"During the Dou Ancestor stage, four-star and seven-star are two minor bottlenecks…"
"Four-star to six-star is the middle stage of the Dou Ancestor realm, and breaking through requires a greater amount of energy." Looking at the considerably smaller Demonic Poison Spot on his chest, Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly. "The remaining energy of the Demonic Poison Spot is enough to help me reach six-star."
"There's no way to detect the Ancient Jade buried deep within." After glancing at a section of stone wall that looked no different from its surroundings, Lin Yuan nodded.
He then put away the Green Lotus Seat and turned around, flying toward the exit.
When he reached the barrier established by Qian Bai and the other elder, a purple light enveloped his body. He then passed through it effortlessly, with even more ease and composure than before.
After Lin Yuan left, this ancient magma sea once again fell into complete silence, waiting for the next storm to rise.
At the Bottom of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower
Su Qian was leading everyone in their "construction work."
"Whoosh!"
A faint sound of something breaking through the air suddenly came from the deep cavern. Su Qian and the others, who were arranging the formation, simultaneously turned their gazes toward the cavern.
A green figure flashed out from within and lightly landed on the ground.
After landing, Lin Yuan politely smiled at the elders and greeted them.
He then glanced over the formation patterns before looking toward Su Qian with a smile.
"Great Elder, how is the effect of this Fallen Heart Locking Spirit Formation? Is it usable?"
The Fallen Heart Locking Spirit Formation was something Lin Yuan had asked the Venerable Tian to create. Its purpose was to strengthen the effects of the Fallen Heart Flame's child flame.
"Haha, the effect of this formation is excellent!" Su Qian laughed heartily. "With the assistance of this formation, the academy's current 'Fire Energy' production has already increased by more than double compared to before. The Inner Academy can finally expand its enrollment."
"Using the Heavenly Flame through ingenious methods to fully exploit its potential is indeed vastly different from simply relying on its innate characteristics!"
At this point, Su Qian could not help feeling excited.
In terms of achievements, even if he immediately stepped down as Great Elder, he would still be considered one of the greatest Great Elders since the establishment of Jia Nan Academy.
In fact, at present, even the words "one of" could probably be omitted.
"That's good!"
Lin Yuan smiled and nodded before walking over to the Fire Gathering Pot.
"Coincidentally, the origin of the Fallen Heart Flame has recovered. I'll transfer some more of it to the child flame."
As he spoke, his mind stirred. He extracted a portion of the Fallen Heart Flame's origin from his main body and injected it into the heart flame child flame inside the Fire Gathering Pot.
The temperature of the child flame immediately soared, and its flames became considerably stronger. Even the Heart Fire it transformed became hotter.
After finishing, Lin Yuan lightly exhaled and smiled.
"That should do it. Its power has increased by roughly twenty percent."
"Little Lin, thank you for your efforts!" Su Qian said.
"Great Elder, you're too polite. I'll take my leave for now!"
Lin Yuan casually waved his hand and walked toward the upper levels with relaxed steps.
Watching Lin Yuan's departing figure, Su Qian recalled the sparring match in the rear mountain yesterday. A teasing look gradually appeared in his eyes.
"Little Lin, you'd better take good care of yourself this time! Your romantic luck is truly a little dangerous…"
Lin Yuan walked all the way out of the tower along the stairs, feeling quite relaxed.
The atmosphere inside the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower was also extremely lively at this moment. Many students had gathered together, discussing why the tower's Qi Refining effect had suddenly become stronger again.
The entire place was filled with a scene of flourishing vitality and vigorous growth.
Some students recognized Lin Yuan, but none of them had the courage to step forward and greet him, even among those who had known him in the past.
Time and strength had, without anyone realizing it, drawn invisible lines between everyone.
Feeling the increasingly heated gazes gathering around him, Lin Yuan sighed softly inwardly.
He then took one step forward.
In the next instant, his figure strangely disappeared from everyone's sight, leaving behind only a faint ripple in space.
Outside the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower
"Void Traversal. What an excellent movement technique!"
A rather delighted voice suddenly echoed through the air.
A green-robed figure emerged from a circle of rippling spatial fluctuations.
"As expected of a high-level Earth Class movement technique." Lin Yuan stretched lazily beneath the sunlight, his eyes filled with undisguised satisfaction. "After cultivating only the first stage, 'Space Break,' I can already perform short-distance spatial traversal."
"Combined with the enhancement to spatial abilities provided by Ancient Dragon Power, even though I've only cultivated the first stage, this movement technique is already in no way inferior to the perfected Three Thousand Lightning Movement."
"Once I master the second stage, 'Phantom Weave,' and the third stage, 'Void Travel'… Hehehe…"
Shaking his head, Lin Yuan pulled his wandering thoughts back and casually placed his hands behind his head as he leisurely walked toward his courtyard.
