Battle Through the Heavens: Obtaining the Extraction System at the Start — Chapter 24

Seeing this, Xiao Ling raised an eyebrow, took the scroll, and casually pulled Xiao Xun'er into his arms. Then he asked in confusion, "Xun'er, is this another Cultivation Technique or Combat Skill?"

Sitting in Xiao Ling's embrace, Xiao Xun'er reached out to play with his long blue-silver hair draped over his shoulders, lightly scratching his face as she answered, "This scroll records an Earth Tier Advanced Combat Skill called the Imperial Seal Art. The minimum requirement for cultivating it is to reach at least the Dou Wang realm. Brother Xiao Ling is already a three-star Dou Wang and is about to leave for training, so mastering this Combat Skill will surely give you a better chance when fighting others."

Upon hearing Xiao Xun'er's introduction, Xiao Ling's expression turned solemn. He already knew the rough origins of this Combat Skill—it was one of the Ancient Clan's clan-defending ultimate arts among the Eight Ancient Clans.

Xiao Xun'er, who was playing with Xiao Ling's hair, did not notice the change in his expression. After shifting into a more comfortable position, she continued, "The Imperial Seal Art is one of my clan's most profound Combat Skills. It was created by an ancient Dou Emperor expert and consists of five forms: the Mountain Splitting Seal, Ocean Flipping Seal, Earth Covering Seal, Sky Annihilation Seal, and Ancient Emperor Seal. Each seal connects to the next. Once all five seals are mastered, they possess the power to overturn rivers and seas, swallow heaven and devour earth. At its peak, it can rival a Heaven Grade Fighting Skill! Xun'er has not obtained the final three seals either, so I can only give Brother Xiao Ling the first two forms. With Brother Xiao Ling's current cultivation, you can directly cultivate the Mountain Splitting Seal. It would be best to wait until you reach the Dou Huang realm before cultivating the Ocean Flipping Seal."

Looking at the scroll in his hand, Xiao Ling shook his head and put it into his Ring. He scraped Xiao Xun'er's delicate nose, then said with an amused smile, "Since this is a Combat Skill from Xun'er's clan, if your family finds out that I used it and traces it back to you giving it to me, will they punish you?"

Hearing this, Xiao Xun'er waved her hand indifferently and said in a somewhat haughty tone, "Those old geezers won't blame me. But if they really find out, Brother Xiao Ling might face some trouble."

Letting go of the hair in her hand, Xiao Xun'er said seriously, "It won't be a problem if Brother Xiao Ling uses this Combat Skill on the Northwest Continent. But if you go to the Central Plains in the future, it is better to treat it as a trump card. Unless it is a critical moment, try not to use it too often. If it is leaked, the clan will definitely send people to retrieve it. So Brother Xiao Ling, you must use it carefully!"

Holding the beauty in his arms tightly, Xiao Ling said confidently, "Don't worry, Xun'er. I've long known that your origins are extraordinary, but I definitely won't disappoint you. In the near future, I will prove my abilities to your family and make them willingly entrust you to me."

Hearing Xiao Ling's resolute answer, Xiao Xun'er revealed a sweet smile. She reached out to stroke his cheek and said softly, "Xun'er will keep waiting until Brother Xiao Ling reaches that day."

Their gazes met, and for a time, neither spoke. The room fell quiet.

In the dimly lit living room, as their faces drew closer, two overlapping figures could faintly be seen.

A moment later, the two separated again, and the living room returned to silence.

Xiao Ling held Xiao Xun'er as they lay on their sides on the sofa, their bodies pressed closely together.

Xiao Ling simply enjoyed the peace in his heart and did not do anything further out of line.

Of course, Xiao Ling would never admit that the movement of his hand was beyond his control.

With her back facing Xiao Ling, Xiao Xun'er curled up her jade-like legs and leaned against his chest. Her body was slightly stiff, and she bit her red lips in embarrassed indignation, her face flushed bright red. Yet in the end, she still did not push away Xiao Ling's mischievous hand.

She now understood why Xiao Ling had developed such a preference. He had not experienced it when he was young, so now he wanted to make it all up through her.

Brother Xiao Ling is far too much.

Just as Xiao Xun'er was lost in wild thoughts, Xiao Ling's voice sounded beside her ear again.

"Tonight, we don't need to cultivate in place of sleep. Let's get some proper rest together."

