Heavenly Flame Devours the Flame Mantra

"Had enough fun? I really don't know where you got such absurd luck! Back then, I nearly got burned to ashes by a Heavenly Flame, yet you were born with one. Comparing people really is enough to make one furious!" Seeing Xiao Yan having the time of his life, Medicine Elder could not help teasing him.

"Teacher, I've become a Dou Zhe now. Isn't it time to give me the cultivation method?" Xiao Yan said with a grin.

"What cultivation method?" A strange smile appeared at the corner of Medicine Elder's mouth.

"Of course, that cultivation method that surpasses the Heaven Tier!" Xiao Yan said eagerly.

"Hehe, this cultivation method can indeed surpass the Heaven Tier, because it can evolve!" Medicine Elder placed particular emphasis on the word "evolve."

"Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up and give it to me!" Xiao Yan naturally knew what Medicine Elder meant. Now that he possessed a Heavenly Flame, wouldn't it be idiotic not to cultivate the Flame Mantra?

"Listen to me first. This cultivation method is extremely dangerous to practice. It needs to devour Heavenly Flames in order to evolve. You possess a Heavenly Flame now, so you should know their power. Even a Dou Huang would face considerable trouble if one accidentally touched it." Seeing Xiao Yan's impatient expression, Medicine Elder said helplessly.

"Heavenly Flames? I have a Heavenly Flame! This is practically tailor-made for me. If I have a Heavenly Flame and still refuse to cultivate it, wouldn't I be wasting the opportunity Heaven gave me?" Xiao Yan said with a laugh.

"Uh, this... Even if you have a Heavenly Flame, the success rate is only thirty percent." Medicine Elder truly had nothing more to say. Although he also wanted Xiao Yan to cultivate the Flame Mantra, he knew perfectly well how dangerous it was. Even with a Heavenly Flame, Xiao Yan's chances of success were not high.

"Thirty percent? That's enough! I thought it was only ten percent! Hurry, hurry, hurry!" Xiao Yan could hardly wait any longer.

Medicine Elder took a deep breath. He had originally prepared a whole heap of reasons to persuade Xiao Yan to cultivate the Flame Mantra, because it concerned his resurrection. But now, it seemed his worries had been unnecessary. Xiao Yan did not need any reasons at all.

Naturally, Medicine Elder wanted Xiao Yan to cultivate the Flame Mantra. Yet during the year he had spent with Xiao Yan, he had come to admire him more and more. With Xiao Yan's cultivation talent and unyielding character, he could become a powerhouse without relying on such a dangerous cultivation method as the Flame Mantra. Thus, Medicine Elder did not want Xiao Yan to take this risk.

"Sigh! Since you insist, I'll give it to you! This cultivation method is called the Flame Mantra. I obtained it by chance. It originally had no name, so I gave it the name Flame Mantra. In truth, I also want you to cultivate it. You've seen my current state—neither human nor ghost. I should have died long ago. Those days without even a glimmer of light were truly unbearable. It was only because I accidentally discovered that the Flame Mantra contained a method capable of reviving someone that I persisted until now," Medicine Elder said with a sigh.

"I'm fortunate to have met you, but I'll still give you two choices! This black scroll is the Flame Mantra. Once you cultivate it, you will embark upon a road of no return. Yet this road is extremely dangerous. You may give everything you have, only to discover in the end that it was all a dream. Moreover, the Flame Mantra is only a low-level Yellow Tier cultivation method in its early stages, so you must think carefully. This red scroll is an Earth Tier cultivation method. Being able to cultivate an Earth Tier method early on is a privilege that even descendants of great clans rarely receive. Your future achievements would not be low either. So make your own choice! No matter which one you choose, I will wholeheartedly nurture you." Medicine Elder extended his withered hands and gave them a slight shake. Two somewhat illusory scrolls, one black and one red, appeared in his palms.

