A New World: Getting Hit Every Time I Travel Through

"...All I can say is, this technique is a complete scam. It was never meant for humans to cultivate."

It would have been fine if it had not been mentioned, but once it was, Xiao Yan could not stop complaining.

Even though he had simulated it many times in Gray Mist Space, he had never imagined that swallowing fire was done like this.

If he had not possessed a body of flame, even with the protection of medicinal pills, he probably would have died countless times already.

This technique was just utterly ridiculous. It was indeed powerful in the later stages, but as for how one was supposed to reach those later stages, that was apparently none of its concern.

Xiao Yan seriously suspected that this technique had never been intended for human cultivation. He even felt that Tou She Ancient God must have possessed some special bloodline, or perhaps could transform into a body of flame like him.

If anyone else had tried cultivating the Flame Mantra, they would probably have died long ago without even knowing how.

Fortunately, he had upgraded the Flame Mantra in Shrouding the Heavens, turning that absurd torture device into a wheelchair. Otherwise, this thing would have been completely hopeless.

While thinking about finding some Emperor Scriptures or something later to modify, Xiao Yan poured out everything he knew about the Flame Mantra and Heavenly Flames under Yao Lao's complicated gaze.

"Ah, anyway, I walked right up to the gates of hell myself. I was just lucky enough to succeed by chance." Xiao Yan rubbed his nose, looking like a survivor of a catastrophe.

Yao Chen fell silent at once, veins bulging on his forehead.

Looking at the shamelessly boastful Xiao Yan before him, then recalling how he himself had nearly died after refining the Bone Chilling Flame, Yao Chen began carefully studying Xiao Yan's face.

"?" Xiao Yan glanced sideways at him, feeling that the old man was plotting something again.

"I am studying how someone can grow up this shameless."

"You taught me well, Teacher."

The corner of Xiao Yan's mouth twitched. After trading a few quips, he spread his fingers, and a cluster of crimson flame appeared in his hand.

"This Myriad Beast Spirit Flame seems capable of purifying bloodlines. At the same time, if I actively draw it into my body, I can temporarily increase my combat strength by a great deal."

Insights continuously surged through Xiao Yan's mind. The gains from refining the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame poured forth like a spring. Every second, his body was changing, and he needed time to sort through the harvest of this refinement properly.

But before that...

Catching the information obtained alongside refining the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame, Xiao Yan willed it to transform. The flame in his hand changed continuously before finally turning into an exceptionally mystical bird.

"I do not know whether this is an ability of the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame itself, or whether my unique nature strengthened it. In any case, after being refined by me, this Myriad Beast Spirit Flame seems able to keep growing. It can absorb the power of beasts, then feed it back in return.

"During the refinement process, I also gained some information about that unidentified bird magical beast from earlier." Xiao Yan scratched his head. While refining the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame, he had purified and tempered it, removing its impurities. The power that remained carried some of the magical beasts' abilities.

Perhaps because that bird magical beast had been too powerful, there was not much information within it.

"This thing seems to be called a Nine Netherworld Sparrow?"

Recalling the enormous black divine bird that had appeared in his mind while refining the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame, large as a mountain and dark enough to blot out the sky, Xiao Yan scratched his head.

At the same time, he had received an indistinct guidance. Somewhere extremely far away, there seemed to be remnants of other fragments from the Beast Mound.

There seemed to be something good there, perhaps even an inheritance left behind by that ancient magical beast known as the Nine Netherworld Sparrow.

"...I really have never heard of that." Yao Chen froze for a moment, carefully searching his memories before shaking his head.

But that was understandable. During ancient times, there had been hundreds of Dou Emperors on the Dou Qi Continent. It was entirely normal for some strange ancient magical beasts to have gone extinct.

Noticing Xiao Yan's current state, Yao Lao did not intend to say anything more.

As he had said, comparisons between people were enough to infuriate anyone. After refining the Bone Chilling Flame, he had merely been able to wield it, while Xiao Yan seemed to have completely devoured the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame...

Once Xiao Yan fully absorbed the gains from this refinement, Yao Chen felt that he could probably pass the Bone Chilling Flame on to Xiao Yan as well.

Thinking of this, Yao Lao shook his head.

"Save the chatting until after your seclusion. I can tell that you have many insights right now. I will stand guard for you here. Take this opportunity to completely turn the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame into part of your source flame, then reflect on it properly.

"There is still a touchstone waiting for you outside."

Xiao Yan nodded. Still, his comprehension was good anyway, so he was not short on time. Besides, he would soon be entering his next projection, and he needed to explain a few things to Yao Lao first.

"But Teacher, I need to correct you. Once I get out there, that fellow will not be a touchstone anymore. At most, he will be a speed bump."

Xiao Yan smiled strangely.

The clan marks of the Ancient Eight Clans were such blatant cheats. Well then, he, Xiao Yan, would have to cheat a little too.

What Ancient Eight Clans? I thought they were speed bumps!

