Taking Disciples, Ten-Thousandfold Returns: Starting from Battle Through the Heavens — Section 18

As for selling them one at a time, that would obviously be too slow. That was why Qin Hao had chosen to trade with the academy's elders.

Besides, he had once again obtained quite a few ingredients for Emperor's Extreme Pills this time. If he needed them in the future, he could simply refine another batch.

Moreover, aside from the ingredients for refining Emperor's Extreme Pills, Qin Hao had also acquired many other valuable items through the trade, including quite a few medicinal ingredients needed to refine high-grade pills.

In his view, this transaction was a complete win-win.

After completing the trades with several elders, Qin Hao headed straight for the First Elder's residence.

"Elder Qin Hao, what brings you here?"

Seeing Qin Hao, Su Qian asked curiously.

"First Elder, I have something I'd like to ask your help with!"

Qin Hao said bluntly.

"Oh? You need my help? What is it? Go on. As long as this old man can do it, I will!"

Su Qian said.

"It's like this, First Elder. You must have guessed that I encountered some fortunate opportunities during this trip into the Magic Beast Forest. Aside from an alchemist's inheritance, I also obtained some cultivation methods and Dou Techniques!

"However, most of them aren't suitable for me, so I'd like to exchange these cultivation methods and Dou Techniques for a few Dou Techniques that suit me in the Library Pavilion!"

Qin Hao explained.

"Obtaining a fortunate opportunity in the Magic Beast Forest is your own good fortune. Besides, you can refine pills for the academy's elders. That alone is enough for this old man to grant your request.

"However, what rank of Dou Techniques you can obtain will depend on the grade of the cultivation methods and Dou Techniques you provide!"

Su Qian agreed almost immediately, then added.

"I understand that, of course."

Qin Hao nodded.

"How many cultivation methods and Dou Techniques did you obtain?"

Su Qian asked.

Without further nonsense, Qin Hao moved his thoughts, and a pile of cultivation method and Dou Technique scrolls instantly appeared on the table before Su Qian.

Other than the cultivation methods and Dou Techniques he practiced himself, Qin Hao had taken out everything he had obtained in the Magic Beast Forest, including the Earth-tier cultivation method, the Netherworld Profound Flame Art, which was of little use to him.

With the Chaotic Heaven-Devouring Art, no other cultivation method held much appeal for him. He was only interested in powerful Dou Techniques.

Of course, Qin Hao had made copies of the cultivation methods and Dou Techniques with decent power and value, just in case he needed them in the future.

"So many!"

Su Qian was utterly stunned when he saw the scrolls appear before him.

He had originally thought that Qin Hao would be doing well if he had obtained seven or eight, perhaps ten, cultivation methods and Dou Techniques. Yet there were at least a hundred scrolls before his eyes.

"Well, perhaps the senior who left behind the alchemist's inheritance had a hobby of collecting cultivation methods and Dou Techniques."

Qin Hao pushed the origins of all these cultivation methods and Dou Techniques onto the senior who had left behind the alchemist's inheritance.

"Mm... perhaps."

Su Qian did not refute Qin Hao's guess. After suppressing his astonishment, he began examining the scrolls.

"There's even an Earth-tier cultivation method!"

When he saw the Netherworld Profound Flame Art, surprise appeared on Su Qian's face. In his view, although the Netherworld Profound Flame Art was merely a low-grade Earth-tier cultivation method, its profoundness rivaled that of a mid-grade Earth-tier method in certain respects.

It was in no way inferior to the cultivation method he practiced, and even surpassed it in some aspects. Unfortunately, it did not suit his attribute.

After suppressing his surprise, he continued inspecting the other cultivation methods and Dou Techniques. It took nearly half an hour before Su Qian had sorted through them all.

Although there were no more Earth-tier cultivation methods or Dou Techniques aside from the Netherworld Profound Flame Art, quite a few of the remaining scrolls were outstanding Xuan-tier cultivation methods and Dou Techniques.

Their combined value was not to be underestimated.

