Chapter 69
, The World Tree Ascends, First Encounter with Xiao Yan and His Disciples
Chapter 69, The World Tree Ascends, First Encounter with Xiao Yan and His Disciples
The outer edge of the mountain range.
The mercenaries who were hunting simultaneously stopped what they were doing.
A burly mercenary carrying an iron sword looked up at the black and white beam of light shooting into the sky from the depths of the mountains.
His face turned deathly pale.
"What the heck happened?!"
The bow in the hand of the tall, thin mercenary next to him slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground.
"Could it be the emergence of a sixth-tier magical beast?!"
"Run!"
Someone shouted something, and the entire mercenary camp erupted in chaos.
"This aura is terrifying!"
"I'm quitting! I'm not taking this mission!"
"Wait for me! Don't leave me behind!"
Panic spread like a plague.
The other side of the Warcraft Mountains.
Outside a hidden cave.
A young man carrying a giant black ruler on his back is sitting cross-legged and meditating.
The ruler is as thick as a door panel, and it gleams with a dark luster under the moonlight.
It was Xiao Yan, who had recently left Wutan City and entered the Monster Mountain Range for training.
He had just finished a day of cultivation and was preparing to rest.
Suddenly, my feet trembled.
"What's going on?!"
Xiao Yan suddenly stood up, looking into the depths of the mountains with a look of surprise and doubt.
There, a terrifying, world-destroying energy is erupting.
Two beams of light, one black and one white, shot into the sky, turning half of the night sky into a bizarre and unparalleled scene.
The extreme yin and yang energies collided like two ancient ferocious beasts from afar, each collision triggering a violent energy shock.
Even though the shockwave was hundreds of miles away, it still caused the ground beneath Xiao Yan's feet to tremble slightly.
It was as if an ancient, ferocious beast was awakening.
"teacher!"
Xiao Yan called out urgently.
A flash of light appeared on the Bone Inflammation Ring between the fingers, and a phantom old man's figure materialized out of thin air.
The old man had white hair and beard, and his eyes were like lightning as he stared intently at the direction of the energy burst.
The old doctor's expression was solemn at first.
Then came the shock.
Then, a look of disbelief flashed in his eyes.
"This aura—"
The old doctor's voice was unusually calm and composed.
"It's a different kind of fire!"
"A strange fire?!"
Xiao Yan's pupils suddenly contracted.
He had been practicing the "Burning Technique" for some time, and his perception of strange fire far exceeded that of ordinary people.
At this moment, reminded by the old doctor, he extended his senses back toward the pillar of light.
Sure enough, at the very core of the black and white light, a faint aura of primordial fire could be heard.
"That's right—and it's a strange fire in its mature stage!"
The old doctor's tone became urgent, and his illusory figure drifted rapidly in the air, as if he were pacing excitedly.
"This characteristic of yin and yang intertwining, ice and fire coexisting—yin within yang, yang within yin, cycling endlessly, regenerating endlessly—"
'
He abruptly stopped, turned to look at Xiao Yan, his eyes burning with intense light.
"It's ranked twenty-first on the Strange Flame Ranking, the Yin-Yang Twin Flames!"
Xiao Yan breathed into the room.
Yin and Yang Twin Flames.
It is a supreme divine object that could drive alchemists across the entire Dou Qi Continent mad.
If he could obtain it, he would surely be able to advance to the Xuan rank in one fell swoop, and his cultivation would also experience a qualitative leap.
At that time, his cultivation speed will increase several times over, and the chasm between him and geniuses will no longer be an insurmountable barrier.
The "Burning Technique" he cultivates is a low-level Yellow Rank technique. The only way to advance is to devour a different kind of fire.
Since entering the Monster Mountain Range, Xiao Yan has been searching for traces of the Strange Flame at all times.
But they still gained nothing.
Unexpectedly, the strange fire appeared before him in this way today.
however.
That energy was terrifying.
Even though they were hundreds of miles apart, the aftershocks alone caused his blood and qi to churn violently.
