Chapter 180: Cultivation Technique
With actual pills to examine, Han Yue didn't hesitate in the slightest and immediately agreed to cooperate with Xiao Yuan.
After a round of discussions, Han Yue's faction, Yue Ling, became the first client of the Lionheart Society, placing an order with Xiao Yan, the Society's head alchemist, and paying 30% of the Fire Energy upfront as a deposit.
This wave of business earned the Lionheart Society a tidy profit.
Xiao Yan was naturally quite pleased with the idea of exchanging pills for Fire Energy.
He had stockpiled quite a few ingredients for Qi Recovery and Vital Body Pills—after all, out in the field, those two types of pills were indispensable.
However, for Ice-Clear Pills and Green Spirit Pills, he would need Fire Energy to exchange for more ingredients. But even at the pricing they had set—while not as high as what he'd fetched in Black-Corner Region—they were still appealing enough to stir frenzy in Canaan Academy.
After all, Da Dou Shi-level students made up around 65% of the student population—a massive market!
Moreover, even Dou Ling-level students could take Green Spirit Pills. While the success rate wasn't high, there was still a chance of gaining a power boost. And since gaining even a single star as a Dou Ling was significantly harder than as a Da Dou Shi, there would definitely be those willing to take the gamble.
For a Dou Ling, fifty days of Fire Energy didn't go far in terms of training, so gambling on a Three-Stripe Green Spirit Pill wasn't unthinkable.
Afterward, Ah Tai was sent by Xiao Yuan to acquire more ingredients, while Xiao Yan began refining the pills Han Yue had ordered using what he already had on hand.
Additionally, Xiao Yan planned to refine some cultivation-assist pills for himself, aiming to break through to the Dou Ling class as quickly as possible.
Xun'er also went off to train on her own. As the heiress of the Gu Clan, resources had never been a problem for her.
As for Xiao Yuan…
He was studying his new cultivation techniques and battle skills.
The strongest cultivation technique he currently possessed was a high Earth-tier technique called the Devil Lightning Tome—a gift from Canaan Academy's headmaster, Mang Tianchi.
The Devil Lightning Tome came with a matching high Earth-tier battle skill, but it could only be cultivated at the Dou Wang level. Even Dou Lings couldn't sense or decipher it.
There was also an Earth-tier mid-grade movement skill tied to it—but it also required Dou Wang-level strength. In truth, it seemed this movement skill was designed to complement the main battle skill.
The only one Xiao Yuan could practice for now was a low Earth-tier spear art called the Nine Tribulations Devil Lightning Spear.
However, training in this art produced considerable commotion, making it unfit for practice inside the Inner Academy.
He could go to the back mountains, but that carried the risk of magical beast ambushes.
And anyway, the prerequisite to cultivate the Nine Tribulations Devil Lightning Spear was first mastering the Devil Lightning Tome.
All things considered, Xiao Yuan had to begin by cultivating the core technique first.
Coincidentally, Xiao Yu also needed to switch to a new water-type Earth-tier low-grade technique: Calm Flow of Clear Waters.
So, while Xiao Yan focused on alchemy, Xiao Yuan and Xiao Yu spent time together cultivating their new techniques.
Compared to learning a new technique, switching from an old one was far more challenging.
Though Xiao Yu's talent was decent, with Xiao Yuan guiding her, her progress was encouraging.
But surprisingly, Xiao Yuan himself encountered a small problem—despite usually having outstanding talent in cultivation.
The Devil Lightning Tome required… Black Devil Lightning.
That was a type of lightning that only appeared during the refinement of Tier-9 Treasure Pills. Even a Dou Zun could be reduced to ashes under it. Bringing that into his body to cultivate the technique? That was pure suicide!
Xiao Yuan frowned as he felt the faint trace of Black Devil Lightning sealed in his brow—left there by Mang Tianchi.
That old man was clearly messing with him!
It was Black Devil Lightning—and sealed right in his brow!
He'd never encountered it before and thought it looked cool. But once he opened the Devil Lightning Tome, he realized the truth. Sure, it looked cool—but it could literally kill him!
Even with Heavenly Flames, Xiao Yuan didn't dare say he could fully control the lightning. No matter how weak it was, it wasn't something a Dou Ling could casually handle.
Especially not sealed between his eyebrows—one wrong move, and boom—his head would explode.
Then he'd be known as the first person to get blown up while cultivating a technique!
What a joke!
But after a full day of thought, Xiao Yuan decided to take the risk.
Though powerful, Black Devil Lightning could be suppressed if one's Heavenly Flame and strength were great enough.
This was his body. If he was scared off by a mere strand of Black Devil Lightning, how would he ever face greater enemies in the future? Run away?
No—he had to grow stronger! Strong enough to face any enemy head-on!
So taking risks was both normal and necessary.
The next day, Xiao Yuan began cultivating according to his plan.
First, he formed a net of Heavenly Flame.
He sealed the Black Devil Lightning within that net.
Next, he began transferring it to his lower abdomen—near his Spiritual Core.
This was also where his Heavenly Flame surged from—making it a safer location to refine it.
Ordinary people wouldn't dare do this.
That's because the lower abdomen was where the Dou Crystal stored energy. Any damage there, and they'd be crippled.
Of course, this didn't apply to powerhouses above Dou Wang level.
In truth, Mang Tianchi had meant for Xiao Yuan to wait until he reached Dou Wang before attempting this.
By then, his meridians would be more resilient, better able to endure the lightning's invasion.
But Xiao Yuan understood the enormous advantage a high-tier technique gave when cultivating Dou Qi.
During battle, high-level techniques produced more potent and abundant Dou Qi.
Heaven-tier techniques were so rare that even Dou Zun-level fighters might never see one in their lives.
