Venerable Mountain-Suppressor, Hu Gan the Dou Zong!

Several days later,

Lin Chen sat beside the stone table in the courtyard, holding an ancient, earth-yellow scroll.

With careful perception, one could detect a piercing, strange sound coming from within the scroll. It pierced through space, making the soul slip into a faint daze.

"Earth-tier low-grade Dou Technique, Dragon-Elephant Mountain-Subduing Roar."

Along the scroll's edges, brown patterns converged into several intricate ancient characters, spelling out the technique's name.

It's actually this technique? Could it be commonplace in the Gu Clan? Or are even the Gu Clan's earth-tier sound wave Dou Techniques so pitifully scarce that they had no choice but to give me this one?

Lin Chen examined the sound wave Dou Technique scroll from every angle. As he carefully probed it, he found that the soul imprint within was remarkably powerful—it could actually affect reality.

Clearly, the expert who had created this technique possessed extraordinary attainments in soul power. He must have been at least a high-tier Dou Zun.

Whatever the case, I finally have it. Once I master this sound wave Dou Technique, with the earth-tier middle-grade Azure Flame Asura Blade as well, I'll be able to escape with ease even against a Dou Huang expert.

Then I can start laying plans for certain things ahead of time.

A sharp gleam flashed through Lin Chen's eyes. The previous simulation had shown that Xiao Yan would not reach the Snake-People Holy City to seize the Green Lotus Core Flame for another eight months.

As long as he acted before then, even if he could not seize the Green Lotus Core Flame, he could still pocket treasures such as Hai Bodong's Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Fragment Map and the earth fire lotus seeds that grew alongside the Green Lotus Core Flame.

With that thought, Lin Chen picked up the cultivation scroll recording the Dragon-Elephant Mountain-Subduing Roar and instructed Zi Yan, who was eating spirit fruit nearby, "Zi Yan, guard the door for me. I'm going into seclusion for a while!"

"Dream on! The three days are already up, and I've digested the earth core body tempering milk. You still want to order me around? Little Chen, beg me nicely, and I might show you some mercy and help you out once!"

Zi Yan planted both hands on her hips, her face brimming with smug satisfaction. These past few days, she had finally turned the tables and become her own master. She no longer had to obey Lin Chen's orders and could eat whatever she wanted every day.

Sometimes, Lin Chen even had to offer pills as tribute when he wanted her help. Life could hardly have been sweeter!

Besides, compared with slowly gnawing through medicinal ingredients as she used to, Lin Chen's pill-refining skills were simply superb. Specially made with heavenly flames, his pills were fragrant and potent—even better than the handiwork of that Old Man Huo in the Inner Academy!

At the thought, Zi Yan could not help swallowing, her eyes filled with longing.

Lin Chen chuckled at her words and tossed her a Pill Bottle. "Here. Remember to bring me the medicinal ingredients you've gathered after a while. I'll keep refining them for you."

With that, he headed toward the meditation chamber.

Zi Yan caught it and hurriedly nodded, patting her chest as she promised, "Don't worry! I'll gather plenty of medicinal ingredients. Make sure you come out soon!"

Inside the meditation chamber,

Lin Chen sat cross-legged on a cushion and pressed his forehead against the earth-yellow scroll. In an instant, a vast expanse swept by wind and sand appeared within his soul's vision...

Rumble!

Yellow sand filled the sky, countless grains swirling through the air. A man in yellow robes abruptly appeared upon the boundless desert.

His features were resolute, his brows thick, and his imposing figure stood like a mountain. With each step he took upon the earth, the entire desert trembled, as though the whole vast wilderness had become one with him.

Suddenly, he slowly opened his eyes.

In that instant, all the wind and sand froze. His muscles bulged, his chest heaved violently, and a roar capable of piercing metal and shattering stone burst from his throat!

The roar sounded like the fury of an ancient ferocious beast, like a dragon and elephant crying out together. Countless earth-yellow gales howled around him as the phantom of an enormous savage elephant thunderously took shape.

Its four legs resembled pillars holding up the heavens, and crystalline dragon scales covered its body. Swinging its long trunk, it unleashed a heaven-shaking, earth-quaking roar that instantly pierced the clouds and shattered a thousand-zhang stretch of desert!

