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--- Chapter 315 ---
After three hours inside the Book Collection Hall, Han Yuan and the others exited the space, but their expressions were peculiar. Well, it was more bewilderment than anything.
Hu Gan approached them with a kind smile. "What's wrong? You all look like you're in disbelief. Don't tell me you were unlucky and picked low-level dou techniques in the Book Collection Hall?"
"Uh, you better ask my brother about that," Xiao Yixian replied awkwardly, prompting Hu Gan and the two other elders to raise their eyebrows. "His choice is rather questionable."
"What does she mean by that, Han Yuan?" Hu Gan narrowed his eyes at Han Yuan.
Han Yuan raised his hands in mock surrender. "Whoa, whoa there, Deputy Headmaster. Interrogating us as soon as we return is a bit tasteless, don't you think?"
Han Yuan's blatant response stumped Hu Gan. However, he laughed it off awkwardly. "What? Interrogation? Hahaha! How could that be? I mean, we are just curious."
'This guy's face is so thick that he dragged us into shame. What do you mean by 'we'? You're the one talking! We haven't said a thing!' Elder Bai and Elder Qian exchanged glances, unsure what to say about Hu Gan's behavior.
Two words: Absolutely Vile!
Of course, Elder Bai and Elder Qian had known Hu Gan for years, so they still tolerated his antics in front of the juniors. However, things would be different once they were alone.
As elders, Elder Bai and Elder Qian would certainly knock some sense into this shameless Deputy Headmaster when the time came.
Noticing Hu Gan's uncomfortable expression, Han Yuan pulled out three ordinary-looking scrolls from his storage ring. "These are my choices."
"These are..." Hu Gan adjusted his glasses and squinted at the scrolls. "D-Do you really pick these?"
"Yes, is there a problem?" Han Yuan asked innocently.
On the side, Elder Bai sighed. "To think he'd actually pick Old Headmaster Meng's things."
"What a coincidence."
'Coincidence? I think not!' Han Yuan added inwardly with amusement. He used the Eyes of Truth and knew exactly what he picked.
Elder Qian nodded and slowly read the names of the scrolls in Han Yuan's hand: "Elemental Thunder Mantra, Thunderfire Shock, and finally, Old Headmaster Meng's own signature technique, Thunderless Punch."
"Just Thunderless Punch alone is a low-earth rank dou technique with immense potential."
"Old Headmaster Meng developed it when he was young and perfected it while defeating many powerful opponents, making this dou technique known as an unrivaled punching technique in the Central Region."
"However, you also picked his half-finished creations."
"Frankly, I don't know if you were lucky or not, kid."
"Half-finished creations..." Gu Xun'er gazed at the Elemental Thunder Mantra and Thunderfire Shock.
Elder Qian nodded and said, "Yes, they are half-finished creations. Before I start explaining, let me give you a brief history of how the Jia Nan Academy came to be."
"Back then, Old Headmaster Meng roamed the continent, searching for a chance to break through."
"Fortunately, he discovered Heavenly Flame, the Fallen Heart Flame."
"Unfortunately, when he attempted to refine the Heavenly Flame, he found that it had developed consciousness."
"If it were any other Heavenly Flame, Old Headmaster Meng wouldn't have been troubled, but the Fallen Heart Flame has an extremely corrupting power that can mislead one's heart."
"Moreover, Old Headmaster Meng cultivated and used Lightning-Type Dou Techniques throughout his life, making it extraordinarily difficult to refine the Fallen Heart Flame, which possesses an overbearing Yin nature."
"Left with no choice, Old Headmaster Meng sealed the Heavenly Flame and used it to create a training ground for future generations. Of course, once you enter the Inner Court, you'll see how powerful this training ground is," he added mysteriously.
Upon hearing this, Han Yuan and Gu Xun'er stayed calm. Still, Xiao Yixian, Qing Lin, and Yun Feng were unaware of Jia Nan Academy's infamous Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower.
The Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower can indeed significantly improve one's cultivation speed, but students must endure the leaking essence of the Fallen Heart Flame.
Although it is poisonous and spiritually harmful, once you endure it, the effects on one's cultivation are very effective.
"Wow, there is such a magical thing in the academy?" Qing Lin exclaimed in amazement.
Elder Qian chuckled, "Well, that's for you to discover. Still, I guarantee you will be surprised once you experience it for yourself."
"Anyway, back to the story."
