Chapter 152: Time to Return as the 'Young Master'
Upon hearing Yao Yan's firm confirmation, a sharp gleam flashed through Yao Lao's eyes. He knew very well the value of the Fallen Heart Flame. Frankly speaking, for cultivators below the Dou Zong level, the Fallen Heart Flame was essentially a divine item that could directly boost one's cultivation speed. It could continuously absorb the energy of heaven and earth and convert it into pure Dou Qi, requiring no effort to control.
It was equivalent to multiplying one's cultivation talent several times over.
Though it became less useful in later stages, its value in the early stages was enough to tempt anyone, even drive them mad. Everyone's cultivation speed was tied to their innate talent, and in this world, items that could enhance that talent were incredibly rare. Something as direct as the Fallen Heart Flame was even more so.
"I didn't expect the rumors to be true after all…" Yao Lao stroked his white beard and muttered to himself.
The claim that Canaan Academy possessed the Fallen Heart Flame had always been a rumor, never confirmed. Unfortunately, by the time he had heard of it, he already had the Bone Chilling Flame, and his strength had surpassed Dou Zun. So the Fallen Heart Flame hadn't held much interest for him.
Moreover, due to the unspoken rules of the Black-Corner Region, Dou Zun-level powerhouses were not allowed to interfere in its conflicts.
That might also be the reason Canaan Academy had managed to keep the Fallen Heart Flame hidden for so long.
Had Yao Yan known what Yao Lao was thinking, he likely would've cleared up the misunderstanding. The reason Canaan Academy had protected the Fallen Heart Flame until now wasn't luck. Whether it was the two ancient monsters in the Inner Academy or that missing headmaster, none of them were people one could afford to provoke.
Those strong enough to know the truth wouldn't dare cause trouble for Canaan Academy over a heavenly flame.
As for those unqualified to know the inside story—how could they possibly get past the barrier of the two elders?
In the original story, Han Feng and his group only managed to break into the Inner Academy because the two elders were in seclusion, attempting to take the final step into Dou Zun. Otherwise, a few peak Dou Huang "kids" would have been wiped out with just a glance.
A peak nine-star Dou Zong could wield spatial power so skillfully that weaker opponents stood no chance—if one didn't understand spatial force, they weren't even qualified to fight them.
Cai Lin's icy gaze flickered as she looked at the calm Yao Yan. Her alluring red lips parted, and her soft, seductive voice carried a trace of curiosity. "Now that the Fallen Heart Flame's existence has been confirmed, when do you plan to act?"
As she spoke, a trace of eagerness appeared in her eyes.
As the Queen Medusa, she had never been some docile young girl. At her core, she was still a cold, proud, and ruthless queen. That pride always unconsciously subdued itself in front of Yao Yan—something even she didn't want to admit. She had developed a certain respect for him.
Yao Yan shook his head in response. His expression grew more serious as he slowly said, "I don't plan to forcefully seize it. There are quite a few powerful individuals inside Canaan Academy. With our current strength, there's no way we could snatch the Fallen Heart Flame from them."
"That many?" Cai Lin frowned slightly and asked.
"On the surface, there's only one Dou Zong—Su Qian, the Grand Elder of the Inner Academy. His strength should be around two-star Dou Zong. But I can sense that there are several other powerhouses hidden within the Inner Academy. Their strength is at least equal to or greater than Su Qian's. Judging by their mastery of spatial force, I suspect they're no weaker than seven-star Dou Zong."
Yao Yan spoke with a grave expression, warning Cai Lin. He was genuinely worried she might recklessly rush in. She had a tendency to resolve things with force and preferred communicating through life-and-death combat—embodying the essence of true powerhouses in the Dou Qi Continent.
If it could be settled with fists, there was no need to talk.
Yao Yan, in contrast, preferred words over violence—perhaps an influence of memories from his previous life.
"…Then we really do need to reconsider," Yao Lao said after a long pause.
