.
Directly transforming into her mature form was impossible.
Putting the Transformation Grass into his Storage Ring, Lin Yuan patted her little head.
"Girl, refining the Transformation Pill is extremely difficult. Wait until I've completed my breakthrough, then I'll refine it for you. I'll have a much higher chance of success by then. After all, you only have one stalk of Transformation Grass. If the refinement fails, we'll be in trouble."
Lin Yuan wasn't deceiving Zi Yan about this.
The difficulty of refining the Transformation Pill ranked among the highest even among Seventh-Grade medicinal pills.
Hearing Lin Yuan's words, Zi Yan pouted and muttered, "Fine. After you complete your breakthrough, you have to hurry up and refine the Transformation Pill for me."
"Don't worry."
Lin Yuan nodded.
Since Zi Yan had been fortunate enough to find Transformation Grass, it was clearly a blessing of fate, and Lin Yuan would naturally help her.
After a moment of silence, Lin Yuan tossed a Storage Ring to Zi Yan.
"Here. It contains enough medicinal pills to last you half a year. And this."
With a wave of his hand, he took out a Human-Shaped Demon Puppet.
"This is your new toy, the Human-Shaped Demon Puppet. It has the strength of a three-star Dou Ancestor, so it's perfect for practicing against. If you want to fight from now on, fight it instead. Don't bully the inner academy students anymore. Otherwise, the Great Elder will keep nagging you."
After saying this, Lin Yuan withdrew his soul imprint.
He then guided Zi Yan in placing her own soul imprint on the puppet and transferred ownership to her.
After receiving the puppet, Zi Yan treated it like a brand-new toy.
She excitedly ordered it to perform all sorts of movements and played with it to her heart's content.
The Little Fairy Doctor, who had been watching with a faint smile, withdrew her gaze from Zi Yan and looked toward Lin Yuan.
"When are you planning to enter secluded cultivation and attempt your breakthrough?"
"In three days. I'll go to the bottom of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower and enter secluded cultivation."
Lin Yuan played with the Little Fairy Doctor's snow-white hair for a moment before smiling.
"We haven't seen each other for almost a month. How about I cook for you two? I've come up with several new dishes recently..."
Zi Yan, whose ears were exceptionally sharp, immediately put down the puppet and looked over with shining eyes.
"A feast and new dishes? Yay!"
Inner Academy, Pan's Gate
Early in the morning, the numerous members of Pan's Gate had already assembled.
Xiao Yan, who had already broken through to the Dou Spirit realm, waved toward Gu Xun'er standing at the entrance.
He then turned around and led everyone toward the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower in a mighty procession.
Similar scenes were taking place among the various student factions throughout the Inner Academy.
Because today was the day the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower reopened.
Only after Pan's Gate's procession disappeared from sight did Gu Xun'er withdraw her gaze.
She turned around and entered one of the rooms in the pavilion.
"Old Ling, have you arranged the meeting with that person?"
Gu Xun'er's cool voice echoed through the room.
As soon as she finished speaking, the shadows within the room twisted.
Ling Ying's figure emerged from the darkness and knelt on one knee before Gu Xun'er.
"Miss, everything has been arranged. We will meet in one hour."
"One hour?"
Gu Xun'er pondered for a moment before calmly saying,
"Let's go. Take me there. That person should already have arrived."
Not long afterward, two blurry figures flew out of Pan's Gate and headed toward the rear mountain.
Meanwhile, on a mountain peak in the rear mountain, Lin Yuan sat cross-legged atop a Green Lotus.
His eyes were tightly closed, while his hands moved smoothly as though following the natural rhythm of the Dao.
Purple dragon aura flowed through his meridians, and a faint purple radiance emanated from his body.
At a certain moment, his hand movements suddenly stopped.
A faint ripple spread through the surrounding space.
"Spatial Power I've comprehended it!"
During these three days, Lin Yuan had spent a good amount of time accompanying Zi Yan and the Little Fairy Doctor.
Whenever he had free time, he cultivated according to his heart.
