Battle Through the Heavens: Xiao Yan, I am your second master.

Oh! By the way, after the destruction of Demon Flame Valley, all the former elders and core members of Demon Flame Valley, led by the Great Elder Fang Yan, joined Han Feng's ranks!

Fang Yan is now a peak Douhuang expert with considerable strength. He also seems to have an extremely powerful flame, very similar to Han Feng's!

Afterwards, Fengcheng successively subdued several Dou Huang forces in the Black Corner Region. Now, the Black Corner Region boasts nearly ten Dou Huang powerhouses, and this number may increase over time.

Xiao Li nodded: "I understand. Elder Xu, why don't you rest at our Xiao family for a while before returning to the academy? Tomorrow is my daughter's full moon celebration. How about staying and paying your respects?"

Elder Xu nodded and then exclaimed in surprise, "Oh! It's your daughter's one-month celebration! I haven't brought a gift, how can I possibly attend?"

Xiao Li waved his hand: "You're too kind, you don't need any gifts. Do you think I'm the kind of person who cares about gifts? Why don't you stay and join in the fun? I like a lively atmosphere. Elder Xu, how about you do me the honor?"

Elder Xu clasped his hands and bowed to Xiao Li, saying, "Then I will respectfully accept your offer."

“That’s more like it. You should go and rest for a while. Ah Long, take Elder Xu to the guest room to rest.” Xiao Li called out to Xia Yilong.

Xia Yilong ran over again, nodded to Xiao Li, and smiled at Elder Xu, saying, "Elder Xu, this way please."

Elder Xu raised an eyebrow. 'A four-star Dou Huang's steward? No wonder he's Xiao Li.'

Xiao Li stroked his chin and pondered: "Han Feng actually broke through to the Dou Zong realm. Demon Flame Valley? Could it be that Flame Manipulation Technique? Did Han Feng obtain that Flame Manipulation Technique, create a fake strange fire, and use it to nourish the incomplete Burning Technique, thus breaking through to the Dou Zong realm?"

Hehe, that's interesting. Since Han Feng has such a fortuitous opportunity, we should make the most of it. Little Yanzi really needs an early-game boss to hone his skills. Hehehe~ Don't blame me, Little Yanzi.

Chapter 179 Return to Zhongzhou

Several months later, in the Scorching Fire Mountains,

Burning Flame Valley is located in the Blazing Fire Mountain Range in the southwest of the Central Region. This mountain range is entirely composed of blazing volcanoes. As far as the eye can see, it is uniformly crimson. Thick white smoke constantly rises from the tops of some peaks, and occasionally, lava overflows from them.

This is a sacred place for cultivating fire-attribute battle qi. A thousand years ago, Burning Flame Valley was the most famous sacred place for cultivating fire-attribute battle qi on the continent.

"Xiao Li, this is the Blazing Fire Mountain Range, and the Burning Flame Valley is located here," the Heavenly Sound Elder said with a smile, stroking his beard.

"The environment here is quite nice. For someone like me who cultivates fire-attribute battle qi, it's a natural cultivation paradise. But Elder Su, why did you come all the way here with me? You know that the Ancestor is with me."

Xiao Li looked at the spirited Tianyin Elder beside him. Now that Tianyin Elder had broken through to the Dou Sheng level and become one of the top experts on the continent, why did he need to make another trip?

If the news leaks out and a Dou Sheng appears in Yin Valley, how can we catch them off guard?

"This is the result of my discussion with my senior. My senior learned from somewhere that the ancient imperial clans on the continent do not allow experts stronger than five-star Dou Sheng to take action."

Anyone who violates this rule will be hunted down by the combined forces of the imperial family. Therefore, I must step forward. I will be your visible protector.

"I, a mere Dou Sheng, should be able to protect you for a while. If I'm unable to defeat you, the senior will step in. In any case, we should stall for as long as possible."

The old man Tianyin spoke slowly.

"Tsk, what a troublesome rule." Xiao Li then took out his spatial jade mirror and said to it, "Did our ancestor have such a rule a thousand years ago?"

Before long, the spatial jade mirror flashed with a silver light.

"no!"

The Heavenly Sound Elder slowly said, "There certainly wasn't such a rule a thousand years ago. After all, the Sound Saint Ancestor won over the noble lady with his strength. At that time, the Ancestor's strength must have been above the five-star Dou Sheng level."