If you get close to the core area, you'll probably be torn to shreds by the extreme yin and yang power in an instant.
This made him absolutely unable to even entertain the slightest thought of getting close to him.
"Teacher, we—"
A longing welled up in Xiao Yan's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it with reason.
"That energy was terrifying. Even from hundreds of miles away, the aftershocks still made my blood boil. If I were to approach rashly, I'm afraid—"
The old doctor remained silent for three breaths.
Three breaths later, a resolute glint flashed in his eyes.
Fortune favors the bold!
He said in a deep voice.
"With the appearance of this extraordinary flame, powerful figures will inevitably vie for it!"
"The fact that the energy has exploded to this extent means that someone has already made a move against the strange fire."
"If we rush there now, we might be able to profit from the chaos!"
Xiao Yan gritted his teeth and said in a panic, "But that power—"
"It's alright!"
The old doctor interrupted him, and his illusory figure became more solid.
"The Yin-Yang Twin Flames are a rare treasure of heaven and earth. If you can devour them, your 'Burning Technique' will at least leap to the Profound Rank!"
'
"At that time, your cultivation speed will increase several times over, and the three-year agreement will no longer be an unattainable dream!"
He looked at Xiao Yan, his eyes shining brightly.
"I will borrow your body for a short time, which will allow me to exert the strength of a Dou Huang and protect myself."
Before he could finish speaking...
Yao Lao used the Heavenly Rank Battle Technique "Ghost Possession" and finally entered Xiao Yan's body.
Xiao Yan felt her delicate body tremble.
A faint white light emanated from the Bone Inflame Ring, spreading along the fingers to the entire body.
The boy's face remained unchanged, but his eyes became incredibly deep in that instant, as if he had become a completely different person.
The aura began to rise steadily.
Battle Master, Great Battle Master, Battle Spirit, Battle King.
Ultimately, he remained at the Douhuang level.
An aura far exceeding Xiao Yan's current level emanated from his body, almost extinguishing the campfire.
The surrounding trees swayed without wind, and leaves fell in abundance.
"Walk!"
The voice of the old man of medicine came from inside Xiao Yan's body.
Xiao Yan moved like lightning, transforming into a black streak of light as he sped towards the depths of the Monster Mountain Range.
At the bottom of the canyon.
The Yin and Yang Flames went completely berserk.
Black and white flames erupted wildly from the fire lotus, transforming into a giant fire python tens of meters long.
The giant python had half of its body pale white like bone and the other half pitch black like ink.
The two colors flowed alternately across the python's body, and with each alternation, a shockwave of scorching heat and icy cold exploded outwards.
The power of extreme yin froze the air into tiny ice crystals.
The power of extreme yang instantly evaporated the ice crystals into white mist.
Between the alternation of ice and fire, the entire canyon was filled with white mist.
The nascent intelligence of the Yin-Yang Twin Flames once again emitted a mental fluctuation.
"Humanity—die!"
The flames opened their massive jaws and snapped down at Su Ye's head.
Su Ye stood still, her expression calm.
He didn't even move his feet.
Before the flaming python's fangs could even reach three feet in front of him, they were neutralized by an invisible barrier of Daoist energy.
The power of Yin and Yang was like a mud ox entering the sea; it couldn't even lift the corner of his clothes.
"The power is acceptable."
Su Ye spoke calmly, his tone as composed as if he were commenting on a work of art.
"But the control was rough, and less than 30% of its full power was utilized."
The fiery python grew increasingly ferocious, whipping its tail fiercely.
Su Ye raised her hand.
Point with your index finger.
An ordinary, unremarkable finger.
There was no surge of divine power, no roar of the Dao.
The moment the fingertip touched the head of the fiery python, the python's head exploded with a deafening roar.
Black and white flames scattered and flew everywhere, burning countless holes in the surrounding rock walls.
The Yin-Yang Twin Flames trembled violently.
That immature intelligence finally became aware of fear.
