The Strange Flame Rekindles in Battle Through the Heavens

Chapter 11 Discovery

In the quiet study.

Xiao Zhan asked Xiao Yan softly, "Tell me! What exactly happened? How did your strength increase so quickly in such a short time!"

Xiao Yan scratched his head and said helplessly, "Father, can we not tell you?"

"No!" The voice was powerful and resounding, like a raging lion, so loud that Xiao Yan rubbed his ears.

"actually……"

Xiao Yan's eyes darted around, and he was about to lie to get away with it, but seeing his father's murderous expression, he swallowed his words back. He sighed and said, "A month ago, I felt my talent for cultivation return. And because my Dou Qi was already at the fourth stage, I reached the fourth stage in just three days. After that, it took me more than half a month to reach the fifth stage."

Listening to Xiao Yan's explanation, Xiao Zhan raised his eyebrows. Although he was surprised that Xiao Yan had broken through two levels in just one month, he thought that Xiao Yan's talent for cultivation was exceptionally amazing when he was a child. Now that his talent had been restored, it was quite reasonable that he had just happened to improve two levels in one month.

However, his brow furrowed slightly, and he asked again, "Even if you've reached the fifth level of Dou Qi, Xiao Ning is at the seventh level. You were able to defeat him so easily; shouldn't you explain that?"

"Nothing can escape Father's eyes," Xiao Yan said with a grin.

"Stop flattering me, just tell me!" Xiao Zhan said with a laugh.

"Actually, I just bought a jade piece while shopping. When I got home, I found that it contained a rare body-tempering fighting technique, so I practiced it. Judging from today's performance, it was not bad," Xiao Yan explained with a smile.

Xiao Zhan glanced sideways at Xiao Yan, naturally not believing him entirely. This son of his had been quite mature since childhood, and sometimes he felt that Xiao Yan's cunning was even deeper than his own. He gently rubbed his temples, knowing that it was already quite difficult for Xiao Yan to say these things, even though they were only half true. After all, everyone has their little secrets! If he were to say any more, it would damage the relationship between father and son.

"A body-forging technique that I just picked up can increase Yan'er's physical strength to the point where she can withstand a full-force attack from a seventh-level Dou Qi. This body-forging technique is no ordinary technique!" Xiao Zhan was very surprised.

"You must have suffered a lot!" Xiao Zhan asked softly. After all, those defensive combat techniques and cultivation methods require a great deal of effort to master, let alone reaching this level in just one month.

"No way! I didn't suffer much, I just practiced casually," Xiao Yan denied with a smile.

Seeing Xiao Yan's firm denial, Xiao Zhan didn't press further. With a flick of his finger, a green card appeared out of thin air at his fingertip, and he handed it to Xiao Yan, saying, "This is 50,000 gold coins. Take it and spend it first. I think you need money right now!"

Looking at the green card his father handed him, Xiao Yan felt a mix of emotions, but he didn't say a word. He casually took the card and asked indifferently, "Father, aren't you afraid of what the three elders will say if you give this to me in private?"

"Hmph! Take it if you want it. Those three old guys can't say anything, can they? Based on what they did today..." Xiao Zhan said unhappily, clearly still having a problem with them.

Xiao Yan naturally understood what his father was talking about, but he didn't pay too much attention to it. Because they would basically never do such a thing again, nor would they dare to.

"Go down and play first!" Xiao Zhan said with a smile.

Glancing at his smiling father, Xiao Yan knew perfectly well why his father had sent him away. His father must have wanted to talk to Xiao Yan's deceased mother and share in the joy of the day, since his son had made something of himself.

Xiao Yan stepped out of the room, looked up at the azure sky, took a breath of fresh air, and felt instantly refreshed.

"Finally managed to fool them! It wasn't easy!" Xiao Yan exclaimed.

"Brother Xiao Yan, what did you say that you managed to fool us?" A sweet voice suddenly rang in Xiao Yan's ears.

"Xun... Xun'er!" Xiao Yan looked down and saw Xun'er staring at him with a smile.

