Congratulations Host, for Seizing the Heaven-Defying Opportunity Burning Mantra!

"What on earth is this thing?!"

Yao Chen's heart was churning with stormy waves.

Having lived for so long, he had seen countless treasures, yet he had never encountered such a bizarre and terrifying artifact!

To be suppressed so effortlessly? Without even the slightest room to struggle or resist?

Even the Bone Chilling Flame, ranked eleventh on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, was being suppressed there, unable to move a single inch?

What kind of outrageous magical treasure was this!

Yao Chen even had an intuition—

If that Black Banner were to give a gentle shake, his soul would be sucked inside, becoming one of those hideous faces!

[Ding—]

[The host has used a supreme treasure to forcefully suppress the protagonist's ring-dwelling elder, giving the other party a massive fright!]

[Congratulations to the host, you have gained 300 Super Villain Points!]

"Senior Yao Chen."

Xiao Yan's calm voice rang out.

He walked slowly toward Medicine Elder, holding the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"This junior said, I did not want to resort to force, nor did I wish to be your enemy."

"Yet why, oh why, did you refuse to listen?"

Medicine Elder stared fixedly at Xiao Yan, his eyes filled with shock and unwillingness.

However, at this moment, he didn't even have the strength to speak.

That invisible force held him tightly bound, causing his entire soul body to tremble.

Watching Medicine Elder's expression of mingled fear and shock, Xiao Yan shook his head.

"Now, can we finally have a proper chat?"

Xiao Yan's gaze rested on Medicine Elder, filled with deep meaning.

"Actually—"

"Who I am, or what my background is, is completely unimportant to you!"

"There is no need for you to get to the bottom of it!"

"So, let us make a deal instead!"

"If you hand over the Burning Mantra in your possession, I can find an opportunity to reshape your physical body, and assist you in taking your revenge, killing Han Feng and Elder Mu Gu!"

Hearing this, Medicine Elder's pupils constricted.

This brat, he even knows about the Burning Mantra?

Who on earth is he?!

But at this moment, he had no room left to choose.

"Of course—"

"This junior respects you, Senior, which is why I did not wish to lay a hand on you."

"But I believe you, Senior, should understand in your heart!"

"If this junior were determined to take it by force, none of your methods could stop me..."

After speaking, Xiao Yan reached out and gently shook the Ten Thousand Soul Banner in his hand; wisps of eerie, rule-bound aura, accompanied by a trail of black smoke, instantly spread out.

Hiss—

Yao Chen felt a surge of horror, his eyes widening.

He could clearly sense that the power of this black smoke far exceeded his imagination; it seemed to be a bizarre force capable of melting and devouring his soul body.

Just a mere wisp of its aura had caused a portion of his soul power to vanish?

Yao Chen did not doubt that if he dared to refuse, he would be completely refined and devoured the very next second.

Swish!

Just as he was trembling with fear, the terrifying pressure that had been shrouding him suddenly vanished into thin air.

Immediately following, a faint voice reached Yao Chen's ears.

"This junior has already shown my sincerity!"

"So, Senior Medicine Elder, what is your choice?"

Medicine Elder's expression shifted slightly; he naturally understood what Xiao Yan meant.

Although the other party was no longer using the Black Banner to suppress him, granting him "freedom," the mere thought of the Black Banner's terrifying power made him realize he had no hope of escape.

Taking another deep, searching look at the youth before him—someone both "familiar" and "strange"—Medicine Elder's expression was incredibly complex.

He could sense that the other party truly held no "hostility" toward him.

Given the methods the youth had just displayed, it likely wouldn't have been difficult for him to forcibly seize the Burning Mantra from his hands.

Of course, Medicine Elder was also certain that if he continued to be tactless, the other party would likely stop "holding back."

With this thought in mind.

Medicine Elder reached a decision.

He took a deep breath and sighed helplessly, "Fine, I choose to cooperate with you. I hope you will not go back on your word!"

There was no other way!

Aside from agreeing, he had no other choice.

What had he been living for, hiding in that ring all this time?

Was it not because he had a blood feud yet to be avenged? Because he had yet to kill that treacherous disciple with his own hands? Because he was unwilling to accept his fate?

Since he could not keep the Burning Mantra even if he resisted to the death before Xiao Yan, why seek his own destruction?

[Ding--]

At the very moment Yao Chen agreed.

A system notification rang in Xiao Yan's ears.

[Host, well done!]

[Who would have thought that through your unscrupulous means, coercion, and harsh interrogation, you would force the Destiny Protagonist's ring-grandfather into humiliating submission and surrender his heaven-defying opportunity—the Burning Mantra!]

[Impressive, Host is awesome plus!]

[The current world's Destiny Protagonist has lost the guidance of his ring-grandfather "Yao Chen," Luck Value -1000! Having lost the heaven-defying opportunity of the Burning Mantra, Luck Value -3000!]

[Host Luck Value +4000!]

[At the same time, by subduing the Destiny Protagonist's ring-grandfather and seizing his Burning Mantra, the Host has accumulated a total of 100,000 Super Villain Points!]

[In view of the Host's incredibly brilliant performance, an additional premium reward has been triggered—Myriad Dao Soul-Nurturing Jade. It can nourish the soul, calm the mind, increase comprehension, ignore inner demons... and continuously temper soul strength!]

???

"What the f*ck?!"

Listening to the system prompts, Xiao Yan stood frozen in place, his heart trembling violently.

How much?!

One hundred thousand?

One hundred thousand Super Villain Points?!

He hadn't misheard, had he?

The points he had obtained previously were all counted in the "hundreds"!

