The Strange Flame Rekindles in Battle Through the Heavens

Chapter 43 Body Tempering with Strange Fire

The old doctor lowered his head and pondered for a while before slowly saying, "Do you really want to take another step forward? You should know that your physical strength has already surpassed most people, and as your strength increases, it will go even further. Therefore, you will always be a few points stronger than other fighters of the same level."

"Of course! It would be best if it could reach the level of being indestructible!" Xiao Yan said with a smile.

The old apothecary stroked his beard and said calmly, "If you want to go any further, the previous methods are no longer very effective. However, I have an idea that we can try. If it really works, it might actually achieve what you're describing!"

"What method?" Xiao Yan pressed.

"Body tempering with strange fire!" Yao Lao slowly uttered these four words.

"Forging the body with a different kind of fire? Isn't that what we did before?" Xiao Yan asked in confusion.

"Heh! I only wrapped a thin layer of strange fire around my battle qi before. What can that little bit of strange fire do?" Yao Lao said disdainfully.

"What's that enough for! It hurts so much! It almost killed me, and it's still not enough! Are you suggesting I use some strange fire to burn my body?" Xiao Yan complained.

"Hey! You're right! It's the strange fire that burns your body. Do you dare?" Yao Lao's teasing voice rang out.

"How...how does the Strange Fire Burning Body Technique work?" Xiao Yan's voice trembled slightly.

"Could it be like Sun Wukong in Journey to the West, locked in an alchemy furnace and burned for forty-nine days to achieve an indestructible body?" Xiao Yan was startled; this was something he had never considered.

"Of course, you control the strange fire to burn your entire body from the inside out, but this kind of pain..." Yao Lao said softly, then shook his head, because this kind of pain was too unbearable.

Yao Lao didn't continue, because Xiao Yan understood even if he didn't say it. Although Yao Lao had used a strange fire in his previous training, the burning sensation was fleeting, but even that fleeting pain was enough to make Xiao Yan howl in agony. Now, the strange fire was directly burning his body, which meant he had to endure it continuously.

Just like when you accidentally get an electric shock, you only feel a sudden jolt, and then you're fine. But if you keep getting electric shocks, your body will slowly lose sensation and eventually you'll die.

Xiao Yan paced back and forth, pondering whether he should do it, and whether it was worth it. A voice inside him kept telling him that he was strong enough now and didn't need to suffer such inhuman torment anymore. However, it was precisely this voice that stirred up Xiao Yan's rebellious spirit.

"Let's do it! It's just body tempering with a different kind of fire! My teacher will protect me, and I'll give it a try now," Xiao Yan said to Yao Lao.

Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, sat down cross-legged, and prepared to use the strange fire to temper his body. The reason Xiao Yan was so impatient was that he was afraid that after a while, when the energy wore off, he would never dare to do it again. Taking advantage of the fact that this crazy energy was still there, Xiao Yan quickly began.

Xiao Yan focused his mind on his dantian, observing the strange fire at the center of the vortex. The black and white fire seed writhed continuously, like magma, and Xiao Yan grew increasingly frightened as he looked at it. The strange fire seemed capable of burning anything, even burning away much of his madness, causing Xiao Yan to once again fall into hesitation.

Just when Xiao Yan was about to give up, his rebellious spirit took over again. He gritted his teeth and instantly controlled the strange fire to spread throughout his body, and then... nothing happened.

Suddenly, black and white flames erupted from Xiao Yan's body. In an instant, the flames reduced Xiao Yan's clothes to nothingness, and his body burst into flames, causing him to fall into a coma.

Upon seeing the flames erupting from Xiao Yan's body, Yao Lao collapsed to the ground, terrified but utterly helpless. He was powerless to extinguish the flames; relying solely on his own strange fire, any rash action would only worsen the situation. All Yao Lao could do at that moment was try his best to control the strange fire and prevent it from spreading.

"Sigh! This silly boy, he's too reckless! I only asked you to control the strange fire to envelop your whole body and then slowly increase the temperature. How could you be so impulsive? Now it's all over. His body will probably be burned to ashes soon. The disciple I finally found is finished!" Yao Lao said helplessly.

Just as Yao Lao was sighing, he discovered that Xiao Yan's body was still intact and had not been burned to death by the strange fire.

"This kid's luck is just too incredible. He's still alright, and the strange fire is even actively helping him temper his body!" Yao Lao looked at the flames emanating from Xiao Yan's body and felt a little jealous.

However, what surprised Yao Lao was not only that, but also that a black and white cross mark appeared on Xiao Yan's forehead. Although the mark was very faint, Yao Lao knew what it was.

"He even activated his clan mark! I never expected that this strange fire could enhance his bloodline power. Wait! This doesn't seem to be a clan mark. I know the clan marks of the eight ancient clans, and none of them are like this. I've also seen the clan marks of other families, and none of them are like this either. This mark must be related to the strange fire within his body. He's truly a mysterious little fellow; even I can hardly understand him anymore," Yao Lao said with emotion.

As Yao Lao was sighing, the black and white flames on Xiao Yan's body gradually changed. The black flames gradually disappeared, leaving only white flames. These white flames, like a healing elixir, continuously repaired Xiao Yan's burned body.

While unconscious, Xiao Yan had a dream. He dreamt that he was like Sun Wukong, thrown into the Eight Trigrams Furnace, surrounded by flames that constantly burned his body. The intense burning pain was unbearable. He desperately tried to climb out of the furnace, but no matter how much he struggled, it was all in vain. The furnace seemed to be welded shut, with no gaps whatsoever.

Just as Xiao Yan was about to give up struggling, he suddenly discovered that the flames in the alchemy furnace had gone out, and water had sprung up out of thin air. This water was very magical. Xiao Yan soaked in the water and felt his body was light and floating, as if he were in the sky.

"Ah! That feels so good!" Xiao Yan couldn't help but groan.

"What are you yelling about?" Yao Lao's voice rang in Xiao Yan's ears.

"what?"

Xiao Yan suddenly opened his eyes, looked around, and found himself in a deep pit, completely naked. A cool breeze blew by, making him feel chilly. Looking down, he realized all his clothes were gone. Xiao Yan immediately covered his groin, took out a piece of clothing from his storage ring, put it on, and then climbed out of the pit.

"Teacher, what happened to me? How did I end up in this pit? Are you trying to bury me alive?" Xiao Yan asked in confusion.

"You brat, you still have the nerve to talk! You caused all of this yourself." The old apothecary rolled his eyes.

"Ah! I made this? You mean all of this was caused by the strange fire?" Xiao Yan scratched his head, thought for a while, and then remembered.

"You remembered? You were too reckless. You're supposed to be an alchemist, controlling the temperature of flames is your forte, isn't it? But what did you do? You didn't control it at all, letting the strange fire burn your body directly. You were lucky, otherwise you would have been reduced to ashes long ago," the old alchemist criticized.

"Isn't everything alright?" Xiao Yan said with a forced smile, knowing he was in the wrong.

"Hmph! I don't know where you got such good luck, kid. Not only are you unharmed, but you've also activated a special mark!" Old Yao snorted coldly, then said with a hint of jealousy.

"What special mark?" Xiao Yan asked, puzzled.

"Can't you see for yourself?" the old medicine doctor said speechlessly.

Xiao Yan quickly took out a mirror from his storage ring, but after looking at himself for a long time, he couldn't find anything on his forehead.

(End of this chapter)