"Roar!"
After devouring lightning for nearly three hours,
Part of it dispersed underground, while the purest portion was devoured by the Two Dragon Thunder Gang Fire, transforming into lightning power, fire power, and Dragon Qi.
The essence of those three energies then entered Zhang Yuan's body. Tempered by lightning, fire, and nourished by Dragon Qi, his physique grew increasingly powerful, while one particular part became especially ferocious.
As time passed, the Two Dragon Thunder Gang Fire burned ever more fiercely, the energy within it becoming increasingly terrifying. Two complete silver-purple dragons, each two zhang long, soared into the sky and collided, merging into one. It then grew three dragon heads before swiftly separating again, expanding to around three zhang in length.
The three silver-purple dragons, each three zhang long, circled Zhang Yuan several times before entering his body and merging into every cell.
"The Three Dragon Thunder Gang Fire has indeed evolved!"
Zhang Yuan revealed a satisfied smile and suddenly thrust his palm forward.
"Boom!"
Thunder roared and flames blazed as pure Dou Qi surged outward more than a zhang away.
This was the method of releasing Dou Qi externally that Da Dou Shi possessed, and he had already mastered it with great proficiency.
Originally, breaking through to the Da Dou Shi realm with pills would have left his realm unstable for a time, but that instability had now completely vanished.
If he had a Two-pattern Green Spirit Pill, he could swallow it directly. With the Heavenly Flames fully refining its medicinal power, he could raise his strength to the Four-star Da Dou Shi realm.
"Whoosh!"
With a thought from Zhang Yuan, the wings on his back formed once more. They became even more solid and dazzling, carrying an immense oppressive aura.
"As expected." Zhang Yuan nearly laughed aloud.
Without infusing them with Dou Qi, he could directly form Exotic Fire Wings.
Both Dou Wang and Dou Emperor needed to consume Dou Qi to form wings. Without Dou Qi, they would be unable to fly. Yet he had no such concern; it was no different from possessing a Flying Dou Technique.
If he infused the wings with Dou Qi, his flying speed would become extremely fast.
As for exactly how fast, he could not say for now, since he had never seen a Dou Wang or Dou Emperor travel at full speed.
Thinking of this, he turned toward the distance and clasped his fists. "Senior, I have another request."
"What is it?" Ling Ying asked emotionlessly.
"I would like to ask Senior to chase after me!"
As soon as he spoke, Zhang Yuan flapped the wings behind him, turning into a streak of light as he shot into the distance.
A hint of surprise flashed through Ling Ying's eyes, but he immediately formed Dou Qi Wings and gave chase, catching up within a few breaths.
"Senior, how much of your strength are you using?" Zhang Yuan asked.
"One-tenth." Ling Ying answered with complete seriousness.
Zhang Yuan's gaze flickered as he accelerated once more.
The surprise in Ling Ying's eyes deepened, and he accelerated to catch up again.
"How much now?" Zhang Yuan asked.
"Three-tenths."
Zhang Yuan accelerated once again.
"And now?"
"Half!" A trace of shock appeared in Ling Ying's eyes.
Zhang Yuan flew back to where he had originally been standing and began evaluating the result.
"With my Exotic Fire Wings flying at full speed, I can force Ling Ying to use half his strength."
"Then when I fight others in the future, Dou Ling will be nothing more than targets before me. Against a Dou Wang, if I can't win, I can simply leave."
"Even when facing a Dou Emperor expert, I can escape by using Dou Qi to strengthen my Exotic Fire Wings. If that fails, I can take pills and compete in endurance."
"Invincible below Dou Zong?"
Thinking this, Zhang Yuan nodded. "Not bad."
Ling Ying:?
You called this not bad!?
Please, I'm a High-level Dou Huang, not an ordinary Dou Emperor, and I'm also of the dark attribute.
Those with light and dark attributes, as well as wind and lightning attributes, were generally more adept at speed.
Moreover, I have already dabbled in the Power of Space. Though I cannot walk through the air and can only remain suspended, it can still increase my speed.
If I flee at full speed, even ordinary Dou Zong would be unable to catch me.
You're merely a Da Dou Shi, yet you can force me to use half my speed, and you call that not bad?
Ling Ying suddenly could not understand it. Was Zhang Yuan simply too outstanding, or was he himself too useless?!
Zhang Yuan had no idea that a single remark had made Ling Ying begin doubting himself. Feeling the summons of the Thunder God Visualization Diagram in his mind, he sank his consciousness into it.
The Visualization Diagram, whose vague outline he had previously only been able to glimpse, had indeed become a little clearer. Although he could still only visualize it for one hour every twelve hours, its effect on improving Soul Power would become more obvious.
Perhaps in a few more months, his soul realm could transform into the Spirit Realm.
The Thunderforce Flame's evolution into its three-dragon state could increase his combat strength and also grant him the ability to fly.
