On the glazed plaza of the Pill Tower's Main Peak, ten thousand shafts of rosy light pierced the clouds and spilled across the white-jade competition platform. Alchemists from all over the Central Plains gathered there, their robes fluttering as cauldrons of every color hovered in midair, medicinal fragrances mingling with Dou Qi to form a vast spiritual aura. Xiao Yan stood at the front of the Wang Family's contingent, the Mysterious Yellow Earth-Core Flame flickering faintly at his fingertips. His Four-Star Dou Emperor aura had fully stabilized, but he deliberately restrained his soul power to the Dou Wang level-he intended to give the four pavilions of the Central Plains a surprise that would catch them utterly off guard at this Spirit Gatherer Assembly.
"Mr. Xiao Yan, today's first round is 'Spiritual Flame Control.' You must refine one hundred medicinal ingredients with Heavenly Flames within an hour. The higher their degree of refinement, the higher your score." Wang Yue, the Wang Family's eldest young lady, handed him a Jade Slip engraved with the competition rules. "The disciples of the four pavilions are all proud and arrogant, especially Liu Chengfeng of the Heaven-Burning Pavilion. He can supposedly control two Heavenly Flames at once. Please be careful."
Xiao Yan accepted the Jade Slip and swept his gaze over the stands on the eastern side of the plaza. The four pavilions' disciples wore matching purple-and-gold dragon-patterned robes. The four young men leading them possessed formidable auras, and Liu Chengfeng of the Heaven-Burning Pavilion was toying with an emerald flame, an arrogant smile curling his lips. When his gaze met Xiao Yan's, contempt flashed in his eyes. Clearly, he thought nothing of this "Dou Wang."
"Take your places!" A Pill Tower Elder struck the bronze bell, and over a hundred competing alchemists stepped onto the platform at once. Xiao Yan chose a spot near a window, took out the seventh-tier Magic Core he had obtained from the Han Family, and carefully fitted it into the bottom of his cauldron. The lightning power contained within this griffin Magic Core was perfectly suited to helping his Heavenly Flame refine tough mineral ingredients.
"Begin!" At the elder's command, flames of every color instantly blazed across the platform. Liu Chengfeng formed seals with both hands, raising an emerald flame and a crimson flame simultaneously. The two Heavenly Flames coiled around the ingredients as though alive, drawing waves of astonishment from the stands. "As expected of the Heaven-Burning Pavilion's genius! His simultaneous control of two flames truly lives up to its reputation!" "I hear his teacher is one of the Pill Tower's Eight Great Elders. The championship is probably his for the taking!"
Xiao Yan remained unmoved. He lightly tapped the cauldron, and the Mysterious Yellow Earth-Core Flame became slender golden threads that pierced precisely into his first ingredient-thousand-year black iron vine. The vine contained metal-aspected spiritual energy and would take an ordinary Heavenly Flame an hour to refine. Instead, he used his soul power to guide the flame along the vine's grain. With every pulse of golden fire, another layer of impurities peeled away, and the vine gradually revealed a warm, lustrous sheen within the fierce flames.
"What kind of flame-control technique is that?" a Medicine Emperor Pavilion disciple at the neighboring station cried involuntarily. Xiao Yan's Heavenly Flame sometimes became sharp blades that sliced the ingredients, sometimes soft threads that wound around roots and stems. The hundred ingredients seemed like living things in his hands, and his refining speed was nearly twice Liu Chengfeng's. More astonishing still, his cauldron maintained a constant temperature throughout, without a trace of excess energy leaking out-a sign that his control over Heavenly Flames had reached its utmost limit.
Hearing the murmurs around him, Liu Chengfeng glanced toward Xiao Yan, and his expression immediately darkened. He accelerated his flame control, making the crimson and emerald flames surge, only to accidentally burn a stalk of ice-soul grass to ashes. "Damn it!" Liu Chengfeng cursed under his breath, fine sweat beading on his forehead. Controlling two flames already consumed enormous energy; distracted now, he became even more flustered.
An hour later, the bronze bell rang again. Inside Xiao Yan's cauldron, a hundred ingredients floated within golden flames, every one crystal clear. Their degree of refinement had reached a terrifying one hundred percent! After inspecting them, the Pill Tower Elder's voice trembled with excitement. "A Four-Star Dou Emperor... no, his soul power is at least at the Dou Zong level! I haven't seen flame control like this in a hundred years!"