"Whew. Not bad, not bad. I didn't expect you to gain so many cultivation methods and Dou Techniques this time. How about this? I'll make the decision. You may enter the Library Pavilion and choose three Earth-tier Dou Techniques. What do you think?"

After pondering for a moment, the First Elder slowly raised his head and looked at Qin Hao. Clearly, he had made his decision.

"Thank you for granting this, First Elder!"

Qin Hao's eyes lit up at once. He was clearly very satisfied with this outcome. It might sound like a small number, but it truly was not.

Although he had provided a large number of cultivation methods and Dou Techniques, aside from the Netherworld Profound Flame Art, the highest grade among them was only high-grade Xuan-tier.

There was an enormous gulf between Earth-tier and Xuan-tier. Even a hundred Xuan-tier cultivation methods and Dou Techniques might not be enough to exchange for a single Earth-tier cultivation method or Dou Technique.

The gap between Earth-tier and Xuan-tier was clearly not something that could be bridged by mere quantity.

Aside from the Netherworld Profound Flame Art, it would have been good enough if all the other cultivation methods and Dou Techniques combined could be exchanged for one Earth-tier Dou Technique.

Qin Hao guessed that the First Elder had agreed to exchange three Earth-tier Dou Techniques mainly because of the quality of the Netherworld Profound Flame Art.

Then, led by First Elder Su Qian, Qin Hao once again arrived at Canaan Academy's most mysterious Library Pavilion.

This place was second only to the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower within Canaan Academy. It was even more important than the inner academy's treasure vault.

Qin Hao also met Canaan Academy's true guardians once more: Qian Mu and Bai Lie. He had seen them once before when he advanced from the outer academy to the inner academy and came to the Library Pavilion.

This was his second time seeing them. Back then, he had merely been a Da Dou Shi and had not sensed anything unusual from them.

But now, he was a five-star Dou Wang. More importantly, his soul had reached the Spiritual Realm, so his perception was completely incomparable to what it had been back then.

At this moment, Qin Hao could sense an incomparably powerful aura from the two men, one far stronger than even First Elder Su Qian's.

Although Su Qian was a Dou Zong, he was merely a low-level Dou Zong, between one and three stars. The two elders before him, Qian Mu and Bai Lie, were both high-level Dou Zongs, between seven and nine stars—peak nine-star Dou Zongs, just a step below Dou Zuns.

This was the true protective force Mang Tianchi had left behind for Canaan Academy after his departure.

It was only because the two elders rarely involved themselves in affairs that Han Feng, with his unruly temperament in the original story, had not long since died without anyone knowing how.

"Su Qian? What do you want with us?"

The arrival of Su Qian and Qin Hao caused the two elders to emerge from their cultivation. Their gazes fell on Su Qian as they spoke indifferently.

"It's like this..."

Su Qian immediately explained the entire matter to them from beginning to end, including Qin Hao's identity as a sixth-grade alchemist.

"Oh? A sixth-grade alchemist capable of refining Emperor's Extreme Pills? Not bad, not bad. I remember you. I didn't expect that after only a few years apart, this little fellow would have grown to such an extent!"

After hearing Su Qian out, the two elders turned their gazes toward Qin Hao. Bai Lie suddenly spoke, his gaze becoming gentler.

"Very good. Not bad."

Qian Mu nodded as well.

"Greetings, Elder Qian and Elder Bai! You flatter me. Everything I have today is inseparable from the academy's nurturing!"

Qin Hao naturally did not dare be the slightest bit negligent and hurriedly replied.

Although his strength was vastly different from before, especially considering the hidden trump cards of his soul cultivation method and Dou Techniques, he was still clearly no match for beings like Qian Mu and Bai Lie.

After all, these two were no ordinary Dou Zongs. They were peak Dou Zongs not far from reaching the Dou Zun realm.

"Very well, Su Qian. We approve your decision!"

Then Qin Hao felt the space around him distort. A force of space enveloped his body, and in the next instant, he appeared in an unfamiliar environment.

