Reaching the pinnacle from Doupo

Chapter 380: The remaining map of the demon fire, the choice that determines the future
A few hours later, in Tianlei Mountains, in front of the ancient clan’s residence.

Lei Dong watched Xun'er walk into the gate and saw her disappear at the end of his sight. Then he turned his head and looked at Lin Yuan who was waving goodbye. A gleam of light flashed in his eyes and he narrowed his eyes slightly and asked, "Brother Lin Yuan, what is the relationship between you and Xun'er? I guess you two are not as close as you seem..."

"Yaojun, what kind of relationship do you have with Xun'er?" Lei Dong watched Xun'er walk into the gate and her figure disappear at the end of his sight. Then he turned his head and looked at Lin Yuan who was waving goodbye at the side, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"If my guess is correct, you two are not deliberately showing how close you are..."

"Do you care a lot?" Lin Yuan put down his hand and asked with a smile on his face.

"Of course I care!" Lei Dong made no secret of his purpose and thoughts, and said frankly: "Marrying the daughter of the ancient clan is very important to me and the Thunder Clan. So, I need to make sure whether you are my enemy... I mean my love rival."

After a pause, his tone became more serious: "You are Elder Mang's favorite student. I don't want to cause unnecessary conflicts between us because of a boring misunderstanding."

Hearing this, Lin Yuan raised his eyebrows slightly, with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

Lei Dong seems to act roughly and directly, but his mind is unexpectedly cunning and delicate, and his words are full of hidden meanings.

What I just said was both a test and a warning, and I also played an emotional card.

"Since you have already made up your mind, why ask more questions?"

In response to Lei Dong's question, Lin Yuan neither confirmed nor denied it. He just smiled casually and said calmly, "No one can guess what Xun'er is thinking. But one thing is certain - beauty is only worthy of the strong, isn't it?"

"That's direct enough. I like it." Upon hearing this, Lei Dong's eyes flashed with dark lightning, and a warlike smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. "Want to fight me?"

"I don't mind a fight, but now is not the time."

Lin Yuan glanced at him and chuckled, "Tomorrow is the final of the martial arts ceremony. Hun Feng and I will have a fight! If you are still interested in challenging me after watching the duel between Hun Feng and me, I will fight you. See you..."

After saying that, he no longer paid attention to Lei Dong, turned around, and turned into a stream of ice-blue light, flying towards Danta's residence.

"Medicine Lord Lin Yuan is indeed a formidable opponent!"

Looking at Lin Yuan's disappearing back, Lei Dong let out a light breath, and the fighting spirit in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a look of solemn thought.

At this moment, a faint cry came from a distance, interrupting his thoughts.

Lei Dong turned his head and frowned as he looked in the direction where the sound came from. After catching the faint sound in the air, a hint of realization flashed in his eyes.

"Is today's competition over?"

central square.

Lei Xuan stood on the messy ancient obsidian arena. After looking around, he announced loudly: "In the second match of the Heavenly Ranking semi-finals, Gu Li of the Ancient Clan won and advanced to the finals!"

As soon as the words came out, eyes fell from the stands and looked at the calm young man standing in the center of the ring.

Ancient clan and ancient rituals, eighth-grade bloodline, three-turn Dou Zun ancient rituals.

Not far across from him, a figure emitting a chilly aura fell weakly into the dust—this was the defeated Soul Clan’s ninth-grade bloodline, a first-level Dou Zun, Hun Hua.

Being older is often an advantage.

"At this point, the only thing left for the two contestants in the Heavenly Ranking Finals is the final battle!" Facing the gazes of everyone present, Lei Xuan smiled faintly and said loudly: "The champion of this Heavenly Ranking will be decided by Gu Li of the Ancient Clan and Hun Yu of the Soul Clan."

"Tomorrow, the finals of both the Heaven and Earth Rankings will be held here."
-
When he returned to his residence, Xiao Yan had resumed his disguise and was waiting quietly in the stone pavilion in the courtyard.

"Brother Xiao, then-"

Looking at the young man who was in deep thought, Lin Yuan threw a jar of fine wine over to him and said, "When you are in a bad mood, you might as well get yourself drunk."

Xiao Yan took the jar of wine and was slightly stunned. He then opened the seal on the jar. The rich aroma of wine instantly filled the air. He tilted his head back and took a sip. As the wine entered his throat, the burning sensation spread all the way to his chest, as if igniting the dormant fighting spirit in his body.

"This wine is quite strong." Xiao Yan wiped the wine stains from the corners of his mouth and said in a deep voice: "Thank you for today's matter, Brother Lin! How is Xun'er doing?"

"It's just a deal between Xun'er and me, there's no need to thank me." Lin Yuan waved his hand without any intention of taking credit for it.

"Don't worry about Xun'er!" He took out a wine jug, knelt down and took a sip from the spout, and said with a smile: "The uninvited guest just now was Lei Dong from the Thunder Clan! That guy is interested in Xun'er and is busy trying to please her, so why would he embarrass her?"

