8: Chapter 8 Incineration

Early the next morning, Xiao Yan knocked on Xun'er's door.

"Xun'er, are you there? I have something good for you." Xiao Yan held a jade bottle in his hand, containing a Qi Gathering Powder of excellent quality.

"Brother Xiao Yan?"

Xun'er was dressed in green, her pretty face, devoid of any makeup, revealing an incredibly delicate refinement.

Xun'er ushered Xiao Yan into the room and sat obediently on the bed.

Xiao Yan found a chair to sit on, shook the jade bottle in his hand, and smiled, "Guess what's inside?"

"Qi Gathering Powder," Xun'er said prettily.

Xiao Yan looked at the obedient Xiao Xun Er and said helplessly, "Women who are too smart aren't very likable, you know."

Hearing this, Xun'er blinked her bright eyes, her smile curving like a beautiful crescent moon, and said, "Brother Xiao Yan, have you reached the Dou Practitioner level?"

Xiao Yan nodded with a smile and said, "With this Qi Gathering Powder, Xun'er won't be much slower than me."

Xiao Yan stood up and stuffed the jade bottle into Xiao Xun Er's delicate little hands, joking, "I can't have little sister Xun'er falling behind my Cultivate progress and crying about it."

Xun'er's ears turned red, and she said softly, "Xun'er is too happy that Brother Xiao Yan has regained his talent to Cultivate; why would I cry?"

After exchanging pleasantries with Xun'er for a while, Xiao Yan left her room. Giving the Qi Gathering Powder to Xun'er was considered repayment for the gold coins he had borrowed.

Behind the Xiao Family mountain.

"Teacher, I have already reached the Dou Practitioner level. Next, I should start practicing a Cultivation Technique." Xiao Yan sat cross-legged in a cave, looking at Yao Chen who had appeared before him.

Yao Chen's floating body slowly sat down. After pondering for a moment, he said, "What kind of Cultivation Technique do you want?"

"Naturally, the one Teacher mentioned—the one that can evolve," Xiao Yan said casually.

Yao Chen looked solemn and said, "This Cultivation Technique can indeed evolve, but there is one thing I must make clear: practicing this technique is extremely dangerous!"

"Ever since I obtained this technique, I have never seen anyone else practice it. Based on my many years of experience, the chance of reaching the Peak is less than twenty percent."

"Twenty percent? That is indeed low enough," Xiao Yan said, looking at Yao Chen's serious expression.

However, this was only for others. In reality, for an ordinary person, the possibility of successfully practicing it was even more minuscule. After all, how many people could pass the hurdle of refining their first Exotic Flame?

"Why is it only twenty percent?" Xiao Yan asked, appropriately playing along with Yao Chen.

"I obtained this technique by accident. It had no name, so I named it 'Flame Mantra'. The reason this technique is dangerous is that it uses Exotic Flame as fuel; every time it evolves, it requires the consumption of an Exotic Flame!"

"Exotic Flames are inherently violent objects. They are not only rare to see in a century, but even if one is found, who would have the certainty to master it? Back then, for this 'Bone Chilling Flame', I was almost burned into nothingness while still alive..."

"And this technique requires more than just consuming one Exotic Flame. You must know that an ordinary Dou Huang would be tortured to death just having one Exotic Flame in their body, let alone two or three!"

Xiao Yan nodded. The former Xiao Family Old Ancestor, Xiao Xuan, who was at the Peak of Dou Sheng, only managed to forcibly make three Exotic Flames his own... Thinking of this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but think of Xun'er. One must know that at this moment, Xun'er possessed the fourth-ranked Exotic Flame, the "Golden Emperor Sky Burning Flame"!

If she were to practice the Flame Mantra, perhaps it would have a different flair, though Yao Chen certainly wouldn't give it to her...

"Although the danger of practicing this technique is extremely high, I have no doubt about its potential. Once successfully practiced, I fear that apart from a few people in this world, there would be no one who could be your opponent."

Looking at Xiao Yan, Yao Chen hesitated and asked, "Now, do you still want to learn it?"

Yao Chen stretched out his withered palm, and two scrolls, one black and one red, appeared in his hand.

"The red scroll is a Fire attribute Earth Rank low-level Cultivation Technique, and the black scroll... is exactly the Flame Mantra. How you choose depends on you." Yao Chen's expression remained unchanged. Over these past few months, he had already understood Xiao Yan's peerless talent; even if he didn't choose the Flame Mantra, he would likely still be able to stand at the Peak of this world...

Yao Chen did not want to interfere with Xiao Yan's choice.

