Breaking the Masked Man

In addition, due to some unspoken rules in the Black Corner Region, Dou Zun-level powerhouses cannot freely participate in the struggles within the Black Corner Region.

This may also be why Canaan Academy has kept the Fallen Heart Flame hidden until now.

If Yao Yan knew what Yao Lao was thinking, he would probably answer his question. The fact that Canaan Academy has been able to maintain the Fallen Heart Flame to this day is not due to luck. Neither the two old fogies in the inner courtyard nor the dean who has disappeared without a trace are easy to deal with.

A powerful person who is qualified to know these things would certainly not cause trouble for Canaan Academy for a single Fallen Heart Flame.

As for those who are not qualified to know the inside story, how could they possibly pass the test of the elders?

In the original novel, Han Feng and his group were able to break into the inner courtyard only because the two elders, Qian Bai and his companions, were in seclusion, attempting to take the step of becoming a Dou Zun. Otherwise, what kind of trouble could a few mere Dou Huang peak 'little guys' cause? They could probably be wiped out with a single glance.

Those experts at the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Zong realm were extremely skilled in using spatial power, and could easily kill the weak.

Those who do not understand spatial power are not even qualified to fight them.

Cai Lin's cold and beautiful eyes flickered slightly as she looked at Yao Yan, whose expression remained indifferent. Her gorgeous red lips parted slightly, and her soft and charming voice carried a hint of curiosity: "Now that the existence of the Fallen Heart Flame has been confirmed, when do you plan to make your move?"

As she spoke, a hint of restlessness flickered in her eyes.

As Queen Medusa, she was never a quiet little girl. Deep down, she was still the cold, ruthless, and proud queen. However, when facing Yao Yan, she would unconsciously restrain this pride. Perhaps even she herself did not want to admit that she was somewhat convinced by Yao Yan.

Yao Yan shook his head upon hearing this, his expression becoming slightly more serious, and slowly said, "I don't intend to take it by force. There are quite a few strong people in Canaan Academy. With our strength, it's impossible for us to snatch the Fallen Heart Flame from Canaan Academy."

"A lot?" Cai Lin frowned slightly and asked.

"There is only one Dou Zong on the surface, Su Qian, the Grand Elder of the Inner Court. His strength should be around two-star Dou Zong. However, I can sense that there are several other powerful figures hidden in the Inner Court. Their strength is no less than Su Qian's. Judging from their ability to use spatial power, I suspect that their strength is no less than seven-star Dou Zong."

Yao Yan looked serious and threatened Cai Lin. He was genuinely worried that Cai Lin would recklessly charge in. She preferred to solve problems with force and even more so, to use the other person's life to make a deal. She had truly grasped the essence of the strong in the Dou Qi Continent.

If you can take action, don't talk too much.

This is the exact opposite of Yao Yan; he prefers to talk and only resorts to physical combat when absolutely necessary, perhaps due to the influence of his past life memories.

"...That certainly needs to be carefully considered." After a moment of silence, the old apothecary slowly said.

There was a pause.

He looked at Yao Yan with a slightly darkened gaze and said, "Why not give up the Fallen Heart Flame and go find my traitorous disciple first? He also controls a strange fire. As long as you can obtain the Sea Heart Flame and then devour my Bone Spirit Cold Fire, the Fallen Heart Flame won't be so important."

Given the unique nature of the Burning Technique, once the three different flames are fused, its power is definitely no weaker than those ranked higher. Compared to it, the Fallen Heart Flame is naturally not enough. And the so-called accelerated cultivation doesn't seem to be that important to this little monster.

"The Strange Flame is related to the evolution of the Burning Technique, and I will not give it up."

Yao Yan shook his head, disagreeing with Yao Lao's words. In any case, he was determined to have that strange fire from Canaan Academy, because if he didn't refine it now, it would inevitably break through the seal in the future and cause big trouble. If someone discovered the secret deep in the magma, things would get really messy.

Although the possibility is slim, Yao Yan cannot take the risk. Before leaving the Black Corner Region, all potential dangers within Canaan Academy must be dealt with.

Therefore, he wouldn't mind cleaning up the Black Corner Domain as well, so that it could remain relatively stable for decades.

"The risk is too high, it's unnecessary!" Yao Lao said in a deep voice. He stared at Yao Yan with some confusion. With the other party's talent, why would he keep taking such risks? Was he so eager for strength?

"It won't be too high. That Fallen Heart Flame already possesses the power of a different kind of fire, and its intelligence is not low. It is filled with hatred and a desire to destroy Canaan Academy. The spatial power that sealed it has been burned down to only the last layer. With just a little push, it can break free from the seal, and that will be my opportunity."

Yao Yan gave Yao Lao a general account of the Fallen Heart Flame situation, and also mentioned the Heavenly Burning Qi Refining Tower.

"The person who founded Canaan Academy back then was a genius. He even came up with such a method. However, he handled things terribly. He probably didn't consider the feelings of the Fallen Heart Flame back then, leaving a seed of disaster... This Fallen Heart Flame will eventually become the catalyst for the explosion of the entire Canaan Academy."

