Word Count: 3,444 Words
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Xiao Yan struggled to his feet and cupped his hands toward Tang Zhen with a respectful gesture. "Many thanks to Valley Master Tang for making this possible. However, I believe I will need a day or two to recuperate before I can attempt to refine the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame."
He tossed a low-grade tier 7 Life Returning Pill into his mouth. Instantly, waves of warmth coursed through his body. Combined with the nourishing effects of the Life Flame, it barely allowed him to move without strain.
The Second Elder and several other elders let out sighs of relief when they saw Xiao Yan consume the pill. At least this young man still seemed somewhat human, all things considered.
However, upon further reflection, they realized he had forcibly raised his cultivation by what amounted to ten levels using two Secret Techniques! His body hadn't even exploded under such strain. Could he even be considered human? Even an Ancient Void Dragon of the same rank might not possess such a formidable physique.
Xiao Yan, meanwhile, sighed inwardly. His cultivation still needed improvement. The combined strain of the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change and the Asura Soul Reaping Technique had nearly pushed his body to its breaking point.
The Asura Soul Reaping Technique was truly a forbidden Soul Skill. Using it was akin to devouring his own soul to amplify his strength. It truly could only sustain three moves. Exceeding that limit would damage his soul, and the cost to repair such an injury would be immense.
'I must elevate my cultivation further. If I could reach 3-star or 4-star Dou Ancestor, I could contend with the Second Elder relying solely on the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change.' Xiao Yan slowly shook his head, somewhat dissatisfied with his own strength improvement.
In truth, Xiao Yan was being somewhat greedy. He had achieved the 8-star Dou Emperor stage only a few months ago. Since emerging from the Demon Saint inheritance, he had dealt with the Sky Serpent Mansion, fathered a child with Cai Lin, and assisted Little Fairy Doctor with her Poison Pill issue.
All these events had unfolded within the span of mere months. Even with a Tian Class Qi Method, an ordinary cultivator couldn't advance a single star in such a short time! Moreover, Xiao Yan had spent much of this period tirelessly refining pills, leaving less time for cultivation.
After returning to his guest room, he began circulating his Soul Training Method to gradually restore his Spiritual Strength.
'The Flame Mantra still relies on Heavenly Flames. After reaching the Dou Ancestor realm, the progression from a Low Tian Class Qi Method isn't as remarkable. Even with the power of the Fallen Heart Flame, advancing a single star as a Dou Ancestor might take a full year of cultivation.'
Of course, if other Dou Ancestors heard that Xiao Yan needed only a year to advance one star, they would undoubtedly curse him loudly: Do you have any idea how many years it usually takes to advance one star in the Dou Ancestor realm!
His Dou Qi and Spiritual Strength fully recovered after two days of cultivation. As an alchemist, his physical injuries were not severe.
'Soul Training Methods and Soul Skills present another challenge. If I reach the Dou Venerate realm, a High Di Class Soul Skill might prove inadequate, especially against the younger generation of Dou Venerates from the Gu Clan. I'm afraid each of them possesses Tian Class Dou Techniques, perhaps even multiple ones.'
A sudden sense of hitting a bottleneck gripped Xiao Yan. Compared to the resources of top-tier factions, reaching the Tian Class level brought numerous obstacles. Tian Class Dou Techniques were nearly impossible to acquire, even with the means to purchase them.
The Hall of Souls' Tian Class Dou Techniques were prohibitively expensive, and he lacked the soul points to exchange for them. The remaining top ten Heavenly Flames were largely held by the Yao Clan and Yan Clan.
Xiao Yan stood up slowly. In the Dou Qi Continent, strength reigned supreme. Resources were scarce, often requiring plunder from others. This was the harsh reality of this world.
He shook his head and walked out of the room, preparing to attend to some important matters!
Tang Zhen, sensing Xiao Yan's emergence, opened a spatial passage and appeared before him.
"Grandmaster Xiao Yan, how is your recovery?" Tang Zhen asked with a broadened smile as his gaze swept over Xiao Yan.
"Many thanks to Valley Master Tang for your concern. It's nothing serious. Valley Master Tang has taken great care of me; please, just call me Xiao Yan," Xiao Yan replied with a smile.
He naturally understood that Tang Zhen's solicitousness was not only due to his ancestor Xiao Xuan but, more significantly, because his strength had been recognized, especially after his battle with the Second Elder. That had earned him great recognition.
Naturally, he didn't mind reciprocating with some goodwill of his own.
Tang Zhen chuckled at his words, stroked his beard, and nodded. "Hehe, in that case, I won't stand on ceremony."
"Come with me, Xiao Yan. The Essence Flame of the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame is stored in my Burning Flame Valley's secret realm, the Flame Valley."
