"Eightfold Mountain Crash."
Xiao Se's lips still carried a faint smile as he slowly withdrew his palm, finally calling out the name of the technique he had unleashed moments earlier.
Eightfold Mountain Crash was an Earth-rank high-level combat technique he had obtained in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
The technique was divided into eight layers.
Each layer condensed a mountain-shaped Dou Qi projection capable of erupting with double the user's base power. When fully mastered, all eight layers could stack together, forming a single devastating strike equivalent to eight full-strength attacks combined.
Its destructive power was terrifying beyond imagination.
And that was only the technique itself.
Xiao Se's physical foundation was already monstrous.
He had once consumed Dragon Blood Grass, later refined the Eight-Cornered Black Ice Grass and Blazing Fire Lotus Core while absorbing the Ice–Fire Dragon Flame, and had fused two god-grade soul bones into his body.
His physique had long surpassed ordinary humans.
Even compared to a Dou King-level magical beast, he would not fall behind in raw durability.
If he had unleashed Eightfold Mountain Crash with full force just now, that hammer-wielding senior would not have been sent flying.
He would have been reduced to nothing but a cloud of blood mist.
Fortunately, Xiao Se had restrained himself.
Slowly suppressing the lingering Dou Qi around his body, Xiao Se lifted his gaze toward the remaining seniors and spoke calmly.
"According to academy rules, I won't interfere with the standard fire-energy tribute collected from freshmen."
He paused slightly.
"But if anyone tries to collect more than what's allowed…"
His eyes sharpened.
"Then we'll settle it with our fists."
The words were calm.
Yet their meaning sent chills down every senior's spine.
The crowd fell silent.
The hammer-wielding youth lay buried in rubble in the distance, motionless.
Among the gathered seniors, he had been one of the strongest.
If even he had been instantly defeated, then charging forward now would be nothing more than suicide.
In the Inner Academy, strength was law.
And today, Xiao Se had demonstrated that law with absolute clarity.
Though unwilling, the seniors had no choice but to accept the reality before them.
From that brief exchange, they had already confirmed one thing—
Xiao Se was a Dou Ling.
And not an ordinary one.
A terrifyingly powerful Dou Ling.
Fourteen or fifteen years old… already stepping into the Dou Ling realm.
Just thinking about it made their scalps tingle.
With the trouble resolved, the freshmen excitedly gathered around Xiao Se, urging him to establish a faction and lead them.
Xiao Se refused without hesitation.
He didn't even consider it.
His cultivation time was already insufficient — how could he waste energy managing a group of reckless hot-blooded youths?
After exchanging a few words with Zhu Zhuqing and Han Yue, he departed alone to search for a suitable place to refine pills.
Meanwhile, Han Yue's newly formed female faction — Heaven Moon Pavilion — quickly gained popularity.
Not only did most female freshmen join, but even some senior women without affiliations came forward.
The reason was simple.
Zhu Zhuqing was helping manage the group.
And everyone in the Inner Academy already knew one fact:
Zhu Zhuqing was Xiao Se's woman.
If Heaven Moon Pavilion ever encountered trouble, Xiao Se would never stand aside.
With such a terrifying Dou Ling backing them, the faction's influence soared overnight.
Naturally, the male students weren't so fortunate.
Unable to survive alone, many reluctantly joined White Cheng's White Gang, forming a fragile balance within the Inner Academy.
Outside the Inner Academy — Magical Beast Mountain Range
Deep within the mountain range lay a secluded valley.
The valley was shaped like an inverted cone.
Sheer cliffs surrounded it on all sides, leaving no entrance except the open sky above.
"No one should disturb me here."
Xiao Se surveyed the surroundings and nodded in satisfaction.
With a flick of his wrist, he retrieved a sixth-rank medicinal cauldron — the one he had seized from a Dou King elder in the Black Skeleton Tomb.
Next came the medicinal ingredients required to refine the Soul-Merging Pill.
After arranging everything neatly and checking several times for mistakes, Xiao Se finally reached into his robes and pulled out the Seven-Colored Heaven-Devouring Python.
