Inner Academy, Arena
"Senior Hao, this battle is over. This time, I won, so I'll be taking your place on the Strong Ranking!"
With a hearty laugh, Xiao Yan suddenly tightened his grip around Yan Hao's palm and shouted in a low voice.
"Explode!"
The instant his voice fell, a muffled explosion suddenly erupted about ten meters away from Xiao Yan.
The tower-like Yan Hao's face suddenly turned deathly pale. A mouthful of bright-red blood violently sprayed from his mouth. He staggered backward two steps before collapsing onto the ground.
"What profound hidden force! What an incredible Dou Technique, Xiao Yan. You really have some impressive methods!"
"I lost this battle!"
Pressing a hand against his chest, Yan Hao said weakly, "I won't interfere in the matters between the Pan Gate and the Medicine Gang anymore."
Hearing Yan Hao's words, the entire arena fell into an eerie silence. Many people had yet to recover from their shock.
The fourth-ranked expert on the Strong Ranking, a peak Dou Spirit, had actually been defeated by a newcomer who had only entered the Inner Academy half a year ago?
Although the result was right before their eyes, everyone still found it difficult to believe.
"Thank you, Senior Yan Hao!"
Upon hearing Yan Hao's words, a relaxed smile appeared in Xiao Yan's eyes, and the restlessness in his heart subsided somewhat. However, he immediately covered his mouth and coughed violently several times.
None of the peak Dou Spirits in the top ten of the Strong Ranking were easy opponents. Every one of them possessed extremely refined Dou Qi and abundant combat experience.
Yan Hao was even ranked fourth on the Strong Ranking and could be considered a half-step Dou King.
Even though Xiao Yan had already broken through to the six-star Dou Spirit realm, defeating him had consumed an enormous amount of energy. Combined with his use of the Three Mysterious Flames Change, once his tightly strung nerves relaxed, his entire body was overwhelmed by a wave of exhaustion.
"Roar! Boss, well done!"
"Long live the Sect Master!"
"Boss, you're the strongest! Oh!"
After the silence, thunderous cheers suddenly erupted from the Pan Gate's side. Wave after wave of excited roars gathered together and soared into the heavens.
Affected by the frenzied atmosphere, the other spectators in the stands also enthusiastically applauded. They did not hesitate to offer their heartfelt applause for this thrilling battle and its victorious participant.
On a pavilion not far away, two men were also watching the battle in the arena.
One was a handsome and elegant man dressed in green robes, while the other was an imposing man carrying a heavy spear.
"I didn't expect Yan Hao to actually lose. Interesting!"
The green-robed man withdrew his gaze, opened the folding fan in his hand, and smiled.
"What do you think, Liu Qing? Are you confident you can defeat that Xiao Yan?"
Liu Qing did not answer Lin Xiuya. He simply stared straight at Xiao Yan, the fighting spirit in his chest steadily rising.
"Xiao Yan looks like he's a good opponent."
As though sensing this battle intent, Xiao Yan also turned his gaze over. Looking at the battle-hungry Liu Qing, he responded with a gaze that showed no intention of backing down.
"The Tyrant Spear Liu Qing, huh? I'll choose him as my next opponent!"
Seeing this, a hint of amusement appeared on Lin Xiuya's face.
"Interesting. It seems this year's battle for second place on the Strong Ranking."
Before he could finish speaking, an invisible yet powerful ripple suddenly swept across the entire Inner Academy.
Everyone in the Inner Academy felt a pressure originating from their souls.
The entire Inner Academy fell silent in an instant.
The stronger individuals instinctively looked toward the rear mountains, while the weaker ones were even trembling in their hands and feet.
"Teacher, what is this soul pressure?"
Xiao Yan abruptly looked toward the rear mountains, unable to conceal the shock in his eyes.
"A Spirit Realm soul. It's that kid Lin Yuan."
Yao Lao's aged voice slowly sounded within Xiao Yan's heart, carrying a hint of astonishment.
