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

Feeling a little hungry, Xiao Ling planned to go to the cafeteria for breakfast. Remembering that Xiao Xun'er had said yesterday that they would visit the Marketplace together today, a smile appeared on his face.

Ever since he had first gone to Xiao Xun'er's room to nourish her meridians, Xiao Ling had gone there almost every night without fail until he was seven. Though the results might have been modest, Xiao Xun'er had felt the sincerity behind his persistence, and their relationship had steadily grown closer. They were often seen chatting together in pairs within the clan.

After leaving the courtyard, he headed toward the intersection where he had arranged to meet Xiao Xun'er. Sure enough, he saw a pretty young girl waiting there.

She wore a violet dress, her cool and tranquil bearing like a blue lotus amid the mundane world. Her slender waist was as delicate as a willow leaf, barely enough to fill one's hand. Her long black hair was casually tied with a pale violet ribbon, falling smoothly along her graceful curves to her waist. Two small green bells hung from her fair wrists, making her seem like a beauty from a painting. Every frown and smile on her slightly youthful face could stir the hearts of young men.

Seeing Xiao Ling approach, Xiao Xun'er blinked her autumn-water eyes and came forward with a bright smile. "Brother Xiao Ling, are you done cultivating? Your aura has grown much stronger again. As expected of the Xiao Family's number one genius."

Xiao Ling lightly scraped the tip of her nose and smiled. "Girl, you're teasing me again."

Xiao Ling was a transmigrator. He knew that Xiao Xun'er possessed the most perfect Divine Bloodline the Ancient Clan had produced in a thousand years, with talent so absurd it defied reason. Though he did not know her current cultivation level before her bloodline awakened, if she cultivated seriously, she would certainly surpass him.

The two chatted and laughed as they entered the cafeteria together. The surrounding clansmen cast envious looks their way, but seeing how close Xiao Ling and Xiao Xun'er were, they could not bring themselves to feel jealous.

"Cousin Xiao Ling and Cousin Xun'er really are a match made in heaven!"

"Exactly! They grew up together, and they're both talented and beautiful. Their cultivation talents are both incredibly strong!"

"I'm so jealous..."

Hearing the surrounding discussions, Xiao Xun'er glanced at Xiao Ling's profile. Her pretty face reddened slightly, though no one knew what she was thinking.

Xiao Ling merely smiled. Neither of them had confessed their feelings yet; they were more than friends, but not quite lovers.

The two sat at the dining table, eating and chatting, when Xiao Xun'er suddenly asked, "Brother Xiao Ling, where are you planning to cultivate? Are you thinking of going to the Misty Cloud Sect?"

Xiao Ling stroked his chin and thought for a while before replying, "I'll probably go to Jia Nan Academy. Once I break through to Dou Zhe, I'll register. Jia Nan Academy's annual recruitment is coming soon."

Although Xiao Ling was extraordinarily talented and might be accepted as Yun Yun's disciple if he went to the Misty Cloud Sect, he knew that the Misty Cloud Sect had ties to the Soul Hall. He did not know whether Yun Shan had already broken through to Dou Zong, so to avoid drawing too much attention to his talent, Xiao Ling had specifically told the clan elders not to publicize it.

Besides, the quality of geniuses at Jia Nan Academy was surely higher than at the Misty Cloud Sect. There were also quite a few students from the Central Plains in the Inner Academy, so he could gather useful information there. In terms of foundation, the Misty Cloud Sect was not even one-tenth as good as Jia Nan Academy. In the original story, Yun Shan had never even used an Earth Tier Combat Skill. His strongest combat skill was only the Mysterious Grade High-tier Dou Technique, Wind Extreme Meteor Kill. The Misty Cloud Sect's Gate of Death was also inferior to Jia Nan Academy's Heavenly Flame Refining Pagoda.

Perhaps becoming Yun Yun's disciple would grant him more resources than being a student, but with his talent, Xiao Ling believed he could still gain the attention of the academy's higher-ups. He could also build a good relationship with that Little Dragoness, so why not?

Shaking his head and setting those matters aside, the two continued eating. By the time they had finished breakfast amid laughter and conversation, they left the Xiao Family together and headed for the Marketplace.

Xiao Ling and Xiao Xun'er walked side by side along the wide road, looking around them. Xiao Ling could not help sighing inwardly.

The Dou Qi Continent truly deserves to be called a Fantasy World. Even a small place like Wutan City looks more prosperous than some major cities.

Xiao Xun'er gazed at the young man beside her, slightly lost in thought. She still remembered when she had first arrived at the Xiao Family. At night, the backlash from the Heavenly Flames had left her meridians swollen and aching, her body deeply uncomfortable. The boy had secretly come to nourish her meridians with Dou Qi, every time ending up drenched in sweat. It felt like it had only happened last night.

