Nanming Li Fire

[Ding! Congratulations, Host, you have obtained Nanming Li Fire...]

[Nanming Li Fire is the flame of the Li position in the Primordial Eight Trigrams. It is the companion flame of the Vermilion Bird clan, a divine beast, and possesses immeasurable power. It is especially effective against yin spirits and ghosts, dealing twice as much damage to them. Because it burns at an extreme intensity, this flame is pure white and burns everything.]

Nanming Li Fire?

One of the Ten Ancient Divine Flames?

How could Zhang Nian not know about it? He couldn't help marveling at how incredible the system was. It could even hand out treasures like this? A mere touch of this flame would probably be enough to doom even a Dou Sheng Expert, wouldn't it?

That was what he thought to himself.

He calmed his mind and took a moment to sense it. At last, he found a wisp of milky-white flame in his dantian. Having condensed a Dou Qi Vortex meant he could look inside himself, which made things much easier. The flame seemed incredibly docile inside him, pure white and flawless, giving off an aura of noble, sacred purity, untouched by the slightest speck of dust.

Perhaps noticing that Zhang Nian had suddenly gone still, Medusa asked with concern, "Master, are you feeling unwell?"

"Ah, no. Focus on your cultivation. I'm stepping out for a bit and will be back soon. If anyone comes by while I'm gone, please see to them." Zhang Nian gave the instructions absentmindedly, then left the room without another word to Medusa.

Finding a secluded spot with no one around, Zhang Nian took the last Dou Sheng Experience Card from his robes.

He tore it apart with both hands.

Now was the time to take a chance. He had confirmed that Heavenly Flames could double in power, and the Flame Mantra evolved by absorbing flames. It was practically a script written just for him!

He could always keep a low profile until he broke through to Dou Sheng. As long as Medusa trained hard, she would eventually become powerful.

"Rip—"

The card gave off a faint glow, then visibly dissolved into specks of light that sank into his skin. The system's notification rang in his ears.

[Please confirm whether you wish to use the Dou Sheng Experience Card...]

"Confirm..."

[Ding! Using the Dou Sheng Experience Card... Calibrating...]

[Calibration complete...]

[Name: Zhang Nian]

[Age: 20]

[Items: Medicinal Herb Repository, Nanming Li Fire]

[Current strength: Five-Star Peak Dou Sheng, time remaining: 00:59:59]

Hm?

Looks like his luck was pretty good this time. The Dou Sheng Experience Card guaranteed a minimum of One-Star Dou Sheng, but luck could grant a higher level. Clearly, the Goddess of Luck had smiled upon Zhang Nian. Five-Star Peak Dou Sheng was more than enough to make those two from Starfall Pavilion think twice.

The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. He was looking forward to meeting Yao Chen, after all, the man would one day become the mentor of Xiao Yan, the protagonist of the world.

With a thought, Dou Qi gathered beneath his feet. A booming sound rang out as he shot into the sky. The buildings below gradually blurred. He shot through the barrier, raised one hand before him, and lifted it slightly toward the empty space. Space trembled, and he ripped open an irregular black hole.

He lightly tapped his foot and sped forward, his figure slipping into the spatial rift before vanishing from this world.

Central Plains

Starfall Pavilion was located in the Southern Region of the Central Plains. Of the Four Pavilions, it was the most mysterious. Its understated, low-profile way of doing things had shrouded the organization in an air of secrecy. Its disciples were few, but every one of them was exceptionally talented, in keeping with its principle of preferring quality over quantity. Everyone living in the Central Plains knew that if they encountered a disciple of Starfall Pavilion, they must never underestimate them because of their youth. Starfall Pavilion never took in anyone mediocre.

"Rumble—"

The sky stirred. With a thunderous boom, space tore open into a huge gash, and a figure darted through it, his face bearing a hint of confusion.

"According to the system, the coordinates should be exact. And I remember Starfall Pavilion being in the Tianxing Mountain Range..."

At that thought, Zhang Nian seemed to realize what was going on. His gaze sharpened as he looked down at the sea of trees. There were no buildings or mountains anywhere around. It looked like an ordinary forest, but faint spatial fluctuations could be sensed within it.

"Heh, clever. No wonder I couldn't find it. I forgot about Starfall Pavilion's Starfall Great Array. It's so seamless that it nearly fooled even me, a Five-Star Dou Sheng."

Of course, the main reason was that this was only Zhang Nian's second time reaching the Dou Sheng realm. Though the Experience Card had given him familiarity with the techniques and how to use them, such skills required practice. Knowing how to do something and actually doing it were two different matters, which was why he had made this mistake. A genuine Dou Sheng would probably have spotted the secret here at once.

Zhang Nian hovered in midair, both palms poised to strike at the space below. But before he could act, the space beneath him trembled. A strange starlight seeped out, gradually expanding and shooting into the sky. Flecks of starlight then drifted down, eventually forming a magnificent spatial gate before Zhang Nian's eyes.

Two people emerged from the gate. Zhang Nian sensed their strength at once.

The one at Nine-Star Dou Zun peak had to be Venerable Yao, Yao Chen. The one beside him, at Three-Star Dou Zun, had to be Venerable Feng, Feng Xian. Zhang Nian glanced them over and waited for them to speak first. As a Dou Sheng Expert, it would be beneath him to make the first move.

"We never expected a Dou Sheng Expert to grace us with his presence. Please forgive us for failing to welcome you sooner. Yao Chen and Feng Xian of Starfall Pavilion welcome you, Saint."

The two gave him every courtesy. In truth, they had sensed the extraordinary aura as soon as Zhang Nian appeared. They had initially thought it best not to get involved: if he wasn't here for Starfall Pavilion, they wouldn't show themselves. Besides, the Central Plains had been somewhat unsettled lately. The mysterious disappearances of several alchemists had caused many sects to barricade themselves behind their mountain gates. As one of the leading alchemists in the Central Plains, Yao Chen had naturally been kept firmly within the barrier by Venerable Feng.

Faced with Zhang Nian's overwhelming presence, the two couldn't help but grow suspicious. After all, in such turbulent times, a Dou Sheng had specifically sought out Starfall Pavilion...

When Zhang Nian remained silent, Venerable Feng, a straightforward man, asked directly, "May I ask why you've come, Saint? My brother and I are merely the leaders of a small force in the Central Plains. If there's anything in Starfall Pavilion that catches your eye, please take it. Neither of us will say a word against it."

Great... They thought he was here to rob them again...

Zhang Nian was speechless, but when he thought about it, it made sense. He had appeared out of nowhere and headed straight for Starfall Pavilion. It was hard to blame them for thinking his intentions were obvious...

He didn't bother with formalities and turned to Yao Chen.

"I came for a cultivation technique. You can make a copy or trade it to me; the choice is yours, Venerable Yao." Zhang Nian didn't call him Yao Chen. In truth, he rarely used that name himself.

Below, Yao Chen's heart skipped a beat. He had a bad feeling about this. The man was clearly after the Flame Mantra. But what use would a Dou Sheng have for it? Or rather, how did he know about the Flame Mantra...?

"Please be more specific, Saint. Starfall Pavilion has quite a few cultivation techniques," Yao Chen said vaguely. He still firmly believed that no one besides Venerable Feng and his disciple, Han Feng, knew the Flame Mantra existed.

Zhang Nian shook his head. He understood the man's little game. In a clear voice, he said, "I can trade three Ninth-Grade medicinal herbs for the Flame Mantra. Think it over."