Night was as black as ink. Within the Xiao Family Back Mountain Cave, crimson filled the cavern.
Xiao Yan paid no mind whatsoever to the threats of the two great families.
After reassuring his father, he began secluded cultivation alone!
Inside the cave, nine Profound Iron Pill Furnaces floated in the formation of the Big Dipper, their walls covered in spiderweb-like cracks.
This was already the third batch of pill furnaces ruined over the past ten days.
Xiao Yan sat cross-legged in the center, bare-chested. The fiery markings along his back had spread to his shoulder blades, forming a complete Kirin Totem.
"Condense!"
With a low shout, the pills in the final furnace burst free from the cauldron.
Burning fire patterns had appeared on the surfaces of three Azure Nether Pills, each the size of a longan.
Yao Chen's phantom swayed amid the heat waves. He had personally watched this monster ruin more than a dozen cauldrons in ten days.
He had crazily swallowed pills, forcibly surging his cultivation all the way to Seven-Star Great Dou Master!
And this kid seemed to have no drug resistance at all.
Pills that increased cultivation speed—he ate ten at a time?
Forget humans; not even Magical Beasts could withstand such abuse!
And excessive pill consumption had not caused the slightest instability in his foundation.
Even the minute impurities left behind by the pills seemed to be burned away by invisible flames!
Not a trace of them could remain within his body.
In merely ten days, he had pushed his alchemy skills to the peak of a Third-Rank Alchemist!
By now, he had been shocked numb and could not help but wonder:
Even among the Eight Ancient Clans, could the purest Dou Di Bloodline possibly compare to even one-tenth of this kid's?
His physique had also completely awakened, and it had birthed an incomparably terrifying power.
He was all too familiar with that aura—the aura of Heavenly Flames!
"The flames within this child..."
Yao Chen stared intently at the crimson flame dancing in Xiao Yan's palm.
Scales and claws could faintly be seen deep within its core:
"Even Bone Spirit Cold Flame would likely fear it to some extent."
Xiao Yan suddenly opened his eyes, and his pupils became Molten Gold Vertical Pupils.
Nine waves of flame swept and circled around him, weaving an arcane trajectory through the air.
It was a brand-new cultivation art born from the fusion of the Fire Cloud Art and Fen Jue!
"Kirin Sky Burning Art."
"Still held back by Fen Jue's Low-level Yellow Tier. Its rank is only Earth Tier Low-grade."
The youth's murmur boomed like thunder, while Old Yao's mouth twitched.
Did he even hear what he was saying?
Was that something a human should say?
The flames filling the sky suddenly contracted, forming a crimson vortex at his dantian.
A Dou Qi Armor as vivid as fresh blood appeared around his body.
Arcane runes flowed across it, while scale-like patterns emerged one after another.
At the center of the crimson vortex within him, a scarlet Fire Lotus slowly bloomed, each petal engraved with an Ancient Kirin Mark.
"Is this the Origin Flame I have nurtured?"
"I'll call you Kirin Devouring Heaven Flame."
The Dou Qi Armor faded away, and the cave fell silent.
The next morning, crowds gathered before the Xiao Family's "Hundred Herbs Pavilion."
On the three-zhang-tall gilded plaque, the four words "Kirin Pill Pavilion" seemed to burn with flames.
"Third-Rank Azure Nether Pills, thirty percent off market price!"
"All pills below the third rank are on sale!"
The green-clad attendant opened a jade case, and the tiny phantom fire patterns formed by Pill Fragrance caused an uproar among the crowd.
"Receive First-Rank Body Tempering Powder with every pill purchase!"
Across the street, the Gale Family's "Myriad Medicine Hall" was nearly deserted.
Inside a private room on the second floor, Gale Bi crushed the window lattice in his grip. Wood splinters pierced his skin, yet he did not notice:
"Investigate it! Where did the Xiao Family hire a Third-Rank Alchemist?!"
"No... they weren't hired..."
"How could they possibly have hired one?!"
From the shadows, a gray-robed alchemist tremblingly offered up a Jade Bottle:
"Patriarch... their Blood Coagulating Powder is comparable to second-rank pills, yet it is priced thirty percent lower than ours!"
"And those pill patterns... they were directly branded by fire-element energy... unless the alchemist possesses..."
"Bang!"
Before he could finish, Oba Pa kicked open the door and smashed an account book onto the green jade table:
"The Xiao Family's pills are being sought after by everyone!"
"Damn it! All the pills and medicinal ingredients we stockpiled are rotting in the warehouses!"
