"Tian Ge, is there a fight brewing? Take me along—I'll hurl a Fire Lotus right into their faces!" Xiao Yan slapped his chest with a broad, eager grin.
Under Yao Lao's strict tutelage, the speed and precision with which Xiao Yan formed his signature Fire Lotus had improved dramatically.
"With Xiao Jietian's current strength, in the vast Central Plains, only those ancient monsters hidden in the deepest corners could possibly match him. If even he cannot prevail, what could you possibly do?" Yao Lao rapped his disciple sharply on the crown of the head.
"Hehe, even if I can't beat them, I'll at least take a bite out of someone!" Xiao Yan scratched the back of his head and laughed shamelessly.
"Very well. The next time there is a worthy battle, I will certainly call for you," Xiao Jietian said, reaching out to pat Xiao Yan's shoulder.
"Enough jesting. Let us speak of serious matters."
"I have come this time to deliver something into your hands. How you choose to employ it is yours to decide."
With those words, Xiao Jietian flicked his sleeve.
A figure tumbled out of empty space and landed heavily before Xiao Yan, startling him so badly he nearly leapt backward.
"Tian Ge! You actually used a corpse to ambush me? That's hardly honorable!"
Yao Lao, however, leaned forward with narrowed eyes. He studied the battered body carefully, brows furrowing in concentration. After a long moment he raised his gaze to Xiao Jietian.
"Old Freak Zhaixing?"
"Precisely," Xiao Jietian confirmed with a nod.
"It would seem the Hall of Souls is preparing to act in earnest," Yao Lao murmured, stroking his beard. For Xiao Jietian to encounter a Heavenly Venerate of the Hall of Souls meant the organization had deliberately sought him out. Heavenly Venerates typically remained stationed at their branch halls and rarely ventured forth unless the matter was of utmost importance.
"Wait—wait, what are the two of you talking about?" Xiao Yan looked back and forth between them, utterly lost.
Yao Lao patiently explained the hierarchy and might of the Hall of Souls to his bewildered disciple.
When he finished, Xiao Yan finally understood.
In the Central Plains, a Dou Zun—provided no Dou Sheng appeared—was already a ceiling-level existence, capable of lording over vast territories.
And now such a figure lay cold and lifeless before him.
"Then… Tian Ge, why did you bring out this corpse?" Xiao Yan asked, staring at the miserable remains of Old Freak Zhaixing. A guess had already formed in his mind.
"Is this not precisely what you require at present?" Xiao Jietian replied with a faint smile, turning his gaze toward Yao Lao.
"You, young man, are truly enigmatic. It seems you know far more than I ever imagined," Yao Lao said, giving Xiao Jietian a long, searching look.
"I merely stumbled upon a little inside information," Xiao Jietian said with a soft chuckle. Then he continued, "However, if the purpose is to refine a body, I do not recommend acting too hastily. Ancient ruins will soon emerge. There are certain items within them that may be used at that time—items that could very well help Yao Lao advance another step."
The moment those words fell, Yao Lao's pupils contracted sharply. The hand hidden within his sleeve clenched into a tight fist.
In his prime he had stood at the peak of Nine Revolutions Dou Zun. To advance another step… meant stepping into the Half-Saint realm—a boundary that had trapped countless geniuses across the ages.
Xiao Yan, meanwhile, stared at the corpse before him with shining eyes, as though beholding a priceless treasure.
"Teacher, let us keep this for you. For me to use it to refine a puppet would be a complete waste," he said earnestly, turning to Yao Lao.
Moreover, even if he attempted to forge a puppet with it, his current resources would be insufficient; the result would likely be mediocre at best. But for Yao Lao's resurrection, this body would serve far more effectively.
Whether it would ultimately be used remained to be seen.
At that moment Yao Lao glanced at his disciple. A warm relief flickered through his heart.
He had not misjudged the boy after all.
In this instant he silently made a secret resolution—one that had long been his deepest hope.
