I Grew Stronger—and Richer

[The Green Winged Wind Luan Goose was a Sixth-Order flying magical beast with a rich Heavenly Luan Clan bloodline. Naturally adept at wielding the power of wind, its flight speed was exceptional among magical beasts of the same grade. Like the Heavenly Luan, it was a social magical beast that mainly lived in the Green Flame Mountain Range, southwest of the Middle Continent on the Dou Qi Continent, and was extremely difficult to capture.]

[This volume's Dou Technique, named Six Geese Flight Skill, was a weakened version of the Nine Geese Flight Skill secret art. It was crafted over three years using a pair of wings from a mid-Sixth-Order Green-Winged Wind Luan Goose. If one obtained the Nine Geese Flight Skill secret art and the wings of a higher-grade flying magical beast of the same origin, it could be absorbed and upgraded.]

Seeing the simple and straightforward description on the Flying Fighting Skill scroll, Gu Han could not help thinking of Mu Qing Luan, Wind Venerate of Starfall Pavilion's disciple, known as the Top Contractor of the Middle Continent. She came from the Heavenly Luan Clan and possessed innate Wind Attribute Dou Qi.

The Green Winged Wind Luan Goose could be considered a collateral branch of the Heavenly Luan Clan and was also naturally attuned to the Wind Attribute.

If he refined this clan's wings, Gu Han felt that cultivating Wind Attribute Dou Techniques would yield twice the result with half the effort.

Cultivators could practice Dou Technique secret arts that did not match their own Dou Qi attribute, just as Xiao Yan could practice Three Thousand Lightning Movement.

However, cultivating techniques of one's own attribute yielded twice the result with half the effort, while cultivating those of another attribute took twice the effort for half the result. Ordinary people would not do such a thing.

Gu Han would naturally continue specializing in the Ice Attribute, but as he was in the Misty Cloud Sect, which primarily focused on the Wind Attribute, he could consider practicing a few Wind Attribute Dou Technique secret arts after obtaining this pile of wings.

"An unexpected gain, I suppose."

A faint smile appeared on Gu Han's handsome yet cool face as he reached out to touch the pale green wings glowing faintly on the scroll.

They felt remarkably real, yet unlike wings directly cut from a magical beast. It was more as though the wings possessed souls.

Gu Han released his spiritual sense and discovered that there truly was a soul within them, though its consciousness had already been erased.

Thinking of the Purple Cloud Wings Xiao Yan had obtained, he felt that the core of a Flying Fighting Skill might be the wings and the soul.

As for the specifics, he would find out after obtaining the Nine Geese Flight Skill and studying it.

"Besides, the Golden Goose Sect really does possess an inherited method. Although Six Geese Flight Skill, like Purple Cloud Wings, is a Mysterious Tier High Grade Flying Fighting Skill, its crafting method is far more sophisticated."

Gu Han had never seen Purple Cloud Wings, so how could he make such a certain judgment?

The answer was simple. To master Purple Cloud Wings, one had to endure the Purple Cloud Eagle's soul attack. Only by succeeding could one cultivate it.

But to cultivate Six Geese Flight Skill, one only needed to follow the method recorded on the scroll and absorb it step by step. There were no hidden dangers whatsoever.

And Six Geese Flight Skill used Sixth-Order Magical Beast Wings, comparable to a Dou Emperor powerhouse.

They were vastly superior to the wings of a Fifth-Order Magical Beast like the Purple Cloud Eagle, which was only comparable to a Dou Wang.

Gu Han did not hesitate and immediately began the absorption according to the scroll's instructions.

He infused Dou Qi into it and slowly circulated it along a special route.

Before long, the green wings on the scroll suddenly shone brilliantly, their color growing increasingly deep. In the end, they solidified into two tiny pale green streaks of light that darted into Gu Han's palms, rapidly entering along the precise route of his circulating Dou Qi and traveling all the way to a meridian on his back.

Gu Han continued using Internal Vision, "personally" watching as that meridian split into two newly formed, tiny branch meridians. Only after reaching a certain point did they vanish.

The pulling of his meridians caused him intense pain, and his spiritual power began draining rapidly.

"Let my heart be as clear as ice; even if heaven falls, I shall not be shaken..."

