Battle Through the Heavens: Xiao Yan, who was kidnapped to another world

"Hmm...hmm?" After nodding with a wry smile, Tang Zhen suddenly realized something was wrong and looked at Xiao Yan in disbelief.

“Using the Nine Dragons Thunderfire as an aid is naturally the simplest way to refine the Fire Bodhi Pill,” Xiao Yan said with a smile. “But that’s for an average eighth-grade alchemist. For me, all I need is to have some contact with the Nine Dragons Thunderfire and understand its properties!”

Looking at Xiao Yan's confident smile, Tang Zhen was at a loss for words.

"Then... shall we let Huo'er show you around Burning Flame Valley first, Mr. Xiao Yan?" Tang Zhen asked tentatively after a moment.

"Valley Master Tang, please feel free to discuss this with the elders," Xiao Yan said with a smile. "Whatever the outcome, I will accept it!"

Chapter 428 Conditions

About half an hour later, Tang Huo'er had taken Xiao Yan to almost all the places in Burning Flame Valley that were suitable for outsiders to visit.

"So, next, we'll go to the place where the Nine Dragons Thunderfire was born and where it usually stays?" Tang Huo'er asked, her eyes scanning Xiao Yan.

"Yes, thank you for your trouble, Miss Huo'er," Xiao Yan said with a smile.

"Come with me, but by the way... why are you so interested in the Heavenly Fire Three Transformations of Burning Flame Valley?" Tang Huo'er was about to turn around when she suddenly remembered something and asked with a hint of curiosity.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan was also stunned for a moment, and after hesitating for a second, he said, "Well... I can only say that for me, the Heavenly Flame Three Transformations is the most suitable secret technique that can enhance my strength."

Gu Yuan's words at Canaan Academy, "The last legacy of the Xiao family is in Burning Flame Valley," and Zhu Li's statement on Ancient Dragon Island that the Heavenly Fire Three Transformations was a fighting technique created by Xiao Xuan, the ancestor of the Xiao family a thousand years ago, made Xiao Yan almost 100% certain that the Heavenly Fire Three Transformations was the fighting technique that Xiao Xuan left for the descendants of the Xiao family who might return to Zhongzhou, and was most suitable for the Xiao family.

Therefore, if the names "Xiao Family" and "Xiao Xuan" are concealed, "most suitable" is the answer Xiao Yan can give.

“That’s right. Alliance Leader Xiao mentioned earlier that he came into contact with the secret technique of the first transformation of the Heavenly Fire Three Transformations when he was still in the Northwest Continent…” Tang Huo’er nodded. “However, my father once said that I also have a considerable talent for cultivating the Heavenly Fire Three Transformations!”

Tang Huo'er's words made Xiao Yan pause for a moment. Then, from Tang Huo'er's eager expression, he could tell that she seemed to want to compete with him in terms of "suitability with the Three Transformations of Heavenly Fire".

"Perhaps after Valley Master Tang communicates with the elders of Burning Flame Valley, his answer might be to refuse me," Xiao Yan said somewhat awkwardly after turning his gaze away.

"Impossible," Tang Huo'er said with a smile as she saw Xiao Yan's embarrassment. She turned and led the way, saying as she walked, "In any case, with the Yan Alliance's power in Zhongzhou and your status as an eighth-grade alchemist, Alliance Leader Xiao, those old fogies would give you a chance no matter how conservative they are. However... no one knew that those old fogies would make things so difficult for you."

Xiao Yan nodded in agreement. Although he had previously said that he was willing to accept whatever the outcome, given the Yan Alliance's power in Zhongzhou, which was second only to the Pill Tower, Soul Palace, Flower Sect, and Heavenly Nether Sect, the final answer from Burning Flame Valley would be to allow him to access the Three Transformations of Heavenly Flame—even if it was Burning Flame Valley's top secret technique.

But this is, after all, the "last inheritance of the Xiao family" designated by Gu Yuan. Therefore, no matter what difficulties there are, Xiao Yan is determined to take down the Three Transformations of Heavenly Flame!

*

"No! Absolutely not!"

In a magnificent hall, an old man with white hair and beard shouted sternly, "The Three Transformations of Heavenly Fire is a secret of my Burning Flame Valley, passed down only to a few exceptionally talented disciples within the valley. How could it possibly be passed on to others?!"

"I agree!"

"No matter who he is, we must not hand him over!"

