"Five-Star Dou Fighter, and at the peak level. After some refinement, I can break through with the help of Ice Jade."
In Room A-2 of the Outer Sect Cultivation Hall, Gu Han sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, conducting internal observation.
His Qi Cyclone had grown thicker again, its color deepening further.
The Snow Lotus Pill helped him quickly master the Flight Fighting Skill, while the Flight Fighting Skill helped him refine and absorb the pressure.
The two complemented each other remarkably well, rapidly stabilizing his realm and allowing perfect absorption of the Flight Fighting Skill.
Gu Han stood up, removed his clothes, and used the crystal mirror in the cultivation room to examine his back, clearly seeing a pair of palm-sized, pale cyan wing tattoos.
These tattoos only appeared when Dou Qi flowed through the corresponding meridians; otherwise, they remained hidden beneath the skin—a testament to the secret method's sophistication.
"Activate!"
Following his will, Gu Han channeled Dou Qi into the corresponding meridians and branch vessels.
Empowered by the Dou Qi, the pale cyan wing tattoos glowed with a layer of light, as if coming to life, rapidly transforming into cyan-blue wings.
The cyan was the wings' inherent color, while the blue came from Gu Han's Dou Qi. Combined, they formed new semi-solid, semi-Dou Qi wings, expanding from palm-sized to half his body size.
With wings of this size, he could barely manage flight, but it posed a challenge to his Dou Qi reserves.
By his estimation, he would need to reach the peak of the Dou Fighter realm to sustain flight over any significant distance.
"A trump card is fine as long as it can be used at critical moments."
Gu Han wasn't disappointed. Suppressing the urge to immediately test flight, he began inventorying the contents of Ka Long and Mo Qing's Storage Rings.
Altogether, there were two hundred thousand gold coins—Ka Long did work two jobs, after all, while Mo Qing was the favored direct descendant of the Mo family.
Several Yellow Rank cultivation methods and Dou Skills, along with pills below the third grade, weren't worth mentioning.
Only a few items truly surprised him.
First, the valuable items obtained from Ka Long:
A Mysterious Rank Intermediate wind-attribute Dou Skill, Azure Immolation Finger.
He was familiar with finger techniques, so he could grasp this quickly through analogy and develop it into a combat method.
A grade-less Aura Concealing Secret Method that could conceal his true cultivation level from anyone whose soul power wasn't higher than his or whose cultivation wasn't more than two major realms above his.
He didn't enjoy pretending to be weak—acting like a pig for too long might turn one into a real pig—but moderate concealment benefited cautious development.
As a prudent and courageous practitioner, having such a secret method was essential for both daily life and travel.
Next were the valuable items from Mo Qing's Storage Ring:
A Mysterious Rank Elementary Dou Skill, Fire Lion Fist.
A Fourth-Grade Pill: one Fighter Pill, and two Three Flowers Fire Gathering Pills.
A Mysterious Rank High-Level Secret Method: Purple Qi Double Pupils.
"The Fire Lion Fist can be traded. I've already taken a Fighter Pill, so this one can be traded too. The Three Flowers Fire Gathering Pills enhance the power of fire-attribute Dou Qi, which is useless to me, so they'll be traded as well."
"The only usable item is this Purple Qi Double Pupils."
[Purple Qi Double Pupils: Purple qi arrives from the east. Each day during the Mao hour (5–7 AM), inhale and exhale the purple qi. Breathing nine deep breaths followed by one shallow breath counts as one cycle. Accumulate the purple qi and gather it in the eyes to form the Aura Observation Pupil Technique, an introductory secret method passed down from ancient aura observers.]
[Purple Qi Double Pupils has nine layers, each corresponding to one realm. Only five layers remain now, making it a Mysterious Rank High-Level Secret Method.]
[...]
After reading the information on Purple Qi Double Pupils, Gu Han frowned slightly.
Because the scroll only recorded the method for accumulating purple qi for the first three layers.
In other words, it was equivalent to a Mysterious Rank Elementary Secret Method, not yet reaching the high level.
"The other two levels were likely withheld from Mo Qing by the Mo family due to his insufficient strength."
Gu Han steadied his mind, deciding to first master the initial three levels. Opportunities to obtain the remaining levels would naturally arise in the future.
