Chapter 289 True Flame Technique
When Xiao Ling passed through the stone gate, the dazzling light came towards him, but it did not affect him at all. However, just when he had just adapted to the sudden light, a strong fishy wind suddenly burst out from behind the stone gate, bringing a fierce force and rushing straight to his face.
Xiao Ling's brows slightly frowned, but he did not hesitate at all. His gestures changed quickly, and a "Swallow Counterattack" was performed. This move was like a swallow circling, not only cleverly defusing the opponent's attack, but also violently counterattacking Xiao Ling's powerful fighting spirit in the form of a recoil force.
The fierce gust of wind surged out like a wave, directly hitting the sudden attack. Then, Xiao Ling heard a sharp scream, and the huge figure, under the impact of the force, flew back violently like a baseball being hit, and finally fell heavily to the ground with a dull sound.
The dust cleared, and Xiao Ling's sight penetrated the haze, clearly revealing the secret realm behind the stone gate.
What appeared before him was a spacious warehouse, with the lights inside so bright that they were almost blinding. The walls of the warehouse were made of hard black steel stone, giving people a feeling that the entire warehouse was carved directly from a huge black steel stone vein.
In the warehouse, rows of shelves were neatly arranged, with scrolls placed on them. They were carefully rolled up, quietly waiting for the arrival of the destined person. On the other side, there were rows of transparent crystal cabinets. Through the cabinets, you can see various rare medicinal materials on display. They were carefully placed, and each one exuded an attractive light.
Xiao Ling's eyes wandered around the warehouse, and finally fixed on the huge snake-shaped monster on the ground. Obviously, this uninvited guest was the culprit who launched the sneak attack just now.
"It turned out to be a Dou Wang-level snake monster," Xiao Ling commented softly. He walked into the warehouse with steady steps and glanced at the snake monster again. It was coiled up, its tongue flickering fiercely, as if in protest.
A relaxed smile appeared on Xiao Ling's lips, and he said lightly: "Although such a magical beast is not a rare thing for Qinglin, it can be regarded as a small surprise." There was a hint of playfulness in his words, and it was obvious that he did not take the magical beast seriously.
Xiao Ling's eyes suddenly became sharp, and his gaze was like substance, releasing a powerful soul force. This force was like an invisible wave, spreading rapidly and directly impacting the snake-shaped monster.
The soul power of the monster was weak to begin with. Feeling this oppressive soul power, the snake monster felt fear instinctively. Soon, it felt a pain in its head. Its eyes instantly lost their luster, and its body softened and collapsed to the ground powerlessly, as if all its strength had been drained away.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Ling waved his hand nonchalantly, and the Dou Wang-level snake monster was easily put into the system space.
After finishing off the snake-shaped monster, Xiao Ling began his search. His eyes scanned the warehouse like a scanner, carefully collecting all the precious scrolls and rare medicinal herbs that came into his sight.
His movements were swift and methodical, and he carefully picked up each treasure and then it disappeared into his storage ring. As time went by, the treasures in the storeroom decreased one by one, while Xiao Ling's storage ring became more and more full.
When Xiao Ling concentrated again, he found that he had unconsciously walked to the end of the storeroom. He stopped and looked around to make sure that he had not missed any treasure.
The warehouse, which was originally filled with treasures, had been looted by him, leaving only empty shelves and cabinets, quietly telling of the looting just now.
In a corner of the storeroom, there was a bookshelf that was different from the others. It was not filled with scrolls like other bookshelves, but only had four simple wooden boxes on it. These four wooden boxes were Xiao Ling's ultimate goal, and their value was obviously far greater than other treasures.
Unlike other areas in the warehouse, this bookshelf is surrounded by a layer of light shield, and the energy radiating from the shield is rich and powerful. Although this layer of light curtain looks weak, it contains a power that cannot be underestimated. Upon closer inspection, the surface of the shield seems to have subtle spatial fluctuations, giving people a feeling of unfathomable depth.
Xiao Ling approached the bookshelf, his eyes swept across the light shield, and a disdainful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He whispered to himself: "The old demon's method is just like this."
For others, this protective shield condensed by the power of space may be an insurmountable obstacle, but in Xiao Ling's eyes, it is just a little trick.
He waved his hand casually, and the force of space moved accordingly. Under his control, the seemingly solid light film instantly turned into light particles and dissipated into the air.
As the light shield dissipated, four quaint wooden boxes appeared, quietly waiting for Xiao Ling's exploration.
Xiao Ling stepped forward and began to open those quaint wooden boxes one by one with a hint of anticipation.
He opened the first wooden box first, and immediately two silver scrolls appeared in front of him. The material of these scrolls was very special, and looked like some rare crystals, with a layer of fine electric light on the surface, which moved on the scrolls like silver snakes, flashing mysterious light.
Xiao Ling's eyes fell on the scroll in his hand. He gently pulled it and the scroll unfolded in his hand. The texture of the scroll was extraordinary, with complex runes painted on it, emitting a faint lightning light, which was extremely extraordinary.
"Benleijian, an intermediate earth-level technique with thunder attribute." He whispered.
