Chapter 56 Refining the Mysterious Yellow Flame

Early Morning

Xiao Yan rose with the dawn and made his way to the Xiao family’s pharmacy by the street.

“It seems the pharmacy opens quite early,” Xiao Yan remarked as he stood at the entrance.

From within, the owner, a man not yet old, emerged and greeted him warmly. “Oh? So it’s the third young master. What brings you to my humble shop today? Just say the word.”

“Boss, may I ask if you have the following herbs: first, 500 grams of cinnamon twig; second, 500 grams of sesame twist; third, 600 grams of green dragon? I need all three kinds.”

“Yes, yes, of course. Please wait a moment, young master, I’ll prepare them for you right away.” With that, the owner bustled off to gather the ingredients.

The shopkeeper worked with remarkable efficiency; shortly, the three herbs were neatly packaged and handed over to Xiao Yan.

“So quick! How much do I owe you?” Xiao Yan asked.

“Thank you for your praise, young master, but there’s no need to pay. Consider this my gift to you,” the owner replied with a broad grin.

“That won’t do. Business is business—you must give me a fair price, or I can’t accept it. One must have principles,” Xiao Yan said with a frown, clearly displeased.

“Well, in that case, let’s say five hundred gold coins in total,” the shopkeeper calculated after a pause.

“Very well. Here are exactly five hundred coins.”

“Thank you,” said the owner, pocketing the money.

“No problem. I’ll be on my way, then.” With those words, Xiao Yan turned and left.

Watching Xiao Yan depart, the shopkeeper muttered, “Third young master Xiao is truly exceptional—not only so accomplished at a young age, but also upright and honorable. If it were anyone else, they’d have just taken the goods without a second thought. Yes, I was right about him.”

With that, he returned inside.

At home, Xiao Yan immediately began decocting the medicinal ingredients, sitting nearby to wait for the result.

“Brother Xiao Yan, what are you doing?” Xiao Xun’er inquired, though she clearly already knew the answer.

“Oh, Xun’er, I’m making a medicinal soup. You have too much cold energy in your body, which isn’t good for your health, so I’ve prepared this specially for you. It’ll do you a lot of good,” Xiao Yan replied as she approached.

Xun’er nodded seriously.

Soon, a bowl of dark, murky soup was set before her.

“It’s so black… Is it really drinkable?” she asked doubtfully, peering into the bowl.

“It is. Give it a try—best to drink it all in one go,” Xiao Yan encouraged.

Xun’er picked up the bowl and downed it in one gulp. “Ah! So bitter!” she exclaimed, shivering.

“All right, I need to go train now, Xun’er. I can’t stay with you today—I want to improve for tomorrow’s test,” Xiao Yan said, gently patting her head as he rose.

“Alright, then, good luck, Brother Xiao Yan!” Xun’er pouted, her expression adorably earnest.

Tomorrow was the family’s test. Though Xiao Yan was now considered a Dou Practitioner, he was still quite weak—insignificant, really.

...

Xiao Family’s Back Mountain

“Yan’er, now that you’ve cultivated the Burning Art, it’s time for you to absorb a Heavenly Flame. Let’s start with the last-ranked flame on the Heavenly Flame List: the Xuanhuang Flame,” Qian Mo said calmly.

From her pouch, she produced a wisp of flame—the lowest-ranked Heavenly Flame on the continent’s list.

As Xiao Yan watched the yellow fire appear in Qian Mo’s hand, excitement surged within him. At last, he would be able to absorb a Heavenly Flame.

“At last, I can absorb a Heavenly Flame!” Xiao Yan exclaimed eagerly.

“Even though Xuanhuang Flame is the lowest-ranked, it’s still a Heavenly Flame. Don’t underestimate it. Your task is to withstand its burning with your body, then refine it with the Burning Art. Can you do that?” Qian Mo instructed.

“Yes, Master, I understand,” Xiao Yan replied resolutely, lips pressed tight with determination. He well knew that this was no ordinary fire—it required his utmost seriousness.

Sitting cross-legged, Xiao Yan assumed the posture for channeling energy and slowly closed his eyes.

The Xuanhuang Flame floated gently in Qian Mo’s palm, then drifted into Xiao Yan’s mouth.

Just imagining it was painful. If it were anyone else, they’d have been roasted alive by the flame. The thought alone was tragic.

Once swallowed, the Xuanhuang Flame quickly sent waves of heat searing through Xiao Yan’s abdomen, burning its way along his skin, blood, and meridians.

“Ahhh! It’s so hot!” Xiao Yan couldn’t help but cry out.

“Steady your mind. Use the Grand Brahma Golden Body to temper yourself with this power, and channel the Burning Art to absorb and refine it. Believe in yourself,” Qian Mo urged, her brow furrowed.

This was no trivial matter.

“I… understand, Master!” Xiao Yan gritted his teeth in agony.

He forced himself to endure, using the flame’s power to temper his Grand Brahma Golden Body, channeling the Burning Art to absorb and refine the Heavenly Flame for his own use.

His face flushed red—both from the burning of the Xuanhuang Flame and from the agony and pressure.

To withstand the savage burning of a Heavenly Flame with a mortal body, and without any external aids, was already far beyond the level of a one-star Dou Practitioner.

Even Yao Lao, in his practitioner days, wouldn’t have dared to attempt such a feat. In fact, there was likely no one else on the entire continent who could.

And if there were, their physical cultivation would have to be unimaginably powerful—especially at the one-star level.

But such a case was virtually impossible, for the Grand Brahma Golden Body was the strongest, most brutal, and most relentless body-tempering constitution on the continent.

It was not a mere technique, but a unique constitution that could only be taught to those who possessed it. Not even the child of two such individuals would necessarily inherit it—the Grand Brahma Golden Body could not be passed down so simply.

Of course, aside from Qian Mo, this was true for everyone else.

At the scene

Sweat beaded thickly on Xiao Yan’s forehead. His entire body was drenched, his clothes soaked through.

“Ha! Refine it!” Xiao Yan shouted, feeling the Xuanhuang Flame slowly being absorbed and fused within him. The Burning Art inside him was spinning at full speed.

Qian Mo watched intently with her rarely used insight, observing every change in Xiao Yan’s aura, meridians, and blood. His aura had grown much stronger, his meridians tougher, his blood richer—an excellent sign. Using the body to fuse with the flame was indeed more effective. Had he used special aids, the fusion would have been completed long ago, and they’d already be back eating dinner.

Qian Mo rubbed her stomach and complained, “I’m getting a bit hungry! This kid had better hurry up.”

No sooner had she spoken than the scorching air around Xiao Yan began to cool and slowly dissipate.

Xiao Yan, who had been writhing in agony, finally calmed.

He took a deep breath and exhaled.

“It’s finally done,” he said quietly, opening his eyes, then focused on the changes in his bones and blood. He was pleased.

“How do you feel? Has your Burning Art advanced?” Qian Mo asked.

Xiao Yan smiled, sensing his progress. “Yes, the Burning Art has advanced smoothly to Intermediate Yellow Rank, and my Grand Brahma Golden Body has reached the peak of Low Profound Rank.”

“Excellent, just as I expected,” Qian Mo replied with a faint smile.

...

(End of this chapter)