Thunder Fusion Body

In the quiet valley, only the faint rustle of footsteps could be heard. Xiao Li led the way as the group crossed the grass before the pavilion, finally stepping onto the bluestone stairs, pitted and scarred by the passage of time.

The stone steps were covered in moss, making them slippery underfoot, though this posed no obstacle to Xiao Li and the others.

After walking along the bluestone stairs for a while, they arrived before the Library Pavilion. Looking up at the ancient plaque, a sense of desolation emanated from it, winding its way into their hearts and lingering there.

A ripple stirred in the depths of Xiao Li's eyes. What a bizarre plaque; it actually possesses a magic that can ensnare one's soul.

"Go in. The doors will only remain open for one hour. After an hour, regardless of whether you have obtained what you need, you must come out."

To the left of the five, a figure in gray robes watched Xiao Li. It was no wonder everyone held him in such high regard; his soul power was truly exceptional.

The gray-robed figure's sleeves fluttered in the breeze, and the tightly shut doors groaned as they slowly creaked open, revealing a pitch-black passage within.

As the doors swung wide, an ancient, desolate aura rushed toward them, forcing Xiao Li and the others to quickly steady their minds, not daring to harbor any other thoughts.

This Library Pavilion contained Earth-tier cultivation methods and Dou Techniques; one could not afford to be careless.

After all five had entered the Library Pavilion, the open doors creaked shut once more, sealing tightly.

Watching the doors close again, Hu Gan breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "I hope these little ones can find something they like. Being able to enter the Canaan Academy's Library Pavilion is a rare opportunity indeed; they must not waste it."

On the other side, Elder Qian and Elder Bai began to argue.

"Give him an Earth-tier cultivation method. The Low-tier Profound method he's using now is simply beneath notice."

"Nonsense, give him a Dou Technique. Once they become our disciples, there will be plenty of cultivation methods to go around."

"Do you have a Lightning-attribute cultivation method of a higher grade than what's in the Library? We have Lightning-attribute Dou Techniques, but we don't have the cultivation methods."

Elder Bai was left speechless, but he stubbornly retorted, "I can go find someone else to trade with, and if that fails, I'll go find the Dean!"

At the mention of the Dean, Elder Qian suddenly fell silent, a bold idea sprouting in his mind. "Tell me, what if we were to steal the Dean's private collection..."

Elder Bai shivered, a look of disbelief in his eyes. "You're insane! You'd dare to target the Dean's stash!"

Elder Qian's eyes flickered. "Why not? We are cultivating students for the Academy; the Dean won't blame us. Besides, he's been out for so many years, who knows if he even..."

Elder Bai hurriedly covered Elder Qian's mouth. "I surrender, Qian Mu, you really have the nerve to say anything! Fine, we'll go get it, is that enough!"

The two elders exchanged a look. Elder Bai walked away with tacit understanding, while Elder Qian remained in place, waiting for the right moment to send a Dou Technique to Xiao Li.

"Right, Bai Lie, take that copy of the Thunder Fusion Body. It can also temper the physical body. I'll find him a suitable Dou Technique to go with it."

Elder Bai nodded.

"And the Dean's cultivation insights—remember to copy them. One for each of us and one for the little guy; it'll save us the trouble of lacking experience in teaching Lightning-attribute arts."

Elder Bai's footsteps faltered for a moment before he continued on.

"Also, the records of secret lore in the Dean's room—his observations from traveling the continent are quite useful."

Elder Bai stumbled, nearly falling over.

"And another thing..."

"Enough! Stop trying to turn a death sentence into a slow execution!!!"

Elder Bai tore through space and dove into the void, terrified that Elder Qian might name any more resources.

Elder Qian curled his lip and turned his gaze back to Xiao Li. Tsk tsk, a fifteen-year-old two-star Great Dou Master—a sure-fire candidate for a Dou Zong. As long as his character holds up, there's a high probability he could reach Dou Zun. Having wasted my life, perhaps I can take on a disciple to make up for my regrets.

Inside the vast room, Xiao Li looked at the light orbs darting through the air, his eyes burning. These were all high-tier cultivation methods and Dou Techniques; any one of them would be considered an ancestral secret if brought back to the Xiao Clan.

Struggling to steady his mind, Xiao Li earnestly sensed the aura of the light orbs, observing the intensity of their glow as he waited for an opportunity to strike.

Chu Junliang could no longer restrain himself. He leaped up first and snatched a fiery-red light orb. His Dou Qi vibrated in his palm, shattering the red cloud to reveal the book inside.

"Low-tier Profound Dou Technique, Fire Wind Palm."

Shock appeared in everyone's eyes. The orb Chu Junliang had grabbed was the dimmest one, yet it contained a Profound-tier technique.

Xiao Li looked at the swarming light orbs—there were over a hundred of them. This represented over a hundred cultivation methods and Dou Techniques of at least the Profound tier. As expected of Canaan Academy; their foundation was extraordinary.

Sensing the aura of the orbs, Xiao Li hesitated no longer and lunged toward a purple orb with the most potent energy.

"High-tier Profound cultivation method, Black Panther Strange Thunder Art."

Xiao Li's heart stirred. He didn't let the method go; the one he was currently using was only Low-tier Profound. If he couldn't find anything better, this would suffice.

Outside, Elder Qian was growing anxious and hurriedly began selecting a higher-tier Lightning-attribute Dou Technique from the treasury.

"Found it, you're the one!"

A purple orb radiating a rich, intense light flew toward Xiao Li.

Xiao Li was startled. This orb was at least three times larger than the one in his hand; it was definitely something good.

He decisively discarded the Black Panther Strange Thunder Art and swept the orb into his arms. The process was unexpectedly smooth, meeting almost no resistance.

Xiao Li scratched his head, but with no time to overthink, he hurriedly inspected the book in his hands.

"Low-tier Earth Dou Technique, Nine Steps to Heaven!"

Xiao Li's eyes widened, his breathing growing heavy. An Earth-tier technique, and judging by the name, it was a movement technique at that.

Though he felt a slight pang of regret that his cultivation method remained Low-tier Profound, Xiao Li decisively kept the technique. The gap between Earth-tier and Profound-tier was like heaven and earth; he just wondered how many times he would be able to use this technique with his current cultivation level.

The hour of joy was brief, and once everyone had found their desired treasures, they left the room.

As the five of them departed, the vortex-like energy shields surrounding the massive room began to shrink slowly. A moment later, the shields dwindled to tiny specks and vanished completely with a faint clicking sound.

The entire room now stood empty; no one would have guessed that just moments ago, it had been filled with countless treasures capable of causing a sensation in the outside world.

Outside the room, Hu Gan stared blankly at the four who had emerged, looking bewildered. "Where is Xiao Li? Did he not come out with you?"

Li Hao and the others exchanged glances, equally clueless about the situation.

After receiving a transmission from afar, Hu Gan nodded calmly and asked no further questions.

Within the interstitial space between the Library Pavilion and the outside world, Elder Qian and Elder Bai wore kindly smiles on their stiff faces, though decades of arduous cultivation had long since distorted their expressions, making them appear somewhat eerie.

Xiao Li felt goosebumps rising on his skin. "May I ask, seniors, what business you have with this junior?"