Chapter 19: Refining the Magic Core, Flame Bullet

Among Dou Qi, physical strength, and soul power, Xiao Yan's Dou Qi was the weakest, while his soul power was the strongest.

Even if the Blazing Fire Wild Leopard had advanced to a second-tier magical beast, it would still struggle to evade Xiao Yan's perception.

Thanks to his powerful soul sense, Xiao Yan possessed the ability to anticipate his enemy's moves, giving him a significant advantage.

The Blazing Fire Wild Leopard's strength was roughly on par with Xiao Yan's when he was using the Xuan Heavy Ruler to suppress his power. However, Xiao Yan's ability to see through its attacks widened the gap considerably.

When the hidden force aligned into a single strike, a brilliant yellowish-brown light surged from the Blazing Fire Wild Leopard's body. With a deafening roar, the leopard's entire form exploded, scattering blood, flesh, and shattered bones across the forest.

The only thing left was a fiery red magic core spinning on the grassy ground.

"This is...!" Yao Lao suddenly emerged from the Bone Flame Ring, his face filled with shock as he looked at the once tranquil forest now shrouded in a bloody haze.

If not for Xiao Yan being just a two-star Dou Fighter with limited Dou Qi, it was unimaginable how destructive this technique could have been!

Xiao Yan collapsed onto the grass, panting heavily. "The Eight Extreme Sky Cannon aligns the hidden forces of the Eight Extremes Collapse into one, eliminating the time gap between them."

Staring at the blood-soaked remnants where the magical beast had once stood, Xiao Yan was equally astonished. "Its destructive power is truly terrifying. The beast's skin, bones, and flesh are completely wasted, leaving only this magic core."

Picking up the spinning core, Xiao Yan held it in his hand. The warm sensation soothed his slightly numb palms.

This technique's execution not only placed strict demands on Dou Qi but also required physical resilience far greater than that needed for the Eight Extremes Collapse.

"To think you could master the Eight Extremes Collapse to this level in such a short time... what a terrifying little monster!" Yao Lao exclaimed in disbelief.

The Eight Extremes Collapse was a high-level profound-rank Dou Technique, one that placed intense demands on the practitioner's physical body. Ordinary people found it nearly impossible to meet the requirements for cultivation.

While its Dou Qi requirements weren't exceedingly high, that only applied to the simplest version of the technique. Using the hidden force and fully executing the Eight Extremes Collapse demanded a substantial amount of Dou Qi.

What was considered "low" was only in comparison to other high-powered Dou Techniques. Otherwise, high-level profound-rank techniques or those comparable to earth-rank techniques wouldn't just be lying around for anyone to practice.

Xiao Yan not only mastered the highly challenging hidden force in a short time but also made breakthroughs and innovations—a level of talent Yao Lao had never encountered before.

Most geniuses could at best quickly cultivate existing techniques or skills. Those capable of innovating and building upon what they'd learned were usually beings with monstrous strength and terrifyingly high realms.

But Xiao Yan, still only at the level of a Dou Fighter, was just starting his cultivation journey. Within a single day, he had made groundbreaking advancements. His comprehension was truly heaven-defying!

As his teacher, Yao Lao was both thrilled and cautious. He solemnly warned Xiao Yan, "Your Dou Qi consumption is enormous. After using this technique, you'll have no Dou Qi left to fight."

Xiao Yan blinked, realizing that even if he advanced to the Dou Master level, without upgrading his cultivation method, it would be nearly impossible to fully unleash the Eight Extreme Sky Cannon, which condenses eight waves of hidden force into one.

After all, the technique he had just used barely managed to align three waves of hidden force.

To increase the number of hidden forces further would require exponentially more Dou Qi.

Xiao Yan let out a soft hum, carefully stored the two medicinal herbs, and quickly left the area with the first-tier fire attribute magic core in hand.

The thick scent of blood lingering here would inevitably attract countless magical beasts, and with no Dou Qi left to fight, he couldn't afford to linger.

After walking for over twenty minutes, Xiao Yan found a hidden spot and began circulating the Burning Technique to recover his Dou Qi.

This time, it was proper cultivation. As Yao Lao closely observed Xiao Yan absorb the energy of heaven and earth, he was once again astonished by Xiao Yan's terrifying talent. The speed at which he cultivated was comparable to that of an advanced yellow-tier technique.

If not for the constraints of the Burning Technique, Xiao Yan's speed would have been even more terrifying if he had access to a profound-tier technique instead.

With his Dou Qi quickly restored to its peak, Xiao Yan felt a significant improvement in his strength after the battle.

It seemed that battles not only sharpened his Dou Techniques but also greatly benefited his cultivation. The saying "breaking through after destruction" was true—facing life-and-death crises could indeed spur cultivation growth.

Slowly opening his dark eyes, Xiao Yan took out one of the spoils of his recent battle: the fire attribute magic core from the Blazing Fire Wild Leopard.

Magic cores were no stranger to Xiao Yan. He had practically grown up playing with them.

In fact, even as a child, he had already managed to create magic core puppets to entertain Xun'er and others.

Unfortunately, back then, he only possessed Dou Zhi Qi (the initial stage of Dou Qi), and the Xiao family's limited resources couldn't provide him with higher-grade materials, which caused his research to hit a bottleneck.

Comprehension and resources are both indispensable for cultivation.

[Your years of research into puppets and magic core usage, combined with your fire-attribute Dou Qi, have led to an epiphany. You have comprehended the method to create Fire Flame Bombs.]

[Fire Flame Bomb Crafting Method:

*This technique involves channeling fire-attribute Dou Qi to communicate with the energy within a fire-attribute magic core, drawing runes to guide its violent energy.

Crafting Fire Flame Bombs places a significant demand on one's soul power; otherwise, there is a risk of self-immolation.

Once a Fire Flame Bomb is completed, it will generate a violent explosion shortly after activation.]*]

Xiao Yan was well aware that the Burning Technique caused his Dou Qi to be scarce, so the more trump cards he had, the better.

Closing his eyes again, Xiao Yan carefully used his soul power to sense the energy within the magic core. A faint yellow strand of Dou Qi was gently transmitted into it.

Drawing energy-communication runes was something Xiao Yan had done countless times as a child on puppet bodies. Now, with his increased strength, applying these techniques to the magic core felt far smoother.

After nearly the time it would take to eat a meal, Xiao Yan's intense focus left beads of sweat the size of soybeans forming on his forehead.

Seeing Xiao Yan in a state of extreme concentration, Yao Lao muttered curiously, "What's this boy doing, if not cultivating?"

However, Yao Lao didn't interrupt him recklessly.

When all the runes on the magic core were connected into one, the round core emitted a dazzling red light. At that moment, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a deep breath of stale air.

Gazing at the glowing magic core in his hand, Xiao Yan smiled in satisfaction. "It might not be enough to kill a Dou Master, but if a Dou Fighter gets hit, it'll undoubtedly mean certain death."

At this point, Yao Lao spoke up, "Don't even think about using magic cores directly for cultivation. Their energy is far too violent, unless you master the methods of an alchemist."

"Teacher, just wait and see." Xiao Yan smiled as he stood up, pulling the Xuan Heavy Ruler from his side. "Let's continue searching for medicinal herbs. I've only found two so far."

Recognizing Xiao Yan's exceptional comprehension, Yao Lao didn't say much and instead directed him to the nearest location where usable herbs could be found. "You're quite lucky this time. The herbs in that area are unclaimed, so there's no need for a battle, which should speed up the harvesting process."

(End of Chapter)

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