Chapter 252: Power Surge, News from Ziyan
After parting ways with Lin Yan, Mo Yu headed directly to the Blazing Flame Refining Tower located in the northern part of the Inner Academy. The tower doors were already open, so he didn't have to wait.
Upon entering the tower, Mo Yu didn't linger on the upper floors but went straight down to the sixth floor. Perhaps due to Ziyan's influence or the recent rise in Mo Gang's fame, Mo Yu noticed that more people were paying attention to him this time. Some of the gazes directed at him were filled with curiosity.
Ignoring the stares, Mo Yu maintained a calm expression and made his way directly to the deepest part of the sixth floor, where the number one cultivation chamber was located.
Thanks to Ziyan, Mo Yu now enjoyed the best treatment among the Inner Academy students.
Under the envious eyes of the others, Mo Yu entered the chamber and sat cross-legged on the stone platform.
Feeling the much denser energy in this chamber compared to others, Mo Yu exhaled deeply and flicked his fingers. A crimson Fire Crystal Card appeared in his palm.
He held the card in both hands and carefully inserted it into the slot in front of him. A faint clicking sound was heard, followed by a soft glow emanating from the slot.
As the light appeared, Mo Yu noticed that the number on the Fire Crystal Card immediately dropped by nine hundred.
The sixth floor required thirty days of Fire Energy for each day of use, and Mo Yu had charged it for an entire month in one go.
If it weren't for Mo Gang's abundant resources, it would have been difficult to sustain such a large expenditure.
After the Fire Energy was deducted, Mo Yu slowly closed his eyes, forming the cultivation seal with his hands, and remained as still as a meditating monk.
He had spent a month's worth of Fire Energy for this closed-door cultivation session not only to absorb the power of the Vermilion Bird Thunder within him but also to reach a critical goal: to condense a hundred thunder patterns and fully master the Earth-rank combat skill, Thunder Armor Body!
In the tranquil silence of his mind, only the steady beat of his heart echoed. As Mo Yu entered a deeper state of cultivation, his sensitivity to the energy around him heightened.
As his mind grew calmer, a faint, low sound suddenly arose. Then, without warning, a small but distinct flame appeared near his heart, emitting a strange aura as it spread a gentle warmth throughout his body.
With the appearance of this flame, a massive amount of invisible Heart Fire began to rise near his heart. Streams of Vermilion Bird Thunder energy continuously flowed through his meridians and into his Dou Crystal.
With the Vermilion Bird Thunder protecting him, Mo Yu had no fear of the fiery, violent energy or the fire poison. As a result, he could absorb the Vermilion Bird Thunder energy and refine his Dou Qi without any concern, allowing his strength to increase rapidly.
Thanks to the ferocity of the Heart Fire in the number one cultivation chamber, Mo Yu could clearly feel the sixth energy spike on his Sea Urchin Dou Crystal gradually shortening. Once it fully retracted into the crystal, it would signify that he had reached the four-star Dou Ling level.
Time passed unnoticed in such deep cultivation, especially when one could clearly feel their Dou Qi growing more powerful and refined with each passing day.
Mo Yu had been in the number one cultivation chamber for three full days without stepping outside. As these three days passed, he finally crossed the threshold into the four-star Dou Ling level.
Even after reaching the four-star Dou Ling level, Mo Yu did not end his cultivation. Instead, he gradually unleashed more of the Vermilion Bird Thunder energy. As this energy continued to flow in, and with the Heart Fire refining it, the fifth energy spike on his Sea Urchin Dou Crystal also began to shorten.
Effort brings rewards. As time passed and the fifteenth day arrived, Mo Yu's aura surged once again, breaking through to the five-star Dou Ling level.
After breaking through to the five-star Dou Ling level, Mo Yu finally ended his cultivation and slowly opened his eyes.
Half a month of cultivation had brought the equivalent of three to four months' worth of progress. Feeling the immense Dou Qi surging through his body like a raging river, Mo Yu couldn't help but smile. The number one cultivation chamber was indeed incomparable to ordinary ones.