Before entering Gray Mist Space to give himself a little boost, Xiao Yan suddenly remembered an idea he had had long ago.

"Perfect. Before I go into seclusion, Teacher, help me think this through. I plan to develop a move where my natal flame and this Myriad Beast Spirit Flame can detonate each other."

As he spoke, Xiao Yan condensed Samadhi True Fire in his left hand and summoned the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame with his right, eagerly crashing the two together.

Yao Chen: !!!?

Wait... wait a second?!

A moment later.

BOOM!!!

A massive mushroom cloud rose from the Beast Mound space.

"I @%#&! What the hell are you trying to do?!!!"

At the center of the altar, Yao Chen had developed a headache from Xiao Yan's occasional explosions. He decisively chose out of sight, out of mind and stood guard far away near the secret realm's entrance.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the ground. The Myriad Beast Spirit Flame burned slowly at the center of his Sea of Bitterness. He was in his pure-white flame dharma body state, but as time passed, the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame continuously merged into the trace of natal flame at the center of the Spring of Life. The sparks dancing around him gradually took the forms of countless beasts.

At first, they were all sorts of mystical magical beasts, but as Xiao Yan completely assimilated the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame, the style of the flames gradually began to go off track.

From divine beasts of traditional mythology to strange creatures from the Classic of Mountains and Seas, they gradually became Hydras, Eight-Legged Pegasi, Cerberuses, then tyrannosaurs, round-headed cats, ancient apes, and crocodiles, before turning into Charizards, WarGreymon, Doraemon, Pleasant Goat, and finally catgirls, Angewomon, dragon girls, beast ears...

This seemed to be a turning point. Before long, Xiao Yan was surrounded by all manner of lovely female figures formed from flame.

Only then did the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame seem to launch its fierce assault. As it was completely refined, an immense and boundless energy erupted.

Almost instantly, even in his dharma body state, Xiao Yan could not help letting out a muffled groan. His bloodline and physical body both seemed to boil, and his entire body grew incomparably hot. The enormous surge of yang energy rapidly advanced his Wheel Sea Secret Realm, but it also came with side effects similar to sildenafil, the medicine used to treat heart disease...

Xiao Yan could even feel that the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame seemed to possess a spirit. It whispered in his ear that he was too lonely, that there was no one by his side, and that it wanted to completely enter his embrace, merge with him, and never part again.

The instant that thought surfaced in his mind, Xiao Yan's eyes widened, and he became immediately energized.

It was not that desire had overcome reason, nor was he suffering painfully while struggling to restrain it. It was not some rush of blood overwhelming his mind, nor his lower head controlling his upper one.

He simply felt as though he had been provoked. Even the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame wanted to stand against him?

Gods were lonely. Yet this Myriad Beast Spirit Flame wanted to make sure he was no longer lonely. Was that not stopping him, Xiao Yan, from becoming a god?!

Flame Mantra, refine it for me!!!

Myriad Beast Spirit Flame: "..."

Gray Mist Space.

After hitching up his pants, Xiao Yan strode deeper inside, feeling utterly refreshed.

At the center of his dantian, the flame that had replaced his Dou Crystal had now taken on some physical substance. From time to time, it split off into a little flaming beast that raced wildly through Xiao Yan's body.

Following the circulation route of the Flame Mantra, it continuously absorbed the energy of heaven and earth. Its cultivation speed was no different from Xiao Yan's when he was in deep seclusion, and if Xiao Yan cultivated actively, the speed would increase in stages.

After completely refining the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame, Xiao Yan suddenly discovered that he could now automate his cultivation. Though the flame was an extension of his own will, it was instinctive, like the beating of a heart.

The expression on the little flame beast's face was vivid and lifelike, full of the joy of voluntarily working overtime.

Xiao Yan was extremely satisfied with this. Once he entered the worlds beyond, he would no longer need to spend time cultivating on purpose.

Without lingering, he strode deeper into Gray Mist Space. Rather than heading toward the other passages, Xiao Yan walked directly to the passage leading to the Shrouding the Heavens world.

Yet as soon as he approached, Xiao Yan could sense that although the barrier was weaker than last time, he still could not enter.

Still unable to enter worlds he had visited before? No big deal. As his cultivation improved, the cooldown would only get shorter.

Next time, he would give Ye Fan a little taste of what cheating felt like.

"I hope this time gives me more worlds related to beast races. Ideally, one that can also let my Flame Dharma Body advance further, and perhaps allow my flames to condense into physical forms..."

Rubbing his hands together like a fly, Xiao Yan muttered to himself as he chose the passage that caught his eye the most and pressed his hand against it.

The next instant, gray mist rapidly filled the entire space, carrying Xiao Yan away as he vanished.

Gray mist carried Xiao Yan's figure down the passage. After an unknown amount of time, it was as though a stone had been dropped into a calm puddle, creating faint ripples.

Unlike the previous few times, Xiao Yan's consciousness did not completely descend into chaos this time. Instead, he continuously received streams of information dispersing through the gray mist. As the ripples spread, he gained some understanding of this world.

