Chapter 141: Meeting Zhu Kun Again and First Encounter with Zi Yan (Double Release)
Ancient Emperor's Cave Estate, Heavenly Flame Plaza
After confirming that he couldn't obtain the Emperor's Source, Xiao Tiance decided not to dwell on it. He understood well that his current strength wasn't enough to break the restrictions left by Tuoshe Ancient Emperor.
It was frustrating, like knowing there was a mountain of gold and silver right beneath your feet but being unable to find the entrance. A bitter sigh was all he could offer.
Fortunately, Xiao Tiance wasn't one to waste time on regrets. If he couldn't obtain it now, he would leave it for another day.
Returning to the Heavenly Flame Plaza, Xiao Tiance looked at the flames that had lost their essence. These flames, though visually striking, had no practical value absorbing them wouldn't bring any benefit. Sighing, he turned and left the Ancient Emperor's Cave Estate.
Outside the cave, Xiao Tiance didn't leave immediately. Instead, he prepared a special "gift" for Soul Heaven Emperor. After closing the ancient bronze door, Xiao Tiance formed spirit seals in rapid succession, carefully reconstructing the spirit array he had undone earlier.
Once satisfied with his work, he smirked. "I hope you'll enjoy the gift I've left for you."
With everything in place, Xiao Tiance dove into the magma below.
Within the magma, the creatures that resided there trembled in fear, too afraid to move. Xiao Tiance's aura from earlier had left them paralyzed with terror.
Glancing at the cowering magma creatures, Xiao Tiance accelerated, breaking the sound barrier as he sped upward.
Suddenly, he noticed a tiny spark of Fallen Heart Flame in the distance. Though it was still weak, it had the potential to grow into something formidable with the right care.
Intrigued, Xiao Tiance approached the budding flame. Frowning at its flickering, fragile state, he formed spirit seals with both hands. In moments, he had set up a specialized seventh level spirit gathering array.
Watching as the array absorbed the surrounding fire elemental energy to nourish the flame, Xiao Tiance nodded in approval. "It seems this is the proper way to use a spirit gathering array. In such a short time, it's already self sustaining."
After observing for a moment, he continued his ascent.
Little did Xiao Tiance know, this spirit gathering array would nearly cost Xiao Yan his life when he later arrived at this very spot. But that's a story for another time.
As Xiao Tiance emerged from the magma's surface, he found himself face to face with the Fallen Heart Flame, which he had previously subdued. The flame now glared at him with a ferocious intensity, its eyes gleaming with a dangerous hunger.
The flame seemed to realize that devouring Xiao Tiance could greatly enhance its power.
Unfazed by the flame's aggressive stance, Xiao Tiance smiled. "Oh? You're targeting me now? How amusing."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the Fallen Heart Flame lunged at him, its massive serpent like form roaring as it opened its flaming jaws.
The attack was ferocious, with roaring flames and the heart fire's unique effects capable of driving one to madness or outright death rushing toward Xiao Tiance.
But the disparity in power was insurmountable. At most, the Fallen Heart Flame was at the Dou Zong level, while Xiao Tiance stood at the peak of Dou Sheng. The gap was far too vast.
Casually raising his hand, Xiao Tiance murmured, "Spatial Confinement."
Instantly, the raging flame serpent froze mid air, unable to move a muscle.
Looking into the flame's now terrified eyes, Xiao Tiance saw pure fear. It had finally realized that the man before it was an insurmountable force.
The flame whimpered softly, pleading for mercy. Ignoring it entirely, Xiao Tiance flew toward the barrier of the area.
At the barrier, Xiao Tiance activated a concealment spirit array to render himself invisible. He pressed his left hand lightly against the barrier, and moments later, a circular passage appeared, just large enough for him to pass through.
Slipping through the barrier, Xiao Tiance resealed the passage and began making his way up the Sky Burning Gas Refining Tower.
Along the way, he saw many inner courtyard disciples of Jia Nan Academy diligently cultivating. Through the room arrays, they absorbed traces of the Fallen Heart Flame's heart fire, which enhanced their training.
