“In search of another Celestial Flame?” In the assembly hall, Su Qian was taken aback by Xiao Yan’s words. His face was immediately filled with astonishment. He was well aware of the rarity of Celestial Flames. If not for a stroke of luck and the formidable abilities of their headmaster back then, the Burning Sky Academy would never have found and sealed the Falling Heart Flame within the inner courtyard.
As Su Qian’s face reflected his surprise, Xiao Yan’s expression became more serious. “It’s hard, perhaps as the Grand Elder should know, my cultivation relies on the energy from Celestial Flames. If I could obtain another one, it would be possible to completely neutralize the Demon Poison Spot with the power of the Celestial Flame.”
“Celestial Flames… obtaining them is no easy task. On this vast Dou Qi continent, the allure of Celestial Flames far surpasses that of Bodhi Body Liquid. Any hint of their existence attracts countless strong contenders. Moreover, the number of existing Celestial Flames is extremely limited. Not to mention obtaining them, just finding them would require an inordinate amount of time and effort,” Su Qian sighed and shook his head.
Xiao Yan also heaved a sigh. “But currently, this is the only way forward. No matter how difficult it may be, I must find one. I came to the Burning Sky Academy to seek your knowledge of any information related to other Celestial Flames. After all, your understanding of the Dou Qi continent is far greater than mine.”
Seeing the hope in Xiao Yan’s eyes, Su Qian helplessly shook his head. “Why don’t you ask your teacher, the Honorable Alchemist? As a grandmaster in alchemy, his knowledge of Celestial Flames far exceeds mine. I believe he would know something valuable.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s eyes dimmed slightly, and he replied softly, “My teacher has fallen into the hands of the Hall of Souls. My urgency in finding Celestial Flames is both because of the poison in my body and the desire to gain power from them to rescue my teacher.”
“The Honorable Alchemist has been captured by the Hall of Souls?” Su Qian’s face changed, and he exclaimed in shock.
Xiao Yan nodded bitterly, his fists clenching slowly in his sleeves.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s expression, Su Qian sighed. “I wonder what the purpose of that mysterious force needing so many powerful souls is. A group of sneaky people, they once had conflicts with our academy. Our headmaster once fought with a powerful figure known as Venerable Elders, but he didn’t gain much advantage.”
“Venerable Elders?” Xiao Yan’s eyes twitched at the word. He knew that anyone with such a title in the Hall of Souls must be a Supreme Douzong. At his current level, he had no resistance against such a tier.
“Since you’ve already made an enemy out of the Hall of Souls, you must be extra cautious. Until you are absolutely certain, do not attempt to rescue the Honorable Alchemist. Otherwise, it might be like sending a sheep to a tiger’s den. The Hall of Souls is extremely powerful. Even our headmaster was wary of them when he spoke of this mysterious organization.”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly. He understood the strength of the Hall of Souls. Just the guardians alone made him struggle, and if faced with a Venerable Elder, his only option would be to flee for his life.
“However, the Honorable Alchemist had many powerful friends on the continent. Although they may not necessarily oppose the Hall of Souls for you, they represent a hidden force. If possible, there is one person you should find. This will be of great assistance in rescuing the Honorable Alchemist.”
“Who?” Xiao Yan asked, somewhat startled.
“The Wind Venerable Elder,” Su Qian said solemnly, a hint of reverence in his tone.
“Wind Venerable Elder?” Xiao Yan’s heart skipped a beat. He had heard this name before, though he knew little about its owner except that he was a genuine Supreme Douzong and very close to his teacher.
“Yes, the Wind Venerable Elder. He and the Honorable Alchemist were lifelong friends. When the Honorable Alchemist mysteriously disappeared, Han Feng proclaimed that he had burned himself to death while refining pills. But the Wind Venerable Elder was skeptical and spent years searching for clues related to the Honorable Alchemist. It was due to his investigations that Han Feng went into hiding in the Black-Corner Region for many years. During his search, the Wind Venerable Elder even clashed multiple times with the Hall of Souls, for reasons I am not entirely clear about.”
“If you can find him, he will treat you as a disciple, given your status as a student of the Honorable Alchemist. To be honest, it’s hard to fathom the depth of their friendship; it’s as if they were brothers.”
Su Qian sighed and smiled, “Mentioning this is to tell you that the Wind Venerable Elder would be a powerful ally and one you can fully trust.”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly. “The Dou Qi continent is enormous. Finding a Supreme Douzong who moves like a wraith is no easy task.”
“That depends on fate,” Su Qian said, shrugging. “The Wind Venerable Elder is extremely powerful, even our headmaster held him in high regard. Finding him would be a great benefit, and you wouldn’t have to worry about the Hall of Souls retaliating.”
Xiao Yan shook his head helplessly. “Before that, I think it’s best to gather more information on Celestial Flames. No matter what help I can get, improving my own strength is the most important thing.”
“Grand Elder, your experience is vast. You know a lot about the Dou Qi continent. If you have any leads on Celestial Flames, please let me know. This is truly important to me.”
Despite having three fragments of the Divine Lotus Demon Flame in his storage ring, Xiao Yan did not bring them up, not out of distrust, but because of the immense danger the Divine Lotus Demon Flame presented. He kept the secret closely guarded, and only in dire necessity would he reveal it.
Seeing Xiao Yan’s earnest face, Su Qian sighed and leaned back in his chair. After a moment, he said, “I do know a bit about another Celestial Flame.”
Xiao Yan’s gaze instantly became intense.
“The Burning Flame Valley?”
Xiao Yan was stunned. This sect name was not new to him; his Heaven Fire Three Changes technique originated from there. He vaguely recalled Teacher saying that this Dou Qi continent sect controlled a unique Celestial Flame.
“This sect has inherited a Celestial Flame named the Nine Dragon Thunderfire. It ranks twelfth on the Celestial Flame list, higher than the Falling Heart Flame. I’m not sure of its specific uses, but its ranking suggests it’s no less powerful than the Falling Heart Flame.”
Hearing this, Xiao Yan’s lips pursed. He had heard the Honorable Alchemist mention the Burning Flame Valley before, though not in such detail. He knew the valley was immensely powerful, and obtaining the Nine Dragon Thunderfire from them would be no easy feat.
Seeing the change in Xiao Yan’s expression, Su Qian smiled bitterly. “This is the only detailed information I have on a Celestial Flame. If you can, perhaps you can try your hand at it, but be extremely careful. The Burning Flame Valley’s members are temperamental. Getting caught by them will earn you a bitter enmity.”
Xiao Yan nodded slightly. The Nine Dragon Thunderfire was the lifeblood of the Burning Flame Valley. Taking it would mean relentless pursuit, but to save the Honorable Alchemist and his father, some morally questionable actions would be necessary.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan’s dark eyes filled with a steely coldness. Just as he was about to nod, a calm, cold voice suddenly echoed in the room.
“The Nine Dragon Thunderfire is indeed a Celestial Flame, but after centuries of the Burning Flame Valley’s cultivation, it has been imprinted with a unique blood soul seal. Unless you are a disciple of the Burning Flame Valley, possessing the flame is impossible.”
Hearing the sudden voice, Xiao Yan and Su Qian’s faces changed. Xiao Yan turned abruptly, his palm sweeping towards the door. A fierce suction yanked a blue-clad woman into the room. Xiao Yan firmly gripped her slender neck.
As his grip tightened, Xiao Yan’s murderous gaze met her face. Then, he froze.
“Why is it you?”
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