Raising His Teacher into a Dou Sheng

"Hehe, young friend, this Flame Mantra you mentioned... I don't believe I've ever heard of it."

Faced with Xiao Yan's question, Yao Chen quickly composed himself, putting on a look of complete ignorance.

"Hehe, you're quite the actor." Xiao Yan gave Yao Chen an amused look, then glanced at Han Feng beside him, whose expression had likewise changed drastically.

"You might be able to hide it, but that disciple of yours can't."

"The Flame Mantra is a mysterious cultivation technique that evolves by devouring heavenly flames. When first cultivated, it's only Yellow Tier Low Grade, but as it devours heavenly flames, it keeps evolving until it becomes a Heaven Tier Cultivation Technique."

Xiao Yan smiled at Yao Chen, whose expression changed once more. "Am I right?"

"How do you know so much about it?" Yao Chen's expression shifted again.

"Hehe, my clan has countless people with extraordinary abilities. Is finding out something like this supposed to be difficult?"

Xiao Yan sneered. "I also know that this disciple beside you, Han Feng, has coveted the Flame Mantra in your possession for a long time.

"Because you've refused to teach it to him, he's already begun nursing resentment toward you in secret.

"The moment you fall into a weakened state, he'll turn into a venomous snake and sink his fangs into his own teacher."

"You're spouting nonsense!" Han Feng roared, his face flushed red. "My teacher treats me like his own son, and I regard him as my father! How could I ever harbor such thoughts?"

"Hehe." Xiao Yan paid no mind to Han Feng lashing out like a cornered dog. Instead, he turned to Yao Chen. "Old man, I'm only asking you one thing today: are you taking me as your disciple or not?

"If you refuse... kekeke!"

A wicked grin appeared on Xiao Yan's lips. Behind him, Wen and Wu, the Two Saints, simultaneously unleashed terrifying auras. Even Yao Lao's expression grew grave, while Han Feng beside him had already gone deathly pale.

Although he could not do what Xiao Jiande had done and vent his fury on a group of weak Descendants, he would still stop at nothing to achieve his own goals.

Whether in his previous life or this one, people only cared about how powerful you were now and how that power would affect them. They never cared where your power came from.

Even if they did care, they could not change anything.

The essence of the world was that the strong devoured the weak. Because the Descendants were weak, Xiao Jiande could take revenge on them. Because Xiao Jiande was weak, Xiao Yan could cripple him.

Likewise, because the Starfall Pavilion was weak, its only option was to hand over the Flame Mantra. The sole difference was whether it did so with dignity or without it.

If Xiao Yan someday encountered someone stronger than himself, he could only be at their mercy. He had long since accepted that possibility.

"Alas." In the sky, Yao Chen gave Han Feng a complicated look, then turned to Xiao Yan. "It isn't that I'm unwilling to teach you the Flame Mantra. It's simply that cultivating this technique is far too dangerous.

"Every evolution of the Flame Mantra requires devouring a heavenly flame. A single heavenly flame is enough to leave you facing nine deaths for one chance at life, and no one knows how many you must devour for the Flame Mantra to evolve to the Heaven Tier. Every evolution is a dance upon the line between life and death.

"Although I don't know how exalted your status is within the Xiao Clan, having two Half-Saints as your guardians is proof enough of how powerful your background is.

"With the Xiao Clan's strength, obtaining a few suitable Heaven Tier Cultivation Techniques for you surely wouldn't be difficult. Why insist on cultivating a dangerous technique no one has ever attempted...?"

Because only by cultivating the Flame Mantra can I obtain the Dou Di Inheritance!!! Xiao Yan grumbled inwardly, but his face showed an entirely different expression.

"Danger? What danger could there be? When I devour lower-ranked heavenly flames, I'll have Half-Saints beside me to guard me. Once I'm stronger and start devouring higher-ranked heavenly flames, I'll have Dou Sheng Experts to guard me.

"You tell me, what do you call danger?

"What the hell do you call danger!"

Yao Chen: "..."

Feng Xian: "..."

Han Feng: "..."

Looking at Xiao Yan's confident, delicate features, Yao Chen let out a helpless sigh and finally agreed.

Within the Star Realm, the atmosphere was peaceful, a world unto itself.