Xun'er ran over and took Xiao Yan's arm, asking mischievously, "Brother Xiao Yan, your strength has improved so quickly! Can you tell me how you did it? I want to learn too!"

"Fine! I have to explain again. But Xun'er is so knowledgeable and experienced, she won't be so easily fooled!" Xiao Yan frowned and scratched his head. Then he felt an itch on his neck and scratched it again. At this moment, Xiao Yan felt uncomfortable all over. He still couldn't think of a perfect explanation, as if no matter how he explained it, there would be flaws, unless he told the truth.

Seeing Xiao Yan scratching his cheek, looking troubled, Xun'er smiled slightly and didn't press him further. She smiled and said, "Brother Xiao Yan, would you like to go shopping with me today?"

"Uh... okay! Okay!" Xiao Yan hurriedly agreed, and breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that Xun'er only wanted him to go shopping with her.

After accompanying Xun'er until it got dark and treating her to a big meal, Xun'er reluctantly let Xiao Yan go back.

The next morning, Xiao Yan got up early, dressed, and opened his door to find another food box at the entrance. He sighed helplessly; indeed, it was hardest to resist the kindness of a beautiful woman! He had already gotten up early enough, but Xun'er was up even earlier. Praying that old man Gu Yuan wouldn't find out, he grabbed the fragrant breakfast from the box, ate it, and sped towards the back mountain.

To Xiao Yan's surprise, two shadows were following him today. Although Xiao Yan was already quite fast, the two shadows still followed him at a leisurely pace.

Upon reaching the summit of the back mountain, the sun was about to rise in the east. As the morning light shone, the summit gradually awoke from its slumber. Looking out at the distant, layered mountains shrouded in mist, it resembled a fairyland.

Taking a deep breath of the cool air and raising his hands to feel the warmth of the sun, Xiao Yan felt as if his soul was being elevated. After standing still for a while, the sun had fully risen, and his clothes, which were damp with dew, gradually dried. He slowly opened his eyes, ignoring the sun's blinding light, and looked directly at the sun.

At this moment, the genes for exploring nature within his body were activated again. He really wanted to go directly to the Monster Mountain Range to explore, but with his fifth-level Battle Qi strength, he would probably only be a matter of one claw from a monster.

"Teacher, let's begin training! I can't wait!" Xiao Yan urged, seeing that Yao Lao had not yet appeared.

A white light flashed from the ring on Xiao Yan's right hand, and Yao Lao, now in his soul form, floated in the air. Yao Lao turned his head and gazed deeply down the mountain, his expression slightly conflicted.

"Teacher, what are you looking at? Why haven't you started yet?" Xiao Yan, who was taking off his clothes, turned around and asked in confusion.

"Uh...it's nothing, let's begin training!" Yao Lao said calmly, sitting cross-legged on a boulder.

Xiao Yan continued to undress until he was left with only a pair of underwear to cover his private parts. He took out a rope he had prepared beforehand, made from the tendons of a first-tier magical beast, a savage bull. This rope was extremely strong; it would take at least a Great Dou Master to break it by force.

After securing the two ropes to the tree, Xiao Yan tied them to his left and right hands respectively. Once everything was ready, he called out to Yao Lao, indicating that they could begin.

Yao Lao took a deep breath, extended his right palm, and a pale red beam of battle qi shot out from his palm like a serpent. It was covered with a thin layer of white. Although the color was very light, this thin layer of white directly burned and distorted the air around the beam.

Yao Lao controlled the bolt of lightning and struck Xiao Yan's back hard, but today the force was greater than usual.

"Bang……"

"Ah..." Feeling the burning pain behind him, the pale white flames instantly merged into Xiao Yan's muscles, bones, and skin as they touched his body. Xiao Yan felt as if he had been electrocuted by a high voltage, his body stiffening abruptly. Then, the pain, like being pricked by needles all over his body, swept over Xiao Yan's soul again. Xiao Yan could no longer endure it and screamed in agony.

The scream, like a thunderclap, instantly startled the birds that were resting in the forest, causing them to spread their wings and take flight.

(End of this chapter)