As the system chimed repeatedly, Yao Chen heard it and a brilliant smile instantly blossomed across his face.
"Body Reconstruction Pill? Red Heart Flame Wolf corpse? This system really knows how to be thoughtful! They go perfectly with the Secret Body Restoration Technique (Express Version) it gave me before. That's enough to put together a full set of materials for resurrecting my body."
"But the Profound-tier High-grade Purple Flame Heaven-Burning Strike and Profound-tier High-grade Blazing Sun Heaven-Burning Art—those two combat skills and cultivation methods are no use to me. I've practically run out of room for all these Profound-tier Cultivation Methods and Combat Skills."
"Giving them to Xiao Yan won't trigger any system rewards, so I'll just leave them for now."
"Teacher! Teacher!"
Seeing Yao Chen grinning foolishly by himself, Xiao Yan hurriedly called out to him.
"What's got you so happy?"
At Xiao Yan's call, Yao Chen's face instantly flushed with a faint, barely perceptible red. He coughed awkwardly a few times.
"Ahem..."
"Little Yan, since you've become my disciple, I can't let you come away empty-handed."
With that, Yao Chen took the Flame Mantra cultivation method out of his ring space.
The Flame Mantra resembled an ancient, mysterious scroll, radiating a strange and profound aura.
Its material was neither paper nor cloth, but seemed to be made from some strange beast hide. It was a deep, dark brown, and faintly etched with antique patterns that seemed to tell of the passage of time.
A ring of fine flame patterns bordered the scroll. They were no mere decoration; now and then, they flickered with faint firelight, leaping as though alive and giving off a feeling of scorching danger.
Xiao Yan immediately leaned forward and bowed.
"Little Yan, this is a Yellow Tier Low Grade cultivation method. I came across it by chance. It had no name, but I gave it one: the Flame Mantra."
When Xiao Yan heard it was a Yellow Tier Low Grade cultivation method, his face stiffened. He forced a dry laugh. "You're kidding, right? It's only Yellow Tier Low Grade? You could pick any cultivation method from the Xiao Clan and it'd be Yellow Tier High Grade."
"Don't underestimate this method. It's the only cultivation method on the continent that can evolve."
Hearing that it could evolve, Xiao Yan immediately asked, brimming with curiosity:
"A cultivation method that can evolve? How does it evolve?"
Yao Chen stroked his beard and answered with a faint smile.
"To evolve the Flame Mantra, you need Heavenly Flames as the raw material. Each time it evolves, it must devour a different Heavenly Flame."
"Heavenly Flames? Teacher, don't tease me. There are barely a few Heavenly Flames on the entire continent. Where am I supposed to find them?"
Xiao Yan asked in disbelief.
"Don't worry. With me here, getting a mere Heavenly Flame will be as easy as turning over your hand."
Yao Chen replied calmly.
"Then all right! I trust your abilities, Teacher."
Xiao Yan glanced at the charred scraps of clothing left behind earlier and felt that this old man's strength was unfathomably deep.
Xiao Yan took the scroll Yao Chen handed him and slowly unrolled it.
As he gently opened the Flame Mantra, he saw that its pages were covered in dense, ancient symbols and patterns. Their lines were smooth and mysterious, shining with red or orange light, like clumps of leaping flames.
The entire Flame Mantra radiated powerful energy, as though it held boundless flame energy, waiting for someone to awaken and control it.
As the information in the Flame Mantra flowed into Xiao Yan's mind, changes began to take place in his body.
Streams of pale yellow Dou Qi began to emanate from Xiao Yan.
"Ding! Congratulations, host. You successfully taught your disciple a Yellow Tier Low Grade cultivation method. Reward triggered!" "Generating reward multiplier at random... Ding! The reward multiplier is one thousand. Reward: High-grade Earth-tier Cultivation Method, Glazed Fire Diamond Canon."
