Battle Through the Heavens: Obtaining the Extraction System at the Start

As Spirit Absorption entered Xiao Ling's body, a dazzling golden flame barrier instantly burst forth from within him, enveloping him completely. The blazing golden flames surging across its surface shut out all light from the outside.

At the center of the Dou Crystal floated a tiny gray speck of light. Within that speck lay boundless, profound darkness, and at the end of that darkness seemed to be another hidden space, making it appear exceedingly mysterious.

The final and most crucial step in refining a Heavenly Flame into a source flame seed was to forcibly compress the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame into the space formed by Spirit Absorption. Only by completely storing the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame within Spirit Absorption could the refinement truly be considered perfect!

Normally, this step would have been extremely difficult. After all, the flame spirits within Heavenly Flames possessed a trace of intelligence and instinctively resisted dangerous things. If one failed to force it in, the Heavenly Flame that had already undergone preliminary refinement might very well backlash once more!

However, due to Xiao Xun'er's instructions, this Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame Child Flame showed no intention of resisting Xiao Ling's control. When it approached Spirit Absorption, it seemed to sense something and voluntarily slipped into that strange space.

As Xiao Ling successfully refined the flame seed, waves of energy ripples suddenly surged across the previously still golden barrier. Immediately afterward, a powerful aura violently spread out from within the flaming barrier.

As the energy ripples on the barrier grew increasingly violent, tiny cracks suddenly appeared across its rounded surface. The cracks slowly spread until they covered the entire barrier, making it look like a golden egg covered in fissures.

"Crack." A crisp sound echoed through the Cultivation Room. A small piece of the golden barrier quietly fell to the floor, and the scorching heat it carried instantly melted a small pit into the ground.

"Crack... crack..." After the first fragment fell, the golden energy barrier suddenly began trembling violently. The trembling continued for a moment before, at a certain instant, the golden barrier exploded with a bang.

Xiao Ling, who had been sitting cross-legged within it, was revealed in his naked state.

Faint golden flames curled within his ink-black eyes. After a while, they suddenly surged upward, covering his entire pupils. For a moment, Xiao Ling's eyes turned golden, carrying a faint air of one ruling over all beneath heaven.

Opening his eyes, Xiao Ling slightly twisted his neck. Immediately, a smooth series of crackling sounds rang out from his bones. Listening to those crisp sounds, Xiao Ling took a deep breath, his face filled with comfort and intoxication.

Lowering his head for a look, he discovered that his body seemed to have been tempered once more. His physical strength had improved slightly, while his skin had become fairer and more delicate than before.

A sudden breeze blew over him, making his body react slightly. Only then did Xiao Ling remember that his clothes had been burned away while absorbing the Heavenly Flame. He hurriedly took out a set of moon-white clothes from his Ring and put them on.

After examining the condition within his body, Xiao Ling was quite satisfied. He muttered to himself, "Although this Child Flame didn't contain much energy, its quality was excellent. Fen Jue has now risen from Profound Grade Low Level to Profound Grade Intermediate, while my cultivation has gone from a three-star Dou Wang to a four-star Dou Wang. It saved me at least three months of cultivation time. Still, it was only a Child Flame, so this is already quite good. Moreover, the benefits brought by refining a Heavenly Flame are long-lasting and subtle. As I become more proficient in controlling it in the years ahead, the benefits I gain will only grow greater..."

Shaking his head, Xiao Ling stopped dwelling on such things. He first needed to summon his Heavenly Flame and take a look.

His left hand slowly extended, and his eyes gradually closed. His mind swept rapidly through his body as he sent out a command.

As soon as the command was issued, his body reacted at once. The tiny gray speck at the center of his Dou Qi vortex trembled slightly. After a brief pause, a wisp of golden flame suddenly surged out.

The golden flame passed through the Dou Crystal, then rapidly flowed along the meridians within his body. In the blink of an eye, it entered the meridians of his arm.

Inside the Cultivation Room, Xiao Ling, whose eyes had been lightly closed, suddenly opened them. Brilliant golden flames flashed through his eyes once more. He abruptly spread open his fist, palm facing upward, excitement appearing on his face as he shouted, "Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, appear!"

As Xiao Ling's shout fell, his right palm trembled slightly. Then, surging golden flames instantly flared up and swiftly wrapped around his hand.

Feeling the scorching temperature it emitted and seeing the space around the flames distort slightly, Xiao Ling was greatly satisfied. He could not help but praise it. "The Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame truly is terrifying. Unlike other Heavenly Flames, which have various special functions, this one ranks fourth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking purely because of its overwhelming destructive power. If a Dou Zong expert were caught off guard and struck by this flame while I used it with my current Dou Wang cultivation, they would probably suffer severe injuries. It's just that I'm still not very familiar with controlling this flame, so it may be a little awkward to use for pill refining. Fortunately, I obtained the Distraction Control Method. I can practice the Distraction Control Method while familiarizing myself with this flame."

