Those Surnamed Yao Have Courted Death

"...What are you going crazy for now, kid?"

The corner of Yao Chen's eye twitched wildly. Sensing a violent energy fluctuation suddenly erupt from where Xiao Yan was deep within the ruins, he hurried back, only to find Xiao Yan somehow threatening someone from afar.

And the moment he returned, he discovered that Xiao Yan was targeting people surnamed Yao.

Huh.

Thinking about the bastards of the Yao Clan, Yao Chen decisively drew a righteous line between himself and them. The whole world knew he, Yao, had nothing to do with the Yao Clan. Clearly, his character was simply too good—nothing like those Yao Clan scumbags.

Yao Chen nodded calmly, his expression perfectly natural.

But it soon stopped being natural.

"That Dou Di inheritance of yours acted up again?" Yao Chen's eyes widened in disbelief.

"That's right. I got a little lucky and gained some benefits. My constitution underwent a transformation." Xiao Yan clenched his fist and grinned.

Honestly, he had felt somewhat unaccustomed upon returning.

On the Douluo Continent, he had been the executor of the world's will, able to manipulate laws with a casual wave of his hand. Once he returned, those abilities unique to another world vanished without a trace.

The sudden loss of such immense power was still rather unpleasant.

But Xiao Yan had known this would happen, so he was not discouraged. The Douluo Continent was merely a low-level plane. Its strongest experts were only high-level Dou Emperors at most. Once he, Xiao Yan, became a Dou Emperor—no, once he became a Dou Wang—he would be able to crush everything on the Douluo Continent.

It was already enough to experience the power of a higher realm in advance. True strength had to belong to oneself.

Thinking this, Xiao Yan saw the disbelief on Yao Lao's face, and his smile became even brighter. It was time for the unavoidable moment of showing off.

"Teacher, what do you think of me now?"

Xiao Yan made no movement at all. He merely stood where he was.

Yao Chen swallowed.

His soul body had long since become corporeal. Though he was still a soul, he possessed a perspective akin to physical sight.

Under his gaze, Xiao Yan stood right before him.

Yet when Yao Chen sensed him with his powerful soul force, Xiao Yan before him vanished.

In his place was a blazing divine flame.

"?! Huo Huo!?" Yao Chen could no longer suppress his surprise.

Xiao Yan: "..."

Two dark lines seemed to hang from Xiao Yan's forehead, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

What was wrong with this old man?

This old man had always been disrespectful despite his age, but why did he seem to be getting more and more bizarre now?

"...This is what I gained this time. I have completely transformed my original body into something that can tentatively be called a Dharma Body—or rather, the embryonic form of one." After some thought, Xiao Yan decided to use that term for now.

Although it was somewhat different from the Dharma Body in Shrouding the Heavens, he was already an Other Shore powerhouse. So what if the names overlapped?

"My outward appearance has not changed, but my essence has ascended. I am still myself." Xiao Yan gently extended his hand, allowing Yao Lao to sense and inspect him.

He suddenly felt that his current state somewhat resembled the Buddhist concepts of Dharma Body, reward body, and manifestation body combined into one.

"..." Watching Xiao Yan shift between human, flame, and flaming human within his soul vision, Yao Chen did not know how to comment for a moment.

He did not understand the principle, but he only needed to know that Xiao Yan's current form was something he had never heard of.

"Come to think of it, I obtained fragments of the Nine Netherworld Sparrow's inheritance. It seems that, in ancient times, experts had a cultivation method for Dharma Bodies similar to mine."

As he explained the state of his Dharma Body to Yao Lao, Xiao Yan suddenly recalled some of the information contained within the Myriad Beast Spirit Flame.

It seemed this was an ability possessed by all major powerhouses.

His own Dharma Body cultivation method had been comprehended through a bit of his own ingenuity from the Flame Mantra after it had evolved in Shrouding the Heavens.

If he were naming it based on its characteristics, he could perhaps call it the Ten Thousand Flames Undying Body for now.

"The Dharma Body unifies essence, qi, and spirit, turning the insubstantial into the substantial and completely transforming it into a physical entity. There is no distinction between them. It carries my many methods and can serve as a furnace to merge the power of different systems into one.

"Right now, it is like when I previously transformed my dou qi into flame. The power of my essence, qi, and spirit has all become the flames that make up the Dharma Body. Perhaps it would be more fitting to call it divine power now."