The stands erupted in an uproar, while the four pavilions' disciples looked utterly grim. Liu Chengfeng crushed the flame in his hand and fixed a venomous stare on Xiao Yan. "Brat, don't celebrate too soon. The second round, 'Pill Formula Interpretation,' is the real test." Xiao Yan smiled faintly and put away his cauldron. "We'll see."
The second round took place in the Pill Tower's Library Pavilion. Competitors had to interpret three incomplete pill formulas within two hours and fill in their crucial missing steps. Wang Yue made a point of warning him, "This round is the most insidious. The four pavilions often join forces to monopolize ancient pill formulas, and their disciples have studied those secret texts since childhood. You..."
"Don't worry." Xiao Yan entered the Library Pavilion, where thousands of pill-formula scrolls rested on shelves of ancient texts. Among them were unique copies that even the Misty Cloud Sect's treasury had never possessed. He casually picked up the first incomplete formula. It described how to refine a sixth-grade Calamity-Breaking Pill, but insects had eaten away the crucial flame-control steps until they were illegible.
"Isn't this a pill Xiao Yi Xian specializes in?" Xiao Yan could not help laughing. Recalling Xiao Yi Xian's methods when she refined Calamity-Breaking Pills, he combined them with his own insights into the soul. Spiritual light flickered at his fingertips, and he soon filled the blank spaces with the flame-control rhythm-each interval had to last three breaths, and with every refinement, the Heavenly Flame's temperature had to increase by thirty percent. Only after nine consecutive repetitions could the medicinal effects be activated.
When he handed the completed formula to the elder, the Pill Tower steward responsible for judging suddenly changed expression. "This... this is the long-lost 'Nine-Breath Heaven-Burning Method'! How do you know it?" Xiao Yan smiled slightly. "I happened to see it in an ancient text." The steward became so excited that his words tumbled over one another. "Wonderful! With this complete formula, we can refine Calamity-Breaking Pills in batches! We'll have a much better chance against the Otherworldly Demons' poisonous miasma!"
The scene stunned everyone once again. The four pavilions' disciples whispered among themselves, their eyes full of shock and uncertainty-this Dou Emperor who had appeared out of nowhere not only possessed miraculous flame control, but also knew a long-lost ancient pill formula! Liu Chengfeng's expression grew uglier still. Though the formula he had completed was correct, it used only the most basic solution. Compared with Xiao Yan's Nine-Breath Heaven-Burning Method, the difference was like clouds above and mud below.
After two rounds, Xiao Yan temporarily held first place with a perfect score, while Liu Chengfeng had to settle for second. In the rest area on the western side of the plaza, the Heaven-Burning Pavilion's disciples surrounded Liu Chengfeng, offering schemes. "Senior Brother Liu, you have to humiliate him in the third round, 'Practical Alchemy'!" "We could mix some flame-eroding powder into his ingredients and make his Heavenly Flame lose control!" Cruelty flashed in Liu Chengfeng's eyes. "There's no need for all that trouble. In front of everyone, I'll show him what a real gap in ability looks like."
Toward evening, the final round began. This time, the competitors had to refine a seventh-grade Soul-Gathering Pill on the spot. The ingredients supplied by the Pill Tower were mixed with several disruptive spiritual herbs; the slightest mistake could destroy the pill and kill its refiner. Examining the ingredients on his tray, Xiao Yan noticed faint black vapor around the roots of a "soul-bewildering flower"-it was actually a mutated variety contaminated by Otherworldly Demon poison.
"It seems the four pavilions are determined to make me fail." Without betraying anything, Xiao Yan picked out the soul-bewildering flower. The Mysterious Yellow Earth-Core Flame quietly swept over it, and its golden flames instantly purified the Otherworldly Demon presence within. Rather than begin refining immediately, he took out the sealed box containing the Sea Heart Flame and said softly, "Old friend, it's time to let the Central Plains witness your power."
