"Hehe, young friend, this Burning Technique you're talking about… this old man seems to have never heard of it."
Facing Xiao Yan's question, Yao Chen quickly regained his composure, putting on an expression as if he had no idea what was being discussed.
"Hehe, you're a pretty good actor."Xiao Yan glanced playfully at Yao Chen, then looked at Han Feng, whose face had drastically changed as well.
"You might be able to hide it, but your disciple definitely can't."
"The Burning Technique is a mysterious cultivation method that evolves by devouring Heavenly Flames. It starts as a low-tier Yellow rank technique, but with each devoured flame, it upgrades further—eventually reaching Heaven rank."
Xiao Yan smiled at the again-shifting face of Yao Chen and said, "Am I right?"
"How do you know all of this in such detail?"Yao Chen's expression shifted again.
"Hehe, there are many great sages in my clan. Is it really so hard to learn something like this?"
Xiao Yan sneered, "I also know that your disciple, Han Feng, has long coveted the Burning Technique in your possession. Because you refuse to pass it on to him, he's already grown resentful in secret.
The moment you show any weakness, he'll strike like a venomous snake."
"Nonsense!"Han Feng roared, his face turning red. "Teacher treats me like his own child. I treat him like a father. How could I think such a thing?!"
"Hehe."Xiao Yan wasn't bothered by Han Feng's panicked rebuttal. Instead, he turned toward Yao Chen again: "Old man, today I'll ask just once—will you take me as your disciple or not?
If not, then—keh keh keh!"
Xiao Yan gave a wicked grin. Behind him, the twin saints Wen Sheng and Wu Sheng erupted with terrifying auras, making even Yao Chen's face turn grim. As for Han Feng, he had already gone pale.
While he wasn't the kind to vent his anger on innocent bystanders like Xiao Jiande, Xiao Yan would still stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
In both his past and present lives, people only cared about the power you wielded, and how it could affect them. No one ever truly cared where that power came from.
Even if they did care, it wouldn't change anything.
The essence of the world was survival of the fittest. Because the alien races were weak, Xiao Jiande could retaliate against them. Because Xiao Jiande was weak, Xiao Yan could cripple him.
Likewise, since Starfall Pavilion was weak, surrendering the Burning Technique was their only option. The only difference was whether they could do it with dignity or not.
If one day, Xiao Yan met someone stronger than himself, he'd just end up getting crushed in turn—and he'd long since accepted that truth.
"Sigh." In the sky, Yao Chen looked at Han Feng, then back at Xiao Yan, his gaze complex: "It's not that I don't want to pass on the Burning Technique, but cultivating it is simply too dangerous.
Every evolution of the technique requires devouring a Heavenly Flame. Just one of those can be deadly, and evolving to Heaven rank might require devouring multiple. Each time is dancing on the edge of life and death.
I don't know your exact status in the Xiao Clan, but with two Half-Saints guarding you, it's clear your background is extraordinary.
I'm sure the Xiao Clan could easily provide you with Heaven-rank techniques suited to your talents. Why choose something so risky that no one has ever succeeded with?"
"Because only by cultivating the Burning Technique can I obtain the legacy of the Dou Emperor!"Xiao Yan grumbled internally, though his face showed something else entirely.
"Dangerous? What's so dangerous about it? I'll start by devouring low-tier Heavenly Flames with Half-Saints by my side. Later on, when I'm stronger, I'll have Dou Saints protecting me as I devour high-tier ones.
Tell me—what's so damn dangerous about that?
What the hell do you mean by 'dangerous'!?"
Yao Chen: "…"
Feng Xian: "…"
Han Feng: "…"
Looking at Xiao Yan's confident, handsome face, Yao Chen let out a helpless sigh and finally agreed.
Inside the Star Realm, the atmosphere was peaceful and self-contained.
Formed from the power of meteorites, it was a small pocket world. Though insignificant compared to the vast Xiao Realm, it was roughly the size of a city—easily able to house over a hundred thousand people.
