Living Flame, Old Man Shennong

Yao Xuan understood his situation all too well. He was merely an abandoned child of the Yao Clan, with no one to rely on and no backing.

But Yao Xuan was still far better off than Yao Chen had been back then.

Yao Xuan vaguely remembered that before Yao Chen had been expelled from the Yao Clan, he had suffered torment at the hands of that old bastard Yao Wangu within the clan.

And after expelling Yao Chen from the Yao Clan, they had even sent people to hunt him down. Thankfully, Yao Chen had been tough enough to survive. Otherwise, he likely would have been buried in the Shennong Mountain Range, and there would have been no Medicine Venerable afterward...

Although Yao Xuan had also been expelled from the Yao Clan, fortunately, Yao Wangu had not sent anyone after him. With the medicinal pills gifted by Yao Ling, Yao Xuan should still be able to leave the Shennong Mountain Range...

The autumn wind swept wisps of mist through the mountains, carrying the strange blend of medicinal fragrance and poisonous stench unique to the Shennong Mountain Range.

Yao Xuan raised his eyes toward the endless, overlapping mountain ranges to the north. A plan had already formed in his mind.

The Shennong Mountain Range stretched for thousands of miles. Though it held countless medicinal herbs, it was also infested with poisonous insects and overrun by low-tier Magic Beasts.

The deeper one went, the more violent and dense the energy of heaven and earth became, while the hidden dangers multiplied.

Ordinary alchemists only dared gather spiritual herbs around the outskirts and would never venture into the core regions. Even Dou Zong experts might not dare roam freely there.

But Yao Xuan had no other choice. He knew that Shennong City, controlled by the Yao Clan, had sealed all official exits. An expelled castoff had no right to pass through.

Thus, if Yao Xuan wanted to leave this place and enter the Central Plains, he could only take the risk and cross the core wilderness of the Shennong Mountain Range...

Yao Xuan immediately concealed his aura, lowered his body, and steadily headed deeper into the northern reaches of the Shennong Mountain Range.

Yao Xuan was only a two-star Dou Spirit. Without the ability of a Dou Wang to form wings from battle qi, he could only travel on foot.

Along the way, Yao Xuan carefully avoided the traces of Magic Beasts. Relying on the sensory power of his mid-Mortal Realm soul, he evaded several deadly miasma swamps and Magic Beast nests.

Yet the deeper he entered the mountain range's core, the more the surrounding trees towered overhead, blotting out the sky, while an invisible pressure weighed heavily upon him.

Just as Yao Xuan was doing his utmost to pick up speed and pass through this dangerous area as quickly as possible, the ground suddenly trembled faintly.

A deep, savage beast roar exploded through the air.

Before Yao Xuan could react, an immense and violent pressure abruptly locked onto him, firmly imprisoning his body.

In that instant, Yao Xuan felt the battle qi within him become sluggish, almost impossible to circulate.

Yao Xuan turned his head and saw a massive black shadow slowly emerge from the depths of the forest.

It was a Giant-Scaled Venom Dragon Lizard covered in dark azure scales. Its enormous body stood several zhang tall, its sharp claws and fangs gleaming with a sinister green poisonous light. Its cold, bloodthirsty vertical pupils were fixed tightly on Yao Xuan.

"This aura... it is at least a seventh-tier Magic Beast!"

Sensing the oppressive aura of the Giant-Scaled Venom Dragon Lizard, Yao Xuan could not help muttering softly.

A seventh-tier Magic Beast was already comparable to a human Dou Zong expert, with an incomparably powerful body.

Moreover, this Magic Beast possessed an innate poisonous talent. It was not something a mere Dou Spirit like Yao Xuan could contend against.

"Roar!"

The next second, the Giant-Scaled Venom Dragon Lizard let out a furious roar.

Its massive body shot forward, whipping up violent gusts of wind. Its razor-sharp giant claw carried a fierce gale as it slammed viciously toward Yao Xuan.

