But—
No matter how Yao Chen sensed him, he couldn't detect the slightest trace of karmic sin on Xiao Yan.
This young man had never taken a life, and his character was exceptionally upright!
"That's impossible..."
Medicine Elder was completely baffled.
He had seen with his own eyes how terrifying the Ten Thousand Soul Banner was!
The strange aura emanating from that Black Banner and the contorted, wailing faces of the souls within it all proclaimed that this was a treasure of the darkest, most evil kind!
How could the owner of such a treasure have no blood on his hands?
How could he be so pure-hearted?
But the facts before his eyes left him no choice but to believe it.
Red Lotus Karma Fire only acknowledged those who were upright in character and had committed very few killings.
That was a law of heaven and earth, unchangeable!
The only explanation for Xiao Yan refining Red Lotus Karma Fire so smoothly was—
He truly had no blood on his hands!
"This... what kind of monster is he?"
Medicine Elder felt as though everything he knew had crumbled.
A man who owned a treasure of the darkest, most evil kind, yet had never killed anyone?
It made no sense at all!
Boom—
Just as Medicine Elder stood there, shocked and lost in thought,
a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from Xiao Yan!
It was so powerful that the air in the entire room seemed to freeze!
Medicine Elder jerked his head up, horror flashing across his eyes.
He saw—
Xiao Yan, sitting cross-legged, seemed to have transformed into a massive vortex, frantically drawing in the energy of heaven and earth!
After the Flame Mantra converted that energy, it surged into his body, driving his cultivation to soar at a frenzied pace!
One-Star Dou Wang...
Two-Star Dou Wang...
Three-Star Dou Wang...
Six-Star Dou Wang...
Seven-Star Dou Wang...
Eight-Star Dou Wang...
Peak Nine-Star Dou Wang!
In just a few dozen breaths, Xiao Yan's cultivation had surged from One-Star Dou Wang to the peak of Nine-Star Dou Wang!
"How... how is this possible?!"
Medicine Elder stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what he was seeing.
In all his years, he had never witnessed a breakthrough this terrifyingly fast!
What did this even mean?
Other people struggled for years, even decades, to reach a level that this kid had attained in a few dozen breaths?
Was the Flame Mantra really this outrageous?
No!
Even the Flame Mantra couldn't possibly be this heaven-defying!
Medicine Elder stared intently at Xiao Yan, then suddenly realized what was happening.
It was Red Lotus Karma Fire!
The Flame Mantra had perfectly converted and absorbed the terrifying energy contained in Red Lotus Karma Fire. That was what had made Xiao Yan's breakthrough so frighteningly fast!
So this was a Heavenly Flame ranked eighth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking?
Even so, the speed was absurd!
But—
The most absurd part was yet to come.
After reaching the peak of Nine-Star Dou Wang, Xiao Yan's aura suddenly halted!
Medicine Elder's heart tightened, and he thought the breakthrough had stopped.
But then—
Boom!!!
An even more terrifying, divine aura burst from Xiao Yan's body!
It was so powerful that even the tables and chairs in the room began to tremble!
The defensive measures Medicine Elder had put in place were blown apart in an instant.
If not for the resentful energy released by the Ten Thousand Soul Banner suppressing it, the entire room would have already been reduced to rubble!
Medicine Elder had no time to concern himself with anything else. He stared wide-eyed, his face full of disbelief.
He saw—
The invisible aura around Xiao Yan shattered the shackles of the Dou Wang realm and broke through its limits in one fell swoop!
Above Dou Wang—
Dou Emperor!
One-Star Dou Emperor!
Two-Star Dou Emperor!
Three-Star Dou Emperor!
Only after reaching Three-Star Dou Emperor did that frenzied aura slowly subside.
The room fell utterly silent.
Medicine Elder stared blankly at Xiao Yan, who was still sitting cross-legged. He looked as if he had turned to stone.
What the hell?
He was already Three-Star Dou Emperor?
