[Yin-Yang Dual Flames Intelligence]: Born in the void of the universe, black and white flames intertwine and move like the dual fish of yin and yang.
Yin and yang are the natural laws, the origin from which all things in the world are nurtured. The Yin-Yang Dual Flames, born from this origin, are a flame form manifested by the source, filled with dual powers of life and death. The yang flame saves lives, endlessly vibrant, while the yin flame kills, leaving no trace of bones.
This Heavenly Flames usually exists in the void and can only be seen at specific times.
"What a slap in the face."
Gu Han rubbed his cheek.
When he first saw the auction list, he had been confident that there would be no information about a Heavenly Flames.
As it turned out, the information was merely incorrect—the auctioned details about the birthplace of the Heavenly Flames did indeed correspond to an actual Heavenly Flames.
"Yin-Yang Dual Flames."
A fervent gleam appeared in Gu Han's eyes.
Among the twenty-three Strange Fires on the ranking, as an ice-attribute Dou Qi cultivator, he could only lay claim to three: the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, the Ocean Heart Flame, and the Yin-Yang Dual Flames.
The Bone Spirit Cold Flame is a peculiar fire combining extreme cold and extreme heat, only encountered in places of extreme cold and yin energy during the alternation of the sun and moon every hundred years. In theory, it is the most suitable Heavenly Flames for him.
The Ocean Heart Flame is a miraculous flame born in the depths of the ocean, capable of harnessing the power of the sea and dissolving in water. Since the ice attribute can be considered a variation of the water element, it is also compatible with the Ocean Heart Flame.
Lastly, there are the Yin-Yang Dual Flames. As the saying goes, "One gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things." The "two" here refers to yin and yang, the source of all power. Ice can be classified as yin, so he could naturally attempt to refine it.
"The good news is that many alchemists believe this information is unreliable, so not many will go to investigate."
"Moreover, the Yin-Yang Dual Flames can only be discovered at specific times; even if someone goes, they likely won't find it."
"I have the Black Tortoise Shell. As long as I reach that place, I will definitely be able to determine the exact time the Yin-Yang Dual Flames appear."
"As for the location, I'll have to ask Nalan Su tomorrow."
Gu Han collected his thoughts and focused on the first piece of opportunity information.
Over a decade ago, shortly after Xiao Yan was born, Xiao Lin, the Dou King patriarch of the Xiao Family, led several Dou Spirit Elders on a journey. When he returned to the family, he was alone, severely injured, and poisoned, passing away not long after.
The Xiao Family's strength was greatly diminished, and they no longer had the capability to continue developing in the imperial capital. Thus, the entire clan relocated back to their ancestral home in Wu Tan City, where they became a powerful Dou Spirit family in the northeastern province.
However, during their return journey, the Xiao Family was ambushed and surrounded by a group of men in black. All the Dou Spirit Elders died in battle, and the remaining elderly, weak, and injured could only become one of the three major families in Wu Tan City upon their return.
Unexpectedly, the city lord of Black Flame City was actually one of the men in black who participated in the ambush.
Then, it was highly likely that he knew the identities of the other attackers.
If this information were revealed to the Xiao Family, it would definitely earn him a favor.
"But whether to tell them, and how to tell them, will have to be decided later."
Gu Han would not make assumptions or blindly seek to befriend the Xiao Family and Xiao Yan.
This was a real world, and everyone in it was genuine.
Collecting his thoughts, Gu Han began to visualize the Black Tortoise Shell.
The night passed without incident.
A new day arrived.
The voice of a maidservant sounded outside the room. Gu Han emerged from the Black Tortoise Mystic Realm and opened his eyes.
After a simple wash, he left his room wearing the outer sect disciple uniform of the Cloud Mist Sect to meet up with the Nalan family members.
In the inner hall at the dining table sat only Nalan Su, an ordinary-looking elder, and Nalan Yanran who had removed her veil.
Gu Han took a seat to the right of the elder, his gaze sweeping over Nalan Yanran.
The young girl was only fifteen, yet her figure was already exquisite with graceful curves.
Her appearance was quite remarkable. Though slightly inferior to Nalan Yanran, she possessed a unique charm - pure yet subtly alluring, innocent yet seductive. Moreover, a trace of melancholy in her eyes easily stirred men's protective instincts.
Gu Han merely glanced at her before withdrawing his gaze, engaging in conversation with Nalan Su while leisurely eating his breakfast.
What Gu Han found convenient was that before he could even ask, Nalan Su proactively brought up the topic of Heavenly Flames: "Last night at the Mitre Auction, they made quite a spectacle. What they finally auctioned was false information."
"Uncle Nalan, are you referring to the information about the birthplace of a Heavenly Flames?" Gu Han inquired accordingly.
"Exactly," Nalan Su began explaining. "This information was entrusted to the Mitre Auction House by a Dou King powerhouse from the Mu Lan Empire for public auction."
"There were two auction methods: one was highest bidder wins, the other was each participant paying fifty thousand gold coins. Once at least ten people paid, the information would be disclosed to all contributors."
"To be frank with you, nephew, our Nalan family desires a Heavenly Flames. I paid the fifty thousand gold coins, along with several fourth and fifth-grade alchemists."
"After obtaining the information, these alchemists confirmed it to be false."
At this point, Nalan Su deliberately paused for effect.
But seeing that Gu Han remained composed without pressing for details, he continued his explanation.
The information auctioned by that Dou King concerned the birthplace of the Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Fire, ranked twenty-second among Strange Fires. The location was said to be in the Pisces Oasis within the Mu Lan Empire's territory of the Tagore Desert, named so because from an aerial view, the oasis and surrounding desert areas resembled two fish biting each other's tails.
Initially, everyone was excited about this information, but one alchemist suddenly mentioned that he once obtained an ancient text recording partial information about the Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Fire.
This Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Fire was born from burial grounds of countless Magical Beasts, formed from the essence of innumerable Magical Beast remains. Its limited appearances throughout Dou Qi Continent's history had all been in the distant Beast Domain.
Upon hearing this, others asked the alchemist to produce the ancient text, which he did without hesitation.
After collective study, they confirmed the ancient text was authentic, containing records dating back some years.
This meant the Pisces Oasis simply didn't possess the conditions to nurture the Ten Thousand Beast Spirit Fire - it was false information.
Finally, when the Mitre Auction House confronted that Dou King, they discovered he had already disappeared. Fortunately, the gold coins hadn't been transferred yet, avoiding a significant loss.
"So it seems the so-called Heavenly Flames birthplace was deliberately false information released by that Mu Lan Empire Dou King?" Gu Han summarized.
"That's our conclusion as well," Nalan Su nodded. "Our Jia Ma Empire and the Chu Yun Empire are mortal enemies, but our relations with the Luo Yan Empire and Mu Lan Empire are merely neutral."
"With the Tagore Desert and the Snake People Race as barriers, friction between the Mu Lan Empire and Jia Ma Empire is minimal, but we've certainly engaged in mutual scheming."
"That Pisces Oasis lies within Mu Lan Empire territory. Using Heavenly Flames information as bait, they definitely harbor ill intentions."
Gu Han nodded slightly, indicating he had taken the advice to heart.
Whether it was bait or not didn't matter—he only needed to know the location of Pisces Oasis.
With the casual conversation concluded, the Nalan family's procession resumed their journey.
Meanwhile, within Wu Tan City...
The Xiao Family's training grounds buzzed with lively chatter.
At that moment, five glowing characters shimmered across the Testing Magic Stone Tablet:
"Dou Qi, Third Stage!"
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "QueenTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!