Without further delay, Tang Zhen opened a spatial passage and led Xiao Yan to the heart of Burning Flame Valley in just a few steps.
The name Burning Flame Valley stemmed not only from its founder, Ancestor Fen Yan, but also from a unique secret realm located there.
Not far from the mountain gate of Burning Flame Valley lay a sunken valley. From a distance, the surrounding land appeared scorched black, devoid of any vegetation.
Red lava bubbled and flowed from the valley, transforming the depression into a sea of magma that shimmered with intense heat under the sunlight.
Even Xiao Yan couldn't help but feel a flicker of surprise. The fire-attribute energy here was so dense it seemed almost tangible. Cultivating a fire-attribute Qi Method in this place would undoubtedly yield twice the results with half the effort!
'Is this the Heavenly Flame space of the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame?!' Xiao Yan, having refined numerous Heavenly Flames, recognized it instantly. It bore a striking resemblance to the Heavenly Flame space of the Fallen Heart Flame within the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower at Jia Nan Academy.
The difference lay in their origins. The Fallen Heart Flame had been born from a massive impact, which was why Jia Nan Academy resembled a meteorite crater when viewed from above.
In contrast, the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame required the convergence of volcanic earth veins, enduring countless years of lightning strikes before it could emerge.
"Mm, the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame was born here. Ancestor Fen Yan discovered this place and established Burning Flame Valley. At that time, the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame was still in its infancy. It has been meticulously nurtured by generations of Burning Flame Valley elders to reach its current state," Tang Zhen explained with a smile, revealing some of the valley's hidden history.
"I believe you're aware that the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame bears soul imprints and shackles placed by successive Valley Masters and elders. Without cultivating the Green Nether Flame Method, one cannot claim the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame. However, you likely have your own methods, don't you?" Tang Zhen gazed at Xiao Yan with a knowing smile.
He had discerned at a glance that Xiao Yan had come to Burning Flame Valley with the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame as his target. Naturally, he assumed Xiao Yan had already prepared a solution.
Having been exposed, Xiao Yan gave an awkward smile. With the Nihility Devouring Flame's Seed Flame, these soul imprints shouldn't pose too much of a problem. Moreover, he still possessed the Flame Mantra, the full mysteriousness of which he had yet to unravel.
"The Flame Valley benefits cultivators of fire-attribute Dou Qi. If you manage to refine the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame, there's no need to rush out. You can cultivate inside for a while," Tang Zhen offered with a smile.
"Then I must thank Valley Master Tang for his generosity." Xiao Yan cupped his hands and nodded. He had indeed planned to find a suitable place to cultivate, and this Flame Valley was the perfect spot!
A wave of scorching heat assaulted Xiao Yan's face as he stepped into the Flame Valley. With a thought, he summoned a mass of black flames to envelop his body, shielding himself from the intense heat.
This Flame Valley also served as a trial for Burning Flame Valley's disciples, somewhat similar to the Sky Burning Qi Refining Tower. The further one ventured inside, the richer the fire-attribute energy became, and the more difficult the trial.
Of course, for Xiao Yan, this grand master of flames, this bit of fire was not even worth mentioning.
Xiao Yan strolled leisurely inward with his hands clasped behind his back. He encountered virtually no one along the way, which was unsurprising. Tang Zhen had probably cleared everyone out these past two days to prevent Xiao Yan, this known troublemaker, from causing any issues.
Roar roar roar!!!
A heaven-shaking dragon's roar suddenly erupted from within the Flame Valley as Xiao Yan reached the deepest recesses. A thunderous boom followed, and divine lightning descended from the sky, striking heavily into the valley.
Lightning arcs scattered in all directions, and the sea of lava churned violently. A colossal beast rose from beneath the magma with a resounding crash. Its dragon howl reverberated through the entire Flame Valley, drawing the distant gazes of Burning Flame Valley's elders and experts. Many within the valley had heard this dragon's roar before!
"I wonder if Xiao Yan can succeed."
"I guess it's uncertain. If he had cultivated Burning Flame Valley's Qi Method, he might stand a chance, but refining a Heavenly Flame is no simple feat."
Xiao Yan looked up and saw a giant dragon emerging from the sea of fire within the Flame Valley. This giant dragon had a silver-colored body, with scales resembling white gold, incomparably hard. Arcs of lightning danced across its form.
Most striking of all were its nine heads. From a distance, it appeared as though nine silver dragons shimmered with a chilling light. Its might seemed capable of tearing apart anything in its path. The Nine Dragon Lightning Flame embodied the two fiercest attributes, lightning and raging fire, marking it as a dual-attribute Heavenly Flame!