"Five-star Dou Ling!"
Clenching his fist tightly and feeling the explosive power within, Mo Yu's smile widened.
With his current strength, combined with his special techniques, he believed that no one at the Dou Ling level could be his match, except for those from extremely powerful backgrounds.
Feeling invigorated, Mo Yu reached into his storage ring with his right hand and pulled out several crimson beads that radiated a wild, fiery energy.
These beads were the ones Mo Yu had discovered in the Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame Cave.
Each bead was formed from the condensed power of the Ten Thousand Beasts Spiritual Flame, containing immense energy.
Now, within the Blazing Flame Refining Tower, Mo Yu planned to use the power of the Heart Fire to absorb the energy from the beads and condense a hundred thunder patterns, perfecting the Thunder Armor Body technique!
As his strength continued to grow, ordinary Profound-rank combat skills were no longer sufficient for Mo Yu. Only by mastering powerful Earth-rank combat skills could he firmly establish himself in the Inner Academy and even the Black-Corner Region.
After resting briefly and returning to peak condition, Mo Yu didn't hesitate to swallow one of the beads.
Soon after swallowing the bead, Mo Yu felt a surge of extremely intense and wild energy spread throughout his body via his meridians.
As this energy flooded his system, the Heart Fire within him also blazed up, rapidly refining the power of the Ten Thousand Beasts.
As the bead's energy was continuously refined and absorbed, Mo Yu began to practice the Thunder Armor Body, slowly forming new thunder patterns...
As the thunder patterns formed, Mo Yu's body suddenly erupted with bursts of lightning, and as the lightning intensified, his body began to swell, accompanied by the sound of bones creaking and twisting.
The swelling accelerated as the lightning grew more intense, and within less than half a minute, Mo Yu's height had increased by ten centimeters, making him look like a small giant. His once pale skin now shimmered with a silver hue.
After swelling to about one and a half times his normal size, Mo Yu's body stopped expanding, and the lightning gradually dimmed as his body shrank back to its original size.
"Ugh!"
As his body returned to normal, Mo Yu opened his eyes with a soft grunt, a frown of pain creasing his brow.
This constant expansion and contraction of his body felt as if his skin was being torn apart and his bones were being stretched, a pain that was almost unbearable.
"No wonder the Thunder Armor Body is an Earth-rank combat skill. Condensing these fifty-plus thunder patterns is indeed difficult."
Shaking his head, Mo Yu sighed softly. No matter how painful it was, he had to continue. To gain great power, sacrifices had to be made.
This pain was something Mo Yu had to endure. With his constitution, he would eventually adapt to it, and then he could fully unleash the power of the Thunder Armor Body.
For now, all he could do was keep refining his body and condensing more thunder patterns.
"Training the Thunder Armor Body is pure torture."
Mo Yu shook his head and closed his eyes once more. As lightning surged around him, his body swelled and contracted repeatedly, with more and more thunder patterns forming on his skin.
As the number of thunder patterns increased, Mo Yu's aura grew stronger and stronger.
During Mo Yu's closed-door cultivation, another half month passed.
Time flew by, and a month had passed in the blink of an eye.
Mo Yu had been in the number one cultivation chamber for an entire month without leaving. During this time, Ziyan had visited once.
However, seeing Mo Yu so deeply immersed in cultivation, she hesitated for a long time before deciding not to disturb him. She was truly afraid that if she interrupted him and angered him, Mo Yu might refuse to help her find her family, which would leave her in the same hopeless situation as before.
"This guy is crazy. Who cultivates like this?" Ziyan muttered, shaking her head helplessly as she left the chamber once more.
But just as Mo Yu approached the thirtieth day of his closed-door cultivation and Ziyan was growing impatient, something unusual happened in the number one cultivation chamber.
The chamber was quiet, with Mo Yu sitting cross-legged in the center. Streams of crimson energy from the Ten Thousand Beasts flowed into him with every breath, converting into dense energy that coursed through his meridians and eventually fused with his flesh.
