Chapter 145: Cultivating the Burning Flame Art

"You agree?" Yao Lao asked again, as if wanting to confirm an answer.

"That's right, I am going to cultivate this Burning Flame Art," Xiao Yan said with certainty.

"Why?" Yao Lao asked curiously, "Are you not afraid that there is truly something wrong with this Cultivation Method?"

Moreover, what Yao Lao did not say out loud was that the evolution of the Burning Flame Art relied entirely on fate; if Xiao Yan could never find an Exotic Fire,

then it would mean the Burning Flame Art would remain at the Yellow Tier Low Grade forever.

In that case, it would be a complete waste of Xiao Yan's immense talent, and whether he could defeat Nalan Yanran in two years would be a question.

"Teacher, the things you need me to do should only be achievable if I cultivate the Burning Flame Art, right?" Xiao Yan asked with a smile.

"Hm?" Yao Lao looked at Xiao Yan in surprise.

"How did you know?"

"Back then, your words were filled with temptations for me to cultivate the Burning Flame Art; how could I not have sensed it?"

Xiao Yan rolled his eyes.

Although he was a bit chuunibyou,

he was not stupid; Yao Lao's intent to tempt him had been noticed by him very early on.

"Hehe~" Yao Lao chuckled helplessly, "You brat are truly shrewd!"

"Since things have reached this point, I won't hide it from you anymore. You should be very clear that I am currently a Soul Body, with less than one-tenth of my strength."

"However, I naturally do not wish to spend my whole life in this neither-human-nor-ghost state. Thus, possessing a physical body is very necessary."

"Could it be..." Xiao Yan pondered for a moment and said with some horror, "You want to seize a body?"

Xiao Yan had heard of such legends; many old monsters, when they saw no hope of breaking through and their physical bodies were decaying, would choose to seize a new body to seek a path of survival.

He did not doubt for a second that with Yao Lao's abilities, he could accomplish such a thing.

"Go to hell!" Yao Lao said irritably, "If I wanted to seize a body, there are plenty of methods,

why would I need you to cultivate the Burning Flame Art?"

"Then what do you mean?"

"Hehe~" Yao Lao gave a somewhat lewd laugh: "Seizing a body is easy,

but in the end, it is not one's own,

and that would be very troublesome for me later on. Therefore... I need you to help me refine a vessel, a physical body that truly belongs to me."

"Refine a vessel?"

"That's right. Through the description in this Burning Flame Art scroll, I found a method to refine a vessel, but the prerequisite is that it requires multiple Exotic Fires." Speaking to the end, the light in Yao Lao's eyes dimmed quite a bit.

In all honesty, the condition of multiple Exotic Fires was too harsh, and this was merely a desperate attempt for him to try anything.

However, he was truly unwilling to let his life end like this; those people who had plotted against him back then had not yet paid the price!

"Since that's the case, then your disciple will reluctantly practice this Burning Flame Art!" Just as Yao Lao was feeling low, Xiao Yan's words pulled him back from his memories.

"I'll practice this Cultivation Method first; if there really is something wrong with it, I'll just switch to another one later," Xiao Yan said nonchalantly.

"Then... it shall be as you wish."

Yao Lao was deeply moved; although one could switch Cultivation Methods, the wasted time would be hard to make up for, and the various implications of that could not be summarized in a single word.

"Then Teacher, do you have any news about Exotic Fires?" Having made up his mind to cultivate the Burning Flame Art, very quickly,

Xiao Yan began to focus on the key points.

If Yao Lao didn't even know a shred of information about Exotic Fires, then this path would be much harder to walk.

"Naturally, I do!" Yao Lao immediately resumed his usual demeanor of an expert above the mundane world, gently stroking his beard,

an arrogant expression appearing on his face.

"Where?"

Xiao Yan subconsciously ignored Yao Lao's attempt to show off and asked directly. In a sense, they belonged to the same type of person.