"It's actually him?" Thinking of that domineering silver figure, Xiao Yan was slightly stunned and his face became more solemn.

Lei Dong, the young master of the Lei clan, has divine bloodline and will be the strongest man in the future.

“Haha!” Lin Yuan smiled slightly and said thoughtfully: “He is very determined to get Xun’er. If nothing unexpected happens, he should be your biggest rival…”

"I've got this person in mind! Lei Dong, Lei Dong..."

Xiao Yan murmured the name "Lei Dong" a few times, raised his head and drank the liquor in the jar, with a look of determination on his face - Xun'er had done so much for him, a mere Lei Dong was not enough to stop him, Xiao Yan.

He took a deep breath, put down the wine jar, clasped his hands, and said, "Thank you, Brother Lin, for telling me this information. Today, I will take my leave first!"

After saying that, Xiao Yan turned around and walked towards the gate.

"Wait a minute, I have something important to discuss with Brother Xiao." Lin Yuan's clear voice rang out, stopping Xiao Yan from leaving.

"Hmm?" Xiao Yan turned around in astonishment and looked at Lin Yuan in confusion, "Is it important? Brother Lin, please tell me..."

"Don't worry, Brother Xiao, come and sit down." Lin Yuan nodded and gestured to the stone bench opposite. "We need to discuss this matter in detail."

After a moment of hesitation, Xiao Yan returned to the stone pavilion and sat down opposite Lin Yuan.

"What I want to discuss with Brother Xiao is a deal!"

Lin Yuan placed the wine pot on the stone table, then stretched out a finger and whispered, "I will use a fire-related heavenly-level technique as a bargaining chip to exchange for the remaining map of the Pure Lotus Demon Fire, the map that I traded to Brother Xiao five years ago..."

“What? Heaven-level skills, the remaining diagram of the Pure Lotus Demon Fire?” Xiao Yan’s expression changed drastically when he heard this. He did not expect such a big deal.

Seeing this, Lin Yuan said nothing, but just looked at Xiao Yan calmly, waiting for the latter to calm down.

After a while, Xiao Yan finally calmed down. He looked at Lin Yuan steadily and asked in a deep voice, "Can I ask why? Why do you want to get back the incomplete map you gave up that year, and are willing to trade it with a heaven-level technique..." Hearing this, Lin Yuan smiled and said meaningfully, "There are many reasons, but the biggest reason is that it is predestined for me."

"Fated?" Xiao Yan was stunned, but the confusion on his face remained.

“You’ll understand after seeing this!” In the other party’s puzzled eyes, Lin Yuan snapped his fingers, and two fragments of the picture flew out from the Dark Sea Ring and landed on the table in front of Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan looked at it carefully, then his eyes narrowed, and he said in disbelief: "This... is another fragment of the Demon Fire Map?"

These two pieces of the map were exactly the ones obtained from Hai Bodong.

"Yeah!" Lin Yuan nodded and chuckled, "When I was traveling, I happened to come across this incomplete map of the demon fire in a map shop run by a Douling. Although this incomplete map was split into two by that guy..."

"This is how you got it? That's really... a coincidence!" Xiao Yan took a breath and sighed softly.

It has been several years since he obtained the remaining copies of the Demon Fire Map, and he cannot even see the shadow of other remaining copies.

"That's why I said that I have a 'fate' with the Demon Fire Remnant Map." Lin Yuan took over the conversation, his eyes somewhat far-reaching: "Therefore, I want to see how much fate I have with it, and whether I can collect it in my lifetime... The chance is slim, and I don't know how many parts it has been divided into."

At this point, his voice was filled with helplessness: "I didn't expect that a Dou Ling who can make maps can split up this remaining map of the demon fire, tsk..."

Hearing this, Xiao Yan was speechless.

If what Lin Yuan said was true, then the quality of the remaining map of the demon fire that could be divided by a mere Dou Ling would suddenly drop a lot, but the difficulty of collecting it all would also increase a lot.

"Oh, by the way, I have one more thing to tell you!"

Lin Yuan put the map away and said casually, "It's actually not that difficult to find the location of the Pure Lotus Demon Fire. There's no need for a map at all."

"Huh?" Xiao Yan was stunned again and looked at Lin Yuan in disbelief, "Are you serious?"

“Haha!” Lin Yuan tapped the wine pot lightly with his fingertips, making a crisp “ding” sound. “Because the location of the demon fire space where the demon fire is located is not unfamiliar to the powerful forces with a long history in Zhongzhou.”

"After all, it appears only once every thousand years, and every time it does, it makes a huge noise, so there's no need for a map..."

"According to the information I have discovered and inquired, when the demon fire space appears once every thousand years, the strong men above the Dou Zun level in Zhongzhou can basically feel it."

"Are you serious?" Xiao Yan gritted his teeth and confirmed again.

