Her Upgrade relied mainly on experience points, supplemented by Cultivation. The boost from the Fallen Heart Flame wasn't that crucial for her.
As for Cultivation Techniques and Dou Techniques, with the System and Ah Li, she wasn't lacking.
Putting other things aside, Ah Li possessed seven or eight Sound Wave Dou Techniques that Xiao Yan desperately sought in the original story, and countless others besides those.
However, she didn't plan to practice Sound Wave Dou Techniques at all.
Sound Wave Dou Techniques were generally mediocre. The reason Xiao Yan's Sound Wave Dou Techniques were strong in the original story was mainly because he consumed the Yin-Yang Mysterious Dragon Pill and possessed Dragon Qi in his body.
As for the final Huangquan Heavenly Fury, it was more of a Soul Dou Technique than a Sound Wave Dou Technique, calculating damage based on Soul Power.
If she could encounter such a rare Soul Dou Technique, Xiao Xue wouldn't mind practicing one.
In reality, ordinary people couldn't master too many Dou Techniques unless they hit a Bottleneck and needed the saying 'more skills don't weigh one down.'
Only a cheat like Xiao Yan, with his high Comprehension Ability, who could create a Dou Technique like the Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus as a Dou Master, would casually learn strange Dou Techniques.
Sound Wave Dou Techniques were definitely a unique skill among those of the same Rank. Even without Dragon Qi, they could cause a considerable impact on an opponent if taken by surprise.
And Soul Dou Techniques could even allow one to fight across Ranks.
If one's Soul Power was strong enough, then among peers of the same Rank, one could basically be invincible.
No matter how high the opponent's Cultivation was, if their Soul wasn't strong enough, one Soul attack would make them collapse.
They wouldn't even have a chance to make a move, so how could they win?
For example, Ah Li's current Soul Power is Spirit Realm Initial Stage.
Spirit Realm Initial Stage is comparable to a Grade 8 low-level Alchemist, and most Dou Zuns don't even possess Spirit Realm Soul Power.
Some Dou Zun level Alchemists are only Grade 7, Mortal Realm Great Perfection.
And the Soul Power of Alchemists is already at the pinnacle level among humans.
This means that Ah Li's current Soul Power is not weak even among human Dou Zuns!
Even though Ah Li's mind is somewhat damaged, and even though her current Rank is only Level [70], Half-step Dou Zong.
Her true combat power is definitely at the Dou Zong level!
This was one of the sources of Xiao Xue's confidence. On the Northwest Continent, Ah Li's strength was enough for her to walk sideways.
Xiao Xue did want to acquire a Soul Dou Technique to practice, but the methods for Cultivating the Soul, or Soul Dou Techniques, had long been lost on the continent.
It was less that they were lost and more that they had all been forcibly reclaimed by the Hall of Souls through coercion and temptation.
Moreover, once the Hall of Souls discovered any force possessing Soul Dou Techniques, it could even invite disaster and death.
However, the organization possessing Soul Dou Techniques was not only the Hall of Souls.
Some Alchemists from the Pill Tower had also obtained some Soul cultivation methods and Dou Techniques from ancient ruins.
After all, the Pill Tower was an organization set up to directly confront the Hall of Souls, so they naturally wouldn't care about being retaliated against by the Hall of Souls.
With Xiao Xue having an "Elder of the Pill Tower" as her teacher, she didn't need to worry too much.
With such a "backer," the layered outsourcing of the Hall of Souls wouldn't easily move against her.
If the Hall of Souls really sent a Dou Zun to capture someone, then she could only... cling to Xun'er's thigh.
Once Xun'er encountered danger, perhaps a Half-Saint, Dou Saint, or even her cheap father, Gu Yuan, would directly tear open space and come over.
So, safety wasn't a concern for now.
As for the connections within Jia Nan Academy, and the Sea Heart Flame in Han Feng's possession, those were the things that truly attracted Xiao Xue.
Jia Nan Academy was founded by a Half-Saint of the Lei Clan and included many young masters and ladies from small Families in the Central Plains.
It was the most suitable stepping stone for advancing into the Central Plains.
The Sea Heart Flame goes without saying; it, along with the Bone Chilling Flame and the Fire Cloud Water Flame, the three Heavenly Flames, perfectly satisfied the conditions for the Heavenly Flame Three Mysterious Transformations.
This was also the key for her to Cultivate her Clan Markings and activate the Xiao Clan Bloodline; she definitely wouldn't let it go.
After discussing other matters, Xiao Xue and the others jointly decided to set off for Jia Nan Academy in three days.
After registering at Jia Nan Academy, they each went about their own business, not interfering with one another.
After the discussion about the next steps was finished, Xiao Xue was pulled away by Xiao Xun Er to go shopping.
— — —
During these few days, Yao Lao had been contemplating one question.
That was whether Xiao Xue's so-called "Grade 8 Alchemist teacher, an Elder of the Pill Tower," was real or fake.
After all, given the talent displayed by Xiao Xue, it was quite normal for her to be taken as a Disciple by a Pill Tower Elder.
Even he, the foremost Alchemist below the Ninth-Grade, felt some stirring of desire facing a raw jade like Xiao Xue.
If it were true, then he could directly connect with the Pill Tower through Xiao Xue and escape his current half-dead state.
But if it were fake... that would be awkward.
His current state made it truly inconvenient to be exposed to too many people's eyes.
"Looking at how knowledgeable that little girl seems about the Central Plains and the Pill Tower, it should be real... probably?"
"Moreover, she and Little Yanzi are siblings; she probably isn't someone from those forces either..."
"Should I try to make contact with her?"
------------------------
I've posted 40+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/DaoistRoeoNQ
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"