Directly ahead and below lay the surrounding little volcanoes. As far as the eye could see, every peak stood farther down, truly giving him the feeling of looking down upon a host of lesser mountains.
The more Jiang Yan looked, the more he liked it. He thought he could bring Jinbao and Muling along later and carve a few caves into the cliff face to live in.
He was not particularly concerned about such living conditions anyway.
"As long as you like it. As your second senior brother, I don't have much to give you, so let me give you a house."
With that, Dragonflame Daoist took out something the size of his palm and casually tossed it onto the ground.
Jiang Yan looked closely. It actually seemed to be a wooden carving shaped like a house, rendered in lifelike detail.
The small wooden house grew with the wind as it landed. In a few blinks, it had become a three-story building with a wall surrounding it.
Outside the wall on the left were even several side rooms. Though it did not look luxurious, it was very much to Jiang Yan's liking.
But he did not accept it immediately.
"Second senior brother, you already gave me pills. How could I trouble you again..."
"Those Fire-Resisting Pills were my apology gift. This courtyard is your welcome gift for joining us."
"Go inside and take a look. I seized this courtyard from the Scale Feather Clan the last time I accompanied the East River Dao Army in an attack on this realm's natives."
The Scale Feather Clan? They made this?
Dragonflame Daoist's words stirred Jiang Yan's curiosity.
He declined no further, and they stepped into the courtyard together. The moment Jiang Yan entered, even his breathing felt much easier.
The heat of the Blowing Fire Daoist Arena was kept outside, leaving only cool currents of air around his mouth and nose.
The courtyard's previous owner must have held a fairly high position.
Many strange patterns were carved into the walls, shaped like fish scales and bird feathers.
After examining them closely, Jiang Yan discovered that these patterns resembled formations and were constantly purifying the air within the courtyard.
When he stepped into the small building where the owner lived, he found various brightly colored decorations inside as well.
They had a peculiar beauty, but Jiang Yan had no interest in such things. He glanced at them a couple of times before looking away.
When it came to such things, who knew how many planes the Dao Realm had plundered for their finest creations? How could the Scale Feather Clan of a mere little East River Realm compare? They were only worth a look for their novelty.
The formation installed inside the building, however, was not the Scale Feather Clan's work. It was a Spirit Gathering Formation from the Dao Realm.
The reason was simple: replacing the air-purifying patterns on the walls made no difference.
But how could the Scale Feather Clan's spirit-gathering formations be mentioned in the same breath as the Dao Realm's? Naturally, they had to be replaced with something better.
Muling Daoist Boy did not linger, going first to tidy up the rooms beside the wall. He understood his position very clearly.
Now that he was Jiang Yan's attendant, he naturally could not live with his master.
Dragonflame Daoist paid this little heed and sat down with Jiang Yan in the first-floor hall.
"Junior brother, now that you've settled in, let me first tell you about our Fire-Breathing Lineage."
"Please go ahead, senior brother."
Jiang Yan sat up straight. Although he had joined less than half a day ago, everything he had seen and experienced had already given him a considerable sense of belonging to this lineage.
"Our master came down from our Lihuo Commandery's Commandery Academy. He once took the Stillness Lord, one of the Lihuo Commandery Academy's Five Lords, as his master."
"Only after breaking through to sixth grade did he enter the East River Prefecture Academy to serve as Fire Head."
"As for our grandmaster, Master only took us to visit in the early years, before he entered seclusion. We haven't gone again in recent years."
"Including you, there are twelve of us fellow disciples, as you just learned.
"As for our rules, so long as you don't harm your fellow disciples or betray the Immortal Dynasty, you can do whatever you like."
Dragonflame Daoist spoke at ease, while his words once again startled Jiang Yan.
The Prefecture Academy's Five Lords were sixth grade, so what cultivation would the Commandery Academy's Five Lords have? Surely they couldn't still be sixth grade?
In other words, did he, Jiang Yan, now have not only a sixth-grade master, but also a fifth-grade grandmaster?
