"Big Brother, Sister Xiao Yixian, we're heading out."
Zi Yan waved at Lin Yuan, then excitedly looked at Medusa beside her. "Sister Xiyue, let's hurry and set off! All those heavenly treasures are waiting for us to snatch them Uh, no, I mean, collect them!"
"Girl, while you're out this time, make sure you listen to your Sister Xiyue." Lin Yuan patted her head and reminded her.
Zi Yan hurriedly nodded, though her eyes were mischievously darting around.
Lin Yuan nodded slightly, then stepped forward and gently embraced Medusa for a moment. In a soft voice, he said, "Xiyue, I'll leave Xiao Cai, Zi Yan, and Qing Lin in your care!"
Although the two of them had been quite intimate in private, especially last night, Medusa was still somewhat unaccustomed to such affectionate behavior in public.
The moment Lin Yuan's arm touched Medusa, a faint, alluring blush appeared on her cold and beautiful cheeks. However, she did not pull away. After glancing at the others from the corner of her eye, she gently wrapped her slender arms around his waist.
"Don't worry. I'll take good care of these little ones!" She gently rested her head against Lin Yuan's chest and spoke with determination.
"Mm!"
Lin Yuan nodded. A moment later, he finally released the captivating body in his arms and said solemnly, "If you don't see me when you return, go to the Pill Region in the Central Plains and wait for me there. No matter what happens, I'll make a trip there."
After a pause, he continued, "There's a lot of information I've compiled in here. It should help you gain a relatively comprehensive understanding of the continent."
As he spoke, Lin Yuan took out a high-grade Storage Ring and handed it to Medusa.
Once one reached a certain level of strength, high-grade Storage Rings, which had once seemed extremely precious, became rather commonplace. Lin Yuan had already obtained several of them, and this particular one had been taken from Earth Demon Old Ghost.
This was one of the most direct changes brought about by an increase in strength.
After thinking for a moment, he added, "Besides that, you can take Qing'er and Xiao Cai to the Tianmu Mountain Range in the northern region of the Central Plains. The Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool there can help people break through to the Dou Ancestor realm."
Hearing this, Medusa nodded and accepted the Storage Ring.
After imprinting her soul mark on it, she carefully examined its contents. Inside the Storage Ring were quite a few medicinal ingredients, pills, scrolls, and handwritten notes.
Lin Yuan then turned his attention to Qing Lin and reminded her, "Qing'er, follow the coursework I've set for you and cultivate properly. In particular, that 'Star Dou Array' is extremely well suited to your Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. Study it carefully."
The Star Dou Array was precisely the array formation Lin Yuan had traded from Yao Lao back then using the essence of the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus.
Afterward, Lin Yuan and Venerable Hao Tian had specifically carried out a round of modifications to make the array even more compatible with the power of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils.
Venerable Tian's attainments in array formations were quite extraordinary.
With his assistance, Lin Yuan had designed an extremely comprehensive, step-by-step path of array formation studies specifically for Qing Lin. The tremendously powerful modified version of the Star Dou Array was the final assignment of this course.
Qing Lin nodded and said energetically, "Rest assured, Young Master. I'll work hard!"
Zi Yan, who was standing nearby, watched the group with boredom. These adults were being sentimental again. It was only a temporary separation, yet they were making such a huge fuss over it.
Rolling her eyes, she took out two pills, putting one into her own mouth and feeding the other to Xiao Cai, who was hiding in her sleeve.
Perhaps sensing the disdainful gaze from Zi Yan beside them, the group finally ended their farewells.
Medusa slowly rose into the air. Her gaze finally fell upon Xiao Yixian, and she said meaningfully, "Take good care of him And besides, you'd better make good use of this wonderful opportunity. Don't waste it, otherwise Hehe…"
Seeing Xiao Yixian's slightly reddened ears, Medusa gave her a mischievous smile. She then stopped delaying and took the several little ones with her onto the magical beast waiting in the sky.
Immediately afterward, this ten-winged Heavenly Demon Snake, which was at the Dou Ancestor level, flapped its ten pairs of wings and shot toward the distant horizon.
Soon, the figures of the group disappeared from Lin Yuan and Xiao Yixian's sight.
Retracting his distant gaze, Lin Yuan turned to Xiao Yixian and asked, "Xiao Yixian, how are your preparations coming along? When do you expect to be able to condense the Poison Pill?"
"One month!" Xiao Yixian pondered for a moment before giving her answer.
"At my current cultivation speed, my soul should be able to break through to the late Mortal Realm within another month. By then, my soul power and flame control will be sufficient to complete the Gathering Flame Condensation Pill process."
"One month? Then we have enough time!" Lin Yuan smiled in relief and was just about to say something when suddenly.
"Dong!"
An ancient bell toll suddenly rang out from deep within the Inner Academy, its sound spreading throughout the entire Inner Academy.
"It's that time of year again!"