It stopped attacking and instead tried to escape.
The black and white fire lotus suddenly contracted, transforming into a stream of light that was about to burrow into the ground.
Su Ye reached out with his large hand.
A giant purple hand, covering the entire canyon, materialized out of thin air.
The Dao patterns flowed in his palm, sealing off heaven and earth.
Five fingers clenched together.
The giant energy serpent completely disintegrated, turning into countless sparks.
Only the original fire remains.
A black and white fire lotus, about the size of a palm, floats quietly in the palm of your hand.
The edge of the canyon.
Under Yao Lao's control, Xiao Yan's speed was extremely fast; he could cover hundreds of miles in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
When the black streak of light reached the edge of the canyon, Yao Lao stopped.
He landed in a secluded crevice on the edge of the canyon, suppressing his breathing to a minimum, even holding his breath.
Because he saw someone.
Above the canyon.
A person is suspended in mid-air.
The blue and white Taoist robes fluttered gently in the night breeze.
He was a boy.
Her face was as gentle and warm as jade, and her temperament as aloof and ethereal as a fairy.
The boy had his left hand behind his back and his right hand outstretched.
A giant purple hand, covering the entire canyon, appeared out of thin air, its palm covered with intricate Dao patterns and swirling with a faint purple light.
The giant hands came together.
The giant python formed from the Yin and Yang flames appeared as tiny as a mudfish before this palm.
One palm strike.
Just one palm strike.
The strange fire then completely dissipated, revealing the original fire.
The boy raised his hand and grasped a palm-sized black and white fire lotus in his palm.
The movement was so casual, as if he had just picked a wildflower from the field.
"teacher----"
Xiao Yan's soul spoke in a trembling voice within his sea of consciousness.
"Who is that person?"
The old doctor's eyelids twitched, filled with rare shock.
"Yin Yang Twin Flames — A Different Flame at the Dou Zong Level —"
"Suppressed by a single palm strike—"
"This boy's strength is unfathomable, far surpassing that of a Dou Zong!"
Xiao Yan felt his throat go dry.
"Teacher—what level of attainment has he reached?"
"I can't see through it."
The old doctor's voice carried a hint of bitterness.
"Even I, an old man, cannot fathom his true strength. The power contained within that palm strike is beyond the comprehension of ordinary martial arts techniques!"
Xiao Yan gripped the handle of the Xuan Heavy Ruler tightly, his gaze involuntarily falling on the blue and white figure.
The strange fire was right in front of them.
The boy, who looked only a few years older than him, suppressed the strange fire that even the old apothecary had to avoid with a single palm strike.
There was no fierce battle, no close combat, and no earth-shattering clash of special moves.
It was just a casual slap, a tap, and a pull.
Like crushing an ant.
Xiao Yan was filled with indescribable emotions.
eager.
In awe.
unwilling.
There was also a faint longing.
The old doctor noticed his emotional fluctuations.
"Little Yanzi, hold on."
"This child is someone neither of us can afford to offend."
Xiao Yan nodded.
Just now.
The figure dressed in a blue and white Taoist robe slowly turned his head.
His gaze, sharp as lightning, pierced through mountains and mist, landing on the crevice where Xiao Yan was hiding.
Xiao Yan felt his hair stand on end.
In that instant, he felt as if all his pretense had been stripped away, and he was exposed to a pair of indifferent eyes.
Yao Lao's soul trembled violently, as if pierced by invisible sword energy, and was almost forced out of Xiao Yan's body.
"Oh no! He's spotted us!"
The old doctor lost his voice.
Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, his back already soaked with cold sweat.
"Teacher—what should we do?"
"Don't move."
The old doctor's voice was more solemn than ever before.
"If he wants to make a move, we won't even have a chance to escape."
In the distance, Su Ye's gaze lingered on Xiao Yan for a moment.
A giant black ruler, a youthful face, and a frail, aged soul within its body.
Xiao Yan, Yao Lao.
Their timing was perfect.