As he spoke, Xiao Yan examined himself internally. Other Shore had already undergone seven transformations. When he looked up toward the sky, he could see five radiant divine palaces shining brilliantly.

Great power belonged to oneself!

"Ten Thousand Flames Undying Body..."

Yao Chen carefully pondered the meaning behind the name, only expressing his amazement after a long while.

Its various abilities were simply too absurd.

First, it could move wherever Natal Flame existed. It could even teleport to locations where flames of a lower rank than his own existed.

It merged mana and health into one. As long as he was alive, he remained at peak condition. A few breaths and some absorbed flames would restore him. He could only be beaten to death; he could never be exhausted to death.

It was similar to being digitized in an online game. There were no weak points at all, his condition would never decline, and he would not become weak just because his mana was running low.

Even if Xiao Yan were cut in half at the waist, what he lost would merely be half his mana in every sense. His health bar would always remain full.

To kill Xiao Yan, one had to erase him utterly from top to bottom. If that failed, he could rise again from the tiniest spark.

Of course, all of this required mana. These heaven-defying abilities consumed no small amount of energy.

Yao Chen immediately thought of something. If Xiao Yan fought on home ground, his advantage would be unimaginably great.

He needed flames, just as certain ancient races of Titan giants did.

As long as they stood upon the earth, they gained enormous enhancements.

Yet Xiao Yan happened to possess the ability to spread a domain of flame in this regard.

Moreover, even disregarding that, Yao Chen felt that this ability suited Xiao Yan perfectly. One had to remember that Xiao Yan was an alchemist!

Who could be more authoritative than him when it came to fighting while chugging pills?!

"Teacher, my Endless Flame Domain is like Fire Release Teleportation. Because my own strength is too weak, it has quite a few limitations."

Xiao Yan was rather helpless about this. He had no authority on the Dou Qi Continent, and his own level was too low. He could not open up an entire world with a single thought. It was said that only Dou Shengs could do that, while he only had the most downgraded version of the downgraded version.

He had to deepen the flame space at close range before he could drag someone inside.

And even that consumption was not something he could casually afford.

Still, what he lacked was only raw numbers. In terms of mechanics, he was already a monster.

No matter how inferior it was, it was still Flying Thunder God plus Kamui plus Intangibility.

Thinking of this, Xiao Yan felt that he was still somewhat lacking in raw power. His various abilities had basically taken shape, but his mana pool itself was far too low.

"All the Heavenly Flames in the world have suffered eight lifetimes of bad luck by running into you. Given time, I can't even imagine what you'll become."

Yao Chen smacked his lips.

This time, he could truly say that his disciple Xiao Yan possessed the potential to become a Dou Di.

"So, Teacher, should we go cause trouble for Han Feng afterward?"

Xiao Yan was eager to try.

Yao Chen immediately glared, feeling utterly miserable. He flicked Xiao Yan on the forehead, then recalled the Fire-as-Pill Technique Xiao Yan had mentioned earlier. Coupled with Xiao Yan's current state, Yao Chen's thoughts raced. The original plan had been disrupted, but a new one quickly formed.

"You cannot aim too high. You must properly learn Alchemy from me first. Can't you make flames corporeal now? Then use flames to refine pills!

"Only once you figure out the Fire-as-Pill Technique to above the fifth tier will I let you go out and fool around!"

Yao Chen spoke with righteous severity.

"Then what about those people surnamed Yao outside?"

Xiao Yan blinked. If he remembered correctly, the people outside were Yao Chen's enemies.

"Well... Disciple, let your teacher properly experience your body." Yao Chen looked at Xiao Yan's body and immediately revealed a strange smile.

To be honest, he really wanted to experience the wonders of Xiao Yan's current body. If it worked well, he could have Xiao Yan make him a flame body too someday... Cough, cough.

Xiao Yan: (¬_¬)

That line was far too terrible...

No, wait. Wasn't the old man in the ring supposed to be his cheat? Why did it now feel like he, Xiao Yan, had become the old man in the ring's cheat?

"Heh heh heh, come on, come on. Let your teacher help examine your body. We'll properly study the reverse application of the Heavenly Tier Dou Technique, Ghost Possession."

A moment later.

Pale white flames surged into the sky. A figure burning with Bone Chilling Flame flew out from the ruins and stood in the air, overlooking the two Yao Clan members below.

