*Boom!* A sudden, thunderous sound echoed through the serene, lush mountains, startling countless birds into flight. Their wings flapping and soaring high created a scene akin to the foreboding feeling before a great catastrophe. In a certain part of the mountain range, a peak was on the verge of collapse, with huge boulders rolling down continuously, crushing giant trees at the base. The rolling boulders left human-arm-thick fissures rapidly spreading along the mountain walls. In just a few minutes, what was once a solid peak was now a mere step away from total destruction.
In the air above the peak, a figure in a black robe fluttered with emerald fire wings, glancing at the crumbling mountain with a nod of satisfaction. The might of the “Mountain Opening Seal” had indeed grown much stronger compared to before. Moreover, this was merely practice, so he hadn’t used his full strength. It was hard to imagine how terrifying the power would be if it were truly unleashed.
“So, this is the ‘Mountain Opening Seal’? It truly lives up to its reputation as an advanced earth-tier Dou Technique,” a somewhat ethereal, elderly figure floating beside the black-robed youth said, looking at the shattered mountain. He nodded in surprise with a smile.
“Yes,” Xiao Yan smiled and nodded, then asked, “Has Teacher heard of this Dou Technique?”
“Hehe, the Imperial Seal Technique? How could I not have heard of something so famous? Even in your girlfriend’s clan, not everyone can learn this technique. She probably got it because of her special status. Still, it’s quite surprising that she gave such a rare technique to you.”
Xiao Yan laughed, then sighed, “Back then, I was also very interested in this hand seal technique, but I never managed to get it. If one reaches the highest level of this technique, burning mountains and boiling seas wouldn’t be an exaggeration.”
“But unfortunately, the scroll given to me by Xuner only has two hand seals,” Xiao Yan scratched his head and said.
“You greedy boy, be content. Though this ‘Imperial Seal Technique’ is an advanced earth-tier Dou Technique, if one can reach the final seal and master all seals, it could rival heaven-tier techniques,” the Pharmacist Elder scolded, then added, “Even if your girlfriend is of high status in her clan, giving you this technique must come with risks. Her clan guards these top-tier techniques very seriously. Giving you two seals of the ‘Imperial Seal Technique’ is probably already her limit.”
Xiao Yan chuckled awkwardly. He was just making a casual comment; he naturally wouldn’t complain about Xuner. Seeing her serious expression when she gave him the ‘Imperial Seal Technique’ showed how much she valued it. According to the scroll, practicing just the first seal, the ‘Mountain Opening Seal’, required at least the strength of a Dou King. With Xiao Yan’s current power, he could only explore the ‘Mountain Opening Seal.’ So, even if Xuner had given him the entire ‘Imperial Seal Technique,’ he could only drool over the later seals, able to read them but not practice them, which would be even more tormenting.
“It’s been half a month since we entered the mountains, and there’s still no word from Big Brother Nalan Jie. I hope nothing has gone wrong,” Xiao Yan said, gazing towards the direction of the Black-Corner Region, frowning.
“Should be fine. If something happened, he would send a signal,” the Elder laughed, then said seriously, “Focus on yourself now. To face off against Yun Shan, you need strong means to kill him.”
At the mention of Yun Shan, Xiao Yan’s face became stern. He nodded, musing, “Although my strength has grown immensely in three years, that old man couldn’t have stayed stagnant. And after all these years, the Yunshan Sect has deep roots. The Dou Techniques he knows must be formidable.”
Though Xiao Yan had managed to barely fight Yun Shan with the help of the Elders back then, this was only because Yun Shan rarely used his Dou Techniques. Once he did, combined with his immense power, Xiao Yan, even with the Elder’s help, might have faced a dire end.
Now, despite his significant increase in strength and having the ‘Buddha Wrathful Fire Lotus’ and ‘Imperial Seal Technique,’ killing Yun Shan might still be uncertain. A Battle Sect is, even across the entire continent, just a notch below the absolute top. Underestimating such a powerful foe could lead to catastrophic results, especially for someone like Xiao Yan, whose rank is far below.
Yet, this return to the Jia Ma Empire, Xiao Yan couldn’t tolerate any uncertainties. Being driven out of the empire like a dog in the past led to the downfall of the Xiao clan. Another failure could mean the clan’s complete annihilation!
So, this return to the Jia Ma Empire, even if it meant everything, he must kill Yun Shan!
Of course, with Medusa and the Pharmacist Elder, killing Yun Shan wouldn’t be hard. But convincing Medusa was a challenge, and the Elder, though formidable, couldn’t guarantee against other hidden super-strong experts in the Yunshan Sect, especially if they were allied with the Soul Palace as Xiao Li suggested.
Xiao Yan had to prepare for the worst. If the Elder couldn’t participate, he must face Yun Shan alone. Thus, he needed the power to kill Yun Shan!
Looking at Xiao Yan’s increasingly cold face, the Elder nodded slowly, saying, “With your current power, ensuring victory over Yun Shan is difficult but not impossible.”
“Teacher, do you have a plan?” Xiao Yan asked, surprised.
“Learn the second seal of the ‘Imperial Seal Technique,'” the Elder smiled.
Xiao Yan slumped, saying, “I haven’t even mastered the first seal. How can I learn the second? According to Xuner, the second seal requires at least Battle Emperor strength.”
“Hehe, then there’s only one option left,” the Elder said, waving a hand to summon a white flame. He looked at Xiao Yan, who seemed lost in thought, and said, “Fusion of three different flames into the ‘Buddha Wrathful Fire Lotus!'”
“Fusing three different flames for the ‘Buddha Wrathful Fire Lotus’…” Xiao Yan’s face changed, his brows furrowed. As the creator of this extremely powerful fire lotus, he knew the dangers and instability well. Back then, he’d managed, by luck, to balance two different flames, nearly killing himself in the process. Adding a third flame, while seeming simple, was incredibly difficult. The complexity of fusing three different flames was no less than mastering the ‘Mountain Opening Seal.’
“If you can fuse three different flames into the ‘Buddha Wrathful Fire Lotus,’ killing Yun Shan should be straightforward,” the Elder said, smiling.
“I’ll try,” Xiao Yan hesitated, then nodded reluctantly.
The Elder nodded, “Don’t rush. If you can fuse them, good. If not, I’ll step in and finish Yun Shan.”
Xiao Yan smiled, knowing true security required effort. Setting a goal, he began attempts to fuse the three flames. As expected, the fusion was arduous, and multiple experiments failed, leaving him with minor injuries from the resulting explosions.
The Elder was helpless but not because Xiao Yan lacked talent. Fusing different flames was truly challenging, and he doubted even he, at his prime, could manage it. Plus, Xiao Yan’s control over the Bone Spirit Chilling Flame, which belonged to him, was less than perfect. This slight control difference was crucial for such a precise fusion.
Despite repeated failures, Xiao Yan remained calm, which pleased the Elder. Hurrying the process might worsen outcomes. The calmer he was, the better.
After relentless trials, progress was made. Then, a message bird from the Black-Corner Region brought news.
“Everything is ready. We can set off at any time!”
This single sentence made Xiao Yan silent, then he exhaled deeply, looking at the sky. This day had been long awaited for three years…
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