In the narrow mountain cave, Yao Lao watched the closed-eyed Xiao Yan as he worked to convert his Dou Qi. The old man rubbed his reddened eyes, a warmth spreading through his aged heart. He understood clearly that Xiao Yan had chosen this dangerous method partly because of him. He gazed upward and murmured, "Rest easy. I will turn you into the most outstanding alchemist..."
After breaking through to the Dou Warrior stage, every cultivator gained the right to practice a cultivation method. Once a method was adopted, the formless, milky-white Dou Qi within the body would transform into attribute-specific energy aligned with that technique.
The first conversion did not take long. After merely two hours, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes.
Having adopted a cultivation method, Xiao Yan appeared noticeably more vital than before. A warm, jade-like luster suffused his refined features, giving him a spirited and healthy appearance.
He blinked and looked around the cave, which seemed somehow brighter now. A small smile touched his lips — he recognized this as the sensory enhancement that came with mastering a technique.
"Success?" Yao Lao asked from nearby, his voice warm.
"Mm." Xiao Yan nodded and extended his pale hand. Within his body, the newly formed pale-yellow vortex of energy immediately circulated, sending a thin stream of yellowish Dou Qi to the acupoint in his palm.
Projecting Dou Qi externally was something only a Great Dou Master could achieve — Xiao Yan certainly lacked that level. So instead of breaking through the acupoint's blockage, the energy merely gathered beneath his skin, producing a faint yellow glow on his palm, weak and flickering like a dying candle.
The pale yellow hue was the hallmark of an Earth-tier Low-grade Fire-attribute method. The higher the tier, the deeper the color.
Xiao Yan stared at the feeble glow and shook his head with a rueful smile. "Before the Burning Decree can evolve, my cultivation method is going to be lower than almost anyone's. Forget about fighting above my level — if I face an opponent of the same rank who practices a Profound-tier method, I'm not even sure I could win."
"The Burning Decree may be Earth-tier Low-grade for now, but in terms of raw power, it won't yield to a mid-grade Earth-tier method. Besides, your method may be weak, but you have combat techniques — three Profound-tier ones, at that. That's more than enough to compensate." Yao Lao offered a reassuring smile, then admonished, "Since your cultivation method lags behind others, you'll be at a disadvantage in both endurance and energy reserves. From now on, when you fight, be decisive — don't move unless you must, and when you do, strike with everything you have. End it quickly!"
Xiao Yan nodded, though his furrowed brow still showed lingering frustration.
Seeing this, Yao Lao — who knew the boy's temperament all too well — could only make a concession. "Once you've fully digested the three techniques you currently have, I'll teach you new ones. You know the saying: bite off more than you can chew and you'll choke."
"What tier?" Xiao Yan's eyes lit up, and he asked cautiously.
The boy's cautious manner amused Yao Lao into a huff. "It won't be lower than Eight Extremities Collapse, I'll tell you that much."
Xiao Yan's face lit up like a flower. Eight Extremities Collapse was a Profound-tier High-grade technique — something above that? What tier could that possibly be?
Earth-tier!
Though Earth-tier was only one grade above Profound-tier High, the gulf between them was a chasm. A Profound-tier High method could occasionally be obtained at major auctions if one had sufficient funds and a bit of luck. But an Earth-tier method was truly priceless — there were none to be had at any price. He had heard that in the underground markets of the Jia Ma Empire's capital, an Earth-tier method had been bid up to nearly ten million gold coins — the equivalent of an entire year's imperial tax revenue — and still no one had managed to acquire it.
A single grade of difference, yet the price gap was a hundredfold. Profound-tier and Earth-tier were fundamentally different worlds.
At the thought of this near-mythical level, Xiao Yan's heart burned with eagerness. He nearly demanded that Yao Lao begin teaching him immediately, but after weighing their respective standings, he wisely suppressed the impulse.
"Master, when will you teach me alchemy?" Setting aside the temptation of Earth-tier techniques for the moment, Xiao Yan asked with his usual irrepressible grin.
"Alchemy is not something you can learn in this small household." Yao Lao shook his head. "Moreover, you have a three-year wager with Nalan Yanran, and nearly half that time has already elapsed. Staying here in Utan City, your progress is too slow. Many of my training methods are also unusable here due to the complex surroundings. I intend to take you away for extended training. It will take some time — perhaps over a year."
"Over a year?" Xiao Yan hesitated briefly, but the image of that arrogant woman flashed through his mind, and he clenched his jaw. "Fine. A year, two years, whatever it takes. When do we leave?"
"In two months," Yao Lao replied with a smile.
"Why wait so long?" Xiao Yan asked, puzzled.
"Because in one month, Kaning Academy will hold its enrollment. You need to register." Yao Lao's smile was calm and measured.
Xiao Yan rolled his eyes. "What would I do there? I already have cultivation methods and techniques — what could they possibly teach me?"
"It's not about what they teach you." Yao Lao gave him a look, then spoke in a low, serious tone. "You're going to Kaning Academy because you need to find a Heavenly Flame. I once received intelligence that the academy houses a Heavenly Flame known as the 'Fallen Heart Flame.' It ranks fourteenth on the Heavenly Flame Rankings! If you can obtain it, the Burning Decree may finally evolve..."
"Fallen Heart Flame?"
Xiao Yan murmured the strange name to himself, and his eyes slowly began to gleam.