The Blue Eagle's speed wasn't particularly fast.
Though it was a flying Magic Beast, it was only of the first rank. Its speed couldn't even compare to a Dou Spirit expert using Dou Qi wings to fly.
But Lin Ran wasn't in any hurry. He patiently guided Xiao Yixian along the way.
It was hard to say whether her Woeful Poison Body was just too absurdly powerful, or if she had truly never cultivated before—but this girl really knew nothing about cultivation. She didn't even have a basic cultivation method. All she had relied on was the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture and pills.
Woeful Poison Body, Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, poisoned pills...
Everything seemed just conveniently aligned. Otherwise, someone with no understanding of cultivation couldn't possibly achieve, in just a few days, what would normally take others years of effort.
"Ordinary people, upon reaching the ninth stage of Dou Qi, must condense a Dou Qi vortex and then break through to the Dou Practitioner level using a cultivation method."
"But because of the unique nature of your Woeful Poison Body, your Dou Qi strength has already reached the level of a Dou Practitioner. You've even passively condensed a Dou Qi vortex. However, since you've never used a proper method, your Dou Qi isn't refined."
Lin Ran looked at Xiao Yixian, who was sitting cross-legged and cultivating, then casually wiped away the toxin residue at the corner of her lips. From his spatial ring, he took out two scrolls—one black and one gold, both faintly illusory.
"The gold one is an Earth-tier low-grade Yin-type cultivation method, Ecstasy Technique. The black one is an Ice-type Earth-tier low-grade method called Ice Sovereign Force."
He suspended the two scrolls before her and spoke casually. "With your special constitution, you can level up even without a method. But if you use a proper one, your cultivation will improve drastically. These two suit you well—pick one."
Earth-tier low-grade!
And two of them!
Lin Ran's tone was casual, his words simple—but they made Xiao Yixian's eyes go wide. She swallowed hard.
To her, Earth-tier cultivation methods were legendary. Although cultivation methods were ranked from Yellow, Profound, Earth, to Heaven, in her world, everything she had seen or heard about was no higher than Yellow-rank.
Forget Earth-tier—Profound-rank techniques alone could drive people into a frenzy in Qing Mountain Town.
Just think—people like those in the Wolf Head Mercenary Group had gone to such lengths just for a possible Profound-rank Dou Technique.
But now, Lin Ran had casually pulled out two Earth-rank scrolls. To Xiao Yixian, it felt unreal—like a dream.
'Just what kind of person is this Young Master I've chosen to follow?'
She stared at the scrolls for a long while, then finally looked away. Bowing respectfully to Lin Ran, she asked, "Young Master, which one do you think I should cultivate?"
"Oh?"
Lin Ran was a little surprised by her question.
He studied her for a moment, then retrieved the golden Ecstasy Technique and left only the black scroll—Ice Sovereign Force.
"Your Woeful Poison Body is innately cold and Yin-based. In theory, cultivating Ecstasy Technique would be an excellent match."
"But… never mind. This Ice Sovereign Force was once snatched by my master from Ice River Valley, from a man known as the Ice Sovereign."
"It's their core technique—and the Ice Sovereign was also a Woeful Poison Body."
"What?!"
Xiao Yixian's eyes went wide with disbelief.
Lin Ran's words shocked her deeply. Central Plains? Sovereigns? These were terms she'd never even heard before—like something out of a fairy tale.
But what stunned her the most was discovering that there was someone else in the world with the Woeful Poison Body!
'No wonder the Young Master saw through me the moment we met—he had already encountered someone with this body type before.'
"There's no need to be so surprised," Lin Ran said lightly. "The Woeful Poison Body may be rare, but the Dou Qi Continent is vast. There are more than you'd think."
"That Ice Sovereign had an acquired version of the body—not like your innate one. But with his Sovereign-level cultivation and years of immersion in poison arts, he was every bit as strong as someone with an innate version."
"That's why this method suits you best."
As Lin Ran spoke calmly, Xiao Yixian bit her lip and reached out with a pale, delicate hand to take the black scroll, which emanated a chill tinged with faint blue light.
The moment she touched it, the scroll dissolved into a stream of information that surged into her mind.
She immediately calmed her breath and began following the instructions in her consciousness, slowly circulating the cultivation method.
Meanwhile, Lin Ran lightly brushed his fingers across the Ecstasy Technique, his gaze distant, as if pondering something deeper...
After breaking through to Dou Practitioner, every cultivator became eligible to cultivate techniques. Once they did, their previously colorless milky-white Dou Qi would shift into an attribute-aligned Dou Qi.
In Xiao Yixian's case, her Woeful Poison Body was unique—her Dou Qi had already taken on a poisonous attribute from birth. So the first transformation process would take far less time.
Just as expected, about an hour later, Xiao Yixian slowly opened her eyes.
Now that she had cultivated a true technique, her aura had subtly shifted. Her already beautiful and pale features now carried a chilliness, adding a sense of distance—as if she were cloaked in winter frost.
She blinked and looked up at Lin Ran. In that moment, the energy of the world around her felt more vivid than ever before.
"You succeeded, didn't you?" Lin Ran smiled faintly.
"Yes, Young Master," she replied with a slight nod.
She extended a white hand, and within moments, a stream of deep-purple Dou Qi surged from the vortex inside her body and gathered in her palm's acupoint.
Releasing Dou Qi externally was a skill usually limited to Da Dou Shi (Great Dou Master) and beyond. Xiao Yixian clearly hadn't reached that level yet.
So instead, her Dou Qi didn't fully break through the barrier. Instead, her palm began to glow faintly with a dark purple light—tinged with blue—and a cold aura that made it feel like the depths of winter.
"Not bad at all."
Lin Ran nodded approvingly. "This Ice Sovereign Force might only be Earth-tier low-grade, but it's the perfect match for your current state. Your innate constitution is extremely Yin and cold. With this technique, your strength won't just add up—it'll multiply."
Xiao Yixian nodded solemnly. To her, even possessing a method like this was already a gift heavier than a mountain.
"Now that you have a proper method," Lin Ran continued, "you'll need some Dou Techniques too. Something for defense, at the very least…"
(End of Chapter)