"Of course it's true. You can find out if you ask Master Xuan and Xun'er to confirm it." Lin Yuan nodded and told Xiao Yan the information without hesitation.

"In addition, when I asked the dean about the demon fire, he sternly warned me that if you don't have the strength of a Dou Sheng, you must not rashly go to the demon fire space. Even if you are a Dou Sheng, there is a high possibility that you will perish after entering."

"According to records, over the past ten thousand years, the Demon Fire Space has buried dozens of Dou Sheng masters, and countless Dou Zun masters. It is an extremely dangerous place..."

"Those competing for the demonic fire are mainly the Dou Sheng masters from the ancient clans."

"According to the time, it should be only twelve years before the demonic fire that appears once every thousand years appears. You and I should not have the opportunity to participate in the competition this time."

At this point, Lin Yuan looked at Xiao Yan meaningfully: "Of course, if Brother Xiao can break through to Dou Sheng within twelve years... a true Dou Sheng, there is less than a 1% chance that he can seize the Demonic Fire surrounded by the saints of various races."

"Twelve years as a Dou Sheng, Brother Lin, you must be joking!" Xiao Yan smiled bitterly, feeling a little dejected.

After coming to Zhongzhou for more than a year, as Yao Lao's disciple, he has already acquired all the important knowledge related to cultivation. That is why he knows how unrealistic it is to "cultivate from the peak of Dou Wang to Dou Sheng in twelve years".

Under normal cultivation, even if it goes extremely smoothly, the breakthroughs to each level and each star, such as Dou Zong, Dou Zun, Jiu Zhuan, Semi-Saint, Dou Sheng... almost take years.

Even if he broke through to the level of Dou Sheng and risked his life, the hope of obtaining the demon fire still seemed slim.

If Lin Yuan had not lied to himself, the Pure Lotus Demon Fire had appeared at least ten times in the past ten thousand years, but it had not yet been subdued by anyone. Instead, it had buried many Dou Zun and Dou Sheng powerful men.

Xiao Yan had some vague guesses about the meaning of this.

And those speculations made him feel a little depressed unconsciously - he was a little naive after all. The top-level strange fire like the Pure Lotus Demon Fire was definitely not obtained that way.

Now it seems that fighting to the death with the Burning Decree is not a good option.

Thinking of this, Xiao Yan looked at Lin Yuan who was sitting opposite him - this person had previously practiced the Tiandu Fire Canon, but his cultivation and combat power were also terrifyingly strong.

Compared to himself who had stronger resources, he became the number one genius in Zhongzhou at lightning speed.

There is a difference between self-confidence and arrogance after all. Xiao Yan, who witnessed the top genius this time and learned about the anti-inflammatory inherited by the Xiao clan, and understood the difficulty of obtaining the demon fire too early, his inner thoughts eventually underwent irreversible changes.

And this is Lin Yuan’s pleasure, the purpose of Lin Yuan’s transaction, and the favorable condition for completing this transaction.

Seeing Xiao Yan's expression constantly changing, Lin Yuan added fuel to the fire.

"I have consulted Elder Mang. There is a heavenly-grade fire-related technique in the secret library of the Thunder Clan. After practicing it, it can increase the possibility of breaking through the Saint Realm! If Senior Yao obtains it, he may be able to break through the last level and become a Medicine Saint from a Medicine Venerable."

“Medicine Saint!!” Xiao Yan suddenly raised his head, his eyes flashing with a blazing light, “Brother Lin, are you serious?”

The peak of the Nine-Turn Dou Zun and the Half-Saint are only one step away, but there is a real world of difference between them. If the teacher is a saint, he would not need to borrow Danta's quota to attend the meeting this time.

"Haha, Mr. Mang has no reason to lie to me." Lin Yuan waved his hand and chuckled.

"However, that technique is not what I need, and it is not among the prizes of the ceremony. It just has some room for maneuver! If you are willing to trade the incomplete map, I will ask Elder Mang to help with the operation. From now on, it depends on your wishes."

After a brief pause, the temptation in his voice intensified: "Senior Yao is very powerful, and the opportunities to help and be grateful to him... are not many!"

After saying that, Lin Yuan stared at Xiao Yan with his deep eyes, waiting for his decision.

This is the test of conscience that Lin Yuan set for Xiao Yan - which is more important, his teacher's progress or the vague possibilities of the future?
This was also a step that Lin Yuan was looking for for Xiao Yan - giving up the remaining Demon Fire Map was essentially cutting off the Burning Decree Route. Giving up the Burning Decree Route for the sake of his teacher's breakthrough into the Saint Realm was more convincing to his heart than giving up the Burning Decree Route for the sake of choosing the Xiao clan's inheritance.

This is also the last chance given by Lin Yuan - if Xiao Yan is unwilling to hand over the incomplete map, then it is time to use some of Yuan Tianzun's methods.

Xiao Yan’s future path and even fate will be decided tonight.

(End of this chapter)