Starting as a supporting character in Doupo

The old apothecary looked at Xiao Fan with a complicated expression. "The Bone Spirit Cold Flame in your hand is similar to a strange flame, but after careful examination, I found that it is still somewhat different from my strange flame." As he spoke, the old apothecary summoned his Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

"My Bone Spirit Cold Flame was something I subdued with tremendous effort. I almost lost my life trying to subdue it. But after subduing it, I became more and more adept at using the Ancient Spirit Cold Flame. Over the years, it has become like my other arm. Moreover, I can feel the vitality within the strange flame... yes, vitality." Seemingly unsure how to describe it, Elder Yao paused for a moment before continuing.

"The Bone Spirit Cold Flame in your hand, although I can still sense its inherent characteristics, such as coldness and the unique violent aura of strange flames, is like a stagnant pool of water. If I had to describe it, it would be like... a soulless place."

"Perhaps it's because of my long-standing bond with the Bone Spirit Cold Flame that I can distinguish it. For example, I couldn't distinguish the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame in your hand. I only felt a slight strangeness. At first, I thought this strangeness was a unique characteristic of the strange flame. Fortunately, the real Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame is here, and that's when I could truly distinguish it."

"The strange fire in your hand, although it has the characteristics and power of strange fire, is like a soulless puppet. How did you get it?"

Although the strange fire in his hands had no soul, Yao Lao knew that it was precisely because strange fires were difficult to subdue that many alchemists on the Dou Qi Continent had been reduced to ashes in the flames while trying to subdue them. However, the strange fires in his disciple's hands did not have these problems at all. Yao Lao knew how terrible the disaster this could bring.

"To be honest, I don't know either. It might be due to my constitution." Xiao Fan still didn't tell Yao Lao the truth, attributing everything to his own constitution.

"After I separated from my teacher, I noticed some changes happening within my body. Then the Bone Spirit Cold Flame appeared, which I was able to use. Later, I came into contact with the existence of Beast Flame."

puff!

Another flame appeared in Xiao Fan's hand; it was the same purple flame that had appeared when he showed Yao Lao and Xiao Yan the Buddha's Fury Lotus in the desert.

"Hiss! Three kinds of flames." Xiao Yan, who was standing to the side, was so shocked by the numerous strange flames on Xiao Fan's body that he was almost suffocating. Xiao Fan ignored him and continued speaking.

"Later, I suspected that it was because of my constitution that even you, Teacher, couldn't see it. Then I found out that there was a Green Lotus Earth Core Flame in the Tagor Desert, and I kept looking for opportunities to make contact with it, and then..." At this point, Xiao Fan slowly reached out his hand towards the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame on the lotus seat.

"Brother!"

It should be noted that Xiao Fan was completely unprotected at this moment, and he directly put his hand into the Green Lotus Earth Core Flame, which terrified Xiao Yan. Even though Yao Lao was prepared, he still couldn't understand it.

Before their very eyes, the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame pierced through Xiao Fan's arm and burned, even extending along his arm towards his body. To their astonishment, Xiao Fan slowly transformed into a burning figure of fire.

"Holy crap! Senior Brother... are you alright?" Xiao Yan stared in shock at the 'fire man' before him, speechless. Yao Lao's eyes were also filled with doubt, questioning his own knowledge accumulated over the years.

Xiao Yan seemed to want to see if this was the real Green Lotus Earth Core Flame, and curiously reached out to touch it, but before he could even touch it, his expression changed, and he withdrew his fingers with lingering fear.

Xiao Fan then placed the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame back into the lotus seat, turned to look at Yao Lao, and shrugged.

"And that's how it happened. Then I discovered that I could use the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame."

The old doctor's gaze towards Xiao Fan shifted from shock to astonishment, then to doubt, and finally to his current frenzy. Even with his years of experience traversing the Dou Qi Continent, and even when encountering those ancient races, he dared to say that his knowledge was not shallow. However, this was the first time he had ever seen anything like Xiao Fan's situation.