After a moment of thought, he looked at Yao Yan with a shadowed gaze and said, "Why not give up on the Fallen Heart Flame for now and focus on finding my traitorous disciple? He also possesses a heavenly flame. If you can obtain the Sea Heart Flame from him, and later refine my Bone Chilling Flame, the Fallen Heart Flame won't be necessary."
Due to the special nature of the Flame Mantra, fusing three heavenly flames would result in a power not inferior to any top-ranked heavenly flame. In comparison, the Fallen Heart Flame might not be worth the effort. And the so-called accelerated cultivation wasn't that important to this little monster in front of him.
"Heavenly flames are essential for the evolution of the Flame Mantra. I won't give up," Yao Yan shook his head, disagreeing. No matter what, he had to claim that flame in Canaan Academy. If he didn't refine it now, it would eventually break its seal and cause immense trouble. If someone discovered the secret hidden beneath the magma, things could spiral out of control.
The possibility was slim, but Yao Yan couldn't afford the risk. Before he left the Black-Corner Region, all potential threats within Canaan Academy had to be dealt with.
For that goal, he didn't mind cleansing the entire Black-Corner Region to ensure decades of relative peace.
"The risk is too great. There's no need for it!" Yao Lao said sternly. He didn't understand why Yao Yan always insisted on taking such dangerous paths. With his talent, was there really such a need to chase strength so desperately?
"It won't be too risky. The Fallen Heart Flame already possesses the power of a heavenly flame and has considerable sentience. It harbors deep hatred and a desire to destroy Canaan Academy. The spatial force sealing it has been mostly burned away—only one final layer remains. All I need to do is nudge it a little, and it will break free. That will be my opportunity."
Yao Yan explained the general state of the Fallen Heart Flame and also spoke about the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower.
"The founder of Canaan Academy must've been a genius to come up with such a method," Yao Lao said with some admiration, but then shook his head in regret. "But his handling was far too poor. He clearly didn't consider the feelings of the Fallen Heart Flame. That's the root of the current disaster… Sooner or later, it will destroy the entire academy."
Yao Yan smiled and softly said, "Once a heavenly flame gains flame intelligence, it develops a strong sense of self. But to most powerhouses, it's still just a heavenly flame—a tool to help them cultivate. Who would care about what a heavenly flame thinks?"
Yao Lao was surprised by his words. This sentiment was vastly different from that of his former disciple, Han Feng. If Han Feng had shared this mindset back then, perhaps things wouldn't have gone the way they did. After pondering for a moment, Yao Lao asked, "So what do you plan to do?"
"I plan to let Han Feng play the villain. If I'm not mistaken, he also cultivated the Flame Mantra. Otherwise, he wouldn't still be stuck at the Dou Huang level at his age."
Yao Yan looked at Yao Lao, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
With Yao Lao's status and skills back then, Han Feng must have received the best training. He should have broken through to Dou Zong before thirty. But now, nearing fifty, he was still a Dou Huang? Clearly something was wrong.
Even if he wasted his talent later, there was no way his cultivation would be this slow. He had no shortage of resources or high-tier techniques.
"…He once secretly read it," Yao Lao said after a long silence, finally closing his eyes with a sigh.
The Flame Mantra—everything started with it.
Looking back, he should have destroyed it when he first got it. Who would've thought it could actually be cultivated successfully? Back then, he didn't allow Han Feng to practice it to protect him. Anyone with any sense wouldn't let their disciple cultivate such a dangerous method. It was a gamble.
Heavenly flames were naturally born with destruction and rebirth. For an ordinary person to refine just one was a miracle. Yet the Flame Mantra required multiple. How could such a technique be safe?
"Your disciple sure had guts," Yao Yan said with a smile, unfazed.
To be fair, Han Feng's mindset and talent weren't bad. With just a fragment of the technique, he dared to cultivate it and even swallowed the Sea Heart Flame. Yao Yan himself wouldn't have taken such a risk.
