"A very powerful feeling. My current strength is far greater than before."
Inside the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, Yan Qingshan slowly opened his eyes. His half-exposed body was interwoven with faint azure dragon patterns that seemed to be swimming, and although his cultivation level hadn't changed much, the increase in his strength was terrifying.
Peak two-star Dou Spirit, that was his current cultivation level. The progress wasn't too significant, but after switching to an Di-rank Dou Qi Method, both the quality and power of his True Qi were vastly different from before.
Just as there was a huge difference between Di-rank and Xuan-rank Dou Techniques, the gap between Di-rank and Xuan-rank Dou Qi Methods was even more terrifying.
Previously, even with his deep mastery of Di-rank Dou Techniques, he needed to accumulate energy and seize opportunities to unleash them. But now, low-level Di-rank Dou Techniques had become his standard trump cards.
Yan Qingshan felt the surging power within his body, a smile appearing on his lips. After slowly getting up and tidying things, he stepped out of the advanced cultivation room that had been closed for so long.
…
"You kid, you've been in seclusion for nearly a hundred days without coming out. I thought something had happened. I didn't expect you to be so lively. It seems you have quite a few secrets!"
Inside the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, Elder Liu smiled as he spoke to Yan Qingshan, his eyes filled with undisguised curiosity.
Everyone knew that the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower had excellent cultivation effects, but below the Dou King level, almost no one could withstand more than ten consecutive days of cultivation. This was because although the Fallen Heart Flame was good, it also carried fire toxins, and prolonged cultivation could lead to fire toxin invasion. So, almost no one would stay inside for too long.
Yan Qingshan, however, had set a record. There weren't many students who had secluded themselves for a hundred days at a time like him, and the fact that he was a new student made it even more noteworthy.
"It's just that switching Dou Qi Methods took a little more time. Di-rank Dou Qi Methods are indeed quite difficult to cultivate!"
Yan Qingshan lamented the difficulty of cultivating techniques, and Elder Liu's eyes flashed with envy. Di-rank Dou Qi Methods were different from Dou Techniques. Not to mention Dou Spirit, even Dou Emperor struggled to find them.
Although Elder Liu had some influence in Jia Nan Academy, and Jia Nan Academy also had Di-rank Dou Qi Methods in its collection, the academy wasn't extravagant enough to equip every elder with Di-rank Dou Qi Methods. Most elders still used high-level Xuan-rank techniques.
"The Book Collection Hall's reward!"
Elder Liu lowered his voice, and after seeing Yan Qingshan's calm expression, he had his answer. He sighed slowly, "You kid have good luck. Over the years, many have taken Di-rank Dou Techniques from the Book Collection Hall, but very few have obtained Dou Qi Methods."
"Just luck!"
Yan Qingshan smiled slightly. He wasn't surprised by Elder Liu's jealous demeanor. The three Dou Qi Methods and Dou Techniques he had learned from the Book Collection Hall were worth at least ten million gold coins each, and they were the kind that had a price but no market.
Yan Qingshan's nonchalance made Elder Liu particularly annoyed. He waved his hand, "You kid are just making this old man worry. Go away, go away. Isn't your appointment with Lin Xiuya and Liu Qing in these few days? You probably don't know, but they've been blocking a lot of trouble for you these days."
"Thank you, Elder Liu!"
Yan Qingshan bowed to Elder Liu and turned to leave. With a few swift movements, he reached the end of the passage and left that floor of the black tower.
"Hehe!"
Elder Liu smiled, poured himself a glass of fruit wine, and drank it in one gulp. "With this kid's talent, the Inner Academy will be lively in the future!"
…
In the northeastern corner of the Inner Academy, the courtyard area where the new students of this class lived, Xiao Yi Xian, Han Yue, Han Xian, Lin Yan, and others were discussing.
Han Yue, cold as ice, sighed, "The Little Sword Gang is causing trouble for us again. This is the third time this month."
Lin Yan grunted angrily, "Bai Cheng and Bei Ju, those two bastards, I'll chop them up after I break through to Dou Spirit."
"Lin Yan, don't be impulsive."
Xiao Yi Xian hurriedly said, "Everyone is dissatisfied with those people, but the current situation is still manageable. This is the limit of what Wolf Teeth Gang and Splitting Mountain Gang can do for us. Brother Lin and Brother Liu are also under a lot of pressure."
Han Xian also advised, "Yeah, Lin Yan, we can only wait for the president to come back. Bai Cheng and the others are waiting for us to retaliate so they can find an excuse to attack us.
The leader of the Little Sword Gang, Yang Sheng, is a six-star Dou Spirit. If he finds a reason to intervene, we won't be able to resist even with the help of Wolf Fang and Liu Gang."
"That's right!"
Han Yue nodded, "Except for Bai Cheng and Bei Ju, all the new students of our class have joined the Qingshan Faction. This has prevented many old forces from replenishing their fresh blood, making them quite dissatisfied.
If it weren't for the strength that Qingshan showed in the Fire Energy Hunting Competition and the mediation of Liu Qing and Lin Xiuya, our situation would probably be even more difficult.
The Little Sword Gang's attack is not accidental, but inevitable. The fact that almost all the new students joined one force has undoubtedly broken some of the Inner Academy's unspoken rules. It's normal for us to be suppressed.
But the more this happens, the less we can afford to be impulsive. One wrong move, and the entire Qingshan Faction could face a crisis."
"Face a crisis? What kind of crisis?"
A voice rang out in the room. Yan Qingshan's figure appeared in the room from outside the door in an instant. The afterimage outside the door hadn't even dissipated.
"President!"
Han Yue and Han Xian bowed slightly to Yan Qingshan, while Xiao Yi Xian stood up and welcomed Yan Qingshan to his seat. She stood obediently behind Yan Qingshan.
Yan Qingshan tapped the table lightly with one hand and said calmly, "Tell me! Bai Cheng and Bei Ju, what's the situation?"
"Bai Cheng was humiliated in the Fire Energy Hunting Competition and held a grudge. Although he taught that senior student a lesson afterward, he still wanted to take harsher action but was stopped by Liu Qing, who explicitly stated that matters from the Fire Energy Hunting Competition shouldn't be brought to the Inner Academy."
Han Yue spoke slowly, "This incident left a knot in Bai Cheng's heart, making him somewhat hostile to Liu Qing and Lin Xiuya. We tried to persuade him, but he wouldn't listen, thinking we weren't on his side.
Bei Ju has a cousin, Bei Yun, who is now a peak Dou Grandmaster and a leader in the Inner Academy's first-class force, the Little Sword Gang. The fact that all the students of our class joined the Qingshan Faction has naturally caused dissatisfaction among many people. So, he secretly contacted Bei Ju and Bai Cheng.
After Bai Ju and Bai Cheng secretly joined the Little Sword Gang, they tried to recruit more people. After we chased them away, they kept causing trouble. The Little Sword Gang has also repeatedly suppressed and targeted our Qingshan Faction.
This matter is not just the decision of the Little Sword Gang alone. Because all the new students of this class joined the Qingshan Faction, many senior forces are generally dissatisfied with us. There must be other forces behind the scenes."