Chapter 7— Devouring Technique
For the remaining days before the academy's opening, Luo Xiao Tian shut himself indoors.
The courtyard gates never opened.
Day and night blurred together as spiritual qi poured toward his body like a tide answering a silent call. His breathing became slow, steady, ruthless. With the Dao Seed anchoring his foundation and the time-law pillars stabilizing his soul, his absorption speed no longer resembled that of a normal cultivator—it was closer to plunder.
Spirit crystals shattered one after another.
Qi roared through his meridians.
On the last day, a dull pressure spread from his dantian, sweeping through his body like a wave. His aura surged, then stabilized.
Ninth level of the Renegade Warrior Realm.
He opened his eyes.
Cold. Clear. Silent.
There was no joy, no pride. Only certainty.
The day of departure arrived.
The grand opening of Gold Coast Academy.
From cities, villages, clans, and remote regions, young geniuses set out toward the same destination. Some rode ferocious mount beasts, their roars shaking the roads. Some traveled in luxurious carts pulled by spirit horses. Others flew on swords or divine artifacts, leaving streaks of light across the sky.
It was a gathering of fate.
Luo Xiao Tian carried a small bundle wrapped carefully in cloth—prepared by his mother. He stood at the edge of the road for a moment, then turned and left without looking back.
The wind brushed his white hair.
He walked alone.
Half a day later, the sound of hooves echoed from above.
A carriage descended from the sky, pulled by two flying horses with silver wings. Spiritual patterns glimmered faintly along its frame.
Inside the carriage, a calm female voice spoke.
"Miss, there's someone walking below. It seems he's also heading toward the academy."
There was a brief pause.
"Let's offer him a ride."
The carriage descended smoothly, stopping beside the road.
Luo Xiao Tian turned, his eyes reflecting the polished wood and glowing inscriptions.
A curtain lifted slightly.
"Heading to Gold Coast Academy?" a gentle voice asked.
"Yes," Xiao Tian replied simply.
"Come in."
He did not hesitate.
Inside the carriage, the air was warm and faintly fragrant. The woman seated within wore light robes of pale blue and white, her features soft yet refined, her aura restrained but deep.
She smiled faintly. "I'm Wu Miao Miao. A student of the academy. You can call me Sister Miao Miao."
"Luo Xiao Tian," he replied. "A fres—"
Before he could finish—
A shrill, twisted laugh tore through the air.
"What a pleasant scent…"
The sky darkened.
A shadow halted mid-air ahead of the carriage.
It was not human.
Its form was vague, composed of churning black mist and demonic qi. Hollow eyes burned crimson, and its presence alone caused the surrounding qi to distort violently.
With a casual wave of its hand, a barrier slammed shut, sealing the space like a cage.
A domain.
"I can't believe it," the demon ghost sneered, its gaze piercing through the carriage. "In a wasteland like this… there exists an immortal heavenly soul."
Its eyes shifted.
Then locked onto Luo Xiao Tian.
Threads of demon qi shot out, thin yet terrifyingly dense, wrapping around him in an instant and dragging him out of the carriage, suspending him midair.
Pain exploded through his body.
He struggled.
Nothing moved.
It was like an ant trapped in a god's grasp.
Wu Miao Miao's expression changed instantly.
She stepped out, unsheathing her sword.
"White Crane Sword Technique."
Her voice was calm, but the air answered.
Sword qi condensed.
The atmosphere shifted, light and sharp, as countless white cranes manifested, their cries piercing the domain as they surged forward in elegant formations—Crane Stand, Crane Wing Spread, seamless and deadly.
The demon ghost sneered.
"Nether Claw."
A colossal claw of demonic qi tore open the sky, slamming down.
BOOM—!
The collision shook the domain.
Both staggered backward.
"If not for that accident," the demon hissed, fury bleeding through its voice, "if I hadn't lost my physical body—how could a mere Renegade Saint oppose me?"
Space open.
From the rift, the demon drew out a massive black sickle, its edge dripping with corrupted law.
