(Thirty-Seven) Alas

The Nine Nether Underworld Fire naturally belongs to the Beast Flame of the Nine Nether Nether Python Clan. Its attributes are biased towards yin and cold, and like the mottled bloodline of the Nine Nether Nether Python Clan, it also possesses the characteristics of Earth Attribute.

The Nine Nether Underworld Fire given by the Yan Clan Alchemist was actually refined from the blood of Ninth-Rank Magical Beast of the Nine Nether Nether Python Clan.

Xiao Yan carefully put away the Nine Nether Underworld Fire. The energy fluctuations of this Beast Flame were probably at the High-level Dou Zun level. It looked pitch black and did not have the heat of ordinary flames. It only revealed a cold aura and even dispelled some of the heat of the Three Thousand Burning Flame.

Without Xiao Yan Puppet blocking his way, the Yan Clan Alchemist hurriedly took out the backup plan that the Yan Clan Dou Sheng Expert had prepared for him in advance, and put away the Three Thousand Burning Flame that had collapsed into a long strip.

After leaving the Star Domain, everyone scattered. The Pill Tower Elder had their own work to do, the Yan Clan Alchemist hurriedly returned to their clan, and the other Alchemist also prepared to set off, leaving only Xiao Yan, Dan Chen, Cao Ying, and Song Qing behind.

Dan Chen followed Xiao Yan, Cao Ying was interested in Dan Chen following Xiao Yan, and Song Qing was envious of Cao Ying.

As for Xiao Yan, he made a quick assessment of the direction and headed towards Xuan Kongzi.

In any case, the Three Thousand Burning Flame were discovered and provided by the Pill Tower Three Greats. Therefore, Xiao Yan did not keep the Nine Nether Underworld Fire for himself, but handed them over to Xuan Kongzi.

This is also because such a single Beast Flame wasn't very attractive to Xiao Yan.

Xuan Kongzi was dealing with the Star Domain with two other giants. They could sense the seal and the situation of the Three Thousand Burning Flame. Now that they realized the Three Thousand Burning Flame had been subdued, the Star Domain space no longer had any reason to exist.

However, leaving it there indefinitely would be quite troublesome once the space shatters, potentially creating a spatial rift in Sacred Pill City that leads directly into the void. Therefore, it is necessary to banish this Star Domain.

"Xiao Yan, speaking of which, I just learned that you were a disciple of the Venerable Yao and a friend of my teacher, Xuan Kongzi." Cao Ying glanced at Dan Chen with her foxy eyes and Yanran with a charming smile, "Should I call you Senior Brother—Senior Brother Xiao Yan?"

Dan Chen's innocent face instantly scrunched up as she glared at Cao Ying with a pout, but Cao Ying didn't care at all and instead laughed even more happily.

Xiao Yan ignored the woman and followed Xuan Kongzi deeper into Pill Tower Xuan Kongzi to study. Cao Ying probably wouldn't have a chance to break through to the Ninth Grade Alchemist in less than a few hundred or a thousand years. And if they really waited for a few hundred or a thousand years, Xiao Yan felt that his son could break through to the Dou Sheng.

Delving into the Gu Clan would be a different story. Xiao Yan could give her a lotus seed, and after refining it, her Origin Fire Seed would be no weaker than some of the lower-ranked Heavenly Flames. Moreover, the Gu Clan's Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills, fighting skills, Pill Recipe, and Medicinal Herbs would also present an overwhelming advantage over the Pill Tower.

Cao Ying, realizing she had made a fool of herself, sighed softly and stopped pressing the matter, instead engaging in a verbal sparring match with Dan Chen.

As for Song Qing, it can only be said that no one paid attention to him. He wanted to interrupt but couldn't say anything. He wanted to make his presence known but didn't dare to act recklessly in front of a group of Eighth Grade Alchemist.

The three giants acted swiftly, mainly because dealing with the Star Domain was not difficult. The three of them quickly banished the Star Domain completely, and Xuan Kongzi then freed up his hands to communicate with Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan first expressed his gratitude, then recounted the whereabouts of the Three Thousand Burning Flame, and finally handed over the Nine Nether Underworld Fire to Xuan Kongzi.

