Flame Mantra

Outside the family hall, the autumn wind swept up fallen leaves, carrying wave after wave of withered rustling. As they listened to this lifeless song of ending, the family hall itself was terrifyingly silent.

"Ge Ye Deacon." A familiar figure arrived before him, and that gentle voice rang out once more.

Ge Ye looked at the sword pressed against his brow, then saw the figure's true face. An extremely ominous feeling rose in his heart.

"Master." Sure enough, the moment Xiao Yan called out, Ge Ye's heart turned cold.

Only a monster like the Second Elder could teach a genius like Xiao Yan. Master and disciple were both equally freakish.

"I heard that Young Sect Master Yanran once had an engagement with my disciple. Ge Ye Deacon, you seem so aggressive—could there be some problem with the engagement?" Zhang Tian wore a bright smile, as though he were merely talking about children squabbling.

"There was... a little conflict..." Unable to fathom Zhang Tian's thoughts, Ge Ye could only force himself to follow his words. The more he spoke, the more his tongue trembled, while cold sweat continuously dripped from his forehead.

"Master, Mister Ge Ye came to annul the engagement." Xiao Yan's expression remained calm, as if he were not involved at all. He was incomparably composed.

"Th-this has nothing to do with me... Sect Master Yun Yun arranged it. This old man is only here to run an errand..." Ge Ye hated Xiao Yan to the bone, but fear outweighed even that. Setting aside Zhang Tian's status as Second Elder, his Dou Wang strength alone, with the gap of two major realms between them, left Ge Ye without even the slightest thought of resisting.

"When did the marriage between my disciple and the sect master's disciple become something a mere deacon like you could point fingers at?"

Ge Ye's entire body went cold, but Nalan Yanran spoke up at that moment, making Ge Ye feel as though he had grasped a lifeline.

"Second Elder, Yanran did not give this enough thought. But this was all Yanran's idea and has nothing to do with Deacon Ge." Though Nalan Yanran was young, every word and movement of hers was appropriately measured. She had clearly adapted to her status as the Young Sect Master of the Yun Lan Sect, and she did not show the slightest fear before Zhang Tian.

"Nalan girl, who gave you the nerve to place yourself on equal footing with me?" Zhang Tian said in a deep voice. His faint anger alone made everyone present catch their breath, as though a boulder weighed upon their chests.

"Your master and I are of the same generation. Before me, you must refer to yourself as a disciple—nothing more. Your other identities are worthless before me. Even Nalan Jie is nothing worth mentioning."

Nalan Yanran might have been an immature young girl, but she was far too self-centered.

Dominating. Unyielding.

He rejected Nalan Yanran's attempt to negotiate without the slightest hesitation. She was merely a Three-Star Dou Zhe; even in terms of seniority, they were worlds apart.

"Whatever Xiao Yan says today is what I say. I will bear today's matter for him." Zhang Tian spoke slowly and heavily, ensuring that every word entered everyone's ears.

"Xiao Yan, what do you say?"

Standing beside Zhang Tian, Xiao Yan watched the scene with excitement and longing in his eyes. Hearing Zhang Tian question him, his gaze shifted slightly.

"The engagement can be annulled, but I, Xiao Yan, must personally go to the Nalan Family to annul it. From this day forward, there will be no ties between us." Xiao Yan refused to yield an inch, displaying the bearing and ambition that belonged to the future Yan Di.

Zhang Tian was deeply gratified by Xiao Yan's drive. Only with such resolve could one press forward without fear. Otherwise, let alone devouring Heavenly Flames, the most ferocious things in heaven and earth, even ordinary cultivation would breed inner demons and lead to eternal ruin.

"...Second Elder... the Third Young Master said that if the engagement is to be annulled, Sect Master Yun Yun must come here personally." Enduring the agony, Ge Ye opened his mouth wide and barely managed to speak in a soft voice.

"Uh." Nalan Yanran's expression stiffened. Her hand, which had been supporting Ge Ye, involuntarily loosened, and she quietly stepped back twice. Mo Cheng, standing nearby, also hurriedly retreated several steps, widening the distance between himself and Ge Ye.

This old man was courting death.

"Cough, cough, cough." Zhang Tian felt a surge of stuffiness in his chest and nearly choked. His old face darkened.

Yun Yun herself? If you were so damn impressive, why didn't you ask Hun Tiandi to personally come snatch your Tou She Ancient God Jade?

He cursed Xiao Yan countless times in his heart. As things stood, he really could not beat that crazy woman Yun Yun.

With an ugly expression, Zhang Tian formed an incomparably profound hand seal. Blue Dou Qi surged forth.

"First Form of the Vast Sea Seal: Wave Splitting Seal." A half-meter-wide blue seal shot toward Ge Ye.

Crack! Along with a crisp sound of bones breaking, Ge Ye was sent flying.

In any case, Ge Ye was carried back to the Yun Lan Sect in the end.

"Nalan Yanran, today you came to the Xiao Family to annul this engagement. One day, Xiao Yan will surely come calling. For Old Master Nalan's sake, Xiao Yan offers you this warning: do not bully the poor youth!" Watching Ge Ye and Zhang Tian leave one after another, Xiao Yan took a deep breath and spoke to Nalan Yanran in a low voice, each word firm and resounding.

Nalan Yanran was confused. She truly could not understand this extraordinarily gifted youth. Confident, yet not arrogant; steady, yet not cowardly.

