Teacher's Gift, Seventh-tier Beast Fire

Just as Ling Xi was lost in his own thoughts, the door to the room was suddenly pushed open.

The figure of Ling You appeared within Ling Xi's line of sight.

"Teacher."

Ling Xi hurriedly bowed to Ling You.

"Mm."

Ling You nodded slightly, his gaze fixed on Ling Xi with an unusually complex expression.

Being stared at by such a Dou Venerate expert, even Ling Xi felt slightly uncomfortable.

"Teacher, what is it?"

Ling Xi asked cautiously.

"For an ordinary person to convert their Dou Qi while practicing a cultivation technique, it takes only an hour or two. Do you know how long you took?"

Ling You did not answer directly, but instead asked a question in return.

"I... how long did I take?"

Ling Xi swallowed hard and asked.

"You took three whole days!"

Ling You held up three fingers, paused for a moment, and then added.

"However, looking at the big picture, it seems you have gained tremendous benefits from practicing the Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Art."

Ling You was secretly marveling in his heart; with his strength and spiritual power, he was actually unable to discern Ling Xi's current cultivation realm.

The moment his soul power approached Ling Xi, it would abruptly vanish.

Naturally, he did not know that this was the effect of the Devouring Ancestral Symbol on Ling Xi's body, assuming instead that it was an added ability gained after practicing the Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Art.

"Did you encounter any problems while practicing the Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Art? Why did it take you such a long time?"

Ling You asked with some curiosity.

"Reporting to Teacher, I did not encounter any problems."

Ling Xi shook his head. He couldn't very well tell Ling You that he had spent so much time fusing with the Devouring Ancestral Symbol, could he?

However, he still had to find a reason.

"It's just that during the cultivation process, I was already able to sense the existence of Spiritual Qi, and I was also able to successfully absorb it."

Ling Xi's words struck Ling You's ears like a thunderclap.

"Is this true?"

Ling You asked, his eyes wide.

The cultivation threshold for the Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Art was extremely high; many people could not even sense the existence of Spiritual Qi during their first attempt at cultivation, let alone absorb it.

Although Ling You knew that Ling Xi possessed extraordinary talent for this cultivation technique, he had not expected it to be to this extent.

"Teacher, watch."

Ling Xi reached out and tapped his forehead, pulling out a wisp of Spiritual Qi that had not yet been refined by the Devouring Ancestral Symbol.

As an eighth-grade Alchemist, Ling You could naturally sense the presence of Spiritual Qi.

"A heaven-sent genius!"

Even a powerhouse like Ling You, a Dou Venerate, was shocked by this display from Ling Xi.

Sensing the existence of Spiritual Qi was one thing, and being able to absorb it was another, but being able to pull Spiritual Qi out so easily was a true display of skill.

Ling You asked himself, and even he, an eighth-grade Alchemist, could not do such a thing.

"In the future, do not let anyone know you can reach this level."

After a brief shock, Ling You quickly calmed down and spoke to Ling Xi with a serious expression.

Having lived long enough to become a sage, how could he not understand the principle that the tree which stands above the forest will be destroyed by the wind?

Especially since Ling Xi was merely a Descendant Citizen with a bloodline rank of only one.

Such a background was considered quite low within the entire Ling Clan.

"Yes, Teacher."

Ling Xi nodded.

"Do not think that I am just fear-mongering."

Perhaps still feeling a bit uneasy, Ling You sighed and continued.

"My bloodline rank is three, and I don't know how many open arrows and hidden daggers I've had to endure to reach my current status."

"Some clansmen with high bloodline ranks simply cannot stand to see clansmen with low bloodline ranks achieve more than them."

Ling Xi remained silent upon hearing this.

Although he was not clear about the power struggles within the upper echelons of the Ling Clan, it was an indisputable fact that those Ling Clan members with high bloodline ranks—though few in number—monopolized the vast majority of the clan's resources.

Naturally, they would not be willing to let a group they viewed as Descendant Citizens compete with them for limited cultivation resources.

"Let's not talk about this anymore."

Seeing the contemplative expression on Ling Xi's face, Ling You felt his interest wane.

"After you cultivate the Myriad Spirits Returning to Origin Art, your Soul Power will inevitably receive a massive boost as it is nourished by the Spiritual Qi."

"At the very least, do not switch to any other cultivation technique until you reach the Dou Spirit stage."

After a pause, Ling You reached out and tossed a ring to Ling Xi.

"Teacher, this is?"

Ling Xi caught the ring. Although he had his guesses, he couldn't help but ask.

"This is a Nakai Ring. Consider it a welcoming gift from me, your teacher."

Ling You chuckled, pointed at the ring, and said, "Use your Soul Power to probe it and see what is inside."

Ling Xi had learned the most basic method of projecting Soul Power during his time at the Clan Academy.

He carefully projected his Soul Power, slowly permeating it into the Nakai Ring in his hand.

"Hm?"

Ling You couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. He could clearly feel that the Soul Power Ling Xi was currently exerting was significantly stronger than it had been during the test.

This kid, is he really just a Descendant Citizen with a First-grade Bloodline?

Could Ling Yang and the others have made a mistake during the testing process?

Ling You couldn't help but let such an absurd thought cross his mind.

At this moment, Ling Xi had also retrieved the items from the Nakai Ring, and a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face.

Although the two silver scrolls looked extraordinary, Ling Xi's gaze fell upon the final item: a glass vial.

The glass vial itself was nothing rare, but inside the vial, a tiny flame was rising.

The flame displayed a strange golden-red color, occasionally shifting into the shape of a bird.

"This is a Seventh-tier Beast Fire called Crimson Sun Fire. It is the companion flame of the Seventh-tier Magical Beast, the Crimson Sun Luan Bird."

Seeing the surprise in Ling Xi's eyes, Ling You immediately began to explain.

"This kind of Beast Fire only exists within the eggshell of a newly hatched Crimson Sun Luan Bird. If it is not extracted using a secret technique within three days, it will dissipate completely."

"This Beast Fire inherits the life force of the Crimson Sun Luan Bird; it is a rare type of fire that is suitable for your current stage."

A Seventh-tier Magical Beast was roughly equivalent to a human Dou Ancestor.

Such a Beast Fire certainly could not compare to a Heavenly Flame, but it would definitely be enough for Ling Xi to use for quite some time.