In a certain pavilion at the center of the realm, Xiao Yan lounged in a chair, staring idly at the sky above.
"With your Dou Qi talent, you're more than qualified to be my disciple. But if you want me to teach you alchemy, I'll need to assess your aptitude first."
Yao Chen looked at the laid-back Xiao Yan and couldn't help but sigh.
Bringing this little ancestor into Starfall Pavilion—was it the right choice or not?
"Alchemy? No problem!"Xiao Yan grinned. "Teacher, how many grades of pills do you want me to refine?"
"Just show me what you've got."Yao Chen, seeing Xiao Yan's casual attitude, felt a bit annoyed.
Alchemy demanded focus and dedication. Without those, even the most talented person would struggle to achieve anything.
"Heh, then let me show off a bit."
Xiao Yan chuckled, stood up, and suddenly grew serious.
With a wave of his hand, a cauldron appeared in the courtyard outside the pavilion.
Though the cauldron wasn't on the Heavenly Cauldron Rankings, Yao Chen could immediately tell that it could handle eighth-grade pill refining.
Xiao Yan flicked his finger, and a wisp of azure flame entered the cauldron.
"Boom!" The flame, fueled by Dou Qi, quickly filled the entire cauldron.
"Whoosh!" With another wave, a yellowish magic core, an inky black spiritual herb, and a green medicinal plant floated into the cauldron alongside several other ingredients.
Earth-element dragon-type beast core, hundred-year-old ink ganoderma, Clear Heart Grass…
"He's refining a Tier Five pill—Earth Dragon Pill!"Yao Chen's brow twitched as his gaze toward Xiao Yan became more serious.
If the refinement succeeded, it meant the youth possessed fifth-grade alchemist skill. A fifth-grade alchemist at age fifteen—terrifying talent!
The azure beast flame surged out, wrapping around the herbs and transforming them into little flame orbs for simultaneous refinement.
"That soul power!"Yao Chen's face changed again.
This young man's soul strength was already comparable to an ordinary seventh-grade alchemist.
Fifteen years old. Nine-star Dou Huang. Soul power of a seventh-grade alchemist. And no Heavenly Flame yet.
Even the usually composed Yao Chen couldn't help but get excited.
"With his talent, a year under my guidance and he'll definitely become a seventh-grade alchemist."
A sixteen-year-old seventh-grade alchemist! Even Yao Chen, who had seen countless prodigies, felt his heart burn with anticipation.
"With this kind of freakish talent, no wonder he's so valued by the ancient Xiao Clan."
What Yao Chen didn't know was that Xiao Yan's true value lay in his connection to Xiao Xuan. But this monstrous talent alone was enough to make him irresistible.
A full day and night passed. Finally, a dragon-eye-sized, yellow pill slowly formed in the cauldron.
"Collect!"Xiao Yan summoned the fragrant, earthy pill with his Dou Qi, enclosing it in energy.
"Teacher, what do you think of this pill?"Xiao Yan handed the Earth Dragon Pill to Yao Chen.
"Good! Very good!" With just one glance, Yao Chen could tell the pill was of high quality. His gaze toward Xiao Yan was like that of someone seeing a goddess fresh from a bath.
"Precious disciple, your talent truly satisfies me. Do you have any requests for your teacher?" His old face was beaming like a chrysanthemum.
"Not much really, just hope you can become a Dou Saint soon… and maybe reach ninth-grade alchemist too."
Xiao Yan grinned as Yao Chen stared at him, dumbfounded. "If you don't become a Dou Saint, I'll be embarrassed to use your name when I'm out and about!"
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, bringing along Xiao Xun'er, Cailin, Little Doctor Fairy, Nalan Yanran, Yun Yun, Qing Lin, Zi Yan, Ya Fei, Dan Chen, Cao Ying, Yao Ye, Yao Yue, Han Yue, Han Xue, Tang Huo'er, and many other beauties—
Happy New Year to everyone!
(End of Chapter)