"Not bad," Xiao Tiance mused. "That brat from the Lei Clan was quite capable to have discovered this place and built the Sky Burning Gas Refining Tower to help his academy disciples. Such bold and imaginative thinking is worthy of admiration."
With a casual remark, Xiao Tiance left the tower and headed toward the academy's rear mountains.
There, he sensed Zhu Kun's presence along with another aura belonging to a member of the Ancient Void Dragon clan.
"Interesting. I didn't expect Zhu Kun to have such a soft spot for his daughter. He's been here at Jia Nan Academy's inner courtyard for so long without returning to Dragon Island."
Amused, Xiao Tiance soared into the sky, flying toward the rear mountains.
Moments later, Zhu Kun, who had been trying to amuse Zi Yan, suddenly released a surge of Dou Qi. Though the energy created a strong wind, Zhu Kun kept it contained to protect Zi Yan. His expression turned serious as he looked toward the Sky Burning Gas Refining Tower.
"Old man, what are you doing?" Zi Yan asked, puffing her cheeks in frustration. She punched Zhu Kun's leg in annoyance.
Zhu Kun glanced at her and warned, "If a fight breaks out, run. Don't let them find you, no matter what!"
"A fight? Awesome! I love fighting!" Zi Yan's frustration quickly turned to excitement. She raised her small fists eagerly.
Before she could say more, Xiao Tiance appeared above them.
"Senior Zhu Kun, we meet again!"
Xiao Tiance descended slowly, bowing respectfully toward Zhu Kun. Afterward, he glanced at Zi Yan and couldn't help but smile.
"What an adorable little girl. No wonder the original story described her so fondly. Zi Yan truly lives up to her reputation."
However, this single glance nearly prompted Zhu Kun to attack.
With a wary expression, Zhu Kun asked, "Judging by your demeanor, I assume you've obtained what you sought in the Ancient Emperor's Cave Estate?"
Xiao Tiance smiled. "Indeed, I have. Would you like it, Senior?"
"No, just leave now, and that's enough,"** Zhu Kun said coldly, shaking his head.
Seeing Zhu Kun so guarded, Xiao Tiance glanced at the little Zi Yan again. Realizing he wouldn't get a chance to interact with her today, he smiled.
"Very well, I mean no harm. I just sensed your presence upon emerging, so I came to take a look. Since you're not keen on my visit, I'll take my leave for now."
He turned to go but stopped mid step, as though remembering something. "Oh, before I forget, Senior, please don't forget the agreement we made earlier!"
With that, Xiao Tiance waved his left hand, and a spatial portal instantly formed. Bowing slightly, he stepped through it and disappeared.
Zhu Kun let out a deep breath only after the spatial ripples vanished, and Xiao Tiance's presence could no longer be felt.
There was no denying it Xiao Tiance's oppressive aura had been overwhelming. If it were just him alone, Zhu Kun could have escaped even if he couldn't win in a fight. But with Zi Yan by his side, the risk of Xiao Tiance targeting her made things much more precarious.
"Finally, he's gone," Zhu Kun sighed, withdrawing the protective Dou Qi he had placed around Zi Yan.
Watching him go from hyper alert to visibly relieved, Zi Yan scoffed in disbelief. "Hey, old man, were you lying earlier?"
Seeing her puffed up cheeks and the distrust in her eyes, Zhu Kun crouched down, smiling awkwardly. "I wasn't lying. I promise, every word I told you is true."
"Tch, didn't you say you were super strong and that no one on the entire Dou Qi Continent could beat you? But when that handsome uncle showed up, you were clearly nervous. I could tell you were scared of him!" Zi Yan retorted bluntly, showing no mercy and stripping away all pretense.
Zhu Kun was momentarily speechless. He wanted to explain to her that the man who had just appeared was likely unbeatable in a one on one fight anywhere on the continent.
But after some thought, he decided to simply admit he had exaggerated a bit. He reassured her that while he wasn't invincible, he was still incredibly powerful he could defeat someone like Su Qian with just one finger.
Eventually, after much coaxing, Zi Yan let the matter drop. She didn't fully understand who this old man was who had suddenly appeared in her life two weeks ago, but she could sense a deep familial connection between them.