"Teacher, I choose the Flame Mantra."

"Have you thought it through? Practicing a Cultivation Technique is not child's play. Once you want to change your technique, you have to re-Cultivate everything!" Yao Chen said solemnly again.

"For me, a Cultivation Technique that can become or even surpass the Heaven Rank is what I look forward to. After all, with my talent, practicing the Flame Mantra might not be as difficult as imagined." Xiao Yan's expression was calm. He naturally knew the power of the Flame Mantra; this was a Heaven-Defying Cultivation Technique that far exceeded the Heaven Rank. If he didn't choose it, wouldn't he be a fool?

Xiao Yan thought about how he would be able to casually wave his hand and unleash a sky full of violent yet magnificent Exotic Flames, and he felt incredibly excited, as if he wanted to try displaying an Exotic Flame as cool as Yao Chen's Bone Chilling Flame in his palm right now.

"Yes! Teacher, I am certain I choose the Flame Mantra." Xiao Yan also replied solemnly.

Yao Chen slowly pushed the black scroll forward. Xiao Yan's palm lightly touched it, and the scroll instantly turned into a familiar stream of information, flowing into his mind...

Dozens of minutes later, Xiao Yan had converted all his Qi into a pale yellow Qi. A stream of Qi rapidly circulated from the Qi vortex, flowing through the acupoints in Xiao Yan's palm, emitting a faint yellow light.

After practicing the Cultivation Technique, Xiao Yan clearly felt that his physical body had also improved somewhat; whether it was sight or hearing, it was even stronger.

"The Medicine Cauldron and Materials are all prepared, right? Now you can try Alchemy!" Yao Chen looked at Xiao Yan, who had finished converting his Qi, nodded with a smile, and said.

Xiao Yan lightly wiped the storage ring on his left index finger, and a pale blue Medicine Cauldron, about half a meter in size, appeared out of thin air before his eyes.

The Medicine Cauldron was pale blue all over, with specks of light flickering within it. Below were carved two huge beast heads, with their large mouths open, revealing holes. The two mouth holes were connected to form a hollow space for fire to pass through. There was also a hole on the lid for putting in medicinal herbs, and in the middle of the Medicine Cauldron was a mirror surface made of cold ice crystal, convenient for observing the movements during Alchemy.

This was a two-mouthed cauldron, worth at least 150,000 gold coins. Although it couldn't be called excellent, it was enough for Xiao Yan to use as a transition.

These days, Xiao Yan had watched Yao Chen perform Alchemy up close many times, and now he was finally starting to try Alchemy himself. To say he wasn't excited would be a lie; after all, this was his greatest reliance for obtaining Cultivation resources in the future! Of course, excluding killing and arson...

"This is a healing prescription I concocted myself. Try to refine it; I will be by your side to remind you of the heat and the extraction of ingredients at any time." After Yao Chen passed the prescription to Xiao Yan, he said.

Xiao Yan nodded upon hearing this and placed his palm against the fire mouth of the Medicine Cauldron. Instantly, a suction force struck, and Xiao Yan did not resist. Once the Qi entered the Medicine Cauldron, it turned into constantly churning flames, but under Xiao Yan's powerful Soul control, they gradually stabilized.

Subsequently, he used another finger to tap the other fire mouth, and a weak green stream of Qi flowed in, merging with the not-yet-completely-stable flames. Instantly, the flames stabilized.

The reason an Alchemist is precious lies in the fact that while possessing the Fire attribute, they also possess a trace of the Wood attribute. The Wood attribute can neutralize the violent attributes, and because of the principle of Wood generating Fire, the neutralized flames are more durable and easier to control.

Yao Chen nodded repeatedly from the side. When breaking through to Dou Practitioner, Xiao Yan had already found his trace of Wood attribute. You must know, it took Yao Chen nearly half an hour to find his the first time! Yao Chen knew that Xiao Yan possessed an exaggerated Soul Power, so he was not at all surprised by Xiao Yan's performance.

A stalk of Blood Coagulation Grass was thrown into the Medicine Cauldron. Under the burning of the flames, it turned into ashes in a moment and was subsequently expelled by the Medicine Cauldron.

"The temperature is too high..."

After wasting two more stalks of Blood Coagulation Grass, Xiao Yan grasped the Blood Coagulation Grass's adaptation point to temperature.

A stalk of Blood Coagulation Grass rose and fell slightly in the flames, gradually shedding its skin, and the sap in the leaves was also roasted into tiny bits of pale white powder. The essential medicinal power of the Blood Coagulation Grass was finally, after Xiao Yan's third attempt, successfully extracted.