The old doctor's eyes showed a hint of amazement, but then he said with a touch of helplessness.

Yao Yan smiled and said softly, "After a strange fire is born with the power of strange fire, it possesses a considerable intelligence. However, for many powerful people, it is ultimately just a strange fire, a tool to assist others in their cultivation. Who would care about the thoughts of a strange fire?"

The old apothecary was somewhat surprised to hear this. He hadn't expected Yao Yan to say such a thing, which was undoubtedly very different from his former disciple Han Feng. If Han Feng had had this mindset back then, perhaps things wouldn't have turned out this way. He pondered for a moment and then asked, "What do you plan to do?"

"I plan to make Han Feng the villain. If nothing unexpected happens, he should also have cultivated the Burning Technique, otherwise he wouldn't still be at the Dou Huang level at this age."

Yao Yan looked at Yao Lao, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.

Given Yao Lao's methods and status back then, Han Feng's talent must have been cultivated to perfection. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would have broken through to the Dou Zong level before the age of thirty. However, to this day, Han Feng is almost fifty years old, yet he remains at the Dou Huang level, which is clearly problematic.

Even if Han Feng later wasted his talent, it's impossible for him to cultivate so slowly. He doesn't lack cultivation resources or Earth-rank techniques.

"...He peeked at it back then."

The old doctor fell silent after hearing Yao Yan's words. After a long while, he closed his eyes and sighed softly.

The burning of the body was the cause of everything.

When he obtained this cultivation technique back then, he should have destroyed it. Who would have thought that this technique could actually be successfully cultivated? Back then, he didn't let Han Feng cultivate it entirely to protect him. Anyone with a bit of knowledge would never allow their junior to cultivate such a technique; it's a technique that puts one's life at risk.

Strange Fire is a wondrous thing born of heaven and earth, full of the power of destruction and regeneration. It is already a blessing for an ordinary person to refine even one, but it needs to feed on it. Is this a cultivation technique that you would allow someone to practice?!

"Then your disciple is clearly quite bold~" Yao Yan smiled nonchalantly.

To be fair, Han Feng's temperament and talent are indeed not weak. He dared to cultivate with a fragmented cultivation technique and even used it to devour the Sea Heart Flame. If it were Yao Yan, he would never dare to play like that.

"His audacity in doing this wasn't just a matter of courage; it was also due to a problem with his body. After my treatment, his talent had already reached perfection. Had he followed the proper path, he should have been able to break through to the Dou Zong realm around the age of twenty-five. Unfortunately, he later listened to others and went astray, attempting to refine the essence of others into his own body... As a result, his almost perfect talent vanished, and even his own Dou Qi was affected..."

The old doctor lowered his gaze slightly and slowly recounted the events of that year, his eyes filled with regret, annoyance, and a hint of resentment.

Han Feng was his greatest achievement in life, but now it seems to have become a joke, an invisible mockery of him.

Cai Lin remained silent, listening to the conversation between the two. She felt that the world she had ever experienced was so insignificant. To reach the Dou Zong level at around twenty-five years old was truly incredible. Thinking of the group of centenarians in the Jia Ma Empire, the difference was enough to make one feel somewhat hopeless.

She then glanced at Yao Yan again, perhaps this guy could redefine her understanding once more.

"What a talent! He's going to follow the path of the Ruthless Emperor..." Yao Yan thought to himself. He had to admit that Han Feng did have talent, but only a little, and it was very limited. If he wanted to take this path in the Dou Qi Continent, he would be asking for trouble.

The taboo of alchemy is refining the essence of others and everything else. How could Yao Yan not know this? His teacher is Hun Xuzi, a big name in the alchemy world. To put it bluntly, Hun Xuzi's alchemy skills are at least in the top three in the alchemy world today, and he might even be second or first. What Han Feng is doing is obviously something that Hun Xuzi has grown tired of.

Yao Yan's achievements are due to these factors. Even his strongest point remains hidden to this day, and he dares not reveal it in the slightest. Even the occasional desires that arise are suppressed by him. Because he lacks strength, if people were to discover that he possesses the bloodline of the Devouring Spirit Clan, even the Soul Clan might not be able to protect him.

After all, the Soul Clan's biggest goal right now is to collect the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor Jade. Before that, everything can be tolerated, and they will never start a war with other races for the sake of a medicine.

Yao Yan even thought that the Soul Clan would turn around and kill him first to silence him.

Hun Xuzi is absolutely capable of doing this.

As for the so-called master-disciple relationship... Yao Yan suspected that Hun Xuzi didn't even have that thought. If he did, the other party wouldn't have joined forces with the Soul Clan to kill his teacher, not even sparing his soul. He inexplicably felt that Hun Xuzi and Han Feng were a perfect match.

"If you want to purify your body, there is no better choice in this world than a different kind of fire, and the Burning Technique is obviously a good match for what he has learned."

At this point, the old doctor had given up and laid everything bare. Perhaps because he had vented his feelings all at once, his expression relaxed considerably.

