Ninefold Thunderfire Palm!

Jia Lie Ao had already played all his trump cards, while Xiao Yan still had the Medicine Emperor, his ultimate ace, in reserve.

He could handle Jia Lie Ao himself, anyway.

Even if he couldn't, he could let the Medicine Emperor possess him and finish Jia Lie Ao off in an instant.

Still, as this was his first "evenly matched" battle since crossing into this world, Xiao Yan wanted to try fighting it himself.

At that thought, faint dragon roars began to emanate from Xiao Yan, and a crimson dragon's head appeared on his face like a tattoo.

At that moment, his aura surged again. In the blink of an eye, it rose from that of a two-star Dou Emperor to an eight-star.

He had leaped a full six stars, and this was only the incomplete Crimson Dragon Divine Mark the Medicine Emperor had drawn.

Xiao Yan could scarcely imagine how much his strength would increase with the complete version.

"Then let me show you the Earth Tier Dou Technique I've spent so many days mastering!"

With his aura surging once more, Xiao Yan soared into the air, lightning and flames coiling around him.

His raging Dou Qi shook all of Qingshan Town.

The ground below split open, and scorching subterranean flames erupted, directly canceling out Jia Lie Ao's attack.

Before Jia Lie Ao could react in astonishment, a thunderclap exploded overhead. A silvery-white bolt of lightning struck down, hitting him squarely on the forehead.

"This... it can actually trigger changes in heaven and earth?"

"Could it be a legendary Heaven Tier Dou Technique?"

Jia Lie Ao screamed as the Vermilion Bird phantom shielded him, blocking the lightning's impact.

At the same time, he turned his terrified gaze toward Xiao Yan.

"It's a little too early to be shocked. This is only the buildup!"

Seeing Jia Lie Ao's horrified gaze, Xiao Yan grinned and flew another stretch higher.

The erupting subterranean flames followed him.

In the sky, lightning like silver serpents also converged on his palm.

"Ninefold Thunderfire Palm!"

Then Xiao Yan pressed his palm down through the air amid a rolling thunderous roar.

A gigantic flaming palm wreathed in silvery-white lightning hurtled toward Jia Lie Ao.

"Blazing Flames Fill the Sky!"

At the sight, Jia Lie Ao's pupils contracted sharply. The Vermilion Bird Divine Flame surrounding him transformed into a pillar of fire and collided head-on with the gigantic palm descending from above.

Boom!

An earth-shattering blast rang out, and the shock waves spread, reducing Qingshan Town to a complete ruin.

Jia Lie Ao had also managed to block Xiao Yan's attack.

"You think that's enough to stop it?"

"Ninefold Thunderfire Palm, second fold!"

A trace of mockery flashed through Xiao Yan's eyes as he watched Jia Lie Ao struggle to resist.

His palm, which he had yet to withdraw, pressed downward again.

With that motion, the silver lightning in the sky turned crimson.

Subterranean flames erupted again, pouring into the gigantic palm overhead along with the crimson lightning.

Ninefold Thunderfire Palm, the second fold of force!

"Urgh!"

Xiao Yan's sudden increase in power made Jia Lie Ao spit out a mouthful of blood.

I can't lose!

I absolutely cannot lose!

I'm an Otherworlder, someone destined to rise. How could I die in a place like this?

At that thought, Jia Lie Ao let out a furious roar, accompanied by the Vermilion Bird's clear cry.

The Vermilion Bird phantom appeared again, and the subterranean flames erupting below converged on it.

When Heavenly Flames appeared, all other flames bowed in submission!

The Vermilion Bird Divine Flame was every bit as powerful as Heavenly Flames. Now, as the Vermilion Bird phantom appeared, Xiao Yan could feel the flame energy gathered within his Ninefold Thunderfire Palm being rapidly absorbed.

"Ninefold Thunderfire Palm, four folds together!"

Sensing the change, Xiao Yan immediately stopped holding anything back, pushing the Ninefold Thunderfire Palm to the limit of what he could unleash.

Two more colors of lightning, orange and yellow, appeared in the sky.

Under Xiao Yan's sudden burst of power, the subterranean flames that the Vermilion Bird phantom had been about to draw away poured back into the gigantic palm overhead.

This time, Jia Lie Ao finally buckled.

"No-my journey has only just begun! How could I..."

As Jia Lie Ao's agonized scream rang out, his body was swallowed by heavenly lightning and subterranean fire.

The Vermilion Bird phantom behind him also let out a mournful cry and dissipated between heaven and earth.

"Thank goodness Teacher taught me the Ninefold Thunderfire Palm. Otherwise, I could never have taken him down on my own!"

Watching Jia Lie Ao's body turn into a charred husk, utterly devoid of life, Xiao Yan murmured to himself.

"Ding. Special constitution 'Vermilion Bird Divine Body,' accompanying divine flame 'Vermilion Bird Divine Flame,' and another system detected. Plunder?"

As soon as Xiao Yan finished speaking, the system notification rang out in his mind.

"Plunder!"

Having already experienced this once, Xiao Yan naturally did not hesitate. He immediately plundered everything of value from Jia Lie Ao.

"Ding. Plunder successful. Begin fusion?"

"System fusion requires one month, divine body fusion requires three days, and divine flame fusion requires two days!"

The system asked after completing the plunder.

"Don't fuse them yet!"

Xiao Yan spoke after a moment's thought.

Once the system began fusing, it would fall dormant.

His Flame Mantra was still only yellow tier low grade, and his reserves of Dou Qi were far too small.

He needed the system to keep replenishing them, so he would have to wait until he returned before fusing with Jia Lie Ao's system.

"You did well, little fellow!"

"I thought I'd have to intervene in the end. I never expected you to defeat him with your own strength."

The Medicine Emperor's spectral soul slowly floated out of Xiao Yan's ring as he spoke with considerable approval.

He had already been ready to intervene, but unexpectedly, Xiao Yan had unleashed the fourth fold of the Ninefold Thunderfire Palm in one go and killed Jia Lie Bi outright.

"It was all thanks to the Ninefold Thunderfire Palm you taught me, Teacher, and this Crimson Dragon Divine Mark."

"If I'd lacked either one, I couldn't possibly have defeated him on my own."

Xiao Yan grinned as he spoke.

"Unfortunately, the Flame Mantra is still only yellow tier low grade. The Dou Qi within you is only enough to unleash the Ninefold Thunderfire Palm at full power once."

"It seems we'll need to find Heavenly Flames quickly and upgrade the Flame Mantra."

The Medicine Emperor nodded lightly as he spoke to Xiao Yan.

His meaning was clear: Xiao Yan should stop lingering in Wutan City.

Heading out into the wider world to search for Heavenly Flames as soon as possible was the highest priority.

"I can't leave yet. I'll have to wait a little longer."

"But my clone can leave. How about letting my clone go with you to search for Heavenly Flames first, Teacher?"

Xiao Yan shook his head. Who knew whether there were other Otherworlders besides Jia Lie Ao?

He absolutely could not leave Wutan City before the original plot began.

At least, he could not leave under his identity as Xiao Yan.

"Your clone could dissipate at any moment. We'd better forget it!"

The Medicine Emperor shook his head. Just as his words fell, Mittel Tengshan, who had fainted earlier, slowly regained consciousness.