Under his stable state of mind, the results had been surprisingly good.
After several cultivation sessions, he had faintly grasped the opportunity for a breakthrough.
Last night, with Zi Yan's assistance, his Natal Blood Pill had completed the final tempering of his physical body.
Afterward, Lin Yuan consumed the Dragon Profound Body Tempering Pill that he had prepared long ago and carried out the final tempering of his Qi and blood.
His physical body had been pushed to the limit of the Dou Emperor realm.
At that point, both his body and soul had simultaneously reached their respective thresholds.
Furthermore, while refining the Dragon Profound Body Tempering Pill, the essence blood of Zi Yan contained within it had deepened his comprehension of spatial power even further.
At that instant, that faint opportunity hidden in the depths of his consciousness was finally grasped.
The final obstacle to his breakthrough was swept away.
The gates of the Dou Ancestor realm had completely opened before him.
"The Ancient Void Dragon truly possesses unparalleled advantages when it comes to spatial power. No wonder they naturally reach the Dou Ancestor realm upon adulthood."
Lin Yuan sighed in admiration before slowly opening his purple-glowing eyes.
"The time has come to enter secluded cultivation and complete my breakthrough. However..."
"I can finish the deal with her first. There's no harm in entering secluded cultivation afterward. Opportunities to make a deal like this don't come often."
With this thought, Lin Yuan stood up and stored away the Green Lotus Seat.
He stood with his hands behind his back and looked playfully toward the Inner Academy.
Two familiar auras had already appeared within his perception.
"She's here? Gu Xun'er?"
Very soon, two figures, one clad in azure and the other in black, flew rapidly toward him.
They withdrew their Dou Qi Wings and landed in front of him.
"Long time no see, Junior Sister Xun'er. Old Ling."
Lin Yuan looked calmly at Gu Xun'er, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes.
"I didn't expect you to become a Dou King in such a short time. The Dou God bloodline truly is astonishing!"
Indeed, Gu Xun'er had already become a Dou King.
Although an extremely profound seal concealed her cultivation and made it difficult to see through her true strength, the golden pair of wings behind her could not be faked.
Those were Dou Qi Wings, not a flight-type Dou Technique.
Hearing this, Gu Xun'er smiled faintly.
"You're too kind, Elder Lin. The mere Dou King realm is nothing worth mentioning."
After receiving some subtle stimulation from the Little Fairy Doctor, she had recently become much more serious about cultivation.
With abundant resources and the support of her powerful bloodline, her strength had undergone earth-shaking changes in little more than a month.
One could only say that the extreme pride of the Ancient Clans truly was supported by their strength.
"Junior Sister Xun'er is too modest."
Lin Yuan smiled faintly.
He did not continue exchanging pleasantries and directly asked,
"Then, why did Junior Sister Xun'er have Old Ling invite me here? Is there something you need?"
"Wasn't it you who wanted to meet me?"
Gu Xun'er countered.
She calmly looked at Lin Yuan, her tone carrying a deeper meaning.
"You deliberately let Old Ling see those puppets. Wasn't that precisely to lure me into coming to find you?"
"Clap, clap, clap."
Applause rang out.
Lin Yuan clapped his hands and sighed.
"As expected of the Gu Clan's Imperial Daughter. You truly are clever. Since you've already seen through my intentions, there's no need for me to beat around the bush. Let's get straight to the point."
"Junior Sister Xun'er, do you need Dou Emperor- and Dou Ancestor-level puppets?"
Hearing this, Gu Xun'er pondered for a moment before calmly answering,
"I need two Dou Emperor-level puppets and one Dou Ancestor-level puppet. Can you provide them?"
Knowing that Xiao Yan would soon be heading to the Central Plains to make his way in the world, she had been constantly thinking of ways to eliminate Xiao Yan's worries about his family, the Xiao Clan.
Even in the Black-Corner Region, the Xiao Clan's strength was still far too weak and needed someone to protect them.
However, if members of the Gu Clan assigned to protect her were sent to guard the Xiao Clan, then if anything happened, it would inevitably cast a shadow over her relationship with Xiao Yan.
