Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Destined to be a Tragedy
Chapter 147: Destined to be a Tragedy
Xiao Yan knew that different Heavenly Flames couldn't coexist within one's body. Therefore, unless one had the Flame Mantra, possessing three kinds of Heavenly Flames simultaneously would require an unimaginable level of fire control.
However, he still didn't believe that even possessing such formidable fire control abilities, combined with three kinds of Heavenly Flames, could elevate the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change to the High Tian Class.
According to his judgment, even if the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change was complete, the effects produced by this Secret Technique would, at best, only reach High Di Class.
'Never mind, no need to overthink. Being able to find a Secret Technique suitable for me is already a huge gain. I'll consider these things later.'
The Skyfire Three Mysterious Change could be said to be tailor-made for him. The cultivation of this Secret Technique required powerful flames and terrifying fire control-abilities in which Xiao Yan was unrivaled due to his Heavenly Flames and Flame Mantra.
Soon, he grasped the method to use this Secret Technique.
'If I use the most powerful Green Lotus Core Flame Dou Qi, I can temporarily increase my strength by four stars, reaching the 8-star Dou Grandmaster stage. If I use the merged Heavenly Flame, it should be comparable to the cultivation level of a Dou Spirit.'
Booming green flames erupted all over Xiao Yan's body; even his eyes turned a shade of green. The Skyfire Three Mysterious Change not only strengthened his Dou Qi but also unleashed the power of the Heavenly Flames to the extreme.
It gave Xiao Yan the illusion that the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change was specifically designed for Heavenly Flames-a Dou Technique belonging to Heavenly Flames.
The only issue was that during its execution, his body's meridians would feel a tearing pain, and once the Secret Technique ended, this intense pain would become even more severe. If the merged Heavenly Flame was used to activate the Skyfire Three Mysterious Change, the pain would be even more excruciating.
Withdrawing the Heavenly Flame, Xiao Yan pushed open the door and stepped out. He took a deep breath of fresh air and stretched his body to alleviate the pain.
'Just a little experimentation causes this level of pain. If I truly unleash it fully in battle, I'm afraid it won't be pleasant.' Even though the Ten Thousand Beast Flame had strengthened his body, Xiao Yan still acutely felt the pain, which showed how strong the side effects of this Secret Technique were.
He had just taken a couple of steps when his gaze suddenly froze upon two figures—a man and a woman—who were slowly approaching.
That graceful figure was naturally Nalan Yanran; the other was a man wearing an alchemist robe with a 3rd-tier alchemist badge hanging from it.
The man appeared quite young, with a tall and straight posture. He appeared to be only in his early twenties. His handsome face had lines that seemed to be carved by a knife, giving off a somewhat feminine feeling.
Nalan Yanran also noticed Xiao Yan not far away, and her footsteps halted on the spot. The atmosphere became a bit awkward.
Xiao Yan touched his nose. The woman not far away was, for the time being, still his fiancée. Now she was walking together with a man of similar age.
And he had bumped into them.
This scene was truly awkward.
Some servants who witnessed this all covered their mouths and scurried away. It was easy to imagine that various versions of rumors would soon spread throughout the Nalan Mansion. "Ahem, I just happened to come out for some fresh air. Don't mind me," Xiao Yan said with a slight smile.
Nalan Yanran pointed at the man beside her and said, "This is a friend of mine, Liu Ling. He's also an alchemist. He came under Elder Gu He's orders to check on Grandfather's condition. Elder Gu He is his Master."
Then Nalan Yanran introduced Xiao Yan to Liu Ling with a slightly awkward expression, "And this is... uh, Xiao Yan."
Liu Ling, who initially had a smile on his face, narrowed his eyes upon hearing Xiao Yan's name. His smiling expression vanished as he sized up the latter from head to toe and said, "So you're that Xiao Yan?"
It was evident that Liu Ling had heard of Xiao Yan's name long ago.
Xiao Yan smiled and nodded. "I am that Xiao Yan. What can I do for you?"
