Movement Technique at the Beginner Level, Half-step Third-grade!

After that, under Hai Bodong's strict sparring, Lu Yu devoted himself entirely to cultivating the Heavenly Fire Dragon Steps.

Time flew by, and a month and a half passed in the blink of an eye...

In the scorching underground magma world, "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"

Ice blades filled the sky, slicing through the blazing air and raising billows of white mist. Lu Yu's ink-black robes snapped between ice and fire, while the water-blue turtle seal hanging at his waist swayed gently with his movements.

"Tap!"

The tip of his foot lightly touched a protruding stone pillar, and his figure swept up like a swallow. Three ice blades gleaming with cold light howled past the corner of his robe and exploded into blooming ice flowers on the rock wall behind him.

Before he had even landed, the ground suddenly cracked with a "kacha." An ice spike that had been lying in wait abruptly shot up, its sharp tip aimed straight at Lu Yu's heart!

"Heh..."

The corner of Lu Yu's mouth lifted slightly, and his right foot stepped into empty air. A crimson Afterimage abruptly burst apart, and the scorching shockwave lifted his entire body several zhang higher.

Just then, in midair, countless ice blades suddenly changed direction and closed in around him!

"Perfect timing!"

In midair, his figure suddenly spun, and as his sleeves and hems fluttered, four lifelike Afterimages appeared. With a crisp snap of his fingers—

"Boom!"

A crimson shockwave blasted outward with him at its center, vaporizing every ice blade in its path and forming a hazy mist above the magma.

Suddenly, the mist was torn apart by a deep-blue cold light!

A spiraling ice cone about a zhang in size came shrieking through the air, and even the magma froze wherever it passed.

"Old Hai! That's not fair! You actually used a Dou Technique!"

Lu Yu's pupils shrank, and with a loud shout, he hastily stomped his right foot heavily into the void.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three crimson Afterimages exploded one after another beneath his feet, each blast making his speed surge. In the end, the ice cone swept past his hair, and the chill it carried condensed a thin layer of frost on his cheek.

"Hahaha!"

Hai Bodong's laughter echoed through the cave. "In a life-and-death battle, your enemies won't bother following the rules!"

Lu Yu shot him a helpless glance and landed steadily on the ground. Without saying much, he took a Qi Recovery Pill from his Storage Ring and swallowed it. The pill entered his stomach and immediately turned into a warm current that flowed through his limbs and bones, rapidly replenishing his depleted Dou Qi.

After regulating his breathing for a moment, Lu Yu withdrew his stance and cupped his hands toward Hai Bodong. "Old Hai, I've already mastered the Heavenly Fire Dragon Steps proficiently. It's time to leave this place."

Hai Bodong's eyes lit up at once, and he immediately leaned closer, his old face full of a fawning smile. "Heh heh, boy... Look, this old man has worked hard without complaint as your sparring partner for the past month. About that... seal..."

"I'll undo it for you once we get back," Lu Yu promised, unable to hold back a smile.

"Truly?!" Hai Bodong was so excited that his white beard bristled. Over the past month and a half, Lu Yu had already undone the seal for him twice, and each time he had recovered two stars' worth of strength, raising him from an initial One-star Dou Wang to Five-star. If it were undone again this time...

Thinking of soon recovering to the strength of a Seven-star Dou Wang, Hai Bodong's eyes shone brightly, and he urged him repeatedly, "Go, go, go! Let's head back now! This old man can't wait to test the power of a Seven-star Dou Wang!"

Not long after, The Barren Iron Mercenary Group's base.

Inside a quiet room.

Lu Yu sat cross-legged, his ten fingers moving swiftly as they formed mysterious seals. Blue and red Spiritual Energy flowed around his fingertips, finally condensing into a spirit-snake-shaped rune, which he struck into Hai Bodong's body with a low shout.

"Buzz—"

A dazzling blue light suddenly erupted around Hai Bodong, and the seal inside his body shattered in response. His surging Dou Wang aura climbed step by step, finally stabilizing at the Seven-star Dou Wang level.

"Hahaha! Excellent!" Hai Bodong sensed the long-lost power and laughed heartily.

