Obtaining the Bone Flame Ring and Revealing Everything to Yao Lao

By the time Xiao Yan left the courtyard, he had an old-fashioned black ring in his hand.

Back in his room, he laid the ring on his palm and studied it. His gaze rested on the Bone Flame Ring, but his thoughts drifted back more than a decade.

He was Xiao Yan, but not quite the Xiao Yan from the story.

His name had also been Xiao Yan on Blue Star. He had crossed into this world, but he was not the Xiao Yan from the original story.

Eleven years ago, armed with knowledge of the plot, he had arrived in this world as Xiao Zhan's third son—the protagonist of Battle Through the Heavens, Xiao Yan.

Most transmigrators had some special advantage, and Xiao Yan was no exception. His had awakened as soon as he arrived.

It was the power of the Horse Talisman, one of Shendu's Twelve Talismans from Jackie Chan Adventures.

That was right: the Horse Talisman, which could expel outside forces and heal anything.

Ever since its healing power had awakened, Xiao Yan had been free to use it without reservation.

That was why his mother, who should have died years ago, was still alive and well.

When he was little, Xiao Yan had used the Horse Talisman to heal Su Wan, allowing her to live in good health to this day.

He had also used it to cure the discomfort Xun'er suffered from fusing with the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame.

Xiao Yan had assumed the Horse Talisman was his only special power. To his surprise, the Ox Talisman awakened when he reached Dou Qi Stage One.

After two awakenings, he gradually worked out the pattern.

The Talismans were tied to his cultivation. Each time he broke through a major realm, a random Talisman power would awaken.

He could not choose which Talisman he received.

Even so, it was more than enough to defy the heavens.

After all, nearly every Talisman possessed a power that bordered on absurd. All he had to do was keep growing stronger, with no extra tasks to complete.

Just as he expected, another Talisman power came when he became a Dou Zhe. This time, it was the Tiger Talisman, which governed the balance of yin and yang.

For Xiao Yan, its arrival could not have been better timed.

He had worried that too many Talisman powers might upset the balance within him. The Tiger Talisman put that fear to rest.

And so Xiao Yan had begun cultivating at four and become a Dou Zhe at eleven.

The Dou Qi stage was difficult by nature, so his cultivation speed had been much the same as in the original story.

The one difference was his body.

With the combined support of the Ox and Horse Talismans, Xiao Yan had taken the path of tempering his flesh.

Through an endless cycle of tempering, healing, then tempering and healing again, his body had grown tough enough to rival a Tier 2 Magical Beast.

Without the Talismans, Xiao Yan probably would have obediently let Yao Lao absorb his Dou Qi for three years, spent those years as a good-for-nothing, then followed the original story step by step.

But he had the Talismans now. Everything was different. He had no desire to be a good-for-nothing, and he thought he could afford to take a bolder path.

That way, he could gain strength faster and better protect his loved ones and the Xiao Clan against the Hun Clan.

Xiao Yan held the black ring between his fingers and called experimentally toward its face. "Teacher, wake up!"

The black ring did not stir.

"Yao Lao? Yao Chen? Old geezer?"

He called several more times, but the ring remained silent, as though it were nothing more than an unremarkable old ornament.

Xiao Yan did not believe it. If Yao Lao was unconscious, how could he actively absorb Dou Qi? His eyes shifted, and a wicked grin spread across his face.

"Teacher, if you don't come out, I'm going to pee on you," he threatened with a laugh.

The black ring still gave no response.

"Oh, so that's how it is? Don't blame your disciple for being rude, then." Xiao Yan's grin widened as he reached for his belt.

Before he could undo it, the black ring finally stirred. A faint ripple of soul energy slipped out.

Then a flash of white light swept past.

Xiao Yan's vision blurred. When it cleared, an elderly, illusory figure stood in the room.

The soul flickered, nearly transparent. Xiao Yan could sense that he was terribly weak, yet still far beyond Xiao Yan's current level.

"You little brat! How can someone your age resort to such a dirty trick?" Yao Lao cursed. A cold glint crossed his eyes. "And how do you know who I am?"

Sensing the killing intent coming from Yao Lao, Xiao Yan did not panic. He merely smiled and asked, "Teacher, would you believe me if I said I can see glimpses of the future?"

Yao Lao looked at Xiao Yan as if he were an idiot.

In a sense, he had watched Xiao Yan grow up. If he had not known the boy's character, he might have thought something was wrong with his head.

Xiao Yan ignored the strange look and went on. "In the future, I become your disciple. I help you rebuild your body, and I personally kill your traitorous disciple Han Feng!"

Yao Lao had still been wary and doubtful, but the moment Xiao Yan said "Han Feng," his pupils contracted.

"What else do you know?" The doubt in Yao Lao's eyes vanished, replaced by utter shock.

"I also know about Starfall Pavilion, Venerable Feng, Soul Hall, the Yao Clan's outcast..." To convince Yao Lao completely, Xiao Yan reeled off several more clues.

"This... you..." The words left Yao Lao's entire soul stunned.

He could not fathom how an eleven-year-old boy who had never set foot outside Wutan City knew such secrets. The boy even knew that he was the Yao Clan's outcast.

If Xiao Yan truly had glimpsed the future, that was outrageous.

"Teacher, I know more. The little princess of the Fox Clan, Han Shanshan, Xuan Yi, Fairy Qing..." Smiling, Xiao Yan recited the names one by one.

"Ahem! Your teacher believes you. There's no need to say any more." As the boy warmed to his subject, embarrassment spread across Yao Lao's face, and he hurried to cut him off.

"So you admit you're my teacher?" Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow and pressed him with a smile.

"I merely believe what you just said. As for taking you as my disciple, I still need to give that some thought." Yao Lao stroked his beard and put on the air of a lofty master.

He had been observing Xiao Yan in secret for the past two years. The boy's talent went without saying, and his character was excellent too. But after what had happened with Han Feng, Yao Lao wanted to watch him a little longer.

"I'd been thinking I could repair your soul after becoming your disciple. But if you don't want to take me on, never mind." Seeing Yao Lao hesitate, Xiao Yan shook his head and deliberately put on a look of deep regret.

"Repair my soul? Brat, are you serious?" At those words, Yao Lao's eyes nearly popped out of his head.