"Die."
It charged.
Wu Miao Miao met it head-on.
Their figures collided again and again, shockwaves rippling violently. Each exchange pushed her further back. Blood stained her sleeve.
Xiao Tian struggled desperately.
Nothing worked.
At that moment, the elf appeared in his consciousness, her expression grave.
"Kid, this is celestial demon qi. At your level, you can't cut it."
"Is there a way?" Xiao Tian asked sharply.
She hesitated.
"All Heavens Devouring Technique."
"There will be backlash. Severe backlash."
"But if you devour this celestial demon… it may benefit your Yin-Yang soul."
"Teach me," he said without hesitation.
She began to chant.
Ancient words flooded his mind.
At that instant—
The demon ghost struck Wu Miao Miao with a brutal blow.
She crashed into the ground, blood spraying.
"Xiao Tian!" she cried.
The carriage driver tried to intervene—
A casual wave sent him flying miles away.
The demon turned, reaching for Xiao Tian.
"Become part of me."
Its hand closed in.
Then—
The ground answered.
A colossal magnetic mechanism erupted beneath Xiao Tian, engraved with divine seals and ancient patterns. It rotated violently, forming a terrifying vortex.
The demon screamed.
"No—! Impossible! You're not from Sky City—no one—!"
The mechanism devoured.
Layer by layer.
Qi. Soul. Will.
The demon was dragged screaming into nothingness.
Silence fell.
The barrier shattered.
Xiao Tian dropped from the air, crashing to the ground—motionless.
Wu Miao Miao crawled toward him, bloodied, trembling.
"Xiao Tian…"
No response.
The carriage driver returned, lifting both of them into the carriage, fear etched deep into his face.
The horses screamed and surged forward at full speed.
Toward the academy.
The gates of Gold Coast Academy rose like a wall separating mortals from destiny.
They were ancient, vast beyond reason, forged from stone infused with spiritual veins. The four characters Gold Coast Academy were carved deep into the gate, each stroke exuding an oppressive majesty that pressed upon the soul. Any cultivator who stood before it instinctively lowered their voice, as if afraid to disturb the will embedded within those characters.
Beyond the gates was not merely an academy.
It was a city.
Students walked along stone paths suspended by formations. Towers pierced the clouds. Flying swords streaked through the sky like falling stars. Markets bustled with spiritual materials, talismans, pills, and rare beasts. Even the air itself was thick with refined qi, far purer than the outside world.
Gold Coast Academy did not merely teach cultivation.
It devoured geniuses and forged monsters.
Nearly two months had passed since Luo Xiao Tian was brought here.
And yet—
He had not awakened.
Within a quiet courtyard assigned to outer academy healers, a young woman sat beside a bed, her expression calm but her eyes rimmed with fatigue.
Wu Miao Miao.
She had recovered long ago. Her injuries, though severe, had been healed by academy elders within days. But Luo Xiao Tian remained unmoving, his body cold yet strangely intact, his breath shallow, his spiritual fluctuations chaotic and unstable.
Every day, she checked his pulse.
Every day, the result was the same.
Alive.
But not living.
"He should have woken up by now…" she murmured softly.
She had taken care of him since the first day. Feeding him spirit liquid. Channeling gentle qi to stabilize his meridians. Watching over him through long, silent nights.
Yet whatever battle he was fighting—
It was not in this world.
Gold Coast Academy was divided into five great peaks, each representing a different path:
Mount Hua (Huashan Peak) — sword cultivation and combat.
Mount Song (Songshan Peak) — formations and spiritual techniques.
Mount Tai (Taishan Peak) — medicine, alchemy, and body refinement.
Mount Heng (Hengshan Peak) — laws and obscure paths.
Mount Heaven (Tianshan Peak) — reserved only for true core disciples and monsters.
After examining Luo Xiao Tian repeatedly and failing to discern the cause of his condition, the academy's dean finally spoke.
"Take him to Taishan Peak."
