"Manager Tu, are you alright?" Seeing the scene unfold, Lin Tian was immediately struck dumb. Although he wasn't sure of Tu Xiaoyao's cultivation level, he knew that it must have surpassed the Foundation Establishment stage, reaching the Golden Core or even beyond. Hence, when he struck, Lin Tian had been entirely confident. However, the scene before him was completely unexpected.
"Don't worry, I'm fine." Tu Xiaoyao waved his hand casually as he descended from the wall, attempting to appear nonchalant. But as soon as the words left his mouth, a spurt of blood erupted from his mouth. Even as a cultivator beyond the Golden Core stage, he was still injured by such a blow when unprepared.
"Are you sure?" Lin Tian, still uncertain, asked with a frown.
"Rest assured. Though the attack from your spirit force gun was impressive, the gap in our cultivation is simply too vast. With a bit of rest, I will recover," Tu Xiaoyao reassured. "But what I don't understand is, cultivators typically channel their spiritual energy to activate their spirit weapons. Yet, there wasn't a single trace of spiritual fluctuation from you earlier. Why is that?"
Feeling a little embarrassed, Lin Tian explained, "Actually, my spirit force gun is powered by spiritual liquid, not my own spiritual energy."
"Spiritual liquid? You mean the very same spiritual liquid you brought?" Tu Xiaoyao's eyes widened in disbelief. The spiritual liquid Lin Tian had brought was of extraordinarily high concentration, immensely beneficial for cultivators on the verge of a breakthrough. Although the Dragon City Merchant Guild had previously purchased it for twenty thousand spiritual stones, with proper handling, its value could easily double. But here Lin Tian was, using such precious liquid to fuel a spirit weapon. To Tu Xiaoyao, it seemed like reckless extravagance.
"How much of the spiritual liquid did that last attack consume?" Tu Xiaoyao asked, still baffled.
"Manager Tu, actually, that last attack consumed five vials of spiritual liquid," Lin Tian replied sheepishly.
"Only five vials?" Tu Xiaoyao let out a relieved breath, but his expression quickly changed as his eyes widened in shock. "Five vials? You mean your previous attack consumed five vials of spiritual liquid?"
"Five vials may seem like a small amount, but if I were to set the spirit force gun to its maximum power, it would consume fifteen vials in one shot. The attack released would be comparable to that of a fourth-layer Foundation Establishment cultivator. However, with the power set to maximum, the gun itself might even break," Lin Tian explained.
Hearing this, Tu Xiaoyao nearly rolled his eyes. Fifteen vials? Did he think spiritual liquid grew on trees? At forty thousand spiritual stones per vial, firing a shot at maximum power would cost a staggering six hundred thousand spiritual stones.
"Manager Tu, please don't look at me like that. I know it may seem extravagant, but in comparison to a life, what do these costs matter?" Lin Tian winked and explained. "If this spirit force gun could save my life at a crucial moment, then even if it took fifteen vials, or even one hundred and fifty vials, it would still be worth it."
Tu Xiaoyao's lips twitched, and for a moment, he considered saying something further but held back. After leaving the Dragon City Merchant Guild, Lin Tian let out a wry smile.
Though Tu Xiaoyao was a good business partner, he was also a person with selfish motives. So Lin Tian had explained the spirit force gun's energy consumption in detail to ensure the man would completely abandon any thoughts of taking advantage of him.
Upon returning to the Dragon City Merchant Guild, Lin Tian immediately stored the remaining spiritual liquid and made his way to the back mountain.
He consumed a large quantity of the spiritual liquid, allowing his cultivation technique to circulate of its own accord. As the flow of spiritual energy grew stronger, Lin Tian's cultivation finally broke through, reaching the third layer of Qi Refining. At this point, he only had three vials of spiritual liquid remaining.
Given his current rate of consumption, it was clear that reaching the fourth layer of Qi Refining within the next few days was impossible.
But since a breakthrough in cultivation was out of the question, practicing martial techniques was the next best option. Since acquiring the "Crimson Lotus Fury," Lin Tian had yet to practice with it.
Sitting cross-legged, Lin Tian allowed the spiritual energy in his body to flow in accordance with the Crimson Lotus Fury's method. As his technique progressed, he could clearly feel a surge of intense heat emanating from his body.
His internal organs and meridians seemed to burn with an unrelenting fire. Sweat poured from his brow, soaking his clothes in no time. But as his body temperature continued to rise, the sweat was steadily evaporated by the heat.
After an unknown amount of time, a small lotus flower finally began to form in his palm. As it appeared, the spiritual energy within his body rushed toward the lotus, flowing into it.
As the energy continued to pour in, the lotus grew, eventually reaching the size of a fingernail. At this point, Lin Tian's spiritual energy was nearly depleted, yet the tiny lotus appeared to be an endless void, continuously absorbing the remaining energy.
In that moment, Lin Tian panicked. Without hesitation, he cut off the flow of spiritual energy completely.
The instant the energy was severed, the lotus in his palm shot out like a dandelion, silently floating away.
Seeing the lotus fly off, Lin Tian's eyes carried a trace of regret. Yet, he didn't pay it much attention. After all, what storm could a lotus the size of a fingernail stir?
But just as he was about to leave the mountain, a deafening explosion sounded in the sky. Moments later, a bright red lotus flower bloomed in midair.
Each petal of the lotus transformed into a fireball, falling like meteors, streaking through the air.
"This is... Crimson Lotus Fury?" Lin Tian blinked in disbelief, staring at the scene before him, completely stunned.
Meanwhile, Lin Chen, who had been pondering how to proceed in his room, suddenly heard a tremendous roar. Looking up, he saw fireballs raining down like a storm. In an instant, his residence collapsed into a sea of flames.
Standing amidst the inferno, Lin Chen was on the verge of cursing. At that moment, figures from the Lin clan rushed toward his location at high speed.