"Although I had some expectations, I didn't expect him to actually break through so quickly. It seems he possesses a soul cultivation technique."
"Even so, a Spirit Realm soul before the age of twenty is an achievement that would be considered top-tier even among the Yao Clan!"
"Spirit Realm?"
Hearing those two words, a hint of confusion appeared in Xiao Yan's eyes.
Seeing this, Yao Lao said solemnly, "Good. I'll take this opportunity to tell you about the realms of the soul. This knowledge is basically only circulated among Eighth-Grade alchemists."
"On the Dou Qi Continent, the soul realm is divided into four levels: the Mortal Realm, Spirit Realm, Heavenly Realm, and the legendary Emperor Realm!"
"Among alchemists, those below the eighth grade generally have souls that remain in the Mortal Realm. Their soul strength merely differs from person to person. You are currently at this level as well, although your soul is much stronger than that of ordinary people."
"The Spirit Realm is reached after the soul reaches the peak of the Mortal Realm and then absorbs spiritual energy to temper the soul body, allowing it to transcend the mortal realm and become spiritual."
"There is a decisive difference between the Spirit Realm and the Mortal Realm. Once you reach this level, you will possess the energy required to bestow spirituality upon pills. That is a necessary condition for becoming an Eighth-Grade alchemist!"
"As for the Heavenly Realm, I won't tell you about it for now."
Yao Lao smiled faintly.
"It's still too far away from you at the moment, so telling you would be meaningless. Once you break through into the Spirit Realm, I'll naturally tell you what comes afterward."
"Once you break through to the Dou King realm or your alchemy reaches the sixth grade, you should begin cultivating my Soul Art. You'll then be able to absorb spiritual energy and prepare for your breakthrough into the Spirit Realm!"
"Soul Art, Spirit Realm…"
After hearing Yao Lao's words, Xiao Yan pondered for a moment before asking, "Teacher, does Lin Yuan's breakthrough into the Spirit Realm have something to do with those things Xun'er gave him that day?"
That day, when Lin Yuan had inspected the Earth Core Soul Marrow, Xiao Yan had sensed a trace of an aura that made his soul feel comfortable.
"It does."
Yao Lao confirmed Xiao Yan's guess.
"The Earth Core Soul Marrow possesses the ability to temper the soul. It's extremely rare and has considerable benefits for strengthening the soul. He probably traded for it with your little girlfriend precisely to break through into the Spirit Realm."
"As for what they traded for it, you should be able to guess, right?"
"Those puppets?"
Xiao Yan's gaze flickered slightly as he remembered the puppets Xun'er had given him. They were extremely similar to the puppet Lin Yuan had used to resist the Pill Lightning that day.
"Exactly!"
After a pause, Yao Lao sighed softly.
"In places you cannot see, that girl Xun'er has done a great deal for you. Although there are enormous obstacles between the two of you, don't disappoint her feelings."
Glancing toward the rear mountains, Yao Lao said quietly.
"Take Lin Yuan as your benchmark!"
"His strength and alchemy attainments would both be considered top-tier even among the geniuses of the Ancient Clans. As long as you truly become an opponent capable of competing with him, then there will be a considerable possibility for you and that girl Xun'er."
"Prepare yourself mentally. This path may be quite long. In the future, you absolutely must not give up on yourself."
When he reached this point and thought of Lin Yuan, Yao Lao could not help worrying about the upcoming Pill Gathering agreement.
Back then, he had intended to use Lin Yuan as a teaching whip to spur Xiao Yan's progress. Therefore, he had allowed Lin Yuan and Xiao Yan to establish that so-called Pill Gathering agreement, believing that with his guidance, Xiao Yan would be able to surpass Lin Yuan.
However, after coming to the academy and learning about Lin Yuan's true background, he genuinely no longer had much confidence.
Four years and one Life Devouring Pill had allowed Lin Yuan to advance from Great Dou Master to Dou Ancestor and from a Fourth-Grade alchemist to an Eighth-Grade alchemist.
Such an astonishing leap was difficult even for Yao Lao to comprehend.
