Just as Ling Xi was pondering this to himself, someone suddenly pushed open the door.
Ling You's figure appeared in Ling Xi's field of vision.
"Teacher."
Ling Xi quickly bowed to Ling You.
"Mm."
Ling You nodded slightly, looking at Ling Xi with an unusually complicated expression.
Even Ling Xi felt a little uncomfortable under the gaze of such a powerful Dou Venerate.
"Teacher, is something wrong?"
Ling Xi asked cautiously.
"When ordinary people cultivate a technique and convert their Dou Qi, it takes only an hour or two. Do you know how long you took?"
Ling You didn't answer directly, instead asking him a question.
"I... How long did I take?"
Ling Xi swallowed and asked.
"Three whole days!"
Ling You held up three fingers, paused, then added,
"But overall, it seems that cultivating the Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Art has brought you tremendous benefits."
Ling You was secretly amazed. With his strength and spiritual power, he couldn't even see what realm Ling Xi was currently at.
The moment his soul power drew near Ling Xi, it suddenly vanished.
Naturally, he didn't know that the Devouring Ancestral Symbol within Ling Xi was responsible. He assumed it was an ability gained from cultivating the Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Art.
"Did you encounter any problems while cultivating the Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Art? Why did it take you so long?"
Ling You asked curiously.
"Teacher, I didn't encounter any problems."
Ling Xi shook his head. He couldn't exactly tell Ling You that it had taken so long because he was merging with the Devouring Ancestral Symbol, could he?
Still, he had to come up with a reason.
"It's just that during cultivation, I was already able to sense Spiritual Qi, and I even managed to absorb it."
Ling Xi's words struck Ling You like a thunderclap.
"Is that true?"
Ling You asked, eyes wide.
The threshold for cultivating the Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Art was extremely high. Many people couldn't sense Spiritual Qi the first time they cultivated it, let alone absorb any.
Ling You knew that Ling Xi had an exceptional talent for this technique, but he hadn't imagined it was exceptional to this degree.
"See for yourself, Teacher."
Ling Xi touched a finger to his brow and drew out a trace of Spiritual Qi that the Devouring Ancestral Symbol hadn't yet refined.
As an eighth-level Alchemist, Ling You could naturally sense Spiritual Qi.
"A heaven-blessed genius!"
Even a powerful Dou Venerate like Ling You was shocked by Ling Xi's display.
Sensing Spiritual Qi was one thing, absorbing it was another, but being able to draw it out so effortlessly was genuine skill.
Ling You himself, an eighth-level Alchemist, knew he couldn't do it.
"Don't let anyone know you can do this."
After his brief shock, Ling You quickly composed himself and spoke to Ling Xi sternly.
Having lived long enough to become wise, how could he not understand that a tree that stood out in the forest would be battered by the wind?
Especially when Ling Xi was merely a Descendant Citizen with a First-grade Bloodline.
Such a background placed him among the lowest in the entire Ling Clan.
"Yes, Teacher."
Ling Xi nodded.
"Don't think I'm exaggerating."
Perhaps still worried, Ling You sighed and continued,
"My bloodline is third-grade. I don't even know how many open and hidden attacks I've endured to reach my current position."
"Some members of the clan with higher bloodline grades simply can't stand seeing those with lower grades surpass them."
Ling Xi fell silent.
He didn't know much about the struggles among the Ling Clan's upper ranks, but it was an indisputable fact that the clan members with high bloodline grades, despite their small numbers, monopolized most of the Ling Clan's resources.
They naturally wouldn't want the group they regarded as Descendant Citizens competing with them for valuable cultivation resources.
"Enough of that."
Seeing the thoughtful expression on Ling Xi's face, Ling You lost some of his enthusiasm.
"After cultivating the Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Art, your soul power is bound to improve tremendously as it's nourished by Spiritual Qi."
"At the very least, don't switch to another technique before reaching the Dou Ling stage."
After a pause, Ling You tossed Ling Xi a ring.
"Teacher, what's this?"
Ling Xi took the ring. Though he had a guess, he couldn't help asking.
"It's a Nakai Ring. Consider it a gift from your teacher to welcome you."
Ling You chuckled and pointed at the ring.
"Use your soul power to examine it and see what's inside."
Ling Xi had learned the basics of projecting his soul power at the Clan Academy.
Carefully, he projected his soul power and slowly sent it into the Nakai Ring in his hand.
"Hm?"
Ling You couldn't help raising an eyebrow. He could clearly sense that Ling Xi's soul power was stronger now than it had been during the earlier test.
"Is this kid really just a Descendant Citizen with a First-grade Bloodline?"
"Could Ling Yang and the others have made a mistake during the test?"
Ling You couldn't help entertaining this absurd thought.
Ling Xi took out the contents of the Nakai Ring, and a delighted expression appeared on his face.
The two silver scrolls looked extraordinary, but Ling Xi's gaze fell on the glass bottle at the very back.
The glass bottle itself was nothing rare, but a tiny flame flickered inside it.
It was a peculiar golden-red, and every so often it transformed into the shape of a flying bird.
"This is a Seventh-tier Beast Flame called Crimson Sun Fire, the companion flame of the Seventh-tier Magical Beast, the Crimson Sun Luan Bird."
Seeing the delight in Ling Xi's eyes, Ling You immediately explained.
"This Beast Flame can only be found inside the eggshells of newly hatched Crimson Sun Luan Birds. If it isn't extracted using a secret method within three days, it will completely dissipate."
"This Beast Flame has inherited the vitality of the Crimson Sun Luan Bird. It's rare, and well suited to you at your current stage."
A Seventh-tier Magical Beast was roughly equivalent to a human Dou Zong powerhouse.
This Beast Flame certainly couldn't compare to Heavenly Flames, but it would still serve Ling Xi well for quite some time.
Before you continue