Listening to Xiao Ling's words and feeling the warmth of his embrace, Xiao Xun'er's previously flustered heart gradually calmed down.

Xiao Ling took out a bronze incense burner from his Ring. A refreshing, tranquil fragrance drifted from it, relaxing the mind and soothing the spirit.

Leaning against each other, the two quickly fell into a deep sleep with the aid of the incense.

Their heads rested together, their hair intertwined across the sofa, creating a scene of warmth and serenity.

The bright moon that had risen outside the window seemed to notice their slender figures and covered them with a veil of mysterious moonlight.

Ancient Realm, Ancient Clan Council Hall.

The vast hall stretched for thousands of zhang. More than a dozen figures could vaguely be seen within, and the pressure each of them casually radiated was enough to shatter space.

A middle-aged man with black-and-white hair sat in the seat of honor. He was Gu Yuan, the current Clan Leader of the Ancient Clan, one of the Eight Ancient Clans, and a peak Nine Star Dou Saint.

The people beside him were the Ancient Clan Three Immortals, the Black Annihilation King, and other Dou Saint elders of the Ancient Clan.

Just as they had finished discussing various matters and were preparing to leave, an elder spoke to Gu Yuan. "Clan Leader, Miss Xun'er has already been away from the Ancient Clan for ten years. Her coming-of-age ceremony is only two years away, yet she still has not obtained the Xiao Clan's Tou She Ancient God Jade. Shouldn't we bring Miss Xun'er back from that remote place?"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their attention to the elder. The speaker was Ancient Clan Elder Gu Nanhai, whose strength had already reached the four-star Dou Saint realm.

Gu Yuan, who had been about to leave, began considering the matter after hearing Gu Nanhai's words.

Gu Yuan dearly loved this daughter of his. Not only did she possess the most perfect Divine Bloodline the Ancient Clan had seen in a thousand years, but she was also his child born late in life. He cherished her as if she might shatter in his hand or melt in his mouth. Sending her to the declining Xiao Family had been partly to seek clues about the Xiao Clan's Tou She Ancient God Jade, but another reason was to give her a happy childhood. After all, within the Ancient Clan, as the Clan Leader's daughter and the bearer of a Divine Bloodline, children her age would certainly feel distant from her. According to the letters sent back, she had been living quite well in the Xiao Family. Still, her coming-of-age ceremony was indeed approaching. In another two years, she would have to return to the Ancient Clan to cultivate.

Gu Yuan stroked his beard and said to everyone, "Send Xun'er a message. In two years, bring her back to the clan."

Some elders had wanted to bring Gu Xun'er back sooner, but since the Clan Leader had spoken, they said nothing further. One after another, they shattered the void and left.

After everyone had departed, Gu Yuan glanced in the direction of the ancient tomb and murmured to himself, "If you knew the Xiao Clan's current circumstances, Xiao Xuan, would you regret your decision back then? Can the fallen Xiao Clan rise again?"

The next morning.

The rising sun gradually climbed into the sky, and a ray of sunlight passed through the living room window, falling upon Xiao Ling's profile.

Xiao Ling slowly opened his eyes and awoke from his sleep to welcome a new day. He glanced at the sun outside the window. It had only just risen above the horizon, while most people were still asleep.

Lowering his head, he looked at Xiao Xun'er in his arms and saw that her eyes were tightly closed, as if she were still immersed in slumber.

The warm sunlight streaming through the window made her gentle profile even more beautiful and moving. Her lips parted slightly as she breathed out a delicate fragrance, sleeping as peacefully as a newborn pure spirit basking beneath candlelight in a greenhouse. It made one want to step forward and taste her.

Xiao Ling slowly raised his left hand, brushed several strands of hair from before Xiao Xun'er's cheek behind her ear, and carefully stroked her smooth, jade-like face. He gently kissed her forehead before slowly laying her flat on the sofa.

Taking out a blanket made of fire fox fur from his Ring, Xiao Ling gently covered Xiao Xun'er with it.

He picked up the Porcelain Bottle containing the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame Child Flame from the tea table in the living room. After turning back to take one more serious look at Xiao Xun'er, Xiao Ling quietly left the room and headed toward his dormitory.

Xiao Ling was not very good at farewells. Someone who had accompanied him for so many years would suddenly no longer be by his side, and he might not be used to it. Leaving quietly also spared them from too much reluctance. That was not so bad.

