Cold Flame in Hand

Gu Fang sat cross-legged, cultivating his battle qi and continuing to consolidate his already perfected battle qi, while he waited.

Waited for someone's arrival.

It seemed like a long time...

With a creak, the window slowly opened. As it did, a faint smile spread across Gu Fang's lips, and he opened his eyes to look outside.

It was pitch-black. By the light spilling from the room, a few strands of bamboo leaves could be seen.

Though he saw nothing, Gu Fang knew...

The person he had been waiting for had arrived!

"Venerable Yao, since you're here, show yourself," Gu Fang said with a smile.

As Gu Fang spoke, an illusory soul drifted in through the window frame and came before him.

Yao Chen did not speak. He merely looked quietly at Gu Fang, his aged face expressionless, though a storm raged within his heart.

Yao Chen knew he had been discovered, but he had never expected...

Even his name had been thoroughly uncovered by the other party. Just how had he learned it?

Not even Xiao Yan had been told the slightest bit about his origins.

Though Old Yao was inwardly shocked, none of it showed on his face. "Young friend, your soul power is truly formidable. This Old Man is indeed astonished.

"May I ask why you summoned This Old Man here?"

"Just to make a deal."

Gu Fang sat up on the bed and looked directly at Old Yao. "If I'm not mistaken, the Bone Spirit Cold Flame is still with you."

"What do you mean?"

Upon hearing Gu Fang's words, Old Yao's expression darkened. "When I fused with the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, I nearly lost my life.

"Moreover...

"In my current state, if I hand the Bone Spirit Cold Flame over to you, my soul may very well collapse and perish. Surely you know that, young friend?"

As Old Yao spoke, white flames enveloped his entire soul. Most bizarrely...

At the edges of those flames, there was not scorching heat, but an icy chill!

Everyone said water and fire could not coexist, yet the Bone Spirit Cold Flame upon the Heavenly Flame Ranking united blazing heat and bitter cold as one.

It took the form of flame, yet possessed a heart of frost.

The strange treasures of heaven and earth were simply this bizarre!

"Of course I know that, and I have no intention of taking it by force."

Feeling the bone-piercing chill, Gu Fang spoke softly. "If I wanted to seize it by force, then forget your current state as a soul—even if you were at the peak of your strength, what could you do?

"My Ancient Clan...

"Forget a Nine-Star Dou Zun. Even a Half-Saint or a Dou Saint—what could they do?"

Gu Fang's tone did not fluctuate in the slightest, yet the Bone Spirit Cold Flame rippling around Old Yao abruptly froze.

Though he did not wish to admit it, as a former member of the Yao Clan, he naturally knew that Gu Fang was not exaggerating in the least. So what if one was a Dou Zun?

Among the ancient clans, only Dou Saints were true core powers.

"Then why did you summon This Old Man here...?"

"To make a deal. I need a wisp of your Bone Spirit Cold Flame."

Gu Fang continued, "Your condition is poor right now, Yao Chen, but you should still be capable of separating off a wisp of Heavenly Flame, correct?

"Besides...

"I won't take your Heavenly Flame for nothing!"

"A wisp is not a problem."

Yao Chen nodded. However, a thoughtful look flashed across his face as he continued, "If my senses are not mistaken, young friend already possesses a Heavenly Flame.

"Heavenly Flames cannot coexist. If you add another one, surely you understand the consequences as well?"

"That is none of your concern. I have my own plans."

Gu Fang shook his head, an unusual smile appearing on his face. "Just like how the disciple of the great Venerable Yao is actually using a Yellow Rank cultivation method."

"Ha ha ha ha..."

Old Yao laughed after hearing Gu Fang's words. His expression appeared quite natural as he laughed loudly.

But no one knew that...

At this moment, monstrous waves had already risen in Old Yao's heart, even greater than his shock when his identity had first been exposed.

The Burning Art...

Was the greatest secret in Old Yao's heart.

And his final lifesaving straw.

Where had the other party learned of it? How much did he know? Was it his other traitorous disciple? That man had been too busy hiding the cultivation method himself—why would he spread it everywhere?

Fusing Heavenly Flames was dangerous, but the temptation hidden within it was equally immense...

As an alchemist, he was surely aware of that as well.

Gu Fang was probably merely curious. He definitely did not know of the Burning Art's existence and only thought it was some special cultivation method!

Besides, the Heavenly Flames had not been fused. No matter how keen the other party's eyesight was, he could not see anything.

