Chapter 54: The Burning Art!

Xiao Yan gazed at the two unfamiliar faces approaching him—one appeared to be a middle-aged man, the other a young girl.

“I wonder, who might you two be...?” Xiao Yan looked at them in confusion, then turned his eyes to his father, seeking an answer.

“Father, I’m still young. I don’t want to get married yet,” Xiao Yan said absentmindedly just as Xiao Zhan was about to respond.

Crack—

All three of them were instantly petrified.

“You rascal, what nonsense are you spouting?” Xiao Zhan recovered, giving Xiao Yan a knock on the head and scolding him sharply.

“Ow! Father, why’d you hit me? Did I say anything wrong? This little princess is so cute!” Xiao Yan protested loudly.

“You—!” Xiao Zhan was fuming with anger.

Xun’er’s delicate little face flushed a bright red. She lowered her head shyly, not daring to meet Xiao Yan’s gaze.

Old Ling, meanwhile, was intrigued. An eight-year-old Dou Practitioner with such a terrifying aura—when he was a Dou Practitioner in his youth, he could never have possessed such power. To reach this level at such a young age, given time, the boy would rival anyone, even surpassing the proud prodigies of the clan. Having his lady spend time with such a talent might not be a bad thing after all.

“To have become a Dou Practitioner at just eight years old—might I ask who your esteemed master is?” Old Ling’s voice was deep and aged.

“Sorry, my teacher forbade me from telling anyone,” Xiao Yan replied apologetically.

“I see. Well, that’s a pity.” Old Ling had hoped to learn about this mysterious expert.

“Father, why don’t you introduce them?” Xiao Yan said, full of curiosity.

“Oh!” Xiao Zhan snapped out of his reverie, pointing to the pair behind him. “This is Xun’er, and this is her guardian, Old Ling. Just as I told you before.”

“So she’s the daughter of your old friend! I thought she was supposed to be my—” Xiao Yan began, but Xiao Zhan cut him off immediately.

“Yes, yes, nonsense! Don’t mind him, Xun’er. Ever since this rascal began cultivating, he hasn’t been quite right in the head,” Xiao Zhan apologized to Xun’er.

“It’s fine,” Xun'er murmured, her cheeks still tinged with red.

“Miss Xun’er, how old are you? I’m eight!” Xiao Yan asked.

“Ah, I—I’m five this year,” Xun’er replied softly.

“Then you’re younger than me. From now on, I’ll call you Little Sister Xun’er, and you must call me Big Brother Xiao Yan!” Xiao Yan declared, pointing to himself.

“Alright, Big Brother Xiao Yan, can I ask you a question?” Xun’er blinked her bright eyes at him.

“Oh? What do you want to ask?” Xiao Yan was curious.

“Big Brother Xiao Yan, are you really eight? Why are you so tall?” Xun’er asked with innocent wonder.

“Oh, that? Maybe it’s because I’m so handsome! Hahaha!” Xiao Yan burst out laughing.

The others fell silent, speechless at his antics.

“You all chat, I’ll take my leave,” Old Ling said, and with that, his figure vanished from Xiao Yan’s sight.

Just then, the world around Old Ling turned white.

“What’s this? Who’s there? Which esteemed expert is present?” Old Ling asked in astonishment.

Suddenly, before him appeared a stone table and two stools. Seated on one was a man who appeared extremely young. At that moment, Qian Mo had reverted to his former appearance, clad in a white robe, hair ashen, with fine strands hanging beside his ears. He held a cup of tea, sipping it gently.

“May I know who you are, Senior? I don’t believe I have offended you in any way,” Old Ling said, hands clasped in respect, his heart awash with astonishment and confusion—the young man before him exuded a power beyond comprehension.

“Oh? In your mind, must such situations only arise from offense?” Qian Mo replied calmly.

“Er, of course not. I’m merely curious,” Old Ling answered.

“You’re one of the Ancient Clan, aren’t you... Did you wish to see me?” Qian Mo took another sip of tea as he spoke.

“When did I... Wait, are you Xiao Yan’s mysterious master?” Old Ling hesitated at first, but quickly realized the truth. If this enigmatic figure was indeed Xiao Yan’s teacher, then how terrifying must his power be? The declining Xiao clan was about to rise again!

“Yes, that’s correct. Here, drink this cup of tea and tell me how you feel,” Qian Mo said, raising his cup again and motioning to Old Ling.