She lightly bit her pearly teeth, but still could not bring herself to lower her pride. With a cold snort, she turned and left the Xiao Family.

The sun was already close to setting that afternoon when Yao Lao slowly emerged from Xiao Yan's ring. Looking at the empty surroundings, he sighed.

Xiao Yan gazed at Yao Lao eagerly. Aside from reaching Three-Star Dou Zhe after refining the Marrow Cleansing Rebirth Pill eight months ago, he had actually only broken through four minor realms in those eight months, advancing four stars. Such speed might have been fast for ordinary people, but for Xiao Yan's original talent, it was nothing remarkable.

After advancing to the Dou Zhe realm, one's speed of absorbing and refining Dou Qi would increase greatly. In ordinary times, one might not even break through a single stage of Dou Qi in a year, yet after becoming a Dou Zhe, one could potentially rise several stars in a single year.

For Xiao Yan, with abundant resources and the assistance of a Rank 8 Alchemist, advancing only four stars in a year was indeed too slow. The main reason was that Xiao Yan had not yet learned a cultivation technique. A good cultivation technique was of vital importance to cultivation.

Yao Lao had previously promised to teach him a decent cultivation technique, which was why the matter had been delayed until now.

Looking at the young Xiao Yan before him, Yao Lao could not help but think of another disciple from his past—Han Feng.

Han Feng had been picked up and brought home by him as a child. Yao Lao had taught him as though he were his own son, holding nothing back.

Yet for the sake of this Flame Mantra, Han Feng had actually joined hands with people from the Soul Hall, making a deal with a tiger. He had caused Yao Lao's death and the destruction of his soul, nearly scattering even his remaining spirit, leaving only this tiny remnant soul hidden away in the small city of Wu Tan City.

To be harmed by the child he had raised, to fall from the Medicine Venerable renowned across the continent into a pitiable remnant soul with no one by his side—who could understand such bitterness and such violent ups and downs?

It was because of Han Feng that Yao Lao had hesitated for so long. But after delaying for this long, he could not put it off any further.

Xiao Yan had already reached Seven-Star Dou Zhe and would soon become a Dou Shi. Once he became a Dou Shi, he would completely lose the qualification to cultivate the Flame Mantra.

Looking at Xiao Yan, who was staring at him eagerly, Yao Lao sighed softly in his heart. So be it. This child did not seem like he would become another Han Feng.

For the sake of this Flame Mantra, he had fallen into such a state and ruined his entire life. Now that he was alone, there was no point in continuing to hide it so carefully.

"You have now broken through to Seven-Star Dou Zhe and may begin cultivating the Flame Mantra."

Under Xiao Yan's expectant gaze, Yao Lao spoke slowly. Once he finished, it seemed that he had finally put down a heavy part of his past.

"This is a strange cultivation method I obtained while traveling the continent in my younger days. It's called the Flame Mantra. Take it and see whether you can cultivate it." He had already made up his mind—if Xiao Yan lacked the talent to cultivate the Flame Mantra, he would give him an Earth Rank Cultivation Method instead. He would never allow him to become an ordinary person.

Only now did Yao Lao truly regard Xiao Yan as his disciple, rather than merely a bargaining chip for bickering with Zhang Tian.

"Flame Mantra?" Xiao Yan accepted the book. Even Yao Lao could not copy or transcribe the Flame Mantra, so it had always been preserved within this yellowed old book.

"Teacher, is this a Heaven Rank Dou Technique?" Xiao Yan rubbed his hands together. Only in front of his two teachers would he show such a goofy side.

"Get lost. Even your master hasn't learned a Heaven Rank Technique." Yao Lao's face darkened as he cursed inwardly. This Xiao Yan was definitely going to become the next Han Feng!

He snapped irritably.

"Heaven Rank Techniques haven't appeared in centuries, and you're asking about a Heaven Rank Technique?"

But then he seemed to recall something and let out a wicked chuckle.

"Though this cultivation method of mine isn't Heaven Rank, it's even stranger than a Heaven Rank Technique."

"Stranger than a Heaven Rank Technique?" Xiao Yan's eyes lit up, but he was no longer a three-year-old child. He asked warily, "Then what rank is it?"

"Yellow Rank Low Level."

"What?"

Xiao Yan was a little stunned. After all that, you're giving me a Yellow Rank Low Level cultivation method? Are you messing with me? Uncle Pei En had guarded the gate for decades, and even he cultivated a Yellow Rank Middle Level Cultivation Method.

"The strangest thing about it is that this cultivation method can evolve." Yao Lao smiled mysteriously, wearing an expression that said, believe it or not.

"How do you know it can evolve? Have you cultivated it? Has anyone else cultivated it?" Xiao Yan was extremely skeptical.

"No. That's what the book says."

Two hours later, Xiao Yan had learned the Flame Mantra. Faint Fire Attribute Dou Qi surfaced in his palm, and even the color of his Dou Qi had been dyed a pale red.

Elsewhere, Zhang Tian, who was cultivating in seclusion within the Yun Lan Sect, felt his mind jolt. His sea of soul churned endlessly, while the Dou Di Space trembled faintly.

Opening his eyes, Zhang Tian accepted the inheritance in his mind and only then understood what cultivation method it was.

A strange look appeared on his face. It was actually that person's inheritance.