Liu Ling's smile faded as he stepped closer to Xiao Yan. His eyes actually contained a hint of battle intent!
"Greetings, I am Liu Ling." Liu Ling extended his hand toward Xiao Yan.
"Greetings." Xiao Yan extended his hand and shook his.
To reach the 3rd-tier alchemist level at such a young age, there was no doubt Liu Ling's talent was remarkable. Of course, that depended on whom he was compared to. A reference point was needed.
"Mr. Xiao Yan, I didn't expect that at such a young age you'd be able to dispel the Searing Poison for the Old Master. It's truly astonishing. Even my Master came to see him but had no way to treat it. Hehe, I suppose Mr. Xiao Yan possesses the legendary Heavenly Flame?" Liu Ling's tone shifted as he said with a smile.
No way, there are still alchemists without Heavenly Flames? I have four kinds-should I give you one? Of course, Xiao Yan wouldn't say that aloud. He calmly replied, "Just a lucky coincidence, nothing worth mentioning."
He then withdrew his hand and cupped his fists. "You two carry on. I have other matters to attend to."
With that said, he walked directly toward the courtyard under the gazes of Nalan Yanran and Liu Ling, gradually disappearing from their sight.
"Yanran, does he really possess a Heavenly Flame?" Liu Ling couldn't help but inquire again as he stared in the direction where Xiao Yan had disappeared.
"Mm, and his alchemy skills are likely no less than yours. The tier 3 Blood Replenishing Pill he refined was highly praised even by the clan's alchemists. In terms of alchemy, he's the only peer I've seen in all these years who may surpass you. Oh, wait, no-he's actually a few years younger than you."
Only now did Nalan Yanran recall that Xiao Yan was the same age as her, while Liu Ling was already twenty-four. Thinking about it, Xiao Yan's talent in alchemy truly surpassed any in the history of the Jia Ma Empire.
Frowning slightly as he looked at Nalan Yanran, Liu Ling unconsciously clenched his fists. Although Nalan Yanran was speaking the truth, to Liu Ling's ears, her words sounded like
praise for Xiao Yan.
Moreover, he was well aware that Nalan Yanran still had a marriage arrangement with Xiao Yan. Although she used to openly declare her intention to cancel the engagement back in the Misty Cloud Sect, the Nalan Clan had always opposed it.
So jealous!
If only his grandfather were Xiao Lin!
"Will he also participate in the Alchemist Grand Meeting?" Liu Ling asked, his sharp eyes staring intently in the direction Xiao Yan had disappeared.
"I heard from Grandfather that he will participate in the internal selection for the Grand Meeting." After saying this, Nalan Yanran brushed aside the strands of hair drifting onto her forehead with her slender fingers.
Liu Ling's eyes showed a trace of fervor upon hearing this. He looked at Nalan Yanran and said, "Yanran, if I can defeat him in the Alchemist Grand Meeting, I hope you can-"
Before Liu Ling could finish, Nalan Yanran stopped him with a glance.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
"You should know that right now I don't want to discuss these matters. I don't deny that you're indeed outstanding at present. However, that has yet to meet my requirements. The man who will stand beside me, Nalan Yanran, absolutely cannot be mediocre."
After saying this, for some reason, that scene from three years ago flashed through her mind —that man who shattered all her pride with a single punch.
"Even so, I will prove that I'm stronger than him!" Liu Ling's tone carried confidence, and fanaticism flashed in his eyes. As the future leader of the Misty Cloud Sect, Nalan Yanran's status in the Jia Ma Empire was almost nobler than that of the empire's princess. With Liu Ling's pride, he naturally needed to conquer such a woman to prove his excellence. Nalan Yanran just smiled indifferently upon hearing this. She didn't linger and gracefully headed toward the main hall.
Seeing Liu Ling now reminded her of herself three years ago. She had been just as confident back then.
In the end, Xiao Yan had become her nightmare, an insurmountable mountain. Not only her mountain; she could foresee that before long, he would also become Liu Ling's nightmare. "Perhaps being born in the same era as him is destined to be a tragedy."