Because of this, even though Zhu Kun hadn't revealed his true identity, Zi Yan was willing to stay with him.
In truth, Zhu Kun hadn't revealed himself because of the guilt he felt toward Zi Yan. The more time he spent with her, the more he realized how much he owed her.
This guilt only deepened after he learned that a magical beast had nearly killed Zi Yan. That very night, Zhu Kun tracked down the beast and reduced it to ashes.
Meanwhile, Xiao Tiance had just left the area when he received a message from Xiao Tian Ming. The message informed him that Xiao Yan had participated in the Alchemist Conference in the Jia Ma Empire and had even helped a young member of the Nalan family remove a brand poison from their body.
Upon reading this, Xiao Tiance initially planned to return to Tian Wai Tian directly. But after some thought, he decided to make a detour and check on the situation.
Thanks to spatial travel, the journey of tens of thousands of miles took only a few minutes. Soon, Xiao Tiance arrived at the imperial capital of the Jia Ma Empire.
At the Tianji Tower Branch
Xiao Tian Ming was just pouring himself a cup of tea when he felt a sudden spatial ripple in the room. He was about to react defensively when he recognized the presence and smiled. Standing up, he greeted warmly, "Brother Ce, you're here so quickly?"
"I was in the Black Corner Region when I got your message. I came right away," Xiao Tiance replied as he took the main seat and accepted the tea Xiao Tian Ming handed him. Taking a sip, he smiled. "So, have you found any traces of the Soul Hall's envoys near the Yun Lan Sect?"
At this, Xiao Tian Ming shook his head. **"No, not yet. Ever since the Soul Clan disappeared, the Soul Hall has gone silent as well. Not only have we detected no signs of them near the Yun Lan Sect, but there's also been no activity in the Black Corner Region or the Chu Yun Empire.
I suspect the Soul Clan is still lying low. At least until Soul Heaven Emperor recovers, they probably won't dare show themselves openly in the Dou Qi Continent."**
Hearing this, Xiao Tiance nodded. **"That's a reasonable assumption. Soul Heaven Emperor's injuries are severe. Even with the Soul Clan's secret healing techniques, it would take five to six years to recover completely.
That said, we can't be too sure. The Soul Clan has always been the most mysterious of the Emperor Clans, and Soul Heaven Emperor has Void Swallowing Flame by his side, a being that has lived since ancient times."**
Xiao Tian Ming agreed. **"True. Even we don't know much about the Soul Clan. But enough about them for now.
Brother Ce, I must admit, you seem to have made a good call with Xiao Yan. At least for now, I don't think you've misjudged him. Not only is the boy gifted, but he's also incredibly hardworking. I can't say for certain that he'll become a Dou Emperor, but he definitely has potential."**
This piqued Xiao Tiance's interest. For Xiao Tian Ming to speak so highly of Xiao Yan was unusual. "Tell me more," he prompted.
Xiao Tian Ming chuckled. **"Brother Ce, you might not know this, but Xiao Yan's done quite well for himself. Not only has he recruited a Dou Huang level bodyguard, but he's also managed to 'win over' that young serpent girl from the Snake People Tribe who's currently evolving.
What's more, the Burning Volume technique you mentioned has genuinely undergone its evolution. After Xiao Yan absorbed the Green Lotus Core Flame, the technique advanced to the Mystical Tier."**
"Hmm? That's impressive, but not enough for such high praise," Xiao Tiance remarked.
"Patience, Brother Ce. Did you know Xiao Yan's current cultivation level? He's a Da Dou Shi now! In just three years, he went from Dou Qi Stage 3 to Da Dou Shi. Such progress rivals the speed of those prodigies in our clan who rely on endless resources and spirit gathering arrays."
Xiao Tiance was genuinely impressed. "Indeed, that is remarkable."
What made Xiao Yan's achievement even more impressive was that aside from Yao Chen's guidance, he had no significant external support. This alone proved Xiao Yan's extraordinary talent.
"I see. He's done well," Xiao Tiance acknowledged with a nod.
(End of Chapter)
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