After drawing the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame back into his body, Xiao Ling looked around the Cultivation Room. Everywhere he looked was full of pits and damage. Even the stone platform made from special stone materials had been damaged somewhat. Xiao Ling scratched his head and muttered inwardly, Before leaving the academy later, I should tell Lin Xiuyai and have him arrange for someone to repair this place.

Walking out of the Cultivation Room, he checked the time. Absorbing the Child Flame had taken roughly two hours. Lin Xiuyai, who had risen early, was already in the courtyard practicing his Dou Technique.

Seeing Xiao Ling emerge, Lin Xiuyai stopped what he was doing, greeted him, and asked, "Xiao Ling, are you leaving the academy later?"

Xiao Ling nodded slightly. "Once Zi Yan gets here, we'll set off immediately."

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to everyone? What about Han Yue and your cousin?" Lin Xiuyai asked in confusion.

Waving his hand, Xiao Ling smiled. "I already told them yesterday. Besides, I don't like this feeling of parting. Don't miss me too much while you're at the academy."

"Why would a grown man like me miss you? You're so full of yourself. Still, you should be more careful while training outside," Lin Xiuyai replied irritably.

"Don't worry, I'll be careful. I care a lot about my life. Oh, and there was a little accident in my Cultivation Room. Help me find someone to repair it." Sensing Zi Yan's aura approaching, Xiao Ling waved to Lin Xiuyai, left behind those words, spread his Dou Qi Wings, and flew out of the courtyard.

Watching Xiao Ling's figure soar into the sky, Lin Xiuyai murmured to himself, "I wonder whether any of us will be able to catch up to you in the future. When we meet again, just what level will your cultivation have reached?"

Not long after flying into the sky, Xiao Ling spotted a petite figure in the distance flapping purple Dou Qi Wings. It was Zi Yan, who would be traveling with him.

The moment Zi Yan saw Xiao Ling, she immediately accelerated. Her Dou Qi Wings gave a powerful beat, and she shot toward him like a streak of purple light. The surrounding space seemed to ripple, as though it were clearing a path for her.

In the blink of an eye, Zi Yan threw herself into Xiao Ling's arms, the impact forcing him to flap his Dou Qi Wings several times to stabilize himself. Fortunately, Zi Yan had slowed down as she approached, and Xiao Ling's physical strength was considerable. Otherwise, an ordinary Dou Wang struck by an Ancient Void Dragon headbutt like that might have had their bones scattered apart.

Zi Yan rubbed her cheek against Xiao Ling's chest and inhaled the intoxicating medicinal fragrance on him, making her stomach feel a little hungry. She asked expectantly, "Xiao Ling, Xiao Ling, when are we leaving? When the time comes, we have to gather lots and lots of medicinal ingredients."

Somewhat helplessly, Xiao Ling stroked Zi Yan's soft purple hair and smiled. "Since we're ready, let's leave right away. First, we'll borrow a flying Magical Beast from the academy. Void Dragon's body is rather slender. It's fast to ride, but it isn't as comfortable as the rooms on a flying Magical Beast. I'm not in a rush to fly back to the Jia Ma Empire anyway, and Void Dragon still hasn't fully digested the energy from the medicinal ingredients it ate before, so we'll let it sleep for now."

Hearing this, Zi Yan nodded in his arms and said, "Then let's hurry to the elders guarding the barrier and get a flying Magical Beast."

The two said no more. They both flapped their Dou Qi Wings and headed toward the space gate of the Inner Academy.

After obtaining a Griffon Beast from the elders at the barrier, Xiao Ling and Zi Yan rode the flying Magical Beast for more than an hour before arriving at the Outer Academy.

Jia Nan Academy Outer Academy.

After parking the flying Magical Beast at the Outer Academy's Flight Station, Xiao Ling brought Zi Yan toward the office of Hu Gan, the Outer Academy's vice dean.

After all, Vice Dean Hu Gan had taken good care of him in the Outer Academy. Now that he was leaving Jia Nan Academy to train outside, he ought to say goodbye.

As they passed through the quiet bluestone paths and looked at the familiar scenery, things had changed and people had changed as well. Xiao Ling could not help sighing. "It's been almost five years since I left. The Outer Academy students from my generation either entered the Inner Academy to cultivate or failed the selection tournament and left the academy. There isn't a single student in the Outer Academy who recognizes me now."

Holding Xiao Ling's hand with her small one, Zi Yan asked curiously, "Old Su brought me straight back to the Inner Academy, so I never stayed in the Outer Academy. Xiao Ling, what do you think is the difference between the Outer Academy and the Inner Academy?"