A few hundred points had already allowed him to draw something as heaven-defying as the Red Lotus Karma Fire; these one hundred thousand points...

Xiao Yan felt his breathing grow rapid.

However.

After the brief shock, Xiao Yan could understand it.

After all—

Whether it was Medicine Elder, the "ring-grandfather," or the heaven-defying technique that was the Burning Mantra, these were the core opportunities for the original Xiao Yan to defy his fate!

He had "seized" both of these things...

Although it sounded somewhat comical to say he had seized something from his own hands, it was indeed a major blow to the "Destiny Protagonist Xiao Yan" that could not be ignored!

It was only reasonable that it would burst out with so many Super Villain Points!

"Awesome!"

Xiao Yan couldn't help but clench his fist in his heart.

This was truly... awesome!

A few hundred points had just netted him the Red Lotus Karma Fire and the "Golden Trait—The Strictest Daddy of the Alien Race."

This was nearly one hundred thousand points!

One could only imagine how many good things he could draw for himself!

He dared not think about it, he absolutely dared not think about it!

At this very moment.

Xiao Yan looked at Medicine Elder before him with a beaming smile; his gaze and expression were exactly as if he were looking at a walking mountain of gold.

The more he looked, the more he felt this old geezer was actually starting to look quite refined.

Medicine Elder felt a strange tremor in his heart as Xiao Yan stared at him so intensely.

This brat... he doesn't have some sort of peculiar hobby, does he?

He instinctively drifted backward, only to find Xiao Yan's gaze still locked firmly onto him. That burning intensity made even a former Dou Zun feel a sense of unease.

"Ahem..."

Medicine Elder gave a light cough, forcibly suppressing the discomfort in his heart.

Things had reached this point; he had no other choice.

He reached out and spread his palm.

A scroll, pitch-black from end to end, slowly manifested in mid-air.

The material of the scroll was unique—neither cloth nor silk—with faint, dark red patterns flowing across its surface, radiating an ancient and mysterious aura.

This was none other than—the Burning Mantra!

Medicine Elder looked at Xiao Yan with a complex expression and said in a deep voice:

"Brat, this is what you wanted."

Xiao Yan's gaze fell upon the scroll, a flash of wonder crossing his eyes.

So this is the Burning Mantra!

The supreme cultivation technique from the original story that allowed Xiao Yan to defy the heavens, change his fate, and eventually become the Flame Emperor!

Although its current rank was low, as long as it fused with enough Heavenly Flames, it could continuously evolve and eventually reach unimaginable heights!

Even in the Great Thousand World, the Burning Mantra was a top-tier cultivation technique!

"However—"

Medicine Elder's tone shifted. He looked at Xiao Yan with a grave expression, his voice filled with earnest warning:

"Although I do not know how you learned of the existence of this Burning Mantra, I must warn you seriously."

"This technique is quite bizarre and perilous."

"It requires the absorption and fusion of Heavenly Flames, and all Heavenly Flames are violent by nature. It is difficult enough for an ordinary person to refine even one, let alone fuse multiple types."

"If you attempt to refine it by force, the slightest mistake will lead to an irredeemable end!"

Medicine Elder stared intently at Xiao Yan, enunciating every word:

"Furthermore, the Burning Mantra has one major drawback—it is exclusive."

"Only those who have never practiced any other cultivation technique can practice this one."

"If you have already practiced a technique, you must discard your entire cultivation base and start over from scratch!"

Otherwise, he would not have kept the Burning Mantra without practicing it himself when he first obtained it, nor would he have passed it on to Han Feng.

At this point, Medicine Elder paused, his eyes filled with a thoughtful scrutiny as he looked at Xiao Yan.

"You—"

"You are already a Dou Wang; you must have secretly practiced a technique long ago."

"Have you truly considered this clearly?"

"Are you willing to discard this hard-earned Dou Wang cultivation for a technique that you don't even know if you can master?"

Medicine Elder's voice was low, yet every word struck like a hammer against the heart.

Although he was wary of Xiao Yan and had been forced to hand over the Burning Mantra, as the once-renowned Medicine Venerable, the innate desire to guide and cherish talented juniors still remained within his bones.

Xiao Yan, a fifteen-year-old Dou Wang—what monstrous talent!

His future was surely bright!

If Xiao Yan were to truly discard his cultivation for the Burning Mantra and end up with nothing...

That would be far too much of a pity!

Hearing this, Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback, then couldn't help but smile.

The look he gave Medicine Elder held a touch of appreciation.

As expected of Medicine Elder.

His character was truly worthy of praise.

Even though their relationship was currently far from harmonious, and even though he had just been ruthlessly suppressed by the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, he was still willing to disclose the drawbacks of the Burning Mantra and even offer advice.

This breadth of mind and demeanor truly lived up to the name "Medicine Venerable."

He was indeed the worthy mentor and friend of the "Destined Protagonist"!

"Rest assured, Medicine Elder."

Xiao Yan smiled and reached out to pick up the black scroll.

It felt slightly cool to the touch, and he could faintly sense the mysterious fluctuations contained within.

"This junior has yet to cultivate any Dou Qi technique."

WHOOSH!!!

As soon as these words were spoken—

"What?!"

Medicine Elder was instantly dumbfounded, his face filled with disbelief!

He widened his eyes and stared fixedly at Xiao Yan, his expression as if he had seen a ghost!

"You... you haven't cultivated any technique?!"

"How is that possible?!"

Medicine Elder's voice turned several octaves sharper, completely stripped of the composed demeanor he had held just moments ago.

"If you haven't cultivated a technique, how could you possibly have broken through to the Dou Wang realm?!"