Battle Through the Heavens: Rising to Power from Canaan Academy

She had already evolved into a Seven-Colored Heaven-Devouring Python. Having low-tier magical beasts search for someone was no difficult task; she merely needed to release a trace of her pressure, and the weak creatures lurking within the mountains would obediently bow their heads.

Just who was this youth, to require such cautious treatment?

Medusa's tone carried a hint of inquiry. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

Qin Chen gave a wicked smile. "Different ways of meeting often determine how a relationship develops afterward. If we meet directly, it may even arouse unnecessary wariness."

Medusa frowned slightly, her red lips parting. "Who exactly is he? Is he worth such caution from you?"

"Do you remember the Dou Zun expert I told you about?" Qin Chen said with a light laugh.

Medusa curled her red lips, her tone tinged with mockery. "Don't tell me that human is the Dou Zun expert you mentioned."

A Dou Zun was a legendary powerhouse.

She could believe that such a figure might appear in the Jia Ma Empire, but for a teenager to be a Dou Zun? That was simply absurd.

"Not exactly, but close enough, because that Dou Zun expert is on him!" Qin Chen said frankly.

"What did you say? A Dou Zun expert is on him?" Medusa's pupils contracted.

This news was no different from someone telling you, "See that beggar on the street? The piece of paper in his pocket is worth a hundred million."

Seeing Medusa's shocked expression, Qin Chen chuckled and explained, "That Dou Zun expert's physical body has already been destroyed. Only a soul remains, attached to that youth."

"And that Dou Zun expert is an eighth-tier alchemist. If I can obtain his inheritance, my alchemy will surely advance by leaps and bounds."

Qin Chen was quite interested in this fated master-and-disciple pair from the original story.

Many believed that Xiao Yan's success along the way was nothing but luck. Yet if they were truly placed in Xiao Yan's circumstances, they likely would not even have managed to take the first step.

Not to mention anything else—during those three years when his battle qi vanished, how many people could have persisted like Xiao Yan, knowingly attempting the impossible, for a full three years?

So-called luck was merely an interpretation of Xiao Yan's unrelenting efforts.

"Fine. I hope you are not deceiving me." After pondering for a moment, Medusa ultimately agreed.

As her words fell, the space around Medusa rippled slightly, and her alluring, voluptuous body gradually vanished from where she stood.

Three days later, in a secluded valley within the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

Having just finished cultivating, Xiao Yan held a fragrant grilled fish in his hand and wolfed it down, his lips smeared with grease.

"Teacher, this earth-class battle skill is powerful, but it's just too slow to cultivate," Xiao Yan muttered after swallowing the fish in his mouth.

"Hehe... If you think it's slow, I do have a way to speed up your cultivation progress." Stroking his illusory beard, Yao Lao smiled faintly from the side.

"What way?" Xiao Yan blinked in confusion.

Although he said it was slow, he knew that his progress was already incredibly fast. Could his teacher really make him advance even faster?

First Meeting

"There is naturally a way... Hm?" Yao Lao's voice abruptly halted. His illusory eyes narrowed slightly as he looked toward the valley entrance.

Xiao Yan paused mid-bite and asked in confusion, "Teacher, what happened?"

Yao Lao's expression turned grave, and his usually casual voice carried a trace of surprise. "An aura is coming from over there. It has caused the Bone-Chilling Spirit Flame within me to stir violently."

"A Heavenly Flame?!" Xiao Yan's eyes lit up.

Yao Lao had previously told him that the only thing capable of causing a refined Heavenly Flame to stir was another Heavenly Flame.

"It should be, but that aura is also mixed with a rather powerful soul force." At this point, Yao Lao was filled with doubt.

What sort of person would appear in the depths of the Magical Beast Mountain Range?

Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Xiao Yan asked tentatively, "Teacher, how about we go take a look?"

As someone cultivating the Flame Mantra, he did not want to give up on a Heavenly Flame as long as there was even a shred of hope.

He had suffered enough from this low-grade yellow-class cultivation method. This trash technique was beyond saving, even with Qi Recovery Pills.

"Then let's go take a look."

Yao Lao nodded and smiled. "Although that soul force is quite powerful, your teacher still has a way to deal with it."

With that, Yao Lao transformed into a streak of light and returned to the Ancient Flame Ring. Soul force then surged forth, completely enveloping Xiao Yan's body.

"Hehe!"

Xiao Yan licked his lips, put away the Black-Heaviness Ruler, and shot toward the valley entrance with a tap of his foot.

Under Yao Lao's guidance, Xiao Yan soon arrived at a broad clearing.

"This is bad!" At that moment, Yao Lao's expression changed drastically within the storage ring.

Just as Xiao Yan wondered why his teacher's tone had changed so abruptly, a bone-piercing chill suddenly surged into his head.

Whoosh!

A surge of seven-colored energy burst toward Xiao Yan, completely engulfing his body.

With a deafening boom, dazzling light bloomed in the dark forest. Energy shockwaves swept outward like a violent gale, instantly shattering trees and sending broken rocks flying.

The billowing dust gradually dispersed, revealing Xiao Yan's figure wrapped in white flames. At that moment, he no longer emanated the weak aura of a Dou Zhe. Instead, a powerful Dou Huang-level aura radiated from him.

It turned out that Yao Lao had taken control of Xiao Yan's body at the critical moment.

"Xiao Yan" raised his eyes toward the sky and saw a seven-colored giant snake over thirty meters long hovering in midair.

The giant snake's seven-colored scales shimmered under the moonlight with a bewitching glow. Its snake eyes carried icy killing intent as it stared fixedly at "Xiao Yan" below. The immense energy surrounding its body caused faint ripples to appear in the nearby space.