Hearing the bell, a hint of amusement also appeared in Lin Yuan's eyes as he looked toward the central square of the Inner Academy.
"Lin Yuan, what is this?" Xiao Yixian asked curiously.
"Hehe!" Lin Yuan chuckled and turned toward Xiao Yixian, speaking gently. "It's the Inner Academy's annual grand event, the Strong Ranking Tournament. It's about to begin. Xiao Yixian, cultivation requires a balance between work and rest. Since this is a rare opportunity, why don't we go and watch the excitement?"
As he spoke, he smiled and extended his hand toward Xiao Yixian. "I wonder if I have the honor of inviting a beautiful lady to enjoy this event with me?"
"The Strong Ranking Tournament?" A trace of curiosity flashed through Xiao Yixian's eyes.
Throughout all her past experiences, she had never witnessed such a large-scale event involving young people.
Looking at Lin Yuan's outstretched right hand, Xiao Yixian smiled sweetly and extended her own delicate hand, gently placing it in his palm.
"Since it's your invitation, then let's go take a look together!"
"Haha, thank you for gracing me with your presence. Let's go."
With a clear laugh, Lin Yuan took Xiao Yixian's hand and walked leisurely toward the arena in the central square of the Inner Academy.
Meanwhile, throughout various parts of the Inner Academy, one student after another, all with different appearances yet possessing impressive auras, suddenly opened their tightly shut eyes. Sharp glints mixed with blazing fighting spirit rapidly surged within them as the ancient bell continued to ring.
Inner Academy, Pan's Gate.
Xiao Yan, who had been sitting cross-legged on the bed, opened his eyes and slowly rose to his feet. With a wave of his hand, the Heavy Xuan Ruler suddenly appeared.
A hand with clearly defined joints reached out and firmly grasped the familiar hilt. With a subtle twist of his wrist, the broad ruler swept through the air, producing a whistling sound as it finally came to rest diagonally across his back.
"Go, Little Yan, and give this period of time a perfect ending!" Yao Lao's voice sounded within his heart.
"Yes, Teacher!" Xiao Yan nodded and smiled confidently.
He had received news from Lin Yan. That excessively powerful Brute Force King would not be participating this year either. This was a rare opportunity.
The first place, as well as the special reward that allowed one to advance directly to the Dou King realm. There was a chance he could obtain them.
Feeling the powerful auras rising from various parts of the Inner Academy, Xiao Yan took a deep breath. Scorching battle intent surged within his chest as the aura of an eight-star Dou Spirit swept outward.
He opened the door and walked out of Pan's Gate with steady steps.
Looking at the many Pan's Gate members waiting outside, then glancing at Wu Hao and Hu Jia standing at the front of the group, Xiao Yan laughed boldly and said, "Everyone, let's go. Watch me win this for Pan's Gate. First place in the Strong Ranking, I, Xiao Yan, have already claimed it…"
Inner Academy, Central Square Arena.
This place was normally not open to the public. It would only be opened when the Inner Academy held a competition. As the Inner Academy's most explosive event, the Strong Ranking Tournament, this was naturally the only suitable venue.
On the high platform, Lin Yuan and Xiao Yixian leaned against the railing and looked into the distance, taking in the numerous students below.
"It really is lively!"
Looking at the heated atmosphere among the people below, Xiao Yixian spoke softly. Although, as the master of Poison Sect, she had witnessed many grand occasions, this kind of atmosphere, filled with vitality and fierce competition, was still something she had never experienced before.
Lin Yuan's gaze swept past the members of Pan's Gate and then across several familiar figures below: Han Yue, Liu Qing, Lin Xiuya, Lin Yan.
Among these "familiar" names, Han Yue was the only one with whom he had ever had a brief interaction.
Thinking of this, Lin Yuan felt somewhat emotional.
If not for that Life Devouring Pill, he would probably have been one of the people below today as well. It was precisely that Life Devouring Pill that had given him the qualifications to turn the information in his mind into resources and, ultimately, into strength.
The Life Devouring Pill had indeed become his pair of wings, granting him the qualifications to surpass everyone else.
And the Life Devouring Pill formula was now quietly lying inside the Nethersea Ring. The Seven Star Network he had casually established had ultimately brought him a small unexpected gain.
A few days ago, the Jia Ma Empire, as an affiliated force of the Heavenly Pivot, had sent medicinal ingredients and various strange items it had collected to the Black-Corner Region according to Lin Yuan's orders. Among them were two Life Devouring Pills, as well as the formula for the Life Devouring Pill.
According to the intelligence, the Jia Ma Imperial Family had obtained them from a remote mountain while searching throughout the Jia Ma Empire.
After learning of this, Lin Yuan had basically determined that these pills and the formula were precisely the Life Devouring Pills and formula that Xiao Li had obtained by chance along the original timeline.
The Life Devouring Pill was of little use to Lin Yuan now.
However, the method contained within its formula, which exchanged lifespan for an increase in strength, had given Lin Yuan considerable inspiration.