However, what he cared about more now was whether breaking through to the Da Dou Shi realm would grant him a new inheritance from the Thunder God Visualization Diagram.
"There really is one."
When he drew the Dou Qi from his Dou Crystal into the Visualization Diagram, a streak of light flew out, just as the Heavenly Flame Seed had appeared when he broke through to the Dou Master realm.
The streak of light entered his Sea of Consciousness and transformed into a passage written in ancient script from some world—a script he did not recognize, yet somehow understood.
Thunderfire Refining Method!
A supreme Artifact Refining Method.
It used lightning power and fire power to temper materials, then forged them into the forms most suited to those materials through a unique method. The resulting artifacts possessed extraordinary might and could increase a cultivator's combat strength.
"It's actually a proper artifact refining method!" Delight appeared in Zhang Yuan's eyes.
Why did he emphasize proper?
Naturally, it was because the artifact refining methods of the Dou Qi Continent, and even the stronger Great Thousand World, were all improper.
Leaving aside the Great Thousand World, the Dou Qi Continent had exclusive inheritances for pill refinement. But artifact refinement merely involved forcefully burning some heavenly treasure into a certain shape, with the artifact's grade determined by the quality of the raw material. Then one simply enchanted it with a Magic Core, and the work was done.
That was not technical work, but simple manual labor. Anyone could refine artifacts, and even without Heavenly Flames, they could use earth fire or sky fire.
Yet among the countless artifact refining methods throughout the myriad worlds, the Thunderfire Refining Method stood alone and ranked among the best, forming its own school. It could refine with fire, with lightning, or with both lightning and fire together, producing results far greater than one plus one.
This Artifact Refining Method provided fundamental design principles, allowing an Artifact Refiner to hammer multiple materials into essence before fusing them together and ultimately creating a weapon. Like pill refinement, it was far from as simple as one plus one equaling two.
Weapons refined through this method could also undergo the popular enchanting methods of the Dou Qi Continent, producing even greater power.
Even completed weapons could be reforged through the Thunderfire Refining Method and made stronger.
"What an excellent Thunderfire Refining Method. It suits my Three Dragon Thunder Gang Fire perfectly." If Ling Ying had not been present, Zhang Yuan would have wanted to laugh three times.
Although he could not refine pills, he could still carve out a bright path by pursuing artifact refinement.
Building a faction, winning people over, increasing the combat strength of himself, his friends, family, and subordinates—there were countless benefits.
"Hmm?"
After gaining an introductory grasp of the Thunderfire Refining Method, a subtle change occurred in Zhang Yuan's Soul Power, making his perception of refining materials extremely sharp.
His intuition told him that there was something extraordinary within the enormous stone beneath him.
"Boom!"
Zhang Yuan crouched down and punched the enormous stone.
Countless fragments of rock flew outward, revealing a round silver-black iron block with a diameter of one zhang.
"Oh?" Ling Ying said in surprise. "Black Profound Iron Essence Gold. It is innate essence that may not appear even in ten Black Profound Iron Ore Veins. It can be used to forge a Third-tier Dou Artifact, and enchanting it with a lightning-attribute Magic Core can increase its attack power somewhat."
Using it to forge a Third-tier Dou Artifact?
That would be far too wasteful.
Several plans appeared in Zhang Yuan's mind. If Black Profound Iron Essence Gold were used as the core along with several other materials, it could forge a Fourth-tier Dou Artifact that enhanced lightning-attribute or lightning-fire-attribute Dou Techniques.
If Black Profound Iron Essence Gold were used as one of the primary materials, along with several other primary materials and one core material, it could forge a Fifth-tier Dou Artifact. Its enhancement would be even greater, and enchanting it would produce better results.
However, Zhang Yuan did not reveal his thoughts. He merely stored the Black Profound Iron Essence Gold in his Storage Ring and smiled. "Not bad luck."
As a Quasi-Dou Zong expert, Ling Ying did not care much for Black Profound Iron Essence Gold and said nothing.
Zhang Yuan turned to him and asked, "Senior, I have a question I would like to ask you."
Ling Ying pondered for a moment before saying, "Young Master Zhang Yuan, ask away. This old man will certainly answer whatever he can."
The implication was that Zhang Yuan should not ask about anything he could not reveal.
"Rest assured, Senior. I'm not asking about Xun Er's identity. With an expert like you serving as her guard, I imagine I wouldn't be qualified to know much until I become a Dou Zong." Zhang Yuan smiled modestly.
What a joke. I know far more than you do.
"My question is definitely something Senior can answer."
Meeting Ling Ying's eyes, Zhang Yuan grinned. "Did Xun Er give you to me?"
Ling Ying:???
Please give the author some monthly and recommendation votes. Many thanks!
(End of Chapter)
Before you continue