Chapter 49: Medicine Elder's Outrageous Deeds

Night had fallen.

Having just advanced to the Dou Ling realm, Chen Xiao felt as though he had an endless reserve of strength. After sending Qing Lin back to rest first, Chen Xiao intended to head to the back mountain to practice the numerous Dou Techniques gifted to him by Hai Bo Dong.

At the same time, he also wanted to get used to his suddenly surged power.

Upon learning of Chen Xiao's plan, Xun'er smiled brightly and expressed her desire to observe.

Chen Xiao readily agreed.

However, when the two of them arrived at the back mountain together, they discovered that someone had already taken possession of this quiet place ahead of time.

Before the precipice, a figure sat cross-legged in deep meditation. Their hair was tied up loosely, and even from the back, they looked rather disheveled, as if they hadn't been properly groomed in a long time.

Chen Xiao's footsteps paused, and without making a sound, he pulled Xun'er into the shadows.

"It's Xiao Yan!"

There is no better time than right on cue.

Chen Xiao had been somewhat curious about Xiao Yan's condition today, and now he would be able to observe it closely.

"His condition is wrong. So much time has passed, yet not only has he made zero progress, but he also looks like he's about to drop from the Dou Zhe realm back to the Dou Zhi Qi stage at any moment."

After observing carefully for a moment, Chen Xiao quickly spotted the problem.

In his perception, when Xiao Yan circulated his cultivation method, his inner Dou Qi should normally have increased. However, Xiao Yan's current situation was the exact opposite; the more he cultivated, the more his inner Dou Qi decreased instead of increasing.

It was as if an invisible ghost were hiding in the shadows, frantically devouring his Dou Qi. The speed of consumption far exceeded the speed of Xiao Yan's cultivation, resulting in a deficit that created the scene before them.

Feeling the gentle warmth in her palm, Xun'er found this sensation rather peculiar.

Hearing Chen Xiao's low murmurs, Xun'er also lowered her voice and replied, "He has been in this state for several days now. At first, he could still conceal it, making it difficult for outsiders to notice, but the situation has worsened more and more. Now it has reached a point where it can no longer be hidden. I heard that these days he uses bitter cultivation as an excuse to shut himself away, and even his daily meals and other necessities are delivered inside by servants."

Chen Xiao nodded gently. This closely matched his previous guess.

With Xiao Yan's talent, cultivating bitterly for many days without making an inch of progress would easily make him realize that something was wrong with him.

It was just that, having been the center of attention since childhood, he was unwilling to show this wretched side of his to others, which was why he tried his utmost to conceal it.

Judging from his brief contact with Xiao Zhan today, it seemed that even Xiao Zhan was not yet aware of this matter.

"Does Xun'er know why such a strange thing is happening?"

"I'm not sure. His condition is different from any records I've ever read."

While the two were whispering to each other, Xiao Yan in front of the precipice also opened his eyes with a furrowed brow, wearing an expression of deep skepticism toward life.

Raising his hands to look at them, Xiao Yan slammed them heavily onto the ground, leaped up, and began a flurry of fierce punches against a tree the thickness of a rice bowl not far away.

"Why! Why!"

"Just where did things go wrong!"

"Ah, ah, ah..."

After venting for a while, Xiao Yan finally stopped, panting heavily. Then, he let out a hiss of pain, looking at his palms which had swollen visibly by a full circle, and his expression became even more miserable.

A fragile body simply could not withstand such brutal treatment.

Hiding in the shadows, Chen Xiao watched Xiao Yan's appearance and could not help but recall that period of time in青山镇 (Qingshan Town) when he too had suffered such a loss. He immediately smiled somewhat mischievously.

Judging others by oneself, if he were Xiao Yan, he would not be able to accept encountering such a strange thing either.

That Yao Zunzhi was truly heartless.

He clearly could have sucked Xiao Yan dry in one breath, yet he insisted on dragging it through a process. No doubt, watching Xiao Yan's frantic state right now, that old bastard was hiding inside the storage ring, covering his mouth and laughing secretly, right?