Retracting his thoughts, Lin Yuan looked down at the arena with interest.
At this moment, Xiao Yan, who had already reached the eight-star Dou Spirit realm, was displaying his strength to the fullest.
Even without using the Three Mysterious Flame Transformation, he was still crushing one high-ranked Strong Ranking student after another with overwhelming force. Such a powerful performance immediately earned him an extremely high level of popularity, no less than Liu Qing's, and gained him quite a few supporters.
This was the Dou Qi Continent. As long as one possessed sufficient strength, prestige was something that could be obtained with ease.
"I didn't expect you to be interested in the students' competition."
A soft laugh suddenly sounded. The space rippled slightly, and Su Qian's figure appeared behind Lin Yuan.
"Lin Yuan, why don't you go down and preside over a few matches? Let the students see the bearing of Jia Nan Academy's number-one prodigy?"
"Let's forget it." Lin Yuan shook his head.
Looking at the students fighting fiercely below, Lin Yuan's gaze became somewhat distant.
"The Strong Ranking Tournament is their moment of glory. I had better not steal their thunder."
"That is quite true." Su Qian nodded in agreement.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked meaningfully at Lin Yuan and said softly, "With your current strength, if you were to stand on the same stage as the students, they would instantly lose all their luster. For a prodigy at your level, there is a more suitable stage on which to display your brilliance."
"A stage suitable for me?"
A sharp glint flashed through Lin Yuan's eyes as he stared directly at Su Qian.
"Great Elder, there's clearly more to what you're saying. Considering our relationship, you might as well speak frankly."
Su Qian nodded slightly and said solemnly, "Lin Yuan, do you still remember the relationship between Jia Nan Academy, the Academy Head, and the Lei Clan that I told you about?"
Hearing the words "Lei Clan," a trace of solemnity appeared in Lin Yuan's eyes.
"Of course I remember. This matter is extremely important. The Academy Head himself is an elder of the Lei Clan, and Jia Nan Academy, which he founded, is regarded to a certain extent as an affiliated force of the Lei Clan. Could it be that the stage you mentioned, Great Elder is related to the Lei Clan?"
Su Qian smiled and said, "Precisely. Because of the Academy Head, Jia Nan Academy possesses this thing."
As he spoke, he flipped his hand. A jade invitation shot out from his Storage Ring and landed in his palm.
Taking a closer look, it was a completely silver-colored jade invitation covered in numerous profound patterns. It gave off a rather strange feeling, and as the silver light flickered, faint rumbling sounds of thunder could be heard.
"Great Elder, what is this?" Lin Yuan asked in confusion.
"Hehe!" Su Qian chuckled softly and said indifferently, "An invitation! This is an invitation, an invitation to attend the Lei Clan's 'First Thunder Ceremony'!"
"An invitation, the First Thunder Ceremony?"
Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked solemnly, "Great Elder, could you explain this in greater detail?"
Su Qian nodded. His fingertip gently brushed across the silver jade invitation as he began explaining in detail.
"In another year, the Lei Clan's 'First Thunder Ceremony', which is held once every twenty years, will take place. This ceremony is practically the Lei Clan's coming-of-age ceremony and is an extremely important occasion. Many powerful or friendly forces will be invited to attend and witness it!"
"The Academy Head is a member of the Lei Clan, and his status within the Lei Clan is quite high. Naturally, Jia Nan Academy also possesses the qualifications to attend the ceremony."
He shook the silver jade invitation in his hand, and his voice became somewhat distant.
"This invitation was obtained by the Academy Head through his special status within the Lei Clan. Unless there are special circumstances, this invitation will not be reclaimed. It can be used repeatedly, and its holder can enter the Thunder Realm to attend the ceremony."
After a pause, a troubled expression flashed through Su Qian's eyes.
"However, although the Academy possesses this invitation, we haven't really attended the ceremony very often. As for the reason."
Su Qian did not explain further, but Lin Yuan could basically guess.
There was only one reason: their strength was insufficient.
With the current level of strength possessed by the people of Jia Nan Academy, going to participate in a grand gathering of an ancient bloodline clan the experience would certainly not be pleasant.
"So, what exactly do you mean, Great Elder?" A trace of anticipation appeared in Lin Yuan's eyes.
Su Qian smiled, then tossed the jade invitation toward Lin Yuan. A playful glint flashed through his eyes.
"This invitation is entirely yours to handle. Whether you go to attend the ceremony or not, and what you do there, is entirely up to you."
"However, this old man believes that the stage where the supreme prodigies compete against one another is the stage most suited to you."
"Compete? Stage?"
Noticing the subtle detail in his words, Lin Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Great Elder, isn't the 'First Thunder Ceremony' the coming-of-age ceremony of the Lei Clan? Why would you say it is a stage where prodigies compete against one another, and a stage suitable for me?"
"Could it be that this 'First Thunder Ceremony' isn't simply the Lei Clan's coming-of-age ceremony?"
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