Cultivating Dou Techniques, Consolidating

Sunlight filtered through the clouds overhead, falling in mottled patches across the courtyard. Nestled within a lush bamboo grove, the courtyard seemed especially tranquil and mysterious. Towering ancient trees surrounded it, their dense branches and leaves shielding this little world from the clamor outside.

Inside a small pavilion, Qing Lin sat alone, propping up her little face with one hand. Her eyes were somewhat unfocused, yet a silly smile occasionally crept onto her lips. Two cups of spiritual tea on the stone table emitted hazy wisps of steam, making for a rather strange scene.

"Profound-tier low-grade Dou Technique—Flame Wood Burst Stab."

A loud shout rang out, followed by a series of bangs. A row of Crimson Wood Stakes burst from the ground, splitting the earth apart. With Lin Feng's profound Dou Qi as a Six-star Great Dou Master, combined with Five-elemental Dou Qi comparable to an Earth-tier low-grade cultivation method, its power was enough to wound a Dou Ling expert.

"Earth Element Control." Lin Feng brought his palms together, then slapped them against the ground. The surface that had been torn apart by Flame Wood Burst Stab immediately returned to normal.

"Phew..." After exhaling a breath of stale air, Lin Feng sighed. "I never expected Mu She, a mere Dou Master, to possess a Profound-tier Dou Technique that didn't even suit his attributes. Even among Wutan City's three great clans in the Original Work, clans with Da Dou Shi experts, techniques containing the word 'Profound' were rare. Perhaps it was for Mu Li's sake."

Though Mu She was ruthless toward outsiders, he truly cared for his only son. He had actually been willing to purchase a Profound-tier Dou Technique for him. Unfortunately, on the very day Lin Feng finished clearing out the Wolf Head Mercenary Group's treasury, He Meng had already offered Mu Li's head to Lin Feng in exchange for his own life.

Lin Feng still remembered Mu Li's wide-eyed expression. It was clear how unwilling Mu Li had been. Lin Feng had merely remarked, "A family should be together, nice and neat." The words made He Meng's fat body tremble again below. "Mm, get out. I'll spare your dog life." Lin Feng glanced at him and spoke indifferently.

"Thank you, my lord, for sparing my life." He Meng then bowed and tactfully withdrew.

In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed since Lin Feng took over the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. He had been cultivating in the bamboo grove under the group's control, and it had given him a fixed harvest. Perhaps because the Wolf Head Mercenary Group had been minor fodder in the Original Work, taking it down had given Lin Feng, whose Dou Qi realm had not advanced for long, a strange feeling.

Thus, Lin Feng immediately decided to enter Secluded Cultivation here. Three hours later, he naturally broke through to the Seven-star Great Dou Shi realm and entered the high stage of Da Dou Shi. Afterward, he stabilized his realm while cultivating the Profound-tier low-grade Dou Technique he had obtained—Flame Wood Burst Stab.

Only today could he be said to have gained something. If Lin Feng had a system, his attribute panel would probably look like this:

Host: Lin Feng, fifteen years old

Cultivation Method: Five Elements Art (P.S.: formed by circulating Dou Qi through five five-elemental cultivation methods. Since four of the five methods were Profound-tier, their combined power rivaled an Earth-tier low-grade cultivation method.)

Dou Techniques: Lightning Steps, Flame Wood Burst Stab, Adamantine Finger (P.S.: all three are Profound-tier low-grade. As for Yellow-tier Dou Techniques, they will not be listed one by one. Although Lin Feng used them frequently in the past and had greater proficiency with them than these three, he had now abandoned them.)

Alchemist Level: Peak Third-grade Alchemist

Soul Realm: Mortal Realm Intermediate? (Roughly above Mortal Realm Intermediate. As for whether it had reached Mortal Realm Advanced, the Fourth-grade Alchemist's legacy contained no information on this subject, and the Original Work also lacked a detailed description of the Mortal Realm. Thus, Lin Feng could not determine it precisely. He had simply never shown any signs of soul exhaustion while refining pills. Based on his Dou Qi level and alchemy level, it was estimated that he was close to, or had perhaps reached, Mortal Realm Advanced.)

