Seeing that Xiao Yan had actually agreed to the wager, even Cao Shan couldn’t help but be taken aback, and a smirk involuntarily spread across his face. “Indeed, you have some guts!” Whether it was mockery or praise, he chuckled, then turned to the gray-clothed elder and respectfully said, “Ku Gongfeng, let me handle this matter.”
Upon hearing this, the gray-clothed elder nodded silently, feeling a slight relief in his heart. The cold gaze of Little Healer Immortal always gave him an eerie feeling. He had heard of the reputation of the Heavenly Fire Body, but a Heaven Devouring Poison Body at the Dou Zun level was indeed the first he had seen.
“Everyone, step back…” Seeing the gray-clothed elder retreating, Cao Shan turned to the group behind him and waved, and they immediately dispersed, leaving an open space in the courtyard.
“Mr. Xiao Yan, do you really plan to compete with him in controlling flames?” Ye Zhong saw the situation and hesitated, then whispered, unable to resist. Cao Shan’s reputation in flame control was no joke, and even though Xiao Yan was a Seventh Grade Alchemist, if it came down to purely controlling flames, it would indeed be quite perilous.
Xiao Yan nodded slightly. If he could easily send these people away with the least effort, that would be best.
“Sigh, since Mr. Xiao Yan insists, then so be it,” Ye Zhong sighed, seeing that he couldn’t dissuade Xiao Yan, and could only nod with a smile. “Cao Shan’s light black flame is a rather powerful beast flame. It is said that the Cao family spent countless efforts to obtain it from within an eighth-grade magical beast. Though it may not rival the Mysterious Flames, it is quite formidable against ordinary flames.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan did not seem surprised. He had already felt the power of the light black flame when it appeared. After reminding Xiao Yan, Ye Zhong waved his hand, and everyone slowly stepped back, giving the two ample space…
As the crowd retreated, the smile on Cao Shan’s face became more pronounced. He took a step forward, and with a flick of his fingers, the light black flame surged forth, quickly forming a giant, pitch-black eagle above his head, shrouded in eerie and sinister flames.
“My flame is the Heavenly Dark Devil Flame, obtained from the body of the eighth-grade magical beast, the Heavenly Dark Three-Headed Lion…”
The dark flaming eagle circled above Cao Shan, emitting a sharp screech, and as he introduced it, a hint of pride flashed in his eyes. Although the Heavenly Dark Devil Flame might not compare to Mysterious Flames, its power was still exceptional. The Cao family had truly put in a lot of effort to obtain this flame.
Glancing at the dark eagle, Xiao Yan nodded slightly. This guy was not without reason for his arrogance; his ability to manipulate flames was indeed extraordinary. However, flame control was also one of Xiao Yan’s specialties. Especially after mastering the Fire Manipulation Technique, his control over flames had reached a peak. Even if Elder Pharmacist were here, he would surely praise Xiao Yan. This bet, which Cao Shan thought he was extremely good at, was also precisely where Xiao Yan excelled.
With a flick of his fingers, a strand of azure flame rose from his fingertips, then detached and expanded rapidly, transforming into a large, fierce fire wolf. It let out a long howl, and the sound of its howl echoed throughout the city, lingering in the air.
This azure flame, naturally, was the Azure Lotus Core Flame. In terms of flame manipulation, Xiao Yan was more proficient with the Azure Lotus Core Flame…
The moment the azure fire wolf appeared, the temperature in the area began to rise, and Cao Shan’s pupils narrowed, greedily watching the fire wolf. “Indeed, it’s a Mysterious Flame. The rumors are true—this fellow has a Mysterious Flame!”
“However, playing with flames isn’t just about the strength of the flame. Having a Mysterious Flame doesn’t necessarily mean victory!”
Licking his lips, Cao Shan sneered inwardly, pointing at the fire wolf above Xiao Yan’s head. The black fire eagle immediately let out a clear screech, glided through the air, and darted towards the fire wolf like a streak of lightning!
“Rooaaar!”
