Battle Through the Heavens: I Can Solidify All Talents

Saint Qingling silently added one more thing.

Xiao Qing instinctively accepted them. A slight sweep with his Soul Power made his expression change drastically, and turbulent waves rose in his heart!

On the cover of that dark-gold book were four ancient characters: Heavenly Snake Canon!

The cultivation aura it emitted was as vast as a sea of stars, far beyond any cultivation method Xiao Qing had encountered before. It was clearly a genuine Heaven Rank Cultivation Method!

But it seemed he could not use it, could he?

As for the cyan scroll, it felt slightly heavy in his hand. He unfolded one corner.

A terrifying sword intent that seemed capable of annihilating all things and severing the cycle of reincarnation rushed at him. At the beginning of the scroll were four ancient characters, carved as if by blade and axe: Annihilation Sword Art!

This was likewise a Heaven Rank Dou Technique of immeasurable value!

Heaven Rank Intermediate Cultivation Method!

Heaven Rank Intermediate Dou Technique!

Even among the top powers of the Central Plains, such supreme treasures would be enough to spark bloody conflict, yet Saint Qingling had handed them to him so casually!

"Senior, this... this is far too precious!"

Even with Xiao Qing's steady temperament, his voice could not help turning somewhat dry.

This gift was truly too heavy!

"Take them. If they remain with me, they will only share this Small World's fate of annihilation... I hope they can shine again in your hands."

Saint Qingling smiled freely, as though she had merely given away ordinary objects.

"Alright, go on, go on. It is time for me to slumber for a while and focus on maintaining the inheritance."

At last, Saint Qingling's expression turned complicated. With a soft sigh, she said:

"If you ever set foot in the Central Plains, could you take a look at the Nine Nether Deepworld Python clan for me? See whether they still exist in this world..."

Then, before Xiao Qing could say anything further, Saint Qingling lightly waved her sleeve.

A gentle yet irresistible Spatial Power instantly wrapped around Xiao Qing.

Xiao Qing only felt his vision blur as the scenery around him rapidly shifted and faded.

The next moment, intense sunlight and scorching air rushed toward him.

Xiao Qing shook himself awake and found that he was already standing amid an endless golden sea of sand, with a blistering sun overhead and burning yellow sand beneath his feet.

That mysterious seven-colored palace, the floating plaza, and Saint Qingling—

All of them had vanished, as though everything that had just happened had been nothing more than a dream.

Yet the heavy presence of the Heavenly Snake Canon and the Annihilation Sword Art within the Storage Ring on Xiao Qing's finger told him with absolute clarity that it had all been real.

Xiao Qing immediately released his Soul Power to sense his surroundings and confirmed that he had returned to the Tagor Desert.

However, he was not near the Snake-People Tribe's Holy City, but in an unfamiliar region.

"Heaven Rank cultivation methods and Dou Techniques..."

Xiao Qing took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart. He sank his consciousness into his Storage Ring and confirmed the existence of those two supreme treasures once more.

Xiao Qing knew that with his current strength, he was nowhere near capable of cultivating a Heaven Rank Dou Technique.

At the very least, he would need to reach the Dou Zong realm before he could begin attempting to wield the terrifying power of the Annihilation Sword Art.

His top priority was to determine his location, then return to Wutan City as quickly as possible.

On one hand, he needed to settle his family. On the other, he needed to begin searching for the materials to awaken and resurrect Old Yao.

The minimum requirements for resurrecting Old Yao were a peak Tier 7 Bone-Growing Blood-Melting Pill, a Dou Zong corpse, three Heavenly Flames, and Tier 7 Magical Beast essence blood.

He had now gathered three of them: a Dou Saint Skeleton, three Heavenly Flames, and Tier 7 Magical Beast essence blood!

Saint Xueyou's Dou Saint Skeleton; the essence blood of the Tier 7 Magical Beast Venomous Jade Scorpion; the Green Lotus Core Flame and the Bone Chilling Flame.

