Chapter 13: Hun Xuzi's Promise
Psshht~
In the dense forest between the mountains, a golden flame blade silently swept through a patch of thick thorn bushes. Everything in its path was cleanly severed before vanishing into a shadow. Blood splattered as a three-meter-long green serpent twisted in its death throes before going still.
Whoosh!
A swift figure darted through the forest, moving effortlessly past brambles and bushes, landing steadily in front of the serpent a moment later.
"Tier 1 Earth Green Serpent. Poisonous. Excels at hiding using local plant life… too bad you were up against an alchemist."
Yao Yan murmured softly, then summoned the Blazing Flame Blade and deftly cleaved the snake's head to ensure it was truly dead.
Over the past three months, he'd had plenty of run-ins with magical beasts and had come to understand just how stubbornly they clung to life. Some even played dead, launching one last ambush when approached. That's why finishing the job was always the safest bet. And this principle applied not only to magical beasts—but to humans as well.
"No magic core…"
After dissecting the Earth Green Serpent and confirming there was no magic core, Yao Yan cut off a few pieces of meat and stored them in his ring. Then, circulating his Dou Qi, he used the Roaming Dragon Chant movement technique to leap into the distance.
In magical beast territory like this, the last thing one should do was linger. The scent of blood could easily attract carnivorous predators. He'd learned that lesson the hard way more than once. If not for his superior Dou Qi and sharp soul perception, he would've called for help from Yao Nong long ago.
But after three months of tempering, he had grown significantly. Most notably, he had recovered his strength to the level of a six-star Dou Practitioner.
This cultivation speed far surpassed what he had achieved in Danding City. The reason, of course, was the repeated depletion and recovery of his Dou Qi. The cycle of exertion and restoration accelerated his training, while also sharpening his control over Dou Qi.
There was a reason Hun Xuzi had sent him to the Shennong Mountains.
While the Dou Qi Gathering stage was about tempering one's body, the Dou Practitioner stage was about mastering one's Dou Qi. Seclusion alone wasn't enough for beginners like Yao Yan—only through personal experience could one truly learn to fight with Dou Qi.
If nothing else, mastering three Dou Techniques in just three months would've been impossible in closed-door cultivation.
…
Yao Yan reached a waterfall and scanned the surroundings with his soul force before slipping behind the cascading water. After his incident with the wolf pack, he had relocated here, using the crashing water to mask his presence. Even the fluctuations of his cultivation were hidden beneath the roar.
The cave behind the waterfall was one he had dug himself. Over several expansions, it had become fully livable—even complete with a bathing tub.
He pulled out several bottles of medicinal powder from his ring and poured them into the tub. Then, using water from the waterfall, he filled it. Finally, he leapt in, surrounding himself with the Illusory Gold Flame. In an instant, the powerful heat brought the black-red medicinal liquid to a boil. The pungent aroma filled the air as the potent mixture surged into his limbs, numbing his muscles and bones.
This formula had been prepared by Yao Nong. It helped repair the body and accelerated cultivation. Many of the ingredients were rare treasures.
The age-old saying remained true: "Scholarship is for the poor, martial arts are for the rich."
Even in the Dou Qi Continent, resources were everything.
Without ample pills and elixirs, there was no way Yao Yan could have maintained such a pace. Especially since he was cultivating the Three Flower Gathering Flame Art, a foundational technique so difficult that even most Yao Clan members didn't dare attempt it. But for the sake of his future, he had to stick with it.
If the path Yao Chen walked could be taken, then with Yao Yan's talent, he had no excuse not to follow it.
He closed his eyes and immersed himself in cultivation.
Heaven and earth energy gathered around him. He could feel his Dou Qi vortex growing more refined, its color darkening—approaching the liquid phase. Meanwhile, faint wisps of spiritual energy seeped into his body and soul. Compared to Dou Qi, absorbing spiritual energy was a far stranger and more mysterious experience.
He even sensed his Soul Devouring bloodline stirring—spiritual energy seemed to share some resonance with it, though the two energies weren't quite compatible.
Buzz~
Suddenly, Yao Yan's ring flashed with dark light. A jade token rose, wrapped in black flame. A moment later, a figure with no energy fluctuations appeared midair. Red light glowed from its eyes, black flame swirling around its body—a sinister, eerie presence.
It was a soul projection of Hun Xuzi.
He didn't interrupt Yao Yan's cultivation. He simply watched silently. With his soul force, he could clearly detect the changes in Yao Yan's body.
"Is that spiritual energy?"
Hun Xuzi raised his hand and summoned a strand of energy. His black flame rippled as he captured a wisp of spiritual force. He looked at Yao Yan with some surprise. Spiritual energy was something that only Tier 7 alchemists could begin to access. Yet this boy was already absorbing it naturally—more than that, he was compatible with it.
Was it due to his Dou Emperor bloodline? Or the Soul Devouring bloodline?
"Looks like this little brat has a real gift for alchemy."
Hun Xuzi muttered to himself. Originally, he had only valued Yao Yan's Soul Devouring potential. But now, he was starting to consider developing his alchemy skills too. If Yao Yan could one day become a Tier 9 Grandmaster, it would greatly aid the Soul Clan's final plans.
When it came to alchemy, the Soul Clan was no match for the Yao Clan's natural talent—not even Hun Xuzi could deny that.
In the past thousand years, Hun Xuzi was the only one in the Soul Clan to reach Tier 9.
He had tried to train other Soul Clan disciples, but most failed. Reaching Tier 8 was already their limit. Tier 9? They didn't even qualify to attempt it.
As the last of the medicinal energy was absorbed, Yao Yan opened his eyes and ended his cultivation.
In a place like the Shennong Mountains, he didn't dare immerse himself in training for too long—too many things could go wrong.
But this time, there was a pleasant surprise waiting when he opened his eyes.
"Teacher."
Seeing the familiar figure shrouded in black flame, Yao Yan smiled in greeting.
The mask he wore had been on so long it had become second nature.
His reaction was almost reflexive now.
Hun Xuzi nodded, clearly pleased with Yao Yan's progress. His tone was unusually warm: "Not bad. You've improved quickly. The Yao Clan's Three Flower Gathering Flame Art suits you well. Once you reach Dou King, I'll prepare a new technique for you. The Soul Clan has no shortage of Heaven-rank techniques."
Yao Yan didn't doubt this. If anyone was rich, it was the Soul Clan. After all, they ran Soul Hall—basically a legalized bandit den. If they wanted something, they just stole it.
"Besides that, I'll also prepare a heavenly flame for you. I'm sure you've sensed it already—this flame is ranked second on the Heavenly Flame List: Void Devouring Flame. While this isn't the true origin flame, just the subflame, its power still ranks top five. Even as a subflame, it's vastly superior to most heavenly flames. Its unique properties are perfectly compatible with your Soul Devouring bloodline."
"Thank you, teacher!"
Yao Yan immediately stood and bowed, his eyes filled with excitement. Internally, however, he remained calm—because he knew Void Devouring Flame was a trap. Without the Flame Mantra, it was best not to touch it. Otherwise, facing the true Void Devouring Flame, he wouldn't even have time to resist—it would turn him into a puppet on the spot.
In the original story, Void Devouring Flame did exactly that—many Soul Clan elites were infected with its subflames, becoming its puppets.
This was no different from the techniques used by the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame.
No wonder those two heavenly flames were like cursed brothers, both born from the Dou Emperor's tomb—and both masters at turning people into slaves.
(END CHAPTER)
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