This small world had been formed from a meteorite's stellar power. Although it was insignificant compared to the vast Xiao Realm, it was still roughly the size of a city and could easily accommodate over a hundred thousand people.

Inside a pavilion somewhere in the center of the Star Realm, Xiao Yan sat in a chair, gazing idly at the sky above.

"With your talent for Dou Qi, you're more than qualified to be my disciple. But if you want me to teach you alchemy, I'll need to examine your aptitude for it first."

Yao Chen looked at Xiao Yan, who sat there like some grand lord, and a trace of helplessness appeared on his face.

He truly did not know whether bringing this young lord to the Starfall Pavilion had been right or wrong.

"Alchemy? No problem." Xiao Yan glanced at Yao Chen with a grin. "Teacher, what tier of pill would you like me to refine?"

"Refine whatever you see fit." Seeing Xiao Yan's casual attitude, Yao Chen felt a flicker of displeasure.

Carelessness was the greatest taboo in alchemy. Without focus and dedication, even someone with exceptional talent would struggle to achieve anything along that path.

"Hehe, then pardon my humble attempt."

Xiao Yan chuckled, then stood up. The frivolity vanished from his face in an instant, replaced by seriousness.

With a wave of his hand, a medicinal cauldron appeared in the open space outside the pavilion.

Although this cauldron was not good enough to enter the Heavenly Cauldron Ranking, Yao Chen's discerning eye told him at a glance that it should have no trouble refining an Eighth-Tier Pill.

Xiao Yan flicked a finger, sending a wisp of azure flame into the cauldron.

Boom! The next moment, fueled by Xiao Yan's Dou Qi, the azure flame filled the entire cauldron.

Whoosh, whoosh! Xiao Yan waved his hand, and an ocher magic core, a pitch-black ganoderma, a green herb, and numerous supplementary ingredients floated directly into the cauldron.

A magic core from an earth-attribute draconic magical beast, hundred-year-old black spirit ganoderma, heart-cleansing grass...

"He's going to refine a fifth-tier pill, the Earth Dragon Pill!" Yao Chen raised an eyebrow, his gaze growing serious as he watched Xiao Yan.

If he successfully refined this pill, it would mean this boy possessed the abilities of a fifth-tier alchemist. A fifteen-year-old fifth-tier alchemist-such talent was simply terrifying!

The azure beast flame roared forth, enveloping all the medicinal ingredients before separating into individual azure fireballs to refine them simultaneously.

"That soul power!" Yao Chen's expression changed once again.

The boy before him already possessed soul power comparable to that of an ordinary seventh-tier alchemist.

Fifteen years old, a Nine-Star Dou Emperor, the soul power of a seventh-tier alchemist, and he did not even have a heavenly flame yet...

Yao Chen's previously composed eyes began to burn with fervor.

With this boy's talent, just one year of training under me would definitely make him a seventh-tier alchemist.

A sixteen-year-old seventh-tier alchemist! At the thought, even Yao Chen, who had seen countless geniuses, could not stop his heart from burning with excitement.

With such heaven-defying talent, no wonder even an ancient clan like the Xiao Clan places so much importance on him.

Naturally, he did not know that the real reason Xiao Yan received such attention was Xiao Xuan. But that terrifying talent alone was already enough to stir his heart.

A day and a night passed, and an ocher pill the size of a longan finally took shape within the cauldron.

"Retrieve!" Suction erupted from Xiao Yan's hand, drawing over the ocher pill with its rich medicinal fragrance, and he enveloped it in Dou Qi.

"Teacher, what do you think of my pill?" Xiao Yan handed the Earth Dragon Pill to Yao Chen.

"Good, good!" A single glance told Yao Chen that the pill was of fine quality. He looked at Xiao Yan as though he were gazing at a beauty fresh from the bath.

"My precious disciple, your teacher is very pleased with your talent. Is there anything you'd like to ask of me?" As he spoke, his old face bloomed into a smile like a chrysanthemum.

"Nothing much. I just hope you can become a Dou Sheng soon, Teacher, and then become a ninth-tier alchemist."

Under Yao Chen's bewildered gaze, Xiao Yan smiled. "If you don't become a Dou Sheng soon, I'll be embarrassed to mention your name when I go out."