This place was not the same vast space he had visited the first time. Back then, passing the inner academy's examination and entering the Library Pavilion to obtain an opportunity had been entirely random, completely dependent on luck.

Everything had been wrapped in spheres of light. What one obtained could only be determined by luck, much like opening blind boxes.

But this time was different. He had come to select Earth-tier Dou Techniques, and the place before him was lined with row after row of shelves, all filled with cultivation method and Dou Technique scrolls.

The bookshelves throughout the room were divided into three sections, corresponding to Earth-tier, Xuan-tier, and Huang-tier. As for Heaven-tier... Canaan Academy clearly did not possess cultivation methods or Dou Techniques of that rank.

Not only Canaan Academy—even among the ancient eight clans, there probably were not many Heaven-tier cultivation methods and Dou Techniques. Every single one would undoubtedly be a true secret never passed outside the clan.

Among the openly strongest factions in the Central Plains—the one hall, one tower, two sects, three valleys, and four pavilions—aside from the Hall of Souls and the Pill Tower, which might possess inheritances at the Heaven-tier level, the others likely had no more than Earth-tier cultivation methods and Dou Techniques.

This showed just how rare Heaven-tier cultivation methods and Dou Techniques truly were.

Of the three sections, the Huang-tier and Xuan-tier sections naturally contained the most scrolls. The Earth-tier shelves, on the other hand, held only a little over a dozen scrolls in lonely isolation.

In other words, even Canaan Academy possessed only this many Earth-tier cultivation method and Dou Technique inheritances. Qin Hao even suspected that most of them had likely been left behind by Canaan Academy's headmaster, Mang Tianchi, from his personal collection.

Shaking his head and suppressing his thoughts, Qin Hao soon arrived at the Earth-tier section and began carefully examining the cultivation methods and Dou Techniques.

These cultivation methods and Dou Techniques all had restrictions placed on them. He could only see their descriptions and a very small portion of their opening contents. As for the complete contents, the restrictions would obviously need to be lifted.

But for Qin Hao, that was clearly enough.

There were four cultivation methods in total, while the rest were Dou Techniques.

After some selection, Qin Hao's gaze soon settled on three scrolls.

He had clearly made his choice. All three Dou Techniques were low-grade Earth-tier. In fact, after examining them, Qin Hao learned that all the cultivation methods and Dou Techniques stored here were low-grade Earth-tier. None surpassed that grade.

The three Dou Techniques were the offensive Dou Technique Phoenix Dance Across the Nine Heavens, the movement technique Nine-Palace Phantom God Steps, and the explosive-type Dou Technique Nine Profound Flame Transformations.

The effect of Phoenix Dance Across the Nine Heavens was to condense a phantom fire phoenix from Dou Qi and unleash a devastating attack upon the target.

Nine-Palace Phantom God Steps was a profound movement-type Dou Technique that combined speed and transformation. It was far more powerful than the Wind Shadow Step Qin Hao currently practiced.

As for the final technique, Nine Profound Flame Transformations, it was an explosive-type—or rather, enhancement-type—Dou Technique. It could also be considered a secret art.

It was somewhat similar to the Three Mysterious Transformations of Heavenly Flame from the original story.

However, unlike the Three Mysterious Transformations of Heavenly Flame, which drew out the power of one's inner Heavenly Flame to unleash tremendous strength, it was extremely useless for someone without a Heavenly Flame.

Nine Profound Flame Transformations was different. It stimulated the power of the fire-attributed Dou Qi within one's body, producing a massive enhancement upon activation.

The degree of enhancement depended on the abundance and purity of one's fire-attributed Dou Qi.

What disappointed Qin Hao was that although Nine Profound Flame Transformations was powerful, it was incomplete. That was right—it was actually a fragmented Dou Technique.

The scroll before him contained only the first six transformations. The final and most crucial three transformations were missing. According to the description, those final three transformations were the most important part, capable of bringing about a qualitative change.

Yet even the incomplete first six transformations were Earth-tier. The complete Nine Profound Flame Transformations was at least high-grade Earth-tier, and it might even be Heaven-tier.