Xuan Kongzi knew that the Gu Clan was powerful and wealthy, and could obtain the Nine Nether Underworld Fire at will. Without being polite to Xiao Yan, he put away the Beast Flame and led Xiao Yan to the Pill Tower.

The people from Burning Flame Valley have also arrived.

At first, Tang Zhen, the Burning Flame Valley Master, was quite happy about Xuan Kongzi's visit. However, after learning that Xuan Kongzi wanted the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire, his expression immediately changed, and he almost kicked him out on the spot. Then, after seeing the Green-Gold Lotus Seed, he was distracted and looked troubled, not knowing what to do. He could only ask his father for instructions.

Tang Zhen's father was the previous Valley Master of Burning Flame Valley, the Old Ancestor Huoyun, who was also the true foundation of Burning Flame Valley, a Dou Sheng- level powerhouse.

However, he was only Early-stage Dou Sheng, so it was just a matter of Gu Yuan slapping him.

If it weren't for the good relationship between the Xiao Clan and the Burning Flame Valley back then, Xiao Yan could have easily rekindled that relationship by simply stealing it.

The Old Ancestor Huoyun himself didn't have a good impression of the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire. This thing was a real hot potato. Although it could be used to activate the Heavenly Fire Three Profound Transformations to increase strength, it was only limited to the Dou Zun Realm.

It is difficult for Dou Ancestor realm to subdue the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire, so they cannot utilize it. At the Dou Sheng realm Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire can only play a very small role, which can be ignored.

Especially when inheriting Heavenly Flames, it is very easy for the body to suffer a backlash from the Heavenly Flames.

When the Old Ancestor Huoyun passed on the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire to Tang Zhen, he was left with a hidden injury. When he broke through to the Dou Sheng, he almost died on the spot because of this hidden injury, and the injury has not healed to this day.

Recently, Tang Zhen's daughter, Tang Huo'er, broke through to the Dou Zong and became quite ambitious. She wanted to refine the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire, but she almost died on the spot. If Tang Zhen hadn't reacted quickly, Tang Huo'er would have perished.

In the end, they paid a considerable price, inviting a high-level seventh-grade alchemist from the Pill Tower to refine a Fire Bodhi Pill, which cured Tang Huo'er and prevented it from affecting her future potential.

But the Green-Gold Lotus Seed that Xuan Kongzi took out was different.

It contains the aura of a high-level Heavenly Flames, and the Green Lotus Core Flame grown from it is definitely no weaker than the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire.

Each generation of Valley Master can grow up alongside them from childhood, nurturing the Green Lotus Core Flame with their own Dou Qi, thus deepening their connection.

Inheriting Heavenly Flames can wait until death, and one won't be harmed while alive; no matter how impatient the younger generation is, they can only cultivate it slowly, so as not to refine it prematurely and suffer backlash.

Well, although Xuan Kongzi only took out one Green-Gold Lotus Seed, Old Ancestor Huoyun was still very tempted and felt that this deal was worth doing.

However, Xuan Kongzi also mentioned Xiao Yan to Old Ancestor Huoyun Zu, the disciple of Venerable Yao, which piqued Old Ancestor Huoyun's interest.

Old Ancestor Huoyun then suggested that he would make a decision after meeting Xiao Yan.

The scene of Xiao Yan easily winning the Pill Gathering Champion was also witnessed by Old Ancestor Huoyun. His talent was obvious, and he could break through to the Ninth Grade Alchemist in the future. Old Ancestor Huoyun had no reason to refuse him.

At this moment, the Old Ancestor Huoyun was in a guest room in the Pill Tower, with Tang Zhen sitting beside him with the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire, and even Tang Huo'er standing behind them—the three generations of the Burning Flame Valley Master and his family were gathered together.

This truly shocked Xiao Yan.

