BTTH : From the beginning of the battle to the top -MTL

The next day.

After a whole night of fighting spirit training, Lin Yuan withdrew his cultivation seal, calming the fighting spirit circulating within him. After stretching a bit, he sat on a stone bench and took out a scroll from the "Pharmacopoeia" he borrowed from the Alchemy Pavilion to carefully study and memorize.

Although the Alchemy Department of Canaan Academy has a low upper limit, its foundation is very solid, with a wealth of various books. Lin Yuan understands the importance of his identity as an alchemist for his future, so he has been very dedicated to learning alchemy, spending a lot of time on it over the years.

Lin Yuan knows that without a "personal grandpa" to rely on, he can only make up for his shortcomings in knowledge and foundation through his own efforts, trying to minimize the chances of missing future opportunities.

After a while, Lin Yuan pondered about the opening time of the Alchemy Pavilion in the outer courtyard, put the "Pharmacopoeia" back into his storage ring, and walked towards the pavilion.

In front of the Alchemy Pavilion, a fiery red figure caught his eye, standing with her arms crossed, waiting. It was Hu Jia, the granddaughter of the vice president, known as the little demoness.

As the granddaughter of the vice president, Hu Jia is quite famous in the outer courtyard, with a good background, excellent looks, a straightforward personality, and great talent, though she is not very dedicated to cultivation. Today, she wore a fiery red outfit, exuding vitality, which matched her personality well.

"Lin Yuan, what a coincidence! You busy man, how come you have time to wander around here today?" Upon seeing Lin Yuan, Hu Jia quickly walked over, teasing him.

Lin Yuan shook his head helplessly and replied with a hint of mockery, "It really is a coincidence! Even our little hot pepper, who usually avoids the Alchemy Pavilion, is here so early."

Hearing this, Hu Jia blinked and suddenly leaned in closer, asking mysteriously, "I heard you broke through to the Great Fighter? Is it true?"

Lin Yuan smiled slightly and answered playfully, "Guess?"

"Come on, stop keeping me in suspense, just tell me!" Hu Jia urged, tugging at Lin Yuan's sleeve.

"Yes, I did break through," Lin Yuan nodded with a smile.

"Wow, you're amazing!" Hu Jia exclaimed somewhat exaggeratedly, then shifted her tone to complain, "No wonder my grandpa keeps talking about you, saying how hardworking and talented you are. He's clearly using you to motivate me! It's really stressful."

Lin Yuan understood and replied, "Old folks always like to compare us. But don't be discouraged; I believe that as long as you work hard, there might be a chance for you to surpass me." He added a hint of teasing in his tone.

"Hmph, what do you mean 'a chance'? Surpassing you is just a matter of time!" Hu Jia proudly lifted her chin, then said seriously, "But you're right; I really should work harder. It's decided! Starting today, I will train seriously and can't be lazy anymore!"

Seeing Hu Jia's serious demeanor, Lin Yuan felt a sense of comfort. He knew that although she usually appeared carefree, she was actually very competitive. He patted her shoulder, saying, "Go for it, girl!"

Hu Jia felt a bit shy from Lin Yuan's sudden encouragement and shot him a glare, "Don't take advantage of me!"

Lin Yuan laughed and walked past Hu Jia towards the entrance of the Alchemy Pavilion, waving his hand and leaving behind an encouraging remark: "I hope that when we meet next time, you won't disappoint the title of little demoness."

After handing over the token to Elder Xu, who was guarding the Alchemy Pavilion, Lin Yuan stepped into the top floor of the Alchemy Pavilion. The techniques and combat skills on the top floor were significantly fewer than those below. He knew he had to choose carefully, as the selection of techniques and skills would directly affect his future cultivation path.

After selecting and comparing, Lin Yuan finally focused on two manuals—"Spirit Flame Technique" and "Dragon Step."

The "Spirit Flame Technique" is a top-tier technique among high-level Xuan rank techniques, which helps practitioners manipulate fire-based fighting spirit more intricately. As Lin Yuan flipped through this manual, he could feel the intense power contained within the scroll. This technique not only enhances the power of fire fighting spirit but, more importantly, it increases the practitioner's control over fire, allowing it to be as flexible as a finger, both strong and gentle. This was a significant temptation for Lin Yuan, as precise control over fire is often crucial for him as an alchemist, whether in battle or alchemy.

The other manual, "Dragon Step," is a high-level Xuan rank movement technique. The steps recorded in this manual are strange and varied, like a dragon weaving through the clouds, making it difficult to grasp. When fully executed, the speed is exceptional, and it can be combined with his previous movement technique, "Instant Step." Lin Yuan tried to move according to the steps in the manual and felt that each step required a strong control of fighting spirit to maintain balance and speed. Although this combat skill is difficult to cultivate, once mastered, it allows practitioners to navigate battles with ease, effortlessly dodging enemy attacks, and is also very efficient for escaping.

Lin Yuan was well aware of his advantages; due to his powerful soul force, he had excellent talent in controlling fighting spirit. Therefore, the significant difficulty of "Spirit Flame Technique" and "Dragon Step" for others was not a barrier for him. The excellent effects of both were exactly what he hoped for.

After selecting the techniques, he registered with Elder Xu. Elder Xu glanced at the choices and chuckled, "Good eye! Both 'Spirit Flame Technique' and 'Dragon Step' are excellent Xuan rank manuals. They are not easy to cultivate, but they are very suitable for a genius like you."

Lin Yuan thanked the elder slightly, "Thank you for the compliment, Elder. I will definitely work hard to cultivate and not let such exceptional techniques go to waste."

The elder nodded, then his expression turned serious as he warned, "However, you must remember that the manuals in the Alchemy Pavilion are valuable assets of the academy. They cannot be shared without permission. You can only cultivate them yourself, and you must return the originals in a month. Otherwise, if you are found violating this rule, you will face severe punishment."

Lin Yuan's expression became serious, and he nodded earnestly, "Elder, rest assured. I understand and will strictly adhere to the rules. I will return the originals in a month."

The elder looked at Lin Yuan's serious demeanor and nodded in satisfaction. He waved his hand, signaling Lin Yuan that he could leave. Lin Yuan thanked the elder again and turned to leave the Alchemy Pavilion.

After leaving the Alchemy Pavilion, Lin Yuan returned to his small courtyard, took out "Spirit Flame Technique" and "Dragon Step" from his storage ring, and began to familiarize himself with the corresponding fighting spirit operation methods.

Midnight.

While practicing, Lin Yuan's expression was calm, but his soul perception was fully activated. After sensing that no one was around, he gently moved the stone table aside, covering his right hand with three streams of fighting spirit. The three streams of fighting spirit flowed in a spiral pattern, forming the attribute-less Xuan-level combat skill he created, Spiral Force.

Lin Yuan controlled the Spiral Force to dig a small hole in the original position of the stone table. After digging a few meters down, a low-level storage ring appeared at the bottom of the hole. Lin Yuan used his fighting spirit to summon the storage ring into his hand, quickly stowing it away, then swiftly filled the small hole and returned the stone table to its original position.

Then, Lin Yuan entered the house and took out a jade bottle from the storage ring he had just dug up. Inside the jade bottle was a blood-red pill, about the size of a longan. This pill looked extremely mysterious; at first glance, it resembled a transparent orb filled with blood. In the center of the pill, a faint dark red light glimmered, resembling a tiny eye, exuding an eerie aura.

Looking at this pill, Lin Yuan's expression remained unchanged, his gaze deep and distant.

"It's time to start the next step of the plan."

"Life Devouring Pill."

(End of Chapter)