On the competition platform, Liu Chengfeng had already begun refining. Crimson and emerald flames churned inside his cauldron, while the ingredients became streaks of light that merged into the fire. The fragrance of a seventh-grade pill gradually spread. "Done!" Liu Chengfeng struck his cauldron, and three round Soul-Gathering Pills shot into the sky, seven golden markings circling each one-perfect quality!
"Seven-mark Soul-Gathering Pills! Senior Brother Liu is incredible!" The Heaven-Burning Pavilion's disciples cheered jubilantly. Liu Chengfeng looked smugly at Xiao Yan. "Brat, there's still time to admit defeat. Otherwise, you might destroy your pills and get yourself killed, disgracing the Wang Family." Below the platform, Wang Yue clenched her fists nervously. Whether the Wang Family could secure a seat in the Pill Tower depended entirely on this final batch of pills.
Ignoring Liu Chengfeng's provocation, Xiao Yan formed intricate seals with both hands. The Mysterious Yellow Earth-Core Flame, Green Lotus Core Flame, and Fallen Heart Flame surged from his palms simultaneously. The three flames formed a tricolored vortex inside the cauldron, making the air tremble violently. "Three... three Heavenly Flames?!" A Pill Tower Elder abruptly stood, dropping the jade tablet in his hand.
Cries of astonishment rose one after another from the stands. Even the masters of the four pavilions looked incredulous. The smile on Liu Chengfeng's face froze instantly. The dual-flame control he took such pride in was utterly helpless before three flames! Yet something even more astonishing followed-Xiao Yan opened the Flame-Locking Box, and the azure Sea Heart Flame rushed out like a flood dragon, intertwining with the tricolored fire.
"Four! He actually has four Heavenly Flames!" After a moment of deathly silence, thunderous exclamations erupted throughout the plaza. The four pavilions' disciples all turned ashen. At last, they understood that this seemingly ordinary Dou Emperor was an unparalleled genius hiding his true abilities!
A sharp gleam flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes as his soul power burst forth in full, and his Four-Star Dou Emperor aura could no longer be suppressed. "Four flames converge at one point-burst!" he commanded in a low voice. The four-colored flames abruptly contracted to a single point, then exploded! Yet this was no chaotic eruption of violence. Instead, it became countless streaks of flame that precisely enveloped every ingredient.
Golden flames refined metal-aspected ingredients, green flames purified the spiritual energy of plants, red flames stimulated the energy's activity, and blue flames neutralized conflicts between medicinal properties. Like four supreme alchemists, the four Heavenly Flames each performed their own task inside the cauldron, yet coordinated seamlessly. The ingredients rapidly fused amid the flame bursts, and the pill fragrance grew richer and richer, countless times more mellow than that of Liu Chengfeng's Soul-Gathering Pills.
"This... this is the 'Flame-Burst Alchemy Technique'!" The Pill Tower Grand Elder rose shakily, tears glimmering in his clouded eyes. "The legendary forbidden technique that can only be performed by someone who controls more than three Heavenly Flames has appeared in the world again today!" Tears of excitement filled Wang Yue's eyes. She knew that the moment of the Wang Family's rise had arrived!
A quarter of an hour later, Xiao Yan slowly released his seals. Seven Soul-Gathering Pills flew from his cauldron, nine purple-and-gold markings circling each pill. A faint pill halo even formed around them-the sign of peak seventh-grade pills! "Nine-mark Soul-Gathering Pills! And they're peak seventh grade!" The alchemists in the stands went utterly wild. Several white-haired elders even fell to their knees and prostrated themselves toward Xiao Yan. After all, only a handful of alchemists in the entire Central Plains could refine peak seventh-grade pills, yet this seemingly young Dou Emperor had done so with such ease. How could they not be stunned?
Liu Chengfeng's face turned ashen, the Soul-Gathering Pills in his hand losing all their luster before the nine-mark pills. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and pointed at Xiao Yan, roaring, "You cheated! This is impossible! How could a Dou Emperor refine peak seventh-grade pills?" Xiao Yan gave him a cold glance, and his soul power swept toward him as an invisible pressure. "A frog at the bottom of a well, yet you dare question the true essence of alchemy?"
