Xiao Yan noticed that Little Red's massive body was now covered in a thin silver veil, something he hadn't observed before. It seemed that after advancing to the second rank, Little Red had undergone some kind of mutation.
"It's absorbing moonlight energy!" Xiao Yan stroked his chin, his eyes filled with contemplation.
In the past, he might not have been so sensitive to this, but after absorbing stellar energy to condense the Three Thousand Flaming Flame, he was now very familiar with such phenomena.
Watching Little Red's rhythmic breathing, Xiao Yan couldn't help but seriously consider the cultivation methods of magical beasts.
Magical beasts had extremely long lifespans, but before they could take human form, their cultivation speed was slow. If they could master a cultivation method early on, leveraging their long lifespans, they might not reach the pinnacle of power, but they could certainly guard a home for a much longer time.
After standing there for a while, Xiao Yan had a general idea in mind.
Little Red's current method was highly inefficient. The energy it absorbed was used to nourish its physical body, similar to how humans cultivated during the Dou Qi stage.
This wasn't particularly surprising.
Magical beasts naturally had incredibly strong physiques, but their daily activities—running through forests and fighting—also played a significant role.
This rudimentary cultivation naturally focused on body refinement.
Xiao Yan had spent eleven years cultivating Dou Qi. The cultivation method he had created, after numerous in-depth studies, surpassed even some Huang-level techniques in effectiveness.
[Using the Dou Qi Foundation Building Technique, Flame Body Refinement Art, Three Thousand Stars Technique, and your cultivation experience, you have gained enlightenment and comprehended the technique Heavenly Wolf Howls at the Moon.]
[Heavenly Wolf Howls at the Moon: A beast cultivation technique, Xuan-level high-grade. A cultivation technique that draws upon stellar energy through breathing, with excellent body-refining effects.]
Xiao Yan was already extremely familiar with these techniques, and integrating them came naturally to him.
"Stop lying there like a dead log," Xiao Yan said, patting Little Red's massive wolf head.
Little Red reluctantly opened its eyes and let out a low whine.
What else could a magical beast do at night besides sleep?
"Watch closely," Xiao Yan said, placing his palm on Little Red's forehead and transmitting the Heavenly Wolf Howls at the Moon technique into its mind.
Since this was a cultivation technique for magical beasts, it was naturally simple and easy to understand, presented in the form of images.
A series of vivid images appeared in Little Red's mind, depicting a small red wolf in various poses.
Seeing such a lifelike depiction of its own kind, Little Red focused intently on the little wolf's movements.
Following the poses of the little wolf in its mind, Little Red began to imitate them.
After just learning the first of the eight poses, the surrounding air suddenly rippled, and strands of silver energy emerged from the air, flowing into Little Red's body.
Its already fiery red fur now glowed brilliantly, looking quite extraordinary.
Having reached the second rank, Little Red immediately understood the benefits of these images. It stood up excitedly and affectionately nuzzled Xiao Yan.
"Don't lick me! Use that energy to cultivate properly. From now on, you'll be the one leading the defense of this valley," Xiao Yan said, nimbly leaping onto Little Red's neck and tapping its large head.
Little Red nodded as if it understood and lay down to begin cultivating.
Seeing that the technique worked smoothly on Little Red, Xiao Yan felt reassured and headed back to the dwelling.
Yao Lao had taken a stroll around the Magical Beast Mountain Range, gathering some medicinal herbs. When he returned, he was shocked.
"Has this magical beast become a spirit?!"
Although there were a few powerful magical beast cultivation families in the Central Plains, the magical beast before him was from the remote region near the Jia Ma Empire.
Suddenly, a fierce wind swept through the vast forest, creating waves like an ocean. The roaring sound echoed throughout the mountain range.
A pungent wind carrying sharp energy gusts filled the air. In the sky appeared a massive, pitch-black, winged wolf with two pairs of wings.
Yao Lao quickly understood the reason. "It was attracted by the commotion from Xiao Yan's breakthrough earlier. Perfect timing—I was just thinking we needed a magical core!"
Hearing the commotion, Little Medical Fairy put down her bowl and chopsticks and looked at Xiao Yan.
"Stay here. I'll go out and take a look," Xiao Yan said, frowning. The disturbance from his breakthrough must have been too great, attracting the attention of some powerful magical beasts.
Little Medical Fairy said, "Although my strength isn't as great as yours, the poisonous Dou Qi I control is extremely potent. I might still be able to help."
"Then let's go together," Xiao Yan said, taking Little Medical Fairy's slender hand and walking out of the room.
The once peaceful valley was now filled with low growls. Agile figures darted about—magical beasts with emerald-green bodies, ferocious appearances, and an aura of bloodlust, resembling leopards, emerged from the shadows.
Shortly after stepping outside, Little Medical Fairy tightly gripped Xiao Yan's hand as she saw the magical beasts both in the sky and on the ground.
"Those on the ground seem to be second-rank Wind Leopards. They can't fly like the one in the sky, so I'm not sure how they got into the valley."
Xiao Yan patted Little Medical Fairy's hand. "Wind Leopards are extremely fast. The first-rank magical beasts outside the valley couldn't stop them, and the valley is too large for them to guard completely."
As they spoke, a fiery red figure rushed over from the distance, growling at the Wind Leopards.
It was Little Red, whose cultivation had been interrupted.
"There are three Wind Leopards here. We'll each take one, and I'll handle the fourth-rank beast in the sky," Xiao Yan assigned the tasks and then let go of Little Medical Fairy's hand. He took three steps forward, spreading his arms wide. "Raging Waterfall!"
With a deep shout, the Dou Crystal in his body trembled violently, and a surge of energy emerged, transforming into pure energy that flowed rapidly through his meridians. After being refined by his meridians, a glowing blue orb appeared in Xiao Yan's palm.
In the blink of an eye, the orb, guided by Xiao Yan's arm movements, was refined.
The Dou Qi in his body became even purer, and Xiao Yan's speed in executing the Dou Technique was incredibly fast. A deep blue beam, like a shooting star, struck the Wind Leopard's head before it could react.
Boom!
Under the tremendous force, the Wind Leopard was instantly reduced to a pile of mush, its body being pushed back hundreds of meters before coming to a stop. Its bones and flesh were completely mangled.
Amid the flesh and blood, only a green magical core remained, emitting a faint cyan glow that stood out in the darkness.
Meanwhile, Little Red had already found its opponent. Its speed was not slow, and as a fire-attribute magical beast, it was exceptionally fierce.
The Wind Leopard seemed quite frail in comparison.
Seeing the petite Little Medical Fairy, the third Wind Leopard revealed a sinister grin. This was even easier prey than the soft sheep in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Facing a second-rank magical beast for the first time, Little Medical Fairy was undoubtedly terrified.
The Wind Leopard let out a low growl and charged straight at her.
(End of Chapter)
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