The mystery surrounding the parents hung heavily in his mind, a lingering shadow that defied his usually absolute clarity. He had spent the morning sifting through every available memory and logical deduction, yet he found absolutely no solution. Without concrete data or immediate leads, dwelling on this void was practically meaningless—a puzzle completely missing its pieces.
Deciding to drop the matter entirely for the future when more clues might naturally surface, Yoriichi shifted his focus back to the immediate, glaring flaw in his mortal vessel.
He sat bare-chested in his courtyard, the morning sun warming his pale skin. He closed his eyes, utilizing his Transparent World vision to look inward. The milky-white, liquid Dou Qi within his newly expanded 2-Star Dantian was profoundly powerful, a perfect equilibrium of crimson and azure sparks.
Yet, the pathways leading out of the Dantian told a different story.
Along his forearms and shoulders, his meridians showed faint, microscopic signs of stress—tiny, silvery scar tissue from the sheer, volatile strain of unleashing the Eclipsing Torrent. Forcing extreme Yang fire and high-pressure Yin water through the exact same channels simultaneously was a biological nightmare.
'My vessel healed, but the fundamental problem remains,' Yoriichi analyzed methodically. 'My Sun Breathing was designed for raw, singular heat. The Azure Spark introduces a contradictory physics. The ancient black scroll from the Xiao Clan Pavilion provides the overarching philosophy of elemental synthesis, but it slightly lacking the microscopic, anatomical blueprints of standard Dou Qi circulation.'
To wield his variant forms without eventually ripping his own arms off, he needed to study how the natives of this continent managed pure fire and pure water independently.
He needed to visit the Outer Academy's Book Pavilion.
After dressing in his clean, unadorned red training robes, Yoriichi stepped out of his secluded courtyard.
Several days had passed since the incident in the bamboo sea, and the atmosphere in the Outer Academy had shifted subtly. As Yoriichi walked the manicured stone paths toward the central academic sector, he could feel the weight of dozens of eyes locking onto him.
"Is that him? Xiao Ning?" a female student whispered from behind a decorative pillar, her eyes wide.
"Yeah, the one with the red streaks in his hair," her companion muttered back, attempting to look discreet. "I heard from a senior in the Law Enforcement Unit that he didn't just survive the Abyssal Trench for two months... he supposedly slaughtered a Rank 2 aquatic beast bare-handed."
"Bare-handed? Don't be ridiculous. I heard he has a cursed sword that drinks blood. Look at his eyes, they are completely emotionless. He looks like an assassin from the Black-Corner Region."
Yoriichi's heightened hearing caught every word of the exaggerated rumors. The academy administration had strictly classified the involvement of the Demon Flame Valley and Zhan Yue's intervention, but the sheer fact that he and Xiao Yu had survived the deep Red Zones had inevitably leaked.
He paid the whispers no mind. His expression remained a mask of absolute, unshakeable tranquility. He moved with frictionless, perfectly balanced steps, ignoring the stares as if he were a solitary monk walking through a bustling market.
Eventually, a massive, ancient structure loomed into view.
The Library Pavilion of the Outer Academy was an awe-inspiring, seven-story pagoda constructed from dark ironwood and green jade tiles. It radiated a heavy, suppressive aura that naturally discouraged loud noises or chaotic behavior.
Yoriichi stepped through the massive bronze doors. The interior was vast, relatively empty at this hour, filled with the rich, comforting scent of aged parchment, dried ink, and preserving incense. Thousands of glowing scrolls and ancient, leather-bound books hovered neatly within transparent, energy-shielded shelves.
At the front desk sat an elderly man with a long, drooping white mustache, his eyes half-closed as if he were dozing off.
Yoriichi approached quietly, pulling out his standard 'C' Rank jade token, preparing to state his request.
Before he could speak, the elder's half-closed eyes cracked open. A sharp, piercing gaze that belonged to a seasoned Dou Ling swept over Yoriichi's form.
"Xiao Ning," the elder stated, his voice raspy but carrying a surprising weight. He didn't even look at the token.
"Yes, Elder," Yoriichi offered a polite, shallow bow.
"The Deputy Headmaster left specific, highly confidential instructions regarding your access privileges," the librarian murmured, reaching under the heavy wooden desk. He pulled out a specialized, silver-rimmed jade badge and slid it across the counter.
"Your 'C' Rank technically restricts you to the first floor," the elder continued, a faint, knowing smirk twitching under his mustache. "But with this, you are granted unrestricted access to the second and third floors. You may peruse the High Huang and Low Xuan class sections at your leisure. However, you may not remove the original scrolls from the Pavilion."
Yoriichi raised an eyebrow slightly. He understood the unspoken message perfectly. The academy's top brass knew exactly what he was capable of, and they were actively, secretly funneling resources to him without breaking the public illusion of his rank.
"I am deeply grateful to the Deputy Headmaster and to you, Elder," Yoriichi replied smoothly, accepting the silver badge.
"Do not thank me, boy. The academy nurtures dragons, provided the dragons do not burn down the academy," the elder chuckled dryly, waving a dismissive hand. "Go on. Seek what you need."
Yoriichi bypassed the bustling first floor entirely, ascending the sweeping mahogany staircase to the second level.
This floor was significantly quieter, bathed in soft, luminescent light from floating glow-stones. Only a few elite senior students were present, sitting cross-legged in soundproof reading alcoves.
Yoriichi did not head toward the flashy, highly sought-after Dou Skill section. He navigated the labyrinth of shelves until he found the archives dedicated strictly to Qi Methods—the foundational blueprints of Dou Qi circulation.
'To master the whole, I must first dissect the parts,' Yoriichi reminded himself.
He scanned the fire-attribute shelves. He bypassed the complex Low Xuan class scrolls. He wasn't looking for raw power; he was looking for fundamental, untainted biological mechanics. He finally selected a Huang-Class, high-tier scroll titled The Blazing Yang Meridian Chart.