Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber

Lin Ming did not get out of bed until the sun was three poles high. After washing up, he headed toward the Scripture Pavilion.

Inside the Scripture Pavilion, Lin Ming came before Grandpa Liu and called out, "Grandpa Liu!"

"Xiao Ming, you're here." Grandpa Liu smiled at Lin Ming, then asked, "Xiao Ming, have you decided what Dou Technique you want?"

"Two Star Dou Master?" Grandpa Liu cried out in pleasant surprise just after speaking.

"Hehe, I only broke through last night. Grandpa Liu, does the family have any Earth Tier Dou Techniques?" Lin Ming chuckled, scratching his head as he asked.

"Earth Tier Dou Techniques? You really dare to dream, kid. Back then, even after the Grand Elder became a Dou Emperor, he was still using a Profound Tier High-grade Dou Technique." Grandpa Liu said to Lin Ming.

Lin Ming knew that the Grand Elder Grandpa Liu spoke of was the Ice Emperor, Hai Bodong. If even a Dou Emperor had used a Profound Tier High-grade Dou Technique, then it seemed the family did not possess any Earth Tier Dou Techniques. Lin Ming could not help feeling disappointed.

Seeing Lin Ming's disappointed expression, Grandpa Liu smiled. "Why are you making that face, kid? I only said that the Grand Elder used a Profound Tier High-grade Dou Technique. I never said the family didn't have any Earth Tier Dou Techniques. Come with me!"

Hearing this, Lin Ming immediately felt as though the willow trees had opened onto another village. He hurried after Grandpa Liu up the stairs of the Scripture Pavilion. They did not stop until they reached the entrance to the Fourth Floor. Grandpa Liu formed hand seals with both hands and fired a Restriction at the door before it slowly opened. Lin Ming then followed him inside.

The moment he stepped through the doors of the Fourth Floor of Scripture Pavilion, Lin Ming found it completely different from the first floor. Although it was equally spacious, there were no rows of bookshelves or countless Dou Techniques. There were only four stone platforms in the vast chamber, each covered by an Energy Shield. Within each Energy Shield floated a scroll. Feeling the power of those Energy Shields, Lin Ming was stunned. Judging by the strength they radiated, he felt that one would need at least the strength of a Dou Ling to force them open.

While Lin Ming was still stunned, Grandpa Liu said, "Xiao Ming, this Fourth Floor is where the family stores Earth Tier Cultivation Methods and Dou Techniques. The four scrolls before you are the Earth Tier Cultivation Methods and Dou Techniques possessed by the family. The two on the left are Cultivation Methods, while the two on the right are Dou Techniques." After speaking, Grandpa Liu formed hand seals again and struck one of the Energy Shields on the right.

As Grandpa Liu released the hand seal, the Energy Shield that absorbed it slowly dissipated. In the end, it vanished completely, revealing a scroll resting on the stone platform.

"Go take it," Grandpa Liu said.

Lin Ming walked over to the stone platform and picked up the scroll. Written across it were four large words: "Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber." Just as Lin Ming was about to open it, Grandpa Liu's voice rang out. "Earth Tier Dou Techniques and Heaven Tier Dou Techniques contain the might of heaven and earth. They can inflict devastation capable of destroying the world, and cannot be conveyed through words alone. This scroll contains the Spiritual Strength imprint left behind by its creator. Xiao Ming, you must use your Spiritual Strength to sense the creator's imprint within the scroll before you can learn this Earth Tier Dou Technique—the Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber."

After hearing Grandpa Liu's explanation, Lin Ming gave up on opening the scroll directly. Instead, he sat cross-legged, placed the scroll across his knees, and guided his Spiritual Strength into it.

"Such powerful Spiritual Strength?" Grandpa Liu exclaimed in shock as he sensed the Spiritual Strength Lin Ming had released. He could feel that Lin Ming's Spiritual Strength was likely even stronger than his own, and it also seemed subtly different somehow. Yet he could not say what was different about it.

The instant Lin Ming's Spiritual Strength entered the scroll, he saw a person standing beneath a blazing sun, holding a saber aloft with both hands. No, that blazing sun was at the tip of the saber, and it was growing larger. In the blink of an eye, before Lin Ming could react, the person slashed at him. The sphere of light, like a blazing sun, shot directly toward Lin Ming. At this moment, Lin Ming felt his entire body become imprisoned by that sun-like energy. He could not dodge and could only watch helplessly as the fiery red sun drew closer, its heat gradually melting his entire body away.

In the outside world, Lin Ming felt as though he had died once more, melted by a blazing sun until not even ashes remained. He did not know how much time had passed before he finally regained consciousness. Touching his face and feeling that he was still there, Lin Ming felt a lingering fear. This Earth Tier Dou Technique was far too terrifying.

"Xiao Ming, what happened?" Grandpa Liu asked. Lin Ming told him what he had just experienced. After hearing it, Grandpa Liu said, "Then quickly sense your Spiritual Strength and see whether there have been any changes."

After hearing Grandpa Liu, Lin Ming calmed himself again and sensed his Spiritual Strength. Under his perception, a passage of text appeared in his mind.

"Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber. Fire Attribute Earth Tier Low-grade Dou Technique. Activate fire-attributed energy and gather it at the tip of the saber, condensing a blazing sun sphere. When mastered to perfection, a single slash will strike like a blazing sun rushing toward one's face... When this Dou Technique is used beneath the blazing sun, both its condensation speed and power increase by thirty percent." Then, the words gathered into a human figure holding a saber aloft with both hands, while the meridians inside its body lit up.

