In the spacious study, Hu Gan watched as the walls slowly closed, then turned to Xiao Yan and the other four, smiling. “Alright, you’ve all received your rewards. Now, rest for two days. After that, you’ll need to enter the Inner Academy. Then, you’ll have a taste of hardship.”
Looking at Hu Gan’s beaming face, Xiao Yan and the others exchanged glances and nodded slightly.
“By the way, let me remind you again. If you want to avoid being bullied by the senior students when you first enter the Inner Academy, you must have a stronger fist. Of course, those who enter the Inner Academy are usually the top students from the Outer Academy, and they are not weak in their cultivation talents. Moreover, the Inner Academy has its unique cultivation methods. For you newcomers, it will be quite difficult to catch up with them.”
Hu Gan’s gaze swept over the five of them, saying, “So, I advise you to set aside any personal conflicts and cooperate with each other. Otherwise, the consequences won’t be pleasant.”
“Will they cripple us or kill us?” Hu Jia rolled her eyes, and the others also seemed noncommittal. They were the top five in the selection competition; who among them didn’t have their own skills?
“It’s not to that extent. After all, this is an academy, not a battlefield. But the feeling of being trampled by someone else’s strength isn’t very nice, right? Each of you is proud and arrogant.”
Hu Gan shook his head, smiling, and said, “Alright, if there’s nothing else, go back. Come here to report in two days, and I’ll take you into the Inner Academy.”
Seeing Hu Jia about to say something, Hu Gan’s face hardened, and he waved at Xiao Yan and the others. “Thanks for the reminder, Vice Dean. We’ll be careful.”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, bowed to Hu Gan, and then left with Xun Er. Hu Jia and the other three followed suit.
“These youngsters will only know pain when they hit the wall. When they enter the Inner Academy, they’ll understand how hard it is to survive there. There are never any shortages of geniuses,” Hu Gan muttered, tapping his fingers on the table as he watched them leave.
After obtaining what they needed in the library, Xiao Yan spent the next two days in the vast mountainous area behind the academy, searching for a secluded place to practice the two combat techniques he had acquired. Although he didn’t particularly care about Hu Gan’s words, a premonition made him feel the need to increase his strength.
If he were alone, it wouldn’t matter much. But now, Xun Er was also entering the Inner Academy with him. As a man, he had to protect her and ensure she wasn’t wronged.
Hu Gan’s words did make some sense. The top fifty students in Can Nan Academy every year were all geniuses from all over the continent. Without some foundation, even Xiao Yan couldn’t guarantee that he would thrive in the unfamiliar Inner Academy.
Therefore, Xiao Yan needed to quickly enhance his strength. With such limited time, it was impossible to make significant progress in Dou Qi cultivation. So, he placed his hopes on the two combat techniques.
“Three Thousand Lightning Movement.”
“Lion-Tiger Gold-Breaking Roar.”
One was a low-grade Earth level, and the other was a high-grade Mystic level. One was for evasion, and the other for sound-based attacks. If Xiao Yan could master both, his strength would undoubtedly skyrocket.
However, mastering both in just two days, even with Yao Lao’s help, was impossible. After some consideration, Xiao Yan decided to focus on the “Lion-Tiger Gold-Breaking Roar.” This high-grade Mystic level technique was simpler to cultivate than “Three Thousand Lightning Movement,” and it was also more specialized, which would provide an unexpected advantage in battle.
Of course, this was compared to “Three Thousand Lightning Movement.” Regardless, “Lion-Tiger Gold-Breaking Roar” was still a high-grade Mystic level, and such a technique was difficult for ordinary students to master. Especially for Xiao Yan, who was new to sound-based techniques, it was even more challenging.
In a small waterfall surrounded by lush forest, a white stream cascaded down from the mountain peak, creating a thunderous roar as it crashed onto the rocks below, splashing water mist into the air.