Liu Chengfeng screamed beneath the soul pressure and flew backward, crashing into the railing of the stands and passing out. The Heaven-Burning Pavilion's disciples wanted to step forward and protest, but a Pill Tower Elder stopped them. "Insolence! Mr. Xiao Yan's alchemy has reached a transcendent realm. Who are you to criticize it?" The elder turned to Xiao Yan and respectfully cupped his hands. "Sir, your talent is extraordinary. The Pill Tower would like to appoint you as a guest elder. Would you honor us by accepting?"
Everyone's gaze focused on Xiao Yan, and the Wang Family members held their breath. Xiao Yan smiled slightly. "Let's leave the guest elder position pending for now. I came here to help the Wang Family secure a seat in the Pill Tower." The Grand Elder immediately replied, "With an extraordinary talent such as yourself supporting them, the Wang Family naturally qualifies! From this day onward, the Wang Family shall hold the Pill Tower's seventh family seat!"
The Wang Family members erupted in earth-shaking cheers. Weeping with joy, Wang Yue bowed deeply to Xiao Yan. "Thank you for making this possible, sir!" The four pavilion masters looked livid, yet dared not raise the slightest objection-before peak seventh-grade, nine-mark pills, any argument would be pale and powerless. They knew that from this day onward, this Four-Star Dou Emperor who had suddenly appeared would completely transform the landscape of alchemy in the Central Plains.
As night fell, the Pill Tower held a grand celebration banquet for Xiao Yan. Alchemists from every faction came to toast him, hoping to befriend this unparalleled genius who possessed four Heavenly Flames and could refine peak seventh-grade pills. While exchanging pleasantries, Xiao Yan quietly used his soul power to contact the Soul Hall branch. "Sixth Elder, things are mostly settled here. When would be a good time to fuse the Heavenly Flames?"
In a secret chamber of the Soul Hall branch, the Sixth Elder, shrouded in black robes, slowly opened his eyes. His Dou Sheng-level soul power surged like an abyss. "Three days from now, at the Falling Star Platform behind the Pill Tower. The spatial energy there is best suited to fusing Heavenly Flames. Remember, this fusion is extremely dangerous. The slightest mistake will cause all four flames to turn on you. Have you thought this through?"
Xiao Yan's voice was firm. "To find my father and fight the Otherworldly Demons, what does this little risk matter?" The Sixth Elder chuckled. "Very good. Come to the Falling Star Platform in three days. I'll prepare the Ten-Thousand-Spirit Soul-Devouring Formation for you and use the soul power of ten thousand races to protect your meridians." After the communication ended, Xiao Yan gazed at the moonlight outside the window. The Mysterious Yellow Earth-Core Flame danced gently in his palm, as though anticipating its transformation three days later.
The bustle of the banquet gradually subsided. Wang Yue approached with a wine cup, admiration in her eyes. "Mr. Xiao Yan, you truly are our Wang Family's benefactor. It's just... the four pavilions will never let this go. They've long colluded with the Otherworldly Demon remnants. You must be especially careful on your coming travels." Xiao Yan nodded. "I know. Once I've settled my private business, I'll help you eliminate the threat of the four pavilions completely."
After hesitating for a moment, Wang Yue took out an ancient-looking Jade Pendant. "This is the Space Jade Talisman my father left behind. In a crisis, it can open a passage to the Wang Family Secret Realm. If you encounter danger, you can use it to take shelter temporarily." Xiao Yan accepted the Jade Pendant, feeling its smooth warmth against his fingertips. "Thank you."
Three days later, at the Falling Star Platform on the jagged, rock-strewn summit, the Ten-Thousand-Spirit Soul-Devouring Formation had been quietly laid out. Countless pale-blue soul flames danced within its markings, radiating heart-shaking energy. The Sixth Elder stood at the formation's central nexus, his eyes gleaming purple and gold beneath his black robes. "Are you ready? Once the fusion begins, you must keep your mind guarded at all times. You cannot let the Heavenly Flames' ferocity devour you."
Xiao Yan sat cross-legged in the center of the formation and released all four Heavenly Flames simultaneously. The gold of the Mysterious Yellow Earth-Core Flame, the green of the Green Lotus Core Flame, the red of the Fallen Heart Flame, and the blue of the Sea Heart Flame formed a four-colored ring around him. Their violent energy made space itself warp slightly. "Let's begin!" he said in a low voice, unleashing his soul power without reservation.