Wherever it passed, countless grains of sand were crushed into crystalline powder, becoming a soft, earth-yellow tract that stood starkly apart from the surrounding sands and formed a sunken pit.

"I am Venerable Mountain-Suppressor. Today, here, I created the sound wave Dou Technique, Dragon-Elephant Mountain-Subduing Roar. This technique attacks the soul with qi, using blood and vital energy as fuel to shake the soul. It is the proudest creation of my life and comprises three stages: Heavenly Dragon Roar, Elephant King Roar, and Dragon-Elephant Roar in Unison."

"At the entry stage, your voice can shake a hundred li and resound through the clouds, surging like a heavenly dragon and shaking the soul!"

"At minor mastery, you can form the phantom of an elephant king. Your roar becomes a savage elephant, crushing peaks and splitting mountains, unstoppable wherever it goes!"

"At major mastery, dragon and elephant roar in unison. You can roar a Dou Zong to death and shake a Dou Zun. No soul below the spirit realm can resist it!"

"Remember, if your blood and vital energy are weak, never force this technique, or you will inevitably suffer a backlash!"

Then the yellow-robed figure began explaining the details of cultivation. Lin Chen hurriedly focused his mind and listened closely...

After a long while, the earth-yellow phantom gradually vanished into the desert.

Outside, within the meditation chamber.

Lin Chen slowly opened his eyes, a flicker of surprise passing through them. Frowning slightly, he said, "It's actually a Dou Technique that can be powered by consuming both Dou Qi and blood and vital energy. Ordinary Dou Techniques can only consume one's Dou Qi, but this one blazes a different trail. It can use blood and vital energy too!"

"But every advantage has its drawbacks. This technique is far too overbearing. To unleash its major-mastery stage, I'll need a powerful physique to support it!"

"This Venerable Mountain-Suppressor was probably a Dou Zun especially skilled in body refinement..."

"By that reckoning, if I don't refine my body, I can only reach minor mastery. Still, that's enough. According to Venerable Mountain-Suppressor, the entry stage can shake a Dou Emperor, minor mastery can threaten a Dou Zong, and major mastery can directly roar a Dou Zong to death!"

"It just has no effect on spirit-realm souls. But a spirit-realm soul is the standard for an eighth-tier alchemist. Even many Dou Zun experts lack one. This is already incredibly impressive."

"No wonder sound wave Dou Techniques are the most prestigious of the six major categories. It has both raw power and special mechanics. It's unbelievably strong..."

Lin Chen sighed in admiration. What other earth-tier low-grade Dou Technique could instantly kill a Dou Zong at major mastery?

Most earth-tier techniques probably could not manage it. Only Xiao Yan's self-created Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus might have a chance.

"I'm learning it. After a while, I'll find a body-refinement Dou Technique and train with the earth core body tempering milk. For now, I'll reach the entry stage first."

With a thought, Lin Chen formed hand seals, and the Dou Qi within him began circulating along the cultivation method's prescribed route. An itching sensation rose in his throat, and then he roared.

"Hoh!"

"Lin Chen, what are you yelling about?"

Zi Yan's curious voice came from outside the meditation chamber.

Lin Chen flushed. This place really was unsuitable for practicing. He immediately stood, spread the wings on his back, and shot toward the Back Mountain.

"Zi Yan, I'm going to train on the Back Mountain for a while. See you later!"

Watching the dark-blue streak of light disappear into the distance, Zi Yan grew anxious and hurriedly called, "No! Wait for me!"

She promptly turned into a streak of purple light and chased after him.

Meanwhile, in the Outer Academy.

Inside the deputy headmaster's study.

Hu Gan sat quietly in a cushioned chair. Before him stood a jade bottle with its stopper removed. A rich medicinal fragrance drifted from its mouth, stirring his previously dormant Dou Qi, as though it could hardly wait to devour the pill.

Within that jade bottle was, naturally, the Sect Breaking Pill that countless peak Dou Emperors flocked to, even willing to risk their lives for it.

"Ah, to think that at my age, I could still encounter such an outstanding talent, and still have hope of advancing another step..."

"Truly..."

A complicated look flashed through Hu Gan's eyes. Then, without further hesitation, he picked up the Sect Breaking Pill and swallowed it.

Yet a thought flashed through his mind: Now I owe that little brat more and more...