Chapter Sixty-Seven: Three Thousand Lightning Movements

Zi Yan remained completely unaware that the so-called thief was standing right beside her, her pretty face filled with utter resentment.

The meager puddle of Earth Core Body Cleansing Saliva in the groove wasn't even enough for a single gulp of hers; how was she supposed to divide it?

Xiao Chen did not reply. With the Purple Cloud Wings manifesting behind his back, he took to the air and arrived in front of the massive stalactite that hung directly above the groove. After a careful search, he spotted a tiny speck of genuine Earth Core Body Cleansing Saliva nestled within the stone milk, glowing like a tiny fleck of emerald jade upon raw stone.

From this, it was evident that although both the genuine and fake Earth Core Body Cleansing Saliva had been advanced-drawn by him, the root had not been severed. If left to nurture over years and months, it would still be able to continuously regenerate.

In this regard, it was quite considerate.

"Earth Core Body Cleansing Saliva has the effect of cleansing the marrow and tempering the bones, and it holds a tremendous attraction for un-transformed magical beasts. If they can acquire this, it will be of immense help to their future transformation. Now that only this little bit is left, it's of little use to either you or me. If you want it, you can take a little to taste, but I'll pass."

Dropping back to the ground, Xiao Chen looked at Zi Yan, whose expression was a tangle of conflict.

Zi Yan nodded gently and made a move to reach out.

Xiao Chen was quick-witted and caught her wrist, retrieving a jade bottle and a jade spoon from his storage ring to hand to her.

Zi Yan took them, and surprisingly, she did not take all of the remaining fake Earth Core Body Cleansing Saliva, still leaving about half behind, though the total amount was only a few drops to begin with.

"I accidentally ingested a Transformation Grass before, so apart from the energy it contains, its main effect is useless to me. I'll just leave the rest for the big monkey outside."

Muttering softly under Xiao Chen's gaze, Zi Yan poured the few drops of fake Earth Core Body Cleansing Saliva she had collected straight into her mouth, swallowed it in one gulp, and smacked her lips with lingering dissatisfaction.

"The taste isn't very good, but the energy it contains is quite decent."

Ingesting the Earth Core Body Cleansing Saliva directly seemed to have no ill effects on Zi Yan at all; she even squinted her eyes as she offered a brief review.

Without lingering any further, the two returned by the way they came.

Upon emerging from the Snow Demon Sky Ape's lair, Zi Yan kicked the white ape guarding the cave entrance.

"Big monkey, let me ask you, did someone else beat us to the underground earlier?"

"Wuwu~"

Listening to the Snow Demon Sky Ape's gesticulating cries, Zi Yan wore a skeptical look, seemingly unconvinced.

"What did it say?"

"This big monkey says absolutely no one has been down there except it. It guards the cave entrance every day, and any magical beasts nearby that even slightly approach the valley are driven away by it," Zi Yan translated.

"It just let out a couple of cries and said all that?"

"Magical beast communication is definitely different from humans."

"..."

Their objective having been achieved, neither Xiao Chen nor Zi Yan had any intention of continuing to trouble the Snow Demon Sky Ape.

This big monkey was growing at a quite rapid pace, and Xiao Chen intended to keep it as an object for tempering his own strength in the future.

"Xiao Chen, why aren't you saying anything? What are you thinking about?"

Leaving the small valley, Zi Yan asked with a hint of curiosity upon noticing Xiao Chen's absent-mindedness.

Xiao Chen was naturally pondering what to advance-draw next.

A mid-tier Di-class cultivation method was completely sufficient for now, and he wouldn't need to worry about cultivation methods for a very long time.

Therefore, his focus should now turn to full-scale self-improvement through battle skills, realm breakthroughs, or enhancing the prowess of his ice-attribute battle Qi.

Meeting Zi Yan's curious eyes, Xiao Chen said with a mischievous interest, "Let me ask you a question. If you were given a chance right now to have a single wish granted without paying any price—whether it's medicinal herbs, battle skills, or cultivation methods, anything you can imagine—what would you use this wish for?"

"Of course, to trade for more wishes!"

Zi Yan replied without the slightest hesitation, so decisive and resolute that it left one utterly speechless.

Giving her a mental thumbs-up, Xiao Chen abandoned the idea of exploiting loopholes. If such bugs could truly be abused, he wouldn't have to deliberate so deeply over every single advance draw.

Returning to the Inner Academy, Xiao Chen first paid the reward for enlisting Zi Yan's help—a Di-fire Lotus Seed.

