Chapter 19: with translation of chapter title

Looking at the leader of the Gu Teng Mercenary Corps who had just gone through a bloody battle, Xiao Li stopped wasting words, brandished his Thunder Scale Spear with a flourish, and killing intent erupted.

Gu Teng was shocked; the students of Jia Nan Academy were far stronger than these wild cultivators like them—he had taken too many miscellaneous pills over the years, and only by relying on a high-grade Yellow Rank cultivation method did he barely become a Great Battle Master.

In contrast, the Jia Nan Academy students had a formal training system, orthodox alchemists, and a complete set of cultivation techniques and combat skills—nothing like what Gu Teng, a wild cultivator, could match.

As for his nearby comrades……after just fighting the mercenary group that slays magic beasts, they basically had no combat strength left; not running now counts as them being loyal.

Gu Teng hastily glanced back and saw his subordinates all scared limp on the ground; it wasn't loyalty, but exhaustion from overuse and fright that made their legs weak.

Seeing Xiao Li rush up close, Gu Teng gritted his teeth; there were still flying magic beasts from Jia Nan Academy above—it couldn't be just this kid alone. As long as the green hills remain, there's no worry about lacking firewood.

"This magic beast is yours; today I, Gu Teng, admit defeat!"

Gu Teng let out a loud shout; seeing Xiao Li's offensive not cease, he barely blocked the attacks, striking back while retreating, completely being beaten down.

"I only know that wild grass cannot be burned out; the spring wind blows and it grows again!"

"Flash Lightning Strike!"

Azure lightning flashed past, an arm shot up into the sky, the severed part already turned to charcoal.

Gu Teng's eyes bulged out; even his Dou Qi armor couldn't be maintained, the numbness at the wound left him dazed, "Hero, hero, spare my life—I'm willing to give you all my possessions."

"Killing you is still mine."

The spear flourish burst forth, Gu Teng's body softly collapsed; the elder from Jia Nan Academy had been silently watching this scene, only occasionally striking out to behead those sneaking away.

Xiao Li calmly took the space ring from Gu Teng's hand, then stabbed each of the low-combat-power Gu Teng Mercenary Corps mercenaries with a spear, confirming no survivors remained before walking over to the elder.

"Kid, thanks for the help, teacher."

The elder gave a slight smile, "I didn't expect your strike to be so decisive; even I was startled."

Immediately after, the elder looked at the fallen flying magic beast and reminded, "Take what you want and leave, lest an accident occur; our striking at those here likewise means others can strike at us."

Having said that, the elder didn't care; this unwritten rule was pure bullshit—weaklings seeing them break it wouldn't dare act, while stronglings seeing them follow it would still kill and loot.

This rule exists now only because Jia Nan Academy hasn't fallen out with the forces of Heijiao Yu; if they did, just look—would Heijiao Yu not strike at Jia Nan Academy's recruitment squad?

Rules are for the weak to see; what the strong do depends entirely on a single thought.

Xiao Li silently nodded, took a few second-rank medicinal herbs from Gu Teng's space ring and handed them to the elder, then walked toward the magic beast corpse.

The elder accepted the herbs without changing expression, nodded secretly, "Not bad, sensible."

The elder returned to the ranks pleased, killed a few pieces of trash and still managed to snag a couple second-rank herbs—what a good deal.

Xiao Li walked to the magic beast's corpse, pretending to store it in his space ring, but actually placed it inside his body's blood cauldron.

The originally quiet blood cauldron suddenly blazed fiercely, blood-colored flames mixed with lightning, compressing and decompressing the corpse bit by bit; thread after thread of essence mixed with impurities condensed into a blood pill.

Great Absorption Method!

This is the Great Absorption Method Xiao Li obtained by chance a year ago in the Magic Beast Mountains; it can cultivate a blood cauldron to refine magic beast corpses into blood pills—although it contains many impurities and needs careful forging, using it is still several times, even tens of times faster than normal cultivation.

Refining this third-rank magic beast's corpse completely would take about three days; Xiao Li licked his dry lips—since obtaining the Great Absorption Method he had picked up a third-rank blood pill, but he had never yet obtained a third-rank blood pill.

There was no way; normally magic beasts are stronger than humans of the same rank, and back then Xiao Li was only a Dou Shi—how could he hunt a third-rank magic beast? He could only rely on killing first- and second-rank magic beasts to cultivate.

Feeling the vigorous blood essence within the corpse, Xiao Li returned to the room satisfied; after absorbing this blood pill, he could at least break through to the peak of two-star Great Battle Master—if he cultivated normally, it would take two or three months at least.

Watching Xiao Li kill someone while still wearing a satisfied smile, Li Feier and the others shivered, secretly deciding to stay farther away from this monster—too perverse.

The elder looked toward Su Fu, stroked his beard and sighed, "Teacher Su, you've recruited such a monster this time—it looks like you have a chance to be promoted to Mystic Rank instructor."

Su Fu nodded, "It's just a pity—such a monster will likely reach the inner court within a year; if he stayed two more years, I estimate the annual teacher rank evaluations would keep pushing him upward."

Seeing Su Fu's proud smile, the elder shook his head helplessly, "Just think of me, Liu Yi—after decades of wandering I only reached Dou Ling and became an Earth Rank teacher; truly embarrassing."

Su Fu pursed her lips and returned a smile, also not making any reply.

……

The blood pill gradually grew and solidified; the magic beast corpse had been completely incinerated by the blood cauldron.

Taking the blood pill from the blood cauldron space within his body, Xiao Li's gaze darkened, a trace of extremely fine blue lightning flickered in his pupils.

"This blood cauldron space is indeed extraordinary—not only is the space immensely vast, it can also refine the essence of magic beast corpses; the only pity is that it cannot be used as a storage space."

He shook his head slightly, a hint of fervor again appearing in his eyes, "I just don't know what it would be like to cultivate the Great Absorption Method to its highest level, merging the blood cauldron into oneself—surely the functions would be greater."

The Great Absorption Method consists of two layers: one is establishing the cauldron, two is merging the cauldron; Xiao Li is currently in the first layer, unaware of what effects the second layer, the merging cauldron realm, would have.

It's just a pity that Xiao Li has never found the way to enter the merging cauldron stage, and has no idea where to begin.

After a brief sigh, Xiao Li tossed aside the thoughts in his mind; the immediate matter was more important—swallowing this blood pill would let him break through.

Upon entering the mouth, the blood pill turned into a warm current that flowed straight to Xiao Li's limbs and dantian.

Xiao Li's internal Dou Qi vortex began to spin wildly, his meridians started to throb, lines of blood patterns appeared on his body, exuding a scent of pure blood qi that was both bloody and intoxicating.

After the energy circulated for several cycles, Xiao Li suddenly opened his mouth and expelled a turbid breath; his whole body felt lighter.

These are the impurities within the blood pill; absorbing too much would affect his future path.

After being forged by the lightning within Xiao Li's body, strand after strand of essence purer than heavenly and earthly energy was absorbed.

Xiao Li's aura grew stronger moment by moment; in another room, Liu Yi opened his eyes, his astonishment growing even more.

"What a monstrous kid—he's about to break through again, truly extraordinary."

(End of chapter)