Little Red, the Yin-Yang Twin Flame

[Beast-Controlling Flame Seal: Use fire-attributed Dou Qi in conjunction with soul power to draw a runic seal, brand a magical beast's soul, and thereby command the magical beast.]

[Note: The stronger the wielder's soul power when activating beast flames or Heavenly Flames, and the weaker the magical beast, the greater the chance of success.]

Xiao Yan smiled faintly. In the end, only personal practice could yield such a practical truth.

He had considered this method of control before.

But back then, he had only had things like orioles and yellow dogs around him. His own strength had still been at the Dou Qi stage, and his soul power had been nowhere near as strong as it was now. After thinking it over for a moment, he had given up.

After all, domestic animals were just ordinary animals. If they could not endure it and died, that would be bad.

Now, his Dou Qi had transformed into Dou Qi, his soul power had greatly increased, and he also possessed the Mystic Yellow Flame and Peach Blossom Flame within his body. As he recalled that old matter, everything fell naturally into place.

Xiao Yan took a deep breath and formed hand seals with both hands. His Dou Qi vortex spun rapidly, and pure Dou Qi surged forth from within it, carrying a wisp of Mystic Yellow Flame and Peach Blossom Flame.

A yellow flame and a pink flame danced in Xiao Yan's hands like two sprites.

As Xiao Yan's hand seals changed, the two flames began to gather. They spun between his hands before transforming into a dazzling flame seal.

The seal seemed like real fire, blazing fiercely and releasing scorching heat.

"What is that?" Yao Lao asked curiously.

"Beast-Controlling Flame Seal!"

Xiao Yan shouted, controlling the flame seal with his palm as he slammed it toward the Blazing Fire Wolf's brow.

The flame seal entered the Blazing Fire Wolf's head, and Xiao Yan clearly sensed a trace of resistance.

However, that resistance was extremely weak, almost vanishing in an instant.

If his soul power had not been so formidable, he truly would not have noticed it.

Presumably, the gap between the Blazing Fire Wolf and him was too great. It had also been beaten by him for half the day and was already exceedingly weak, leaving it with virtually no strength to resist.

The Blazing Fire Wolf shook its head. The terror in its eyes gradually calmed, and it pushed hard with its limbs, struggling to rise.

Xiao Yan jumped down from its back and let it recover. They still had to continue their journey later.

"It was controlled?" Yao Lao was utterly astonished.

A contract capable of controlling magical beasts had never existed before.

Magical beasts possessed extremely robust physiques. After resting for a short while, the Blazing Fire Wolf regained its vigor and affectionately rubbed its head against Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan rubbed the enormous wolf head and smiled. "Now that you are my mount, I should at least give you a name."

Looking at the Blazing Fire Wolf's red fur, Xiao Yan nodded slightly. "I'll call you Little Red."

Seeing the Blazing Fire Wolf nod repeatedly, looking thoroughly satisfied, Yao Lao's eyes were opened.

That actually worked!

Xiao Yan patted the Blazing Fire Wolf on the head, mounted it, and raced toward the depths of the Magical Beast Mountains.

The Blazing Fire Wolf bounded powerfully on all four limbs, swiftly weaving along the forest paths.

Riding on its back, Xiao Yan felt the magical beast's surging strength and scorching body heat. His heart brimmed with anticipation for the future and the spirit of adventure.

Magical beasts were good mounts, but Xiao Yan carried the Black Heavy Ruler, which suppressed his Dou Qi. His weight far exceeded that of an ordinary person, making long-distance running a severe test for a lone wolf.

Xiao Yan did not make things too difficult for it. Along the way, he found more than a dozen first-tier magical beasts to take turns carrying him.

After the sky had completely darkened, Xiao Yan stopped in the forest. He let the dozen or so first-tier magical beasts disperse to find something to eat and rest for the night, while he roasted two wild rabbits in the woods.

The campfire in the Magical Beast Mountains was like a guiding lamp amid the darkness.