[Your body is incredible!] Golden light flashed in Yao Chen's eyes, and the upward curve of his lips could not be suppressed.

Ghost Possession was already a thing of the past.

This was now the Heavenly Tier Dou Technique, Ghost Possession: Super!

He briefly merged with the Bone Chilling Flame, then temporarily fused with Xiao Yan.

Not only did this greatly increase Xiao Yan's combat strength—far more than Ghost Possession 1.0—

The two could also switch at any time and take turns controlling the body. Combined with Xiao Yan's bodily traits, Yao Chen felt they could even develop something like three heads and six arms.

[Little Yan, we'll study your Dharma Body more later. Make it two heads and four arms, or three heads and six arms, something like that.]

[Tch, old man, learn how to use one head and two arms first.]

Within the spiritual world, Xiao Yan rolled his eyes. He cursed Yao Lao for dragging even himself into it, but he also took note. Indeed, it would not make sense for a Dharma Body not to have something like three heads and six arms. At least when necessary, three heads and six arms would look incredibly cool.

Of course, it had to be the Third Prince version. The Monkey King's version would work too. In any case, it could not look ugly.

While bickering with Yao Lao in the spiritual world, Xiao Yan also began cooperating with him in earnest.

Outside, Yao Chen piloted Xiao Yan's body like a mech and looked down upon Yao Yun and Yao Nuo.

Especially when he looked at Yao Yun, a trace of remembrance flashed through his eyes.

If there were three people from the Yao Clan who left the worst impression on him, they would be Yao Wan Gui, Yao Feng, and Yao Yun.

The first two had plotted against him. For their selfish desires, they destroyed everything he had, expelled him from the Yao Clan, and even caused his mother to pass away.

But the latter was even more infuriating.

A petty villain who fabricated false testimony from nothing.

Flames surged in Yao Chen's eyes. In his fury, he gripped the Heavy Xuan Ruler in his hand, and pale white flames instantly covered it.

Breaking through the sound barrier, he charged downward.

"You people surnamed Yao have already courted death!!!" Yao Chen roared toward the sky. The grudges of the past all resurfaced. He had originally let some of them go, but after spending so long with Xiao Yan, that youthful spirit and fierce sense of justice had been stirred up again.

Right was right, and wrong was wrong. Even if ten thousand years had passed, vengeance that should be taken still had to be taken! If one repaid resentment with virtue, then what would one use to repay virtue?

Even after a hundred lifetimes, it could still be repaid!

Xiao Yan sucked in a breath of cold air. Sitting in the spiritual world with his arms wrapped around his knees, he glanced sideways at Yao Lao's divine thought incarnation beside him.

When it came to old-man passion—

Xiao Yan felt his own blood boil as well. Laughing loudly, he turned a portion of his divine thought in the spiritual space into flame.

[Teacher, let me help you!!]

Outside, Yao Yun and Yao Nuo had no time to react.

Yao Chen, controlling Xiao Yan's body, had already charged before them.

He raised the Heavy Xuan Ruler in one hand and cleaved it downward, while his other hand moved as though controlled by another person, swiping through the air as his five fingers suddenly spread.

In an instant, [Xiao Yan]'s power was depleted by more than half.

Behind Yao Yun and Yao Nuo, a fire lotus bloomed.

The fire lotus enveloped the two of them, then swallowed the approaching [Xiao Yan] as well. It left no ripples in the world as the three figures vanished into thin air.

Within the flame domain existing in another space.

Yao Chen held the Heavy Xuan Ruler and smashed it viciously toward Yao Yun. The ruler's afterimages swung so densely they were impenetrable, accompanied by towering flames that continuously scorched Yao Yun's limbs.

[Teacher, were you already close to Dou Sheng at your peak?] Xiao Yan could clearly feel that, in their deeply connected state, his control over space came as naturally as breathing.

Borrowing Yao Chen's power to unleash his own abilities, it was no longer as strenuous as when he had tried to use them alone.

If he had done it himself, even draining himself dry might not have been enough to unleash this ultimate move and swallow a Dou Zong and a Dou Wang.

[More or less. But that final step before Half-Saint was like an insurmountable chasm.] Yao Chen did not mind saying more. He took out a cup of juice from the Storage Ring and drank it in one gulp before continuing to swing the Heavy Xuan Ruler at Yao Yun.

During this time, no matter what Dou Techniques the other party used, even when the man fought desperately with all the power of a Dou Zong, Yao Chen did not evade even once.

