As the leading man spoke eloquently about the Roasting Fire Mountain Range and the formidable might of Burning Flame Valley, several very young-looking members of the group displayed expressions of longing and admiration on their faces.
"Senior Brother Jia Lun, I want to ask, how can we truly become members of Burning Flame Valley?" A youth, drenched in sweat from climbing the mountain behind the group, raised his hand to pose the question.
The man at the forefront, named Jia Lun, let out a hearty laugh. "Hahaha, in truth, you can already be considered disciples of Burning Flame Valley. Your cultivation and talent have met the valley's requirements."
Naturally, the disciples of Burning Flame Valley couldn't rely solely on internal propagation. Burning Flame Valley was a sect, not a family clan, and it regularly recruited disciples from various cities.
However, the most significant difference from Jia Nan Academy was that once you joined Burning Flame Valley, you couldn't simply leave at will. Unlike Jia Nan Academy, where one could choose to graduate and depart after reaching a certain cultivation level or remain as an elder for further training, joining Burning Flame Valley meant becoming an integral part of it, cultivating its Qi Methods and Dou Techniques.
Moreover, only those with fire-attribute Dou Qi were eligible to join Burning Flame Valley.
In reality, geniuses without fire-attribute Dou Qi wouldn't even consider joining. After all, everything from the Qi Methods and Dou Techniques to the renowned Skyfire Three Mysterious Change was inherently fire-attribute. If one possessed an ice attribute, they would naturally seek to join Ice River Valley instead!
"However, the valley conducts assessments for new disciples. You'll be ranked based on your actual combat strength and your comprehension of Qi Methods and Dou Techniques, progressing from entry disciple to ordinary disciple, inner disciple, and finally core disciple," Jia Lun, being quite talkative, continued explaining.
At this moment, he remained unaware that a black-robed figure with dubious intentions was stealthily trailing behind them.
'Oh, so that's how it works. Never mind, I should first sneak into Burning Flame Valley and find a way to meet the Valley Master. If we can talk, that's best. If not, things might get complicated.' Xiao Yan followed along, gaining a deeper understanding of Burning Flame Valley.
First, the Valley Master of Burning Flame Valley was named Tang Zhen, a 5-star Dou Venerate whose cultivation was even a star higher than Little Fairy Doctor's, and whose true strength was unfathomable.
Second, the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame was a legacy passed down through generations of Valley Masters in Burning Flame Valley, and it was currently in Tang Zhen's possession. His daughter, Tang Huo Er, had apparently attempted to fuse with the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame recently but seemed to have failed.
This was good news for Xiao Yan. Since Tang Huo Er had been allowed to attempt refining the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame, it meant this Heavenly Flame wasn't permanently bound to its owner.
As they ventured deeper into the heart of the Roasting Fire Mountain Range, Xiao Yan finally obtained a clear view of the surroundings. Lush greenery was exceedingly rare in this area; the landscape was dominated by crimson earth as far as the eye could see. Not even a patch of grass covered the ground, underscoring the harshness of the environment.
The temperature soared upon entering the skies above the Roasting Fire Mountain Range. For the young teenagers in the group, it was enough to leave them drenched in sweat and gasping for breath.
But for Xiao Yan, this heat was negligible. He paid it little attention.
Jia Lun's gaze swept across the mountain range before guiding the group to the base of two towering crimson peaks. These two mountains stood closely together, connected by a winding stone staircase that spiraled upward from the foot.
Xiao Yan, trailing stealthily behind, fixed his gaze not far from the stone staircase. A flicker of surprise passed through his eyes. The space there faintly emitted astonishing spatial fluctuations, clearly indicating that another realm lay hidden beyond.
'I didn't expect a Space Lock to be here! The range of this Space Lock is enormous. This definitely isn't something a Dou Venerate could create. It must have been arranged by a Dou Saint!' Xiao Yan's heart trembled. The scope of this Space Lock was staggering, the largest he had ever encountered.
"Hehe, everyone, follow me." Jia Lun smiled, then produced a token to unlock the Space Lock before leading the way up the stone staircase. Behind him, each individual was checked off a list to prevent sneaky intruders like Xiao Yan from slipping into Burning Flame Valley to cause trouble.
Xiao Yan wore a helpless expression upon witnessing this. It seemed sneaking in unnoticed wouldn't be possible.
Meow~ o(=∩ω∩=)m!
Xiao Yan muttered pitifully, "Luckily, I have you."
Mao Wu patted Xiao Yan's head, as if to say there was no need to worry. Leave this kind of Space Lock to the great Mao Wu!
A moment later, after Jia Lun's group had all entered through Burning Flame Valley's Space Lock, Xiao Yan stopped at the end of the stone staircase. He approached and gently pressed his palm against the spatial barrier. An astonishing repulsive force surged out instantly, forcefully repelling his hand.