Among them, the crimson-gold flame of the Law of Fire could be counted as one Heavenly Flame!

Added to the resurrection method, it would surely produce unexpected results!

Now, only the peak Tier 7 Bone-Growing Blood-Melting Pill remained. Once he collected it, he could "summon" Old Yao!

Queen Medusa was receiving her inheritance, so there was temporarily no need for him to worry about the Snake-People Tribe.

Xiao Qing deeply concealed the two Heaven Rank cultivation method and Dou Technique scrolls at the very bottom of his Storage Ring. After identifying his direction, he turned into a streak of light and sped toward the distant desert.

Returning to Desert City, Qing Lin?!

At the edge of the Tagor Desert, Desert City seemed especially silent beneath the blazing afternoon sun.

The wind swept fine sand across the mottled city walls, producing a soft rustling sound.

Xiao Qing stood alone before the map shop once run by the Ice Emperor, Hai Bodong, staring blankly at its tightly shut door.

A thin layer of sand covered the wooden signboard. The bronze bell hanging above the door swayed gently in the wind, yet it could no longer produce its crisp chime.

Several months had passed, and everything had changed.

"Three months..." Xiao Qing murmured softly.

From venturing deep into the Tagor Desert for the Green Lotus Core Flame, to that earth-shaking battle with Queen Medusa, to spending more than a month refining pills in the Snake-People Tribe's Holy City.

Then, he had unexpectedly been dragged into that ruined Saint-Level Pocket Dimension...

The entire experience had been like a bizarre dream.

Now that he had returned to this old place, he felt as though a lifetime had passed.

Xiao Qing recalled the relieved expression on Hai Bodong's face when he left.

The former Ice Emperor had finally broken free of the seal and regained his Dou Emperor strength.

He was likely now within the Mite'er Family in Jia Ma Holy City, enjoying the honor of being a Supreme Elder.

His more than ten years of hiding and fleeing because of Queen Medusa had finally come to an end.

Xiao Qing gently shook his head and turned away from the map shop that carried so many memories.

His immediate priority was to find somewhere to rest properly.

His consecutive experiences, especially the life-and-death crisis within the Saint-Level Pocket Dimension, had kept Xiao Qing's mind under constant strain.

Even with Xiao Qing's current cultivation and Spirit Realm soul, he needed to relax completely.

Xiao Qing found an inn in the city called the Desert Boat Inn.

Though the inn was not luxurious, it was neat and clean. Several drought-resistant sea buckthorn shrubs had even been planted in the courtyard, adding a rare touch of green to this desert border city.

"Are you looking for a room, sir?"

The innkeeper was a weathered middle-aged man, with thin calluses on his fingers from years of working an abacus.

"One superior room. Somewhere quiet."

Xiao Qing handed over several gold coins.

The innkeeper accepted the coins, and his eyes brightened slightly. His attitude became even more enthusiastic. "Certainly! Third room of the Heavenly wing, guaranteed to be peaceful!"

That night, Xiao Qing lay on the soft bed and allowed exhaustion to wash over him like a tide.

For once, Xiao Qing did not cultivate. He truly fell into a deep sleep, allowing both body and mind to rest fully.

Outside the window, Desert City's night was not quiet. The distant clamor of taverns and crisp jingling of camel bells could faintly be heard, but those sounds instead became the finest lullaby.

Xiao Qing slept deeply, not waking until noon the next day.

When Xiao Qing awoke, he felt refreshed and invigorated, with the exhaustion of recent days completely swept away.

Xiao Qing pushed open the window and let sunlight spill into the room. In the distance, the desert gleamed gold beneath the sun.

After washing up, Xiao Qing strolled out of the inn and immersed himself in Desert City's distinctive street atmosphere.

Unlike Wutan City's orderly layout, Desert City's streets were more casual, with shops and residences interspersed. From time to time, camel caravans could be seen leisurely passing through the streets.

Situated at the desert's edge, Desert City was clearly far more open in its customs than the empire's inland regions.