Gale Bi's expression turned ruthless, undisguised killing intent blazing in his eyes:
We can't wait any longer!
The Xiao Family had risen far too quickly, giving them no time to react.
If they waited any longer, with those endless supplies of high-quality pills aiding them!
The Xiao Family's strength would inevitably soar.
By then, even if their two families joined forces, they might not be a match for the Xiao Family!
"Tonight, we act!"
At the third watch of midnight, dark clouds swallowed the moon.
Inside the Gale Family's cellar, seven Da Dou Shi stroked their weapons.
The Scarred Man licked the edge of his Horse-Chopping Saber:
"Take their money, settle their troubles."
"Remember, that Xiao Family brat is highly unusual!"
"Seize the chance and gang up on him together. Tonight, he must die!"
Outside the Xiao Family walls, hundreds of fighters from the two great families had gathered.
Oba Pa had long since scattered poison powder into the moat, and he had also bribed several insiders.
"Most of the Xiao Family guards have been poisoned by Thousand Mechanisms Powder. We move in half an incense stick's time!"
Gale Bi said nothing further.
He directly crushed a Message Jade Slip. At this moment, all of Wutan City was deathly silent.
All the commoners and street vendors had packed up early and tightly locked their doors.
The crows in the outer city suddenly took flight in alarm.
Three hundred Black-Clad Death Warriors poured out from the south of the city, each with a Blood-Dripping Wolf Head tattooed on his chest.
At the Xiao Family, the pupils of the guards already sensing the murderous atmosphere suddenly contracted:
Countless night owls rose from the distant forest, and faint metallic glints could be seen beneath the moonlight.
"Enemy attack!!!"
The shrill warning echoed throughout Xiao Mansion.
The Xiao Family guards and elders swiftly assembled, while the sleeping Xiao Family disciples were startled awake one after another.
They rushed toward the Xiao Family's main gate.
Almost simultaneously, the pressure of seven Da Dou Shi bore down like collapsing mountains and surging seas.
The Bronze Giant Gate at the Xiao Family's main entrance exploded with a deafening boom!
As the smoke and dust dispersed, the Scarred Man strode into Xiao Mansion with his Horse-Chopping Saber over his shoulder.
A dense crowd followed behind him. Moonlight illuminated Gale Bi's twisted face:
"Xiao Zhan, your Xiao Family has slaughtered innocent citizens without cause to cultivate an evil art."
"Today, our two great families shall uphold justice on behalf of Heaven!"
"Stop struggling in vain and hand over the culprit at once!"
Across from them, Xiao Zhan's face was livid!
The elders and guards behind him wore grim expressions as the two sides confronted one another.
Neither side struck first. Although Xiao Yan had refined many high-quality pills,
it would still take time to absorb them. The Xiao Family could not yet withstand the siege of the two great families.
Not to mention that there were seven Da Dou Shi experts among them!
Seeing the ugly expressions of the Xiao Family members, Gale Bi threw back his head and laughed viciously, waving a hand:
Seven figures stepped out from the dust billowing behind him.
The Dou Qi Armor of the leading Scarred Man shattered the blue bricks within ten zhang around him:
"Xiao Zhan! Hand over your son—"
"Boom!"
Before he could finish, his words came to an abrupt halt:
A Mysterious Black Heavy Ruler burning with Crimson Flame fell from the sky and embedded itself before his feet!
The ground instantly burst with spiderweb-like cracks.
Surging waves of fire rose up, and the scorching heat forced the seven Da Dou Shi back several steps.
Xiao Yan walked over from the direction of the back mountain, stepping upon the surging flames.
His black robe billowed amid the fire waves, while the Crimson Ancient Script at his neck shone like molten lava:
A dragon roar suddenly erupted, and nine surging pillars of flame burst out from around him.
The entire Xiao Mansion became bright as day in an instant. Amid the rolling pillars of fire was a Ten-Zhang Fire Dragon.
Its crimson scales turned the crowd's faces deathly pale.
Xiao Yan approached through the patches of light cast by the fire dragon. With every step he took, the bluestone ground melted into burning claw marks.
"I heard..."
The youth raised a hand and gently stroked the fire dragon beside him. Wherever its whiskers swept, the air warped.
As Crimson Flame surged, a hazy Kirin Phantom formed around the youth!
The aura of a Seven-Star Great Dou Master erupted without restraint!
A violent, earthshaking pressure, accompanied by terrifying heat, blanketed the entire area:
"Are you all looking for me?"
Before you continue