bookbashuk Chapter 309 Tang Zhen: Could they be here to collect a debt?
Chapter 309 Tang Zhen: Could they be here to collect a debt?
Chapter 309 Tang Zhen: Could they be here to collect a debt?
As soon as Xiao Bai stepped into the main hall of Burning Flame Valley, a scorching gaze shot towards him like an arrow.
He looked up and saw a young man in black robes standing to the side of the hall. His handsome face had lost the carefree spirit he had at Canaan Academy, and he was now incredibly calm.
"Little Yanzi!"
The young man visibly trembled upon hearing the familiar address.
He subconsciously took half a step forward but then stopped abruptly. His eyes seemed a little red, and he forced a stiff smile, saying in a hoarse voice:
"Brother Bai, is that really you?"
Xiao Bai keenly noticed that when Xiao Yan said this, a layer of gloomy disposition shrouded his brows, as if he were being weighed down by something heavy and unable to breathe.
The boy who used to get worked up over the smallest things in the Gama Empire now has a faint hint of malice in his eyes.
"You two know each other?"
Tang Zhen's voice interrupted Xiao Bai's thoughts. The master of the Burning Flame Valley scanned back and forth between the two of them, finally landing on Xiao Yan, his red eyebrows slightly raised.
Before Xiao Bai could answer, a red-robed elder in the hall quickly stepped forward and whispered a few words in Tang Zhen's ear. A look of surprise flashed in Tang Zhen's eyes as he re-examined Xiao Yan:
"So you're the young alchemist Elder Chi Huo was talking about? To be able to refine a sixth-grade pill on your own at such a young age is truly remarkable."
Xiao Yan clasped his hands in a respectful but not humble manner: "I am Xiao Yan. I met your esteemed elder by chance and am honored to have been invited here."
They all share the surname Xiao.
Tang Zhen's gaze lingered on the two men's facial features for a moment, then he suddenly clapped his hands and burst into laughter.
"Excellent! Excellent! It seems that my Burning Flame Valley is honored today, as we have welcomed two young talents at the same time."
"Valley Master Tang, you flatter me." Xiao Bai smoothly changed the subject. "May I ask what brings you here, Valley Master?"
Although curious about what had happened to Xiao Yan, it wasn't a good time to catch up, so he took the initiative to steer the conversation toward the main topic.
Tang Zhen's smile faded, and he gestured for everyone to sit down. After the waiters served tea and refreshments, he said in a deep voice:
"To be honest, the reason I invited you here today is for my daughter, Huo'er."
As Tang Zhen recounted the story, everyone gradually understood what had happened.
It turns out that after Tang Huo'er broke through to the Dou Zong level, she tried to subdue the Nine Dragons Thunderfire, a unique flame inherited from the Burning Flame Valley, but suffered a backlash due to an accident.
Now that her meridians have been burned by the strange fire, she needs the seventh-grade peak pill "Fire Bodhi Pill" to treat them. Otherwise, in two years at most, her meridians will wither and the strange fire will burn her heart. At that time, Tang Huo'er will really be beyond saving.
"The Fire Bodhi Pill is a elixir created by an ancestor of the Burning Flame Valley, specifically to treat the aftereffects of failing to subdue the 'Nine Dragons Thunderfire.' Therefore, it must be refined using the Nine Dragons Thunderfire to produce the best therapeutic effect."
As Tang Zhen spoke, he looked intently at Xiao Bai, "Young friend, you have already reached the seventh-grade alchemist level at such a young age. Your alchemy skills must be superb. Therefore, I would like to ask for your assistance."
Unlike pharmacists, who become more experienced and sought-after among lower-level cultivators, alchemists are more focused on talent. Younger, higher-level alchemists are often more popular.
It goes without saying who is more popular: a seventh-level alchemist with gray hair or a seventh-grade alchemist in his early twenties.
Xiao Bai lightly tapped the armrest of the chair with his fingertips, already having made up his mind.