On a rock below the waterfall, a black-robed youth, his face red, opened his mouth and let out a low roar. His roar was strange, resembling both a tiger’s and a lion’s. The roar echoed in the ravine, blending with the sound of the waterfall, creating ripples on the lake’s surface.
“Roar… cough, cough…”
After another red-faced roar, Xiao Yan couldn’t help but cough violently. He swallowed hard, trying to soothe his burning throat, and said bitterly, “This damned sound-based technique is too hard to master! I’ve been roaring for half a day, and my throat is nearly hoarse. Is this supposed to be an attack?”
His voice was clearly much raspier than before. It seemed he had suffered quite a bit trying to master the “Lion-Tiger Gold-Breaking Roar.”
“Being able to imitate the lion and tiger roars in just one day is already quite good. With more practice, you’ll control the roar’s intensity and not hurt your throat.”
Yao Lao’s voice sounded in Xiao Yan’s mind, smiling.
“I wish I could practice all day and night, but didn’t Master say that there’s a strict time limit for practicing sound-based techniques? Three hours, right? Exceeding that can severely strain the throat and even make one mute.”
Xiao Yan rubbed his aching throat, helpless.
“That’s true for ordinary people, but with me, you don’t need to worry about that,” Yao Lao said, grinning.
“Do you have a solution, Master?”
Xiao Yan paused, then asked urgently.
“Did you get all the herbs I told you to prepare last night?”
“Got them… the medicinal storage in Can Nan City is far richer than that of the Jia Ma Empire. All the herbs you needed, I had Xun Er prepare.”
Xiao Yan nodded, saying.
“Bring out the herbs and make something. I’ll send the formula to your mind.”
As Yao Lao spoke, Xiao Yan’s head suddenly filled with information.
“Ice Spirit Throat Guard, an auxiliary medicine that alleviates various burning pains and protects the throat from sudden intense energy. Ingredients: Ice Spirit Leaf, Three Flower Grass, Water Elemental Core…”
“This is a little concoction I made to protect your throat. After taking it, you won’t need to worry about the time limit for sound-based techniques. As long as you can endure, you can practice as long as you like without going hoarse.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s eyes lit up, and he nodded excitedly. Ordinary people could only practice sound-based techniques for three hours a day. But with the Ice Spirit Throat Guard, he could practice continuously for several days. With hard work, Xiao Yan believed he could master the “Lion-Tiger Gold-Breaking Roar” within two days.
The Ice Spirit Throat Guard was not a true elixir, and although the preparation was meticulous, it was easy for Xiao Yan with his powerful soul perception. After taking out the prepared herbs, he began to concoct the medicine. In about half an hour, the herbs were transformed into a light blue liquid in two small jade bottles.
“Not bad, your fire control has improved a lot. A strong soul perception is indeed beneficial,” Yao Lao said, nodding with a hint of admiration. While the Ice Spirit Throat Guard was not difficult to make, for Xiao Yan, maintaining a 70% success rate on his first try was impressive.
“Take a sip every hour, and you can practice the ‘Lion-Tiger Gold-Breaking Roar’ freely. If you’re lucky, you might master it in the remaining time. As for the ‘Three Thousand Lightning Movement,’ you should put it aside for now. You don’t have enough time, and cultivating an Earth level technique isn’t as simple as you think. We’ll set up a training program after you enter the Inner Academy.”
Xiao Yan nodded, putting away one bottle and taking a sip from the other. The Ice Spirit Throat Guard cooled his burning throat, and the pain quickly dissipated.
“Wow, this is a good thing… Now, I’ll try to master the ‘Lion-Tiger Gold-Breaking Roar’ in the remaining time.”
Feeling the relief, Xiao Yan grinned and took a deep breath of the moist air. Moments later, a strange roar burst from his mouth, forming invisible ripples that spread out in all directions, rippling the lake’s surface.
Under the waterfall, the strange roar blended with the thunderous sound of the falling water, becoming even sharper and more imposing!
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