Chapter 5: Refining

"What! Don't cultivate! Little Yan Zi, explain that to me!" Xiao Li said excitedly.

Xiao Zhan also looked over in confusion.

Xiao Ding, however, quickly caught the key point in Xiao Yan's earlier words: "Little Yan Zi means we can't cultivate at home? Does that mean it's fine outside?"

"Yes, Big Brother, Father, Big Brother, Second Brother, it's not that I want to stop you from cultivating these two Cultivation Methods and Dou Techniques, it's really that we can't cultivate. A tall tree catches the wind—cultivating an Earth Grade Technique will inevitably leave some trace. Once outsiders discover that the four of us father and sons have suddenly grown vastly stronger, even a fool could guess that our Xiao Family has obtained a treasure. At best the techniques will be seized, at worst we'll face the peril of our Race being wiped out." Xiao Yan said.

Xiao Li fell silent, and Xiao Ding and Xiao Zhan said nothing either—they all knew Xiao Yan was right.

"Then Little Yan Zi, what do you think we should do?" The mature and steady Xiao Ding was the first to ask.

"Right, Little Yan Zi, if you have a plan then spit it out! Second Brother here is dying of impatience." Xiao Li said.

"Yan'er, just say it. If there's anything Father can help with, Father will definitely do it!" Xiao Zhan also spoke up.

"Actually it's very simple. The four of us gathering together is indeed conspicuous, but as long as we split up and head to more remote places where nobody knows us, and at the same time adjust our apparent ages, naturally we won't stand out so much. Of course, it's impossible to avoid all attention entirely. But when the time comes we can pretend to be disciples out training from a major faction—fox borrowing the tiger's might, so to speak. If they still don't buy it, we just run. After all, our home isn't there. Just duck into some desolate, uninhabited place—who could find us!" Xiao Yan said with full confidence, clearly having mulled over this plan for some time.

Xiao Zhan and the other two nodded after hearing it, clearly approving of Xiao Yan's plan.

"Great plan! Let's do it! Big Brother and I have actually been discussing going to train in the Tagor Great Desert these past few days. In that case, let's just set out early." Xiao Li clapped his hands together and said excitedly.

"It is indeed a plan, but what about Father in that case? Father is the Family Head of the Xiao Family—he can't be away from the Xiao Family for long." Xiao Ding said with some concern, looking at Xiao Zhan.

"Me? Don't worry about me. Your father's already at that age—even if I cultivated an Earth Grade Technique I couldn't achieve much more. Better to stay at the Xiao Family and cover for you." Xiao Zhan said with a smile. Though he felt some regret at not being able to cultivate an Earth Grade Technique, the thought that his three sons could cultivate put his mind at ease. Now his only worry was his third son, Xiao Yan: "Yan'er, your plan is good, but you're different from your two older brothers. You're only twelve—out there on your own, are you really going to be alright?"

"Right, Little Yan Zi, why don't you come with us to the Tagor Great Desert? The three of us brothers together can look out for each other." Xiao Ding also said.

"Exactly, Little Yan Zi, come with us. When the time comes, Big Brother and Second Brother will handle things outside—you just focus on cultivating." Xiao Li chimed in agreement at this point.

"No, just like I said before, three outstanding talents gathered together is far too conspicuous, so it's better for the three of us brothers to split up. That way, if one of us runs into trouble, the others can get word and come to the rescue! We won't all be wiped out in one swoop." Xiao Yan still insisted on his original idea.

"Then I'll go with you! How about letting your Second Brother go to Tagor?" Xiao Ding continued.

"No need, Big Brother. I know you're worried about me, but a young eagle must one day fly on its own. Besides, I already broke into the Ancient Clan and came back alive, didn't I? What's there to fear from a bit of training outside? So Big Brother, you should still go with Second Brother. Second Brother is too simple—he needs Big Brother watching over him." Xiao Yan said.

"Hey! Little Yan Zi, what do you mean by that! I—"

"Shut your mouth!" Xiao Ding cut Xiao Li off with a single sentence. Truth be told, his worry about Xiao Yan was more because Xiao Yan was so young, but his worry about Xiao Li was more because of his simple-mindedness. With that brain of his, if someone sold him out there he'd probably count the money for them! But he still couldn't quite make up his mind and wanted to say more.

"Enough, Ding'er, just do as Yan'er says." Contrary to the three brothers' expectations, Father Xiao Zhan was the first to agree with Xiao Yan's idea.

"Father!" Xiao Ding said in some astonishment.