Taking a deep breath, the old doctor suppressed his emotions and looked at Xiao Fan with a complicated expression, saying, "No matter what, Fan'er, remember this: never tell a second person about your constitution."

Chapter 71 Xiao Yan Devours the Strange Flame!

"Yes, I know, teacher. No one else knows besides you."

"Hmm." The old apothecary glanced at Xiao Fan again, suppressing his emotions, and then slowly spoke. "Even with my knowledge, I have never heard of such a physique as yours. But in any case, since none of this is harmful to you, that's fine. Moreover, it practically means that your success rate in subduing the strange fire is one hundred percent."

Upon hearing Yao Lao's words, Xiao Fan said, "Tsk! Teacher, you must believe in Junior Brother, he can do it too!" As he spoke, he glanced at Xiao Yan and nodded to him.

Xiao Fan then looked at the two of them and said, "Alright, the most important person now is not me, but Junior Brother. Have you forgotten your purpose?"

At this point, Xiao Yan came to his senses, glanced at the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame in the center of the lotus seat, took a breath, and then sat cross-legged on the ground to recover his strength. Xiao Fan glanced at him and also sat cross-legged on the ground to recover the strength and fighting spirit he had just exhausted from traveling from the desert.

The old doctor floated in the air in the cave, looking at his two disciples sitting cross-legged, still unable to hide the shock he had just felt.

Because of his physical condition, Xiao Fan recovered to his peak condition in no time. Thinking that he hadn't claimed his system rewards yet, he decided to take this opportunity to claim them. Anyway, neither Yao Lao nor Xiao Yan knew about his system, so he could just attribute it all to his physical condition.

"System, open the panel."

[The Strongest Supporting Character System] (Pidan)

Host: Xiao Fan

Level: 5 (7311000)

Strength: Six-star Dou Shi (6901000) Third-grade Alchemist (3001000)

Source Coins: 0

Technique: Radiant Sun Technique

Combat Skills: Low-level Profound Rank Absorbing Palm (Mastered), High-level Profound Rank Eight Extremes Collapse (Mastered), Low-level Profound Rank Dragon-Shocking Step (Mastered), Low-level Earth Rank Cloud Crane Shadow (Mastered)...

Items: Canaan Academy Admission Invitation, Shadowless Mask, Thousand Flame Spear, Pure Soul Experience (to be absorbed), Great Dou Master-level Speed ​​Card, Dou Wang-level Power of a Single Strike, Dou Ling-level Speed ​​Card...

main mission:

Quest: Obtain the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame.

Task Rewards: 5000 Source Coins, 200 Experience Points, 300 Battle Qi Points (Completed)

Looking at the task he had completed, Xiao Fan selected "Accept".

As Xiao Fan made his choice, he felt his fighting spirit slowly increase. In the cave outside, a huge funnel slowly appeared around him, and the elements in the air moved closer to him and slowly poured into his body from the top of his head. He was completely unaware of all this.

Startled by the commotion, Xiao Yan, who had almost recovered, opened his eyes and looked at the scene before him. Curious, he asked Yao Lao, "Teacher, what...what is Senior Brother doing now?" Yao Lao's lips twitched. Who knew what was going on with his disciple? "He...he's probably breaking through."

Xiao Yan sensed Xiao Fan's aura, which had propelled him from a six-star Dou Shi to seven-star, then to mid-seven-star, peak seven-star... and finally eight-star. He turned to look at Yao Lao. "Is he... breaking through?"

Yao Lao turned his head and stared at Xiao Yan. Then he slapped Xiao Yan on the head. "Didn't you realize your senior brother was breaking through?! Be quiet!" He said the last few words with a slap on Xiao Yan's head.

Under the calm gazes of Yao Lao and Xiao Yan, Xiao Fan's aura continued to rise until it reached the peak of the Nine-Star Dou Shi before stopping.

Oh, you ask why their gazes are calm? Because they've become numb.

Xiao Fan sensed the Dou Qi within his body and pursed his lips. "It's a pity, I'm only 10 Dou Qi points away from breaking through to the Great Dou Master."