Medicine Garden
The secluded courtyard was decorated with numerous flowers. A gentle breeze swept through, carrying a faint fragrance with it.
Inside a stone pavilion in the courtyard, two stunning women sat peacefully opposite each other.
A chessboard was placed between them. From time to time, the crisp sound of a chess piece landing on the board echoed through the quiet courtyard.
"Chu Yun, Luoyan, Luohuang, Tianyun, Heaven Dou, and even the Black-Corner Region."
A trace of surprise flashed through the eyes of Queen Medusa as she placed a black chess piece onto the board.
"Five great empires and the chaotic land known as the Black-Corner Region. Your journey together has certainly been quite eventful."
She had never expected that in merely one year since she had parted from Lin Yuan, he and the woman before her would have experienced so many things together.
"You're no less impressive!"
Xiao Yixian gently picked up a white chess piece and placed it onto the board.
"The desert, the snowy mountains, Misty Cloud, the Hall of Souls, the Ancient Jade, the Ancient Clans, to be able to support him when he was still weak, before he had established his influence, and accompany him through that period."
"When I met him, he was already astonishingly powerful. What a pity…"
Lin Yuan had once joked that he wanted to experience what it was like to live off a woman.
Perhaps Lin Yuan had already forgotten those words as a joke, but Xiao Yixian had always kept them in her heart.
She had received too much care from Lin Yuan and also wanted to do something for him when he was in need, allowing him to experience what it was like to rely on her. Unfortunately, up until now, everything she could do had merely been icing on the cake.
No matter what one wanted to accomplish, strength was an obstacle that could never be bypassed.
Because of this, Xiao Yixian had always carried a faint sense of regret in her heart. She had been constantly chasing after Lin Yuan, yet the latter was simply too difficult to catch up to.
Even though she possessed the Woeful Poison Body, she had never once felt that she could surpass Lin Yuan.
However, an opportunity would soon arrive. Lin Yuan would not lie to her. Before long, she would have a chance to surpass him in strength for a certain period of time.
"Is that so? You too have always been chasing after him!" Medusa let out a faint sigh. She glanced at the chessboard and gently placed the chess piece in her hand down. "It seems this game is difficult to determine a winner! Forget it. After yesterday's battle, you have also proven that you are qualified."
"I don't need to prove anything to you." Xiao Yixian also placed the chess piece in her hand down. Her calm voice contained absolute determination. "I will simply remain by his side. That's all!"
"Besides, it's good that you came. You can help satisfy his needs. There are some things I still can't do."
"Can't do?" Medusa raised an eyebrow. "How useless. Nearly a year has passed, yet you still haven't won him over! Hehe, don't lose to Little Qinglin."
"You seem quite pleased with yourself?" Xiao Yixian's purple-gray eyes narrowed into a dangerous arc.
"Shouldn't I be?" Medusa retorted proudly. "In that pursuit between the King and me, I was the victor. And that spoils of war were also something I fought with all my strength to obtain."
"Spoils of war...?" Xiao Yixian bit her lip.
The two intelligent women looked at each other. As time passed, a certain tacit understanding quietly formed between their exchanged glances.
Suddenly, a faint sound came from not far away.
Xiao Yixian and Medusa simultaneously withdrew their gazes and looked toward the same direction.
From there came a familiar sound of footsteps.
About a minute later.
Lin Yuan pushed open the half-closed door and casually walked inside as usual. Habitually, he asked, "Xiao Yixian, Zi Yan, I'm back. Are you here...? Hmm? Majesty the Queen..."
For the sake of maintaining a sense of ritual in their daily lives, Xiao Yixian had made a request of Lin Yuan: unless absolutely necessary, he was not allowed to casually use his soul power to investigate things inside the house.
Lin Yuan had naturally agreed to this request. After all, casually probing others with one's soul power was indeed rather impolite.
Because of this, when Medusa's figure suddenly appeared in his line of sight, he was particularly pleasantly surprised.
However...
In the next instant, when the entire scene in the courtyard entered his eyes, when he saw Xiao Yixian and Medusa sitting opposite each other and saw the gazes the two women directed toward him, his heart immediately gave a loud thump.
At this moment, although the concentration of fire-element energy around him was completely normal, Lin Yuan inexplicably felt a trace of heat.
"Ahem..."
After a dry cough, he quickly steadied his mind and slowly walked into the stone pavilion. Looking at the two women, he smiled lightly. "Looks like you've already met each other. I've missed quite a show! Still, seeing two beauties playing chess together is truly a rare sight. Let me have a look."
There was a hint of teasing in Lin Yuan's voice as he tried to ease the subtle tension in the air.
His gaze shifted between the two women for a moment before settling on the chessboard, as though he were genuinely interested in the unfinished game.
"Hehe..."
Medusa chuckled softly. She rested her right arm on the stone table and gently supported her cheek with her jade-like hand. Tilting her head, she looked at Lin Yuan playfully.
