First Display of Prowess

Lu Yunxiao had the system put away the information panel, then rose to his feet.

After stretching lazily, Lu Yunxiao stepped toward the outside of the secret chamber.

Hai Bodong was waiting in the shop. He had already drained the tea in his cup, and he seemed slightly absent-minded, the concern in his eyes plain to see.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Hai Bodong snapped back to his senses and could not help looking over his shoulder.

"Did you break through?" Sensing that Lu Yunxiao's aura had grown considerably stronger, Hai Bodong narrowed his eyes and asked in a soft voice.

"Mm, the breakthrough went smoothly. I even advanced straight to a Four-Star Dou Practitioner."

Lu Yunxiao answered with a smile.

"A thick accumulation finally bearing fruit." Hai Bodong sighed. Seeing the sharp edge revealed between Lu Yunxiao's brows, a glimmer appeared in his eyes.

"Judging by your appearance, you should have Metal Attribute Dou Qi. Not many people possess that kind of Dou Qi, so Metal Attribute cultivation methods are quite difficult to find. But you're lucky—I happen to have a Mysterious-tier Mid-grade Metal Attribute cultivation method here, the Primal Geng Sword Art. I obtained it by chance long ago, so I'll let you have it, kid."

As Hai Bodong spoke, light flashed from his Storage Ring, and a scroll appeared in his hand, faint Golden Light shimmering across its surface.

"The Primal Geng Sword Art also comes with a matching sword-fighting Dou Technique, likewise Mysterious-tier Mid-grade. Together, they are no less valuable than a High Profound-tier cultivation method. Take it, Stinky Kid."

Hai Bodong handed the golden scroll to Lu Yunxiao.

Holding the soft scroll in his hand, Lu Yunxiao's gaze flickered, and he felt a faint stir of emotion.

First the Qi Gathering Powder, and now the Primal Geng Sword Art. Though he had no use for either, he could truly feel Hai Bodong's concern for him.

Moreover, the Primal Geng Sword Art came with a matching Dou Technique, making it no less valuable than a High Profound-tier cultivation method. It was worth at least several hundred thousand Gold Coins, and even for Hai Bodong, that was no small sum.

Back then, Lu Yunxiao had worked himself to the bone for months, killing nearly two hundred first-tier Magical Beasts—almost two or three every day. He had been exhausted to death, yet the Magical Cores he collected had sold for only a little over sixty thousand Gold Coins in total.

Making money was not so easy.

Although he already had the Elemental Scripture, Lu Yunxiao did not refuse. This was, after all, a token of Hai Bodong's goodwill, and he could not let it go to waste.

Still, he engraved Hai Bodong's kindness firmly in his heart.

Seeing Lu Yunxiao standing there in a daze, seemingly a little moved, Hai Bodong coughed and said, "Now that you've got the cultivation method, put it away. It's almost dark, so go make dinner. I'm starving to death. Your breakthrough took the whole afternoon."

Hearing this, Lu Yunxiao could not help glancing outside the shop. Sure enough, the sky had gradually darkened.

First, he had broken through to the Dou Zhe realm, then unsealed his physique, and afterward cultivated the method. All of that had taken quite some time.

"Alright, wait here. I'll go make dinner." Lu Yunxiao put the scroll into his Storage Ring and spoke in a soft voice.

"Go on, go on!" Hai Bodong waved his hand, looking rather impatient.

Lu Yunxiao smiled faintly, shook his head, and turned around to prepare dinner.

The next morning!

The fiery Blazing Sun hung high in the sky, its brilliant rays spilling across the earth.

Dressed in white and carrying the Flying Rainbow Sword, Lu Yunxiao headed toward the Tagore Desert.

The desert was still somewhat cool in the early morning. A breeze blew past, bringing a refreshing feeling.

This was one of the rare pleasant times in the desert. Once the morning passed and late morning arrived, the desert temperature would begin to soar to a terrifying level.

That was also why Lu Yunxiao wore a white robe. Aside from his preference for simple, plain colors, white reflected light and could reduce the heat as much as possible.

His gray boots crunched against the sand as Lu Yunxiao calmly followed his old tracks deeper into the desert.

This was a trial he had set for himself. He intended to spend one or two months in the desert.

Previously, the longest he had stayed in the desert was only a week. Now that his strength had increased, the intensity of his training naturally needed to increase as well.

His Storage Ring already contained enough fresh water and food. With those supplies, he was full of confidence in this trial.

Lu Yunxiao walked slowly. The sun had moved higher in the sky, and the temperature in the air immediately rose considerably.

"Hiss!" As Lu Yunxiao walked, a faint sound reached his ears, and his steps came to an abrupt halt.

His eyes narrowed slightly, a sharp gleam flashing through them. He stomped his right foot down hard, sending sand flying in every direction. The Flying Rainbow Sword swiftly left its Sword Sheath, cold light glinting as a sharp Sword Light flashed past.

"Pfft!" Sword Qi pierced through flesh. A meter to Lu Yunxiao's right, a basin-sized Magical Beast clad in black armor and bearing a long hooked tail was sliced cleanly in two. Its corpse hit the ground with a soft thud.

Green blood flowed from the corpse, seeping into the sand beneath it.

This Magical Beast was called a Desert Scorpion. It was a first-tier Magical Beast, though some could grow into the second tier. The one before Lu Yunxiao was only at the initial stage of the first tier.

These Magical Beasts usually hid beneath the sand and were difficult to detect. If one was careless, passing travelers could easily fall victim to their ambushes.

Desert Scorpions possessed potent venom. If a Dou Zhe were unfortunate enough to be struck and did not receive treatment in time, they would lose their life.

But such tricks could not trouble Lu Yunxiao. Not only did he have ample experience, but his exceptional Soul Power and newly awakened Detection Perception were enough to detect a Desert Scorpion's movements.

"Looks like there's no Magical Core." Lu Yunxiao took one glance before withdrawing his gaze.

Magical Cores were crystallizations of a Magical Beast's source power. High-tier Magical Beasts generally possessed them, but among low-tier Magical Beasts, not every one had one. Sometimes, obtaining a Magical Core depended on luck.

Clearly, Lu Yunxiao's luck was not very good.

Shaking his head lightly, Lu Yunxiao sheathed the Flying Rainbow Sword. A famous sword was indeed a famous sword—after killing the Desert Scorpion, not a trace of blood stained its Sword Body. It was completely incomparable to his former Fine Steel Sword.

"After breaking through to the Dou Zhe realm, my strength has indeed increased considerably. I killed a first-tier initial-stage Desert Scorpion in a single strike. But that was only a small test and cannot reveal my true strength. I still need to continue forward."

With that thought, Lu Yunxiao held his sword and continued onward.

There were many Magical Beasts in the desert, and most were skilled at concealing themselves. Thus, Lu Yunxiao advanced at a rather slow pace.