Refining

"What?! Don't cultivate?! Xiao Yan, explain yourself!" Xiao Li demanded excitedly.

Xiao Zhan also looked over in confusion.

Xiao Ding quickly caught the key point in Xiao Yan's earlier words. "Xiao Yan, do you mean we can't cultivate at home? But it would be fine elsewhere?"

"Yes, Big Brother, Father, Second Brother. It isn't that I want to stop you from cultivating these two cultivation techniques and combat skills—it's that we truly cannot cultivate them here. The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind. It's impossible to cultivate an Earth-tier cultivation technique without leaving any traces. If outsiders discover that the four of us, father and sons, have suddenly advanced by leaps and bounds, even a fool would guess that the Xiao Clan has obtained some treasure. At best, our techniques would be stolen; at worst, the clan could face extermination," Xiao Yan said.

Xiao Li fell silent. Xiao Ding and Xiao Zhan said nothing either. They all knew Xiao Yan was right.

"Then Xiao Yan, how do you think we should solve this?" Xiao Ding, mature and steady as ever, was the first to ask.

"Yeah, Xiao Yan, if you have a solution, say it quickly! Your Second Brother is worried sick," Xiao Li said.

"Yan'er, just tell us. If there's anything you need Father to do, Father will definitely do it!" Xiao Zhan added.

"It's actually very simple. Staying together would indeed attract attention, but as long as we split up and travel to remote places where no one knows us, while also adjusting our apparent ages, we naturally won't stand out as much. Of course, it's impossible to avoid attracting attention entirely. But when the time comes, we can pretend to be disciples from some great power out on training, and borrow their prestige. If people still don't believe us, we run. Our home isn't there anyway. If we just slip into some desolate, uninhabited place, who could find us?" Xiao Yan said confidently. Clearly, he had been considering this plan for quite some time.

After hearing this, Xiao Zhan and the others all nodded, evidently approving of Xiao Yan's method.

"This is a good plan! Let's do it! Big Brother and I have been discussing going to the Tagore Great Desert for training these past few days. Since that's the case, why not set out early?" Xiao Li clapped his hands together and said excitedly.

"It is indeed a solution, but what about Father? As the Xiao Clan's patriarch, Father can't leave the clan for too long." Xiao Ding looked at Xiao Zhan with some concern.

"Me? You don't need to worry about me. I'm already at this age. Even if I cultivate an Earth-tier cultivation technique, I won't achieve much more. I might as well stay in the Xiao Clan and cover for you," Xiao Zhan said with a smile. Though he regretted being unable to cultivate an Earth-tier cultivation technique, the thought that his three sons could cultivate one made him let it go. The only thing he worried about now was his third son, Xiao Yan. "Yan'er, your plan is good, but you're different from your two brothers. You're only twelve. Are you really going to be all right traveling outside alone?"

"That's right, Xiao Yan. Why don't you come to the Tagore Great Desert with us? The three of us brothers can look after one another," Xiao Ding said.

"Exactly, Xiao Yan. Come with us. When the time comes, leave matters outside to Big Brother and Second Brother. You can just focus on cultivating," Xiao Li echoed.

"No. Like I said before, three exceptionally talented people gathered together would be far too conspicuous, so it would be better for us three brothers to split up. That way, if one side runs into trouble, the other can receive word and go rescue them. We won't be wiped out in one fell swoop," Xiao Yan insisted on his original idea.

"Then I'll go with you! Let your Second Brother go to Tagore instead. How about it?" Xiao Ding continued.

"There's no need, Big Brother. I know you're worried about me, but fledglings must eventually soar alone. Besides, I already made my way through the Gu Clan once and came back alive, didn't I? What's there to fear about going out to train? So Big Brother, you should go with Second Brother instead. Second Brother is too straightforward; he still needs you with him," Xiao Yan said.

"Hey! Xiao Yan, what do you mean by that? I—"

"Shut up!" With one sentence, Xiao Ding cut Xiao Li off. To be honest, he worried more about Xiao Yan because Xiao Yan was too young, but he worried about Xiao Li more because of his lack of scheming. With that brain of his, he would probably help count the money after being sold off! Still, Xiao Ding could not quite make up his mind and wanted to say something more.

"All right, Ding'er. We'll do as Yan'er says." To the surprise of the three brothers, their father, Xiao Zhan, was the first to agree with Xiao Yan's idea.

"Father!" Xiao Ding said in astonishment.