Moreover, despite this incredible rate of advancement, Lin Yuan was not some "Dou Qi foundation unstable" pretty face. His foundation was solid, his combat strength formidable, and his alchemy attainments even more outstanding. Even his knowledge was exceptionally profound.
Against such an opponent, even Yao Lao could not think of any method that could allow his disciple to surpass him within just a few years.
Yet his own disciple happened to be extremely proud to his very bones, and Lin Yuan had already been identified as the same-generation opponent he most wanted to surpass.
"This is troublesome. I have to think of some way to enlighten Little Yan…"
Deep in the Inner Academy's Rear Mountains
In the valley, Heaven and Earth energy seemed to be drawn by an invisible force. Vast amounts of energy continuously surged in from outside the cave, forming an energy vortex around Lin Yuan.
After being refined through several layers of strange-fire barriers, it poured into his body.
This situation had already continued for several hours.
The amount of energy required for a Dou Ancestor breakthrough was enormous.
"It seems I'll be able to break through successfully this time."
Sensing the increasingly powerful aura within the cave, Xiao Yixian smiled slightly. She had experienced this kind of situation several times before.
As Xiao Yixian's thoughts wandered, a deep, muffled sound suddenly echoed from within the cave. The raging energy of heaven and earth gradually weakened, while the energy vortex dozens of meters wide in the sky slowly became illusory before finally dissipating.
Inside the cave, as the final surge of fiery-red energy entered Lin Yuan's body, his slightly trembling body suddenly became completely still.
At this moment, he seemed to have transformed into a statue, completely motionless.
The cave also fell into an eerie silence.
Yet faintly, there seemed to be the subtle sound of a great flood surging forward.
Following the source of the sound, one could discover that it was actually coming from within Lin Yuan's body.
Something was brewing!
As Lin Yuan's eyelids trembled slightly, a vast aura slowly spread from within his body, resembling a mighty lion that was about to awaken from its slumber.
Outside the cave, Xiao Yixian and Zi Yan stared intently at the cave entrance, which was blocked by shattered rocks.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion suddenly resounded from within the cave. Amid the scattering rubble, the sealed entrance was blasted open once again.
Blinding light shone out from the cave.
Before long, the light gradually faded, revealing a refined young figure slowly walking out of the cave. He stepped into the air and leisurely ascended, finally coming to a stop in midair.
A majestic aura spread from the young man's body.
Standing in the air, Lin Yuan felt the surging power within his body and the vibrant spiritual energy contained within the soul power at his brow. The corners of his mouth curled upward slightly.
After this period of seclusion, he had undergone a qualitative transformation.
The current him, even if he ventured into the Central Plains, where powerful experts were everywhere, was already more than capable of becoming a renowned figure in his own right.
"You finally came out..."
A crisp voice suddenly came from below and behind him. Naturally, it belonged to Zi Yan, who had long since grown impatient waiting.
Hearing this, Lin Yuan restrained his aura and slowly descended from the sky.
"Hehe."
He chuckled and reached out to pinch Zi Yan's little cheek.
"You really have no patience, girl. I've only been in seclusion for a few days, and you're already getting impatient?"
"You made this young lady wait here for more than ten days!" Zi Yan rolled her eyes and grumbled. "I've already beaten up all the magical beasts around here one by one, and I even collected all the treasures nearby."
"It actually took more than ten days?" Lin Yuan nodded.
"Looks like you've broken through to Three-Star Dou Ancestor!" Xiao Yixian stepped forward and asked softly, "How was it? Did this breakthrough achieve the goal you had set?"
At the same time, she stared fixedly at Lin Yuan, a trace of doubt appearing in the depths of her heart.
She did not know whether it was merely an illusion, but Lin Yuan seemed to possess a more ethereal quality than before. It was almost as if the person standing before her was no longer Lin Yuan himself, but his soul.
Hearing Xiao Yixian's question, the corners of Lin Yuan's mouth lifted slightly.