Xiao Ling rubbed his chin and thought for a moment before answering, "Jia Nan Academy's Inner Academy and Outer Academy differ greatly in student strength, resources, selection requirements, educational environment, teachers and leaders, as well as student backgrounds. As the core of Jia Nan Academy, the Inner Academy provides elite students with a superior environment for learning and growth. They can enjoy high-level resources, such as the Fallen Heart Flame within the Heavenly Flame Refining Pagoda. That Heavenly Flame helps students refine their Dou Qi and greatly improves cultivation efficiency. The difference between the Inner Academy and the Outer Academy is huge. The fact that Inner Academy students are much stronger than Outer Academy students isn't the main point. The main point is that the atmosphere of the two academies is completely different. Jia Nan Academy's Inner Academy is more like a miniature society than the Outer Academy. It's not bad for those students to experience society's cruelty early on. After all, this world ultimately speaks through strength. Schemes and deceit are everywhere. If they go out to train without receiving a few hard lessons first, they could easily be tricked until not even their bones remain."

Xiao Ling reached out and patted Zi Yan's head, then continued with a smile, "None of that matters, though. As long as you are strong enough, there is nothing to fear. You can simply crush anything with force."

Zi Yan appeared thoughtful. Her eyes shifted as she hugged Xiao Ling's arm and said, "Then I need to eat more medicinal ingredients so I can become stronger faster. In the future, whenever I don't like someone, I can just beat them up."

Hearing that, Xiao Ling smiled in agreement. "That's not wrong, but you need to have that many medicinal ingredients to eat first."

Zi Yan tugged on Xiao Ling's arm and pleaded pitifully, "Xiao Ling, can't my daily pill allowance be a little bigger?"

Xiao Ling nodded and replied, "Your strength has improved quite a bit now. As long as you listen to me during this outing, I'll refine more pills for you to eat."

Hearing that being obedient meant more pills, Zi Yan patted her small chest and vowed, "Don't worry, I'll behave. Whoever you want me to beat up, I'll beat them up."

"Haha, then you'd better keep your word."

"Mm-hmm!"

The two chatted and laughed as they slowly made their way toward the Vice Dean's office beneath the morning light.

Before long, the two arrived before an elegant little pavilion and stopped.

Holding Zi Yan's hand, Xiao Ling stepped forward and knocked on the door. He called inside, "Vice Dean Hu Gan, it's Xiao Ling. Do you have a moment?"

Hu Gan, who was reviewing documents in his office, was somewhat surprised to hear Xiao Ling's voice from outside. He replied, "Xiao Ling, why have you come to the Outer Academy? Come in quickly."

Hearing this, Xiao Ling pushed open the door and entered with Zi Yan.

Seeing Xiao Ling and Zi Yan enter, Hu Gan stroked his beard and kindly asked, "Xiao Ling, Zi Yan, why have you come to see this old man instead of staying in the Inner Academy?"

Xiao Ling first gave a slight bow before answering, "My cultivation has now broken through to the Dou Wang realm, and the Inner Academy can no longer offer me much help. I plan to return to my clan and train throughout the Jia Ma Empire and its surrounding regions while searching for opportunities. Since I'm leaving the academy, I naturally had to bid farewell to you, Vice Dean."

Hu Gan nodded approvingly. "I was right about you, kid. You've become a Dou Wang in less than five years—your cultivation talent truly is monstrous. Since you were able to leave the Inner Academy, First Elder Su Qian must have already approved. I have nothing more to say. Be careful while training outside. Never be careless. Protecting yourself is more important than anything else."

"Don't worry, Vice Dean. I'll keep all that in mind." After speaking, Xiao Ling took out a Porcelain Bottle from his Ring and handed it to Hu Gan.

Hu Gan accepted the Porcelain Bottle and asked curiously, "Xiao Ling, what is the meaning of this?"

With a smile, Xiao Ling replied, "There are two Sect Breaking Pills inside. After becoming a Sixth-grade Alchemist, I searched the Magical Beast Forest for materials and exchanged for some herbs from the Herb Repository before refining them. One is for you, and please pass the other to Elder Huo for me. Thank you both for your careful guidance while I was in the Outer Academy."

In truth, these Sect Breaking Pills had not been refined by Xiao Ling himself. He had merely drawn three of them from the system earlier. Now that he had given away two, he still had one left. Before leaving the Inner Academy, Xiao Ling had also mentioned this matter to First Elder Su Qian. If any elder needed Sect Breaking Pills refined, they could begin preparing the medicinal ingredients. Once Xiao Ling returned from his training, he would refine the pills for them. Jia Nan Academy's treasury still had enough materials for several batches of Sect Breaking Pills, but those elders were individuals after all and could not directly mobilize the academy's resources. They could only use their privileges to exchange for them, and gathering the ingredients would certainly require some resource trades. By the time Xiao Ling returned to the academy, the collection of ingredients should be complete.