Physical Strength: Comparable to a Peak Third-Order Magical Beast

Clenching his fist, Lin Feng secretly sighed. With such a luxurious setup, even if I encounter a low-level Dou Ling, I may not be unable to fight him. If the battle drags on, perhaps with the strength of the Five Elements Art, I might even be able to bring him down.

Next, it was time to retrieve the treasure in the cave. Although the Fragmented Map of Exotic Flames was the greatest opportunity here, it was still too far away. The Profound-tier Flying Magical Beast Dou Technique was what Lin Feng valued most right now. Once he gained the ability to fly, with the Five Elements Art bolstering him, he would still have no means of resisting a Dou Wang, but his chances of escaping would increase greatly.

Therefore, he was determined to claim the cave's treasure. No one could stop him. Lin Feng had said so.

However, regarding another item—the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture—and the Xiao Yi Xian it pointed to, Lin Feng truly hesitated over whether he should take her in.

After all, he did not possess the Poison Pill Method, nor did he have the Flame Mantra capable of absorbing multiple Heavenly Flames. He was not sure whether the Five Elements Art could absorb multiple Heavenly Flames either. Moreover, Xiao Yi Xian was not Qing Lin. Qing Lin had spent years with Lin Feng and had long become inseparable from him. Thus, Lin Feng was somewhat hesitant.

Forget it. There would always be a way when the cart reached the mountain. He had not even met Xiao Yi Xian yet, so there was no point thinking so much. Getting the treasure first was what truly mattered.

Come to think of it, in the Original Work, Xiao Yi Xian discovered the treasure cave on a cliff where medicinal herbs grew. The Magical Beast Mountain Range was so vast—if he wanted to find that cave quickly, he still could not do without Xiao Yi Xian!

Bang... "Wake up, you little lazy snake. With such a huge commotion, you can still sleep?" Lin Feng walked into the pavilion and lightly flicked Qing Lin on her little head.

"Ah, that hurts! Brother Lin Feng is awful. I... I was just cultivating. Yes, cultivating. I definitely wasn't sleeping." Qing Lin covered her forehead with her little hand, and as she spoke, her face gradually turned red.

"Alright, as if I don't know you. If you had this much dedication, you should cultivate properly. It's about time for you to advance to the Dou Zhe realm." Lin Feng spoke helplessly. Perhaps because he had adopted Qing Lin since childhood, she had not suffered much bullying. Her personality was innocent and lively. She no longer possessed the weakness she had in the Original Work, but neither did she have her former diligence. Lin Feng did not know whether that was good or bad.

So be it. No matter what, in this life, he would definitely protect this clever little sister of his... would he? For some reason, Lin Feng's tone became somewhat inexplicable at the end.

"Mm, my Dou Qi can't progress any further. I was waiting for Brother Lin Feng to finish cultivating before entering Secluded Cultivation to break through to the Dou Zhe realm. I wasn't slacking off." After Qing Lin finished speaking, she cast Lin Feng a subtle glance. Her meaning was obvious.

"Alright, alright. Our Qing Lin is the most obedient and hardworking." Lin Feng smiled helplessly and rubbed Qing Lin's little head. Qing Lin also happily nestled into Lin Feng's arms, and the atmosphere became warm for a moment.

"It's a pity I'm still only a Third-grade Alchemist and can't refine the Fourth-grade Qi Gathering Powder Pill. Otherwise, Qing Lin would definitely be able to advance safely this time. Even if I were fortunate enough to become a Fourth-grade Alchemist, I still don't have the Qi Gathering Powder formula. But with the solid foundation I built for Qing Lin, there shouldn't be much of a problem." Lin Feng sighed inwardly. Afterward, he carefully explained every key point of advancing to the Dou Zhe realm to Qing Lin.

Once he ensured that Qing Lin fully understood the hurdle ahead, she began her path toward breakthrough.