He had gone from One-Star Dou Wang to Three-Star Dou Emperor, crossing an entire major realm and two minor ones—
in less than the time it took to burn a stick of incense?
Medicine Elder felt as though his entire worldview was collapsing.
He had lived for most of his life and considered himself widely experienced, yet he had never seen a breakthrough this outrageous!
The Flame Mantra... was this how heaven-defying it really was?
Just fusing with a single Red Lotus Karma Fire had taken him straight to Three-Star Dou Emperor?
Could breakthroughs really be this easy?
Then if he refined every Heavenly Flame in the world someday... just how powerful would he become?
Medicine Elder suddenly felt as though he'd wasted most of his life.
Back when he cultivated, hadn't he spent years or decades painstakingly consolidating every realm?
But this kid had reached a level countless people dreamed of in just a few dozen breaths...
Comparing people really was enough to drive you mad!
Hoo—
Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes.
Two crimson rays of light shot from them, scorching the air with a sizzling hiss.
Feeling the surging, terrifying power within him, he couldn't help grinning broadly.
"Awesome!"
It felt incredible!
He hadn't expected that fusing with Red Lotus Karma Fire would take him straight to Three-Star Dou Emperor!
And—
Red Lotus Karma Fire seemed to like him a lot. Refining it had been completely effortless.
The whole process had gone so smoothly that he could control his strength perfectly. His cultivation had surged, but his foundation hadn't become unstable at all.
"Sure enough, the Flame Mantra is a treasure!"
Xiao Yan marveled inwardly.
As for why he'd absorbed Red Lotus Karma Fire so easily?
Heh heh heh...
In his previous life, he'd been a well-behaved student who'd received nine years of compulsory education. He'd obeyed the law, helped others, and never even killed a chicken.
In this world of the strong preying on the weak, there probably weren't many people more "upright" than him.
Of course Red Lotus Karma Fire had acknowledged him!
Xiao Yan thought, thoroughly pleased with himself.
And what delighted him even more was—
After fusing with Red Lotus Karma Fire, the Flame Mantra had changed too!
The Flame Mantra, which had originally been Low Yellow Tier, had instantly advanced after absorbing Red Lotus Karma Fire...
to High Earth Tier!
"High Earth Tier!"
Delight flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes.
In the entire Jia Ma Empire, Earth Tier Cultivation Methods were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns!
Even the Misty Cloud Sect's signature cultivation method was only Low Earth Tier!
Yet his Flame Mantra had now reached High Earth Tier!
It was two whole levels higher than the Misty Cloud Sect's signature cultivation method!
If word got out, the entire Jia Ma Empire would be turned upside down!
"Good!"
Xiao Yan clenched his fist, in high spirits.
This was a massive haul!
He'd gone straight from Dou Wang to Dou Emperor, his cultivation method had jumped to High Earth Tier, and he'd gained control over Red Lotus Karma Fire!
His combat power had increased more than tenfold!
Now, even if he faced a Peak Dou Emperor, he could still fight!
And if he added the Ten Thousand Soul Banner...
Heh.
Xiao Yan couldn't help laughing out loud.
But—
Xiao Yan didn't yet know that—
At the same time,
in a secluded corner of the Xiao Family,
a shadow slowly emerged.
It was an old man in gray robes. His face was aged and his back was stooped, but his eyes were exceptionally sharp, like a hawk's.
He stood in the shadows, gazing toward Xiao Yan's courtyard, his brow furrowed.
"Hmm?"
"Why does it feel like... there was just a faint trace of a Dou Emperor's aura over there?"
The old man murmured to himself, uncertainty flashing in his eyes.
He focused his senses for a while, but couldn't detect anything.
That aura had vanished in a flash, as if it had never appeared.
"Was it my imagination?"
The old man frowned and was about to go over and investigate.
But just then—
A message suddenly entered his mind.
The old man's expression turned serious, and he quickly lowered his head in deference.
It was a message from the young lady.
"Elder Ling, I have something to discuss. Come at once."
A cool, familiar voice rang out in his mind.
Before you continue