That was something Gu Xun'er found difficult to accept.
As for bringing the Xiao Clan into the Gu Realm, she had directly rejected that idea as well.
She knew something about the attitude many members of her clan held toward the Xiao Clan.
If she really brought them into the Gu Realm, then even with her protection, the Xiao Clan would inevitably suffer considerable discrimination.
Given Xiao Yan's pride and his feelings toward the Xiao Clan, the relationship between the two families would.
One had to admit that Lin Yuan and his puppets had appeared at exactly the right moment.
If she could obtain the puppets she wanted through this transaction, all of these problems could be solved.
Puppets had no thoughts of their own. They would simply and obediently carry out their master's orders.
Compared with having her personal guards protect the members of the Xiao Clan, having puppets do it was undoubtedly better.
After all, she knew that among the people assigned to protect her, there were also many who looked down upon the Xiao Clan.
The two Dou Emperor-level puppets could be given to Xiao Ding and Xiao Li respectively, essentially providing each of them with a Dou Emperor-level guardian.
That way, not only could Xiao Yan's most cherished family members be protected, but the Xiao Clan would also have more than enough strength to establish itself in the Black-Corner Region.
As for the Dou Ancestor-level puppet, giving it to Xiao Yan would undoubtedly provide him with considerable assistance in his future journey.
After all, a Dou Ancestor-level expert, even in the Central Plains where powerful experts were as numerous as clouds, could still be considered a formidable powerhouse.
Xiao Yan would still need considerable time before he could break through to the Dou Ancestor realm.
Having an absolutely obedient puppet protecting him in the meantime would put Gu Xun'er much more at ease.
Moreover, when she thought about Xiao Yan being protected by a puppet she had personally given him, an inexplicable sense of satisfaction filled her heart.
It felt as though she were personally protecting Xiao Yan herself.
She really liked this feeling.
Therefore, even though she had already guessed that Lin Yuan's purpose was to make a deal, she accepted his invitation without the slightest hesitation.
Hearing Gu Xun'er's question, Lin Yuan smiled and said meaningfully, "Whether it's a Dou Emperor-level puppet or a Dou Ancestor-level puppet, I can produce them. Moreover, my puppets may be considerably better than you imagine."
"What do you mean?" Gu Xun'er raised her brows slightly and asked.
"This puppet is called the Heavenly Demon Puppet. It can undergo advancement through the baptism of Pill Lightning. As long as it receives sufficient Pill Lightning, it has the potential to transform into a puppet possessing Dou Venerate-level strength," Lin Yuan said calmly.
"What? A puppet capable of rivaling a Dou Venerate?" Ling Ying exclaimed in shock.
Although the ancient clan had tens of millions of members, those capable of advancing to the Dou Venerate level were still exceedingly rare.
Yet the puppet he had seen that day actually possessed the potential to reach the Dou Venerate level.
Lin Yuan chuckled. His sincere yet enticing words continued to flow from his mouth, echoing in the ears of the two members of the Ancient Clan.
"With Brother Xiao's talent, it won't be long before he has a chance to become a seventh or even eighth-grade alchemist."
"For someone like him, who will sooner or later attract Pill Lightning, the Heavenly Demon Puppet is especially valuable. Not only can it protect him, but it can also deal with the Pill Lightning that accompanies high-grade pills. At the same time, it can use that Pill Lightning to continuously grow stronger and provide him with even greater protection."
"With this virtuous cycle, I believe that within a few years, Brother Xiao will possess a guardian with Dou Venerate-level strength."
After Lin Yuan finished speaking, the three fell into a brief silence.
Gu Xun'er quickly weighed the matter in her mind. After remaining silent for a moment, she took a deep breath and said seriously, "Elder Lin, I agree to this deal. In addition, I need a Dou Ancestor Pill. Name your price. What do you want in exchange?"
Everything Lin Yuan had said had struck directly at her greatest concern. She absolutely had to obtain the puppets in Lin Yuan's possession.