Moreover, at that time, both Burning Flame Valley and Pill Tower had top experts in charge. The Burning Flame Ancestor and the founder of Pill Tower were both nine-star Dou Sheng, representing the power of Zhongzhou!

At that time, besides our Sound Valley, many other forces had powerful Dou Sheng (Battle Saints) in charge. It seems that Ice River Valley even had an eight-star Dou Sheng in charge back then. Rumor has it that the Ice River Ancestor was the lifelong rival of the Burning Flame Ancestor.

Xiao Li nodded: "So the Dou Qi Continent was so prosperous a thousand years ago. Then why is there not a single powerful Dou Sheng on the continent now, no! In the Central Plains?"

Aside from that senior figure from the Pill Tower, I haven't seen any other powerful beings.

The old man Tianyin shook his head: "I don't know about that. Anyway, a hundred years ago, a Dou Sheng expert from my Yin Valley, who was also my grandmaster, was severely injured by the Soul Palace Master Hun Miesheng and died not long after.

At that time, several powerful Dou Sheng experts from major forces were also defeated by Hun Miesheng.

Xiao Li sensed that things weren't so simple: "I feel like things aren't simple. The seniors in the Pill Tower might know something. I'll ask them when I have time."

"Is that Master Wang Li of Yin Gu ahead?" an old, excited voice asked.

“Exactly!” Xiao Li replied.

A powerful figure instantly appeared before the two. This person had gray hair, a very robust physique, wore a red robe, and exuded an aura of around a four-star Dou Zun.

"Hehe, I am Yan Huo, the Grand Elder of Burning Flame Valley. I am here on the orders of the Valley Master to await Master Wang Li and the Heavenly Sound Saint."

The old man who called himself Yan Huo clasped his hands in greeting to Xiao Li and Elder Tianyin. At this moment, Yan Huo was already drenched in sweat. He knew that Yin Valley would send someone, at most it would be Valley Master Su.

He never expected that it would be the old monster from Yin Valley who came. Back when Yan Huo was still a Dou Zong, he had seen the Heavenly Sound Elder. After Yan Huo became the Great Elder of Burning Flame Valley, the Heavenly Sound Elder no longer traveled around the Dou Qi Continent.

However, some time ago, Elder Tianyin once again intervened to protect the second-place winner of the Pill Tower, namely Master Wang Li in front of us. This old monster from Yin Valley has already cultivated to the level of a half-saint.

Even a half-saint is still a saint. Although he is only half a saint, he can fight with his hands, so it is justifiable to call him a saint.

"Hmm~" Elder Tianyin nodded simply in response.

"Hehe, Elder Yan Huo, please lead the way," Xiao Li said with a smile.

"Please!" Yan Huo then led Xiao Li and Elder Tianyin into the Burning Flame Valley.

A moment later, the three arrived at a spatial barrier. A special rune appeared in Yan Huo's hand, and the spatial barrier opened.

"Master Wang Li, Sage of Heavenly Sound, please!" Yan Huo said with a smile.

After Xiao Li stepped into the spatial barrier, the scene before him surprised him somewhat. The core area of ​​Burning Flame Valley was similar to the Sound Realm, also forming its own space.

The blazing mountains outside were a fiery red landscape radiating intense heat, while inside this spatial barrier lay a lush, green vista.

Xiao Li grabbed the area with his palm, and the fire-attribute energy here was still abundant, but not violent.

After entering the valley, Yan Huo led Xiao Li and Elder Tianyin to a magnificent, fiery red hall.

At this moment, Tang Zhen and more than a dozen figures had been waiting in front of the main hall for quite some time.

"Master Wang Li! Sage of Heavenly Sound!" Tang Zhen was the first to greet him with clasped hands. His reaction was the same as Yan Huo's. Why did the Supreme Elder of Sound Valley have arrived? Didn't they need to stay and oversee Sound Valley?

"Master Wang Li! Saint Tianyin!" Behind Tang Zhen were the elders of Burning Flame Valley, all of whom were at the Dou Zong level.

"Valley Master Tang, it's been a long time! Congratulations on your great progress in cultivation!" Xiao Li said with a fist and a fist salute. He could tell at a glance that Tang Zhen was now a Seven-Star Dou Zun.

Tang Zhen bowed slightly to Xiao Li and said, "I must thank Master Wang for the pills, which helped me break through to the next realm. Enough of this. The journey must be tiring. My Burning Flame Valley will host a banquet to welcome you and the Heavenly Sound Saint."

"It's easy to talk about."

. . . . . .

