"Brother Bai, check this out!"
Xiao Yan, as if struck by a sudden thought, rummaged in his storage ring and pulled out a cracked jade slip, waving it smugly before Xiao Bai's eyes. "Know what this is?"
Xiao Bai's gaze sharpened, a guess forming. That afternoon, he'd gone looking for it himself, only to find this kid had beaten him to it.
His soul force swept over the jade, and moments later, a surge of scorching heat washed over him.
"A jade slip from the Burning Flame Valley," he said.
"…" Xiao Yan.
"How do you know everything?" Xiao Yan grumbled, rolling his eyes in frustration at Xiao Bai's unruffled expression. He'd hoped to show off, but Xiao Bai had pinpointed its origin in one breath, matching Yao Lao's explanation exactly.
"Little Yan, I told you this kid's full of secrets. He might recognize it, but you just had to flaunt it!" Yao Lao chuckled.
"Your luck's not bad. One trip out, and you score big, even snagging something from the Burning Flame Valley," Xiao Bai said with a smile.
He was only curious about the slip's contents, wanting to broaden his knowledge. As for cultivating it, he had little interest.
"Brother Bai, you know about the Burning Flame Valley? Teacher said it's a force no weaker than Yun Lan Sect, specializing in fire techniques and aggressive combat. Is that true?" Xiao Yan's eyes sparkled with curiosity, eager to learn about the wider world.
Xiao Bai shot a speechless glance at the ring on Xiao Yan's hand. That old geezer really looks down on the Burning Flame Valley, comparing it to Yun Lan Sect.
In the Central Plain, among the prominent factions, aside from the One Tower, One Hall, and the enigmatic Sound Valley, the Burning Flame Valley had the deepest foundation, with a Dou Sheng still alive.
"Don't look at me like that. The Burning Flame Valley is no weaker than Yun Lan Sect. Did I say anything wrong?" Yao Lao declared boldly.
Back then, he'd asked that stubborn old man Yan Huo to borrow a secret technique, only to be refused. Praise the Burning Flame Valley? Not a chance!
"Whatever makes you happy," Xiao Bai said, shaking his head, puzzled by Yao Lao's gritted-teeth tone but unwilling to pry. He turned to the curious Xiao Yan, sighing, "Your teacher's not wrong. The Burning Flame Valley is a major force. How major? You'll find out in time. But they've got two famous things that suit you well."
"What things?" Xiao Yan's eyes lit up, thrilled at the prospect of unexpected gains, though he wondered why his teacher hadn't mentioned them.
"…" Yao Lao. What's the point of mentioning what we can't get?
"The Nine Dragon Lightning Flame, ranked twelfth, and… a secret technique," Xiao Bai said, catching Xiao Yan's glance at the ring, his voice leisurely.
"A Heavenly Flame?!" Xiao Yan shot to his feet, his face alight with excitement, staring intently at Xiao Bai.
"Why so worked up? That's the Burning Flame Valley's inherited flame. It's been in their sect for centuries. You think no one's coveted the Nine Dragon Lightning Flame in all that time?" Yao Lao's voice cut in coolly.
The flame, silver in hue, shimmered with nine silver fire dragons weaving through it, their roars and draconic aura resounding. Though only ranked twelfth, its allure was undeniable.
Countless had schemed for it over the years, but the Burning Flame Valley guarded it fiercely, with countless safeguards. None had ever succeeded.
Xiao Yan's enthusiasm doused, he calmed down, understanding why his teacher had stayed silent. That flame was near impossible to obtain.
"Brother Bai, you might as well not have told me!" Xiao Yan said, his face bitter, heart aching. Learning of a Heavenly Flame only to know it was out of reach was torture.
"I told you so you'd focus on the secret technique, but your mind's all on the flame," Xiao Bai said, exasperated.
"Huh? Xiao Bai, you mean this jade slip…" Yao Lao's voice rose in surprise.
"Possibly," Xiao Bai nodded, eyeing the jade slip. "But don't get your hopes up. Knowing the habits of Central Plain dozen or so major factions, even if it's the real deal, it's likely incomplete."
"…" Yao Lao. Can this kid watch his mouth?