A moment later, a group of people passed through the trees and arrived beside the campfire.

There were five people in the group—three men and two women. When they saw that only Xiao Yan, a young boy, was roasting rabbits alone, even the middle-aged man leading them was startled.

After a brief silence, the middle-aged man smiled and said, "Are you a mercenary too, little brother? How did you end up entering the Magical Beast Mountains alone?"

Xiao Yan raised his head slightly and smiled calmly, like a rather hot-blooded youth. "While I'm still young, I might as well take a chance and seek some opportunity."

Beside the middle-aged man, a pretty girl of eighteen or nineteen spoke in a crisp, sweet voice. "You don't look much older than me. You're probably only at the Dou Qi stage, right? Charging in recklessly like this, you'll likely only end up filling a magical beast's stomach. Why not join our Blood Battle Mercenary Group?"

"Our Blood Battle Mercenary Group is one of Qing Mountain Town's most renowned mercenary groups. Once you join us, as long as you work hard, you won't lack gold coins, cultivation methods, or Dou Techniques."

So it was the Blood Battle Mercenary Group. Xiao Yan raised a brow slightly. The world really was small. He had actually encountered one of Qing Mountain Town's two great mercenary groups.

But on second thought, it was not strange. He had encountered the Wolf Head Mercenary Group earlier, so he was probably near Qing Mountain Town.

Mercenary groups made their living from magical beast cores and medicinal herbs. They spent almost the entire year in the Magical Beast Mountains, so encountering the Blood Battle Mercenary Group was perfectly normal.

"Ling'er, don't talk nonsense." Seeing that Xiao Yan's black robe was made from fine material, the middle-aged man lowered his head and lightly reprimanded her before smiling at Xiao Yan. "Little brother, nighttime is when magical beasts are most active. It is truly dangerous to be outside alone. Why don't we travel together for now, so we can look after one another?"

"You're right, Uncle. My rabbits have just finished roasting. You arrived at the perfect time. Sit down, all of you." Xiao Yan smiled and invited them to sit and eat.

Traveling ten thousand miles was better than reading ten thousand books. Although he possessed heaven-defying comprehension, Xiao Yan had never considered himself superior to others.

The Blood Battle Mercenary Group might not be very strong, but their knowledge and experience were not something he, a young master who had stayed at home all year, could compare with.

These seemingly ordinary little people sometimes spoke casual words that could prove profoundly enlightening.

Like the apple that fell on Newton's head.

Among the Heavenly Flames was one called the Yin-Yang Twin Flame, ranked twenty-first.

It had been born in the void of the universe. Black and white flames intertwined, swimming like twin Yin-Yang fish.

Yin and Yang were the laws of nature, the source that gave birth to all things in the world. Born from that source, the Yin-Yang Twin Flame was one form of flame manifested by the source itself, filled with the dual powers of life and death.

The Mystic Yellow Flame had already been comprehended, while the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame was still being created. Xiao Yan's current small goal was to comprehend the Yin-Yang Twin Flame.

The path his Great Flame Mantra followed now differed greatly from that of the Flame Mantra.

Compared with the Flame Mantra's single method of advancement, the Great Flame Mantra could also allow a cultivator's fire-attributed Dou Qi to become powerful enough to surpass the Emperor Flame.

In truth, cultivation methods like the Great Flame Mantra did not necessarily require a cultivator of fire-attributed Dou Qi. Among the Heavenly Flames were flames such as the Netherworld Poison Flame, Bone Chilling Flame, and Nine-Dragon Thunder Flame, which possessed attributes beyond fire.

There was inherently no distinction between high and low among the world's attributes. The Flame Mantra and Great Flame Mantra, which fused multiple Heavenly Flames with their own unique abilities, also confirmed the principle that solitary Yin cannot give birth, lone Yang cannot grow, and when Yin and Yang unite, all things are born.

However, based on his own conditions, Xiao Yan still chose the path of cultivation that began with fire-attributed Dou Qi.