From now on, did he count as a third-generation disciple with powerful backing?
"Also, now that you've joined our Fire-Breathing Lineage, you're entitled to an annual stipend under the Prefecture Academy's rules."
"You'll also have four Lishi to accompany you when you go out.
"Two Celestial Maidens to attend to your personal needs, along with various other ceremonial trappings and musical instruments for your outings."
Jiang Yan listened quietly. These things sounded good, but they were all mundane objects. Put together, they were not as useful as the Spirit Boat his senior sister had given him earlier.
Seeing that he remained unmoved, Dragonflame Daoist continued:
"According to your grade, you may claim one Dao-Protection Law Artifact. Each year, you may also claim a set of Dao Robes and a set of Altar-Setting Implements."
"Also, our master oversees the Prefecture Academy's Fire Vein. You may explore it once and keep any spiritual treasures you obtain."
These last few benefits stirred Jiang Yan's interest.
A Dao-Protection Law Artifact, Dao Robes, and all the materials needed to set up an altar-everything was provided.
Beyond that, with the implements he could claim each year, this would undoubtedly ease the strain on his Spirit Stones considerably.
As for that last item, the Prefecture Academy's Fire Vein, he had never heard of it. But judging by Dragonflame Daoist's habit of saving the important things for last...
This chance to enter the Fire Vein should be the most valuable of all these benefits.
At that thought, Jiang Yan opened his mouth to ask. He had already grown accustomed to his own ignorance. Fortunately, he still had Dragonflame Daoist here as his senior brother.
"Senior brother, my knowledge is shallow. I've never heard of a Fire Vein. What is it?"
"Mm, a Fire Vein is no different from the earth veins and spirit veins we usually speak of."
"Earth veins nurture spiritual essence. Those who dwell near them for a long time enjoy blessings and long lives.
"As for spirit veins, they have abundant Spiritual Qi and occasionally even produce Spirit Stones and spirit crystals.
"The same principle applies to Fire Veins. They mostly contain Fire-Element Spirit Beasts and spiritual treasures."
At this point, something seemed to occur to Dragonflame Daoist, and he could not help clicking his tongue twice.
"If Uncle Flame Carp hadn't been born so fortunately, our master might not have managed to land this fine post."
"Does Uncle Flame Carp have an extraordinary background?"
Jiang Yan could not help asking. Could his lineage have so many forces behind it? Was it really this powerful?
But Dragonflame Daoist shook his head in denial and explained.
"He has no backing. Uncle Flame Carp was simply born fortunate. Although he has the body of a fish, he was actually born and nurtured by heaven and earth, coming into being within an underground Fire Vein."
"To Uncle Flame Carp, a Fire Vein is home. If the other higher-ups weren't afraid of him secretly making trouble, why would they simply surrender the prefecture's vein?"
So that was it. Flame Carp had been born within a Fire Vein. Wouldn't controlling the Prefecture Academy's Fire Vein be as easy as going home for him?
And from the sound of it, the Prefecture Academy's other higher-ups might well have their eyes on this Fire Vein too.
They simply could not withstand Flame Carp secretly manipulating the Fire Vein to cause trouble-perhaps an occasional eruption or something of the sort?
"It's enough for you to know these things. Don't talk about them outside.
"I'll send word shortly and have those Lishi and Celestial Maidens come attend to you. Tomorrow, I'll take you to the Fire Vein."
Having finished explaining everything, Dragonflame Daoist left a booklet behind, said his farewells, and departed.
Jiang Yan had no interest in those Lishi and Celestial Maidens either, and told Muling Daoist Boy to receive them and arrange their accommodations.
Those titles merely sounded impressive. In truth, they were all only in the Flesh Foundation Establishment Realm.
They did not even have the cultivation of a ninth-grade Daoist boy. Had they been real celestial maidens, he would have been very interested. Unfortunately, they were not.
After giving Muling Daoist Boy his instructions, Jiang Yan went upstairs by himself. He had taken in far too much information today and needed to sort through it properly.
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