pertwk 1. Red Lotus Karmic Fire
1. Red Lotus Karmic Fire
"Teacher, what is this?" Xiao Yan looked at the blood-red lotus thousands of feet away.
"Tsk tsk tsk, shaped like a red lotus, its color like blood, its temperature remains constant within a thousand feet, and it burns like the sun. There's no mistake—the eighth on the Strange Flame Ranking, the Red Lotus Karmic Flame!"
Xiao Yan looked at the crimson lotus, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes, but mostly helplessness. "So high? Can we even reach it, teacher?"
"You rascal, you're truly blessed. We could only turn tail and run if we picked any one of the top ten, but I have a way to deal with this Red Lotus Karmic Fire..."
"You mean, you can take it down?" Xiao Yan's eyes were full of excitement. No one could ignore a top ten player on the Strange Flame Ranking, let alone Xiao Yan at this moment.
"Listen carefully, besides the Red Lotus Karmic Fire itself, its key feature is its ability to question the heart. For those who have committed grave sins and killed too many people, it is even more terrifying than the top three strange fires. But for those with good hearts, it is much easier to subdue. You are still young, and you don't have many lives under your command, so you have a chance to subdue him."
Seeing the barely concealed excitement in Xiao Yan's eyes, Yao Lao continued, "But it is still one of the top ten flames, incredibly dangerous. My Bone Spirit Cold Flame and a piece of ten-thousand-year-old Frost Marrow Jade I acquired years ago can allow you to approach it, but once it enters your body, the success rate is fifty-fifty. And once you begin, there's no turning back. Boy, what do you plan to choose?"
"Teacher, what will happen to this strange fire if we don't absorb it?"
"At this time, news of the Strange Flame has not yet spread, and only a Dou Wang (Battle King) can get close to it. No one should come within three days. After three days, we will basically have no power to intervene. After five days, it will be irrelevant to the Gamma Empire."
Xiao Yan pondered for a moment, then immediately replied, "How could I possibly let go of an opportunity that's right before me? Master, what should I do?"
"Hahahaha, he's just my disciple, Yao Chen. We should first..."
……
Yunlan Mountain, Yunlan Sect.
"Why hasn't Xiao Yan arrived yet?"
"Scared, huh? The young sect leader is a nine-star Dou Shi. Does he, a mere Dou Zhe from three years ago, even deserve it?"
"Yes, yes, there hasn't been a single word about Xiao Yan in the past three years. The disciples of the Xiao family have already reported that there hasn't been a single message from Xiao Yan back to the Xiao family in the past three years."
……
"Gentlemen, I'm truly sorry to have made you laugh today. I'm afraid the young master of the Xiao family won't dare to attend the banquet," Yun Ling said, bowing to the distinguished guests on the platform.
"It's alright. Yanran is so outstanding, it's not unusual for her not to humiliate herself. Old man Nalan is truly blessed."
Nalan Jie's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "Elder Jia, you flatter me. The little princess is already a leading figure among the younger generation of alchemists. Apart from Master Guhe's esteemed disciple, who can surpass her?"
"Speaking of which, that little fellow seems to have feelings for Yanran as well. Would Patriarch Nalan be willing to accept this promising son-in-law?"
"Sigh, the engagement between me and my old friend Xiao is already giving me a huge headache. Let the younger generation handle their own affairs."
Jia Xingtian addressed the heads of several powerful families in the stands, saying, "Let's leave it at that for today. You may all..."
Before he finished speaking, Jia Xingtian and Fa Ma exchanged a glance and said, "Your Dao is not weak, and your fighting spirit rushes straight to Yunlan Mountain."
……
"Where is Yunlan Mountain? Those who come, please state your name."
"Xiao Yan of the Xiao family has come to keep the three-year agreement." The black-clad youth, who appeared somewhat thin, spoke silently in mid-air.
At this moment, all eyes in the vast Yunlan Sect square were focused on Xiao Yan.
"Battle Qi transforming into wings? Battle King?"
"This kid can reach the Dou Wang level within three years? Can Senior Sister Nalan defeat him?"