"It wasn't just about courage—his body was also special. With my care, his talent reached near-perfection. He could've broken through to Dou Zong by twenty-five. But he believed someone else and went down the wrong path, trying to refine others' essence into himself… That ruined his perfect talent and even damaged his own Dou Qi."
Yao Lao's gaze fell, recounting the past with a mix of regret, frustration, and bitterness.
Han Feng had once been his proudest achievement. Now, it all seemed like a joke, mocking him silently.
Cai Lin stood silently, listening to their conversation. She realized how narrow her past experiences had been. Reaching Dou Zong at twenty-five? That was insane. Just think of the hundred-year-old elders of the Jia Ma Empire… The difference was despair-inducing.
She glanced at Yao Yan again. Maybe this guy really would change her view of the world.
What a monster… Yao Yan muttered internally. To be fair, Han Feng had some talent—but just a little. Trying to walk this path on the Dou Qi Continent was asking for suffering.
Refining others' essence was a known taboo in alchemy. How could Yao Yan not be aware? His teacher was none other than Hun Xu Zi, one of the top figures in the alchemy world. Realistically, Hun Xu Zi's skill was among the top three—and possibly even the best.
Yao Yan's current achievements were built on such foundations. And even now, he still hid his strongest asset, never daring to expose it. Not even a flicker of desire was allowed. If anyone found out he carried the bloodline of the Spirit Devouring Clan, even the Hun Clan might not protect him.
The Hun Clan's top goal was still the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Jade. Before that was complete, they would tolerate anything—but they wouldn't start a war for one person like him.
In fact, Yao Yan believed they might kill him first just to tie up loose ends.
And Hun Xu Zi would absolutely do that.
As for so-called master-disciple bonds… Yao Yan doubted Hun Xu Zi ever had such feelings. After all, that man had once conspired with the Hun Clan to murder Yao Yan's master and even destroyed his soul. Hun Xu Zi and Han Feng truly were a perfect match.
"If you want to purify your body, there's nothing better than a heavenly flame. And the Flame Mantra fits perfectly with what he learned," Yao Lao said bitterly, finally laying everything bare. Perhaps because he'd said it all, he felt more at ease.
"Then he definitely won't miss out on the Fallen Heart Flame." Yao Yan chuckled. He was planning to set a trap for Han Feng—but before that, there was one more thing to confirm. "I heard in Canaan Academy that a city in the Black-Corner Region was completely wiped out. What do you think?"
When in doubt, blame the Soul Hall—it never fails.
Yao Lao didn't even hesitate. "The Soul Hall did it. They're the only ones in the region with that kind of power. They can turn an entire city into a ghost town overnight… To them, even low-level cultivators are valuable resources—souls and flesh are all useful for their cultivation."
"?!"
Cai Lin's pupils shrank in shock. This was the first time she had heard of something so horrifying. Killing was one thing—but eating people? Were they magical beasts?
"That part sounds just like your wayward disciple," Yao Yan said quietly.
Yao Lao let out a cold laugh, his voice brimming with murderous intent. "Back then, Han Feng only did those things because someone encouraged him—and that someone was from the Soul Hall. So it's no surprise their methods are similar."
He hated Mu Gu far more than Han Feng. Han Feng's downfall was partially his own fault for not teaching him properly. But what Mu Gu had done… Yao Lao wished he could wipe out his entire bloodline.
Yao Yan waited for Yao Lao to finish before calmly saying, "I plan to make contact with Han Feng and deliberately leak some information about the Fallen Heart Flame. Then I'll have him join forces with Demon Flame Valley to try and seize it."
"..."
Both Yao Lao and Cai Lin fell silent. They hadn't expected Yao Yan to come up with such a plan.
"It's a good plan, but very difficult to execute," Yao Lao said honestly. He didn't think it would work. As Yao Yan had said, Canaan Academy's Inner Academy had deep roots. How could Han Feng and the others make a splash? Even if they succeeded, how would Yao Yan clean up the mess?
Yao Yan simply smiled and said nothing more—because he planned to subtly reveal a bit of his identity as the "Young Master."
(END CHAPTER)
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