He suppressed the desire surging within him to break through again, gathered his Qi, and restrained his aura. He was at the peak of four-star Da Dou Shi.
Elder Qian stroked his beard, growing ever more satisfied with Xiao Li.
"All right, come train with the two of us. We'll head to the Black-Corner Region and get you acquainted with bloodshed."
Ever since reading the dean's cultivation notes, Elder Qian had felt that he'd become frighteningly good at teaching disciples. Now, all he needed was a talented disciple with a lightning attribute.
Xiao Li rose and bowed in thanks. "Sorry for the trouble, Elders."
Once they stepped out of the spatial passage, Hu Gan and the others were nowhere to be seen. Xiao Li gazed toward the Inner Academy, feeling a little regretful.
"What a pity about the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower. I'll come back in a year."
He glanced at the Two Elders Qian and Bai, who had brought him through the void, and gave a helpless, wry smile. Oh, well. With these two big shots carrying him along, it was probably far better than staying in the Inner Academy, even if he had no idea why they were being so kind to him.
Elder Bai was in charge of finding a place to stay, while Elder Qian discussed cultivation with Xiao Li.
Elder Qian pulled out two books. "Here, Xiao Li. These are for you."
Xiao Li took the books curiously, but when he saw the words written on them, his hands began to tremble.
"Low Earth Tier Cultivation Method: Thunder Fusion Body."
"Record of Seeking Lightning."
"Senior, this..."
Seeing Xiao Li's excitement, Elder Qian tipped his head back with a lofty air. "Just a couple of little things. Take them."
As expected of a Peak Dou Zong big shot—he casually handed out an Earth Tier Cultivation Method.
Thunder Fusion Body could contain all the lightning beneath the heavens and temper the body...
All the lightning beneath the heavens?
Xiao Li abruptly looked up. "Senior, what does this book mean by lightning that people can use?"
"Here, just read the Record of Seeking Lightning and you'll find out." Elder Qian smiled.
Xiao Li hurriedly opened it. The book was filled with records about all kinds of lightning.
"Heaven and earth hold Heavenly Flames. Why shouldn't they also hold Strange Lightning?"
Xiao Li's mind quivered. Somehow, he felt a path opening before him.
"The world is vast beyond measure, and no one knows how many strange kinds of lightning exist. Take the Nine Profound Golden Lightning found in pill tribulations, for example. If you can find even one, you'll be on par with someone who possesses a Heavenly Flame—invincible among your peers."
The rest of the book was filled with long accounts of travels. Sadly, the person who had written them had never found any Strange Lightning. In the end, all he could do was sigh that fate had not been on his side.
"Senior, can pill-tribulation lightning also be refined by someone and used for themselves?" Xiao Li asked eagerly.
"Of course. Ordinary pill-tribulation lightning is a calamity sent down by heaven and earth, so it can't be absorbed. But if you find the source of this lightning, you can naturally absorb its origin," Elder Qian explained.
"And the Nine Profound Golden Lightning isn't the only kind of Strange Lightning in the world. There are many others; humanity simply hasn't found them yet," Elder Bai added from the other side, his words carrying a hint of awe at the vastness of heaven and earth.
A look of longing appeared in Xiao Li's eyes. If Strange Lightning really was on par with Heavenly Flames, then if he obtained one, wouldn't he ascend to the heavens in a single step?
After Xiao Yan obtained the Fallen Heart Flame, he went from Dou Ling to Peak Dou Wang. The Three Thousand Burning Flame took him from Four-Star Dou Zong all the way to nine-star, and even let him fight across realms. It was practically cheating.
Besides, Strange Lightning had to be the real deal. He recalled the Nine Profound Golden Lightning Dragon mentioned in the original story. Though even a low-tier Dou Sheng probably couldn't absorb it, it still proved that Strange Lightning truly existed.
Xiao Li temporarily suppressed his longing for Strange Lightning. He understood that with his current Da Dou Shi strength, even if he encountered Strange Lightning, he wouldn't be able to absorb it. Not everyone had the kind of fortune Xiao Yan did.
