bdsm-fiction 453. The Heart of the Black Robe
453. The Heart of the Black Robe
"Aunt Xuan." Xiao Yan also spoke up to stop her after hearing Xuan Yi's meaning, "I understand what you mean, but my teacher has been very kind to me, and I will not give up on the Starfall Pavilion."
"Don't mention your teacher!" Xuan Yi suddenly became agitated. "If he had been more upright back then and joined the Pill Tower, how could he have disappeared without a trace for so many years? He's free now, he's living the good life, but has he considered those who cared about him?!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan could only remain silent.
"You're only in your early twenties, yet you've already advanced to the eighth-grade alchemist. Have you thought about the future?"
"Your speed is indeed astonishing; it's probably only a matter of time before you advance to the ninth rank. However, the leap from the eighth to the ninth rank is still a formidable barrier. Every Pill Gathering produces a number of young eighth-rank alchemists, but those who ultimately reach the ninth rank are still extremely rare!"
Xiao Yan was well aware of this. There were indeed quite a few eighth-grade alchemists in the Pill Tower, and the three giants of the Pill Tower should all be at this level. However, there were no ninth-grade alchemists, not even in the Pill Tower.
The alchemy process becomes increasingly difficult as you progress. The old alchemist once explained to Xiao Yan that going from the eighth to the ninth rank is more difficult than going from the first to the eighth!
"I understand everything you're saying..."
"The Pill Tower is a huge treasure trove for alchemists, and it's the best opportunity to break through to the ninth rank. You definitely won't regret staying here!" Xuan Yi's tone even carried a hint of disappointment.
"Aunt Xuan, I'm sorry, I can't do what you said."
"I know your current situation. Families and sects have probably tried to recruit you countless times. You're probably tired of hearing that, but I'm different from them. They all value your potential and hope to use you to make themselves stronger, but I truly only want a better future for you!"
Xuan Yi choked up a little as she spoke, her voice trembling with emotion.
Seeing this, Xiao Yan felt a pang of guilt. But he could only reply softly, "Aunt Xuan, I know, I know everything. That's why I can't refuse you the way I refused them. My teacher's opinion is too important to me, and I have too much on my shoulders right now..."
"You master and disciple are exactly the same—you seem easy to talk to, but when you get stubborn, you won't listen to anyone!" Xuan Yi's expression, unusually composed, turned angry: "Go to the Soul Skill Pavilion yourself..."
"Only when you've suffered as much as he has will you realize that sometimes compromise isn't such a bad choice..."
Xiao Yan looked at Xuan Yi, whose mood changed whenever Yao Lao was mentioned, and felt quite helpless. He was well aware of Xuan Yi's care for him, so when she made a request that Xiao Yan couldn't fulfill, he could only remain silent.
Aside from respecting Yao Lao's opinion, Xiao Yan's every move also affects the Tianluan Clan, so he naturally cannot casually join any force.
Now that Xuan Yi had left, Xiao Yan had to go to the Soul Skill Pavilion alone. Xuan Kongzi had already made arrangements, so it wasn't difficult for him to go. He just needed to ask two more people for directions.
As soon as Xiao Yan entered the Soul Skill Pavilion, he sensed the aura of another Dou Zun expert. As one of the top forces in the Central Continent, the Pill Tower housed quite a few Dou Zun experts. Xiao Yan had already personally witnessed nearly a handful.
What intrigued Xiao Yan was that besides this one aura, there seemed to be nothing else. Thinking of the gloating expression on the face of the person he asked for directions, knowing he was coming to the Soul Skill Pavilion, Xiao Yan subconsciously began to observe more carefully.
However, this Dou Zun did not seem to be fully focused on protecting the Soul Skill Pavilion, but rather concentrated on the two balls of flame in his hands.
At first glance, Xiao Yan noticed that the Dou Zun of the Pill Tower had a rather peculiar appearance. His head was triangular and pointed, and his two eyes were quite large, making it look like a flattened fish head.
Two completely different flames shone in his hands, slowly burning while releasing a considerable temperature. Upon closer inspection, Xiao Yan realized that the two beast flames, one gray and one blue, were of medium quality and, in his current view, were quite ordinary.
However, the actions of the Pill Tower Dou Zun still attracted Xiao Yan's full attention, because Xiao Yan actually saw this person constantly intertwining flames, which was actually the starting gesture of his usual fusion with the Buddha's Wrath Lotus.
Xiao Yan also approached curiously. The Buddha's Fury Lotus was a technique he had accidentally discovered years ago. After so many attempts, his technique was now quite proficient. The power of the Buddha's Fury Lotus was undeniable and had always been one of Xiao Yan's trump cards.
However, Xiao Yan never expected to see this skill in someone else's hands. After observing for a while, Xiao Yan noticed something amiss. The way the person before him fused with flames was fundamentally different from his own.
Xiao Yan's fusion with the Buddha's Wrath Lotus was achieved by using the special Dou Qi of the Burning Technique as a medium, which allowed him to suppress the explosive momentum for a short time during the fusion of the different flames. In fact, dismantling it would have been extremely complicated if the lotus hadn't been detonated in the end. However, after many attempts, Xiao Yan had become adept at the process and almost never failed.
The person in front of him was obviously much more clumsy. Although the two kinds of beast fire did not have the same strong mutual repulsion as the strange fire, the flames were still fierce. The combination of two flames with completely different characteristics made the battle qi very unstable.
However, Danta Douzun was extremely determined. Despite numerous obstacles, he continued to use his own Dou Qi to push the two beast fires to continue merging.
After all, with the Dou Zun level of Dou Qi, it was still possible to suppress two not-so-strong beast fires. Roars came from the beast fires, and a conflicting energy between the two fires began to gradually condense in the hands of the Dou Zun of the Pill Tower.
Xiao Yan watched with great interest. The soul power of the person in front of him was undoubtedly at the Spirit Realm, which was why he was able to control two kinds of beast fire stably at the same time.
As time passed, the two flames actually began to merge into a single, deep blue flame in the hands of the Pill Tower Dou Zun.
The closer they got to success, the stronger the beast fire's resistance became. The Battle Venerable Danta's aura surged even more fiercely, his hands firmly restraining the beast fire from both sides. He struggled to gradually intertwine the two flames, finally merging them into one!
A look of surprise appeared in the enormous eyes of the Pill Tower Dou Zun, and his previously focused mind unconsciously relaxed. The flames in his hand suddenly surged violently and began to erupt.
"Be careful," Xiao Yan said instinctively.