The next day.
After finishing an entire night of Dou Qi cultivation, Lin Yuan withdrew the hand seals he had been using. He calmed the Dou Qi circulating within his body, stretched his limbs a little, then sat down on a stone bench. From his storage ring, he took out a volume of the Medicine Codex he had borrowed from the Technique Pavilion and began reading and memorizing it carefully.
Although the Alchemy Department of Jia Nan Academy did not have an exceptionally high ceiling, its foundations were extremely solid, and its collection of books was vast. Lin Yuan was well aware of how important the identity of an alchemist would be to his future, so he devoted great effort to learning alchemy. Over the past few years, he had spent a considerable amount of time on this.
Lin Yuan understood clearly that without a "portable old grandpa," he could only rely on his own diligent study to make up for his shortcomings in experience and accumulated knowledge, reducing as much as possible the chances of missing valuable opportunities in the future.
After a while, calculating that it was about time for the Outer Academy's Technique Pavilion to open, Lin Yuan put the Medicine Codex back into his storage ring and set off toward the pavilion.
In front of the Technique Pavilion, a fiery red figure came into view. With her arms crossed over her chest, she was waiting there—it was Hu Jia, the Vice Dean's granddaughter, known by the nickname Little Demoness.
As the Vice Dean's granddaughter, Hu Jia was quite famous in the Outer Academy. She had an excellent background, outstanding looks, a straightforward personality, and good talent, though she was not particularly devoted to cultivation. Today, she was dressed in a set of tight-fitting crimson training clothes, brimming with vitality, perfectly matching her personality.
"Lin Yuan, what a coincidence. You're such a busy man—how do you have time to wander around here today?" Hu Jia walked over quickly when she saw him, teasing him as she spoke.
Lin Yuan shook his head helplessly and replied with a faintly amused smile, "It really is a coincidence. Even our little chili pepper, who usually avoids the Technique Pavilion like the plague, came so early today."
Upon hearing that, Hu Jia blinked her eyes, then suddenly leaned closer and asked in a mysterious tone, "I heard you broke through to Dou Grandmaster. Is it true?"
Lin Yuan smiled slightly and answered evasively, "What do you think?"
"Oh, stop keeping me in suspense—hurry up and tell me!" Hu Jia grew anxious and reached out to tug at Lin Yuan's sleeve.
"That's right. I really did break through," Lin Yuan said, smiling as he nodded.
"Wow, that's incredible!" Hu Jia exclaimed exaggeratedly. Then her tone shifted as she complained, "No wonder my grandpa keeps nagging me about you every day—how hardworking you are, how talented you are. He's obviously using you to push me! Honestly, it's putting so much pressure on me."
Hearing this, Lin Yuan nodded in understanding. "Elders are always like that—they love comparing us. But don't lose heart. I believe that if you work hard, there might be a tiny chance you could surpass me." His tone carried a trace of teasing toward the end.
"Hmph! What do you mean a tiny chance? Surpassing you is only a matter of time!" Hu Jia lifted her chin proudly, then said seriously, "But you're right, I really should work harder. I've decided. Starting today, I'm going to cultivate properly and stop slacking off!"
Seeing Hu Jia's earnest expression, Lin Yuan couldn't help but feel a bit gratified. He knew that although Hu Jia usually appeared carefree, she was actually extremely competitive at heart. He reached out and patted her on the shoulder.
"Do your best, young lady."
Caught off guard by the sudden encouragement, Hu Jia felt a little embarrassed and shot Lin Yuan a glare. "Don't take advantage of me!"
Lin Yuan laughed as he walked past Hu Jia toward the entrance of the Technique Pavilion, waving his hand and leaving behind a final encouraging remark.
"I hope that the next time we meet, you'll truly live up to the title of Little Demoness."
After handing the token to Elder Xu, who was guarding the pavilion, Lin Yuan stepped onto the top floor of Jia Nan Academy's Technique Pavilion. Compared to the lower levels, there were far fewer cultivation methods and Dou Techniques here.
He knew that he had to choose carefully, because his selection of cultivation method and Dou Technique would directly affect his future path of cultivation.