Xiao Zhan raised a hand, signaling Xiao Ding not to speak yet, then turned to Xiao Yan. "Yan'er, Father has watched you grow up. Ever since you were little, you've been the smartest among the three brothers, and more mature than other children your age. Father believes you must have thought this plan through carefully. Since that is so, Father supports you. But there is one thing you must promise Father." Xiao Zhan spoke solemnly. "You must come back safely!"

Looking into Xiao Zhan's concerned eyes, Xiao Yan felt the bond between father and son surge through his heart. He answered solemnly, "Don't worry, Father. I definitely will!"

"Good!" Xiao Zhan smiled kindly. "Then it's settled. You three brothers should go back and prepare yourselves properly. Before you leave, just come tell Father."

"Yes, Father!" the three brothers answered in unison.

After returning to his room, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the bed.

"Everything has finally been settled. Next, as long as I successfully cultivate the Flame Mantra and refine part of the Volcanic Rock Flame, I can set out for the Magic Beast Mountains."

Mentioning the Magic Beast Mountains, Xiao Yan could not help thinking of the girl from the original story who had accompanied Xiao Yan through countless hardships, yet ultimately had no fate with him. He silently resolved that he would definitely give that pitiful girl a place to belong.

Then, Xiao Yan took out a black scroll from the Bone Flame Ring. The instant his palm touched the scroll, it transformed into a beam of light and shot directly into his mind, followed by a vast flood of information.

Since the current Flame Mantra was merely a Yellow-tier low-grade cultivation technique, Xiao Yan opened his eyes after only two hours.

Even though it was only Yellow-tier low-grade, after successfully cultivating a Dou Qi technique, Xiao Yan looked far more spirited than before. All that remained was refining the Volcanic Rock Flame. However, Xiao Yan did not begin refining it immediately, instead continuing to cultivate the Flame Mantra.

Only after ten consecutive days, when Xiao Yan had confirmed that he was sufficiently proficient and could circulate the technique instinctively even in his sleep, did he officially begin refining the Volcanic Rock Flame.

Xiao Yan first cleared away every flammable object nearby, then placed some prepared medicine for healing injuries and replenishing Dou Qi beside him. Once everything was ready, Xiao Yan finally turned his attention to the seal within his body.

Xiao Yan sat on the floor and focused his mind. As his hands formed the hand seals Gu Yuan had taught him, a crimson blaze suddenly erupted from within his body. The flames were not large, but their power was terrifying!

Thin wisps of flame kept pouring out, instantly burning the clothes on Xiao Yan's body to nothing. The scorching heat baked everything around him, and even the space surrounding Xiao Yan seemed to distort faintly, showing just how terrifying the Volcanic Rock Flame was.

"Aah!!!"

Intense pain instantly spread throughout Xiao Yan's entire body. His soul felt as though it had been pierced by countless steel needles and was on the verge of collapsing. He rolled wildly across the ground, trying to fling the flames from his body.

But how could flames erupting from inside his body possibly be shaken off so easily?

With the last trace of clarity he had left, Xiao Yan desperately circulated the Flame Mantra, attempting to tame this wisp of Volcanic Rock Flame.

Inside Xiao Yan's body, the scorching Volcanic Rock Flame rampaged nonstop. Anything standing in its way—whether flesh, meridians, or bones—was burned to ash. The frantically circulating Flame Mantra continuously gathered strand after strand of Dou Qi, trying to envelop the Volcanic Rock Flame, only for them to be destroyed again and again by the violent flames.

Xiao Yan did not give up. He knew he had no way back now. Either he would be reborn in fire and emerge from the cocoon as a butterfly, or he would be burned into ashes by the Volcanic Rock Flame and become the first transmigrator in history to be burned to death.

While enduring the Heavenly Flame's erosion, Xiao Yan continued circulating the Flame Mantra, trying to force the Volcanic Rock Flame to submit to his will. He stuffed medicine that replenished Dou Qi into his mouth as though it cost nothing.

Once, twice...

Ten times, a hundred times...

Who knew how much time had passed. Xiao Yan was no longer rolling around, because his muscles had nearly been burned away! He lay sprawled on the ground like a heap of mud, and only the still-rising fluctuations of Dou Qi showed that he was alive.

But even his Dou Qi was on the verge of running dry.

Finally, the utterly exhausted Volcanic Rock Flame no longer had the strength to resist. Seeing this, Xiao Yan's nearly collapsed consciousness erupted with its final strength, squeezing out the last trace of Dou Qi in his body to wrap around the Volcanic Rock Flame and circulate it along the Flame Mantra's cultivation path.

After that, Xiao Yan, having unleashed his last bit of strength, could no longer hold on and fell unconscious. Only the Flame Mantra continued to circulate.