Although the Fire Bodhi Pill was a peak seventh-grade pill, with his current alchemy skills and control over the strange fire, refining it alone was not difficult. However...
"How does the Valley Master need my assistance?" Xiao Bai asked deliberately.
He remembered that several people participated in the refining process in the original work. If he said that he could do it alone, it would inevitably arouse suspicion without any evidence.
He was too lazy to prove anything, so he quietly became a seventh-grade alchemist, just to repay Tang Zhen's favor.
Tang Zhen felt relieved and hurriedly explained:
"According to our ancestral method, the best time to refine the Fire Bodhi Pill is with the combined efforts of four seventh-grade alchemists. I will send a message to two old friends shortly, and they will arrive tomorrow. I hope you will be there then."
"No problem!" Xiao Bai agreed immediately.
"good!"
A hint of joy flashed in Tang Zhen's eyes, and he suddenly stood up:
"Don't worry, young friend, no matter the final outcome, my Burning Flame Valley owes you a favor!"
"You're too kind. I wasn't being polite when Valley Master Tang helped me out of that predicament!" Xiao Bai picked up his teacup, took a sip, and chuckled softly.
"cough"
Just then, a soft cough drew everyone's attention.
Seeing everyone's gaze, Xiao Yan smiled slightly and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Tang Zhen:
"Valley Master Tang, you just said you needed four people. Counting your two old friends and my brother Bai, that's only three in total. I wonder if you have someone in mind for the last one?"
Xiao Yan's sudden interruption silenced the hall, and all eyes turned to Xiao Bai.
"!" Xiao Yan.
What does Brother Bai mean by this? He's a sixth-grade alchemist, after all.
He's a sixth-grade alchemist who possesses three different types of flames. Not bad, right?
"!" Xiao Bai.
Why are you looking at him? He's just a bystander right now!
But seeing Tang Zhen's trusting gaze and the resentful look coming from not far away, Xiao Bai sighed slightly and had no choice but to endorse him.
He put down his cup and said slowly:
"Valley Master Tang, don't underestimate him. Strictly speaking, his alchemy skills are inherited from mine. It's just that his cultivation level is a bit weak now. If his cultivation level were higher, making seventh-grade pills would be no problem for him at all!"
"If it's just for assisting in alchemy, he's not worse than a typical seventh-grade alchemist; in fact, he might even have an advantage!"
Upon hearing this, everyone from Burning Flame Valley looked at the young man whose face still showed a hint of immaturity. Several elders had disbelief written all over their faces, and even Tang Zhen and his daughter Tang Huo'er widened their eyes slightly.
Xiao Yan shrugged and put on an innocent expression.
"cough"
Tang Zhen quickly regained his composure, coughed lightly, breaking the quiet atmosphere of the hall, and looked at Xiao Yan with less suspicion and more trust.
"In that case, we'll wait for the other two alchemists to arrive tomorrow. With your help, I believe the success rate will greatly increase!"
As he spoke, Tang Zhen glanced at the black-clad youth standing in the center of the hall and chuckled softly:
"This pill refining process is not simple, but rest assured, young friend Xiao Yan, as long as the pills are successfully refined, Burning Flame Valley will definitely give you a satisfactory reward!"
Xiao Bai had his daughter's experience in the Tianmu Mountains, and she had also helped him once before, so when it came to compensation, he only considered it as a favor.
After all, for a prodigy like Xiao Bai, this relationship might be severed after this incident if it were just about material things.
But Xiao Yan is different; he doesn't understand this yet. So, to make others pay attention when refining medicine, it's necessary to explain the reward beforehand.
Upon hearing this, a glint of light flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes, and he clasped his hands in a fist and smiled:
"I wonder if this reward includes some of the Burning Flame Valley's cultivation techniques and combat skills?"
Xiao Bai rolled his eyes. He knew that this kid had long coveted the two items from Burning Flame Valley and wouldn't waste a single opportunity to obtain them.