The small snake lay curled in his palm, its tiny purple eyes blinking innocently.
Gently touching its forehead, Xiao Se spoke softly.
"Queen, can you hear me?"
"I'm about to start refining the Soul-Merging Pill."
"…Queen?"
"…Queen?"
He called several times.
There was no response.
Only the small snake tilted its head pitifully at him.
Xiao Se sighed helplessly.
Just as he was about to take out a bottle of spirit liquid to feed it—
Suddenly.
A burst of intense crimson light erupted from the python's body.
The small figure expanded instantly.
When the red glow faded, a flawless, cold, and breathtaking woman stood before him.
Silver hair cascaded down her back.
Her purple snake pupils shimmered faintly beneath long lashes.
The Medusa Queen had appeared.
Xiao Se nearly jumped.
"Damn it, Queen! You're trying to scare me to death!"
Medusa sneered coldly.
"Oh? So even someone as shameless as you feels fear?"
Her tone carried clear irritation.
Over the past period of time, everything Xiao Se had done with Xiao Yixian and Zhu Zhuqing had been thoroughly witnessed by her consciousness.
Watching was bad enough.
What made it unbearable was that the Seven-Colored Heaven-Devouring Python would always be placed beside the bed.
The little snake understood nothing.
But Medusa did.
Every sound.
Every breath.
Every movement.
Those long nights had nearly driven her insane.
This human was utterly despicable.
Xiao Se coughed awkwardly.
"Well… Queen, I only behave that way toward people I love."
He spoke earnestly.
"Back in the Jia Ma Imperial Capital, countless beauties threw themselves at me, yet I never spared them a glance."
"So I'm not lustful."
"I'm just… deeply devoted."
Medusa's lips twitched.
She had seen shameless people before.
But never one so capable of lying to himself.
"Enough nonsense," she said coldly. "Start refining the pill. I'll guard the area."
"Got it!"
Xiao Se flashed a grin and walked toward the cauldron.
Standing before it, he slowly recalled the Soul-Merging Pill formula.
Moments later, he raised his hand.
A pink flame materialized in his palm.
This flame was formed from the fusion of Ice–Fire Dragon Flame and Green Lotus Core Flame.
Its power already rivaled flames ranked within the top fifteen Heavenly Flames.
As soon as it appeared, frost formed across the ground.
The temperature dropped sharply.
Yet the flame itself burned even more violently, flickering in an eerie contradiction of cold and heat.
With a wave of his hand, the pink flame poured into the sixth-rank cauldron.
Boom!
Blazing fire surged upward.
The refinement officially began.
This was Xiao Se's first attempt at refining a sixth-grade pill.
Even veteran sixth-grade alchemists possessed a failure rate.
And though Xiao Se's soul strength was terrifying, it had not yet reached the peak of sixth grade.
Failure was inevitable.
The first attempt failed.
So did the second.
Only on the third try did he finally grasp the rhythm of the medicinal fusion.
As dusk fell, the process reached its most crucial stage—
condensing the pill.
The valley fell completely silent.
Within the darkness, pink flames flickered like ghost fire.
Xiao Se stared intently into the cauldron, his expression solemn.
Thanks to the high quality of the sixth-rank cauldron, the refining speed was far faster than expected.
What should have taken two full days was now nearly completed in less than one and a half.
"Queen," Xiao Se said calmly without looking away.
"We're entering the final stage."
"No interruptions allowed."
"If magical beasts appear, kill them."
"If Inner Academy elders come without hostile intent, ignore them."
"Return to the python form and hide in my arms."
"I don't want unnecessary trouble."
Medusa nodded lightly.
She understood.
Xiao Se had no intention of hiding his identity as a sixth-grade alchemist.
The stronger his displayed talent, the greater the academy's trust.
And when the time came to seek the Fallen Heart Flame, that trust would save him countless obstacles.
Within the cauldron—
The true birth of the Soul-Merging Pill was about to begin.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +30 Extra Chapters on - P@tr3on "RinBlaze"]
[Every 15 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]