Chapter 12: Revenge
"Do you know what it's been like for me these past thousand years?"
In the dark night sky, Void Swallowing Flame stood motionless, his eyes empty as jet black flames erupted from his body, forming a massive fireball that illuminated the Xiao Clan's nightscape.
For a thousand nights, all he did was stand guard.
"Soul Heavenly Emperor, I miss you so much. I long for those days of unchecked power in the Soul Clan," Void Swallowing Flame murmured, his numb expression betraying a twinge of longing as two drops of black flame dripped from his face.
The tears fell toward the ground but were swiftly reabsorbed into his body before they could touch the earth.
"Heh, I don't even dare damage a blade of grass anymore," Void Swallowing Flame muttered bitterly, a trace of sorrow flickering across his face.
Unaware of Void Swallowing Flame's current state, Xiao Yan had left the Valley of Heavenly Flames with no inkling of the entity's emotional turmoil. If he had known, perhaps one day he would have written a memoir or two for him:
"A Thousand Years as the Xiao Clan's Beast of Burden""The Untold Stories of Void Swallowing Flame and Purifying Lotus Flame."
For now, however, Xiao Yan had more pressing concerns. His immediate focus was on mastering the Crimson Refining Flame Demon Body technique, bringing it to the introductory level so he could set out on his journey to… find Heavenly Flames.
Xiao Yan's Training
On a large boulder in the Xiao Clan's rear mountains, Xiao Yan sat shirtless, his body radiating a steady flow of blue flames. The flames coursed through his flesh and bones, tempering them with painstaking care.
Since obtaining the advanced Earth tier technique, Xiao Yan had devoted an entire week to focused cultivation.
This meticulousness was a result of his prior life's worldly experience. Xiao Yan may have appeared carefree and lazy on the surface, but once he committed to a task, he pursued it with perfection.
"Either don't do it, or do it to the extreme."
Elsewhere in the Xiao Clan
Just a few mountain ranges away, Xiao Jiande sat in his residence, his face contorted with rage.
Ten days had passed since Xiao Yan broke his legs. Though his injuries had long since healed with the aid of medicinal pills, the memory of Xiao Yan's disdainful gaze and the pain he inflicted remained vivid in his mind.
"Xiao Yan…" Xiao Jiande muttered through gritted teeth, his molars grinding audibly.
After some digging, Xiao Jiande learned that this boy wasn't just the grandson of Xiao Lin, the head of a branch family, but also a rare prodigy.
At fifteen, Xiao Yan was already a Nine Star Dou Huang, far outshining his peers. To make matters worse, he had a Dou Sheng as a grandfather.
The news of Xiao Yan's appointment as Emperor's Successor was still mostly confined to Dou Sheng level figures. While most of the lower ranking Xiao Clan members knew a new Emperor's Successor had been selected, they assumed it was another illustrious Dou Sheng, following tradition.
In an attempt to retaliate, Xiao Jiande sought out a few older cousins who were now Dou Zongs. Yet, at the mere mention of Xiao Yan's name, they declined outright.
"Are you crazy? Why would I offend a rising star with a golden background for the sake of your grudge?"
Resentment consumed Xiao Jiande, not just from the humiliation but from the gnawing envy.
"Xiao Yan, you're right I don't dare retaliate against you directly. I don't even dare touch Xiao Yu. But don't think your friends are untouchable!"
"Hehe, if I can't hurt you, I'll hurt those around you. Those lowly branch members… even if I can't beat you, I can disgust you, can't I?"
"If it comes down to it, I'll just stay hidden at home. Even if your grandfather is a Dou Sheng, he can't break clan rules to harm me!"
A deranged, twisted grin spread across Xiao Jiande's face as his plotting solidified.
Back at the Rear Mountains
Day turned to night, and the sun and moon wrestled once again for dominance in the sky. Xiao Yan, still seated on the boulder, remained oblivious to Void Swallowing Flame and Purifying Lotus Flame's potential skirmishes.
With his eyes closed in deep concentration, Xiao Yan suddenly snapped them open.
His dark pupils now shimmered with a faint blue flame, forming the image of a majestic lion roaring within.
"It's time for the final step," he murmured.
With a flick of his finger, Xiao Yan retrieved two jade bottles from his storage ring.