“Then he definitely won’t miss the Fallen Heart Flame.” Yao Yan chuckled. He planned to dig a pit for Han Feng, but before that, he had to confirm one thing. “I heard at Canaan Academy that a city in the Black Corner Region was completely wiped out. What do you think, sir?”

No matter how you look at it, you can't go wrong by throwing any blame at the Soul Palace.

Without any hesitation, Yao Lao said directly, "It was done by the Soul Palace. Only they have the ability to turn a city into a ghost town overnight... For those guys, even low-level cultivators can use their souls and flesh for cultivation."

"?!"

Cai Lin's pupils shrank in surprise. This was the first time she had ever heard of such cruel methods. Killing someone was just crushing them, but someone was actually playing the cannibalism game. Was this a monster?

"In that respect, you are quite similar to your wicked disciple."

Yao Yan said softly.

The old doctor sneered, his tone carrying a chilling killing intent, and said in a cold voice, "Back then, Han Feng did those things because he was instigated by someone, and that person was also a member of the Soul Hall. It's normal that their methods are similar."

Compared to his hatred for Han Feng, his hatred for Elder Mu Gu was much deeper. He also bore responsibility for Han Feng's mistakes, as he had failed to teach him properly and had overlooked some things. But he wished he could erase Elder Mu Gu's ancestral graves for all the things Elder Mu Gu had done.

After Yao Lao finished speaking, Yao Yan said slowly, "I plan to contact Han Feng and appropriately leak the news of the Fallen Heart Flame, and then have him join forces with the Demon Flame Valley to seize the Fallen Heart Flame."

"..."

Both Yao Lao and Cai Lin fell silent, never expecting Yao Yan to have such thoughts.

"The plan is good, but it's difficult to implement."

To be honest, Yao Lao didn't think Yao Yan's plan would succeed. According to Yao Yan, the inner courtyard of Canaan Academy had a deep foundation. How could Han Feng and the others make waves? Even if they succeeded, how would Yao Yan clean up the mess?

Yao Yan smiled but didn't say much, because he planned to reveal some of his identity as the 'young master'.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 153: Old and dishonest

For Yao Yan, the Fallen Heart Flame will be his last stop in the Black Corner Region. After settling these matters, he will choose to return to the Soul Clan with Hun Xuzi. Compared to the cultivation resources outside, the cultivation resources controlled by the major imperial clans are the key to Yao Yan's rapid improvement in strength. Otherwise, relying solely on external cultivation resources, if he wants to cultivate to the level of Dou Sheng, he would probably have to wait until the Bodhi Ancient Tree appears, and that's assuming everything goes smoothly.

No matter what kind of world it is, the best cultivation resources are always controlled by the top group of people.

In the Dou Qi Continent, those who control those resources are undoubtedly the major imperial clans, among which the Ancient Clan and the Soul Clan are the most prominent. The Soul Clan is even above the Ancient Clan because it possesses a top-tier power like the Soul Palace, which allows it to gather all cultivation resources, unlike other clans that tend to stay within their own domains and rarely venture out.

Yao Yan now has almost the same number of different flames as Xiao Yan in the original story. If he wants to obtain more, he can only rely on the Soul Clan. He is well aware of this.

Looking at Yao Yan's calm eyes, Yao Lao couldn't help but remind him, "You'd better not be careless. Han Feng is someone I taught. He's not easy to deal with, and he's very likely connected to the Soul Palace. If you rashly contact him, you'll easily bring unnecessary trouble upon yourself."

Even geniuses have their flaws, such as arrogance and underestimating their opponents, which will undoubtedly lead to great losses.

"Don't worry, sir. I have never underestimated him, and not just him. I never underestimate any opponent. Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit, let alone a human. If you lose a fight with someone, you will lose your life!" Yao Yan chuckled, his dark eyes calmly watching Yao Lao.

"...Alright, since you want to try, then go ahead and try. Just remember to be careful in everything you do, especially if you encounter people from the Soul Hall. Those guys are very strange, so be careful not to get targeted by them."

After a moment of silence, Yao Lao warned in a serious tone. He had dealt with the Soul Palace many times and knew very well how troublesome those guys were. They were like a pack of jackals; once they set their sights on a target, they would constantly probe and then attack. If you didn't have enough strength, your final fate would certainly not be good.

However, given the special rules of the Black Corner Region, the elders of the Soul Palace should not intervene, and as for ordinary protectors, in his current state, he is not too afraid.

When the crucial moment comes, it won't be difficult for him to take Yao Yan and Cai Lin away.

He, as a former Medicine Master, still had this much confidence.

Yao Yan's expression was a little strange, but he still obediently nodded and accepted Yao Lao's concern. He felt quite good about this elder with whom he had some blood relation, at least more comfortable than being with Hun Xuzi, because Hun Xuzi would never show such concern. The other party always valued Yao Yan's worth.

He had no doubt that once he lost his value, Hun Xuzi would refine all of his body's essence, which would be easy for Hun Xuzi, a master alchemist, to do.

Whatever he ate from the other party, he will inevitably vomit it all up in the end.