Fa Ma looked at Xiao Yan and laughed, "His fighting spirit is weak, he has clearly only recently advanced in his cultivation. This kid is very fortunate, he probably has a flying fighting technique."
Upon hearing this, Nalan Jie felt much relieved: "Flying combat techniques are very rare; we haven't heard any news about them in the past ten years."
"I thought you wouldn't dare to come." Nalan Yanran pointed her sword tip diagonally at Xiao Yan in mid-air.
"The humiliation of being annulled is unforgettable, and today I, Xiao Yan, will demand an explanation at the Yunlan Sect."
"Then let's go." Nalan Yanran unleashed a powerful burst of fighting spirit.
"Three years ago, my Xiao family was weak, and I was ridiculed as a good-for-nothing. The engagement arranged by my grandfather was broken off, all because I lacked power."
As soon as Xiao Yan said this, everyone in the stands looked at Nalan Jie. Sure enough, the latter's expression was not very good. The Nalan family had indeed done something unethical.
"Xiao Yan, if you keep talking like that, things might get complicated today," Jia Xingtian thought to himself.
"I understand Miss Nalan's desire for freedom, but how can the Xiao family stand by and use power to oppress others?"
Nalan Yanran's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.
"But you are young, which I can understand. However, those who support you cannot forgive me. Xiao Yan of the Xiao family challenges Princess Yun Yun, the Sect Master of the Yunlan Sect, today to avenge this humiliation!"
With a whoosh, the vast Yunlan Sect square was completely ignited by Xiao Yan's words.
If challenging Nalan Yanran was already hard for the Yunlan Sect disciples to believe, at this moment they could only wonder if they had misheard.
"What?" Jia Xingtian, who always prided himself on his composure, now had cracks appearing in the teacup in his hand.
Nalan Jie's eyes widened, and he muttered to himself, "Xiao Lin, what's wrong with you, you bastard?"
"Ignorance is bliss. Has this young man become this arrogant?" Gu He said, looking at Xiao Yan. His own disciple was arrogant, but compared to Xiao Yan, Gu He actually felt that Liu Ling could be described as humble.
In a corner where no one was paying attention, the space suddenly rippled.
"Miss, this boy is different from what you described."
For a moment, none of the leaders of the Yunlan Sect made a move, clearly shocked by Xiao Yan's challenge.
"Xiao family brat, are you talking in your sleep?" Yun Leng, as the Grand Elder of Yunlan Sect, reacted immediately.
"Yun Yun, do you dare to fight me?" Xiao Yan chose to completely ignore Yun Ling.
"Boy, you're too arrogant." Yun Ling flapped his wings, revealing the Dou Wang powerhouse's Dou Qi. He grabbed at Xiao Yan with a claw, his powerful energy surging.
The expressions of Jia Xingtian and the others in the stands also changed. They did not expect Yun Leng to disregard his status and attack Xiao Yan directly. However, before they could even complain, everyone stood up from their seats.
Facing Yun Leng's claw, Xiao Yan grinned, crimson flames swirling around his body, and veins bulging in his right arm. If one were around Xiao Yan, one could even see the blood flow in his veins suddenly increase.
Advanced Xuan Rank - Eight Extremes Collapse.
A domineering crimson fist slammed down, and Yunling's cloud claws only held for a moment before dissipating, and then the fist and claws collided.
With a snap, the front of the cloud-shaped blade shattered, while the rear twisted. Then, it pierced the ground at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.
When everyone recovered from the shock of the battle, they saw that amidst the lime dust, Yun Leng had been smashed three inches into the ground, and cracks were spreading across the hard floor. Yun Leng's right hand was a bloody mess, unrecognizable.
At this moment, the Yunlan Sect disciples couldn't help but secretly swallow hard: "What terrifying power."
"Yun Yun, do you dare to come out and fight me?" Xiao Yan's indifferent voice rang out.
From the stands, Jia Xingtian stared intently at Xiao Yan, finally managing to utter two words after a long pause: "Battle Emperor?"