"Hehe, this breakthrough went very smoothly. I achieved all my goals, and the gains were considerably greater than I expected."
During this breakthrough, he had fortunately entered a state of enlightenment. Although it had taken somewhat longer, the rewards had been even greater.
Not only had he successfully broken through into the Spirit Realm, but he had also progressed quite a distance within the Spirit Realm.
Because of the effects of the Earth Core Soul Marrow and his soul enlightenment, Lin Yuan had completed several rounds of soul refinement after breaking through. His current soul realm was already approaching the middle stage of the Spirit Realm. Judging by the standards of alchemy, it should be somewhere between an Eighth-Grade Three-Color Alchemist and an Eighth-Grade Four-Color Alchemist.
Besides that, during his enlightenment, Lin Yuan's long-term research had finally borne fruit, giving him an additional unexpected gain.
"Xiao Yixian, during this breakthrough, I happened to complete the Heavenly Heart Soul Art. I've tested it, and its effects are considerably stronger than the previous version. I'll pass it on to you now. From now on, use this new version of the Soul Art."
As he spoke, he looked directly into Xiao Yixian's beautiful autumn-like eyes. A silver light flashed through his eyes, and an enormous stream of information was transmitted into her mind.
More than ten minutes later.
Lin Yuan withdrew his soul power, ending the transmission of information.
Xiao Yixian closed her eyes and carefully comprehended the latest version of the Heavenly Heart Soul Art. After some time, she finally opened her eyes and attempted to circulate it.
"How is it?" Lin Yuan asked.
"It's better than I expected. Its effectiveness is more than twice as strong as before!" Xiao Yixian carefully pondered for a moment before giving her conclusion.
"More than twice as strong? Good!" Lin Yuan gently supported Zi Yan, who was clinging to him like a koala, and said solemnly, "Using the Netherworld Gost Flame in place of the core of the Heavenly Scorpion Poison Dragon Beast and refining it through the Poison Pill method, this plan has essentially been completed as well."
"During this period, I'll work together with Senior Yao to complete the final details of this 'Fire Gathering and Pill Condensation' method."
"From what I can tell, Xiao Yixian, to carry out this method, you'll need exceptionally strong control over flames. During this period, focus your efforts on soul cultivation, the Five-Wheel Separation Flame Method, and the Heavenly Abyss Flame Control Technique!"
"If my deduction is correct, once your soul reaches the late stage of the Mortal Realm, you should meet the requirements."
"I understand!" Xiao Yixian nodded lightly, her beautiful eyes filled with barely suppressed joy.
She understood Lin Yuan very well. His words just now meant that everything was already prepared. Once her flame-control ability reached the required level, they would be able to resolve the problem of the Woeful Poison Body erupting.
After several months, the matter that had weighed on her heart for years was finally approaching its resolution.
Seeing the look of relief in Xiao Yixian's eyes, Lin Yuan smiled gently and continued, "As for your cultivation progress, you don't need to worry either. When refining the Demonic Poison Spot, we can cultivate together. It won't delay your cultivation progress!"
After breaking through into the Spirit Realm, Lin Yuan was confident that when refining the Demonic Poison Spot, he could completely extract the 'poison' contained within it.
That extremely rich poison, combined with the Netherworld Poison Flame, would be enough to raise Xiao Yixian's cultivation by a considerable amount.
More importantly, with the suppression of the Heavenly Capital Flame Seal, the conditions for condensing the Poison Pill were nearly mature. Xiao Yixian still had plenty of time.
Thus, she no longer needed to suppress the speed of her cultivation and could advance rapidly.
After all, although Xiao Yixian's cultivation would soar to the Dou Venerate realm once she condensed the Poison Pill, the number of stars she could reach after condensing it would depend on the quality of the Poison Pill and her cultivation before condensing it.
Lin Yuan intended to raise her cultivation as much as possible before she condensed the Poison Pill, striving to make her a powerful expert among Dou Venerates the moment she entered the Dou Venerate realm.
"Let's go. We'll return to the Inner Academy."
----
For additional chapter's
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu