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--- Chapter 316 ---
After obtaining the suitable dou techniques from the Book Collection Hall, Han Yuan and the others went to the dormhouse assigned to them.
As top-ranked new students this year, the Outer Court was treating them well. However, it was clear that the cultivation facilities available in the Outer Court were not as good as those in the Inner Court.
Despite this, Han Yuan didn't dwell on it too much. It was disappointing that he couldn't access the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower and connect with the Fallen Heart Flame, but he still enjoyed his time there.
Han Yuan's dorm was situated on a small mountain near the Outer Court's Alchemy Hall, neighboring the dorms of Xiao Yixian, Gu Xun'er, and Qing Lin.
As for Yun Peng, he got housed in another mountain along with students ranked 6, 7, and 8.
At first, Han Yuan believed this arrangement was purposeful. Regardless, considering the number of students accepted into the Jia Nan Academy, getting split into groups of four was better than being crammed into one big dormitory.
"Brother Yuan, it's time for lunch," Qing Lin called out to him.
Han Yuan glanced down at the window and saw Qing Lin waving her hand at him. He smiled helplessly; although they lived in separate houses, their nearness felt like living under the same roof.
Casually stretching his muscles, Han Yuan stood up from his bed, pulled up the window, and jumped down, following Qing Lin to the picnic table where Xiao Yixian and Gu Xun'er had been waiting.
"How is your dorm?" Han Yuan asked as he sat down.
Xiao Yixian shrugged, "Decent, I guess. Our home back in Wu Tan City is much better."
"Yeah, I agree with her," Gu Xun'er nodded while sipping her iced tea.
Han Yuan chuckled, "You just haven't adapted to the Jia Nan Academy's environment yet."
"We're going to stay here for a couple of months until the next Inner Court Advancement," he added. "So, you'd better get used to it."
"A couple of months, huh? It's going to be a boring couple of months for me," Xiao Yixian commented wistfully.
Qing Lin sheepishly leaned against Han Yuan's arm, rubbing her red face against it. "B-Brother Yuan, can Qing Lin sleep with you tonight? I'm not used to staying alone. I'm afraid."
"Please~!" She looked up at him with puppy eyes.
"Damn!" Xiao Yixian and Gu Xun'er froze, almost unable to believe what they had just witnessed. Qing Lin had unexpectedly played her card well, leaving them dumbfounded.
'Is this really the Qing Lin I knew?'
Qing Lin's sudden request took Han Yuan aback, and he knew he couldn't reject her. He smiled wryly, "Alright."
"Yey!" Qing Lin cheered happily.
Xiao Yixian gritted her teeth, and Gu Xun'er nearly smashed her teacup to pieces. They huffed internally, calming themselves down. The two girls finally realized that this was their chance to grow closer to Han Yuan while they were the only ones around.
Once they entered Inner Court, some exceptional female students would definitely flock to Han Yuan.
They admitted they are naive. The thought of cougars like Yun Yun and Queen Medusa out of the window, everything would be okay.
But no!
Everything is not okay!
Unaware of Xiao Yixian and Gu Xun'er's thoughts, Han Yuan remained focused on the new techniques he had acquired and ate his lunch in silence while Qing Lin hugged his arm.
Well, even if Han Yuan had known, there was nothing he could do. As long as the girls didn't hurt each other, he wouldn't mind spoiling them.
---
After lunch, Han Yuan went to the small pond at the back of their dorms and meditated while recalling several new techniques he had learned.
Not counting the vast inheritances from the Misty Mountain Sect, Han Yuan was more focused on Venerable Yao's profound inheritances and Old Headmaster Meng's unfinished dou techniques.
The Tri-Sun Purity Stonemill was an energy refining technique primarily focused on harnessing earth and heavenly energy, spatial power, star essences, and, most importantly, spiritual energy.
The Nine Tales of Nine-Tails was a set of odd fighting techniques, but unfortunately, it was incomplete, containing only four out of the nine original techniques.
Han Yuan wondered if he could complete it with his own understanding or merge it with his existing abilities.
Then there was Fleeting Stardust, a mysterious movement technique that Han Yuan had learned to a certain degree but hadn't yet integrated into his Flying Thunder God Steps, fearing it might complicate his path.
Then, Han Yuan also had the Elemental Thunder Mantra and Thunderfire Shock.
Thunderfire Shock wasn't difficult to learn. In fact, Han Yuan understood the concept well. This technique focused on generating explosive energy and electrical shock much stronger than one's cultivation level.
Simply put, fusing both forces inside one's body generates power above one's cultivation, but also pushes one's physical endurance to the limit, with a theoretical maximum of one hundredfold shock waves.
Still, once a hundredfold shock is 'actually' used, death is absolute!
Han Yuan looked at the scroll of the Elemental Thunder Mantra in his left hand and then glanced at the incomplete Fire Mantra he had obtained from Han Feng's loot in his other hand.
Upon analyzing the content of both techniques, Han Yuan noted some similarities and deviations.
If the Flame Mantra was a pure fusion of multiple Heavenly Flames, giving birth to a superior Heavenly Flame with various traits, then the Elemental Thunder Mantra took a step back, extracting the uniqueness of Heavenly Flames and integrating them into one's bioelectricity. The pure energy left behind was used as fuel to intensify the bioelectricity (lightning qi).
"Both Mantras have their own merits," Han Yuan pondered deeply as he gazed at the blue sky. "Still, given how diverse my path is, the Elemental Thunder Mantra is more suitable for me."
"Unless... Yes, unless I got my hand on the complete version of Flame Mantra!"
"Maybe I shouldn't really leave that ring with Xiao Yan. Now it's going to be wasteful in his hands for three years."
"No, if I do that, Xiao Yan's cultivation will return, and Yao Chen won't be helping me readily either anyway."
"Damn, this is annoying..." He mused while massaging his forehead. Even though he hasn't confirmed his guess, he knew Yao Chan's revival was a scheme.
As a cunning individual who lived for hundreds of years, Yao Chen, a half-saint, taking Xiao Yan as a disciple is definitely not an easy matter.
He molded that boy into a fine and loyal student. Sure enough, Xiao Yan took Yao Chen flying off with him after becoming a Dou God.
Suddenly, Han Yuan sensed a new presence inside his field. He stored the scrolls back into the Sky Poison Pearl and gazed at the newcomer who had arrived before him.
A purple-haired little girl in a brilliant purple princess dress landed on the ground before Han Yuan. She has a beautiful and fair face, almost like a porcelain doll, but what caught Han Yuan's interest was her height and the immense pure dragon's blood she instinctively exudes.
'She's even shorter than Qing Lin.' Han Yuan thought to himself. At the same time, he also had a guess who this little girl was.
"You! Tell me, what kind of Magical Beast you are?!" She asked while pointing her little finger at Han Yuan.
Han Yuan smiled faintly, deciding to tease this little dragon girl. "Whoa, little girl, how can you ask something like that right off the bat?"
"That's rude, you know?"
As if a cat whose tail was getting stepped on, the purple-haired girl shouted angrily at Han Yuan because of the way he referred to her. "You're a little girl! Your whole family is little girls!"
Han Yuan laughed, "Haha, see, being treated rudely isn't nice."
"Before you ask something, you should at least introduce yourself."
The purple-haired girl frowned and then puffed her cheeks. She lifted her chin proudly and said haughtily. "Hmph! Listen up, you imbecile, this lady is a great beauty known in the Inner Court of Jia Nan Academy."
"This lady's name is Zi Yan, remember that!"