Gu Han circulated Mysterious Ice Force and visualized the Mysterious Turtle Shell.

Ice Dou Qi flowed through his body, restoring his spiritual strength.

With a thought, he took out the Snow Lotus Pill Yun Yun had given him and directly swallowed it.

The next moment, a powerful energy surged into his Dantian Qi Vortex and spread through his limbs and bones, helping him open up the new branch meridians.

Meanwhile, in the core residential area for Inner Sect Disciples, Mo Yu was berating Mo Qing.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"I told you to befriend him first. Befriend him!"

"Why did you go and steal his credit? Is our Mo Family so desperate for the credit of exposing a Dou Master spy?"

"Could the credit for capturing a Dou Master—or even a Da Dou Shi—spy possibly be more important than befriending someone who would at least become a Dou Ling and might even become a Dou Wang?"

"You two are simply beyond saving."

Mo Feng: "..."

When he first heard Mo Qing's plan, it was not as though he had not tried to dissuade him.

But Mo Qing had put on the airs of a direct-line young master and refused to listen, insisting on stealing Gu Han's credit so he could enjoy Gu Han's aggrieved expression. What could Mo Feng do?

Besides, Gu Han had cheated him out of Gold Coins, which had left him somewhat resentful as well, so...

"Enough. What's done is done. There's no use dwelling on it."

Mo Yu rubbed his brow, completely crossing Gu Han off in his heart.

But he was not an idiot like Mo Qing. If he could not deliver a fatal blow, he would never act rashly. In the future, it would be best for them to keep out of each other's way.

"Where is that idiot Mo Qing?" Mo Yu raised his head and stared at Mo Feng. "Is he afraid I'll scold him, so he doesn't dare come?"

"Reporting to Young Master, no." Mo Feng immediately reported, "Young Master Mo Qing has gone missing."

"Missing?!" Mo Yu's tone rose slightly as he frowned instinctively. "What happened?"

Mo Feng immediately explained in detail. "I led people to meet up with Young Master Mo Qing, but we did not find him."

"When we asked Elder Xuanqing, he only said that the last place they had separated was Courtyard 74."

"Young Master Mo Qing did not return to either the sect residence or our Mo Family Commerce Association."

"We asked the disciples guarding the mountain gate, and none of them saw Young Master return..."

The more he heard, the deeper Mo Yu's frown became, and a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.

After sitting in his chair and pondering for a while, he asked, "I heard Kalon still hasn't been found?"

"That is correct." Mo Feng answered at once, then suddenly realized something. "Young Master, you mean..."

"It's possible." Mo Yu clenched one hand and said, "Mobilize every resource to find them. Quickly."

Mo Feng immediately accepted the order and withdrew in a hurry.

"Kalon, if you dare harm my brother, I'll make sure you die without an intact corpse!" Killing intent surged in Mo Yu's eyes, yet he did not suspect Gu Han.

A great move like Void Pursuit was not something just anyone could possess.

The night passed without incident, and the sun was already high in the sky.

What had happened in Yunlan Town the previous night had already spread throughout the sect.

Not only that, even the Imperial Family of the Imperial Capital and the great clans had heard of it.

The Golden Goose Sect of the Luoyan Empire had planted spies within the Misty Cloud Sect and arranged for a Da Dou Shi Steward to conceal his identity in Yunlan Town as a contact. This was no small matter.

The Mo Family and Yun Leng's faction had gained considerable prestige because the person who uncovered the spy was Mo Family disciple Mo Qing.

Yet this very Mo Qing had vanished without a trace alongside the spy Kalon, leading many to speculate that he was likely doomed.

If the Golden Goose Sect's Da Dou Shi had not died, they could have extracted some information from him. Unfortunately, the Misty Cloud Sect had no means of reviving the dead, so they could only intensify the search. Sect Leader Yun Yun even personally went to the Imperial Capital to discuss the matter with Jia Xingtian, the Imperial Family's strongest expert.

For a time, Kalon was wanted across the entire empire, while Mo Qing was being searched for.

Although Gu Han had not stepped outside, he knew all of this and did not care in the slightest.

At this moment, he had just completed his breakthrough and perfectly fused with the Flying Fighting Skill.

"Excellent. I've grown stronger again!"