"Little man, you came back at just the right time. Why don't you tell us which one of us has the upper hand in this game?"
After a pause, she deliberately added, "You're not allowed to say it's a draw. That would be far too insensitive."
Lin Yuan successfully learned today that a person's gaze could truly have weight.
The moment Medusa finished speaking, he felt the two gazes staring at him suddenly become several times heavier than before, pressing down upon his heart.
"Uh..."
The corner of Lin Yuan's mouth twitched, leaving him speechless.
This was a question that simply could not be answered.
It seemed he had just dug himself a huge pit.
Thus, an awkward silence descended upon the courtyard.
Meanwhile, in a rear room of the courtyard, two figures, one green and one purple, were staring at each other.
"Zi Yan, didn't you say you had a way to help? Hurry up and go rescue Young Master!" Qinglin whispered to Zi Yan.
"The atmosphere over there is too heavy. Forget it!" Zi Yan shook her head like a rattle drum, her voice trembling slightly. "I've never seen Sister Xiyue and Sister Xiao Yixian like this before. Let's just trust my brother's wisdom."
Zi Yan, who had previously patted her chest and guaranteed that she had a solution, suddenly backed out at the critical moment.
Hearing this, Qinglin gently rubbed her forehead and said, "At a critical moment like this, you Forget it. Fortunately, Young Master taught me to make contingency plans. I prepared a backup plan in advance. I'm counting on you Little Cai!"
As she spoke, a green light flashed through Qinglin's eyes, and the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils connected with the soul of her contracted partner.
A seven-colored mark appeared between Qinglin's brows.
Immediately afterward, a streak of seven-colored light flashed out. After the brilliant radiance faded, a little girl who appeared to be around eight years old landed on the ground.
"Sister Qinglin! Sister Zi Yan!" The little girl opened her eyes and called out in a clear, delicate voice.
Then, she gently sniffed the air with her little nose. After a moment of confusion, a joyful blush immediately spread across her cheeks.
"It's Daddy's scent!"
"Little Cai, hurry and go find Young Master... your daddy!" Qinglin waved her fist at Little Cai encouragingly.
Little Cai nodded and eagerly rushed toward the stone pavilion.
Inside the stone pavilion, Lin Yuan was caught between a rock and a hard place.
"Daddy..."
A clear, melodious girl's voice, carrying a slightly soft and sweet ending, suddenly came from behind him.
Immediately afterward, a delicate little girl who looked as though she had been carved from fine jade and powder rushed straight toward Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan turned around and caught her. An exceptionally gentle smile naturally appeared on his face.
"Little Cai!"
Little Cai's arrival and her innocent, carefree voice were like a gentle spring rain, instantly washing away all the tense atmosphere in the courtyard.
Holding Little Cai in his arms, Lin Yuan slowly sat down and gently patted the back of the little girl who had wrapped her arms around his neck.
Seeing this, Medusa also smiled gently. With a light wave of her jade-like hand, the black and white chess pieces scattered across the board accurately flew back into their respective chess boxes.
She then looked toward the rear room and said calmly, "Zi Yan, Qinglin, you can both come out."
Soon, the two little girls, Qing and Purple, also walked out of the room.
The clever Zi Yan keenly sensed that the tense atmosphere had completely disappeared. She immediately breathed a sigh of relief and carelessly sat down beside Lin Yuan, reaching out to tease Little Cai, who looked several years younger than her.
"Young Master, Qing'er is back!"
Qinglin walked before Lin Yuan, looking at him with unconcealed joy.
However, she was no longer a little child. She had grown up, and therefore.
Just as her emotions were soaring, Lin Yuan looked at the slightly more mature Qinglin and slowly extended his hand. With a light laugh, he said, "It's been a year since we last met. My Qing'er has grown up too! You're already a big girl."
Looking at Lin Yuan's hand, a trace of nostalgia flashed through Qinglin's eyes.
She temporarily abandoned the mature thoughts that had developed within her heart.
She lowered her head beneath Lin Yuan's palm, closed her eyes, and quietly enjoyed the warmth emanating from his palm.
That reassuring warmth.
After a while, Qinglin took a deep breath and picked up the mature heart she had temporarily set aside.
At this moment, her eyes had become somewhat brighter, and her demeanor had also matured.
For the first time, she voluntarily moved away from Lin Yuan's palm.
She wanted a closer relationship with him.
For that reason, she would follow Sister Xiyue's advice and slowly step outside the comfort zone of their current relationship.
Qinglin blinked her beautiful eyes.
When she looked into Lin Yuan's eyes once again, there was a different charm within them.
She, Qinglin, was sixteen years old and a six-star Dou Emperor.
She was already an adult.
She was no longer a little child, but a grown woman!
Seeing this, Lin Yuan slowly withdrew his hand and sighed meaningfully.
"My Qing'er has really grown up."
----
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