Battle Through the Heavens: Obtaining the Extraction System

Just looking at all these books related to alchemists made Xiao Ling's mouth twitch. It gave him the feeling of being back in school in his previous life.

After briefly sorting through them and putting away the other books along with the Cultivation Techniques and Combat Skills, Xiao Ling picked up 100 Tips for Becoming an Alchemist. Half-reclining on his bed, he began reading it with great interest.

The days passed one by one. After arriving at Jia Nan Academy, Xiao Ling's life gradually became more routine.

Every morning, he went to the Alchemy Department's pill-refining chamber to refine pills and cultivate his Dou Qi. Whenever he encountered something he did not understand, he would occasionally seek guidance from Elder Huo.

Elder Huo was also extremely attentive toward this half-disciple of his. Whenever Xiao Ling came to ask questions about alchemy, he patiently and earnestly answered them, providing Xiao Ling with a great deal of help.

Having stayed at Jia Nan Academy for who knew how long, Elder Huo was highly experienced in teaching students. He understood that geniuses and ordinary people differed in their capacity for comprehension, so his instruction for Xiao Ling focused more on teaching him to think through problems and understand knowledge for himself. Everyone was different. Only by forging one's own path in pill refinement and developing one's own insights could one become an outstanding Alchemist.

Xiao Ling did not disappoint him. His Alchemy Art improved at an astonishing pace, and he learned both foundational knowledge and pill-refining techniques thoroughly. His Soul Power was also continuously improving and had already surpassed that of others at the same level by more than double.

Although Xiao Ling invested a great deal of effort and time into alchemy and cultivation, he did not neglect practical combat training.

No matter how powerful one's own strength was, if one could not use it properly, one could only bully cultivators weaker than oneself. If one wanted to be invincible among those of the same level or fight across levels, practical combat experience was indispensable.

Xiao Ling often sparred and exchanged pointers with the academy's students, and sometimes sought advice from the academy's instructors and elders. At the beginning, because he could not properly control his Combat Skills and lacked battle experience, he could not display his full strength and would lose to opponents of comparable cultivation. By now, Xiao Ling had gained far more practical combat experience, and his mastery of Combat Skills had greatly improved. Relying on his exceptional physique, tremendous recovery ability, and Soul Perception far beyond others of the same level, he was virtually unmatched in battles within the same major realm. Even against someone one major realm above him, he could hold his own.

Such a rate of growth made Xiao Ling famous throughout the academy. Both instructors and students called him "Jia Nan Academy's Number One Genius."

Xiao Ling gladly accepted those praises, but he did not become arrogant because of them.

Because he knew what he was striving for. To achieve his future goals and obtain those opportunities, this bit of strength was far from enough. On the Dou Qi Continent, strength was supreme. A big fist was the only hard truth.

Jia Nan Academy's upper ranks were increasingly satisfied with Xiao Ling. His talent and temperament were beyond reproach, and he was extremely respectful toward his elders. Even First Elder Su Qian of the Inner Academy would smile warmly whenever he saw Xiao Ling, and he would sometimes come to the Outer Academy to guide Xiao Ling's cultivation.

Time flowed like water, slipping away bit by bit. In the blink of an eye, two years had passed.

At one of the academy's battle arenas, two students were sparring. The energy of their Combat Skills spread outward, sending ripples through the air.

Many students sat in the viewing stands beside the battle platform, watching the sparring match. They leaned close together and discussed it among themselves.

"Junior Xiao Ling truly has extraordinary talent. He's only a little over ten and is already a Da Dou Shi. He really is Jia Nan Academy's Number One Genius."

"That talent is terrifying. When I was ten, I hadn't even condensed a Dou Qi Vortex to become a Dou Zhe."

"Junior Xiao Ling is getting more handsome by the day. I really want to have his babies..."

Before long, the match on the platform was decided. Xiao Ling deliberately exposed an opening, then caught his opponent off guard and knocked him off the battle platform with a single punch.

At the sight, waves of cheers erupted from the crowd in the stands. The atmosphere was exceptionally lively.

Xiao Ling leaped down from the platform and landed before the young man. He helped him up and used the soul bone skill "Wildfire Cannot Burn It All; Spring Winds Bring It to Life Again" to heal him.

The young man was tall and slender, with an exceptionally handsome face. He appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old.

Seeing that he was not seriously hurt, Xiao Ling withdrew his hand and said, "Brother Lin, I was a little heavy-handed just now. You weren't injured, were you?"

The young man waved his hand and said with a bitter smile, "I'm fine. Your healing skill is quite effective. No wonder you recover from injuries so quickly after every spar. I just didn't expect you to defeat me, a Four-Star Da Dou Shi, right after breaking through to Da Dou Shi yourself. You really are a monster."