So this high Earth-tier technique was likely the strongest technique Xiao Yuan would have for a long time.
He took it very seriously.
As long as the Hall of Souls and Soul Clan remained, he would never be at peace. Who knew when the Hall might suddenly send someone strong enough to crush him?
Thus, after relocating the lightning near his Spiritual Core, he shaped the flame net into a fiery cauldron and began refining the Black Devil Lightning.
The process was much harder than expected.
Though it was only a tiny arc, the destructive power it held rivaled Xiao Yuan's twin flame attacks.
If not for his deep reserves—drawing Dou Qi from five Qi Palaces to sustain the process—he would've run dry in half a day and died from the lightning exploding inside him.
Even so, it took a full week of intense effort before Xiao Yuan finally refined the lightning and began initial mastery of the Devil Lightning Tome.
To his surprise, the Devil Lightning Tome wasn't just any high Earth-tier technique—it was a body refinement technique!
At first, the user could absorb normal lightning to strengthen the body. Later, it could absorb colored pill lightning, Black Devil Lightning, and even Ninefold Golden Thunder!
If one reached the point of absorbing Ninefold Golden Thunder, the technique would evolve into a Heaven-tier art!
But Xiao Yuan wasn't planning on messing with Ninefold Golden Thunder anytime soon. That kind of lightning appeared only during the refinement of Tier-9 Golden Pills, and even five-star Dou Shengs could die from it.
In fact, that lightning could be used to create the legendary Tier-9 Thunder Tribulation Pill—which enhanced one's strength significantly.
But right now, no one on the Dou Qi Continent could refine a pill of that level.
Was he supposed to refine a Tier-9 Golden Pill just to cultivate this technique?
That'd be torture!
Maybe he should motivate Xiao Yan to do it instead!
With those thoughts drifting away, Xiao Yuan refocused and began studying the low Earth-tier battle art: Nine Tribulations Devil Lightning Spear.
Honestly, Xiao Yuan was very comfortable using spears, and this technique suited him perfectly.
But it was also extremely difficult to master.
By the end of the week, Xiao Yan had finished refining the pills. After delivery, he dove into the Heaven-Burning Qi Refining Tower to begin his own closed-door training.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yuan focused on mastering the new spear art. Currently, his strongest attack was still Mystic Ice Dragon Soar.
But to unleash its full potential, he needed to be at least a Dou Wang or Dou Huang. As a Dou Ling, forming the ice dragon with just his own Dou Qi was exhausting and inefficient.
Only by reaching Dou Wang or higher could he draw in natural energy to form the ice dragon—making it easier and much more powerful.
So this new spear art was a perfect gift—like a pillow to a drowsy man.
Earth-tier techniques could actively absorb natural energy.
Only at this level could a battle art split mountains and seas.
Thus, time passed steadily through his training.
A full month had gone by since Xiao Yuan publicly defeated Bai Cheng. During that time, he remained in the Lionheart Society's quarters, partly to train, partly because he'd been recognized as a "Strong Ranking" powerhouse.
According to Inner Academy rules, if someone defeated a ranked fighter, they would take their place. Bai Cheng had been ranked 34th—so now that spot belonged to Xiao Yuan.
Thirty-four might not seem very high, but in a place filled with geniuses, even one rank meant an intense struggle.
And once you entered the Strong Ranking, the benefits were incredible.
For example, as Rank 34, Xiao Yuan now received 200 days of Fire Energy per month.
Although he wasn't lacking in Fire Energy thanks to his battles and pill trade, in others' eyes, this was an immense reward.
Just moving up one spot in the ranking meant significantly better perks.
After defeating Bai Cheng, challenge letters began pouring into the Lionheart Society.
Despite Xiao Yuan's incredible strength, many still viewed him as "just" a Da Dou Shi.
So they assumed beating him wouldn't be too hard—especially since he hadn't left his room for a month. Maybe the secret technique had harmed him and he was too weak to fight now?
Xiao Yuan couldn't be bothered to deal with them. He wasn't going out of his way to pick fights with top 30 powerhouses—why waste time on people weaker than Bai Cheng?
So he let them think what they wanted and had Ah Tai spread the word that he was recovering from injuries.
That way, challengers had no choice but to sulk. The rules allowed injured fighters to refuse battles without consequence.
However, soon everyone's attention was diverted by something else.
Thanks to Han Yue's active promotion, the Lionheart Society's pills became wildly popular across the Inner Academy in just one month.
As the long-time monopoly of pills, the Yao Gang was furious!
Inside a lavishly decorated chamber, over a dozen people sat quietly. The atmosphere was heavy and tense.
At the head of the table sat Han Xian, slumped in his chair in a pharmacist's robe. On his chest was an ancient pill cauldron symbol with four bright silver stripes—so dazzling that others dared not look directly at it.
"Someone tell me—when did the Lionheart Society get an alchemist?" he asked darkly after a long silence. His voice was low and laced with fury. In front of him sat three pills—the same ones the Lionheart Society had started selling.
"Apparently it's their vice president—Xiao Yuan's younger brother, Xiao Yan," someone replied softly.
"That damn Xiao Yuan again!" Han Xian growled through clenched teeth.
"These three pills are better and cheaper than anything we sell…" he said coldly, his eyes locked on the pills. "With Han Yue's help promoting them, we might lose our monopoly!"
After a pause, Han Xian couldn't stomach it anymore and said in a chilling tone, "Investigate the ingredients they're buying. Whatever they purchase—we'll buy it all at double the price. Our Yao Gang might lack in many things—but we've got more Fire Energy than we know what to do with!"
"Yes, sir!"
All the members below him responded in unison.
(END CHAPTER)
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