Looking at the woman whose neck was firmly grasped by Xiao Yan, and who dared not move a muscle, the former was taken aback. The woman was none other than Xinlan, the alchemist of the Pan Gate whom he had met briefly before. Feeling the real killing intent in Xiao Yan’s eyes, Xinlan did not dare make any sudden moves. Her extremely beautiful face appeared pale, and her clear eyes were fixed on Xiao Yan.
“Why is it you?” After recognizing the woman, Xiao Yan’s brows furrowed slightly as he asked in a deep voice, “You were eavesdropping on our conversation?”
“Is it really you, child? This is truly reckless! This is an important area of the Inner Academy; how could you barge in without permission?” Su Qian, standing beside, scolded after a moment of surprise, his expression turning somewhat serious.
Reprimanded by Su Qian, Xinlan bit her lip and said, “Grandpa Su, I only entered accidentally.”
“Do you know her, Elder Su?” Hearing Xinlan’s address to Su Qian, Xiao Yan was surprised and looked at Su Qian to ask.
“Yes, sigh… This girl is the granddaughter of an old friend of mine. I was asked last year to take care of and cultivate her,” Su Qian nodded with a bitter smile.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan understood and slowly released his grip on Xinlan’s neck. “You were able to eavesdrop under the noses of me and the Great Elder for so long. You must have taken some kind of stealth pill. This doesn’t seem like an accidental intrusion, but rather, one that was carefully planned, wouldn’t you agree?”
Under Xiao Yan’s piercing gaze, Xinlan’s cheeks turned slightly red. She then bit down on her silver teeth and said, “I did come here intentionally to eavesdrop. What are you being so fierce about? And I can tell you, trying to get your hands on the Nine Dragons Lightning Flame of the Burning Flame Valley will only make you enrage a powerful force unnecessarily.”
“Why?” Xiao Yan was taken aback and asked in a deep voice. He had just obtained a little information about the unusual flame; how could he easily give up?
“I mentioned earlier that the Burning Flame Valley has been passing down the Nine Dragons Lightning Flame for centuries. For generations, powerful experts have etched their blood souls into the flame’s essence, making it impossible to use unless you practice the ‘Azure Nether Flame Art,’ the valley’s guardian technique. Otherwise, even if you get the Nine Dragon Heavenly Flame, you won’t be able to claim it for yourself,” Xinlan explained, coughing violently while holding her slender, white neck.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s heart sank, and he turned to Su Qian, frowning, “Great Elder, is what she says true?”
Facing Xiao Yan’s question, Su Qian also wore a puzzled look and could only shake his head with a sigh. “I don’t know for sure, but if this girl Xinlan says so, it should be true. Ah, no wonder the Burning Flame Valley has managed to preserve the Nine Dragons Lightning Flame for so long. They have prepared meticulously. I underestimated them.”
Xiao Yan’s heart sank completely upon hearing Su Qian’s words. Had the thread of clue he had so painstakingly obtained become utterly useless?
“Xinlan comes from the Central Region of the Dou Qi Continent. The Burning Flame Valley is also located there, so she knows a bit about it. With her character, she wouldn’t deliberately lie,” Su Qian added, helping to substantiate Xinlan’s identity, fearing that Xiao Yan might not believe her.
“Central Region?” The unfamiliar term left Xiao Yan somewhat confused.
“The Central Region is the name given to the central area of the continent. It is extremely vast, full of countless crisscrossing forces and strange races that you rarely see in these parts. Therefore, it can be said to be the core of the Dou Qi Continent, where the most thrilling things happen… The peak powerhouses of the continent mostly originate from there.” Sensing Xiao Yan’s confusion, Su Qian smiled and explained, “And there, you might learn something about your girlfriend’s background.”
Hearing Su Qian’s words, Xiao Yan’s heart, which had just sunk, thumped again. He exhaled lightly, and an image of a gentle, smiling face, both charming and demure, gradually surfaced in his mind, calming him down like a spring breeze.
After calming down, Xiao Yan, after a brief moment of thought, suddenly turned to Xinlan, his eyes narrowing. “You have something else to say, right?”