Seeing this, Lu Yu smiled faintly, took off the turtle seal glowing with a water-blue halo from his waist, and said respectfully, "Old Hai, could you help this junior with another favor?"

Hai Bodong took the turtle seal, and the moment it entered his hand, he felt a gentle, moist vapor. "This thing again?" As he infused it with ice-attribute Dou Qi, he examined it with interest. "Tsk, tsk. A Dou Wang-level protective treasure. Even the Jama Imperial Family wouldn't have many of these. You've got pretty good luck, boy..."

Lu Yu only smiled and said nothing. This Mysterious Turtle Seal was a Low-grade Spirit Tool he had obtained from last month's simulation. It contained the essence soul of a Divine Soul Stage Mysterious Water Turtle and originally required Dou Wang-level strength to activate.

But because of the Mysterious Water Turtle's unique water-storing trait, he had found a shortcut—having Hai Bodong infuse Dou Qi into it in advance for storage.

Although the ice attribute and water attribute were not perfectly compatible, with the rich Dou Qi of a Dou Wang expert, it could still display sixty to seventy percent of its power. It was precisely with the help of this Spirit Tool that he had been able to cultivate the Heavenly Fire Dragon Steps to the beginner level in just half a month.

"All right, take it."

After half an hour of Dou Qi infusion, Hai Bodong tossed the Mysterious Turtle Seal, now glowing with a faint blue halo, back to Lu Yu.

Lu Yu caught it casually and tied it back at his waist with ease.

He was not worried that Hai Bodong would become greedy either—at most, this Spirit Tool had the defensive level of a Dou Wang. To someone who had once been a Dou Huang expert, any ice-type defensive Dou Technique he casually used would be several times stronger than this turtle seal.

Moreover, after spending this period of time together, he had become quite familiar with Hai Bodong. Although the Ice Emperor had an aloof personality, he was someone with genuine feelings who valued loyalty and friendship, and he would not stoop to such despicable acts of robbery.

Just then, a call suddenly came from outside the door.

"Young Master, Sister Little Fairy Doctor has prepared dinner. Please come out and eat."

Qing Lin's clear voice came from outside the door.

Lu Yu stretched, loosened his muscles and bones, and stood up, smiling at Hai Bodong. "Old Hai, let's eat first. Xian'er has learned a few new dishes recently."

"Oh?"

"Then this old man will have to taste them properly!"

Hai Bodong's eyes lit up when he heard that. In the next instant, he sprang up, and in the blink of an eye he was already standing in the courtyard. His speed was so fast that Lu Yu could not help shaking his head with a laugh.

Afterward, Lu Yu followed him out as well.

In the courtyard, at the stone table, Little Fairy Doctor was just setting down the final dish of steamed sea bass. Several simple home-cooked dishes steamed with heat, their tempting aroma spreading through the courtyard.

"I specially stewed your favorite mushroom soup today..." She looked up with a soft smile, tenderness in her eyes.

Lu Yu nodded with a smile, and the group sat around the table to eat.

After the meal, Lu Yu and Hai Bodong lay back in the courtyard's rattan chairs with satisfied expressions, chatting idly.

Little Fairy Doctor and Qing Lin busied themselves with washing the bowls and chopsticks.

"Kid, now that you've gotten started with that movement Dou Technique, what are your plans next?"

Hai Bodong asked as he stroked his beard.

"I'm planning to pay a visit to the Alchemist Guild."

"The Alchemist Guild?" Hai Bodong turned to look at him in surprise. "You're actually an alchemist too? At your age, could it be you're already a First-grade Alchemist?"

Lu Yu only smiled without speaking. Over the past month or so, he had painstakingly trained in the Heavenly Fire Dragon Steps by day, while at night he had devoted himself to studying Old Man Yao's inheritance and the alchemy techniques gained from the simulations. By comparing the two, he had improved at an astonishing pace.

A few days ago, he had already successfully refined a Third-grade pill. Though his success rate for producing Third-grade pills was still unstable, this level of mastery was already more than enough for him to be called a peak Second-grade alchemist, a Half-step Third-grade.