Then, he took out another silver scroll from the wooden box. The material of this scroll was even more special, with a layer of fine electric light on the surface, as if it would burst out with thunder power at any time.
"The Jingzhe Thunder Method is an intermediate earth-level fighting skill that complements the Benleijian."
Xiao Ling casually put the two scrolls into his ring. Although such mid-level earth-level fighting skills might be regarded as treasures in the outside world, for him, these scrolls were not of much practical use.
However, Xiao Ling thought that these scrolls could serve as valuable resources for Canaan College in the future, adding a foundation to the future development of the college. He did not intend to practice these skills himself, but they might be rare learning materials for the students of the college.
Xiao Ling opened another wooden box, and inside lay a red scroll that he seemed to have seen before. With just a glance, he guessed the origin of the scroll.
He reached out and picked up the scroll, slowly unfolding it. Three large fiery red characters "Nong Yan Jue" immediately came into view, and behind these three large characters was the word "Zhen".
"This Flame-Playing Technique is the result of many years of hard work by me," the text on the scroll continued. "Although the traditional Flame-Playing Technique is powerful, it requires the combined efforts of at least three people to condense a kind of 'fake strange fire', and each condensation requires a considerable price. But this improved version of mine is more efficient. A single person can successfully condense a 'fake strange fire', its power far exceeds that of the past, and the sequelae are greatly reduced. Although the condensation process has become more complicated, compared with the huge benefits it brings, this trouble can be completely ignored..."
Xiao Ling looked at the introduction on the scroll, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips unconsciously. For him, this "Flame Art" was not only a gift to Elder Huo, but also a supplement to Yaotian Fire. In the future, he could also use it to condense an incarnation fire to further enhance the power of the Fire Lotus.
He carefully put the crimson scroll into the ring, then waved his hand lightly, and the lids of the remaining two quaint wooden boxes opened.
Just as he expected, in one of the wooden boxes lay a seventh-rank fire-attribute magic core emitting a blazing aura, while in the other one lay a scroll recording the method of refining the Heavenly Demon Puppet.
Xiao Ling did not hesitate at all, and with a wave of his hand, he put the two precious items into his pocket. Then, he turned around and slowly returned to the ground along the passage he had entered before.
As soon as Xiao Ling stepped out of the treasure house, he met the soul of the old demon under his control. It was holding the Ten Thousand Souls Banner in its hand, and it had obviously completed the task of collecting souls, and was quietly waiting for Xiao Ling's next instruction.
Xiao Ling took the Ten Thousand Souls Banner with quick and decisive movements. He gave it a light shake, and the soul of the old demon was collected into the banner. A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Xiao Ling examined the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and felt very satisfied with his gains in the mountains outside the Black Emperor City and the Demon Flame Valley.
The souls collected were richer than expected. After being refined by the members of the Demon Flame Valley, the capacity of the Ten Thousand Souls Banner was also increased.
The Ten Thousand Souls Banner, which originally could only accommodate three hundred souls, can now easily accommodate four hundred souls. The increase in this number will undoubtedly make the Ten Thousand Souls Banner more powerful.
As for the souls that he had collected in the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, Xiao Ling felt that it would not be a problem to cultivate several souls that were comparable to the peak Dou Zong strength. Xiao Ling's mind had already begun to depict the spectacular scenes of future battles. He imagined that when he was fighting with his opponent, he could summon dozens of powerful souls with a light wave of his hand, surround the enemy, and launch a fierce siege. The scene was both spectacular and interesting, and he couldn't help but laugh secretly, thinking that such a scene was too wonderful and unimaginable.
After putting away the Ten Thousand Souls Banner, Xiao Ling's figure flashed, and he flew towards the Canaan Academy like a meteor. His heart was full of anticipation, because he already felt that he was very close to breaking through to the Dou Zong Seven Star realm.
Xiao Ling planned to stay in seclusion at Canaan College for a period of time, devour and refine the Life-Transforming Fire, and then use the energy of the Demonic Poison Spot to accelerate his cultivation. He believed that with these powerful aids, he would soon be able to break through to the realm of the Nine-Star Dou Zong.
Thinking of this, Xiao Ling's eyes flashed with determination and confidence. He knew that his goal was about to be achieved, and that day was not far away.
……
The quiet town is located at the junction of the Black Horn Region and Canaan College. The sunlight from the sky pours down and shines on the plaque at the entrance of the town. The three ordinary and non-killing characters on it sparkle with a reassuring luster in the sun.
"Peace Town!"
On the top of a hill near Heping Town, Xiao Ling's figure appeared with breeze-like steps. His posture was upright, like a green pine tree.
His gaze passed through the hills and toward the quiet town. The plaque there was particularly eye-catching in the sun, and the three large characters "Heping Town" exuded a reassuring light.
Xiao Ling looked at the town, and an indescribable sense of peace surged in his heart. He had been wandering in the disputes of the Black Horn Region for some time. Although he did not feel physically tired with his current cultivation, deep in his heart, he longed for a little peace and relaxation.