……

As the old man finished speaking, dozens more noisy voices rang out. It could be said that, apart from the two red-robed elders, even Wu Chen, who had attended the Yan Alliance banquet, was on the side of not being able to pass on the Heavenly Fire Three Transformations to Xiao Yan.

Amidst the cacophony, Tang Zhen grew increasingly agitated. More than half an hour had passed, and no matter what reasons he gave, the elders refused without any logic. Their only excuse was that the Three Mysterious Transformations of Heavenly Fire was a closely guarded secret, showing no sign of genuine interest in discussion.

"...Enough!" Finally, Tang Zhen couldn't hold back any longer. He shouted loudly, and his powerful battle qi surged out, forcing the elders who wanted to say something back down.

"Elder, shouldn't the Second Elder speak up?" After the hall quieted down, Tang Zhen looked at the two red-robed elders sitting in front of the many elders. "You should know how powerful the Flame Alliance is in the Central Continent. If I remember correctly, the Flame Alliance's invitation this time is because a new Dou Zun has joined them."

Tang Zhen's fierce gaze fell on Wu Chen.

“…Yes, a female Venerable One.” After a two-second silence, Wu Chen spoke.

"Including the one who just joined, and excluding Mr. Xiao's teacher, the Medicine Saint, the Flame Alliance has a total of five Dou Zun, and without exception, they are all high-star Dou Zun. Now, you should discuss this with us properly... What if you refuse and then try to intimidate us with your power?" Tang Zhen glared fiercely at the two red-robed elders who were instructing the other elders to disrupt the meeting.

"At worst, we'll all perish together," one of them said calmly, slowly opening his eyes.

"That's like throwing an egg against a rock!" Tang Zhen roared angrily.

"With the Ancestor here, it's hard to say which one is the egg," the other person said calmly, opening his eyes as well.

“Our ancestor carries hidden dangers and will never act unless it is in the most critical moment!” Without hesitation, Tang Zhen rejected the Grand Elder’s answer.

Although it is known as one of the Three Valleys along with Ice River Valley and Sound Valley, Burning Flame Valley is a force with a thousand-year heritage. Although it has long lost its glory of a thousand years ago, there is still a Battle Saint in the valley. Although the outside world may have forgotten him, the elders who are the core of Burning Flame Valley still know about him.

“Then let it be,” the Second Elder said with a smile like Maitreya Buddha. “Let Xiao Yan help expel the hidden danger in the Ancestor’s body. As long as he can expel it, let him cultivate the Three Transformations of Heavenly Fire.”

"Or, let him marry into the Burning Flame Valley," the Grand Elder added calmly.

Hearing the elders' reply, Tang Zhen's eyelids twitched violently. "If you're so capable, go and state these two conditions to Xiao Yan yourselves!"

There's no point in even thinking about marrying into the Burning Flame Valley. With Xiao Yan's status, as long as he spreads the word, he'll have all sorts of secret methods to enhance his strength, and it's not impossible that something far more effective than the Heavenly Flame Three Transformations could appear. Marrying into the Valley for the sake of the mere Heavenly Flame Three Transformations... Even if Xiao Yan had a brain fart and agreed, the several Dou Zun wives behind him would never agree.

As for expelling the hidden dangers from the ancestor's body...

According to the ancestor, unless one possesses a different kind of fire and has the strength of a Battle Saint, even if a ninth-grade alchemist were to take action, there would only be one outcome: failure.

After learning that the former Medicine Venerable had become the Medicine Saint, Tang Zhen planned to build a good relationship with the Flame Alliance, preferably becoming allies who would stand together through thick and thin, before asking the Medicine Saint for help. After all, the existence of the Ancestor was the key to the survival of the Burning Flame Valley. Even if there were other alchemists with different flames on the continent besides the Medicine Saint, the Burning Flame Valley would never ask others for help.

but now……

Looking at Xiao Yan, who was meditating at the birthplace of the Nine Dragons Thunderfire, Tang Zhen felt his lips were dry. 'Hopefully, Xiao Yan will choose to ask the Medicine Saint for help.'

If Xiao Yan were to act recklessly and become seriously injured as a result, their Burning Flame Valley might truly face annihilation!

Chapter 429 Restless Moment

"Xiao...Yan?"