As for the Dou Ancestor Pill.
Gu Xun'er's gaze swept toward Ling Ying. He had been protecting her all this time and had done quite a lot for Xiao Yan as well.
Even though the clan would certainly reward Ling Ying after they returned, Gu Xun'er felt that she should also express her gratitude and further establish him as one of her trusted people. After returning to the clan, she would still need Ling Ying to continue keeping an eye on Xiao Yan and providing her with news about him.
As for whether Lin Yuan would tamper with the transaction, Gu Xun'er was not worried in the slightest.
He was a smart man. Since he knew her true identity, he would never dare to play tricks during the transaction. As the Ancient Clan's Imperial Daughter, she possessed absolute confidence in this regard.
Lin Yuan pondered for a moment before saying seriously, "I can give you two peak Dou Emperor-level puppets, one four-star Dou Ancestor-level puppet, and one Dou Ancestor Pill. In return, I need three things: Bodhisattva Transformation Saliva, Earth Core Soul Marrow, and Pill Spirit Liquid."
With another portion of Bodhisattva Transformation Saliva, it should be enough to support his idea for the "Poison Pill Method: Gathering Fire to Condense the Pill."
As for the Earth Core Soul Marrow, it possessed the ability to temper the soul.
Lin Yuan had a prescription that used Pill Spirit Liquid and Heavenly Hemp Jade Essence to blend with the Earth Core Soul Marrow, maximizing its soul-tempering effects and helping his soul break into the Spiritual State.
Lin Yuan had happened to obtain the Heavenly Hemp Jade Essence from Medicine King's Valley. At present, he was only missing the Earth Core Soul Marrow and Pill Spirit Liquid.
Although Lin Yuan possessed an incomplete soul cultivation technique and breaking into the Spiritual State would not be difficult, even after reaching the Spiritual State, further cultivation of the soul would still be a long process. There were also considerable differences between eighth-grade alchemists.
Among eighth-grade alchemists, every additional color represented an enormous gap.
Even with a soul cultivation technique, cultivation and advancement were by no means simple.
Most eighth-grade alchemists had more or less come into contact with soul cultivation techniques. Yet eighth-grade alchemists who possessed five or more soul colors were still exceedingly rare.
Cultivating the soul placed even greater emphasis on talent and resources than cultivating Dou Qi or the physical body.
Take Old Man Mu Gu, for example. Despite receiving the Soul Hall's support and cultivating for so many years, his alchemy skills had only reached the level of a four-colored eighth-grade alchemist.
It was probably precisely because the Soul Hall had seen his limits that they had not given him a Source of Soul and had instead tried to capture Yao Lao.
After all, no matter how much he was cultivated, with Old Man Mu Gu's talent, it was unlikely that he could participate in the Soul Hall's ultimate plan, the refinement of an Emperor Pill.
With Lin Yuan's foundation and talent, as long as he could obtain the Earth Core Soul Marrow and Pill Spirit Liquid, he was confident that after breaking into the Spiritual State, he could rapidly advance to the level of a three-colored, or even four-colored, eighth-grade alchemist.
After stating his terms, Lin Yuan continued comprehending the breakthrough opportunity he had grasped while waiting for Gu Xun'er's final decision.
After hearing the terms of the transaction, Gu Xun'er pondered for a while.
Just as she had expected, Elder Lin was not a greedy person. Rather than pursuing maximum profit, he placed greater importance on actually achieving the goals he had set.
In this transaction, he had not taken advantage of the opportunity to make outrageous demands. The value of the items exchanged by both sides was essentially equal.
"I agree to this transaction. I will contact the clan and have someone send the items over. I hope you can prepare the corresponding puppets as soon as possible."
"Agreed!"
Lin Yuan smiled lightly. He then tossed a jade bottle to Gu Xun'er and said, "The transaction is complete. I'll give you this Dou Ancestor Pill first as a token of my sincerity."
As soon as he finished speaking, his aura began fluctuating violently. The surrounding space rippled slightly, and his figure slowly faded from sight.