Looking at him again now, the once-childish boy had grown up considerably. Not only was he now half a head taller than her, but his appearance had become increasingly outstanding as well.

His fair face had begun to show sharper contours. His youthful features and refined facial structure made people unable to resist looking at him a few more times.

"Xun'er, why do you keep staring at me like that?" Xiao Ling asked with a smile.

"Brother Xiao Ling, you're getting more and more handsome..." Xun'er covered her small mouth halfway through, turned her face aside, and hurriedly explained, "It's nothing. You heard wrong..."

Hearing that, Xiao Ling smiled. He gently patted Xiao Xun'er's head and said, "Xun'er is becoming more beautiful too. You're the prettiest girl I've ever seen."

Feeling Xiao Ling's warm palm stroke her head, Xiao Xun'er did not dodge. A faint blush appeared on her pretty face.

After Xiao Ling withdrew his hand, Xiao Xun'er tucked her hair behind her ear and stepped in front of him. With both hands behind her back and her body leaning slightly forward, she gave him a captivating smile. "Brother Xiao Ling, you're terrible. You've messed up Xun'er's hair!" Before Xiao Ling could react, she darted off toward the Marketplace.

That smile left Xiao Ling stunned. His heart immediately began racing, and even his breathing seemed to slow by half a beat. Pressing a hand against the left side of his chest, he felt his suddenly accelerated heartbeat and sighed, "Is this what being in love feels like?" Watching Xiao Xun'er's retreating figure, he hurried after her.

After entering the market, the two began browsing around. Xiao Ling also spread out his Soul Power to investigate, paying particular attention to old tiles and similar items. If he remembered correctly, the Mysterious Grade Low-tier Dou Technique, Suction Palm—the showoff skill from the original story—had been picked up from a stall in the Marketplace.

For the moment, he had not found Suction Palm. Xiao Ling glanced sideways at Xiao Xun'er and noticed that her gaze kept drifting toward the jewelry shops. She seemed very interested.

Rubbing his chin, Xiao Ling thought for a moment before making up his mind. He led Xiao Xun'er to the front of a shop, since the bracelet she had paid the most attention to earlier was inside.

Pointing at the bracelet, Xiao Ling asked, "Boss, how much is this bracelet?"

Seeing customers enter, the merchant glanced at Xiao Ling and Xiao Xun'er. Noticing their exceptional bearing, a trace of amazement flashed through his eyes, and he quickly said, "Young Master, are you buying a bracelet for your little girlfriend? This bracelet suits your girlfriend very well, and the price is quite reasonable—just two hundred Gold Coin."

Xiao Ling's expression did not change, while Xiao Xun'er's face reddened slightly. Seeing that the bracelet Xiao Ling had chosen for her was the one she had been looking at all along, her gaze toward him became even gentler.

Xiao Ling swiftly took two hundred Gold Coin from Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night and handed them to the merchant. It might have been expensive for an ordinary child, but for Xiao Ling, who had inherited Yu Xiaogang's assets, it was nothing.

Taking the bracelet, Xiao Ling looked at Xiao Xun'er and saw that she was looking into his eyes as well. He said, "Little Sister Xun'er, this bracelet suits you very well. Let me put it on for you."

Xiao Xun'er tilted her head slightly to one side, her face feeling a little hot, then held out her left hand before him.

Xiao Ling did not hesitate. He deftly put the bracelet on Xiao Xun'er's wrist.

Xiao Xun'er looked at the bracelet and was very satisfied. Smiling faintly, she said, "Thank you, Brother Xiao Ling."

Seeing that she liked it, Xiao Ling smiled as well. The two left the shop, and as they walked, their hands found each other. The distance between their hearts also grew closer.

Holding Xiao Xun'er's hand, Xiao Ling wandered through the shops with her. Before long, they arrived at the Grocery Market. Most merchants here simply spread blankets on the ground and placed their goods on top. There were all kinds of items—some might be rare treasures, but most were worthless junk.

Having arrived at the Grocery Market, Xiao Ling wanted to tease Xiao Xun'er. He said, "Xun'er, this is Wutan City's famous treasure-hunting market. How about trying to buy something today and seeing whether you make a profit or lose money?"

Xiao Xun'er lowered her head first and thought for a while. Then she opened her left palm, clenched her right hand into a fist, and smacked the fist into her palm, looking as though she had figured something out.

She then gave Xiao Ling a sly smile and said, "Brother Xiao Ling, just watch."

She pulled Xiao Ling over to a vendor, pointed at a wooden box on the stall, and asked, "What's the deal with this wooden box? How much is it?"

The owner was a Black Robe. When Xiao Ling swept him with his Soul Power perception, it was as though his Soul Power had vanished into the sea. He could not sense the slightest Dou Qi fluctuation. Xiao Ling frowned and secretly grew wary, preparing to make a quick retreat if necessary.

