Black Fire Sect, [Eat My Cauldron]

Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, three days went by.

A hundred li from the Ye Family stood a mountain range.

The range stretched from north to south, wreathed in clouds and mist, with spiritual energy lingering throughout. At a glance, it was clearly an excellent place for cultivation.

Yet at the heart of the range, one peak that should have been concealed by clouds and mist was instead fully exposed.

From afar, the entire mountain seemed to exist within a separate space. Under the heat constantly radiating from it, the air had already become distorted.

And that was not all.

Countless stone caves dotted the peak. From a distance, they resembled hollow, bottomless eye sockets, sending chills down one's spine!

A thousand zhang beneath the mountain lay a stretch of black magma spanning a hundred zhang.

A black flame continuously rose from the magma. It seemed to possess intelligence, constantly changing shape.

Then, the flame rose into the air and landed in the hand of a black-robed man standing beside the magma.

The hair by the man's ears was somewhat gray, while black flames faintly flickered within his eyes.

Behind him stood a tall, middle-aged man with a gloomy face and dark skin.

"Sect Master, the Ye Family seems to have been searching for ice-attributed resources lately. How should we respond?"

Zhao Hei respectfully asked the man before him.

"And it is said that the Ye Family has hidden away a peerless genius!"

The black-robed man in front said nothing. Using his flame-controlling technique, he made the black flame reveal its origin, then continuously devoured it with the Black Fire Sect's secret art.

Only after he had finished devouring it did the black-robed man speak.

"Where is Qin Mo?"

"While you were in seclusion, Sect Master, Qin Mo has recently taken people to follow those from above and has been operating throughout the Pill Region."

"Has it been confirmed that the Ye Family has that peerless genius?"

The black-robed man raised a hand to stop Zhao Hei, his pitch-black eyes fixed upon him.

Those eyes, dark as a bottomless abyss, made Zhao Hei's back turn cold.

Zhao Hei was only a two-star Dou Zong, and he had only advanced with the Sect Master's help.

By his estimation, the Sect Master was at least at the peak of five-star Dou Zong, perhaps even at the peak of seven-star Dou Zong with that faction's assistance.

Thus, Black Nether, the Black Fire Sect's Sect Master, was an absolute authority within the sect.

"S-Sect Master, according to the spies Qin Mo left in the Ye Family, as well as information obtained from those clans, it is indeed true that the Ye Family has an exceptionally talented genius."

Black Nether frowned and looked at Zhao Hei, speaking one word at a time.

"Then instead of sending disciples to gather information and prepare to kill him, are you waiting for that so-called genius to grow up and destroy my Black Fire Sect?"

"This subordinate... would not dare!"

"It's just... didn't those above say that if there are geniuses, our Black Fire Sect only needs to record them and let them grow for a while before—"

Thinking of that terrifying faction, Zhao Hei hesitated. "The genius born into the Cao Family two years ago, Cao Ying, was treated the same way!"

The Black Fire Sect had originally been a faction supported by the Soul Hall. If they went against them...

Black Nether snorted coldly. His slender, almost withered hand patted Zhao Hei's shoulder, and a smile curled at his lips.

Yet the smile never reached Black Nether's eyes.

How could he not know all this?

But as someone who had risen from an ordinary person to where he was today, he understood well that failing to kill a snake would only bring future trouble.

The Black Fire Sect was now hostile to the Ye Family.

The Ye Family had a genius worth risking everything for, yet he was still supposed to follow the Soul Hall's rules.

In another dozen years—or perhaps not even that long—when the genius had grown enough to be harvested by the Soul Hall, his Black Fire Sect would likely have already been turned upside down by that genius, perhaps even destroyed.

Although he had been supported by the Soul Hall, with his cultivation, he was no more than an insignificant figure within it.

There were countless people like him in the Soul Hall, much less factions that had merely been supported by it.

As long as they could obtain sufficiently powerful souls, what did it matter if they abandoned them?

Not to mention Zhao Hei and Qin Mo.

They were merely ants unworthy of a glance from the Soul Hall's higher-ups!

"This subordinate obeys!" Zhao Hei lowered his head and bowed respectfully.

"Then do we still need to investigate why the Ye Family is searching for ice-attributed resources?"

"No need."

Black Nether shook his head slightly and reminded him, "Right, those above are currently active in the Pill Region. Do not make too much of a commotion."

"This subordinate understands!"

With that, Zhao Hei nodded and departed.

Moonlight filtered through thin clouds, scattering faint silver radiance.

Within the Ye Family, in Ye Yan's room.

The annual ritual began once more.

Ye Yan bathed and burned incense, set out a table, lit three sticks of incense, and then looked at the system panel in his mind.

[Name]: Ye Yan

[Realm]: One-Star Dou Zhe

[Traits]: "Your Exotic Fire is Fake" "Battle Sense Awakening" "Qi Gathering Acceleration" "Battle Qi Solidification" "Meridian Slight Expansion" "Physique Slight Enhancement" "Meridian Stabilization" "Husband Aura"+

[Technique]: None

[Battle Skill]: Flowing Cloud Steps (Minor Mastery)

After a year, even though he had spent most of his time cultivating and had only practiced Flowing Cloud Steps casually, he had still brought it to the level of Minor Mastery.

This movement technique drew upon the concept of "Flowing Cloud Formlessness."

At Minor Mastery, it had already made his footsteps smooth and swift. When walking or shifting position, he made barely any sound, moving with graceful unpredictability.

But the most important thing now was still drawing a trait.

This was already his ninth draw.

It would determine his cultivation speed at the Dou Zhe stage. If he failed to draw a trait that enhanced his strength, his cultivation speed would likely slow considerably again.

As the bright moon hung high and the night deepened, the plus sign on the trait panel became exceptionally clear.

Ye Yan focused his consciousness on the plus sign and tapped it, unconsciously holding his breath.

As always, the plus sign vanished, replaced by another brand-new trait!

[Eat My Cauldron]

What kind of trait was this? Could it be a battle skill similar to Xiao Yan's Buddha Fury Fire Lotus?

Filled with doubt, Ye Yan carefully examined the trait's effect.

"Good!"

Immediately afterward, Ye Yan slapped the table and sprang to his feet, the corners of his lips rising.

Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives. A good thing had truly come.

[Eat My Cauldron: A rising flame requires wood to fuel it. Take the wood within fire and the fire within a furnace as its essence. Obtain the evolvable, ungraded technique Heaven-Burning Furnace Fire Art. Forge a Life-Bound Cauldron within the dantian, and it shall possess countless wondrous uses!]

He had been worrying over what to do about his cultivation technique.

A few days ago, the family had unanimously agreed to spare no expense to exchange for a suitable cultivation technique for him from the Pill Tower.

But the cost involved was simply too great.

Given his personality, if the Ye Family had to harm itself to support him, he would be filled with guilt.

Now that he had a cultivation technique, one of his concerns had been put to rest.

As for the Heaven-Burning Furnace Fire Art being described as an ungraded technique, it was produced by a trait. How could it possibly be bad?

In Ye Yan's view, ungraded was the most impressive of all. It gave him a direction, while the rest depended entirely on himself. Surpassing the Emperor tier in the future was no empty boast!

As he thought this, Ye Yan felt a passage of cultivation incantations appear in his mind.