Gu Xun'er caught the Dou Ancestor Pill and immediately tossed it to Ling Ying.
"Elder Ling, you've taken care of Xun'er and Xiao Yan-gege for so long. Consider this pill a small token of Xun'er's gratitude. I'll have to trouble you to continue helping me in the future..."
"Yes, Young Miss. Thank you!" Ling Ying accepted the Dou Ancestor Pill with complicated emotions and respectfully replied.
Gu Xun'er gazed toward the Inner Academy and softly said, "Lin Yuan, i feel as though I've seen through him, yet at the same time, it seems that I can't see through him at all. But without a doubt, he is a dangerous person."
"Indeed." Ling Ying nodded.
He had interacted with Lin Yuan many times and had witnessed several of Lin Yuan's battles, so his understanding of him was deeper than Gu Xun'er's.
Lin Yuan gave him only one impression.
Strong.
As a peak Dou Emperor himself, Ling Ying could most clearly sense the overwhelming pressure emanating from Lin Yuan. It was a kind of strength that could almost be described as flawless.
"Whether in terms of talent or combat strength, this person is extremely terrifying. His strength now is far beyond what it was when I first encountered him a year ago. If he wanted to kill me, I wouldn't survive more than three moves."
"Even among the dazzling younger generation of our clan, his strength probably wouldn't be inferior to that of Young Master Gu Qingyang by much. In fact, when it comes to combat strength at the same level."
Ling Ying did not continue, but Gu Xun'er already understood what he meant.
"His combat strength is actually that powerful?" A flash of brilliance passed through Gu Xun'er's eyes. She gazed deeply toward the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, as though she could see a resolute figure standing there.
A satisfied smile appeared on her face.
"To be regarded as a worthy opponent by him, Xiao Yan-gege truly is extraordinary!"
"Xiao Yan-gege, Xun'er will take care of your worries for you. You just need to focus on cultivating and pursuing the pinnacle!"
Inner Academy, Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower
After completing his transaction with Gu Xun'er, Lin Yuan headed straight for the Qi Refining Tower.
At this moment, he could barely suppress the aura fluctuating within his body.
With every step he took, the incomparably vast energy within him trembled. Waves of energy ripples spread around his body, while an invisible yet powerful pressure radiated outward.
The elders and students inside the tower all sensed an enormous, invisible pressure.
The space rippled slightly.
Su Qian, who had sensed the aura leaking from Lin Yuan's body, suddenly appeared before him and looked at him with a trace of surprise.
"Your aura is fluctuating. This sign you've grasped the opportunity to break through?"
"Quickly, go into seclusion..."
Lin Yuan nodded and said solemnly, "Great Elder, I'll be entering seclusion in the magma sea. I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on Little Fairy Doctor. Also, please have Elder Qian and Elder Bai reinforce the spatial barrier for me. The commotion I cause may be rather large."
"Rest assured and focus on your seclusion. With this old man here, everything will be fine," Su Qian said solemnly.
"Thank you, Great Elder."
Lin Yuan nodded slightly.
After saying this, he descended toward the lowest level of the tower.
He stepped onto the spatial barrier established by Elder Qian and Elder Bai. His hands formed several seals, and purple light flickered around his body. A purple radiance flowed through his eyes as his figure slowly passed through the spatial barrier.
After entering the magma sea, Lin Yuan waved his hand.
The Azure Lotus Seat, radiating a brilliant green light, descended onto the magma sea.
His body flickered.
In the next instant, Lin Yuan was already sitting cross-legged upon the Azure Lotus Seat in the center of the sea of flames.
He did not immediately begin his breakthrough.
Lin Yuan closed his eyes and calmed his mind. His hands formed a cultivation seal as he began adjusting his condition to its absolute peak.
At a certain moment, his eyes suddenly opened.
A sharp glint flashed through his deep eyes.
With a flip of his hand, a jade bottle appeared in his palm.
Looking at the pill inside the bottle, Lin Yuan smiled confidently.
"Dou Ancestor Pill, Dou Ancestor. I've finally reached this step..."
----
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