After careful comparison and selection, Lin Yuan finally fixed his gaze on two manuals—Spirit Flame Art and Soaring Dragon Steps.
Spirit Flame Art was a top-tier cultivation method even among high-tier Black-class techniques. It allowed the cultivator to control flame-attributed Dou Qi with far greater finesse. As Lin Yuan flipped through the manual, each scroll seemed to contain blazing heat.
This cultivation method not only increased the power of flame Dou Qi, but more importantly, it enhanced the cultivator's control over flames, allowing them to be as flexible as fingers—capable of both rigidity and softness. For Lin Yuan, this was an enormous temptation. As an alchemist, whether in battle or during pill refinement, precise control over flames was often of vital importance.
The other manual, Soaring Dragon Steps, was a high-tier Black-class movement Dou Technique. The footwork recorded within was strange and ever-changing, elusive like a roaming dragon weaving through a sea of clouds. When fully executed, its speed was exceptional, and it could also be coordinated with his previous movement technique, Instant Step. Lin Yuan attempted to move according to the footwork described in the manual, and he could feel that every step required extremely strong control over Dou Qi to maintain balance and speed.
Although this Dou Technique was difficult to cultivate, once mastered, it would allow the cultivator to move with ease in battle, effortlessly evading enemy attacks, while also being extremely efficient for escape.
Lin Yuan understood his own advantages well. Thanks to his powerful soul strength, he possessed exceptional talent in Dou Qi control. Therefore, the tremendous difficulty of cultivating Spirit Flame Art and Soaring Dragon Steps, which would be major obstacles for others posed no real problem for him. Their outstanding effects were exactly what he sought.
After choosing his cultivation method and Dou Technique, Lin Yuan went to register with Elder Xu. Elder Xu glanced at the selection and chuckled lightly.
"Excellent judgment. Spirit Flame Art and Soaring Dragon Steps are both outstanding Black-class manuals. They are not easy to cultivate, but they are extremely well suited for a genius like you."
Lin Yuan gave a slight bow in thanks. "Thank you for the praise, Elder. I will certainly cultivate diligently and will not disgrace such profound techniques."
Elder Xu nodded, then his expression turned solemn as he warned,
"However, you must remember that the manuals in the Technique Pavilion are valuable treasures of the academy. Without permission, they must not be passed on. You may only cultivate them yourself, and you must return the originals in one month. If you are found to have violated these rules, the punishment will be severe."
Hearing this, Lin Yuan's expression became serious. He nodded firmly.
"Please rest assured, Elder. This student understands and will strictly abide by the rules. I will return the originals in one month."
Seeing Lin Yuan's earnest demeanor, Elder Xu nodded in satisfaction. He waved his hand, signaling that Lin Yuan could leave. After thanking the elder once more, Lin Yuan turned and left the Technique Pavilion.
After leaving the pavilion, Lin Yuan returned to his small courtyard. He took out Spirit Flame Art and Soaring Dragon Steps from his storage ring and began familiarizing himself with the corresponding Dou Qi circulation methods.
Midnight.
While cultivating, Lin Yuan's expression remained calm, but his soul perception was operating at full capacity. After confirming that no one was nearby, he gently moved aside the stone table. His right hand became covered in three strands of Dou Qi, which intertwined and flowed in a spiral pattern—his self-created, attribute-less Black-class Dou Technique, Spiral Force.
Lin Yuan controlled Spiral Force to dig downward at the original position of the stone table. After excavating several meters, a low-grade storage ring appeared at the bottom of the pit. With a surge of Dou Qi, a gust of wind forced the storage ring into his hand. He quickly put it away, rapidly filled in the pit, and returned the stone table to its original position.
Afterward, Lin Yuan entered the room and took out a jade bottle from the excavated storage ring. Inside the bottle was a blood-red pill, about the size of a longan. The pill appeared extremely mysterious. At a glance, it looked like a transparent orb filled with blood. At its center, a point of dark-red bloodlight faintly emerged, resembling a tiny eye, giving off an overall eerie aura.
Staring at the pill, Lin Yuan's expression remained indifferent, his gaze deep and unfathomable.
"It's time to begin the next step of the plan."
"Life-Devouring Pill."