With the system rewarding Xiao Fan with 300 Dou Qi points, his strength has increased from 690 to 990. Reaching 1000 will allow him to break through to the Great Dou Master level. Adding the 200 experience points just awarded by the system, his total system experience is now 931, nearing the edge of a breakthrough. Coupled with the 5000 Origin Coins and the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame he's already obtained, Xiao Fan is naturally in high spirits.

When Xiao Fan opened his eyes, he found Yao Lao and Xiao Yan, one person and one soul, sitting (floating) opposite him, staring at him blankly.

"Oh... what's wrong with you teachers?"

"Nothing much, you've already... become a nine-star Dou Shi?"

Hearing Yao Lao's words, Xiao Fan sighed, "Yeah, just a little bit short of becoming a Great Dou Master, sigh~"

Old Medicine Doctor: ...

Xiao Yan: ...

The two exchanged a glance and chose to ignore Xiao Fan.

With Yao Lao's guidance, Xiao Yan had been working tirelessly outside for so long, yet he was only a two-star Dou Shi. Now, in the short time it takes to adjust his breathing, Xiao Fan has jumped directly from a six-star Dou Shi to a nine-star Dou Shi, and is even showing signs of breaking through to a Great Dou Shi. How could Xiao Yan not be discouraged?

Touching his nose, Xiao Fan scratched his head awkwardly, knowing his situation was special, and decided not to provoke them further.

Then Xiao Fan looked at them and said, "Alright, my situation is different from yours. But you, have you forgotten what you were supposed to do?"

When it came to serious matters, Xiao Yan perked up, stood up, looked at the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame in the cave, licked his lips, and looked at Yao Lao: "Teacher, what should I do?" Yao Lao shook his head, suppressing the thought of Xiao Fan's physique from his mind. Neither of these two disciples was easy for him to handle.

Looking at Xiao Yan, Yao Lao said solemnly, "Every kind of strange fire contains a seed of origin within its burning source. Once you are truly ready, then you should consume the pills we prepared earlier. Afterward, you should take this opportunity to extract the seed of origin from it and swallow it into your body for refining."

"Let's release the strange fire first! I'll use my soul power to envelop this place later, otherwise the strange fire's violent power won't be as docile as it is on your senior brother. It will directly refine this mountain into a void."

"Hmm." Xiao Yan nodded, then checked the preparations for devouring the strange fire again. The Blood Lotus Pill, the Ice Spirit Spring, and the Spirit Absorption Pill were all there. Xiao Yan swallowed the Blood Lotus Pill first. After all, with his current strength, without the protection of the Blood Lotus Pill, he wouldn't even be able to get close to the strange fire, let alone devour it.

As Xiao Yan ingested the Blood Lotus Pill, blood gradually seeped from his pores. This blood eventually solidified into a thin, blood-red film on Xiao Yan's skin, even protecting his eyes.

After Xiao Yan consumed the Blood Lotus Pill and it took effect, Yao Lao's soul power enveloped the entire cave, and the plan to devour the strange fire officially began.

Without suppression, the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame grew wildly, quickly occupying most of the cave and turning the entire cave blue.

Chapter 72 Success

Inside the cave, looking at the enormous green flames ahead, even though Xiao Yan had already taken the Blood Lotus Pill and was protected by it, he still felt a sense of unease as he sensed the ferocity of the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame.

The green flames illuminated Xiao Yan's face as he gazed at the enormous flames that had suddenly appeared and were now burning with a complex expression. Recalling Nalan Yanran's arrogant demeanor upon arriving at the Xiao family, recalling the hardships he had endured in his cultivation journey, and remembering his senior brother's decision to abandon the Burning Technique for his sake, he slowly reached out and grasped at the center of the flames.

Xiao Yan glanced at Yao Lao, nodded, and then stretched out his right hand, aiming it at the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame. His palm, covered by a blood-red membrane, unleashed a powerful suction force. Normally, this force would easily move a large rock, but now it could only watch as the strange fire slowly moved in mid-air. In just a few meters, Xiao Yan had expended a considerable amount of his Dou Qi.