"Burn it with your Heavenly Flame," Xiao Bai said, waving a hand to set up a soul barrier around the room.
He knew Xiao Yan was showing off, but more importantly, he wanted help masking the Heavenly Flame's aura.
"Got it!" Xiao Yan didn't hesitate. Green flames erupted from his palm, enveloping the cracked black jade slip.
Time passed. The slip's smooth surface rippled like water, as if melting.
Suddenly, a blinding green light burst from the melting liquid, twisting in the air to form a shimmering screen.
"It really is!" Yao Lao's voice trembled, nearly yanking off his beard, his eyes blazing with excitement.
"Heavenly Fire Tree Mysterious Transformation!"
Hearing his teacher, Xiao Yan's heart skipped, his gaze sweeping the screen. From their earlier talk, he knew this was something extraordinary.
Xiao Bai frowned at the screen's bold characters, inwardly cursing the Burning Flame Valley's bastards. All that fanfare for what? Just an introduction.
After a while, under Yao Lao's guidance, Xiao Yan absorbed the jade's information, exclaiming, "This Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Transformation… what kind of genius could create something like this?"
Xiao Bai's gaze turned odd. When Xiao Xuan created this technique, he likely never imagined it would aid the Xiao family's resurgence.
The Heavenly Fire Triad Transformation was one of Xiao Yan's most critical opportunities, second only to the Burning Technique.
"Just as you predicted, Brother Bai. The technique has three layers, but this only has the first," Xiao Yan said, awed by Xiao Bai's accuracy, though tinged with regret.
"Heh, one layer's fine. I traded three Qi Recovery Pills for it—already a steal!" Xiao Yan grinned.
Xiao Bai dispelled the flame's aura and withdrew the soul barrier, shaking his head with a smile at Xiao Yan, who looked like a fox that had nabbed a chicken.
___
The night passed quietly.
The next few days slipped by.
Xiao Bai spent his time treating Na Lan Jie and searching for the Chu Yun Empire's Alchemist Guild vice president. But the man was disguised, and Xiao Bai, unfamiliar with his aura, had no luck.
Unfazed, Xiao Bai knew the man would reveal himself at the Alchemist Conference. He'd find him then.
"Phew."
Xiao Yan withdrew his hand from Na Lan Jie, exhaling deeply. Glancing at the unconscious elder, he recalled Na Lan Jie's pleas not to knock him out, shaking his head with a suppressed laugh.
He walked to the bored black-robed figure nearby, saying softly, "Brother Bai, his Branding Poison needs at most two more sessions to be fully cleared."
"Hm," Xiao Bai nodded, indifferent.
"Oh, tomorrow's the first round of the Alchemist Conference. You going?" Xiao Yan asked, as if suddenly remembering.
"Yeah," Xiao Bai said curtly. Of course he was going—he needed to track that guy down.
"Alright, tomorrow I'll show you that even without a Heavenly Flame, I can take those guys down!" Xiao Yan declared, brimming with confidence.
"Oh."
"Huh?" Xiao Yan blinked, sensing something off. Xiao Bai was unusually terse today. "Brother Bai, what's up? You seem down."
Xiao Bai shook his head, silent, a flicker of worry in his eyes.
By his calculations, Cai Lin should have arrived by now, but there was no word. Did something go wrong with the altar's ritual?
After pondering fruitlessly, Xiao Bai set the thought aside. If Cai Lin didn't show by tomorrow after he found that guy, he'd head to the Tagore Desert to check.
"Ugh, Young Friend Bai, can't I stay awake next time?" Na Lan Jie woke, grumbling. Being knocked out each time was miserable.
"At most two more sessions, and your Branding Poison will be gone. Don't come for the next two days—I'm busy," Xiao Bai said, ignoring the complaint.
"Is something troubling you, young friend? Rest assured, in the Jia Ma Empire, my word carries weight. If you need help, just say so!" Na Lan Jie said, anxious. So close to a cure, being stalled was unbearable.
"We're attending the Alchemist Conference. What, can the Na Lan family rig the championship?" Xiao Bai teased, noting Na Lan Jie's proud expression.
Tomorrow, Xiao Yan was competing, and Xiao Bai had his own target. No time for this.