Seeing the illuminated meridians, Lin Ming knew that this was the meridian circulation diagram for cultivating the Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber. He hurriedly memorized it. Otherwise, if the meridian circulation diagram disappeared before he had memorized it, would he not have to endure the feeling of being melted by the blazing sun again? Lin Ming had no desire to try that again. Fortunately, only after he had completely memorized the Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber's meridian circulation did the figure within his Spiritual Strength slowly disappear.

Lin Ming opened his eyes and let out a breath. After placing the Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber scroll back onto the stone platform, he said to Grandpa Liu, "Grandpa Liu, Xiao Ming has already memorized the Blazing Sun Heavenly Saber."

"Good! Then step aside. I'm going to raise the Energy Shield again!" Hearing Grandpa Liu, Lin Ming stepped back slightly. Grandpa Liu once again fired an energy hand seal into the stone platform, and the Energy Shield rose back up.

Looking at the restored Energy Shield, Lin Ming grew curious about the other two unknown scrolls. There were two, rather than three, because when Lin Ming had chosen a Cultivation Method before, he had already learned that there was an Earth Tier Fire Attribute Cultivation Method. Thus, only two remained unknown to him.

"Grandpa Liu, what attributes are the Cultivation Methods and Dou Techniques in the other three scrolls?" After thinking it over, Lin Ming still asked.

Hearing Lin Ming's question, Grandpa Liu thought for a moment as well. Feeling that there was no harm in telling him, he said, "Of the remaining three scrolls, one is the Fire Attribute Earth Tier Low-grade Cultivation Method I mentioned when you chose your Cultivation Method—the Nine Nether Blazing Flame Technique. Of the other two, one is an Earth Tier Low-grade Ice Attribute Cultivation Method. The last is an Earth Tier Low-grade Poison Attribute Dou Technique found on the body of a Dou Wang Poison Master from the Chu Yun Empire after the Grand Elder killed him."

After hearing Grandpa Liu's words, Lin Ming immediately understood why the Ice Emperor, Hai Bodong, had been able to escape from Queen Medusa in the desert despite being several stars weaker and only cultivating a Profound Tier High-grade Dou Technique. It turned out that his Cultivation Method was Earth Tier Low-grade. That was nearly top-tier throughout the northwestern region, much less in the areas surrounding the Jia Ma Empire. Since none of them were useful to him, Lin Ming stopped thinking about them and left the Fourth Floor of Scripture Pavilion with Grandpa Liu.

When they arrived at the entrance to the Fourth Floor, Lin Ming saw the passage leading farther upward and grew curious again. He asked Grandpa Liu, "Grandpa Liu, the Fourth Floor stores Earth Tier Cultivation Methods and Dou Techniques. Does the Fifth Floor contain even higher-grade ones?"

Grandpa Liu glanced at Lin Ming before saying, "These Earth Tier Cultivation Methods and Dou Techniques on the Fourth Floor are already the family's finest collection. Where would there be anything of a higher grade? The Fifth Floor contains records of some ancestors' deeds, not Cultivation Methods or Dou Techniques." Hearing that it only contained the deeds of some ancestors, Lin Ming immediately lost much of his interest.

Upon reaching the Third Floor, Lin Ming knew that it contained Profound Tier High-grade Dou Techniques. He said to Grandpa Liu again, "Grandpa Liu, Xiao Ming wants to choose another Profound Tier High-grade Dou Technique for ordinary battles, while keeping the Earth Tier Dou Technique as a trump card."

Hearing that Lin Ming wanted to choose another Profound Tier High-grade Dou Technique, Grandpa Liu frowned and said, "Xiao Ming, more Dou Techniques are not necessarily better. You've only just obtained an Earth Tier Dou Technique. If you cultivate another Profound Tier High-grade Dou Technique, what about your cultivation time? Right now, you should focus on increasing your cultivation. When you return next year, you can come learn another Profound Tier High-grade Dou Technique. Grandpa Liu guarantees that I won't stop you." Grandpa Liu knew that Jia Nan Academy had one vacation every year during which students could return home.

Hearing Grandpa Liu tell him to return next year to learn another Profound Tier High-grade Dou Technique, Lin Ming felt helpless. He had never planned to return next year at all. He intended to spend one year in the Outer Academy of Jia Nan Academy before entering the Inner Academy. After all, the Inner Academy's Fallen Heart Flame could increase cultivation speed, which was why he had come to Jia Nan Academy. Therefore, Lin Ming said to Grandpa Liu, "Grandpa Liu, do you know anything about Jia Nan Academy? Have you heard that Jia Nan Academy has an Inner Academy?"

"Inner Academy?" Grandpa Liu apparently had never heard of it, judging by his questioning tone. Lin Ming then briefly explained the Inner Academy to him, saying that he had learned from someone who had graduated from Jia Nan Academy that it was the true core of the academy. Only the most outstanding students of the Outer Academy could enter, and once inside, they had to remain there for three years without being allowed to leave midway. That meant he might be gone for four years.

After hearing Lin Ming's words, Grandpa Liu was somewhat doubtful, but he still allowed Lin Ming to enter the Third Floor and choose a Profound Tier High-grade Dou Technique.

After making his selection, Lin Ming bid Grandpa Liu farewell and hurried home. He had selected two Dou Techniques this time, enough for his upcoming time at Jia Nan Academy.