"This is the previous Burning Flame Valley Master, Old Ancestor Huoyun, One-star Dou Sheng; this is the current Burning Flame Valley Master, Tang Zhen, Five-Star Dou Zun; this is the next Valley Burning Flame Valley Master, Tang Huo'er, One-Star Dou Ancestor," Xuan Kongzi introduced like a pimp.

There was no other way; having earned five Green-Gold Lotus Seed for free, Xuan Kongzi was worried he'd be struck by lightning on the street if the service wasn't good enough.

"Xiao Yan of the Xiao Clan, One-star Dou Zun, and Eighth Grade Alchemist," Xiao Yan introduced himself.

Since the goal is to re-establish the relationship between the Xiao Clan and the Burning Flame Valley, Xiao Yan no longer considers himself part of the Gu Clan.

The Gu Clan naturally looked down on the Burning Flame Valley. Although they were allies of the Xiao Clan, the relationship between the Gu Clan and the Burning Flame Valley was not good.

"I heard you've snagged the daughter of the Ancient Clan Chief?" Old Ancestor Huoyun acted as if he were no outsider, his words almost making Xiao Yan lose his composure.

"Ahem, we're mutually in love," Xiao Yan said, rubbing his nose.

"Youth is wonderful!" Old Ancestor Huoyun exclaimed, and seeing Xiao Yan's shy appearance, he decided not to promote his granddaughter anymore.

We can't compete, we really can't compete.

"How is the Venerable Yao now?" asked Old Ancestor Huoyun.

Burning Flame Valley and Soul Hall are also at odds, but it has always been minor friction and has not escalated into a full-scale conflict.

Of course, if a real fight broke out, Burning Flame Valley would be no match for them.

"The teacher is in good spirits and full of hope for the future," Xiao Yan said after thinking for a moment.

"Hmm... With someone like you in first place, the future is indeed full of hope." Old Ancestor Huoyun praised Xiao Yan without reservation.

But there really weren't any other topics to discuss.

This was the first time the two sides had met. Back then, the Xiao Clan was in decline, and the Burning Flame Valley did nothing. They hadn't been in contact for thousands of years, so their sudden enthusiasm was rather awkward.

Therefore, the Old Ancestor Huoyun stopped wasting words and directly instructed Tang Zhen to remove the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire. He personally erased the Blood Soul Mark within it and then handed it over to Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan out and grabbed the ball of Silver Flame, which obediently nestled in his palm.

The energy fluctuations of the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire were roughly equivalent to those of a four- or five- Dou Zun, making it stronger than Xiao Yan. However, Xiao Yan disregarded martial ethics and activated the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame.

Even though the Heavenly Flames were incompatible with each other, in the face of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame's power, which was on a completely different level, the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire became extremely docile. Its violent power was completely restrained, and it instinctively feared the power of the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, afraid of being devoured.

Old Ancestor Huoyun sighed again, glanced at Tang Huo'er had recently been seriously injured, and said nothing.

Tang Huo'er: "..."

Xiao Yan ignored their reactions and quietly examined the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire.

This was a Silver Flame that shone like lightning, and as the flame rose, nine small silver dragons could be faintly seen weaving through it.

This silver Fire Dragon is no mere decoration; it is a true entity imbued with Dragon Might. As such, wisps of Dragon Might emanate from it, possessing the miraculous effect of suppressing the soul.

After the handover of the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire, the two sides separated.

Xiao Yan, carrying the Three Thousand Burning Flame and the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire, led Dan Chen back home laden with spoils.

Upon returning to the Ancient Realm, Gu Yuan appeared immediately, handing the Fallen Heart Flame to Xiao Yan and taking away the other two Heavenly Flames — the Dragon Seal still needed to be removed from the Three Thousand Burning Flame, while the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire was directly thrown into the Lei Clan's Thunder Pool to be released.

Xiao Yan also helped Dan Chen and Old Yao become familiar faces.

The Old Yao was quite interested in this talent that allowed him to directly absorb the Soul Power of others. He even disregarded the fact that he was still in a soul state and reached out to touch Dan Chen's forehead to experience Dan Chen's talent in the most direct way.