Xiao Yan first opened a small jade bottle and poured the fiery red liquid inside directly into his mouth.
This was a treasure known as Stone Flame Tempering Essence, a substance found near the Volcanic Stone Flame. Even a small bottle of it was worth as much as a high tier seven grade pill.
Next, he opened another jade bottle and poured out a deep cyan liquid, applying it to his body.
This was a body tempering elixir that his mother, Yao Xian, had created using the blood essence of an eight rank magical beast, the Azure Winged Sky Demon Lion, mixed with various rare medicinal herbs. The concoction was itself in the category of a seven grade pill.
To obtain the lion's blood essence, Xiao Yan had to nearly beg his heart out, finally persuading the old lion by offering to let it borrow The Romantic Tales of the Purifying Lotus Demon Sage for a while. In return, he received three drops of blood essence.
As the Stone Flame Tempering Essence entered his body, a surge of heat erupted from within him.
A terrifying fire attributed energy began to spread throughout his body, coursing into his bloodstream and flowing to every corner of his limbs and bones.
"Hot!"
Xiao Yan felt as if his entire body was ablaze. His skin turned fiery red, resembling a steamed shrimp, as the intense heat enveloped him.
The deep cyan liquid on his skin also began to seep into his pores, blending into his body.
The fiery red energy and deep cyan energy soon collided, merging into streaks of cyan red energy.
At first glance, the energy appeared ordinary, but once it integrated into Xiao Yan's flesh, bones, and marrow, the real trial began a relentless tempering process.
"Damn it!"
Xiao Yan's calm demeanor instantly broke. His entire body radiated cyan and red light, and veins bulged across his body, looking as if they were about to burst.
A guttural growl escaped from his throat, resembling that of a wild beast. Gritting his teeth, Xiao Yan activated his innate Azure Lion Demon Flame and cautiously began refining the chaotic energy inside his body.
The refining process, however, amplified the searing pain, as if his body was being roasted alive.
"I can't take this anymore this must be what the burning hell described in Buddhist texts feels like!"
Sweat poured down Xiao Yan's face as veins bulged on his forehead. Despite the excruciating pain, his eyes gleamed with unyielding determination, his expression twisted with a ferocious resolve.
"If I can't endure this, how can I even dream of devouring Heavenly Flames!"
"Heh, in my past life, I clawed my way out of nothing to build a world of my own. In this life, with such unparalleled resources at my disposal, if I waste them, I'd never forgive myself!"
With a maniacal grin, Xiao Yan intensified the flames, pouring all his will into the process.
For nearly an hour, the agonizing tempering continued. Other than the occasional low growl, Xiao Yan remained silent, suppressing his cries of pain. The only sign of his ordeal was his bloodied gums from clenching his teeth so tightly.
Many in the Xiao Clan dismissed Xiao Yan as a lazy prankster with natural talent. Few realized the sheer effort and madness he poured into his private training sessions.
This madness, forged through a decade of struggle in his past life, had instilled a fierce willpower merciless to others, but even more so to himself.
Finally, the blue flames surrounding him began to recede, condensing into his body. A new mark appeared on his back a vivid, cyan lion tattoo.
The Path of the Flame Demon Body
The Crimson Refining Flame Demon Body technique required nine different flames to temper the body. With each successful tempering, a flame origin pattern would be left behind on the practitioner's body.
Once nine patterns were imprinted, the body would be considered perfected.
The higher the quality of the flames used, the stronger the resulting body. In theory, if nine Heavenly Flames were used, the perfected body could even rival a Dou Sheng in strength.
Of course, this was merely a theory even the creator of the technique, Flame Demon Sovereign, had never attempted such a feat.
"Phew!"
Exhaling a long breath of turbid air, Xiao Yan stretched his body, now brimming with terrifying strength. It felt as if a single punch could shatter the entire mountain beneath him.
Of course, he refrained from testing his strength this was still his clan's property, and destroying it would invite both regret and scolding.
As he marveled at his newfound power, Xiao Yan noticed a figure rapidly approaching. It was Xiao Yu, her beautiful face cold as frost and her eyes blazing with barely suppressed fury.
"Xiao Yan, something's happened!"
(Chapter End)
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