To be honest, this price was somewhat exorbitant; given the rarity of the Di-fire Lotus Seed, it might even be enough to hire a Dou Huang.

However, since Xiao Chen's current focus was primarily on investment, he didn't feel any heartache using it on Zi Yan.

"Hehe, happy cooperation. Call me again next time there's a good thing like this."

"We'll talk if the opportunity arises. Where do you usually live?"

"Old man Su arranged a residence for me on the veteran students' side, but I rarely go there. Most of the time, I'm either in the mountains or near the Inner Academy's herbal storage warehouse..."

"Alright, once the freshers' "Flame Energy Hunting Contest" is over, come find me again."

Zi Yan nodded without asking further, gave a small wave of her hand, and vanished on the spot.

Xiao Chen continued to ponder his next advance draw.

In his mind, there were currently three advance-drawable items that suited his needs well.

First, the Di-class battle skill that was confirmed to have entered the Black-Corner Region: Three Thousand Lightning Movement!

If he could master it for self-protection, the combination of a Di-class cultivation method and a Di-class battle skill would skyrocket his combat power and survivability, truly giving him the trump card to fight enemies across realms.

First-tier, the Chill Qi in Han Feng's possession!

This was a spiritual treasure comparable in value to the mid-to-lower-ranked Heavenly Flames in the eyes of fire-attribute practitioners.

If he could advance-draw it and successfully refine it, it would vastly amplify the power of his ice-attribute battle Qi. It could be said to fundamentally elevate himself, similarly granting him the capital to leap over realms in combat.

By then, ordinary fire-attribute practitioners would be strictly countered and suppressed by him, and even those wielding lower-ranked Heavenly Flames on the Heavenly Flame Ranking would find themselves outmatched by Xiao Chen in terms of pure battle Qi might.

Third, the Heavenly Jade Fruit!

This was a rare medicinal herb that could enhance one's strength even when consumed directly. If used as the main ingredient to refine medicinal pills, it could exert effects even on the Dou Wang tier.

This item existed within the Scripture Pavilion of Jianan Academy. Although Xiao Chen hadn't spotted it the other day, in the original timeline, Xiao Yan had discovered a Heavenly Jade Fruit, proving its actual existence.

"Let's check the subsequent conditions..."

With a shift of his mind, Xiao Chen's consciousness sank into his mind.

[Three Thousand Lightning Movement: Available for advance draw.]
[Advance Draw Condition: Gain experience in the Black-Corner Region for half a year.]

...

[Chill Qi: Available for advance draw.]
[Advance Draw Conditions:
1. Inform Han Feng of Yao Chen's whereabouts.
2. Assist Han Feng in acquiring the Fallen Heart Flame of the Inner Academy.
3. Help Han Feng obtain the Green Lotus Core Flame.
4. Travel to the Danta in the Central Plains and inform Xuan Yi...
...
10. Devise a way to kill Han Feng.
Fulfilling any single condition will suffice.]

...

[Heavenly Jade Fruit: Available for advance draw.]
[Advance Draw Condition: Secure a spot in the top ten during the Strong Ranking Tournament eight months later.]

Xiao Chen had already understood the subsequent conditions for Three Thousand Lightning Movement and Chill Qi during his previous check. Looking at them now, they had changed slightly, but the core remained similar.

As for the condition for the Heavenly Jade Fruit, the difficulty wasn't high, but it required a starting period of eight months, making the cycle too long.

"What I want most is the Chill Qi, but the first few options are all akin to 'seeking skin from a tiger.' Han Feng doesn't have tribal ties like Queen Medusa; his character is simply too abysmal."

"Going to the Central Plains to report information would likewise take a considerable amount of time. With my current strength, the moment I arrive in the Central Plains and encounter any enemy, it would be a life-or-death battle. Besides, even if everything goes smoothly, explaining it afterward would bring a mountain of trouble."

"Killing Han Feng outright is direct enough, but he is a sixth-tier alchemist and a peak Dou Huang; neither of his identities is simple."

After deep deliberation, Xiao Chen had no choice but to temporarily suppress his desire for the Chill Qi, settling for second best and setting his sights on the Di-class battle skill, Three Thousand Lightning Movement.

All this was because the cycle for advance-drawing Three Thousand Lightning Movement was comparatively the shortest.

Once he completed its subsequent condition, Xiao Chen could simply advance-draw the Heavenly Jade Fruit afterward!

With his mind made up, Xiao Chen did not immediately extract Three Thousand Lightning Movement.

After all, he was currently within the Inner Academy, and if he wanted to head to the Black-Corner Region, he would still need to obtain the consent of First Elder Su Qian.