But Xiao Zhan raised his hand, signaling Xiao Ding to hold his tongue, then turned to Xiao Yan and said: "Yan'er, Father has watched you grow up since you were small. You've always been the smartest of the three brothers, and more mature than other children your age. Father believes you've thought this through carefully. Since that's the case, Father supports you. But there's one thing—you have to promise Father too." Xiao Zhan said solemnly: "You must come back safe!"

Xiao Yan looked at the concern in Xiao Zhan's eyes, the bond between father and son surging in his heart, and replied solemnly: "Don't worry, Father. I definitely will!"

"Good!" Xiao Zhan smiled kindly: "Then it's settled. You three brothers go back and prepare properly—just come report to me before you leave."

"Yes, Father!" the three brothers said in unison.

Back in the Bedroom, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the bed.

"Everything's finally settled. Now I just need to successfully cultivate the Burning Art, then Refine a portion of the Volcano Stone Flame, and I can set off for the Magic Beast Mountain Range."

Speaking of the Magic Beast Mountain Range, Xiao Yan couldn't help but think of that girl from the original work who had accompanied Xiao Yan through countless hardships, only to ultimately be fated to miss him. He secretly resolved that he would definitely give this poor girl a place to belong.

Then, Xiao Yan took out a black scroll from the Bone Flame Ring. The instant Xiao Yan's palm touched the scroll, the black scroll turned into a beam of light that shot straight into Xiao Yan's mind, followed by a flood of massive information.

Since the Burning Art was currently only a Yellow Grade Low Rank Cultivation Method, Xiao Yan only needed two hours before he opened his eyes.

Even though it was only Yellow Grade Low Rank, after successfully cultivating the Dou Qi Cultivation Method, Xiao Yan looked far more spirited than before. What was left now was Refining the Volcano Stone Flame. However, Xiao Yan didn't immediately begin the Refining, but continued cultivating the Burning Art instead.

It wasn't until ten full days later that Xiao Yan confirmed he had mastered it well enough—even in his sleep the Cultivation Method would run on its own—before he formally began the Refining of the Volcano Stone Flame.

Xiao Yan first cleared away all flammable materials in the surroundings, then placed some pre-prepared medicines for healing wounds and replenishing Dou Qi nearby. Once everything was ready, Xiao Yan finally turned his gaze to the seal within his body.

Xiao Yan sat on the ground, closed his eyes, and focused his mind. As his hands formed the hand seals taught by Gu Yuan, a crimson flame immediately erupted from within Xiao Yan's body. The flame was small, but its power was terrifying!

Wisps of tiny flames kept surging out, instantly burning away every last bit of clothing on Xiao Yan's body. The searing heat scorched everything around him—even the space around Xiao Yan faintly warped, enough to show how terrifying the Volcano Stone Flame was.

"Ah!!!"

Intense pain instantly spread throughout Xiao Yan's entire body. His soul felt as if pierced by ten thousand steel needles, on the verge of shattering. He lost control of himself, rolling wildly on the ground, trying to shake the flames off his body.

But this flame erupting from within his body was hardly something so easily shaken off.

The last sliver of clarity Xiao Yan had left pushed with all his might to circulate the Burning Art, trying to tame this wisp of Volcano Stone Flame.

At this moment, within Xiao Yan's body, the scorching Volcano Stone Flame kept rampaging wildly. Anything in its path—whether flesh, Meridians, or bone—was incinerated to ash. The frantically circulating Burning Art kept condensing wave after wave of Dou Qi, trying to envelop the Volcano Stone Flame, only to be destroyed again and again by the violent flame.

Xiao Yan didn't give up. He knew he had no retreat now—either be reborn from the fire, break the cocoon and become a butterfly, or be burned to a pile of ash by the Volcano Stone Flame, becoming the first transmigrator in history to die by burning.

Xiao Yan endured the erosion of the Strange Fire while continuing to circulate the Burning Art, trying to force the Volcano Stone Flame to submit to his will. He stuffed medicines that replenished Dou Qi into his mouth as if they were free.

Once, twice…

Ten times, a hundred times…

Time passed without knowing how long. By now Xiao Yan had stopped rolling, because his muscles were nearly burned away! He lay on the ground like a puddle of mud, with only the still-rising Dou Qi fluctuations indicating he was still alive.

But even the Dou Qi was now on the verge of running dry.

Finally, the exhausted Volcano Stone Flame also no longer had the strength to resist. Seeing this, Xiao Yan's nearly collapsing consciousness suddenly burst out with its last strength, squeezing out the final wisp of Dou Qi in his body to wrap the Volcano Stone Flame and circulate it along the Cultivation Method's trajectory of the Burning Art.

Then, having unleashed his very last bit of strength, Xiao Yan could hold on no longer and fell into a deep sleep, with only the Burning Art still circulating.