This was a world where humans could not cultivate without beast races. There was no Dou Qi, no magic, no martial arts—only something that every person would awaken...

"Fuck!!!! Where the hell did this send me?!"

That terrible description made Xiao Yan's teeth ache. He felt as though fate had set him up, but he was given no time to think before everything before his eyes returned to chaos.

Douluo God Realm.

A blue-haired man held a golden trident, seemingly calculating something. Before him was a water mirror. In one corner of its reflection, a golden three-eyed beast wandered about leisurely, while in another stood a handsome youth with pink-blue hair.

Several glimmers flashed through Tang San's eyes as he prepared to make a move.

Suddenly, an inexplicable sense of danger rose in his heart. He sensed that an immense amount of fortune had abruptly appeared in the lower realm.

Just as he was about to investigate carefully, a purple beam containing the intent of destruction shot toward him from afar.

Tang San snorted coldly and struck with his trident, shattering the purple light. Sensing the message it carried, he hesitated as he looked toward the lower realm, but ultimately chose to rise and head to the God Realm Committee for a meeting.

It would not be too late to look into the lower realm after half a day.

Yet on the way there, Tang San could not shake an ominous feeling.

Why did he suddenly feel like something was about to blow him up?

Douluo Continent.

At the foot of the Ming Dou Mountains, in a village along the border with the Sun Moon Empire.

Yin winds howled, resentful souls wailed, and bones filled the eye as far as it could see. At first glance, the small mountain village seemed normal, but on closer inspection, every house had been constructed from human skin and bones.

This place had long since become a ghost domain.

At the center of the village, fresh blood had been poured over the dark red earth, forming a special ritual array. The stench of blood drifted through the air, mixed with mournful wails that made one deeply uncomfortable.

A strange figure clad in black robes sat cross-legged at the center of the ritual array. Seven black, illusory tentacles stained with blood extended from his body, connecting to seven people of varying ages, men and women, young and old. Massive amounts of life force flowed along with their blood through the tentacles and into the black-robed man.

As the ritual progressed, his aura continuously rose.

At that moment, a wild roar rang out from beyond the village. Along with a clear phoenix cry, countless ghostly figures guarding the village were blasted apart in a single strike.

Immediately after, a blazing light of fire shattered every obstacle before it and sped toward the village.

Even from a distance, the suddenly rising temperature caused the blood on the ground to evaporate faster.

A glimmer of light returned to the eyes of the sacrifices, who had already become somewhat numb.

Noticing that the despair provided by the sacrifices had weakened, a flash of anger crossed the black-robed man's twisted face. One yellow, two purple, and two black soul rings suddenly lit up beneath him.

The next moment, the entire earth trembled. Within this ghost village, countless pitch-black ghostly figures surged madly toward the red-haired woman surrounded by flames.

"Dammit!" Seeing the sacrifices beside the evil soul master, Ma Xiaotao was furious. Perhaps due to her emotions spiraling out of control, a faint black flame ignited around her body. But she could not care about that now. She was about to activate her sixth soul skill on the spot.

However, Yan Shaozhe's instructions before she had departed suddenly echoed in her mind.

"...You may carry out the mission. As a member of the Inspection Corps, it is your duty. But next year is the Continental Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament. For Shrek's glory, you must participate! Unless absolutely necessary, you must not go all out during this mission... Even if it truly becomes necessary... you must weigh it again and again!"

Ma Xiaotao's movements froze, but her eyes were quickly filled with rage as her reason gradually faded.

"To hell with weighing it again and again! At worst, I just will not go!"

The Evil Phoenix Flame burned at full force. Ma Xiaotao compressed her blazing soul power to its limit and unleashed her sixth soul skill, Phoenix Meteor Shower, bombarding the sinister ghostly figures around her.

Under the scorching flames, the ghostly figures turned to nothing in an instant. Other than the blood sacrifice ritual at the center, the entire village was destroyed by Ma Xiaotao's single attack.

Using the last of her reason, she killed the evil soul master with her fifth soul skill, Phoenix Soul-Piercing Strike. Ma Xiaotao had no time to deal with the hostages. Regretting that she had not brought several teammates, she could only fire a signal flare before fleeing at full speed into the distance.

If she did not run now, everyone would become dried corpses soon.

In only a few breaths, the clarity in her eyes was gradually replaced by chaos, while the flames around her grew increasingly violent.

Yet as Ma Xiaotao flew toward the wilderness, her eyes suddenly widened.

In this deserted place, there was actually a handsome youth wearing a crimson-gold robe.

The wind was left far behind her. She had no time to warn him before the last trace of reason was swallowed by savagery. Ma Xiaotao only had time to turn slightly toward the mountainside before crashing into it and losing consciousness.

Thud.

A large hand burning with pure white flame gently pressed against Ma Xiaotao's body, bringing her to a steady stop.

"Why am I getting hit again...

"Hey, hey, big sis. You crashed my martial soul right out of me. How are you planning to compensate me?"