Tang Zhen was taken aback, gave Xiao Yan a meaningful look, and then turned his gaze to Xiao Bai:
"Haha, you're a very interesting young man."
Having said that, he looked intently at Xiao Yan:
"It seems young friend Xiao Yan has taken a liking to the cultivation techniques and fighting skills of my Burning Flame Valley. May I ask which one? As long as it's not a core inheritance, I can grant your request!"
Xiao Yan's heart skipped a beat. He scratched his face, then glanced at the calm Xiao Bai. His confidence instantly surged. He took a deep breath and slowly said:
"The Three Mysterious Transformations of Heavenly Fire!"
"hiss"
A collective gasp filled the hall. The elders exchanged glances, surprised that this guy was so audacious as to ask for the treasure of Burning Flame Valley.
He glanced furtively at Xiao Bai, wondering if all people with the surname Xiao had a penchant for collecting other people's sect's most treasured secret techniques.
Only Tang Huo'er, upon hearing this, immediately put her hands on her hips and pointed at Xiao Yan, saying:
"No. Even within the entire Burning Flame Valley, only core disciples can cultivate the first transformation. As for the other two transformations, even with the talent, one would need a massive amount of sect contributions to be qualified to cultivate them. You really dare to ask for that much!"
Tang Zhen also glanced at Xiao Bai out of the corner of his eye, his face full of strange expressions. After a long silence, he said:
"Fire Cloud, take Xiao Bai and the others to rest. We'll discuss everything after the alchemy is finished!"
"Valley Master Tang, the Three Transformations of Heavenly Fire are very important to me. Couldn't you... um... more than a hundred, Fang Kaiwo!"
Before Xiao Yan could finish speaking, Xiao Bai grabbed him by the neck and dragged him outside. Just before they left, Xiao Bai turned back and said:
"Valley Master Tang, we'll be leaving now. It's been quite a while since we've seen this lad; we should catch up!"
Tang Zhen smiled slightly and waved.
"Father, you haven't explicitly refused. Do you mean you want to hand over our sect's Three Mysterious Transformations of Heavenly Fire?"
As the figures of the others disappeared, leaving only her and her father in the hall, Tang Huo'er bit her lip lightly and stared blankly at Tang Zhen with her beautiful eyes.
"Even if you think highly of Xiao Bai, is this really necessary?"
"Sigh, you don't understand!"
Tang Zhen sighed, gently patted his daughter's head with his large hand, and shook his head with a wry smile.
His surname is Xiao.
If it were just someone with the surname Xiao, he wouldn't care at all. There are so many people with the surname Xiao in the world, what a coincidence!
But the appearance of two at once, not only with exceptional talent but also with the same alchemy skills, and the fact that they did not address each other as fellow disciples, made him a little uneasy!
Are they here to collect a debt?
The night was as dark as ink, and the silver moon hung high in the sky.
In a guest room in Burning Flame Valley, Xiao Bai and Xiao Yan sat facing each other in the living room, with Little Fairy Doctor and Yao Tianhuo sitting on either side.
"Tell me, didn't you go to the Starfall Pavilion to inherit the position of young master? Why are you back in the Blazing Flame Valley?"
After handing over the brewed tea, Xiao Bai waved his hand to set up a protective barrier before smiling softly.
Xiao Yan finally dropped his pretense, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, and his voice became hoarse:
"Brother Bai. Teacher him."
Xiao Bai was startled, his brows furrowing slightly. He glanced at the ring on the man's hand, but was repelled by a layer of intense mental energy.
"What's wrong with the old herbalist?"
He breathed a sigh of relief. The reaction meant the old man was still in the ring. He had almost thought that Elder Yao had gone to visit the Soul Palace again.
"The Soul Hall... those damned bastards!"
Xiao Yan slammed his hand hard on the table, his eyes flashing with a bloodshot light, and gritted his teeth, saying:
"After emerging from the underground magma, my teacher told me that the Northwest Continent was too barren, and that if I wanted to improve quickly, I should come to the Central Continent to explore. I left Canaan Academy without much thought. It just so happens that you also went to the Central Continent, and you also wanted to see what the center of the continent you spoke of was like!"