After organizing and storing the items, he once again immersed himself in cultivation.
Meanwhile, Yun Yun ordered rewards for all who had contributed merits.
Since Mo Qing was missing, the rewards were to be led by Mo Yu and handed over once the former returned.
The one thousand merit points designated for Gu Han were directly instructed to the hall master of the Affairs Hall, to be distributed when Mo Qing went to collect his monthly resources.
"Still no news!?"
Mo Yu left the Inner Sect Affairs Hall and turned to Mo Feng.
"Not a single clue. Mo Qing and Ka Long... it's as if they vanished into thin air," Mo Feng replied with his head lowered.
"Vanished into thin air?" Mo Yu sneered coldly. "The sect leader and numerous elders were present at the time, yet they detected nothing unusual. Could it be the work of a Dou Zong expert?"
"It must be that Mo Qing, eager to prove himself, went to guard Backdoor Seventy-Three, lying in wait, only to be discovered and captured by Ka Long."
"Ka Long managed to hide within the sect for so many years without being detected—he's undoubtedly a cunning individual who had long prepared an escape route."
At this point, Mo Yu frowned. "Have you investigated Gu Han?"
"I have!" Mo Feng promptly reported the gathered intelligence. "After leaving the tavern yesterday, Gu Han went to the sect's outpost in town to request Zhang Zhishi's assistance."
"After Young Master Mo Qing launched the signal fireworks, Zhang Zhishi arrived immediately and saved Elder Xuan Qing."
"Gu Han entered through Backdoor Seventy-Three, by which time Ka Long had long departed. He rescued Mo Ziyuan..."
"After the Grand Elder announced the merits, Gu Han immediately returned to the sect with Zhang Zhishi and has been cultivating in the training hall ever since, without leaving."
"Hmm." Mo Yu nodded slightly and said indifferently, "From today onward, draw a clear line with Gu Han. Since Gu Han is close to Zhang Chuchen, there will naturally be others to suppress him."
He never suspected Gu Han—a low-level cultivator who had only recently broken through to Dou Fighter couldn't possibly have accomplished so much.
His inquiry was solely because the entire incident originated with Gu Han.
"Yes." Mo Feng accepted the order and withdrew.
Time passed minute by minute.
In the blink of an eye, another day went by, and it was past midnight.
Gu Han ceased his cultivation, focusing his mind to visualize the Black Tortoise Shell.
[On the eastern cliff of the first peak in the mountain range behind Yunlan Mountain, there is a three-hundred-year-old pine tree. Sitting atop the tree facing east to observe the purple qi rising at dawn is the best location near Yunlan Mountain to cultivate the Purple Qi Double Pupils.]
[The path on the fifth peak of the mountain range behind Yunlan Mountain is rugged and difficult to traverse. The section from the foot to the mountainside is the optimal area near Yunlan Mountain to practice Serpentine Nine Steps.]
"Two optimal locations."
Gu Han opened his eyes, a faint smile flashing in their depths.
This was truly a case of timely assistance. With his cultivation now elevated to Six-Star Dou Fighter, he needed to consolidate his progress, and practicing Dou Skills was an excellent choice. The Purple Qi Double Pupils and Serpentine Nine Steps were his top priorities.
After completing his breathing adjustment, Gu Han rose and left the cultivation chamber. He retrieved his token at the registration desk before departing.
He went to the Affairs Hall to collect the one thousand merit points, exchanged them for a batch of daily supplies, and headed directly to the third peak.
He would first practice Serpentine Nine Steps.
He trained until the fourth watch (around 3–5 a.m.), completed his breathing adjustment, and then proceeded to the vicinity of the Spirit Accumulation Ground where the Mo family cultivated the Jade Spirit Fruit Tree.
As soon as the hour of Mao arrived, he swaggered in and began digging with the tools he had prepared earlier.
The Black Tortoise Mystic Realm had now grown to four zhang in length, width, and height, making it perfectly suitable for transplanting the Jade Spirit Fruit Tree after some pruning.
"Huh?"
After unearthing the entire root system of the Jade Spirit Fruit Tree, Gu Han sensed something unusual with the Dou Qi within his body.
"What is this!?"