Standing in front of the tree for a long time as if he had lost his soul, Xiao Yan finally left the back mountain in low spirits.

The period right after his body began to malfunction was definitely the time when Xiao Yan's state of mind fluctuated the most, because he could foresee what kind of censure would await him once this matter was exposed.

Conversely, once his condition worsened further, until he regressed to a 'good-for-nothing' at the third stage of Dou Zhi Qi, and the entire city of Oulan knew about it, his state of mind would instead gradually stabilize.

After all, once you were already recognized as a good-for-nothing, how much worse could things possibly get?

Standing in the lowest valley, every step forward was progress!

Rustling sounds came from the shadows, and Chen Xiao and Xun'er revealed themselves.

Without paying any more attention to the departing Xiao Yan, Xun'er looked at Chen Xiao.

"Will Brother Chen Xiao continue practicing Dou Techniques?"

"Practice, I must practice!"

Xiao Yan's good or bad fortune had little impact on Chen Xiao.

He had come to take a peek in person simply to ensure whether the course of events was developing as it did in the original trajectory.

Now that his curiosity had been satisfied, it was time to continue his own cultivation.

Hai Bo Dong's signature ultimate technique, the Profound Ice Dragon Flight, was formidable in power and very handsome to boot. Chen Xiao had been eyeing it with envy for a long time.

The Profound Ice Dragon Flight was a Xuan-tier high-grade Dou Technique, but its cultivation difficulty and the consumption it required far exceeded the Raging Lion Chant and the Swallow Counter-Strike that Chen Xiao had practiced previously.

Of course, its might also far surpassed ordinary Xuan-tier high-grade Dou Techniques, making it a move that could truly be used as a trump card.

Dou Qi surged, and the cold brilliance vied with the bright moon for splendor.

Chen Xiao repeatedly mobilized the Dou Qi within his body, attempting to execute the Profound Ice Dragon Flight.

Unfortunately, no Dou Technique could be mastered overnight.

After countless attempts, until the eastern sky grew pale with dawn, Chen Xiao was only able to condense a prototype of the Profound Ice Dragon Flight.

"This Dou Technique is immensely powerful, but it's a bit too flamboyant. If it could be slightly more restrained, Brother Chen Xiao's cultivation of it would probably be faster, or perhaps it will be simpler once Brother Chen Xiao's realm rises a bit higher."

Xun'er, who still ostensibly needed to remain at the Dou Zhi Qi stage, offered her insights with considerable discernment.

Chen Xiao, who was already at the Dou Ling realm, nodded in deep agreement.

However, putting it another way, if the Profound Ice Dragon Flight were too restrained, would it still be the Profound Ice Dragon Flight?

Therefore, Chen Xiao had no intention of making improvements in this aspect.

He didn't have the capability for it at the moment either.

Compared to modifying the Profound Ice Dragon Flight, raising his realm was undoubtedly a much simpler approach.

Having not returned for the entire night, Chen Xiao glanced at the sky, immediately suppressed the urge to try again, and returned hand in hand with Xun'er.

"Does Xun'er know much about Canaan Academy?"

"I know a little, but not much. Canaan Academy is divided into an inner academy and an outer academy. When you first enter the academy, you are all students of the outer academy. If outer academy students want to enter the inner academy, they must register to participate in the annual inner academy selection, and only after passing can they enter the inner academy."

"Then if I go to the outer academy, can I directly sign up to participate in that year's inner academy selection?"

"This question... Xun'er is not quite sure. However, Canaan Academy's teaching quality is renowned throughout the continent, so presumably they won't be overly pedantic."

Hearing this, Chen Xiao nodded with satisfaction.

Special matters required special handling; this wasn't a major issue to begin with. Given his current strength, Canaan Academy shouldn't refuse such a small request.

At this thought, Chen Xiao made his decision regarding his upcoming advance purchase.

The Earth-Heart Body Cleansing Saliva—perhaps he could use it first!