Hearing that they were actually the Sect Breaking Pills he had long dreamed of, Hu Gan was startled. He hurriedly opened the Porcelain Bottle and looked inside. Two milky-white pills lay within, their surfaces shrouded in radiant light that flickered from time to time, making them appear extraordinary. They were precisely the Sixth-Grade Peak Pills that could increase a Dou Emperor's chances of breaking through to the Dou Zong realm: Sect Breaking Pills.

Putting away the Porcelain Bottle, Hu Gan said emotionally, "I never expected your cultivation to improve so quickly, while your Alchemy Art has also advanced by leaps and bounds. You can even refine Sixth-Grade Peak Pills like Sect Breaking Pills. I can't simply accept your pills for nothing. You may not have much use for these things, but take them anyway. When you return to your clan, you can give them to the younger generation." After saying that, Hu Gan took out a Ring and tossed it to Xiao Ling.

Xiao Ling did not refuse. Holding the Ring in his hand, he extended his Soul Perception into it and inspected its contents. The Ring contained various Cultivation Techniques and Combat Skills. The highest-grade item was an Earth Grade Low-Level Wood Attribute Cultivation Technique, while the other Mysterious Grade cultivation techniques and combat skills were too numerous to count. A veteran Dou Emperor Peak expert truly possessed a considerable collection, with techniques of all kinds of attributes included.

After putting away the Ring, Xiao Ling took Zi Yan's little hand and bade Hu Qian farewell. "Vice Dean Hu Gan, we'll be leaving now. I wish you success in breaking through to the Dou Zong realm." With that, he turned and left the room, spread his Dou Qi Wings, and flew into the sky.

Watching the two depart, Hu Gan muttered to himself, "The hidden dragon has left the abyss. I look forward to seeing your name spread across the Dou Qi Continent and the magnificent tale you will write."

With their Dou Wang-level cultivation, the two used their Dou Qi Wings to fly through the sky and reached the Flight Station in less than a quarter of an hour.

Under the envious and reverent gazes of the Outer Academy students, the two slowly beat their Dou Qi Wings and descended from the air.

Seeing that Xiao Ling and Zi Yan had returned, one of the instructors maintaining order nearby smiled and greeted them. "It seems you're ready to depart. I've already fed that Griffon Beast once. As long as it is fed once more along the way, with its Fourth-Order Magical Beast strength, reaching the Jia Ma Empire within half a month shouldn't be a problem."

Xiao Ling nodded at the instructor and tossed him a Porcelain Bottle. Smiling, he said, "Thank you for your care, Instructor. There is a Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill inside. It can raise a Da Dou Shi's cultivation by one star without side effects. Thank you for sparring with me so often when I was in the Outer Academy—it greatly enriched my practical combat experience. It's only a small token of my appreciation."

The instructor caught the Porcelain Bottle containing the Purple Heart Barrier Breaking Pill and accepted it without putting on airs. He joked with a smile, "As expected of a Sixth-grade Alchemist. You're certainly generous when you make a move. Then I'll shamelessly accept it. Be extra careful while training outside, and watch out for your own safety."

Xiao Ling waved to the instructor, then took Zi Yan's little hand, circulated his Dou Qi slightly, and leaped into the air, landing steadily upon the Griffon Beast's back.

Xiao Ling stroked the Griffon Beast's head, pointed in the direction of the Jia Ma Empire, and tossed a Second-grade Pill into its mouth. "Big fellow, I'll be relying on you for this journey."

Whether it understood Xiao Ling's words or was simply persuaded by the pill in its mouth, the Griffon Beast nodded cooperatively. After letting out a cry, it sprang more than ten meters into the air, beat its broad wings powerfully several times, and began flying toward the sky.

Feeling the gentle breeze blowing against his face and watching Jia Nan Academy beneath him grow smaller and smaller in his field of vision, Xiao Ling could not help but sigh. "The story of Jia Nan Academy is coming to an end for now."

Holding Zi Yan's little hand, the two entered the room on the Griffon Beast's back. They would be spending the next ten-odd days there.

After entering the room, Zi Yan shook Xiao Ling's arm and asked expectantly, "Xiao Ling, Xiao Ling, where are today's pills?"

Xiao Ling reached out and stroked Zi Yan's soft purple hair, saying fondly, "Don't worry, I've already prepared them."

Taking out a bottle of pills from his Ring, Xiao Ling handed it to Zi Yan and reminded her, "You mustn't eat them all at once. Even though your bloodline is extraordinary, taking in too much energy will still make your body uncomfortable. Go next door and eat the pills while cultivating. I'll stay in this room and practice some combat skills."