Looking at the intelligence in his hand, Mu Gu fell into deep thought. He had many guesses about the puppets he had seen that day, such as that Yao Chen had found them in the old ruins, or that they were a reward given to Yao Chen when someone asked Yao Chen for pills. But he never thought that those puppets would be Yao Chen, that unknown person...

No, it should be said that it was possessed by Xiao Yan, the renowned leader of the Yan Alliance in Zhongzhou and also a disciple of the Medicine Saint.

"Seven Star Dou Zun, Seven Star Dou Zun..."

Although he wanted to rush to Yao Chen's side and force him to hand over the puppet that could withstand a full-force attack equivalent to a half-saint, along with the corresponding formation, the title "Seven-Star Dou Zun" remained an insurmountable obstacle for Mu Gu.

Even though the intelligence gathered mentioned that Xiao Yan, who appeared in the Dou Sheng ruins in the Bone Mountain Range four years ago, was only a Dou Zong.

Even though he was already certain that Xiao Yan's strength was barely achieved after absorbing the energy stored for hundreds of years in the star field that sealed the Three Thousand Burning Flames over the past four years and consuming a large number of pills.

However, the words "soul power suspected to have broken through to the Heavenly Realm" made Mu Gu, who had cultivated diligently for decades to become a Five-Star Dou Zun, suppress his impulse and prepare to find a few helpers to investigate further.

"To take down that set of puppets, at least a demigod would be needed... As for him himself..."

Mu Gu tapped his fingers on the table incessantly, and after a while, his brows relaxed. "It seems that the Third and Fourth Heavenly Venerables are also quite interested in that Bodhi Pill."

The Bodhi Pill can increase the probability of a peak ninth-level Dou Zun breaking through to Dou Sheng. For the three Tian Zun who are still at the peak of the ninth level and the four Tian Zun who have just stepped into the first level, it naturally has an unparalleled temptation.

As for the fact that one can only refine grade eight five-colored pills...

Once he gets his hands on that set of puppets, he will naturally be able to upgrade from Rank 8, Rank 5 to Rank 8, Rank 9 in the shortest amount of time!

"Hehehe, if that old bastard Yao Chen knew his disciple had fallen into my hands, his face would be very happy, wouldn't it?" As if he could see himself meeting the true ruler of the Soul Clan through the introduction of the Soul Palace Master, Mu Gu laughed coldly.

*

On the other hand, after Xiao Yan came back to his senses from his meditation and rested for a day under the arrangement of Burning Flame Valley, he finally learned from Tang Zhen the conditions for obtaining the Three Transformations of Heavenly Flame.

"So, in order to obtain the Three Transformations of Heavenly Fire, we need to remove the hidden danger within the body of the Burning Flame Valley Ancestor?"

“Yes,” Tang Zhen nodded, not at all surprised that Xiao Yan completely ignored the fact that he was marrying into the family. “Before you answer, Mr. Xiao Yan, there are a few things you need to know.”

"Please speak." While guessing whether the patriarch of Burning Flame Valley was a peak Dou Zun or a low-star Dou Sheng, Xiao Yan nodded and spoke seriously.

"The ancestor's injuries... are related to some kind of strange fire. According to the ancestor, to remove the hidden danger in his body, at least a Dou Sheng who possesses the strange fire needs to take action."

Tang Zhen, who emphasized the words "Battle Saint," stared intently at Xiao Yan, his meaning self-evident.

"...Can't the Nine Dragons Thunderfire eliminate that hidden danger?" Xiao Yan could tell that Tang Zhen wanted him to ask Yao Lao for help, but keywords like "different fire" and "Dou Sheng" were too accurate, so Xiao Yan didn't give an answer immediately.

“If it weren’t for the Nine Dragons Thunderfire, the Ancestor wouldn’t have been able to hold on until now.” Tang Zhen understood Xiao Yan’s concerns, so he didn’t hide such a small matter.

'You need a different kind of fire, and without the Nine Dragons Thunderfire, you wouldn't have been able to survive until now?'

Xiao Yan fell into deep thought. As the darlings of heaven and earth, there is almost nothing that can restrain the strange fires, unless they are even more powerful. The Nine Dragons Thunderfire ranks twelfth on the Strange Fire Ranking and is also the inherited flame of the Burning Flame Valley for thousands of years. The unowned strange fire is naturally no match for it. Therefore, the strange fire that left a hidden danger for the Burning Flame Valley patriarch is also a flame that has been passed down for hundreds or even thousands of years.

'Or perhaps, it's one of the top three flames?'