During the brief quarter-hour Xiao Qing spent walking, several women dressed in exotic attire had already cast bold looks his way.

They wore brightly colored gauze skirts, strings of silver bells tied around their exposed waists. Their skin had taken on a healthy wheat color from years beneath the sun, and their gazes were fiery and direct.

One veiled dancer even deliberately stopped in front of Xiao Qing.

Her slender fingers brushed the silver ornaments in her hair, and her eyes shimmered with charm. "Is little brother visiting Desert City for the first time? Need a guide?"

Xiao Qing slightly shook his head and politely declined her offer.

The dancer did not persist. With a light laugh, she drifted away, leaving behind a string of crisp bell chimes.

Xiao Qing continued onward and noticed a small roadside stall selling desert specialties.

The stall owner was an elderly man with a face full of wrinkles, hawking dried sea buckthorn and some medicinal herbs unique to the desert to passersby.

"Come take a look! Finest sea buckthorn! Soak it in water, and it's perfect for relieving fatigue!"

The old man called out enthusiastically.

Xiao Qing stopped before the stall, his gaze sweeping over the medicinal herbs.

Suddenly, his eyes narrowed. Amid a pile of inconspicuous brown roots, he noticed several root fibers glimmering with a faint silver sheen.

"This is... Silver Sand Ginseng?" Xiao Qing was somewhat surprised.

This herb was remarkably effective at nourishing the soul, precisely what Xiao Qing needed at the moment.

Although its quality was ordinary, encountering it in such a remote border town was still an unexpected delight.

"You've got a good eye, little brother!" The old man gave him a thumbs-up and continued.

"A caravan brought it back from deep in the desert some days ago. They said it was gathered near the edge of an oasis."

Xiao Qing bought all the Silver Sand Ginseng, along with some dried sea buckthorn.

Just as Xiao Qing was paying, a small, thin figure darted past him, stirring up a faint breeze.

It was a little girl of around three or four years old, dressed in ragged clothes, her bare feet covered in dust.

Like a startled fawn, she swiftly slipped into a dilapidated little house ahead.

At the instant the little girl pushed open that old wooden door, Xiao Qing caught the fleeting, relieved smile on her face at having returned "home."

That smile was so pure that it made one's heart ache, and Xiao Qing's heart stirred slightly.

But Xiao Qing did not stop and continued walking forward.

However, just as Xiao Qing had gone a short distance and was about to turn the street corner, a crisp cry filled with terror and helplessness suddenly rang out from that little house:

"Ah! Grandma! What's wrong with you?!"

Immediately afterward, the girl seemed to realize some terrible truth. Her cries abruptly became shrill and grief-stricken, like a young beast that had lost every source of support, wrenching the heart of anyone who heard them.

"Waaah... Grandma, wake up! Grandma..."

"Hm?" Xiao Qing halted, his brows knitting slightly.

With Xiao Qing's powerful soul perception, he did not even need to investigate deliberately to vaguely sense that the life aura of the elderly person in that little house had long since completely extinguished.

It appeared that the little girl's relative had passed away.

"Waaah, Grandma, you... waaah... Don't... don't... waaah... leave Qing Lin all alone..."

Just as Xiao Qing sighed softly, feeling that the matter had nothing to do with him and preparing to turn around and leave this troublesome place, the name the little girl accidentally uttered through her sobs exploded in his mind like a thunderclap!

Qing Lin?!

Xiao Qing's footsteps abruptly froze, and an incredulous shock flashed through his eyes.

He knew that name far too well!

Was this not the little girl from the original story, with a tragic background yet possessing the world's rare special physique: the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils?

Just as Xiao Qing stood stunned, the wooden door of that shabby house was violently pushed open, and the little girl from before stumbled out.

Now that he could see more clearly, the little girl was pitifully frail, obviously malnourished for a long time. Her dry yellow hair clung to her tear-soaked little face, while tears continued rolling from her large, red-rimmed eyes.

The Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils!

"Waaah... Grandma... Can someone save Qing Lin's grandma..."