Xiao Jietian watched Xiao Yan carefully restoring Old Freak Zhaixing's disfigured features. He drifted to Yao Lao's side.
"This time, you did not misjudge him, did you?"
Yao Lao looked once more at Xiao Yan. A trace of gratification softened his gaze.
"Yes… and no."
"Oh?" Xiao Jietian raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
"This time I did not misjudge him. But I did misjudge you."
"Me?" Xiao Jietian pointed to himself.
"Indeed." Yao Lao's eyes fixed upon him. "When I resided within the storage ring, I once sensed your presence among the others. At that time, I judged your talent to be…"
"So-so, right?" Xiao Jietian spread his hands with a rueful smile.
He had long since realized that his innate talent was far inferior to Xiao Yan's. Thus he had chosen a different path—one of borrowing strength and clinging to greater figures.
"Precisely. That is why I chose Xiao Yan," Yao Lao continued. His gaze grew deeper. "Yet when I awoke once more, your body had clearly been transformed by some extraordinary fortune. To the point that even I could not see through a single layer of it."
Hearing this, Xiao Jietian thought to himself: I am one sheltered by my system daddy. When traversing worlds, it all comes down to the system.
Xiao Yan: Don't you dare start bragging!
"I was fortunate enough to inherit certain opportunities left behind by my ancestors," Xiao Jietian said aloud, employing the perfect shield every Dou Po transmigrator relied upon—Xiao Xuan.
After all, Xiao Xuan was publicly acknowledged as the most talented genius among the Eight Ancient Clans. Using him as cover was both legitimate and impeccable.
"Teacher, it's all prepared," Xiao Yan said, stepping before the two of them. Then he turned to Xiao Jietian with sincere gratitude. "Tian Ge, thank you!"
"We are brothers. There is no need for such formality. Greatness requires no words!" Xiao Jietian waved a hand dismissively. "Since the matter is settled, allow me to share the other two pieces of news."
Xiao Yan immediately tilted his head, leaning his ear close to Xiao Jietian. Yao Lao, standing to the side, also looked on with keen interest.
"Enough, enough—stop! Your ear is practically inside my mouth!" Xiao Jietian, exasperated, slapped Xiao Yan lightly on the head.
Xiao Yan shrank back sheepishly, scratching his scalp in embarrassment.
Yao Lao watched the two bicker with a faint, nostalgic smile. His thoughts drifted to his old friend—wondering how he fared these days.
"The first piece of news concerns different flames. I presume Yao Lao has already told you that in the Central Plains, most different flames are controlled or inherited by the major powers?"
Xiao Yan nodded silently. With Yao Lao guiding him, he was no longer the aimless youth of the original tale. He looked at Xiao Jietian with eager anticipation.
"Could it be… Tian Ge, you've discovered a wild different flame?"
"Indeed there is one—and it is the very flame you have the greatest chance of obtaining."
"What kind of different flame?" Xiao Yan licked his lips excitedly, eyes blazing with yearning.
Xiao Jietian spoke slowly, enunciating each word clearly:
"Three Thousand Burning Flame."
"Three Thousand Burning Flame?"
Xiao Yan froze for a heartbeat. Then a fervent light exploded within his dark pupils.
Under Yao Lao's patient instruction, he already knew every detail concerning the different flames.
The Three Thousand Burning Flame—also known as the Three Thousand Starry Sky Yan Flame—ranked ninth upon the Strange Fire Ranking. Two full places above the Bone Chilling Flame held by his teacher.
What stirred Xiao Yan most deeply was not its lofty rank, but its unique ability.
The Three Thousand Burning Flame granted its master an extraordinarily tenacious life force.
Strong vitality meant that so long as a single breath remained, one could recover and rise again—lively and vigorous once more. The speed of that recovery depended solely upon the severity of the wound.
This was precisely the ability Xiao Yan craved most.
He loved close-quarters combat and hurling Fire Lotuses with reckless abandon—acts that usually left him gravely injured. With such a flame, he could fight without fear of death.