“This...” Old Ling hesitated.

“Relax. If I wished you harm, I could end you with a snap of my fingers,” Qian Mo said unhurriedly, having seen through his concerns.

“That’s true. If he wanted to kill me, I’d already be dead. Why go to the trouble of offering me tea?” Old Ling thought to himself.

“I’ve been overthinking.” With that, Old Ling lifted the stone cup, inhaled its fragrance, and exclaimed in surprise, “What a wonderful aroma!”

He took a gulp, letting the warm liquid flow down his throat and into his belly, where it spread as a soothing heat.

“Well?” Qian Mo asked quietly.

“Excellent tea! It’s fragrant, with a hint of sweetness—and I can sense a faint Dou Qi coursing through my meridians,” Old Ling described his sensations.

Buzz—

In that instant, the barrier that had kept Old Ling at the peak of Dou King for so long shattered, and he broke through.

“This—did I just... break through?” Old Ling exclaimed, repeatedly examining himself, then looked at Qian Mo.

“If that’s what you feel, then it is so,” Qian Mo said, sipping his tea.

“Then it’s true! I thank you, Senior!” Old Ling bowed deeply, gratitude shining in his eyes. “May I ask your name, Senior?”

“My name is Qian Mo, but you may call me the Emperor of Strangers. I have endured since time immemorial. Farewell—for we shall meet again.”

As his words fell, Qian Mo vanished from the space, and everything returned to its original state.

“The Emperor? He’s a Dou Emperor?!” Old Ling cried out in shock.

“That means Xiao Yan’s master is a Dou Emperor?!” Old Ling’s heart trembled at the realization.

“I actually spoke with a Dou Emperor? And he looked so young!” Old Ling felt as if he were dreaming.

He pinched himself. “Ouch, not a dream. It’s real. That means I’m truly a Dou Sect now!” He then sat down cross-legged to sense his own transformation.

“Yes, it’s true! I am a Dou Sect now!” Old Ling laughed with joy.

Somewhere high on the mountains, an old man was dancing with glee in his madness.

...

After showing Xun’er around the house and the Xiao family grounds, Xiao Yan escorted her to her room before returning to his own.

“Teacher, now that I’m a Dou Practitioner, when will you teach me Dou Techniques?” Xiao Yan asked eagerly.

“Very well. I was just about to discuss this with you,” Qian Mo emerged from the ring as he spoke.

“Then please, Teacher, give them to me!” Xiao Yan urged impatiently.

“Look at how impatient you are. This technique is called: The Burning Art,” Qian Mo said, producing a worn scroll and tossing it over.

“Wow! This must be a high-level art!” Xiao Yan exclaimed, clutching the scroll excitedly.

“Yes, very high-level,” Qian Mo replied calmly.

“So, Teacher, what grade is it? Is it Earth-level?” Xiao Yan pressed.

“Yellow Grade, Low Tier,” Qian Mo answered blandly.

Crack, crack—

Xiao Yan, holding the scroll, instantly turned to stone, his excitement frozen.

“T-Teacher, you’re not joking with me, are you?” Xiao Yan asked cautiously.

“Hmph! Look at you! What’s wrong with Yellow Grade, Low Tier? Like your Great Brahma Golden Body, this technique can be upgraded by absorbing Heavenly Flames, while the Great Brahma Golden Body requires brutalizing the body to advance. The difference is in the method, but both require training! Eventually, they can surpass even so-called Heaven Grade techniques,” Qian Mo explained, flicking his white robe and transmitting the Burning Art directly into Xiao Yan’s mind.

“I see. Thank you so much, Teacher!” Xiao Yan said, joy lighting up his face as the knowledge flashed through his mind.

“And here are two more techniques: Mountain-Crushing Palm and Desolate End Finger. Practice them well! Once you’ve mastered them, I’ll help you absorb a Heavenly Flame to evolve the Burning Art,” Qian Mo said, tossing two more scrolls that embedded themselves into Xiao Yan’s mind.

Two streams of knowledge appeared in Xiao Yan’s consciousness.

“Thank you, Teacher! I’ll train diligently!” Xiao Yan’s fighting spirit blazed anew as he made his promise.

“Good. Off you go, then. I’ll rest for now,” Qian Mo said, his figure retreating into the ring.

“Rest well, Teacher.” Xiao Yan replied, then began to review the two techniques in his mind.