After Xiao Ling left the room, Xiao Xun'er, who was lying on the living room sofa, slowly opened her eyes. Having slept while held in Xiao Ling's arms, she had awakened as soon as he made the slightest movement. She simply had not known what to say, so she had pretended to remain asleep.

Touching her forehead, where a trace of lingering warmth remained, she felt a little empty and unaccustomed to it.

Letting out a soft sigh, Xiao Xun'er murmured, "Brother Xiao Ling, Xun'er will wait here for you to return."

After returning to his dormitory, Xiao Ling entered the Cultivation Room, sat down cross-legged, and released the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame Child Flame from the Porcelain Bottle.

In an instant, a scorching heat rushed toward him. Its temperature seemed capable of destroying the void, burning everything without exception.

After leaving the Porcelain Bottle, the flame did not recklessly release its heat. Instead, it floated quietly in the air, appearing exceptionally obedient. Xiao Xun'er must have instructed it beforehand, which was why it behaved so honestly. Inherited Heavenly Flames truly had some extraordinary traits. Without the cooperation of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, even Gu Yuan himself, despite being a peak Nine Star Dou Saint, likely could not have sealed it inside Xiao Xun'er's body during her childhood.

Feeling the temperature rise sharply, Xiao Ling could not help but sigh. "As expected of the fourth-ranked Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. Even a Child Flame possesses such astonishing power. Without reaching the Dou Wang realm, I have no right to absorb and refine it at all."

Pulling his gaze away from the Heavenly Flame, Xiao Ling had no intention of directly absorbing and refining it. Even if this Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame Child Flame did not resist, he would still suffer greatly before completing the absorption. Xiao Ling was not afraid of pain, but if he could avoid suffering, it was better to avoid it.

Xiao Ling lightly touched his Ring and took out a transparent little Jade Bottle. Inside lay a blood-red medicinal pill the size of a longan. Through the reflection on the bottle's surface, faint shadows could be seen within the blood-red pill. When shaken slightly, it even seemed as though liquid swayed inside.

This round blood-red pill was one of the essential items for devouring a Heavenly Flame: the Blood Lotus Pill!

Xiao Ling had prepared it long ago. He had originally intended to use it when devouring the Green Lotus Core Flame, but unexpectedly, it would be used first on this Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame Child Flame. The untouched Green Lotus Core Flame's energy was roughly at the Dou Huang level, while this Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame was between the Dou Ling and Dou Wang realms. The Blood Lotus Pill should be sufficient.

After taking out the Blood Lotus Pill, Xiao Ling took a small jade box from his Ring. He gently placed it on the smooth floor, and a faint chill immediately condensed into a thin Ice Layer across the ground. Opening the jade box revealed a snow-white Jade Bottle carefully placed inside. Faint white cold mist curled around the bottle, giving it a hazy and mysterious air.

Inside that snow-white Jade Bottle was the Ice Spirit Cold Spring Xiao Ling had exchanged from Jia Nan Academy's treasure vault.

After setting those two items aside, Xiao Ling took another stone from his Ring.

It was a thumb-sized gray stone, smooth as jade and without the slightest flaw. Within its core, a faint blue glow slowly wriggled like a small living insect.

This was Spirit Absorption, an exceedingly rare natural treasure. It could only be excavated from high-grade Spirit Stones, and even then, only with an extremely small chance.

Although this piece of Spirit Absorption was tiny, its value far surpassed that of the Blood Lotus Pill and Ice Spirit Cold Spring. Had Xiao Ling not previously asked Elder Huo for help and relied on Jia Nan Academy's connections, it would have been difficult to obtain.

After placing his belt and Storage Ring aside, Xiao Ling took a deep breath and calmed his slightly restless heart. Once his mind had settled, he prepared to devour this Child Flame.

Xiao Ling curled his palm slightly and drew the little Jade Bottle into his hand. Tilting it, he let a longan-sized, round pill faintly gleaming with luster roll into his palm.

Holding the Blood Lotus Pill, Xiao Ling brought it beneath his nose and sniffed lightly. A strange scent curled around his nostrils, and its icy sensation made even his soul tremble faintly.

His eyes fixed tightly upon this fifth-grade medicinal pill. Xiao Ling suddenly clenched his fist, closed his eyes, and shoved it into his mouth.