With this continuous refinement, Mo Yu's body had become as tough as that of a formidable beast, radiating dazzling lightning. Even the air around him seemed to tremble slightly.
At that moment, Mo Yu's body was covered with ninety-nine thunder patterns, and the final pattern was beginning to take shape.
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a low rumble echoed through the chamber. The instant the sound appeared, it seemed as if the entire chamber shuddered slightly. Immediately afterward, the once calm energy in the chamber began to churn violently, like boiling water.
The disturbance was so significant that everyone on the sixth floor couldn't maintain their cultivation. They opened their eyes, frowning in confusion as they looked toward the source of the sound.
"Is that... the number one cultivation chamber? What is that brute Ziyan up to, causing such a commotion?"
Many of the top-ranked students cursed under their breath, instinctively assuming that Ziyan was responsible. However, due to her reputation in the Inner Academy, none dared to confront her.
Ziyan, too, was taken aback by the sudden turbulence in the number one chamber. Her wide eyes filled with surprise. "Weird. What kind of combat skill is this guy cultivating? This aura doesn't feel human—it's more like that of a lightning-type magical beast. Could he be a magical beast in human form too?"
While Ziyan's thoughts wandered, the terrifying commotion in the number one cultivation chamber finally began to subside after half a minute, and Mo Yu's aura gradually stabilized.
"One hundred thunder patterns—finally complete."
Mo Yu opened his eyes, a flash of lightning flickering within them as he looked at the last thunder pattern on his body. A satisfied smile crossed his lips.
After a month of hard work and exhausting all of his Ten Thousand Beasts Fire Beads, he had finally perfected the Thunder Armor Body!
Standing up and stretching his muscles, Mo Yu clenched his right fist and swung it lightly. A few invisible shockwaves shot out, striking the steel-like walls of the chamber. Small holes, accompanied by cracks, appeared on the wall.
"What incredible physical strength. Even without activating the thunder patterns, I could probably take on an eight-star Dou Ling with just my physical power."
Feeling the explosive power coursing through his body, Mo Yu murmured to himself with confidence.
"Hey, are you done admiring yourself?"
Just as Mo Yu was getting used to his newfound strength, a childish voice suddenly called out from the doorway.
Startled, Mo Yu turned around to see the little girl. He smiled, "Oh, Ziyan, you're here."
"Of course, I'm here for something important. Who knew you'd shut yourself away for an entire month? I've been in the Inner Academy for a while, and I've never seen anyone cultivate like that."
Ziyan shook her head, trying to act mature, as she pulled out a pink, root-like herb from her storage ring. As she nibbled on it, she mumbled, "I've been waiting so long I got hungry."
"Sorry about that. So, what's the matter?" Mo Yu chuckled as he patted Ziyan's head.
"It's actually related to this." Ziyan raised the half-eaten herb in her hand. "I forgot to tell you, I have a special sense for finding treasures in nature."
"Special sense?"
Mo Yu muttered softly, then nodded. Ziyan was, after all, a Taixu Ancient Dragon. According to the original story, she indeed had a natural talent for treasure hunting.
If that's the case, could this little one have sensed some sort of treasure in the mountains and come to tell me about it?
"Did you find something valuable?" Mo Yu asked, rubbing his chin.
"Yes, while I was looking for this herb, I stumbled upon something interesting. I think you'll be interested. Since you promised to help me find my family, I'll give you this information for free. But I should warn you, the deep mountains around the Inner Academy are home to many powerful beasts guarding these treasures. Even if I tell you where they are, whether you can get them or not is up to you." Ziyan shrugged, then popped the rest of the herb into her mouth and chewed.
"Oh?" Mo Yu's curiosity was piqued, and he quickly asked, "What did you find?"
"A large chunk of blue crystal filled with spatial energy, guarded by a pack of Storm Wolves."
As soon as Ziyan said this, Mo Yu's eyes lit up with excitement.
"It's Emerald Blue Crystal!"
(End of Chapter)
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