"Er… that's beyond my reach," Na Lan Jie said, chuckling awkwardly before adding, "Young Friend Bai, Young Friend Yan Xiao, tonight the Na Lan family's hosting a banquet. Would you two honor us with your presence? Let me play the host."
"It's just young folks—plenty of common ground, I'm sure."
"Busy. Can't go," Xiao Bai said, shaking his head, utterly uninterested in a gathering of the Jia Ma Empire's second-generation elites.
"I need to rest for tomorrow's conference," Xiao Yan said, also declining as Na Lan Jie's gaze turned to him.
"…" Na Lan Jie.
With his status, few in the Jia Ma Empire would refuse his personal invitation. Yet these two gave him no face at all.
Na Lan Jie left, crestfallen.
___
Xiao Bai returned to the courtyard.
There, a small figure sat on the steps, chin in hands, big eyes staring blankly, lost in thought.
"Zi Yan, what are you doing sitting here?" Xiao Bai walked over, sitting beside her and patting her ponytail gently.
"Xiao Bai, you're back!" Zi Yan's dark eyes crinkled into a smile. "I'm waiting for you, of course!"
"Waiting for what?" Xiao Bai asked, puzzled. He'd been busy lately and hadn't kept tabs on her. This girl had been off playing who-knows-where.
"Someone invited me to a banquet! I wanted to ask if I could go," Zi Yan said, her big eyes gleaming with excitement. No one had ever invited her before!
At Jia Nan Academy, people treated her like a walking disaster, avoiding her at all costs. Who'd invite her to a party?
"Who invited you?" Xiao Bai asked, surprised.
"That Na Lan Yan Ran! She even gave me an invitation!" Zi Yan flicked her hand, producing a gilded, ornate card, waving it at him.
Tapping her chin, she added, "Oh, she said you'd be going too!"
"…" Xiao Bai.
"You want to go?" he asked after a moment.
"Yeah! I've never been to a banquet before!" Zi Yan blinked, brimming with curiosity.
"Then go. Ya Fei's probably attending—stick with her. Don't cause trouble, but if anyone messes with you, don't hold back. Use your fists," Xiao Bai said, patting her head warmly.
"You're not going?" Zi Yan tilted her head, looking at him.
"Nah," Xiao Bai said, waving a hand as he stood and walked into the courtyard.
"Then… I won't go either!" Zi Yan watched his retreating figure, glancing at the invitation with reluctance before tucking it away.
___
Dusk.
Watching the big and small figures leave, Xiao Bai shook his head.
Zi Yan thought he was skipping the banquet due to some grudge with the Na Lan family and wanted to stand by him.
Back in his room, Xiao Bai took a handwritten booklet from his storage ring. Looking at the crooked handwriting, he felt both exasperated and touched.
This was Xiao Yan's compilation of the Heavenly Fire Three Mysterious Change, painstakingly written over several nights for him.
He flipped through it quietly. Created by a peak Dou Sheng, even just the first layer offered insights that might spark new ideas.
Xiao Xuan, a peerless talent of his era, was trapped by the Dou Qi Continent's lack of origin qi. Had he lived a thousand years, he might've shone in the Great Thousand Worlds, a true hegemon.
Xiao Bai felt a pang of regret for such a figure's fall.
Setting aside his thoughts, he studied the booklet intently, sometimes frowning, sometimes delighted.
Inspecting his dantian, he felt a twinge of regret. If his thunder seeds hadn't fully merged and balanced, he might've tried creating a "Thunder Transformation."
Lost in focus, time slipped away.
Suddenly, the moon hung high.
Xiao Bai's head snapped up, looking toward a certain part of the city.
"Tch, that old geezer—what's he doing, unleashing his aura in the middle of the night?" Hai Bo Dong's voice sounded nearby.
"The royal family's Dou Huang, right?" Xiao Bai said without turning. He'd sensed Hai Bo Dong's arrival.
"Yep, Jia Xing Tian, the royal family's old monster," Hai Bo Dong said, sitting beside Xiao Bai with a grin. "Looks like he's heading to the Na Lan family. Not sure if it's because of Yun Lan Sect, but the royals and—huh?"
Hai Bo Dong's words cut off as he blinked, realizing no one was there—just a fading afterimage.
____
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