The man who spoke looked no older than thirty, his expression relaxed, his eyes calm like still water. Yet the elders around him treated him with utmost respect.
Dongfang Bubai.
Dean of Gold Coast Academy.
"Peak Master Gu Long may have a solution," he continued indifferently. "Though whether he chooses to act… is another matter."
Wu Miao Miao bowed deeply.
"I understand."
Before leaving, a cold but beautiful woman stopped her.
"Master" Wu Miao Miao said respectfully.
The master of Huashan Peak (Hua Mulan) nodded slightly. "Leave him at the entrance. Do not disturb Gu Long directly. If you value your life, do not provoke him."
Wu Miao Miao swallowed.
Everyone in the academy knew Gu Long.
A madman.
An old monster.
A being who understood medicine and poison so deeply that even elders feared offending him. He never accepted disciples. He never explained himself. And he helped only when it amused him.
Taishan Peak was quiet.
Oppressively so.
The air there smelled of herbs and scorched earth. Strange plants grew in impossible shapes. Pill cauldrons stood scattered across terraces, some still glowing faintly.
Wu Miao Miao placed Luo Xiao Tian gently at the entrance and spoke quickly.
"Elder Gu, the dean sent him."
Then she fled.
She did not dare stay a breath longer.
Moments later, footsteps echoed.
An old man returned from the forest, his back hunched, a basket of medicinal herbs slung over his shoulder. His hair was messy, his robes stained, his expression irritable.
Gu Long stopped.
His gaze fell upon Luo Xiao Tian.
For the first time in years, his brows furrowed.
He stepped closer.
One glance.
Then another.
His expression shifted.
"Interesting…"
He knelt, his spiritual sense piercing into Luo Xiao Tian's body. What he found made his eyes narrow sharply.
"Not injured. Not poisoned. Not possessed—"
He paused.
"No… that's wrong."
"There is something trying to consume him."
Gu Long snorted. "Brat, your luck is obscene."
Without hesitation, he grabbed Luo Xiao Tian and carried him deep into the peak.
A massive medicine cauldron sat at the heart of Taishan Peak.
Gu Long tossed Luo Xiao Tian inside like a sack of grain.
With a flick of his finger—
Whoosh.
Flames ignited beneath the cauldron.
Herbs were thrown in one by one. Some hissed. Some screamed as they dissolved. Some resisted, only to be crushed by Gu Long's will.
"Endure it," the old man muttered. "If you live, you live. If you die, you were weak."
Inside Luo Xiao Tian's consciousness—
Hell raged.
For two months, he had been locked in battle with the celestial demon ghost.
The demon roared endlessly, its form twisted and vast, its will ancient and cruel. It clawed at his twin souls, attempting to devour them and seize his physical body.
Xiao Tian was exhausted.
His qi was draining.
His soul flickered.
Am I… going to lose?
Just then—
A warm surge flooded his body.
His qi stabilized.
Strength returned.
From outside, Gu Long's medicine entered his system, reinforcing his foundation and restoring his vitality.
The demon howled in rage and charged.
Xiao Tian lifted his head.
Cold light filled his eyes.
"Enough."
He raised his hand.
Time froze.
The demon stopped mid-roar, its form locked in stillness.
Xiao Tian stepped forward slowly, pressing down with a single finger.
Invisible pressure crushed the demon's soul, pinning it helplessly.
"Eat it," he said calmly.
His dark soul surged forward.
It devoured the celestial demon without hesitation.
Screams echoed, then vanished.
Knowledge flooded in.
Countless martial arts.
Demonic techniques.
Battle experience spanning centuries.
Xiao Tian absorbed it all.
Refined it.
Discarded what he did not need.
For nearly three months, his consciousness cultivated relentlessly.
Then—
His eyes opened.
Renegade Lord Realm.
Qi surged.
The cauldron shattered.
Gu Long stared, then laughed hoarsely.
"Good."
"Very good."
"Kid… don't die too easily. I want to see how far you go."