Doubt lingered in Xiao Yan’s mind regarding Xinlan’s eavesdropping without any apparent reason. Her character didn’t seem like that of a simpleton, and she should understand that eavesdropping is a big taboo. If she didn’t have a motive, she wouldn’t do such a thing.
Caught in Xiao Yan’s gaze, Xinlan’s face became slightly unnatural. After a moment of silence, she bit down on her silver teeth and said, “Do you really want a lead on the unusual flame?”
“Yes.”
“Give up on the Nine Dragons Lightning Flame. The Burning Flame Valley has passed it down for centuries, and they have nearly perfect methods of safeguarding it. Even if you obtain it, you won’t be able to use it…”
Seeing Xiao Yan’s nod, Xinlan hesitated and continued, “Do you have a way to break through?”
“No…” Seeing Xiao Yan’s eyes light up, Xinlan shook her head, and noticing his frown, she continued, “I don’t have a method to help you break through. But I know of another unusual flame ranked higher than the Nine Dragons Lightning Flame. And if you’re capable, your chances of obtaining it won’t be much lower than seizing the Nine Dragons Lightning Flame.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan, who had just sat down, immediately straightened, his gaze burning with excitement. “Another unusual flame?”
Seeing Xiao Yan’s intense reaction, Xinlan was startled but nodded slightly.
“Tell me. Whatever you need, as long as I can do it, I will!” Xiao Yan stepped forward, his tone filled with enthusiasm.
“I can tell you, but first, you must confirm that you are a sixth-grade alchemist,” Xinlan asked, her eyes showing a hint of tension. After seeing Xiao Yan’s nod, her eyes sparkled, and she bit her lip, taking a deep breath before saying, “If you agree to help me with one thing, I will tell you the lead!”
“Speak!”
Xiao Yan replied without hesitation.
“Help my family regain their place in the Elder’s Seat of the Dan Tower!”
Xinlan clenched her delicate hands, her clear and tense voice echoing in the hall.
“Dan Tower?”
Hearing the name, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned, and his brows furrowed. This unique group of alchemists had a very high status on the Dou Qi Continent. Though he didn’t know the details of their hierarchy, he could guess that entering the so-called Elder’s Seat would be extremely stringent. Faced with this unfamiliar giant, even Xiao Yan felt a brief moment of hesitation.
“Xinlan, stop being unrealistic. It’s not easy to get your family back into the Dan Tower. With Xiao Yan’s current sixth-grade alchemy skills, it’s impossible to help your family regain their position. The requirements there are too strict. Unless he reaches the seventh grade, the chances are slim!”
Su Qian, upon hearing Xinlan’s request, his expression changed, and he spoke sternly.
“I know he might not be able to do it now, but reaching the sixth-grade at such a young age shows immense talent. This kind of talent is rare even in the Dan Tower. If he’s willing to help, my family has a chance.”
Unmoved by Su Qian’s words, Xinlan remained stubborn, looking at Xiao Yan and saying, “If you agree to help me, I will tell you the lead about the unusual flame!”
Faced with Xinlan’s anxious and fiery gaze, Xiao Yan fell into silence, respecting the Dan Tower. This powerful organization had a competitive and challenging environment. Though Xiao Yan was confident in his alchemy talent, the Dan Tower gathered the cream of the crop from the entire Dou Qi Continent. Succeeding there would be no less challenging than navigating the halls of the Soul Palace.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s silence, the fire in Xinlan’s eyes dimmed, and her face filled with disappointment. Just as she was about to leave, Xiao Yan, after a prolonged silence, took a deep breath and said slowly, “I don’t know how difficult it is to help your family regain the Elder’s Seat, and I can’t guarantee success. But I promise, if you give me a useful lead on the unusual flame, I will do my best to help you. Deal?”
Hearing this, Xinlan’s body trembled slightly, and her eyes filled with excitement. Whether or not her effort would bear fruit, at least she brought a glimmer of hope to her near-extinct family. She nodded vigorously.
Xiao Yan smiled faintly, suppressing his eagerness and agitation, and said, “If that’s the case, then it’s your turn to share the lead on the unusual flame, and I’ll judge whether it’s worth the price.”
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