"Jia Nan Academy!" Yao Lao stated a location.

"Jia Nan Academy?" Xiao Yan repeated, "The Jia Nan Academy located in the Black-Corner Region that is known as the number one academy on the continent?"

"That's right!"

"Teacher, you aren't asking me to join Jia Nan Academy, are you?" Xiao Yan asked with disdain.

"What? Has Jia Nan Academy shamed you?" Yao Lao said with ill intent.

Although, with Yao Lao's level, he didn't think much of the so-called Jia Nan Academy either. But where did this brat Xiao Yan get his confidence?

"I feel like Jia Nan Academy is just so-so," Xiao Yan began to analyze,

"The strongest person in Jia Nan Academy should only be a Dou Zong, and my Xiao Clan also has a Dou Zong. Jia Nan Academy has high-grade Cultivation Methods and Dou Techniques, but the strongest Cultivation Method and Dou Technique in my Xiao Clan have reached the Earth Tier High Grade. Could it be they have Heaven Tier Cultivation Methods?"

"Furthermore, regarding the teaching staff, Teacher, you are a high-level Alchemist and a top-tier powerhouse, so I don't need them. As for resources, the Xiao Clan is quite good, so do I really need to join a so-called academy to fight tooth and nail with others?"

Xiao Yan's words were reasonable and well-founded, and he even managed to flatter Yao Lao along the way, leaving the latter speechless.

"This..."

Yao Lao felt mentally exhausted; his student's family was truly wealthy! With Xiao Yan's analysis, the advantages of Jia Nan Academy could be said to be worthless.

"But there is an Exotic Fire there!" Finally, Yao Lao delivered a fatal blow to Xiao Yan; indeed, such a miraculous item as an Exotic Fire was not something one could just find anywhere.

Even just for that Exotic Fire, Xiao Yan had to make a trip.

"Alright then!" Xiao Yan said somewhat helplessly.

"Which Exotic Fire is it exactly?" Xiao Yan asked curiously.

"If I remember correctly, it should be the Fallen Heart Flame, ranked fourteenth on the Exotic Fire Ranking. It is known as a 'cultivation cheat device'."

"Is there any news about other Exotic Fires?" Xiao Yan asked again; this Fallen Heart Flame was still too far away from him, and it really couldn't quench his immediate thirst!

"This..." Yao Lao gave a bitter laugh, "I really don't have any news."

How rare were Exotic Fires? The Jia Ma Empire was merely a remote, small country in the Northwest Continent; how could they have such good luck to find that so-called Exotic Fire!

"Fine." Xiao Yan was not particularly disappointed; after all, Yao Lao was not omnipotent, so how could he be a "know-it-all"?

"You could actually ask your father for a favor," Yao Lao suddenly suggested at this moment.

"Huh?" Xiao Yan widened his eyes. "Teacher, aren't you afraid of my father finding out your identity?"

"Heh!" Yao Lao was noncommittal. "Just say that you have become an Alchemist and are interested in Exotic Fire..."

"Anyway, there are plenty of reasons; are you afraid you won't find one?"

In Yao Lao's view, it was only natural for Xiao Zhan to know that there was a mysterious Alchemist behind Xiao Yan, and being interested in Exotic Fire should not cause any problems.

"It just so happens that now that you have become a Dou Zhe, practice the Burning Technique. I will then teach you some alchemy, striving to let you become a true Alchemist before enrolling in Jia Nan Academy..."

Once alchemy was mentioned, Yao Lao seemed to have opened a floodgate, and his speech was simply endless!

Xiao Yan also quickly mastered the Burning Technique, and looking at the faint yellow light in his palm, his inner desire for Exotic Fire became even more intense.

After all, who would be willing to play around with a Yellow Tier Low Grade Cultivation Method? That is a matter that affects one's future.

One day, half a year later.

"What? You want to go to Jia Nan Academy?" Xiao Zhan's incredulous voice rang out from the Xiao Clan.