Facing the fire eagle’s assault, the azure fire wolf let out a long howl. A pair of fiery wings extended from its back, and with a brief flutter, it opened its ferocious mouth and collided brutally with the fire eagle. As the flames exploded, the two beasts entangled in a fierce battle, each attempting to devour the other’s flames.
At the sight of the two fiery beasts’ vicious combat, the crowd below was filled with admiration. They had seen too many battles involving Dou Qi, but pure flame confrontations were quite rare. In the sky, the two fiery beasts moved with incredible agility, even surpassing many strong fighters. Everyone knew this was due to their exceptional control over the flames. For someone with weaker control, not only would they be unable to manifest a fire beast, but merely maintaining its form would exhaust all their soul force…
In the sky, clusters of flames constantly flew out and dissipated as the two fire beasts fought fiercely. Xiao Yan stood with his hands behind his back, watching the battle with his mind fully focused. The contest was not just about the physical flames but also the strength of their soul forces.
Compared to Xiao Yan’s nonchalance, Cao Shan’s face appeared more serious. With the first clash, he realized that he had indeed met his match. The opponent’s control over the fire beast and its density were on par with his own…
“At this rate, the Heavenly Dark Devil Flame won’t hold up against his Mysterious Flame…”
Seeing the black eagle’s dimming flames, Cao Shan frowned. After a moment, he sneered, and with a flick of his finger, a fiery red jade bottle appeared in his hand. Removing the cap, a bright red, blood-like flame emerged, and Cao Shan bit his finger, letting a drop of blood mix with it.
“Heh, so what if you have a Mysterious Flame? Can it withstand my two flames?”
As the blood merged, the blood-red flame surged violently and, under Cao Shan’s control, transformed into a crimson hunting dog. Its crimson eyes glowed menacingly, and it leaped towards the sky, joining the black eagle in a fierce onslaught against the fire wolf, tearing at its azure flames.
The sight caused a stir in the courtyard. The Cao family cheered, while the Ye family fell silent, stunned by Cao Shan’s ability to control multiple flames simultaneously. It was extremely rare for alchemists to possess such a talent, and it seemed Cao Shan was indeed gifted in this regard.
Xiao Yan also furrowed his brows but calmly said, “Just two beast flames…”
With that, the fire wolf he controlled evaded nimbly, biting ruthlessly at the black eagle and the hunting dog, causing chaos and flames to fly everywhere.
Seeing that Xiao Yan’s fire wolf held its ground, Ye Zhong and the others breathed a sigh of relief. True to its name, if it were any other flame, it would have been devoured by now…
Seeing the tenacity of the Mysterious Flame-formed fire wolf, Cao Shan frowned, and his eyes gleamed with a cruel light. He waved his hand, and two more jade bottles appeared. Upon opening the caps, a gray and purple flame surged forth.
These two flames left even Ye Zhong’s face pale. He hadn’t expected Cao Shan to control four flames simultaneously, a feat he himself could not achieve.
“Hmph, comparing with me in flame control, even your Mysterious Flame can’t defeat me!”
Cao Shan sneered, and two more drops of blood fused with the flames. The flames transformed into two more fire beasts, charging at the azure fire wolf, surrounding it. Even with the Mysterious Flame, the fire wolf struggled to withstand the fierce assault from all sides.
Controlling four flames was indeed powerful, but it was also clearly Cao Shan’s limit, evident from the paleness on his face.
“Xiao Yan, flame control isn’t just about quality; quantity is crucial too. Remember that for future contests!” Seeing the fire wolf being overwhelmed, Cao Shan smiled, turning to Xiao Yan with a smug expression.
Xiao Yan glanced at him and smiled, “Thank you, Cao Shan, for the reminder. Then let’s focus on quantity…”
With a snap of his fingers, ten jade bottles appeared and shattered, releasing ten different-colored flames. The crowd watched in disbelief as the flames morphed into ten fierce fire beasts…
These flames were all beast flames, once used to nourish Transformation Fire. But with the Earth Core Bead, they had lost their purpose—until now.
Xiao Yan looked at the stunned Cao Shan and smirked, “Four flames, and you dare to compete with me in flame control?”
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