Inside the small room, Mo Yu began inspecting his day's gains.
The seven hundred gold coins borrowed from his grandfather were initially reduced to just two hundred. However, through refining Thunder Fire Beads, not only did he earn back fourteen hundred gold, but he also obtained four first-tier magic cores.
On the Dou Qi Continent, magic cores, also known as magic crystals, are energy nuclei found within magical beasts, filled with extremely violent heaven and earth energy. Even a Dou Wang wouldn't dare recklessly absorb this energy, as it could result in an explosion of their body.
Thus, magic cores on the Dou Qi Continent are primarily used as alchemical materials by alchemists or embedded in weapons to enhance destructive power or amplify Dou Qi effects.
As a result, magic cores are always in high demand on the continent. Whenever higher-grade magic cores appear at auctions or elsewhere, they are quickly bought at exorbitant prices.
The high cost of magic cores has naturally given rise to numerous mercenary groups who make a living hunting magical beasts. However, obtaining magic cores from these fierce and cunning creatures is no easy feat.
For this reason, the price of magic cores has always remained high and they are highly sought after on the Dou Qi Continent.
Mo Yu, however, spent his newly earned gold on four first-tier magic cores because he intended to absorb their energy.
That's right, he was determined to absorb the violent energy that even Dou Wang experts wouldn't dare touch.
Mo Yu's strength had already reached a bottleneck, and to continue advancing, he needed to put in painstaking effort. After all, his original body's talent was quite poor.
Moreover, Dou Zhi Qi training could only be done step by step. At this stage, a practitioner's internal meridians are extremely fragile. If one were to consume external aids, such as pills, it could lead to discomfort or, in severe cases, death due to excessive medicinal power breaking the meridians.
Mo Yu didn't have the luxury of having Yao Lao custom-make Foundational Spirit Liquid to accelerate his Dou Zhi Qi cultivation like Xiao Yan.
Because on the entire continent, only Yao Lao could refine that unique spirit liquid.
Although Mo Yu had mastered some other precious recipes in his past life, he didn't possess any that could accelerate basic Dou Zhi Qi cultivation.
However, since consuming pills wasn't an option, Mo Yu wasn't without alternatives.
His plan was to use Thunder Soul to devour energy, evolve, and then feed that energy back to him!
Thus, Mo Yu set his sights on the magic cores.
The violent heaven and earth energy within the magic cores couldn't be absorbed by Dou practitioners, but that didn't mean Thunder Soul couldn't!
In a way, Thunder Soul itself was a representation of the most violent kind of heaven and earth energy, so the two were not mutually exclusive.
The thunder and fire attributes contained within the Vermilion Burning Sky Thunder were especially compatible with thunder-type and fire-type magic cores, making the absorption process seamless.
With this thought, Mo Yu no longer hesitated. He took out a magic core and began refining it.
With a thought, crimson lightning surged from his left palm, accompanied by the crackling of electricity that filled the room.
Vermilion Burning Sky Thunder!
Seeing this, Mo Yu slowly took out a deep red magic core with his right hand.
This was a magic crystal from a first-tier magical beast, the Flame Wolf. Among first-tier fire-type magic cores, it was quite decent. It seemed the shop owner hadn't tried to cheat him.
The magic core, still streaked with blood, was tossed into the crimson lightning without hesitation.
Once thrown in, the magic core was instantly devoured by the crimson lightning. The Vermilion Burning Sky Thunder emitted an even fiercer crackling sound, as if sensing a delightful meal...
At the same time, as the magic core was refined, waves of violent heaven and earth energy gushed out. However, this energy, which even Dou Wang experts wouldn't dare absorb, was quickly devoured by the crimson lightning like a mouse encountering a cat, leaving nothing behind.
Three hours passed, and the once hard magic core had been reduced to one-third of its original size. Meanwhile, the Vermilion Burning Sky Thunder had visibly grown larger and more potent after absorbing the core's energy.
Satisfied with the results, Mo Yu nodded and closed his eyes, patiently awaiting the magic core's transformation.
Unconsciously, a day and night passed. The deep red magic core within the crimson lightning had vanished entirely, and the violent heaven and earth energy within it seemed to have never existed. Only the crimson Thunder Soul, now twice its original size, floated in Mo Yu's palm.
"It seems this first-tier magic core had a decent effect, growing the Vermilion Burning Sky Thunder this much."
Mo Yu smiled at the more condensed lightning in his palm, which now contained significantly more violent energy.
Indeed, devouring magic cores greatly benefited the growth of Thunder Soul.
However, the rapid growth was mainly due to Thunder Soul being weak at the moment. As it grew stronger, devouring low-tier magic cores would yield lesser results. Eventually, he'd need higher-tier magic cores or other heaven and earth energies to sustain its growth.
But for now, Mo Yu wasn't concerned about the future. Looking at the crimson lightning in his hand, he confidently said:
"It's time to break through to the 8th stage of Dou Zhi Qi!"
Though he hadn't rested for a day and night, his mind was exhilarated. Indeed, power is the greatest stimulant for a man.
Resolute, Mo Yu wasted no time. After retrieving the Vermilion Burning Sky Thunder into his body, he sat cross-legged with his hands resting on his knees, controlling his breathing with his mind.
As the Thunder Soul entered his body, a massive surge of energy flooded him. Mo Yu, unflustered, absorbed the rich energy with fervor.
As the energy poured in, Mo Yu's aura gradually rose.
The ceaseless absorption lasted for half an hour before it finally slowed. By then, the energy feedback from Thunder Soul had weakened slightly.
As the last wisp of gentle energy flowed into his meridians, Mo Yu's body trembled violently. His abdomen tightened as his eyes snapped open. Crimson lightning flashed through his dark pupils, and he exhaled a cloud of murky air...
Once the murky air left his body, Mo Yu's handsome face seemed more energized.
He opened his eyes, cracked his neck, producing a series of crisp sounds, and clenched his fist, feeling a surge of strength coursing through him. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Dou Zhi Qi, 8th stage!"