Xiao Ling scratched his head and replied with a smile, "I only had the advantage of recovering quickly and having strong Soul Perception. Brother Lin, your strength is among the very best at the same level. Once you reach the Dou Ling realm and use your cultivation technique to condense Dou Qi Wings, I might not be able to gain any advantage against you even if I were a Dou Ling."

The person sparring with Xiao Ling was none other than Lin Xiuyai, the student ranked second on Jia Nan Academy's Power Ranking in the original story. He had not yet entered the Inner Academy. At seventeen years old, his cultivation had reached the Four-Star Da Dou Shi realm, enough for him to contend with one of the current Clan Leaders of the Eight Ancient Clans.

Among the people Xiao Ling knew in the Outer Academy were Lin Xiuyai, Liu Qing, Lin Yan, and Han Yue.

With his outstanding talent and remarkable Alchemy Art, Xiao Ling had become very close with them. The four of them had even discussed joining forces in the Fire Energy Hunt Competition half a year later to rob the old students of their Fire Energy. That way, they would not have to worry about cultivation resources the moment they entered the Inner Academy.

Xiao Ling remembered that, by the original story's ending, all three of those men had cultivated to the Half-Saint realm. Although Xiao Yan had helped them, how could they have achieved such accomplishments without talent?

As for getting on good terms with Han Yue, all he could say was... black stockings... a pair of sisters, ahem.

After pulling Lin Xiuyai up from the ground, the two of them headed toward the passage leading out of the arena.

Suddenly, a black Magical Beast flew out of the passage. It stopped before Xiao Ling, affectionately rubbed against his cheek, and circled around him nonstop.

Looking closely, it had a long, slender body, mostly black in color, with several golden ring patterns on its back. It had side fins edged in red along its shoulders and underside, and a fin-like structure at the tip of its tail. Its head had two long, flat horn-like protrusions, with two smaller horns beneath them. Two distinct fangs protruded from the tip of its upper jaw. It had a pair of yellow eyes with black pupils. It possessed two arms, each limb ending in three sharp claws that gleamed with a cold light, making their extreme sharpness obvious at a glance. As it circled through the air, it appeared exceptionally agile.

This was the Void Dragon Pokémon Egg Xiao Ling had extracted before. After nearly a year of incubation, it had hatched on Xiao Ling's ninth birthday.

He had originally thought it would be an ordinary Void Dragon, but it turned out to be a shiny one. All he could say was that it looked incredibly cool.

Xiao Ling stroked the Void Dragon's head and said, "Xiao Kong, get into my sleeve. I'll refine some candy for you later."

Hearing this, the Void Dragon nodded, licked Xiao Ling's face, then shrank its body and slipped into Xiao Ling's sleeve.

Lin Xiuyai, standing nearby, watched with eyes full of envy and said sourly, "That thing is ridiculously handsome. I want to get one to raise too."

Xiao Ling merely smiled mysteriously. There was only one Void Dragon on the Dou Qi Continent. No one else could possibly tame another.

This Void Dragon had terrifying potential. It was already a third-rank Magical Beast. As long as it was fed medicinal herbs, it could absorb and refine their energy to increase its strength. It merely ate a great deal—roughly three times the cultivation resources required by a person. Xiao Ling could not afford to raise it at present, since he was still using resources provided by the academy.

Then why had its cultivation risen so quickly? Of course, it was because it had found itself a good mother: Xiao Xun'er, the richest young lady on the Dou Qi Continent. She fed it medicinal herbs as though they cost nothing, allowing its cultivation to rise rapidly. Most of its food was provided by Xiao Xun'er; Xiao Ling only occasionally refined some medicinal pills for it.

That was right, Xiao Xun'er had also come to Jia Nan Academy. In the year Xiao Ling turned nine, Xiao Xun'er arrived at Jia Nan Academy with the cultivation of an eight-year-old at the eighth stage of Dou Qi. Of course, no one knew her true cultivation. In Xiao Ling's estimation, it was probably no lower than his own. In the original story, Xiao Xun'er had not cultivated seriously in order to preserve Xiao Yan's pride. Even after Xiao Yan became invincible through endless advantages, he only surpassed Xiao Xun'er after absorbing the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame and part of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame. All one could say was, "A Divine Bloodline is truly terrifying." Now that Xiao Ling's cultivation was advancing so quickly, Xiao Xun'er might not be cultivating at full force, but she certainly would not waste her talent.

After leaving the passage, they saw a young girl walking gracefully toward them, a charming smile blooming on her face as she looked at Xiao Ling.

In that instant, everything around her seemed to lose its color, as though the entire world had become centered around that girl.

