Refining the Purple Flame

When Zhang Tian arrived at the cave dwelling, he found Yao Lao standing guard at the entrance to the Lion King Cave. Zhang Tian moved a little closer.

"Injured?" Yao Lao looked at the wounds on Zhang Tian's body, frowned, and tossed him a bottle of pills.

Zhang Tian opened the jade bottle and saw that it was filled entirely with Flesh Regeneration Bone Growth Pills.

"Fifth Rank Pills." Zhang Tian was slightly startled and inwardly marveled at Yao Lao's generosity. Fifth Rank Pills were more than ten times as precious as Fifth Order Magic Cores, yet the bottle Yao Lao casually tossed over contained nearly twenty pills. It would probably shame Gu He to death, considering he only produced three to five pills each time he refined a batch.

No wonder they said alchemists were the richest people on the continent. Zhang Tian had given Yao Lao quite a few resources, so they did not live as miserably as they had in the Original Work. At the very least, Xiao Yan never lacked pills.

If Yao Lao had not wanted to temper Xiao Yan, Xiao Yan could have become the richest man in the Gama Empire just by selling pills.

Putting away the jade bottle, Zhang Tian nodded.

"My Dou Qi consumption wasn't too severe, but the Lion King fought desperately and managed to injure me a little. Magical beasts truly are favored by nature."

A faint smile appeared on Yao Lao's face.

"Of course. It would be strange if you had emerged completely uninjured. Although magical beasts possess powerful bodies, they often need hundreds or even thousands of years to mature. It is a trade-off of sorts."

Then, a trace of amazement appeared on his aged face.

"But even after such an intense battle, you have barely consumed any Dou Qi. That is truly terrifying, little monster. Don't tell me you cultivate a Heaven Rank Technique?"

"Not at all. What I cultivate is not a Heaven Rank Technique. After all, Heaven Rank Techniques have vanished for centuries." Zhang Tian smiled awkwardly. Speaking with Yao Lao was still rather stressful; it was pressure stemming from the gap in Soul Power.

The stronger Zhang Tian became, the more clearly he could sense it. After all, Yao Lao's current soul form made it difficult for him to control the Soul Power fluctuations spilling from his body.

"But reaching Dou Zong should be soon. Probably within the next year or two."

Yao Lao's eyes widened. After a long while, he shook his head and sighed.

"Monster. You really are a monster. Don't tell me you truly obtained a Heaven Rank Technique? Let this old man have a look—I've never seen one before."

It was no wonder Yao Lao was so shocked. From a One-Star Dou Emperor to Dou Zong was a full nine stars, meaning Zhang Tian would have to advance by one star every month or two.

"Why do I feel like your cultivation has been getting faster and faster lately?" Yao Lao floated around Zhang Tian twice. Though he did not use his Soul Power to scan him without permission, he still wore an expression as though he were carefully probing for secrets.

After circling him several times without discovering anything, Yao Lao finally sighed.

"When I first met you, you were only a Five-Star Dou Ling. A Five-Star Dou Ling in his twenties was rare, but this old man had at least heard of such people. Yet after only a year, you have already reached the strength of a One-Star Dou Emperor. Two major realms, fifteen minor realms—monster, you are simply a monster."

"How is Xiao Yan doing now?" Zhang Tian did not want to argue with Yao Lao any further. Seeing the dense Fire Attribute energy inside, it seemed Xiao Yan had already begun refining the Purple Flame.

The Strange Fire Plaza within Zhang Tian's body trembled slightly, as though it had sensed the Purple Flame inside. A faint yearning flowed from it.

After cultivating the Flame Emperor Mantra, Zhang Tian had also formed a mysterious place within his Dantian, similar to Tou She Ancient God's Strange Fire Plaza. It could contain Strange Fires. Though it did not display much power at the moment, Zhang Tian believed it would surely prove immensely useful in the future.

"Xiao Yan has only just begun refining it. There should not be any problems, since he already has experience swallowing the Secluded Valley Spirit Snake's Beast Flame." Yao Lao appeared calm. While he cared about Xiao Yan, it was not to the extent that Zhang Tian did, where it concerned the improvement of his own cultivation.

"What is this?" After speaking, Yao Lao lifted up a small, puppy-like creature, its body covered in fluffy fur.

