Flame Dance Nine Forms

Someone was watching the Xiao Family... most likely the Black-Clad Guard of the Shadow Pivot Court.

"They released him openly, but in truth, they were setting out bait to fish?"

Xiao Fan sat on the roof with his chin propped on one hand, lost in thought. Then another question arose. "If they're fishing, who are they trying to catch?"

Just as he sank into contemplation, a crimson figure suddenly appeared at the edge of a rooftop in the direction of the Sacred Fire Altar in the southern part of the city!

Against the boundless night, that crimson figure was especially conspicuous...

Hm?!

It was too far away, and the night was black as ink. Even with a martial artist's senses, Xiao Fan could not make it out clearly.

In the blink of an eye... the night was as it had always been. What crimson figure?

"Strange... Were my eyes playing tricks on me?"

Xiao Fan scratched the back of his head, leaped down from the roof, and returned to the study.

"What happened?" Xiao Wu asked, puzzled.

Xiao Fan sat back down. "Dad, it looks like this isn't over. The Shadow Pivot Court let you come back so they could use you as bait. They're watching us from the shadows."

The moment he heard this, Xiao Wu roared in fury, "What? Those black-skinned dogs!"

Yet Xiao Fan did not seem angered by it. "I think that in these extraordinary times, having the Shadow Pivot Court watching us in secret may actually be a good thing."

"Why is that?"

Xiao Fan explained, "In a sense, it's also a form of protection... But then again, we can't just sit around and wait for death. We have to make a move."

"What do you intend to do?" Xiao Wu was a pure martial man—what did he know of schemes and planning?

Xiao Fan rose and paced back and forth. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Two things. First, I need to visit the Fragrant Pavilion tomorrow and see whether I can find any information about Qin Han."

The old father immediately objected. "Hey! You brat, that sort of place is no place for you! If your mother finds out... we father and son will be in deep trouble!"

"What's there to fear? If you don't say anything and I don't say anything, who will know?" Xiao Fan felt it was no big deal.

Who would have thought that Xiao Wu wore the sorrowful expression of a man who had been there before. "Ahem, let me remind you—the scent of rouge is heavy in places like that..."

"Huh? Dad, you seem very experienced?" Xiao Fan narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Xiao Wu immediately panicked. "Hey! You little brat, I'm not, I didn't, don't spout nonsense!"

An explanation was a cover-up, and a cover-up meant... Xiao Fan smiled knowingly and did not press further.

"Fine, then let me tell you the second thing. I've already reached the ninth rank's great completion!" Xiao Fan said.

The moment those words fell, Xiao Wu was stunned! In his mind, his son was at most at the early stage of the Qi Refining Realm!

Xiao Fan usually deliberately concealed his aura, keeping it around the early-stage level.

Unless he fought or encountered a high-ranking powerhouse, it was difficult to notice.

Upon hearing the news, Xiao Wu could scarcely believe it. "Son, you're not pulling your old man's leg, are you?"

"Am I that bored?" Xiao Fan slightly circulated his aura!

Xiao Wu was overjoyed. "Oh my! It really is Qi Refining Realm completion! Our ancestors' graves are smoking blue!"

No, old man... Was that really necessary? Wasn't that a bit of an overreaction...? Xiao Fan was completely dumbfounded.

He had never expected his father to react like this. Speaking of martial talent, his elder sister was clearly stronger, yet he had never seen his father this excited over her.

Filled with confusion, Xiao Fan asked, "Dad, what's gotten into you..."

Before he could finish, his father grabbed him and dragged him straight to the ancestral hall in the rear courtyard.

"No, Dad..." Xiao Fan was utterly baffled. I only reached Qi Refining Realm completion. Is this really necessary?!

Xiao Wu was beside himself with excitement. "Quick, quick, kowtow to the ancestors!"

As he spoke, he knelt first and knocked his head against the floor three times before the two rows of memorial tablets in the ancestral hall, muttering without pause:

"The ancestors have shown their blessing... The ancestors have shown their blessing..."

Xiao Fan looked at the several tablets enshrined in the ancestral hall. The two at the very center bore no names, while only the ones at the edges belonged to past members of the Xiao Family.