In the original novel, Xiao Yan's first strange flame was the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame, which happened after he left the Monster Mountain Range and went to the desert.
At this point in time, Xiao Yan is still struggling in the Monster Mountain Range, far from the point where he should come into contact with the Strange Flame.
Today, it must have been attracted by the aura of the Yin-Yang Twin Flames erupting.
Su Ye withdrew his gaze.
The key right now is the strange fire; no one else is worth getting distracted by.
He raised his hand and made a loose grasping motion.
The Yin-Yang Twin Flames Origin Fire Lotus, enveloped in Daoist energy, slowly flew to the palm of the hand.
The black and white flames struggled violently within the Daoist barrier, emitting bursts of hissing sounds.
Yet it could not break free from that thin layer of Daoist charm.
Su Ye waved his hand and sealed it away, taking it into the Sea of Bitterness.
In the sea of suffering.
The World Tree has been waiting for a long time.
As soon as the Yin-Yang Twin Flames fell into the Sea of Bitterness, their roots coiled around it like hungry wolves.
The black and white flames struggled frantically, but were firmly suppressed by the aura of the World Tree.
Its immature intelligence finally realized that it had encountered a natural enemy.
"No—don't eat me—"
His mental fluctuations were intermittent, filled with fear and dread.
Su Ye remained unmoved.
The roots of the World Tree pierced into the core of the Fire Lotus, and strands of pure Yin and Yang essence were extracted.
On the golden tender leaf, a thin black and white line slowly emerged.
As the Yin and Yang essence flowed in, the pattern became clearer and more complete.
The seedling's branches trembled slightly.
It was raised by about half an inch.
Although it was only a small half-inch, Su Ye could clearly feel that the World Tree's aura had become even stronger.
The previously blurry patterns on the leaves have become clearer.
A little while later.
The Yin and Yang flames completely dissipated.
Only a complete black and white Dao pattern remained on the World Tree, along with a wisp of pure Yin-Yang Dao charm.
The wisp of Daoist energy overflowed from the leaf and merged into Su Ye's body.
Su Ye felt a slight warmth in the sea of bitterness.
The purple divine power merged with the Daoist principles, deepening his understanding of the Yin-Yang laws.
He understood.
The growth of the World Tree cannot be solely determined by luck.
In all the myriad realms, the origin of heaven and earth, innate spiritual roots, and the power of the world can all serve as nourishment.
The Strange Flame is a manifestation of the origin of heaven and earth in the Dou Qi Continent, and it is nothing short of a feast for the World Tree.
Su Ye looked inward into the Sea of Bitterness, gazing at the World Tree that had grown a little larger, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
"The Yin-Yang Twin Flames are only ranked twenty-first on the Strange Flame Ranking, yet they have already made the seedling grow half an inch taller."
"If it's one of the top ten strange flames, or even one of the top three Pure Lotus Demon Flames, or Void Devouring Flame—"
"Or the origin of the Dou Qi Continent."
He gathered his thoughts and turned his attention back to the outside world.
The edge of the canyon.
Xiao Yan remained frozen in place, not daring to move.
The old man's soul had already retreated back into the Bone Flame Ring, not daring to let out the slightest breath.
Only when Su Ye looked away did the oppressive feeling of being seen through slowly dissipate.
Xiao Yan was panting heavily, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
"Teacher—has he left?"
"not yet."
The old doctor lowered his voice to a very low tone, as if afraid of being overheard.
He was refining a strange fire—no, not refining.
"6
"It's devouring."
Xiao Yan's pupils contracted again.
Devouring a strange fire?
He cultivated the "Burning Technique" and his understanding of strange fire far surpassed that of ordinary people.
To devour a strange fire, one must endure the agony of being burned alive, incorporate the fire's essence into the spirit-absorbing vessel, and circulate the incineration technique for forty-nine cycles to completely refine it.
If this process goes wrong even slightly, at best the meridians will be severed, and at worst the person will be burned to ashes on the spot.