Xiao Ling walked steadily and soon stepped into the streets of Heping Town. The residents of the town, especially the young students, looked at him with a mixture of admiration and awe.
Under this kind of gaze, Xiao Ling simply nodded and greeted the leader of the law enforcement team, Wu Tianlang, and then, without stopping, continued to walk quickly towards the inner courtyard of the back mountain of Canaan College.
Soon, he came to the entrance of the inner courtyard hidden by the distorted space. Passing through the silver door, what came into view was a vast, lush forest. Xiao Ling looked at this familiar scenery and couldn't help but take a deep breath, with a sense of familiarity in his heart.
He recalled his experience of leaving Canaan College this time. Unlike the past, he was away for only a few days. But in this short period of time, what he experienced was no simpler than the past one or two years of training.
At the entrance of the inner courtyard, Xiao Ling slowed down his pace and gave a friendly greeting to the guard elder. After a brief exchange, he did not stop for long, but immediately quickened his pace and headed towards Elder Huo's residence.
In the past, Elder Huo spent more time in the outer courtyard of Canaan Academy, but since his strength broke through to the Dou Zong realm, he chose to live in the quiet courtyard of the inner courtyard and enjoy the environment here that is more suitable for cultivation.
Soon, Xiao Ling came to a unique courtyard, which was the residence of Elder Huo.
The courtyard is surrounded by a low stone wall covered with green vines, and inside the stone wall is a vibrant herb garden. The courtyard is full of various rare medicinal herbs, some of which emit a faint fragrance, while others flash a strange light.
These herbs are not only good materials for refining medicine, but also add a touch of mystery to the courtyard.
There is an ancient stone pavilion in the center of the courtyard. Under the pavilion are a stone table and several stone benches. This is obviously where Elder Huo rests and thinks on weekdays.
Next to the stone pavilion is a small medicine room. From the half-open window, you can see that it is filled with various medicine-making tools, and some medicine-making secrets and experiences are hung on the wall.
Elder Huo's disciple Xiao Yan lives just opposite it. The two courtyards are separated by only a winding path, with carefully trimmed flowers and plants on both sides, giving people a feeling of tranquility and harmony.
Xiao Ling closed his eyes and quietly released his soul perception, like a gentle breeze, and probed into Elder Huo's courtyard.
Soon, he caught two familiar auras. They were undoubtedly Xiao Yan and Elder Huo, who were obviously busy with their own affairs.
Xiao Ling opened his eyes, and with a flick of his body, he quietly came to the door of the alchemy room. He knocked gently on the door, and the wooden door made a crisp sound, breaking the tranquility in the courtyard.
"Elder Huo, Xiao Yan, it's me, Xiao Ling." His voice was gentle and clear, and it came through the door.
When there was a gentle knock on the door, Elder Huo and Xiao Yan in the alchemy room stopped refining medicine.
Elder Huo's ears twitched, and when he heard the familiar voice, a gentle smile appeared on his face. He turned to Xiao Yan and said, "Xiao Yanzi, it seems that your cousin has arrived. Go open the door."
Xiao Yan nodded and walked quickly to the door. He opened the door of the alchemy room and it was Xiao Ling standing outside.
Xiao Ling's figure appeared at the door. His eyes passed through the crack of the open door and saw Elder Huo and Xiao Yan in the room.
When Xiao Yan saw Xiao Ling, he smiled and greeted Xiao Ling, "Cousin."
Xiao Ling nodded slightly in response, then walked into the alchemy room. When Xiao Yan saw Xiao Ling coming in, he quickly closed the door and followed him.
Elder Huo smiled when he saw Xiao Ling. He chuckled and said, "I didn't expect you to come back so soon. We've only been back to Canaan College for a day or two. Have you collected everything you said you wanted to collect?"
"Don't worry, Elder Huo, I can get what I want easily." Xiao Ling responded with a smile. As he spoke, he took out a red scroll from his ring and gently placed it on the table in front of Elder Huo. "This is the secret method I mentioned to you before, which can allow you to possess a flame comparable to the strange fire. I think you will be interested in it."
Xiao Ling turned to Xiao Yan who was standing beside him, and said with a smile on his face: "Don't just stand there, come and take a look. You will have to practice this in the future."
When Xiao Yan heard this, his eyes lit up immediately. He was naturally very interested in the secret method that could cultivate a flame comparable to the strange fire. He took two steps at a time and walked excitedly to the side of Elder Huo, staring at the red scroll curiously.
Elder Huo did not hesitate at all. He reached out and picked up the crimson scroll on the table and unfolded it skillfully.
His eyes were quickly attracted by the contents recorded on the scroll. He was deeply immersed in it and began to read attentively, as if everything in the outside world had nothing to do with him.
Time passed quietly as Elder Huo read attentively. Finally, he let out a long breath and slowly put down the scroll that contained the True Flame Art.
His voice was filled with a hint of excitement and emotion that was difficult to conceal: "This True Flame-Playing Technique is truly magical. It can actually condense a kind of artificial strange fire that is not as powerful as strange fire, but is also incredibly powerful. This is undoubtedly a great help in refining medicine."
(End of this chapter)