When the giant dragon opened its eyes, it was as if the world itself was illuminated by them. It didn't look like a Heavenly Flame at all. If Xiao Yan hadn't known beforehand, he would definitely have mistaken it for an ancient magical beast!
'It has been a Heavenly Flame Spirit for countless years, yet it appears so lifelike!' Xiao Yan couldn't help but swallow hard as he stared at the nine-headed giant dragon before him.
This was far stronger than the Fallen Heart Flame! It surpassed even the Fallen Heart Flame's giant python in both size and realism!
In terms of raw strength, the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame undoubtedly possessed the power of a Dou Venerate!
No wonder Tang Huo Er had failed to refine it. Even if the Second Elder himself came, he would likely have to leave with his tail between his legs.
'This must be the strongest Heavenly Flame Spirit I've encountered among all the Heavenly Flames I've seen.' Xiao Yan swallowed again, then promptly retrieved several medicinal pills from his storage ring to aid him.
Just as he prepared to summon Mao Wu and begin the process of refining the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame, an unexpected anomaly occurred!
"Hmm?" Xiao Yan's eyes narrowed. He released the restraints, and the Yin-Yang Twin Flames within his Acceptance Soul suddenly burst forth.
Whoosh whoosh!
Two Yin-Yang Fish, one white and one black, materialized with a whoosh. Like fish leaping through a dragon gate, they transformed into two black and white true dragons, standing behind Xiao Yan and facing the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame.
The Flame Valley erupted with bursts of red light the instant the Yin-Yang Twin Flames appeared. With a resonant hum, the red light surged skyward, piercing the clouds and colliding with the Space Lock protecting Burning Flame Valley.
The entire Space Lock turned a vivid scarlet in a flash!
The sudden anomaly left even Xiao Yan dumbfounded! Although he had been preparing to do something, he hadn't started yet!
Meanwhile, Tang Zhen and the experts of Burning Flame Valley, observing from a distance, underwent drastic changes in expression. One by one, they took to the air, gazing toward the direction of the Flame Valley.
A blurry, fiery human figure emerged in the sky above the Flame Valley at that moment!
This sight shocked everyone in Burning Flame Valley. Disciples gaped with open mouths as they looked up at the towering, colossal flame figure!
"This is!"
"Could it be!!"
The entire Burning Flame Valley grew scorching hot when this fiery human figure appeared above the Flame Valley, as though this figure held dominion over all within its domain!
An invincible aura of sanctity enveloped the entirety of Burning Flame Valley. With a collective thud, all the disciples fell to the ground, prostrating themselves in submission that welled from the deepest recesses of their hearts!
At the same time, an old man emerged from a forbidden area within Burning Flame Valley. Fire clouds accompanied him. Despite being a Dou Saint, he stared in astonishment at the blurry figure before him.
"Ancestor!" The old man with fire clouds bowed from afar. Wasn't this figure none other than the founder of Burning Flame Valley, Ancestor Fen Yan?!
Tang Zhen's scalp instantly tingled when he saw the guardian deity of his Burning Flame Valley, Ancestor Huo Yun, cry out. This blurry, fiery human figure was Ancestor Fen Yan?!
"Ancestor!" Tang Zhen prostrated himself on the ground, overcome with emotion. "Ancestor has manifested! Your descendant has been unfilial!"
Countless disciples of Burning Flame Valley knelt on the ground. Numerous protector elders stood in unparalleled shock. Some disciples even shed tears. They had never dreamed that within the Flame Valley, their ancestor had left behind a power to safeguard them!
Yet at this moment, the blurry flame figure paid no heed to the disciples of Burning Flame Valley, nor to Ancestor Huo Yun or Tang Zhen. Xiao Yan could distinctly feel that its gaze was fixed on him, or more precisely, on the Yin-Yang Twin Flames left by his ancestor, Xiao Xuan.
An aged soul voice resounded in Xiao Yan's mind. "Sigh, back then, when Xiao Xuan was besieged by the Hun Clan, I failed to lend a hand. This has always been a lingering guilt in my heart."
Xiao Yan's heart trembled violently. Don't tell me this old fellow isn't dead!
But upon reflection, Hun Tiandi wasn't dead either, and even Xiao Xuan wasn't truly gone, hiding within the Heavenly Tomb. This Ancestor Fen Yan was a peak Dou Saint figure from the same era as them. It was quite normal for him to have left some means behind!
He just wasn't sure if this ancestor, like Venerable Tian Huo, could be resurrected!
"The Xiao Clan still has descendants. The heavens have eyes." A cracking sound followed the voice, and the soul imprints on the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame were swiftly undone.