"But soon after leaving Canaan Academy, I had a feeling that someone was watching me. My teacher said he could smell the Soul Palace's rats, so I used all sorts of methods to shake him off!"
"We thought the matter was over, but after arriving in Zhongzhou, things started to get increasingly strange. Our teacher believed that we hadn't shaken off the Soul Hall guys back then, and just as he said, we encountered a Dou Zun on our way to the Starfall Pavilion!"
"A Battle Master?!"
Xiao Bai was stunned. Good heavens, he thought Xiao Yan had gone to the Starfall Pavilion to act arrogantly, but he didn't expect him to be in an even worse situation.
"Is that Dou Zun named Mu Gu?"
"Brother Bai, you know him?" Xiao Yan suddenly looked up, staring intently at Xiao Bai.
"That guy said he wanted to avenge Han Feng, that traitor who betrayed his master and ancestors. Oh, and he even called me 'teacher' and 'senior brother,' and demanded that I hand over my cultivation technique."
Xiao Bai immediately understood why Xiao Yan had been exposed.
Han Feng and Mu Gu conspired against Yao Lao, leading to his demise; there must be a connection between them.
The battle between Xiao Yan and Han Feng was witnessed by countless people at Canaan Academy, making it impossible to keep it a secret.
Therefore, it is very likely that Mu Gu learned something from this, or deduced something, and because he was wary of Mang Tianchi of Canaan Academy, he dared not force his way in, so he had no choice but to send someone to keep an eye on things.
"How did you escape?"
Xiao Bai was genuinely curious. Even with Yao Lao by his side, it probably wouldn't be easy for him to escape from a Dou Zun's clutches!
"If it weren't for the teacher's alertness and decisive action in leading me into a nearby spatial wormhole, and if Mu Gu hadn't seemed intent on capturing me alive, we wouldn't have been able to escape at all!"
Xiao Yan seemed to recall the scene from that time, still feeling lingering fear.
"That's not right. Even if you entered the spatial wormhole and the Soul Palace wanted to capture you alive, you still had to exit the wormhole. The Soul Palace should have been waiting for you at the exit long ago. How did you escape?"
Xiao Bai is too sensitive about this matter; he recently tried it himself and the effect was explosive.
"I don't know if the spatial passage was in disrepair over the years. When we were about to reach the exit, we encountered a small spatial storm. In order to save me, the teacher used all his strength and fell into a deep sleep."
Xiao Yan shook his head with a wry smile and continued:
"And I also landed in a city near Burning Flame Valley. I heard that Burning Flame Valley was looking for an alchemist, and remembering what you said about the origin of the Three Transformations of Heavenly Fire, I thought I would refine a sixth-grade pill to attract attention. That's when I ran into their Elder Crimson Flame. You should know what happened next!"
"!" Xiao Bai.
Yao Tianhuo looked at the two with pity. What kind of unfortunate brothers were they? They were hunted down almost as soon as they arrived in Zhongzhou.
"By the way, Brother Bai, why didn't you let me continue?"
Xiao Yan was puzzled. It was only because of Xiao Bai that he hadn't given him a good beating. If it were anyone else, they would have punched him long ago.
There was no other way; the Three Transformations of Heavenly Fire were simply too important to him at this moment.
He currently possesses three different flames. Once he obtains the latter two, it will be a qualitative leap in his strength.
"What's your rush? The Three Mysterious Transformations of Heavenly Fire can't escape!"
Xiao Bai glared at the impatient Xiao Yan, put down his cup, rolled his eyes, and smiled:
"Would you like the Nine Dragons Thunderfire?"
"Brother Bai, you're really my brother! Tell me quickly, what's going on?"
Xiao Yan cheered, his eyes shining with an astonishing light, and asked impatiently.
(End of this chapter)