"Hey! What are you standing there for? Hurry up and kowtow!" Xiao Wu directly dragged Xiao Fan over to kowtow before the ancestral tablets...

After they finished kowtowing, Xiao Wu ran behind the tablets, lifted a floor brick, and took out a booklet from beneath it.

"Once you reach Qi Refining Realm completion, you can begin preparing to break through to the Iron Bone Realm. This can be passed on to you now!"

As he spoke, Xiao Wu handed the booklet to Xiao Fan. "Once you reach the eighth rank, you can cultivate this."

Xiao Fan took the booklet and looked... Flame Dance Nine Forms!

Wasn't this the Xiao Family's secret blade art his father had once mentioned?

As its name suggested, Flame Dance Nine Forms contained nine forms in total, progressing from easy to difficult.

So far, Xiao Fan had learned only the first two forms: [First Form: Swift Blade] and [Second Form: Flame Slash].

The first form was actually a series of exquisite foundational blade techniques and footwork. It had no martial-realm requirements; anyone who practiced martial arts could learn and cultivate it.

The second form, however, required one to reach the Qi Refining Realm. It was a slash that gathered one's aura into a single decisive strike, and it also required fire-element spells to be applied to the blade in order to enhance its killing power.

Therefore, from the second form onward, anyone wishing to cultivate this technique had to either be a grandmaster who trained in both martial arts and sorcery, or possess a special bloodline like Xiao Fan's, one capable of using blood in place of fire-element spells.

Xiao Wu patted his son's shoulder, his voice heavy with earnest emotion. "I thought your path in martial arts would forever be halted at the early Ninth Rank... Never did I imagine that you would actually awaken! This is wonderful... truly wonderful..."

The more he spoke, the more agitated he became. "At last, I... I have not failed... not failed the ancestors!"

Something about that sounded strange... Xiao Fan found his father's reaction increasingly abnormal. "Dad! Are you hiding something from me? When Sis broke through to the Eighth Rank Iron Bone Realm, you weren't even this happy, were you?"

"You brat, why would you ask that? Can't I be happy for you? Whether it's you or your sister, I'm happy!" Xiao Wu said with a laugh.

As Xiao Fan had said, Xiao Jinlan had broken through to the Iron Bone Realm half a year ago. Among those her age, she could be considered a genius among geniuses.

As her father, Xiao Wu had naturally been immensely proud. He had even laid out a feast and invited his colleagues from the Armament Hall to celebrate at their home.

Yet Xiao Fan remembered the circumstances at the time perfectly, because that had been when he had just transmigrated here...

Though Xiao Wu had been delighted, he had not dragged Xiao Jinlan to the ancestral hall to kowtow or anything of the sort, much less passed down the complete Flame Dance Nine Forms to her.

That was right. Xiao Jinlan was already Eighth Rank, yet she had only learned [First Form: Swift Blade]. She had not even cultivated the second form!

Xiao Fan had naturally asked his father about it before. The answer he received was that the second form could only be cultivated by men, because its excessive yang energy could easily cause women to be scorched by yang fire.

Now, it seemed things were probably not that simple...

Xiao Fan put away Flame Dance Nine Forms. "Fine. If you don't want to tell me, then I won't ask."

"Hey! Why have you become so suspicious? We're family. What could your father possibly be hiding from you?" As he spoke, Xiao Wu's gaze visibly darted away for a moment.

A crude martial man truly was no good at lying... The corner of Xiao Fan's mouth twitched, but he did not wish to keep pressing the matter. Since his father was unwilling to speak, he must have had his reasons.

At that, Xiao Wu hurriedly changed the subject. "Right. Starting tomorrow, you'll need to prepare for breaking through to the Eighth Rank Iron Bone Realm!"

"How do I prepare?" Xiao Fan had long been itching to give it a try. I've been waiting for the old man to come back!

Xiao Wu answered at once, "Only after a thousand hammerings and a hundred temperings can one forge copper skin and iron bones! If you want to break through to the Iron Bone Realm, this step is naturally... getting beaten!"

Uh... Xiao Fan had a faintly bad feeling about this... Clinging to a shred of hope, he asked, "Who's going to beat me?"

"My arms and legs still haven't fully healed, so of course your sister will be the one beating you!" Xiao Wu said with a smile, uttering something utterly terrifying...