"After sealing the Heavenly Flame, Old Headmaster Meng didn't give up on refining it. How should I put it? He was a stubborn old man."
---
Far away from the Jia Nan Academy, a middle-aged man in a white-blue battle robe stood on a snowy peak and suddenly sneezed.
"Achoo! Why did I suddenly sneeze?" He mused, rubbing his nose in puzzlement. "Someone must have been talking badly about me."
"Hmph! Don't let me find out who you are, or I will beat you up!"
After saying that, the middle-aged man vanished into thin air.
---
Back in the academy, Elder Qian suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, which he was very familiar with, and he was very nervous about that possibility.
He coughed a few times, "Ehem, ehem, Old Headmaster Meng is a genius of his own."
"He knew the Fallen Heart Flame was a problem with no solution, so he made one."
"His idea is bold; he planned to refine other elemental dou qi and then convert it into lightning one, but still retain their inherent trait."
"The main core of this dou technique is to absorb different kinds of high-ranking Beast Flame, if not Heavenly Flame, if possible. Then, used that same fiery force to generate an immense amount of lightning qi."
"Thus, the half-finished Elemental Thunder Mantra was born."
"Unfortunately, the force of Beast Flame is overpowering, let alone Heavenly Flame."
"Old Headmaster Meng almost crippled himself on the path to sainthood because of it."
"Luckily, he survived. In the end, he gave up on finishing Elemental Thunder Mantra."
Han Yuan listened to Elder Qian's emotional explanation and pretty much confirmed the source behind the Elemental Thunder Mantra.
Yet, he knew something that Elder Qian and other elders of Jia Nan Academy didn't know.
To create the Elemental Thunder Mantra, Old Headmaster actually draws inspiration from an ancient dou technique that can grow by absorbing Heavenly Flame.
Yes, that ancient dou technique is none other than Flame Mantra. This world's protagonist practiced this cultivation technique!
Han Yuan also obtained the incomplete Flame Mantra after killing Han Feng. Even though he hasn't compared the two techniques, the Eyes of Truth would never disappoint him. These two are indeed related to each other.
Of course, Han Yuan still needs to conduct an in-depth breakdown of Elemental Thunder Mantra, which is usable for his own Monochromatic Inner Star Sutra.
"What about Thunderfire Shock then?" Gu Xun'er tilted her head. She had some information about Meng Tian Chi, but she had never heard of him using such a dou technique.
Elder Bai answered the question this time, "Thunderfire Shock is another unfinished creation of Old Headmaster Meng. However, compared to the previous Elemental Thunder Mantra, this dou technique can be said to be completed to a certain degree."
"Once you master it, you will gain tremendous explosive power that exceeds one's cultivation."
"It's just that..."
"It's just that the requirement to cultivate one is too strict," He shrugged helplessly. "As the name suggests, one must possess a strong affinity for lightning and fire elements."
"After that, one must possess a strong body and will because each stage of Thunderfire Shock will cause immense pain to its practitioner."
"Old Headmaster Meng described the sensation as if he was getting ripped apart from the inside out."
"That's scary..." Han Yuan commented. "But I decided to pick this dou technique."
"Are you telling me..." Elder Bai gave him a blank look.
Han Yuan smiled confidently, "Yes, I'm planning to cultivate this dou technique."
"..." Hu Gan.
"..." Elder Bai.
"..." Elder Qian.
Do you really listen to the explanation earlier?
"Fine, I can see that you have great ambition. Then, if you can reach the 1st Stage of Thunderfire Shock in half a year, Elder Bai and I will give you something special." Elder Qian said with a playful tone.
"Me too, I will give you one of my precious collections." Hu Gan followed along.
"Hehe, I will mark your words, seniors." Han Yuan chuckled in return.
After that, Hu Gan escorted Han Yuan and others out of the library. Yet, he returned a moment later with the biggest grin on his face.
"Alright, elders! Pay up!" Hu Gan said boldly.
Elder Bai and Elder Qian stared at Hu Gan dumbly. They snorted and then started bullying Hu Gan with their spatial power, making him black and blue before throwing a wine gourd at him.
Hu Gan groveled on the ground, clutching the gourd. "Snowy Plume Wine, hahaha, worth it!"
Twitch!
Elder Bai and Elder Qian's foreheads twitched.
"Scram!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAGGHHH!"
A scream reverberated in the library as the guardian elders launched Hu Gan off to the distant.