"The method's fire attribute is as precious and powerful as gilded gold, while also possessing the diamond-like toughness and ferocity. A cultivator's flames gain powerful defensive and offensive strength, like diamond wrapped in gilded gold—indestructible."
Not bad. The system's rewards were always top quality.
Too bad I have the Flame Mantra; I'm not interested in this method. I should focus on refining a body first, then use the Teaching Art on Xiao Yan to make up for his cultivation.
"Little Yan, dusk is falling. Go back to the Xiao Clan for now. I still have some things to take care of. Come find me here again in three days."
After hearing him, Xiao Yan slowly bowed to Yao Chen.
"Little Yan, when you get back, make sure to study the Flame Mantra properly. It'll be of great use to you in the future. When you return in three days, I'll give you another reward!"
"This disciple obeys! I'll practice diligently once I'm back and return here on time in three days."
After saying that, Xiao Yan slowly set the ring on his finger down on the ground, then left.
Not long after Xiao Yan was gone, Yao Chen nodded in satisfaction. "Xiao Yan really is the protagonist of Battle Through the Heavens. He's not bad at all—much better than that guy next door."
"Now that Xiao Yan's gone, I can start preparing to refine a body."
Inside the cave, Yao Chen concentrated fully as he used the Secret Body Restoration Technique (Express Version) to begin refining a body.
The cave was filled with scorching heat, and the surrounding stone walls had turned red from the high temperature.
Yao Chen first took out the corpse of a fifth-tier Red Heart Flame Wolf. With a sweep of his hands, the pale Bone Spirit Cold Flame surged up instantly, enveloping the wolf's corpse.
Under the terrifying heat of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, the Red Heart Flame Wolf's corpse gradually melted. Its impurities were slowly removed, until at last a pool of pure, concentrated magical beast blood essence was refined. It churned in the flames, radiating powerful energy.
A fifth-tier Magic Core appeared as the blood essence finished being refined.
"I didn't expect an unexpected bonus!"
Then Yao Chen carefully took out the Fifth-grade Pill, the Body Reconstruction Pill.
The moment the pill appeared, a strange medicinal fragrance filled the cave.
He once again channeled the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, placing the magical beast blood essence and the Body Reconstruction Pill together inside the flames.
The Bone Spirit Cold Flame blazed fiercely, continuously tempering the two.
Under the intense heat, the magical beast blood essence and the pill gradually fused, turning into a multicolored liquid. It churned and changed shape, slowly taking on the outline of a human body.
Yao Chen watched intently, sweat beading across his forehead. He kept adjusting the flame's temperature and intensity, controlling the refinement process. As time passed, the liquid gradually solidified, and skin, bones, meridians, and the rest began to appear one by one.
At last, when the final wisp of flame faded, a brand-new body stood before him.
Yao Chen let out a long breath, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
Yao Chen gazed at the newly refined body before him, his eyes filled with anticipation and resolve.
He took a deep breath and slowly approached the body. The pale Bone Spirit Cold Flame swirled around him, as though lending this crucial moment an extra layer of mysterious light.
The moment his soul touched the body, Yao Chen felt a powerful force of attraction. In the next instant, his soul, like a wisp of smoke, was swiftly drawn inside.
The fusion was anything but peaceful. A fierce rejection arose between Yao Chen's soul and the body.
A wave of agony swept over him. It felt as if countless sharp blades were slicing into his soul, but Yao Chen clenched his teeth and endured the pain through sheer force of will.
He worked to adjust the frequency of his soul, trying to bring it into perfect harmony with the body.
The Bone Spirit Cold Flame played a crucial role at this moment. Its power seeped into every corner of the body, helping Yao Chen ease the pain of the rejection while also speeding up the fusion.
Time ticked by, and the rejection between Yao Chen's soul and the body gradually weakened. The two began to merge. Slowly, Yao Chen could feel the strength of this body. He tried to control his limbs, first making his fingers twitch, then slowly lifting an arm.
At last, when the final trace of rejection vanished, Yao Chen successfully fused completely with the body.
Before you continue