"By the way, aside from this prescription, I have these two for you as well. I wrote them over the past few days—they contain secret techniques from the Tang Sect in Shu, including the Poison Scripture and their forbidden art, the Five Venom Scarlet Flame Body. If you can fully comprehend these, it should help Dugu Bo. You must study them well. In the future, when you bring Dugu Bo into the fold, you must personally treat him. This is the benevolence befitting a leader."
With that, Yulin handed Beixuan the secret manuals of the Tang Sect, which had been kept from outsiders for generations.
Holding the two thick books, Beixuan couldn't help but marvel at Yulin's resourcefulness. It seemed that in his youth, Yulin had ransacked the secret techniques of countless martial clans and sects—all in pursuit of a girl.
However, the Tang Sect techniques Yulin provided were quite different from those of Tang San.
"Yulin, do you have any Tang Sect technique called Xuantian Skill?" Beixuan asked curiously.
"Xuantian Skill? With a name like that, it sounds more like a Daoist cultivation method. Why would a sect specializing in poisons and hidden weapons practice something like that? As far as I know, the Tang Sect's signature arts are the Poison Scripture, the Five Venom Scarlet Flame Body, and the Tang Family Dispersing Hands. I've never heard of them cultivating Daoist techniques." Yulin frowned in confusion.
Beixuan nodded thoughtfully, asking no further. This confirmed his suspicion—the Tang Sect of Tang San and the Tang Sect of this Ancient Sword world were entirely unrelated.
Curious, Beixuan picked up the Five Venom Scarlet Flame Body manual and began to skim through it. It was an unparalleled poison-based martial art. In fact, Tang Sect experts and Dugu Bo shared a similar condition—they were both riddled with poison. However, unlike Dugu Bo, Tang Sect masters never succumbed to their own toxins, all thanks to this technique, which rendered them immune to all poisons.
Flipping to the final page, Beixuan saw the highest level of the Five Venom Scarlet Flame Body—Myriad Venoms Assimilation.
The so-called "Five Venoms" referred to venomous snakes, scorpions, toads, centipedes, and spiders. However, these five venoms were not just five specific toxins but five major categories, each encompassing numerous species. For example, under venomous snakes alone, there were bamboo pit vipers, five-step snakes, lancehead vipers, silver-ringed snakes, and countless others.
To reach the highest level—Myriad Venoms Assimilation—one had to collect and refine poisons from across the world.
Upon mastering this technique, one could turn an area spanning a hundred miles into a barren wasteland in an instant.
Truly worthy of a martial art from a cultivation world—even as a martial skill, it was terrifying.
After some thought, Beixuan tore out the section detailing the cultivation method for Myriad Venoms Assimilation.
Yulin was taken aback. "Xiao Xuan, you're not planning to teach Myriad Venoms Assimilation to Dugu Bo? You do realize that if he masters it, even some of the so-called gods in this world might not be able to defeat him. After all, back then, even the warriors of my Pi Xie Clan dared not face the Tang Sect's founder when he reached Myriad Venoms Assimilation."
"Exactly why I can't give him this—for now. The lower levels of the technique are more than enough for detoxification." Beixuan replied.
"In that case, let me rewrite the manual for you. If you hand over a version with missing pages, Dugu Bo will immediately know it's incomplete." Yulin offered.
Beixuan shook his head and smirked mischievously. "No, give it to him just like this."
Seeing Beixuan's expression, Yulin instantly understood. "Ah, I see. Xiao Xuan, you're devious."
"Yulin, thanks for everything. By the way, I have another favor to ask. Go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and ask for some money—not much, just 300 gold soul coins. You found me thanks to Ning Fengzhi's information, so we already owe him a favor. We mustn't owe him more." Beixuan said seriously.
The Pi Xie Clan had always been clear about debts—both gratitude and vengeance had to be repaid in full. And a debt of goodwill was the hardest to settle.
Yulin's method of using Ma Hongjun as a distraction might fool other factions, but not Ning Fengzhi. After all, Ning Fengzhi had been drawn to the story while in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, leading him straight to Beixuan.
Likewise, the sect could easily deduce that Beixuan, not Ma Hongjun, was the true storyteller.
Thus, Yulin needed to visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect again. Asking for money was merely an excuse—the real purpose was to subtly express certain intentions.
"Don't worry, Xiao Xuan. I was already thinking the same thing." Yulin wasn't a fool—if Beixuan had realized it, so had he.
Beixuan nodded and took the martial art manuals Yulin had given him back to his room.
By this time, Ma Hongjun was already sound asleep. The past few days of travel had exhausted him.
Since they had already enrolled, the days of rigorous training were ahead of them. Letting Ma Hongjun slack off for a day wouldn't hurt.
But Beixuan himself never allowed any laziness. Sitting on his bed, he crossed his legs, aligned his five hearts toward the sky, and activated the Sun and Moon Divine Art, entering a meditative state.
While this technique was most effective at dawn and dusk, it could still be practiced at any time. Even at a slower pace, it was far superior to conventional meditation methods.
A day passed.
The next morning, a knock on the door woke them.
"Have you two juniors woken up yet? I'm Huo Wushuang. I promised yesterday to show you around the academy."
Beixuan woke Ma Hongjun and opened the door. "Thank you, senior. Sorry to trouble you."
After a quick wash-up, the two followed Huo Wushuang outside, where Huo Wu was already waiting.
The academy wasn't too crowded yet. Since it was still the enrollment period, many students were still on vacation.
"Our academy covers an area of 32,000 acres, ranking third among the Five Elemental Academies. We have 256 students in the Junior Academy, 96 in the Intermediate Academy, and 37 in the Advanced Academy. We uphold the principle of quality over quantity, so from the Intermediate level onward, student numbers drop significantly. Many can only graduate from the Junior Academy and continue their studies elsewhere. Advancing directly into the Blazing Fire Intermediate Academy isn't easy. Altogether, our faculty and students total about 400." Huo Wu explained.
"That's not bad. I heard that the Tian Dou Royal Academy has only about 500 students." Beixuan remarked.
"You mean Tian Dou Royal Academy? That place is different—they only admit nobles. Our Five Elemental Academies, on the other hand, accept both nobles and commoners as long as their attributes meet the requirements." Huo Wu scoffed. "Our academic environment is much better. Commoner soul masters must train harder to succeed, while noble soul masters, despite having more resources, cannot afford to fall behind—otherwise, they'd lose face."
Huo Wu's meaning was clear—their academy was far more competitive than the relaxed atmosphere of Tian Dou Royal Academy.
"You two juniors must work hard. With your talents, in eight years, you'll have a great chance to compete alongside us in the All-Continent Soul Master Academy Tournament." Huo Wushuang encouraged them, patting their shoulders.
"Don't worry, senior, we won't slack off. By the way, where is the Mimicry Training Ground?" Beixuan asked.
"Haha! I knew it—you enrolled in the Intermediate Academy just to gain access to that. After all, only Intermediate students and above can freely use it." Huo Wushuang laughed. "Come, I'll take you to see our academy's proudest feature—the Mimicry Training Ground."