Seeing this, Yao Xuan did not dare let down his guard in the slightest. His hands rapidly formed seals, and battle-qi flames instantly erupted around his body.

"Pill Flame Art!"

The next moment, the battle-qi flames rapidly intertwined before Yao Xuan, quickly condensing into a huge net of fire in an attempt to block the Magic Beast's attack.

Though the Yao Clan was an imperial clan, it was ultimately a Lineage founded upon alchemy. Alchemists had never excelled at combat, and the Yao Clan was no exception.

Therefore, compared to the other imperial clans, the Yao Clan possessed few high-tier battle skills. For a collateral clansman like Yao Xuan, being able to learn the mid-grade Black Rank Pill Flame Art was already quite good.

But the Pill Flame Art was ultimately only a mid-grade Black Rank battle skill, and Yao Xuan possessed merely the strength of a Dou Spirit.

Thus, the instant the fire net came into contact with the seventh-tier Magic Beast, it was torn apart!

A wave of helplessness surged through his heart. At this moment, the brutal survival law of the Battle Qi Continent, where the strong reigned supreme, revealed itself in all its cruelty!

Yet just as the Magic Beast's giant claw was about to strike Yao Xuan's body.

A warm, crystalline emerald flame quietly bloomed out of the void.

This flame possessed neither the tyrannical, heaven-burning might of a Heavenly Flame nor the wild heat of a beast flame. Instead, it radiated boundless vitality, gentle and peaceful, like spring wind and rain—soft, yet containing endless power.

The emerald flame lightly swept forth. Though it appeared soft and powerless, it precisely blocked the Giant-Scaled Venom Dragon Lizard's fatal strike.

"Bang!"

A low, muffled boom rang out, followed by a terrifying surge of energy sweeping through the surroundings...

The instant the Dragon Lizard's heavy claw collided with the emerald flame, its enormous body was actually sent flying backward!

The Giant-Scaled Venom Dragon Lizard's pupils suddenly contracted. An instinctive, extreme wariness rose within it as it retreated several steps in succession. Its fierce vertical eyes stared fixedly at the void ahead while it let out wary, low growls...

Yao Xuan stood frozen as well, slowly turning his head to look...

He saw the thin figure of an old man standing in the sky above the forest, though he had no idea when he had appeared...

The old man wore a simple green robe. His hair and beard were both white, and his face was gentle yet weathered. Not the slightest powerful battle-qi fluctuation emanated from him.

Only the emerald flame hovering above his palm was warm and lively, overflowing with vast vitality as it slowly danced within the dim forest.

Upon seeing that unique emerald Heavenly Flame, Yao Xuan's mind trembled violently. His pupils shrank as he involuntarily cried out:

"Living Flame!"

The fifth-ranked supreme Heavenly Flame on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. It governed endless vitality, able to revive the dead, regenerate flesh from bone, and nourish all living things. It was the ultimate treasure countless alchemists dreamed of obtaining.

And in all the world, there was only one person who commanded this Heavenly Flame and had lived in seclusion deep within the Shennong Mountain Range for years—Old Man Shennong!

The Giant-Scaled Venom Dragon Lizard clearly knew Old Man Shennong's terror. It did not dare act recklessly again. Its massive body lowered slightly, its savage aura completely restrained, while its eyes filled with reverence. Then it immediately turned around, burrowed into the dense forest, and vanished completely.

The forest instantly fell silent again.

Old Man Shennong lifted a hand and lightly brushed his sleeve. The emerald Living Flame over his palm slowly withdrew into his body...

Only then did he slowly lower his head to look at Yao Xuan and say softly:

"Young one..."

"You are merely a Dou Spirit, yet you dared venture alone into the depths of these mountains?"

"Do you truly not value your life?"

Yao Xuan reacted swiftly as well, immediately cupping his hands respectfully toward Old Man Shennong.

"This junior is Yao Xuan!"

"Many thanks, Senior, for saving me..."