"It's merely a special cultivation method, one that helps solidify the foundation. It's nothing worth mentioning," Old Yao said indifferently, though his eyes remained fixed on Gu Fang.

His soul power was also sensing Gu Fang's emotional fluctuations.

Old Yao could not help being so cautious. Once a strange cultivation method like the Burning Art was exposed, even the Ancient Clan would likely develop a measure of greed.

Ordinary Heavenly Flames might not be of any use to a Dou Saint, but once their number exceeded a certain threshold, the fused Heavenly Flame might be able to raise one's strength by a few degrees.

"A special cultivation method?"

Gu Fang spoke in an odd tone. "Then let's call it a special cultivation method. Let's discuss the trade. What do you want for a wisp of Bone Spirit Cold Flame?

You surely don't need Dou Techniques or cultivation methods. How about a body?

The body of a Dou Zun, enough to restore your physical body."

"No need."

Old Yao's soul trembled slightly before he shook his head. "As long as you do not reveal my whereabouts in the future, do not disclose my identity to Xiao Yan, and do not interfere with Xiao Yan's growth, I can still afford to give away a wisp of Bone Spirit Cold Flame!"

After Old Yao spoke, his body trembled. A faint gleam was then lifted onto his palm before floating toward Gu Fang.

Clearly, after separating out this wisp of Bone Spirit Cold Flame, Old Yao's soul projection had faded considerably, and his aura was no longer as steady as before.

"Then I'll take it!"

Gu Fang smiled and waved his hand, catching the wisp of flame in his palm. The instant it left Old Yao's control, the flame seed erupted with its immense power...

In but an instant, half of Gu Fang's arm had been encased in solid ice.

At the same time that solid ice wrapped around the outside, flames raged within, as though they wished to burn Gu Fang's arm into ashes.

Seeing this, a trace of horror flashed across Old Yao's aged face, and he immediately moved to seize the flame seed back.

"Has he gone mad? Even with a Heavenly Flame protecting his body, he can't be so arrogant as to grab a Heavenly Flame like that."

Yet just as Old Yao's words fell, he saw...

Countless black specks seeped out from the skin of Gu Fang's arm. In the next moment, all the cold flames were completely devoured by the black radiance, swallowed without the slightest ability to resist.

Then, when the blackness receded, golden radiance burst forth. Flames carrying the sovereign might to suppress all things flowed over the solid ice, and wherever they passed, the ice melted away.

"Many thanks for Venerable Yao's gift!"

Once everything had returned to normal, Gu Fang cupped his fists toward Yao Chen.

Yao Chen nodded in return, but his gaze remained fixed on Gu Fang's arm as he murmured in shock, "Heavenly Flame Ranking... Nihility Devouring Flame... Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame!"

Flames he had never even dared dream of possessing had appeared before him just like this—and they were on a mere Dou Shi youth!

Old Yao said nothing about it, but a thought arose in his heart.

Some people were born already standing at the finish line—the very finish line you might never reach in your entire life!

At that moment, Old Yao even wanted to hand over the Burning Art directly, to give it to the youth before him. If he devoured these two Heavenly Flames, the Burning Art would likely grow to an unimaginable level.

Moreover, with three Heavenly Flames gathered together, it would also be enough to refine a perfect body for himself.

But in the end, Old Yao suppressed that thought.

There were many reasons.

One was the youth's obsession with returning to the Yao Clan after being abandoned by them. If he accepted a body from the Ancient Clan, then even if he did not wish to, it would be tantamount to joining the Ancient Clan.

And as far as the Yao Clan was concerned, once one joined another ancient clan, one could never return to the Yao Clan.

Another was his free and unrestrained nature, unwilling to be bound. If Old Yao had wanted to, he could have joined the Soul Clan long ago. The Soul Clan coveted Old Yao's alchemy skills—how could they not have arranged a body for him?

Lastly, there was his resentment toward his former disciple. He wanted to prove that Han Feng's betrayal had been wrong. He wanted to personally teach a second disciple, one who would crush Han Feng and give him the lesson he deserved.

Of course...

Perhaps there was another, less obvious reason. After suffering betrayal, Old Yao no longer wished to trust anyone. He no longer wished to place his life, without reservation, in someone else's hands.

Who could guarantee that the other party had not used some trick on the newly refined body?

Beyond these, there were also reasons supporting Old Yao's acceptance of the body and his giving away the Burning Art. Perhaps everyone would make a different choice, but for Old Yao, he had not chosen Gu Fang. He had chosen Xiao Yan.

He chose Xiao Yan, who had "worshipped" him for three years!