The Xiao Clan elders present had only heard of such things as heavenly flames.
As for what they were used for or precisely how valuable they were, they knew nothing, only that they were exceedingly precious treasures.
After all, the Xiao Clan was not a family of alchemists and had no alchemists of its own, so naturally, they had no access to news from the alchemy world.
In the Ao Ba Family, however, Oba Pa's son was a first-rank alchemist.
The Ao Ba Family's Qi-Sealing Powder was also his handiwork.
On the Dou Qi Continent, alchemy was a profession held in such extraordinary esteem that it bordered on the absurd.
Regardless of their rank, everyone needed pills to some extent, whether for assistance or to save their lives.
Yet refining pills was extremely difficult. Even among a hundred thousand people, it was hard to find a single person with a talent for alchemy.
Thus, the higher an alchemist's rank, the more exalted their standing.
Take Pill King Gu He of the Misty Cloud Sect, for example. He only possessed Dou Wang strength, but because he was a sixth-rank alchemist, even a Dou Huang expert had to treat him with great respect to obtain a single pill.
It was also thanks to having a first-rank alchemist that the Ao Ba Family, the weakest of the three great families in combat strength, could stand on equal footing with the Xiao Clan and the Jia Lie Family.
"Xun'er, Xun'er, what's a heavenly flame?"
Although Xiao Xun'er was young, the astonishing power backing her meant that her knowledge far surpassed even that of everyone present. Only she could answer Xiao Yan's questions.
"Brother Xiao Yan, you're not an alchemist, so it's perfectly normal that you don't know about heavenly flames. Heavenly flames are the most violent flames found between heaven and earth.
"They take hundreds or thousands of years to come into being, and alchemists spend their entire lives pursuing them.
"An alchemist who possesses a heavenly flame can refine pills with greater potency, and their success rate also increases dramatically.
"Furthermore, when fighting others, even opponents of the same rank wouldn't dare clash recklessly with such a flame.
"Thus, for alchemists, a heavenly flame is not only a valuable aid in refining pills, but also a powerful weapon for killing enemies.
"The heavenly flame ranking is a list compiled by the alchemy world according to the properties and strength of heavenly flames.
"There are twenty-three heavenly flames on the list, and this myriad beast spirit flame ranks twenty-second."
After listening to Xiao Xun'er's explanation, Xiao Yan nodded. "Only twenty-second? Isn't that a little low?"
"Hehe, Brother Xiao Yan, you mustn't underestimate any heavenly flame. Even this myriad beast spirit flame is something countless alchemists can only hope to stumble upon, never obtain by seeking it.
"You should know that even Pill King Gu He of the Misty Cloud Sect has yet to master a single heavenly flame. If the Ao Ba Family gave this information to Gu He, they might even receive one or two Purple Heart Barrier-Breaking Pills in exchange."
Only after hearing Xun'er's explanation did Xiao Yan develop a profound respect for this heavenly flame.
Something that even a sixth-rank alchemist could only encounter by chance was actually in the Ao Ba Family's hands.
"If these precise coordinates of the heavenly flame are genuine, they could buy the lives of your Ao Ba Family. But I'm curious. Why has your family held on to a treasure like this until now?"
Xiao Yan took the initiative to question him. With something so precious, why had they neither subdued it nor handed it over? That seemed far too strange.
At this, Oba Pa could not help sighing. "A heavenly flame is an extremely violent thing in its own right. An ordinary person would probably be burned to ashes just by approaching it.
"I originally intended to wait until my son had cultivated more and raised his rank, then devote everything we had to helping him obtain the heavenly flame. If he succeeded, our Ao Ba Family could likewise soar into the heavens and leave this tiny Wutan City behind!"
Oba Pa was also a man of considerable ambition. The emergence of an alchemist in his family was itself an opportunity to break free of their current circumstances.
The heavenly flame had been discovered by chance years ago, when the Ao Ba Family's Dou Ling Ancestor ventured deep into the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
At the time, the heavenly flame seemed to have only just been born and was no more than a tiny cluster of fire.
His close friend, an alchemist traveling with him, recognized it as a heavenly flame and attempted to subdue it.
Unfortunately, that alchemist had not prepared adequately. Even that wisp of flame was extremely dangerous, and his attempt failed, burning him to ashes on the spot.
The Ao Ba Family's ancestor had also been burned by the heavenly flame while assisting him. He could only hastily record the coordinates and flee back to his family.
Within a few years, however, that ancestor died from the incurable injuries left by the heavenly flame, and the map of its coordinates remained behind.
For all these years, Oba Pa had refused to hand over this map, hoping that one day it could help his family nurture a high-ranking alchemist.
Handing over the map might allow the Ao Ba Family to produce a Dou Ling expert.
But keeping it might allow the Ao Ba Family to produce a fourth-rank or even fifth-rank alchemist!
At that point, the Ao Ba Family would be a great family whose voice carried weight even throughout the Jia Ma Empire.
Unfortunately, Oba Pa had overestimated his son's potential. After all these years, he had still failed to pass the second-rank alchemist examination, and the map had continued gathering dust until now.
Now that the Ao Ba Family stood at the brink of life and death, Oba Pa could only offer the map in exchange for a chance for his family to survive.
"That reason is fairly reasonable. If this really is a map of a heavenly flame's coordinates, our Xiao Clan can accept your proposal."
The speaker was Xiao Zhan. Having noticed Xiao Yan's interest in the heavenly flame, he promptly agreed.
Even if the other three elders had objections, none voiced them.
Hearing Xiao Zhan's words, Oba Pa breathed a sigh of relief and took a box from his Storage Ring. Inside lay a Sheepskin Scroll.
"Xun'er, take a look. Could this map be a fake?"
Xiao Zhan casually handed the map to Xiao Yan, who then passed it to Xiao Xun'er.
"Mm, it's just as I thought. The myriad beast spirit flame is born in a place where countless magical beasts lie buried, nurtured by their lingering soul power and beast blood. It makes perfect sense for it to be in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
"Furthermore, this map was inscribed using soul power. It should be genuine."
Only with Xiao Xun'er's confirmation did Xiao Yan feel reassured.
"Oh, please allow me to add one more thing. This map was drawn by our Ao Ba Family's ancestor fifty years ago, so there may be some slight discrepancies."
Oba Pa hastily added this, afraid that the Xiao Clan might later think he had tried to deceive them with a fake.
"I understand. Then you may return home, Family Head Oba. Our Xiao Clan keeps its word. We will certainly leave your Ao Ba Family room to survive."
Only after receiving Xiao Zhan's promise did Oba Pa truly feel at ease.
"In that case, I won't disturb you any further. Also, the formula for the Qi-Sealing Powder
"will be delivered to the Xiao Clan residence in three days."
Oba Pa hurried away. He did not want to spend another second in this place.
Xiao Yan, meanwhile, held the Sheepskin Scroll, unable to bear putting it down. "Tell me, Xun'er, if I had a heavenly flame, could I become an alchemist too?"
"As long as you set your heart on it, Brother Xiao Yan, I believe you can definitely do it."
Xun'er's praise did not surprise Xiao Yan. He merely felt that she saw him through far too rosy a lens. "Honestly, you... Even if I snored in my sleep, you'd find a couple of things to praise."
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