Chapter 10: Absorbing Beast Fire.
He hesitated for a moment as he gazed at the three beast fires before him, deciding instead to refine the more gentle Peach Blossom Fire.
He opened the lid of the porcelain vase containing the Peach Blossom Fire and, with a flick of his hand, a pink flame fell into his hand. Staring at the beast fire before him, Xiao Ling's eyes couldn't help but flash with a fiery glint. With his current strength, strange fires were difficult to obtain and absorb, but these beast fires extracted from demonic beasts were just the right size for his current weakness.
He slowly closed his eyes, formed a cultivation hand seal, and focused his mind within his body. He slightly opened his mouth and used his soul power to draw the peach blossom fire into him.
He focused his attention on the cyclone, using his soul perception to quickly and completely envelop it, then set it spinning at high speed.
As the cyclone continued to spin at high speed, a space large enough to accommodate the beast fire was created within it.
He enveloped the peach blossom fire with his soul perception, guiding it through the surrounding Dou Qi blockade and finally into the small space.
Once inside the space, the peach blossom fire began to slowly operate like a machine.
The beast fire absorbs the fire-attributed Dou Qi from the cyclone to strengthen itself, and the heat it emits also increases the cyclone's absorption rate, benefiting both the beast fire and the cyclone.
Inside the room, Xiao Ling slowly opened his tightly closed eyes, his gaze brighter than before.
He sensed the state of his body, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. He raised his hand, and Peach Blossom Fire leaped up.
The beast fire pulsed constantly, seemingly alive, yet it could be controlled with soul power.
Putting away the beast fire, he glanced at the two porcelain bottles before him. After a moment's hesitation, Xiao Ling put them away one by one. His strength was still a little lacking. To be on the safe side, without the Ice Heart Pill and the Vein Protection Pill, it was best not to consume the strange fire to advance to the Burning Technique. He would
wait until Canaan Academy opened its doors for enrollment next month, then exchange the pills and beast fire for them, and directly advance the Burning Technique to the Profound Level.
Shaking his head to clear his mind, Xiao Ling walked out of the room and took a long breath: "First, I'll go inform the elders of the family of my plan. If I leave suddenly, it might cause more trouble." Xiao Ling didn't think any more and ran towards the place where Xiao Zhan was practicing.
When he arrived outside Xiao Zhan's practice room, he looked at the guards around and walked up to him.
"Hello, is the clan leader free now? I have something to discuss with him." Xiao Ling said to the guard.
The guard obviously knew Xiao Ling. When he heard that he wanted to talk to the clan leader, he said, "The clan leader is discussing something with several elders in the conference room. I'll take you in." He nodded to the guards around him and then walked inside. Seeing
this, Xiao Ling followed them. It happened that these people were all together, so it would be best to explain everything to them all at once.
After a while, they arrived at a spacious hall. The guard exchanged a few words with the guard at the door before addressing Xiao Ling, "You hold a special position in the family. The clan leader previously said you could go in directly if you need anything. Please go in through the side door."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling couldn't help but sigh: talent in the Xiao family means you can do whatever you want. He nodded, opened the side door, and entered the meeting hall.
As soon as he entered, he saw the Great Elder pointing at Xiao Zhan's nose and yelling.
"Xiao Zhan, will you teach your son? Xiao Yan went to peek at my granddaughter bathing. If my Xiao Yu hadn't discovered it sooner, who knows how many other women in the family would have been peeped at. As the young clan leader, how shameless of you! It's truly shameful!"
Seeing this, Xiao Ling muttered to himself, "So Xiao Yan's peeping has gotten out, and they're arguing here."
Xiao Ling looked over, but Xiao Zhan appeared nonchalant, unconcerned with the Great Elder's accusations, even sipping from a cup of fragrant tea.
Seeing this, Xiao Ling's lips twitched, and he thought, "Is this what it means to be so confident when you're talented? I wonder if Xiao Yan will still be so calm when he becomes a worthless person."
Several elders, upon seeing someone enter, turned their gazes. Seeing it was Xiao Ling, the indifference on their faces vanished, and they all wore kind smiles.
Seeing their attention shifted to him, Xiao Ling quickly stepped forward and bowed, "Clan leader, three elders."
"No need for formalities. Sit down and talk. What brings you here? I heard you just broke through to the Douzhe level. Do you need any guidance on your cultivation?" the eldest elder spoke first.
The others also looked at Xiao Ling with inquiring eyes. They all knew that he had broken through to the Douzhe Pavilion. They were also very concerned about the clan's first genius breaking through to the Douzhe level.
As soon as Xiao Ling sat down, he greeted the elders, but the age difference was significant. He had only lived for a little over twenty years in his two lifetimes combined, so the conversation felt awkward after just a few words. He got straight to the point: "I've reached the Fighter level now, and the Xiao family can only offer me limited assistance. I plan to enroll in Canaan College as soon as the admissions team arrives."
The elders exchanged glances, unsure how to respond. They understood that a talent like Xiao Ling would be wasted within the Xiao family, but they hadn't expected him to leave so soon. If someone from another faction had tried to convince him, Xiao Ling might not even come. But there was no stopping him.
It was Xiao Zhan who spoke first, "You're still young. You can cultivate at home for a few more years. It's not too late to go out later."
Xiao Ling, understanding their concerns, replied, "I'm still young, and now is the time to endure hardships. I also want to quickly improve my cultivation and become the most powerful person on the continent. Don't worry, I'll never forget the kindness the Xiao family has shown me."
The elders breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the clan's genius wasn't abducted, they could remember their family.
At this moment, Xiao Zhan spoke again, "The Yunlan Sect will hold a disciple recruitment convention in a month. You can attend the selection ceremony. With your talent, you'll definitely be a key member of the sect. Perhaps Sect Master Yunyun will even accept you as a personal disciple."
After hearing this, Xiao Ling felt a drop of sweat drip down his forehead. He muttered to himself, "Xiao Zhan, you're truly despicable! Are you afraid I won't die soon enough? What, are you also thinking about this?" In reality, Xiao Ling understood that the Yunlan Sect and the Xiao family weren't that far apart, so he could look after the family. Canaan Academy was in the Black Horn Region, making it difficult to communicate with the Xiao family.
Of course, the Yunlan Sect's bizarre affairs couldn't be revealed, at least not right now. He could only explain it this way:
"Canaan Academy has a strong faculty. I think being a student is just as rewarding as being a disciple of the Yunlan Sect. Perhaps, with my talent, a Dou Zong master might even accept me as a disciple."
With a smile, Xiao Ling even cracked a small joke.
The elders exchanged a glance and sighed,
"Then it's your choice. Don't forget the Xiao family."
The eldest elder produced a black card and handed it to Xiao Ling, smiling. "Here's some pocket money for you. It contains fifty thousand gold coins. Don't make it hard on yourself when you're away from home."
Touched, Xiao Ling accepted the card and nodded slightly. While fifty thousand wasn't much, it was certainly a considerable sum for the Xiao family.
"Thank you, Clan Leader, and the elders. Xiao Ling will now take his leave." He bowed and left the meeting room.
On his way back to his room, he reflected on the past four years. He was not a plant, so how could he be so heartless? He couldn't help but sigh, "I, a stranger in a foreign land, have concerns. Regardless, I'll help with the Soul Clan's affairs if I can. We can't expect the family to be left with only a few young men like in the original novel."
Back inside, he lay down on his bed, clearing his mind. He felt a wave of fatigue wash over him, and fell into a deep sleep.
(End of Chapter)