Xiao Yan stared fixedly at the black scroll. An incredibly powerful feeling arose in his heart, telling him that he had to obtain it. The Heavenly Flame in his lower abdomen suddenly surged as well, and a Yin-Yang symbol appeared directly within Xiao Yan's eyes.

Xiao Yan extended his right hand and swiftly grabbed at the black scroll. But just as his hand touched it, something strange happened—the black scroll suddenly vanished.

Looking at his empty hands, Xiao Yan stood frozen as if struck by lightning.

"The Flame Mantra! It's gone! Without the Flame Mantra, how am I supposed to become stronger?!" Xiao Yan collapsed onto the ground.

"Is this what they mean by the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment? After struggling for more than ten years, it all turned out to be a dream!" Xiao Yan felt utterly shattered inside.

"Calm yourself! The Flame Mantra wouldn't disappear for no reason. Focus your mind and inspect your body first. See what happened!" Medicine Elder suddenly shouted.

Hearing Medicine Elder's thunderous shout, Xiao Yan finally came to his senses. He smacked his forehead and cursed himself for being an idiot. He hurriedly took a deep breath and calmed his mind. Once it had completely settled, Xiao Yan slowly closed his eyes and sank his consciousness into his lower abdomen.

The flame seed of the Yin-Yang Twin Flame, the Dou Qi vortex, and the Dou Qi surrounding the vortex all began to rotate. As their speed increased, a strand of Dou Qi separated from the vortex and began automatically circulating through Xiao Yan's meridians along a specific route. Once that Dou Qi filled those routes, Xiao Yan felt the natural energy around him abruptly increase. It was continuously refined into pure Dou Qi, which entered the vortex along those specific routes.

As the flame seed and Dou Qi vortex spun faster, the speed at which Dou Qi was refined gradually increased as well. But after reaching a certain point, the speed seemed to hit its limit and could not increase any further. It began rotating at a constant rate.

"What does this mean? I haven't even cultivated the Flame Mantra yet! Why is the cultivation method already operating on its own? Did the Heavenly Flame devour the Flame Mantra and gain the ability to cultivate automatically? Isn't this basically an idle game? Doesn't that mean I won't be able to cultivate actively in the future? What's the point of that?" Xiao Yan opened his eyes helplessly.

"Do you know what happened? And why does it feel like the natural energy around you suddenly increased?" Medicine Elder asked in confusion.

"Would you believe me if I said my cultivation method started operating on its own?" Xiao Yan scratched his head and said awkwardly.

"What? Let me see!" Medicine Elder was startled. What kind of joke was this? He hurriedly grabbed Xiao Yan's arm and examined him. After the examination, Medicine Elder was left dumbfounded.

"You aren't the reincarnation of some Dou Di, are you? Although the Flame Mantra can evolve, it is only a low-level Yellow Tier method in its early stages. That is one of its flaws. But now, it's at least a low-level Profound Rank method, and it can even operate on its own. The Flame Mantra is inherently one rank above other cultivation methods, so calling it a high-level Profound Rank method would not be an exaggeration. Your luck is simply too heaven-defying!" Medicine Elder looked at the grinning Xiao Yan, feeling utterly miserable. At that moment, he desperately wanted to beat Xiao Yan up to vent the unfairness in his heart.

"Well then! I'll go up and practice my Dou techniques first!" Seeing the unfriendly look in Medicine Elder's eyes made Xiao Yan's scalp tingle. With a pull of his right hand toward the iron chain on the cliff wall, the chain instantly flew into his hand. Xiao Yan grabbed it and rapidly climbed upward, afraid that if he were even a step slower, he would get beaten up.

Watching Xiao Yan hurriedly flee, Medicine Elder helplessly shook his head. Though he envied his disciple's good fortune, he was not jealous of it.

After reaching the mountaintop, Xiao Yan took a deep breath and looked toward the pale blue sky. Dawn had only just begun to break. It had already been deep into the night when the Gathering Qi Powder was refined, but Xiao Yan had not felt the slightest bit sleepy then. His spirits had been incredibly high.