'Tsk tsk tsk, incredibly strong. I'm afraid even an ordinary Dou Venerate would struggle to break through by force.'
Whoosh!!
Mao Wu took a deep breath, then spat out a mouthful of black flames at the Space Lock. Xiao Yan didn't remain idle, infusing Dou Qi and Spiritual Strength to catalyze the black flames and incinerate the void.
Even with his Soul State Spiritual Strength and Mao Wu already being an Earth Seed Flame, quietly opening a spatial passage was no easy feat.
About thirty minutes later, they finally carved out a black flame passage just large enough for Xiao Yan to pass through.
'It's indeed quite sturdy. Fortunately, I have Mao Wu with me.' Without wasting any more time, Xiao Yan slipped through the passage stealthily with a swift movement.
…
'So this is what they call a self-contained world.'
As Xiao Yan stepped through the spatial rift, the light before him suddenly intensified. When he took in the scenery clearly, the astonishment in his eyes deepened significantly.
Compared to this, Misty Cloud Sect, Demon Flame Valley, and Sky Serpent Mansion were simply rubbish!
The major factions of the Central Plains were truly on another level. The heritage they possessed was something upstarts like his Yan Alliance could not hope to match.
What appeared before Xiao Yan was an extremely long green stone staircase. Surprisingly, the surroundings were filled with lush greenery. Gazing into the distance, one could see numerous buildings peeking out from the verdant landscape. Faintly, the murmur of voices drifted over from afar, echoing within this seemingly endless mountain valley.
"A self-contained world. As expected of one of the three major valleys renowned in the Central Plains." Even Xiao Yan couldn't help but exclaim in admiration upon seeing this scene, so drastically different from the crimson world outside.
He reached out and grasped at the air before him. The fire-attribute energy here was still as rich as outside, but the violent undercurrent within it had weakened considerably. Evidently, this Space Lock also possessed a purifying effect.
Raising his head to look at the sky, Xiao Yan noticed a faint sense of distortion. Clearly, the entire Burning Flame Valley was enveloped within a layer of twisted space. This setup bore some resemblance to the Inner Academy, but the spatial barrier here was obviously far sturdier, more resilient, and vaster.
'When I become a Dou Venerate, I'll have to set up something like this for the Xiao Clan compound back in Wu Tan City.'
While Xiao Yan marveled inwardly, the sound of rushing wind suddenly echoed from the mountain forest surrounding the stone staircase. A dozen or so swift figures flashed by. Startled, Xiao Yan quickly retracted all the black flames and closed the passage.
He instantly donned his Soul Robe, melting into the darkness to evade these patrolling disciples.
'Tsk tsk, all Dou Kings... and their talent isn't weak either. Burning Flame Valley probably has Dou Kings as common as dogs.' These figures were all clad in red robes, and they didn't appear very old, likely slightly older than Xiao Yan, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight.
Yet, the threads of Dou Qi emanating from their bodies were quite vigorous. Xiao Yan couldn't help but nod in approval. The young disciples of Burning Flame Valley indeed possessed impressive talent.
Of course, how could those admitted into Burning Flame Valley possibly have weak talent? Coupled with Burning Flame Valley's top-tier Qi Methods, powerful elders' guidance, and the rich natural energy here, it would be strange if their cultivation didn't progress rapidly.
'No wonder Sky Serpent Mansion dreams of returning to the Central Plains. The Central Plains truly boasts an abundance of talent and resources. It would be difficult not to become strong here.'
By comparison, the Jia Ma Empire was practically a remote backwater where cultivation relied entirely on luck.
'So now the question is, how do I find Tang Zhen?' Xiao Yan couldn't help but ponder. Did he really have to cause a commotion here to draw out the Valley Master? Wouldn't that be rather impolite?
He took out the Xiao Clan's Clan Token and summoned the Yin-Yang Twin Fish. Much to his disappointment, it was clear his ancestor Xiao Xuan hadn't left any special means here.
'Ancestor, are you reliable or not!' Xiao Yan sighed inwardly. His own ancestor was truly unpredictable!
The Clan Token showed no reaction, completely different from the situation at the Gate of Life and Death.
"Miss Huo Er's strength is too formidable. How does she cultivate? She's actually already a Dou Ancestor at such a young age!"
"Indeed, Miss Huo Er is simply too monstrous. It's really disheartening."
"If Miss Huo Er can successfully refine the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame, her strength will definitely rise to another level."
"I just saw Miss Huo Er guiding disciples at the training grounds, but most of them got beaten black and blue by her."
"Tsk tsk tsk, let's not go over there. Let's head to the other one."
At this moment, Xiao Yan blinked his eyes while hiding in the shadows and muttered, "Huo Er? Could it be Tang Huo Er, Tang Zhen's daughter?"