Xiao Ling was stunned. Lin Xiuyai was stunned. Even everyone nearby who had turned their gaze in this direction was stunned.

After coming back to his senses and feeling the gazes fixed on him—some envious, some admiring, some jealous—Xiao Ling could not help feeling embarrassed that he had stared blankly.

He released the Void Dragon from his sleeve, circulated his Dou Qi, and landed steadily on its back.

Then he extended his right hand toward Xiao Xun'er, his face bright with a smile. "Xun Er, I'll take you for a ride in the sky."

Upon hearing that, Xiao Xun'er nodded happily. Although she often rode the Void Dragon by herself, Xiao Ling cultivated so diligently every day that he had never accompanied her on a ride.

She placed her soft, boneless little hand in Xiao Ling's large palm, circulated her Dou Qi, and leaped lightly onto the Void Dragon's back, settling in front of him.

Xiao Ling took the opportunity to wrap his left arm around Xiao Xun'er's slender waist and pull the young lady a little closer into his embrace.

Feeling the small, fragrant, soft body in his arms, Xiao Ling felt utterly refreshed and content.

At Xiao Ling's command, the Void Dragon, already connected to him in heart and mind, immediately understood. It let out a long howl toward the heavens, then shot into the sky in a dive, disappearing from everyone's sight.

Lin Xiuyai, left behind where he stood, watched the two vanish and could not help twitching at the corner of his mouth.

This was seriously ridiculous. They were flaunting their affection and shoving it straight into my face. Was there no justice? No law?

At this point, Lin Xiuyai had not yet fallen for Xiao Xun'er. Perhaps it was because he was already an adult while Xiao Xun'er was still a nine-year-old little girl, nearly half his age. Or perhaps it was because Xiao Ling, her childhood sweetheart, was there, leaving him with no intention of competing.

If Xiao Ling learned of this, he would only shake his head disdainfully. I, Xiao Ling, started off on the genius route. I'm not following Xiao Yan's underdog comeback route. I can't even be bothered with showing off and slapping faces.

With the Void Dragon's astonishing speed, they passed through the clouds and reached the stratosphere in less than a quarter of an hour.

At this time, the sun was setting. The sea of clouds churned endlessly, and the sunset shone upon the clouds, making it seem as though they had entered an orange-red world—beautiful and magnificent. Of course, neither of them had come to admire the scenery. What mattered was the person beside them.

Their hearts already understood each other. Riding the same mount, even if they simply wandered aimlessly through the streets and alleys of a city, would have been enough to leave them completely satisfied.

As for the scenery, it was merely an embellishment.

As the Void Dragon flew, the fierce wind brushed against their cheeks and sent their hair drifting in all directions.

Blue-silver hair and black hair intertwined, creating a tranquil and beautiful sight.

Several loose strands that had not been tied into Xiao Xun'er's braid blew directly against Xiao Ling's face, carrying a faint, fragrant scent.

Xiao Ling had just been about to say something when he accidentally caught several strands of her hair between his lips. The faint sensation lingered in his mouth, and for a moment, he completely forgot what he had wanted to say.

After reaching the mountain range surrounding Jia Nan Academy,

Xiao Ling patted the dragon's back. The Void Dragon immediately understood and slowed down, drifting leisurely among the clouds.

Only then did Xiao Xun'er have the chance to straighten her hair. Her body, which had been half-reclining in Xiao Ling's embrace, also sat upright.

But the instant she sat up, her back felt chilly. Having left that warm embrace, she felt somewhat uncomfortable all over.

She looked at the hand still wrapped around her waist and abdomen. After thinking about it, Xiao Xun'er simply lay back down.

One held the other while the other nestled close, looking exactly like a pair of deeply affectionate lovers.

From afternoon until evening,

the two truly spent a joyful time together. Sometimes they enjoyed a moment of warmth among the clouds, and sometimes they traveled through forests in the mountains.

When they prepared to leave that evening, Xiao Xun'er was even holding a bouquet of unknown wildflowers in her arms.

Though she could not tell what variety they were, nor were they particularly bright and enchanting, their petals carried touches of red. Gathered together, they were still exceptionally beautiful.

At the same time, they made Xiao Xun'er seem even more delicate than the flowers and lovelier than their blooms, truly stirring the heart.

"Xun Er, we should go back."

Although their happy time had been brief, they both knew it was time to return to the academy. If they stayed any later, it would be midnight, and lingering outside the academy would be inconvenient.

Thus, after hearing Xiao Ling call to her,

Xiao Xun'er could only pout and take Xiao Ling's left hand as she climbed onto the Void Dragon's back.

They traveled through the clouds.