The instant the Blood Lotus Pill entered his mouth, it transformed into a slightly cold stream of energy that rapidly surged into the meridians throughout Xiao Ling's body. In the end, it slowly seeped into his meridians and bones like layers of blood membranes.

As the blood membranes seeped in, Xiao Ling's body suddenly trembled violently. Threads of blood continuously emerged from his pores. In the blink of an eye, his body was coated in a layer of deep red blood, making him look extremely terrifying.

Shortly after appearing, the blood rapidly solidified, eventually forming a crimson keratinous layer. It wrapped around not only Xiao Ling's hands and feet, but even completely sealed his eyes.

The blood-red keratinous layer formed an airtight suit of crimson armor, protecting Xiao Ling completely within it.

Slowly extending his hand wrapped in the blood-red keratinous layer, Xiao Ling aimed it at the Heavenly Flame floating in midair and activated the Suction Palm. A powerful pulling force suddenly surged forth.

As the suction force appeared, the golden flame in midair flew toward Xiao Ling.

Once the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame floated before him, Xiao Ling extended his hand toward it and reached into the golden flame, intending to retrieve the fire seed within.

Even though the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame did not resist at all, the moment Xiao Ling's palm touched the flame, he still felt an incomparably scorching heat. The layer of blood-red keratin covering his arm began melting at high speed. Drops of liquid resembling blood continuously dripped down, and whenever they left his arm, they were swiftly burned into nothingness by the golden flame.

Although the blood-red keratin melted quickly within the Heavenly Flame, the Blood Lotus Pill's medicinal strength inside Xiao Ling released a constant stream of cold energy as it melted. That energy traveled through his meridians and rapidly repaired the melted blood-red keratin on his arm.

Gritting his teeth against the intense burning pain, Xiao Ling released Soul Power from between his brows. Since the flame did not resist, he quickly found the precise location of the fire seed and seized it tightly. His palm clutched something that seemed nearly tangible. Xiao Ling did not dare waste time, and enduring the searing pain in his palm, he slowly withdrew his arm from the golden flame.

When his arm was pulled from the golden flame, a wisp of golden, solid-looking matter floated quietly in Xiao Ling's palm.

Staring deeply at this source fire seed, Xiao Ling did not hesitate for long before swallowing it in one gulp.

The flame entered his body. Even without deliberately releasing its power, it burned the surrounding blood vessels into nothingness. Whenever injuries appeared within him, the Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor Torso Bone released a clear current that began healing those wounds. Feeling the burning heat raging within his body, Xiao Ling grabbed the Ice Spirit Cold Spring beside him and drank it all in one mouthful.

The cold current rushed into his body, then spread along his meridians in all directions. Every meridian it passed through was quickly covered with a milky-white Ice Layer, along with the surrounding bones.

Once the cold current entered his body, its bone-piercing chill perfectly counteracted the scorching heat caused by the Heavenly Flame. The sudden comfort made Xiao Ling let out a long breath, and his taut nerves relaxed somewhat.

Forming a cultivation hand seal, Xiao Ling began circulating the Dou Qi within his body according to the cultivation route of the Fen Jue. With his mind guiding a wisp of golden flame, he slowly circulated it. Wherever the flame passed, the Ice Layer formed by the Ice Spirit Cold Spring continuously melted away. Fortunately, the Heavenly Flame's source did not resist, making it rather smooth to control.

When the golden flame flowed out from one of his main meridians, it finally completed a perfect circulation cycle. At that moment, Xiao Ling could clearly feel that the connection between his mind and the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame had become more harmonious.

At this moment, after passing through the cultivation route of the Fen Jue, the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame's intensely destructive high temperature slowly began to recede. After a moment, the high temperature had almost entirely withdrawn into the fire seed, and a hint of gentleness faintly emanated from it.

Seeing this, Xiao Ling let out a breath of relief and murmured, "It looks like I'm about to succeed. Luckily, I prepared thoroughly, and this Child Flame has no intention of resisting. Unlike Xiao Yan, I won't have to narrowly escape death and suffer terribly before absorbing the Heavenly Flame."

With a beckoning gesture, the small piece of Spirit Absorption on the stone surface turned into a streak of gray light and shot straight into Xiao Ling's body. Under Xiao Ling's control, it entered his Dou Crystal.