At the banquet,

Xiao Li drank a little wine. He knew his own alcohol tolerance and couldn't drink too much. He couldn't get drunk this time, after all, he was here to take care of business.

"Master Wang Li, why aren't you drinking? Is it not to your liking?" Tang Zhen asked Xiao Li, his face flushed.

Xiao Li shook his head: "That's not the case. It's just that I can't hold my liquor, so it's best to drink less. After all, we're here to take care of business. If Valley Master Tang likes to drink, then he can drink more on my behalf."

"Alright! Cheers!" Tang Zhen downed a glass of strong liquor, then looked at Xiao Li: "Master Wang, are you married?"

"Of course."

Tang Zhen nodded: "I thought so too. After all, I saw three fairies behind you last time. I wonder if Master Wang has any offspring?"

"Yes, there are two boys and one girl. The eldest son is almost two years old," Xiao Li said slowly, taking a sip of wine.

"Is that so? He's the same age as my Huo'er. I wonder if Master Wang would be interested in arranging a marriage between us?" Tang Zhen immediately became interested.

"As for the arranged marriage, it's best to let the children decide. They have their own ideas, so we shouldn't interfere. Let's leave it to fate."

If there's time, let the two little ones meet; if they hit it off, that's fine too." Xiao Li is quite open-minded about this; he doesn't like arranged marriages.

Tang Zhen nodded: "Then let them meet when they are a little older. By the way, Master Wang, you know the contents of my letter before."

"My Burning Flame Valley also has an ancestor who was injured years ago. His injuries worsened during his advancement, and he now lives in seclusion in the bamboo forest within the valley. Therefore, I would like to ask you for your help in healing him. The reward is negotiable."

Regarding the character settings of Yan Huo and Huo Yun Lao Zu, I've created two separate individuals. Yan Huo is of the same generation as Yao Lao, while Huo Yun Lao is of a higher rank, given that Yao Lao's talent was top-tier in his generation. It's reasonable for Yan Huo to be a four-star Dou Zun, comparable to Feng Zun Zhe. Huo Yun Lao Zu's cultivation is too high, especially considering he's an ancestor; therefore, I've set him to be of the same generation as Lin Lao Guai of the Pill Tower.

Chapter 180 Ancestor Huoyun

Xiao Li smiled slightly: "Since I'm here, I definitely agree to this. Take me to see that ancestor."

Tang Zhen nodded, then asked, "Don't you need to rest for the night?"

Xiao Li shook his head: "No need. The sooner we finish reading, the sooner we can resolve this. I have important matters to discuss with Ancestor Huoyun."

Tang Zhen nodded, then suddenly realized: "How do you know the ancestor's name!"

Xiao Li crossed his arms and said, "I am a member of the Sound Valley, and a high-ranking member at that. How could I not know? Elder Su is a contemporary of Ancestor Huoyun."

"Yeah, that's true." Tang Zhen scratched his head and chuckled, "Then I'll take you to see the Ancestor."

"I will go as well," Elder Tianyin said slowly.

"Uh..." Tang Zhen was genuinely scared; he was truly afraid that the two powerful figures would start fighting at the slightest provocation.

"Tang Zhen, let them all come." A deep, aged voice rang out.

"Yes! Please follow me, both of you."

Tang Zhen led the way, taking Xiao Li and Elder Tianyin to the depths of Burning Flame Valley. This was an extremely secluded bamboo forest, where no one usually appeared. Deep within the bamboo forest was a small bamboo house.

An elderly man dressed in a red hemp robe and with fiery red hair sat in front of the bamboo house, his gaze fixed on the three people who had arrived.

"Fire Cloud Old Ghost, long time no see! You've become like this?" Elder Tianyin said sarcastically.

"Cough cough, Tianyin Old Ghost, you old codger, cough cough, you've actually broken through to Dou Sheng, cough cough! How come? Because of this kid? Cough cough."

Old Ancestor Huoyun coughed incessantly, his speech was intermittent, and it felt as if he could cough himself to death at any moment.

"Hmph, I was just lucky. Of course, I also owe a lot to him. If it weren't for him, I'm afraid I would still be stuck at the half-saint level." The old man Tianyin raised his head slightly and said proudly.

"You brat? Cough cough~ Second place in the Pill Refining Competition? A Dou Huang refining an eighth-grade pill? Cough cough~ Even more outrageous than that brat Yao Chen back then! Tell me, how can you cure this old ancestor?" Old Ancestor Huoyun said slowly, looking at Xiao Li.