As his primordial flame grew stronger and his understanding of the Dou Qi Continent deepened, Xiao Yan began to have some guesses about the top three flames on the Strange Flame Ranking. Although he still didn't know the origin and name of the number one flame, there was one thing Xiao Yan was 100% certain of—

The top three flames are unique!

"Before inviting the teacher over," Xiao Yan pursed his lips, licked his not-so-dry lips, and asked, "Could you allow me to meet with that ancestor and confirm the source of the hidden danger within him?"

"As long as you can guarantee that after you leave, you won't tell anyone except the Medicine Saint about the Ancestor's situation." Tang Zhen breathed a sigh of relief. Xiao Yan wasn't angry, and he only asked to confirm the hidden danger in the Ancestor's body, which he considered the best outcome.

“Of course,” Xiao Yan nodded with a smile, then said, “Then, is Valley Master Tang ready?”

"Prepare...what?" Tang Zhen was stunned, somewhat confused.

"Naturally, it's the medicinal herbs needed to refine the Fire Bodhi Pill," Xiao Yan said matter-of-factly. "Whether or not we can obtain the Heavenly Flame Three Transformations, Miss Huo'er's problem still needs to be solved... isn't it?"

“But…” Tang Zhen hesitated. Their transaction with Xiao Yan had nothing to do with the Fire Bodhi Pill, right?

“We are all forces hostile to the Soul Palace, so naturally we should unite, shouldn’t we?” Xiao Yan smiled amiably. The fact that Xiao Xuan had given the Heavenly Flame Three Transformations to the Burning Flame Valley was enough for him to be on good terms with the Burning Flame Valley, not to mention that the Burning Flame Valley and the Soul Palace also had hatred between them.

"Then... thank you very much, Mr. Xiao Yan!" After confirming that Xiao Yan was not being sarcastic, Tang Zhen breathed a sigh of relief and said solemnly.

"As long as Valley Master Tang doesn't suspect that I'll tamper with the Fire Bodhi Pill, that's fine," Xiao Yan said with a smile.

"Of course not." Even though he knew it was just Xiao Yan's slightly wicked humor, Tang Zhen could only respond with a wry smile.

*

"Second brother, what do you think?"

After Mu Gu took his leave, the Third Heavenly Venerable of the Soul Palace looked at Gu You, the Second Heavenly Venerable of the Soul Palace, who was hiding in the shadows and had not spoken, and asked.

"Xiao Yan... a few years ago, when he was still a Dou Zong, he killed a six-star Dou Zun, right?" Although several years had passed, Gu You still remembered the name of the Dou Zong who had defied a Dou Zun, especially since the Soul Hall Master had specifically warned him at the time.

"A one-star Dou Zong, with soul power at the Great Perfection of the Spirit Realm," the Three Heavenly Venerable Liehun nodded. "A few years have passed, and his Dou Qi level has reached the Seven-Star Dou Zun, and his soul power has even broken through to the Heavenly Realm..."

Liehun had no doubt that if he faced Xiao Yan, there was a very high probability that he would be able to clear the level without taking any damage.

"Mu Gu still can't refine the Bodhi Pill, right?" Blood River and the Four Heavenly Venerables of the Soul Palace didn't care about Xiao Yan's strength—they were definitely no match for Xiao Yan anyway.

“No one is willing to shield him from the pill lightning,” Gu You said calmly. “However, since those puppets can withstand the black demon lightning, colored pill lightning is naturally not a problem. Once he gets his hands on it, he will be able to refine the Bodhi Pill in one or two years at most.”

“You mean…” Rift Soul’s heart stirred.

“I’ll go and invite the Great Celestial Venerable,” Gu You stood up. “A Seven-Star Dou Zun, Heavenly Realm Soul Power… perhaps even I wouldn’t be a match for Xiao Yan.”

As an elder of the Soul Clan, he understood the power of this secret technique deeply ingrained in the blood of the Soul Clan better than these Heavenly Venerables who had never entered the Soul Clan. Even so, he was not sure to what extent the soul power of a Seven-Star Dou Zun and a Heavenly Realm cultivator would elevate Xiao Yan's strength.

Therefore, to be on the safe side, he naturally had to ask the Soul Palace Grand Venerable, who had the strength of a one-star Dou Sheng at its peak, to take action. After all, the gap between a Dou Zun and a Dou Sheng could not be bridged by a secret technique, right?