"It's actually a Seven-Colored Heaven-Devouring Python!" Yao Lao's voice exploded through Xiao Yan's mind like thunder.

"A Seven-Colored Heaven-Devouring Python?"

Hearing this unfamiliar name, Xiao Yan was filled with confusion.

"Hiss, hiss~"

At this moment, the Heaven-Devouring Python in the sky slowly wriggled, soft seven-colored light spreading around its body. It seemed neither to be attacking nor defending.

"Teacher, what is it doing now?" Seeing the giant snake's strange actions in the sky, Xiao Yan asked in confusion.

Yao Lao was about to say that he did not know when his soul perception suddenly detected movement nearby. His voice rose sharply. "This is bad! Someone is coming!"

The moment Yao Lao spoke, a light laugh entered both their ears. "How interesting! A mere Dou Zhe possesses such powerful soul force and even has the Bone-Chilling Spirit Flame, ranked eleventh on the Heavenly Flame List."

"Xiao Yan" looked toward the source of the voice and discovered a black-clad youth around his own age hovering in the air. The youth played with a wisp of green flame in his hand, green battle qi wings flapping behind him, while a nine-star Dou Wang aura radiated from his body.

"A Dou Wang?!" Staring blankly at the fiery wings behind Qin Chen, waves crashed through Xiao Yan's heart.

Yao Lao had once told him that the Battle Qi Continent was vast, with no shortage of astonishing geniuses and countless people stronger than him.

Back then, he had no concrete understanding of it. Only after seeing Qin Chen did he truly experience how terrifying that gap was.

At that moment, the seven-colored light that had originally enveloped the giant snake dissipated. A slender little snake over twenty centimeters long darted out and flew straight into the youth's sleeve.

"Little Yan, it seems the situation is rather unfavorable." In Xiao Yan's mind, Yao Lao's voice carried a hint of gravity.

Qin Chen stared at Xiao Yan for a moment, then rubbed his chin as though pondering something.

Suddenly, Qin Chen's pupils shrank, as if he had guessed something.

He slowly said, "Though it is hard to believe, this seems to be the only explanation. If my guess is correct, Senior must be the legendary Yao Chen, the Venerable Yao who mysteriously vanished, correct?"

"Over these past dozen years of cultivation, Senior's great name has truly been like thunder to my ears!" Qin Chen concluded with a smiling sigh.

"T-Teacher, you... you are actually a legendary Dou Zun?" Qin Chen's words struck Xiao Yan like a thunderbolt, leaving even his speech incoherent.

There had been far too many shocks today. He had never expected that his seemingly ordinary teacher was actually a legendary Dou Zun powerhouse!

Yao Lao was no better off. He had never imagined that someone in a remote place like the Jia Ma Empire could recognize him from such scant information.

Seeing "Xiao Yan" standing there in a daze, Qin Chen's lips curved into an expression of understanding. He then cupped his hands and said, "If this junior has guessed correctly, I ask Senior to reveal yourself for a meeting."

At this point, Yao Lao understood that there was no longer any meaning in continuing to hide.

As the pale white flames faded from "Xiao Yan's" body, an illusory soul slowly floated out from within him, eventually condensing into the form of an old man.

Yao Lao furrowed his frosty white brows and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you? Why do you know my identity?"

The person before him was not simple. Though his realm was only Dou Wang, his combat strength was likely already comparable to that of a mid-stage Dou Huang.

Moreover, the Seven-Colored Heaven-Devouring Python from earlier appeared to be only a fifth-tier magical beast, but that was merely the power it had used.

After probing it, Yao Lao discovered that this Seven-Colored Heaven-Devouring Python was clearly a seventh-tier magical beast!

If a fight truly broke out, they would gain no advantage.

Qin Chen did not immediately answer Yao Lao's questions. Instead, he smiled and said, "This is not a suitable place to talk. If Senior trusts me, then follow me. We can talk at length."

After saying that, Qin Chen took the lead and flew toward a valley not far from the clearing.

He was not worried about whether the master and disciple would follow. Before they figured out his identity, they would not simply let the matter rest.

Watching that powerful aura depart, Xiao Yan finally came back to his senses and sighed. "Teacher, is this the kind of genius you spoke of?"

Yao Lao nodded. "His talent is indeed extraordinary. Even across the entire Battle Qi Continent, he could be considered a first-rate genius."

After speaking, Yao Lao said no more and simply looked quietly at his disciple.

A Frank Discussion

After roughly half an incense stick's worth of silence, Xiao Yan took a deep breath, his voice becoming much calmer. "Teacher, I believe I will surpass him someday, whether for Xun'er's sake or yours."

"Good. That is what my disciple should be like. Rest assured, although that person's starting point is higher than yours, he is not beyond surpassing."

"I think highly of your potential, and I believe you will certainly become a true peak powerhouse." Yao Lao nodded repeatedly in satisfaction. He had chosen Xiao Yan precisely because of this resolute temperament.

Although Xiao Yan had lost all his battle qi for three years, he had never given up and had continued cultivating day after day.

Had Xiao Yan given up on himself midway, Yao Lao would likely have left long ago to seek another fated person.

Xiao Yan scratched his head, then asked softly, "Teacher, then what should we do now...?"

Yao Lao pondered for a moment before slowly saying, "Let's go. Follow him and take a look. This person is far too mysterious."

With that, Yao Lao's illusory figure slipped into the storage ring and controlled Xiao Yan's body as it flew in the direction Qin Chen had gone.

This was a small valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. Compared to the mountains overrun by magical beasts, it was a tranquil place for cultivation.

After arriving in the valley, Xiao Yan quickly caught the scent of medicinal herbs mixed with a burnt smell.