"Senior Huoyun, please allow me to examine your condition first," Xiao Li said with a smile as he approached Huoyun Ancestor.

Fire Cloud Ancestor stretched out his arm, and Xiao Li placed his hand on Fire Cloud Ancestor's wrist to take his pulse.

"I see. Although this injury is somewhat stubborn, it is not difficult to resolve. One Yin-Yang Reversal Pill that has undergone eight-colored Dan Lei plus one Bathing Rejuvenation Pill that has undergone seven-colored Dan Lei will suffice."

Xiao Li has already provided a solution: one Rank 8 Eight-Colored Pill and one Rank 8 Seven-Colored Pill.

"Speak, what do you want? I heard Tang Zhen say before that you wanted the secret of Burning Flame Valley, the Three Transformations of Heavenly Fire? Tang Zhen added a low-level Heavenly Rank fighting technique after that, right?" Old Ancestor Fire Cloud said to Xiao Li.

"We'll talk about that later. Senior Huoyun, could you please enlighten me on why you didn't seek help from the Pill Tower to resolve the hidden dangers on your body?" Xiao Li was very curious as to why he didn't go to the Pill Tower but instead went to him.

"Hehe, cough cough, uh cough cough cough, sigh~ I'm afraid you've never dealt with the old guys from the Pill Tower, have you?" Old Ancestor Fire Cloud sighed.

Xiao Li: "Uh, we have dealt with each other before. I have met the Xuan Dan Ancestor of the Pill Tower, and he has been of some help to me!"

"It's that one! That one is different. It is free-spirited by nature. If it were in charge, I would be willing to go to the Pill Tower. Currently, the Pill Tower is managed by the eight elders of the Little Pill Tower."

The current three giants of the Dan Tower are also among the eight elders. Those old devils are all heartless! If you ask them for help, you'll be lucky if you don't get skinned alive.

"I can't stand their attitude, so I don't plan to ask them for help. So what if they're alchemists? They all look down on me like that! I can't stand that humiliation! But you, young man, are quite polite; I like that very much."

Fire Cloud Ancestor said slowly, he was still very satisfied with Xiao Li.

“Senior is indeed a straightforward person. Since that’s the case, I won’t hold back anymore. Please show me something!” Xiao Li smiled slightly.

"Things? What things?" Old Ancestor Huoyun was completely confused.

"Hmph, Heavenly Fire Three Transformations! First Transformation! Second Transformation! Third Transformation!"

Xiao Li immediately activated the Heavenly Fire Three Transformations, and a powerful aura erupted from his body. The amplification from the Heavenly Fire Three Transformations directly pushed Xiao Li's aura to the level of a Nine-Star Dou Zun!

"Huh?!" Old Ancestor Huoyun slammed his hand on the stone table, shattering it instantly.

The Heavenly Sound Elder instantly appeared in front of Xiao Li to prevent the Fire Cloud Ancestor from making a sudden move.

Fire Cloud Ancestor stared at Xiao Li, then, as if he had thought of something, he slowly sat down.

Tang Zhen, standing to the side, had his mouth agape so wide it could fit a melon.

Where did he learn the Three Transformations of Heavenly Fire? If it were just one transformation, it would be understandable; indeed, some people would risk everything for that one transformation. But even the core disciples in the valley might not know all of the complete Three Transformations of Heavenly Fire.

To learn the complete Heavenly Fire Three Transformations, one must study it in the Fighting Skills Pavilion of Burning Flame Valley. Furthermore, the Heavenly Fire Three Transformations are contained within the Inheritance Crystal, and cultivation requires the personal supervision of the Valley Master or an elder! How could he possibly know the complete Heavenly Fire Three Transformations?

Tang Zhen was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

"How is it, Senior Huoyun? What do you think of this generous gift from me?" Xiao Li said with a slight smile.

"Give the ancestor an explanation as to how you came to know the secret techniques passed down in this valley. If the ancestor is not satisfied, even with the old ghost Tianyin here, you will not be able to leave this Burning Flame Valley!"

The Fire Cloud Ancestor was hot-tempered by nature and would take action at the slightest provocation, but he was now showing considerable restraint.

"Hehe, let me correct you a little. This Heavenly Fire Three Transformations is a secret technique of my Xiao clan! It was created by my Xiao clan ancestor, Xiao Xuan. Let me introduce myself. My surname is not Wang, but Xiao! Xiao of the Xiao clan. I, Xiao Li, greet Ancestor Fire Cloud!"