The Black Robe said, "Only one of these three wooden boxes contains one hundred Gold Coin. Each box costs fifty Gold Coin."

Xiao Xun'er's eyes lit up at those words. After paying fifty Gold Coin, she immediately took the middle wooden box and held it out before Xiao Ling, blinking expectantly.

Xiao Ling had no choice but to open it. When he saw the hundred Gold Coin inside, a flash of realization passed through his eyes.

Seeing Xiao Xun'er's excited expression, Xiao Ling sighed inwardly. A casual joke from me was enough to make her invite a Dou Huang expert to put on an act with her. This girl is truly warm-hearted. I will never let you down in this life.

He patted Xiao Xun'er's head. "Then today, I'll borrow your luck to seek an opportunity." With that, he took her hand and led her deeper into the Grocery Market.

"Hm? Could this be..."

Xiao Ling's expression suddenly changed slightly. He glanced at a stall ahead and discovered an unusual soul fluctuation from a Black Iron Fragment. He immediately led Xiao Xun'er over to the stall.

The stall before them was not large, with only a dozen or so items scattered across it.

The most valuable items were several Monster Cores. They were greenish in color and appeared to be first-tier Monster Cores.

On the Dou Qi Continent, Monster Cores were also known as Magic Energy Crystal Cores, or even the embryonic form of medicinal pills.

As the name implied, they were energy crystals found inside Magical Beasts, filled with extremely violent natural energy.

Under normal circumstances, only Magical Beasts could devour Monster Cores and directly absorb the natural energy contained within them.

If humans directly absorbed the natural energy within Monster Cores, they would suffer qi deviation and shattered meridians at best, and immediate death at worst.

Although the energy within Monster Cores was violent and could not be used directly by cultivators, they could shine brilliantly in the hands of Alchemists. They were one of the primary ingredients Alchemists frequently used in pill refinement.

After an Alchemist refined them with exquisite flame-control techniques and mixed them with other medicinal ingredients, calming the violent Dou Qi within the Monster Cores, they could be transformed into medicinal pills that boosted a cultivator's strength.

Monster Cores could not only be used for pill refinement, but also in weapons or accessories, adding elemental effects to weapons or granting ornaments functions beneficial to cultivation.

Thus, on the Dou Qi Continent, Monster Cores had always been one of the most sought-after primary materials, and their prices remained high.

Xiao Ling crouched down and pointed at the Monster Cores. He casually glanced at the ordinary Black Iron Fragment, then asked the somewhat shifty-looking middle-aged Mercenary sitting beside the stall, "Boss, how much are those Monster Cores?"

"There are two Wood Attribute Monster Cores and one Water Attribute Monster Core here."

As he spoke, the middle-aged Mercenary glanced at Xiao Ling and Xiao Xun'er from the corner of his eye. Though they were young, their bearing was extraordinary, and they looked like they could afford Monster Cores. Only then did he smile and say, "Young Master, if you sincerely wish to buy them, I'll sell them to you for fifteen hundred Gold Coin."

"Fifteen hundred Gold Coin for three? Isn't that too expensive?"

Xiao Ling frowned, looking a little angry. "Other stalls sell first-tier Monster Cores for four hundred to five hundred each. Why are yours so much more expensive?"

"How is that expensive? This has been the price for years. Young Master, these are all top-grade Monster Cores, and the Magical Beasts they came from were difficult to deal with."

The middle-aged Mercenary shook his head. "Several brothers from our mercenary group were injured obtaining these Monster Cores, so they're a little more expensive than ordinary first-tier Monster Cores."

Xiao Ling thought for a moment. "Four hundred and fifty Gold Coin each. If you're serious about selling, I'll buy all three at once."

"Four hundred and eighty Gold Coin each at the lowest, Young Master. If I sell them any cheaper, how can I explain it to my brothers when I return?"

"Four hundred and sixty Gold Coin each!"

Xiao Ling stood up, took Xiao Xun'er's hand as though he were about to leave, and said, "Monster Cores aren't exclusive to your stall. Maybe I just won't buy them from you."

"Four hundred and seventy Gold Coin each. How about it, Young Master?"

Seeing that his customer was about to leave, the middle-aged Mercenary hurriedly called out, "Young Master, let's each give a little, alright?"

"Fine! Four hundred and seventy Gold Coin each. Pack them up for me, and throw in a few small gifts." Xiao Ling casually grabbed several inconspicuous little items from the blanket.

Seeing that Xiao Ling had only taken a few worthless trinkets worth perhaps several Gold Coin, the middle-aged Mercenary relaxed inwardly. Yet he wore an expression as though he had suffered a great loss as he said, "Fine, then. I found those with great difficulty in a Magical Beast's cave. They must be treasures. I'm taking a loss here."

The excitement in Xiao Ling's eyes flashed away in an instant. He took out the Gold Coin and handed them over. After packing the items away, he led Xiao Xun'er from the stall.