Chapter 19: Refining the Magic Core, Fire Flame Bomb

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 Leopard advanced to a second-tier magical beast, it would still be difficult to avoid Xiao Yan's perception.

His powerful soul sense gave Xiao Yan the ability to anticipate enemy movements.

The Blazing Fire Leopard, despite being comparable in strength to Xiao Yan under the suppression of the Heavy Xuan Ruler, couldn't match Xiao Yan's ability to see through its attacks at any moment, creating a significant gap between them.

With dark force converged into a single line, the light of deep yellow surged out of the Blazing Fire Leopard's body. With a thunderous sound, the creature's entire body exploded, sending blood, flesh, and shattered bones scattering everywhere.

Only a fiery-red magic core remained, spinning on the grass.

"This is...!" Yao Lao suddenly emerged from the Bone Flame Ring, his heart filled with shock as he gazed at the forest, now permeated with the scent of blood.

Had Xiao Yan not been just a two-star Dou Practitioner with limited Dou Qi, it would be unimaginable how destructive this power could have been!

Xiao Yan collapsed onto the grass, panting heavily. "Eight Extremes Sky Cannon, linking the dark forces of the Eight Extremes Collapse into a line, nullifying the time gap between each force."

Xiao Yan looked at the scattered remains of flesh with a horrified expression. "The power is truly terrifying. The beast's skin, bones, and flesh have all been ruined, leaving only this magic core."

Suppressing the spinning magic core, Xiao Yan grasped it in his hand. The warmth soothed his slightly numb palm.

The execution of this move not only imposed strict requirements on Dou Qi but also demanded a physical quality far beyond that required for the Eight Extremes Collapse.

"To think that you mastered the Eight Extremes Collapse to such a level in such a short time... What a terrifying young man!" Yao Lao exclaimed in surprise.

This was an advanced Xuan-level Dou Technique, and the Eight Extremes Collapse demanded extremely high physical strength. It was generally difficult for ordinary people to meet the cultivation requirements.

Although its Dou Qi requirement wasn't high, this only applied to the most basic application of the technique. Using the dark force to fully execute the Eight Extremes Collapse required not a small amount of Dou Qi.

The so-called "low requirement" was only in comparison to other powerful Dou Techniques.

Otherwise, advanced Xuan-level techniques comparable to Earth-level techniques would be as common as roadside weeds, and anyone could cultivate them.

Xiao Yan not only mastered the notoriously difficult dark force in such a short period but also made new breakthroughs. This kind of genius was the first Yao Lao had ever seen.

Most geniuses could, at best, quickly master existing skills and techniques. Those capable of innovating upon their learned skills usually had to reach an overwhelmingly high level of strength.

Yet Xiao Yan, at the mere Dou Practitioner level and at the start of his cultivation journey, had managed to innovate in just one day. His perception and understanding were truly defiant of the natural order!

As his teacher, Yao Lao felt both joy and concern. "This technique consumes an enormous amount of Dou Qi. After using it, you'll be left with none," he warned solemnly.

Xiao Yan blinked. Even if he reached the Dou Master level, without advancing his cultivation method, it would be challenging to perfectly unleash the Eight Extremes Sky Cannon, which condensed eight streams of dark force into one.

It was worth noting that he had barely managed to merge three streams just now.

Trying to further increase the dark force's streams on this basis would require more and more Dou Qi.

Nodding lightly, Xiao Yan stored the two medicinal herbs, grabbed the first-tier fire-attributed magic core, and quickly left the area.

The thick scent of blood here was bound to attract numerous magical beasts. With no Dou Qi left to fight, he couldn't afford to stay.

After walking for more than twenty minutes, Xiao Yan found a hidden spot and began circulating the Flame Mantra to restore his Dou Qi.

This time, it was a proper cultivation session. Observing Xiao Yan absorb the energy of heaven and earth, Yao Lao couldn't help but marvel again at his terrifying talent, confirming that the speed was comparable to an advanced Huang-level cultivation method.

If not for the limitations of the Flame Mantra, with any random Xuan-level method, Xiao Yan's cultivation speed would be even more terrifying.

Restoring his Dou Qi to its full state, Xiao Yan felt a significant improvement in his strength after the battle.

It seemed that fighting was not only a way to hone Dou Techniques but also a great aid to cultivation. The saying "break and then establish" likely referred to the motivation to cultivate triggered under life-and-death pressure.

Xiao Yan slowly opened his pitch-black eyes and took out one of the spoils of his recent battle—the fire-attributed magic core of the Blazing Fire Leopard.

Magic cores were nothing new to Xiao Yan; he had practically played with them since childhood.

He even used to create magic core puppets to entertain Xun'er and others when he was a child.

Unfortunately, at that time, he only had Dou Qi and the Xiao Clan's limited resources, which hindered further research progress.

Perception and resources were both indispensable for cultivation.

*[Your years of experience in researching puppets and using magic cores, combined with your fire-attributed Dou Qi, have led to an epiphany. You have comprehended the method to create Fire Flame Bombs.]*

**[Fire Flame Bomb creation method: Use fire-attributed Dou Qi to connect with the energy inside a fire-attributed magic core, draw symbols, and guide the violent energy.

The creation of Fire Flame Bombs requires extremely high soul power; otherwise, there is a risk of self-immolation.

Once the Fire Flame Bomb is activated, it will cause a violent explosion shortly after.]**

Knowing that his Dou Qi was sparse due to his cultivation method, Xiao Yan realized that the more trump cards he had, the better.

Closing his eyes slowly, he cautiously sensed the energy within the magic core with his soul power, channeling a wisp of pale yellow Dou Qi.

Drawing energy patterns was something he had done many times on puppet bodies when he was younger. Now, performing it on a magic core was not difficult, thanks to his increased strength.

After about the time it took to eat a meal, Xiao Yan's concentration left beads of sweat the size of soybeans on his forehead.

Yao Lao, seeing Xiao Yan in apparent concentration, muttered in confusion, "What's this kid doing if he's not cultivating?"

However, Yao Lao didn't disturb him.

When all the patterns on the magic core merged into one, the round core burst forth with a dazzling red light. Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath.

Glancing at the glowing magic core in his hand, Xiao Yan smiled in satisfaction. It might be challenging to kill a Dou Master, but if a Dou Practitioner took a direct hit, they would undoubtedly perish.

At this moment, Yao Lao spoke up, "Don't think about using the magic core for cultivation. Its energy is extremely violent unless you master the methods of an alchemist."

"Teacher, just wait and watch," Xiao Yan replied with a grin as he stood up and picked up the Heavy Xuan Ruler beside him. "Let's continue searching for medicinal herbs. We've only found two so far."

Seeing Xiao Yan's high perception, Yao Lao said no more and instead directed him to the nearest location with usable herbs. "This time, you're lucky. It's an unclaimed herb, so there's no need to fight, and you can speed up the gathering process."

*(End of Chapter)*