"Quickly, now! The seed of the strange fire is in its center. Extract it!" Yao Lao urged anxiously as the strange fire approached Xiao Yan.

Hearing Yao Lao's words, Xiao Yan's lips twitched, and he reached his hand into the strange fire... But trusting Yao Lao, after glancing at his palm which was still covered by a blood-red membrane, Xiao Yan took a deep breath and then probed into the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame.

As Xiao Yan's palm plunged into the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame, coming into close contact with the strange fire, the blood-red membrane covering his body gradually began to melt. The membrane on his hand even gradually turned into drops of blood-like liquid, dripping down and leaving blood-red marks on the ground. These marks were then dried out by the high temperature of the strange fire.

Upon close contact with the strange fire, Xiao Yan's face was terrifyingly illuminated by the blue light. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, immediately mixed with a thin film of blood, and flowed down, leaving terrifying marks on his face, making him look like a demon who had just crawled out of hell.

Despite the protection of the Blood Lotus Pill, prolonged contact with the terrifyingly high temperature of the strange fire still managed to penetrate that protective layer, gradually increasing Xiao Yan's pressure. Just as Xiao Yan was becoming increasingly uneasy, he felt his palm touch something small and slippery.

"found it!"

With a cry of surprise, Xiao Yan quickly grabbed the object and pulled it out from the center of the strange fire. As Xiao Yan extracted the fire seed, the energy of the Azure Lotus Earth Core Fire became increasingly violent, as if it wanted to kill the strange disciple who had extracted its core. The violent power brewed around, and the sudden surge in temperature caused the rocks around the cave to crack rapidly. Huge cracks spread from the rocks, and Yao Lao had no choice but to strengthen the protection of the cave, summoning his own strange fire to envelop himself in, in order to stop the fire.

As for Xiao Fan, he did not feel threatened by the power of the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame, so he did not care.

"This is terrifying! If it were thrown into a city, the entire city would probably be reduced to ashes in no time by the burning of this strange fire..." Looking at the cracks in the surrounding caves and the violent power of the Azure Lotus Earth Core Flame, Xiao Yan said with lingering fear, clutching the strange fire seed in his palm.

"Teacher, what should I do next?" Xiao Yan licked his dry lips and said with a slightly trembling voice. Years of accumulation were about to be realized, and even Xiao Yan's mentality could not remain calm.

"Swallow it..."

The old man's calm voice echoed in the narrow cave. Xiao Yan unconsciously tightened his grip on the strange fire seed. He stared blankly at the seed in his palm, his mind a jumble of thoughts. No matter how calm he tried to be, he had witnessed the strange fire's violent power—enough to reduce an entire city to ashes. And now, he was about to absorb this source of power, capable of destroying a city, into his own body...

As Xiao Yan fell silent, the cave grew even quieter, the stifling air simmering within before finally seeping out through the cracks in the rock. Seeing Xiao Yan's conflicted expression, Xiao Fan hesitated for a moment, then remained silent. Devouring a strange fire was a perilous path, and all he could do was offer him encouragement.

The old doctor didn't urge him. Back then, when he subdued the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, he stood there for more than ten minutes in a daze, holding the strange flame. Finally, with the determination to die, he swallowed the strange flame seed. Fortunately, he succeeded because of a bit of luck.

Looking at Xiao Yan's sweat-drenched face, Xiao Fan said softly, "Junior brother! Don't be afraid. Teacher and I both believe you can succeed. We're right here." After speaking, he exchanged a glance with Yao Lao. Neither of them disturbed Xiao Yan, and they waited in silence.

After hesitating for a long time, Xiao Yan looked at the strange fire seed in his hand, his eyes unfocused, but then his gaze gradually hardened.

"Teacher, senior brother, I'm about to begin!"

After speaking, Xiao Yan swallowed the strange fire seed in his hand. As the strange fire seed entered his body, the moisture in his body quickly disappeared, and suddenly, he could see a blue color emanating from his body.

"Quickly, drink the Ice Spirit Cold Spring now!"