Xiao Yan's Ten Thousand Flames Undying Body was simply too powerful.

It was incomparably solid. There was no need to consider dodging at all. Attack without defense—unrivaled under heaven!

However, Yao Chen also had a premonition. After experiencing the great terror of life and death, once he was resurrected, he might just step into the Saint Realm.

But that was a matter for later. There was no need to think too much about it now.

"Hehe, Teacher, keep hitting him. I'll get you something good." Xiao Yan blinked and manifested something shaped like an eye from the Gray Mist Space.

This time, he had brought back two things in total.

One was the life crystals of the entire Evil Eye Clan. After purifying them, they became pure spiritual origin.

The other was the Hundred Herbs Origin-Returning Pill refined from the essence of a hundred herbs within the Icefire Yin Yang Well. He had exchanged for more than half of the origins of those plant-type hundred-thousand-year soul beasts.

Xiao Yan was not stingy. While working with Yao Lao, constantly familiarizing himself with his Dharma Body and learning to go from simply smashing people with his fists to smashing people with his fists using profound techniques, he also absorbed the Evil Eye Origin with Yao Chen bit by bit.

The larger share went to Yao Lao to heal his injuries. Xiao Yan kept roughly half of the remainder without absorbing it.

He was saving it in case of emergencies later.

If the next world happened to be something like Yang God, a world specializing in spiritual cultivation methods, this would be perfect as starting resources.

"Ahhh! Spirit of the Heavenly Flame! I am a member of the Yao Clan! Let me go! I am willing to use my disciple's life to apologize to you! If you spare me, I can ask my clan to give you..."

Yao Yun was at death's door. He possessed none of the dignity expected of a Dou Zong powerhouse or a member of the Ancient Eight Clans, crawling forward on his knees as he begged for mercy.

Yet Yao Chen did not give him the chance to finish. With a spread of his fingers, Xiao Yan condensed a fire lotus and stuffed it into Yao Yun's mouth.

Two souls in one body, their coordination was extraordinarily seamless.

After a brief silence, the flames on Yao Chen's face twisted and reformed, revealing his true appearance.

"I am not some spirit of the Heavenly Flame. Yao Yun, do you still recognize me?"

Yao Yun's eyes widened. Yet as he looked at the old man's face, he only found it somewhat familiar and could not recognize him at all.

But he knew this was likely an enemy of his.

"I was wrong, Senior! I am willing to pay any price!"

"I hate apologies after the fact the most." Yao Chen snorted coldly. Before he could continue, Xiao Yan's voice sounded within him.

"This guy doesn't know he was wrong. He only knows he's about to die."

"Don't kill me! If I die, the Yao Clan won't let you—"

Boom! The corpse was instantly swallowed by firelight. The Buddha's Fury Fire Lotus detonated from within his body. Even as a Dou Zong, he could not endure it for even a single breath.

"What the hell is the Yao Clan?" Yao Chen sneered disdainfully. "No one named Yao is any good!"

Xiao Yan: ...

"Though there were so many things to criticize that he didn't know where to start, judging by this, the Yao Clan really was no good.

They'd even pissed the old man off so badly he was having a fit.

That was what Xiao Yan thought, and at the same time, he made up his mind that one day, he would definitely go to the Yao Clan and demand an explanation."

Xiao Yan's voice echoed through the spiritual space, rising and falling with even more professional flair than when Yao Chen had imitated a storyteller earlier.

"I'm not having a fucking fit!"

His emotions had already been a complicated mess, but upon hearing Xiao Yan openly mutter those words in the spiritual space, Yao Chen's train of thought broke apart. His eyes widened, and his brain briefly short-circuited.

He crashed.

"But the Yao Clan really is no good."

Though he had been angered into laughter, Yao Chen nodded in deep agreement.

The underlying logic could not change.

"But you really are aiming too high, kid. A Dou Master wants to pick a fight with a Dou Sheng..."

A knowing smile appeared on Yao Chen's face. As he smiled, that smile gradually became more and more sinister.

Since they were going to cause trouble for the Yao Clan, there was no avoiding the part where his Pill Refining would utterly crush them.

"Kid, get ready for hellish special training! Aren't your essence, energy, and spirit supposed to become one? Then get to work refining pills!"

Yao Chen gave a wicked smile, determined to squeeze Xiao Yan dry.