The Sixth Elder formed seals with both hands, and the Ten-Thousand-Spirit Soul-Devouring Formation abruptly activated! Countless soul flames surged toward Xiao Yan like a tide, forming a pale-blue protective barrier over his body. "Four flames become one-refine!" Dou Sheng-level soul power became an invisible hand, forcibly pressing the four Heavenly Flames toward Xiao Yan's dantian.
"Aaah!" Xiao Yan let out a heart-rending scream. The four Heavenly Flames crashed wildly against one another inside his dantian, each collision rupturing his meridians inch by inch. The Mysterious Yellow Flame's purification power, the Green Lotus Flame's power of vitality, the Fallen Heart Flame's power of destruction, and the Sea Heart Flame's power of devouring repelled one another. His dantian felt as though it would be torn into four pieces.
"Guard your mind! Master them with your will!" The Sixth Elder's voice rang like a great bell, jolting Xiao Yan awake from the brink of collapse. He remembered his father's instructions, the hopes of the Xiao Gate disciples, and the blood-deep hatred born of the Otherworldly Demons' atrocities. An unyielding will surged from the depths of his soul. "I cannot lose!" Xiao Yan's eyes turned blood-red, and his soul power formed a golden vortex, forcibly drawing the four Heavenly Flames into rotation.
Time passed little by little, and the light above the Falling Star Platform grew ever brighter. Inside Xiao Yan's dantian, the four-colored flames gradually formed an unstable tetrahedron. Golden flames wrapped around its exterior, blue flames supported its base, and green and red flames intertwined within. Whenever the tetrahedron was about to collapse, the Sixth Elder promptly replenished it with his Dou Sheng power, condensing the flames once more.
"Now!" As the first ray of dawn fell upon the Falling Star Platform, Xiao Yan seized the brief instant when the flames reached equilibrium and merged the Han Family's seventh-tier Magic Core into the center of the tetrahedron. The griffin Magic Core's lightning power acted like an adhesive, creating a faint resonance among the four Heavenly Flames. The tetrahedron gradually became a rotating four-colored bead, suspended in the center of his dantian.
"It worked!" The Sixth Elder exhaled deeply, a trace of exhaustion appearing on the face beneath his black robes. Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes. His Four-Star Dou Emperor aura soared, soon stabilizing at the peak of four stars, while his soul power broke through to the Dou Zong level! He could clearly feel that although the four Heavenly Flames had not yet fully fused, they could already fight in concert, unleashing power comparable to a High-Rank Dou Zong!
"Thank you, Elder." Xiao Yan stood, the four-colored bead inside him radiating a gentle glow. "I'll call this new Heavenly Flame the 'Four-Symbol Heaven-Burning Flame.'" The Sixth Elder nodded. "A good name. But remember, forcibly fused Heavenly Flames require long-term nurturing, or they may slip out of control in battle." He handed Xiao Yan a black token. "This is a token of the Soul Hall's Central Plains headquarters. With it, you can mobilize the resources of our branches. The Otherworldly Demons' influence in the Central Plains extends far beyond your imagination. Another source of strength is always welcome."
Xiao Yan accepted the token and carefully put it away, his opinion of the Soul Hall quietly changing. Over the years, although the Soul Hall had acted mysteriously, it had always stood on the front lines against the Otherworldly Demons. The Sixth Elder had even expended his Dou Sheng power to help him fuse his Heavenly Flames. Perhaps the outside world's misunderstanding of the Soul Hall ran as deep as its former prejudice against the Xiao Clan.
When he returned to the Pill Tower, the Wang Family members were waiting anxiously. Seeing Xiao Yan return unharmed, his aura even more substantial than before, Wang Yue wept with joy. "Thank goodness you're safe, sir!" Xiao Yan smiled faintly. "Fortunately, I accomplished what I set out to do. Now it's time to settle our accounts with the four pavilions." He looked toward the Heaven-Burning Pavilion, the Four-Symbol Heaven-Burning Flame quietly dancing in his palm. Within its golden flames, faint streams of green, red, and blue light could be seen flowing-his legend in the Central Plains had only just begun.
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