Though Yao Lao was in a soul state, he seemed to possess a physical body at this moment as he held the little creature by the neck.

The little creature's eyes were narrowed as if they had not yet opened. Its face was full of unease, and a ball of flame suddenly rose from its neck without warning.

"Ow, you little brat." Yao Lao felt a slight pain in his hand, and his old face scrunched up.

After all, he was in a soul state, and being burned by the Purple Flame still caused him some pain.

"This is... the Amethyst Winged Lion King Cub? It looks like it has even comprehended a Beast Flame." Zhang Tian curiously teased the little fellow. Whether it was the Fire Attribute Dou Qi or Water Attribute Dou Qi within his body, both far surpassed the little creature's, so naturally he was not afraid of its Beast Flame.

"It has probably mutated a little." Yao Lao stroked his beard and smacked his lips.

Zhang Tian nodded as well, deeply agreeing.

After all, the Amethyst Winged Lion King itself was not born with a Beast Flame. It needed to devour the Symbiotic Amethyst Source to obtain its own Beast Flame. If they ruled out Old Wang next door lending a hand, then the little fellow could only have mutated.

Perhaps the Lion King's bloodline flowed within the little fellow, allowing it to inherit the Purple Flame from birth.

Xiao Yan's agonized screams rang out continuously. They were accompanied by repeated crackling sounds of finger joints being clenched, while he gritted his teeth tightly.

"He should have reached the most difficult stage." Zhang Tian shook his head. He could not help at a time like this. What Zhang Tian feared most was this sort of situation—if Xiao Yan's willpower was not sufficient, he could only be consumed by the flames and die.

"I truly never expected the pampered young master of a small clan to possess such willpower." Yao Lao nodded in satisfaction, continuously stroking his snowy white beard.

"Master and disciple alike, truly monsters." Yao Lao shook his head and murmured.

"Don't forget that you are Xiao Yan's teacher too." Zhang Tian rolled his eyes at him before speaking blandly.

"And if we are talking about monsters, being able to remain in this world as a soul after death is not merely strange in form. Even your Soul Power is as powerful as that of a monster. Even I might not be able to do such a thing."

"Hehe, it is only natural that you do not know. Back then, this old man was a renowned alchemist on the continent, highly sought after. What faction did not fawn over me?" Yao Lao looked rather smug, though he put on a mysterious, unfathomable air.

Zhang Tian rolled his eyes and muttered inwardly, What is there about you that I do not know? I even know how many old flames you had.

Yao Lao truly had been a famed alchemist across the continent. But every faction fawning over him... Soul Hall had certainly pursued him, but whether they had fawned over him was another matter.

"Someone is coming," Yao Lao warned through voice transmission.

"They were probably drawn here by the battle earlier," Yao Lao continued.

"I'll go take a look. You stay here and guard Xiao Yan." Zhang Tian looked toward the unobstructed sky, where two vague figures with Dou Qi wings seemed to be approaching from afar.

"I'll go with you, so you do not fail to find the targets." Yao Lao said solemnly. In his soul perception, densely packed dots were slowly drawing closer.

"Fine, then let's go." After giving it some thought, Zhang Tian stabbed the Phoenix Cry Sword into the ground.

"Yao Lao, see if you can attach yourself to this sword." The Phoenix Cry Sword was several times faster than Zhang Tian, and Yao Lao, old and cunning as he was, surely had plenty of tricks for ambushing people.

If Yao Lao hid on the Phoenix Cry Sword and ambushed someone, even a Dou Zong might not be able to avoid it.

"No." After sensing it for a moment, Yao Lao shook his head slightly.

"Although this sword does not carry much murderous aura or bloodlust, it contains an immensely powerful and violent energy. Countless razor-sharp sword energies radiate from it as well, and they are highly damaging to the soul."

Zhang Tian was secretly delighted. The Phoenix Cry Sword actually had the effect of attacking the soul.

Zhang Tian had Yao Lao hide on the cloud-shaped little sword badge of the Yun Lan Sect, then formed wings of Dou Qi and shot into the sky.

Meanwhile, above the Monster Mountain Range.

A Dou Wang was chatting with another white-haired Dou Wang.

"Yan Shi and Feng Li have come too." Before they had exchanged more than a few words, both men raised their heads. Two more men, seemingly in their thirties or forties, flew over on wings of Dou Qi.