Gazing at the gloomy clouds in the distance, Elder Bai stopped traversing space. "Xiao Li, we've arrived at the training grounds."
Xiao Li looked outside curiously, wondering where the two big shots had brought him.
He looked out at the desolate mountain forest, and his mouth twitched. He'd only just returned from the Magical Beast Mountain Range. Was he going to spend another year living like a savage?
The Two Elders Qian and Bai landed on a cliff and blasted open a cave with a wave of their hands. "For the next month, you'll train peacefully with us and learn new Dou Techniques and cultivation methods."
At that, Xiao Li felt a little better. At least two big shots would be tutoring him one-on-one.
"All right, take out the Nine Steps to Heaven you got from the Library Pavilion. This old man will teach you," Elder Qian said.
Xiao Li froze. "Senior, how did you know I got the Nine Steps to Heaven?"
Now it was Elder Qian's turn to freeze. "Uh, well, that..."
"As expected of a senior. Your strength really is incredible." Xiao Li looked solemn. He assumed Elder Qian had seen him in the Library Pavilion. As expected of a big shot who could tear through the void.
When Elder Qian heard Xiao Li draw his own conclusion, he nodded awkwardly. "That's right. I do have that much ability. Take it out and let me have a look."
Xiao Li did as he was told and took out the Nine Steps to Heaven. Only now did he realize that this Dou Technique wasn't a movement technique, but a secret art that could make someone burst with power.
It had nine steps. Below the Dou Emperor level, each step could raise one's strength by more than two stars. At the Dou Zong level, each step raised it by one star. If a Peak Dou Zong used this technique and took all nine steps, they could briefly reach the Dou Zun level.
When Elder Qian saw the technique, a trace of regret appeared in his eyes. "This Dou Technique is truly heaven-defying. A One-Star Dou Zong could use it to fight a Peak Dou Zong. What a pity, what a pity..."
"Unfortunately, it places too great a demand on the body. Neither of us can take the ninth step," Elder Bai picked up where Elder Qian left off, his words tinged with regret.
Xiao Li could tell that the two of them had clearly practiced this technique. It had requirements for physical strength, after all...
Xiao Li looked at the Thunder Fusion Body in his left hand. It could temper the body with lightning, forging it into a sturdy thunder body...
The two books seemed to complement each other. A flash of inspiration came to Xiao Li, and he felt as though he'd understood something.
Elder Qian took a deep breath, seemingly casting off his regret, then looked up and said, "As it happens, Thunder Fusion Body and Nine Steps to Heaven complement each other. In my estimation, once you master Thunder Fusion Body and reach the Great Sun Thunder Body, you'll be able to withstand the strain of Nine Steps to Heaven."
Thunder Fusion Body had three stages: the Mystic Thunder Body at minor mastery, the Desolate Thunder Body at great mastery, and the Great Sun Thunder Body at perfection.
With that, Elder Qian walked out of the cave and pointed skyward with his right hand. Dou Qi gathered the dark clouds above them, and lightning packed the clouds, building up to strike.
Watching the gloomy sky transform in an instant into a vast scroll of roiling dark clouds, Xiao Li's eyes widened. So this was the power of a Dou Zong expert—changing the weather with a casual gesture and drawing together the clouds and lightning within a hundred-mile radius. It was truly terrifying.
Elder Qian grabbed Xiao Li by the collar. "You memorized Thunder Fusion Body on the way here, didn't you?"
Elder Qian's cheerful question made Xiao Li shiver. "Uh, I memorized it all."
Elder Qian's smile grew even brighter. He raised his right hand and flung Xiao Li straight into the sky.
"Then go put it into practice. I'll make sure you don't overdo it."
"Wait, I—Aaaaaah!"
Xiao Li shot into the sky. In the blink of an eye, he was hundreds of meters up, with lightning and dark clouds close enough to touch.
Xiao Li shut his eyes in anguish. "This is it for me."