"If this Nine Dragon Lightning Flame can aid you in reviving the glory of the Xiao Clan, it will ease this old man's conscience." The figure waved his hand, and the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame reverted to a mass of silver flames. Within these silver flames, nine silver dragons coiled, lightning flickering across their forms.
The Nine Dragon Lightning Flame could merge into a single entity or split into nine, a truly mystical property.
With a resonant hum, the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame began to merge slowly into Xiao Yan's body, its terrifying might completely dissipating in that moment.
Xiao Yan's heart jolted. By the heavens, the glory of the ancestors!
At this point, Xiao Yan no longer dwelled on events from a thousand years past. Since this was a close friend of his ancestor, he saw no need to stand on ceremony.
He tossed a Mighty Huang Pill and a Great Ancestor Pill into his mouth with two sharp cracks, then began to circulate the Flame Mantra to cultivate!
This Flame Valley was indeed a good place! This time, he not only wanted to break through to Dou Ancestor but also planned to cultivate for a while longer!
As Ancestor Fen Yan's figure faded, Tang Zhen shouted once more. "Ancestor has manifested, forever blessing Burning Flame Valley!"
On this day, the disciples of Burning Flame Valley, including Tang Huo Er, were all struck with awe. So, their ancestor had truly been that formidable in his time!
Only after the figure had vanished for a considerable time and the Flame Valley returned to calm did Tang Zhen dare to rise. He looked toward the Flame Valley with profound astonishment.
It went without saying that this must be due to Xiao Yan, or rather, due to Xiao Xuan!
The ancient texts weren't wrong. Ancestor Fen Yan and Xiao Xuan were indeed close friends back then!
"All elders, heed my command! From this day forward, Xiao Yan is an eternal friend of our Burning Flame Valley. Especially you, Second Elder and Third Elder, when Xiao Yan emerges from seclusion, you will personally visit him to apologize and accept punishment!" Tang Zhen shot a stern glance at the Second and Third Elders, who could only smile bitterly.
"We understand, Valley Master," they replied.
"Furthermore, since this is the Ancestor's decree, the matter of the ten-year loan of the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame shall no longer be mentioned. Do you understand!"
"Yes, Valley Master!"
Meanwhile, Xiao Yan remained unaware of the events unfolding outside, as he was fully engrossed in refining the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame and the medicinal pills.
Even though the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame no longer bore hostility toward him, it was, after all, a fully mature Heavenly Flame with a Heavenly Flame Spirit. The power it contained was immense.
Moreover, the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame possessed a unique ability to shock the soul, capable of tempering his Spiritual Strength. This exceptional Heavenly Flame could fortify his soul, rendering it more resilient and granting immunity to certain soul-shocking techniques.
In the future, even if he encountered sonic Dou Techniques like the Ancient Dragon Roar that targeted the soul, he would largely be immune to their effects.
Cultivation knew no passage of time. In the blink of an eye, a month had gone by. Within the Flame Valley, Xiao Yan sat like an old monk in deep meditation, arcs of lightning flickering across his body. Both his body and soul were continuously tempered by the lightning of the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame.
Aided by the Mighty Huang Pill and the Great Ancestor Pill, his cultivation had long since broken through to 1-star Dou Ancestor. It continued to rise, reaching the peak of 1-star.
Yet he did not halt his cultivation. With the Flame Mantra fully activated, the natural energy within the Flame Valley visibly surged into his body. An intangible Heavenly Flame also accelerated the refinement of the Heavenly Flame power within this space.
A black cat lay atop his head beside Xiao Yan, snoring soundly. With each breath, it would devour a large amount of Heavenly Flame energy.
Mao Wu was different from Xiao Yan. It didn't need to purify, just gulp down mouthful after mouthful. Its absorption was even more ferocious than his.
Spring turned to autumn. Three months passed in a flash since Xiao Yan entered the Flame Valley. Suddenly, the energy of the world within the valley stagnated, and the energy vortex surrounding Xiao Yan ceased its motion.
As if sensing something, Tang Zhen gazed toward the Flame Valley and murmured, "This young fellow has finally emerged from seclusion. With his talent, three months should have been enough to breach the threshold of Dou Ancestor."
At that moment, Xiao Yan's eyes snapped open. Lightning surged from his body, thundering into the sky. Instantly, he formed a hand seal and circulated the Flame Mantra.
"Merge!"
Heavenly Flames merged, Flame Mantra evolved!
This step was all too familiar to him, presenting no issues whatsoever. The Nine Dragon Lightning Flame merged with his other Heavenly Flames and ultimately entered his Acceptance Soul, becoming the tenth Heavenly Flame he had refined!
There were twenty-three Heavenly Flames on the ranking list. He, Xiao Yan, now possessed ten of them!
"Peak 3-star Dou Ancestor."