"You two are here as well?" Yan Shi spoke first, but before he could say much, he was interrupted by a burst of hearty laughter.

"You old ghosts are here too? Since you arrived first, have you noticed anything unusual?" A young man who looked to be in his twenties or thirties approached at an unhurried pace. His fitted clothes fluttered loudly in the wind, and beads of sweat still clung to his forehead, making it clear that he had only recently finished cultivating.

"Xing Gang, you came too." The first white-haired Dou Wang greeted him in a low voice.

The young man was Xing Gang, an independent cultivator of the Gama Empire, though he was not ranked among the Gama Empire's Ten Great Experts.

The Gama Empire's Ten Great Experts were those who had made outstanding contributions during the previous war between the human race and the Snake-People Race, severely crippling the Snake-People Race.

Everyone present looked young, but even the youngest among them was already in his forties or fifties.

"This is the territory of the Amethyst Winged Lion King. I have no idea why there has been such a huge disturbance." The first Dou Wang to arrive looked down at the clearing beneath the Monster Mountain Range, his expression rather unpleasant.

"No idea what that beast has stirred up." The white-haired Dou Wang looked grave, traces of apprehension—and even fear—showing in his eyes.

Yan Shi sighed as well. The Gama Empire bordered both the Monster Mountain Range and the Snake-People Desert, and the pressure it faced was immense.

Fortunately, the Amethyst Winged Lion King had no intention of joining forces with the Medusa Queen. Otherwise, if the Yun Lan Sect did not intervene, the Gama Empire would likely have been destroyed.

"Gentlemen." Zhang Tian soared into the sky and cupped his hands toward the group. Yet the aura of a Dou Huang emanating from him made everyone deeply wary.

The Ten Great Experts, who were at the height of their power in the Gama Empire and whom no one dared provoke, were now incredibly tense. However, upon seeing that he was human, they instinctively relaxed somewhat.

"A member of the Yun Lan Sect?" The white-haired Dou Wang suddenly noticed the silver cloud-shaped little sword on Zhang Tian's chest and asked uncertainly.

Yan Shi and Feng Li were drawn to it as well. Looking closely, they found that it was indeed so.

"That is correct. I am the Yun Lan Sect's Second Elder."

"Greetings, Second Elder." The Dou Wangs exchanged glances before offering him a salute. After all, the strong were to be respected.

Zhang Tian returned their salutes one by one.

"Has the Second Elder discovered anything unusual here?" Xing Gang was the first to ask. Zhang Tian was a Dou Huang, so perhaps he had seen something they could not.

"I entered the Monster Mountain Range earlier and had a minor conflict with the Amethyst Winged Lion King."

Only then did everyone understand. So it had been a battle between Dou Huangs. No wonder the Monster Mountain Range had been ravaged like this.

After all, before his disappearance, Hai Bo Dong, once a Five-Star Dou Huang, had been capable of freezing an entire city.

Several more Dou Wangs arrived one after another, but no more Dou Huangs appeared. Jia Xing Tian needed to remain in the imperial palace, so he had no time to come personally and merely sent a Dou Wang as a token representative.

If it was not too serious a matter, the others would give the imperial representative face and tell him about it. If it was too serious, they would not be able to conceal it anyway.

"Come visit my Yan family sometime."

"Second Elder, the Raging Sea Pavilion will welcome you with open doors."

"I have no faction of my own, but if the Second Elder ever comes to Xing City, I will certainly treat you with the utmost courtesy."

Before leaving, everyone extended an olive branch to Zhang Tian, inviting him to visit.

How could those who thrived in the Gama Empire fail to understand the ways of the world?

The Yun Lan Sect had two Dou Huangs, and there were even rumors that its former Sect Master, Yun Shan, had entered secluded cultivation to break through to the Dou Zong realm.

Some perceptive people had already instinctively sensed that the skies over the Gama Empire were likely about to change.

Although the Yun Lan Sect had never shown much ambition, what was the imperial family's greatest characteristic?

Political maneuvering, suspicion, mistrust, and ambition.

In the past, Jia Xing Tian, as the Gama Empire's strongest expert, had been able to keep Yun Shan and the current Yun Yun in check. But Jia Xing Tian was already old, and now the Yun Lan Sect had produced another Dou Huang. That made things far less certain.