This frightened Dan Chen, a naive young girl who had never seen the world, greatly. She was terrified that her master might have been killed.

This incident also made Xiao Yan determined to revive Old Yao as soon as possible, otherwise the life of this disrespectful old man would be hard to guarantee.

Therefore, Xiao Yan sealed the Fallen Heart Flame, instructed Dan Chen to familiarize himself with its power, and then used his Soul Power to work on it, attempting to imprint Soul Imprint before proceeding to the next stage of cultivation.

At the same time, Xiao Yan pressed Old Yao into the skeleton and activated the Heavenly Flames.

Old Yao ultimately failed to fully control the skeleton of this Half-Saint, and could only tear off the head and replace it with the skull of a Five-Star Dou Zun.

Although both skeletons are as white as jade, they are ultimately from different origins. Old Yao doesn't need to worry; he can just grit his teeth and bear it. However, Xiao Yan's operation has become even more difficult.

Xiao Yan first completely covered the pieced-together skeleton with the Eighth Grade Monster Beast Essence Blood, and then activated the Heavenly Flames to refine it fiercely. The fire absorbed the essence, thoroughly tempering the Essence Blood into the bone marrow, thus connecting the skull and cervical vertebrae together.

The vitality of Magical Beast is already exceptionally strong, and the skeleton infused with the Eighth Grade Monster Beast Essence Blood has gained an extra touch of life.

Old Yao immediately seized the opportunity, swallowed the Pill Beast, and flashed into the skeleton.

The medicinal power of the Pill Beast is very strong. It is constantly fused with the Monster Beast Essence Blood under Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flames, and under the guidance of Old Yao's Soul Power, it gradually transforms into a form that matches his soul.

The entire process took seven days and seven nights. Xiao Yan dared not relax for a moment, feeling that Pill Gathering.

Fortunately, it was ultimately a success. The bones grew flesh and skin, eventually forming the appearance of the Old Yao. A vast power lay dormant within him, and once awakened, it would surely soar to great heights.

After finishing the matter of Old Yao's resurrection, Xiao Yan began to teach Dan Chen to switch to Heavenly Grade Cultivation Method.

The difficulty of learning Heavenly Grade Cultivation Method is no less than that of refining Eighth Grade Pill. Although Dan Chen was exceptionally talented, it still took Xiao Yan two months to guide her onto the right path.

Now, Xiao Yan finally had time to cultivate in seclusion.

This time, Xiao Yan chose the Thunder Pool as his place of seclusion, intending to refine the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire.

There are many Heavenly Flames to choose from, Xiao Yan plans to refine them one by one, from the weakest to the strongest.

However, Gu Yuan has recently been researching the Flame Mantra, attempting to fuse the Fire Cloud Water Flame and the Sea Heart Flame together.

It's unclear what triggered Gu Yuan, but he suddenly developed a great interest in Fusion Heavenly Flame and set his sights on these two Heavenly Flames that shared similar interests.

Of course, Gu Yuan did not switch to cultivating the Flame Mantra; he merely studied its characteristics and learned the power that allowed Heavenly Flames to merge.

It's difficult to do this, but it's still easier than creating something from nothing.

With those two Heavenly Flames gone, Xiao Yan could only refine the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire.

The Lei Clan's Void Lightning Pool is an extremely vast space.

The outer perimeter of the space is a vast silver ocean that stretches as far as the eye can see. Normally, long, thin bolts of lightning gather together here, leaving no gaps whatsoever.

Deep within the silvery ocean, there were also some dark glimmers. Just looking at them made Xiao Yan feel a stinging pain in his eyes, as if his soul was being torn apart.

According to the elder guarding the Thunder Pool, even the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire is unable to penetrate deep into the Thunder Pool; only Dou Sheng Expert can deal with the Black Demonic Lightning there.

In the days that followed, Xiao Yan would need to both absorb lightning to temper his physical body and engage in a chase with the Nine Dragon Thunder Gang Fire in the Thunder Sea.