Chapter 644: The Evolved Wind Fury Dragon Flame
Hearing Xiao Yan's hearty laughter, many onlookers showed expressions of anticipation. It seemed like there was deep enmity between Xiao Yan and Phantom Soul.
"Sharp-tongued! Even your teacher, Yao Chen, doesn't have the qualifications to challenge me," Phantom Soul sneered coldly, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.
"Well, my teacher said I should be enough to handle you, so there's no need for him to step in," Xiao Yan replied without giving Phantom Soul any face.
"Hehe, is that so? Now I'm even more curious."
Phantom Soul chuckled, and without wasting more words, he waved his sleeve. Instantly, black flames surged out from his body, filling the sky, and soon condensed into a massive black cauldron over a hundred meters wide in the air. The cauldron seemed to emit a strange devouring force.
"The Devouring Void Flame?"
Seeing the giant cauldron formed by the black flames, Xiao Yan and his companions muttered under their breath.
"I didn't expect such a powerful flame to fall into the hands of the Soul Clan," Shennong Elder said, frowning.
"Summon your own exotic flames. My Devouring Void Flame is quite eager to taste them," Phantom Soul said with a sly smile.
"The Devouring Void Flame? It's only a child flame, and you dare to be so arrogant?" Xiao Yan scoffed.
"If you want to devour our exotic flames, let's see if you have the skill to do it," Elder Wanhuo snorted coldly. He waved his sleeve, and suddenly, a gust of dark wind howled from it.
The gust twisted rapidly in midair, but upon closer inspection, one could see that it wasn't just wind—it was a strange type of flame!
"The Nine Nether Wind Flame." In the front seats, Mo Yu raised an eyebrow when he saw the strange flame summoned by Elder Wanhuo.
"Hehe, it's only the Nine Nether Wind Flame, ranked tenth on the Flame Ranking, nothing compared to the mighty lightning you possess," Yao Dan, noticing Mo Yu's expression, stroked his white beard and smiled.
Then, as if recalling something, Yao Dan glanced at Mo Yu and chuckled. "I've heard that recently, your Genfu has been searching the continent for exotic flames. If I'm not mistaken, this must be for your chief alchemist, Gu He, right? With your resources, I imagine you've found something. Will we see the flame today?"
"Oh? I didn't expect the Medicine Clan to be following such news," Mo Yu paused, then smiled. "Indeed, Genfu has made some gains in acquiring exotic flames. As for what kind of flame it is, you'll see soon enough."
Seeing Mo Yu's mysterious response, Yao Dan blinked in surprise before shaking his head with a wry smile.
Across the entire continent, few people could chat casually with Yao Dan. As a Ninth-Tier Alchemist and the Chief of the Medicine Clan, he commanded enormous respect. But today, even he found himself outwitted by this young man, Mo Yu.
As Yao Dan thought about Mo Yu's background, he couldn't help but sigh. Mo Yu, a descendant of an exiled family of the Thunder Clan, had, through sheer effort, climbed to the pinnacle of the continent in less than twenty years—a truly terrifying achievement.
The Thunder Clan's investment in Mo Yu had proven to be a wise one. The Thunder Clan Chief, Lei Ying, had even offered his daughter to Mo Yu as a second wife, showing remarkable foresight and decisiveness.
In contrast, the Medicine Clan's treatment of exiled members wasn't as favorable. Yao Dan glanced over at Yao Lao with a complicated expression.
Back when Yao Chen (Yao Lao) had earned the title of the top alchemist in Central Plains, many in the clan suggested allowing him to return, as his accomplishments had surpassed most of the Medicine Clan's members. However, conservative elders like Yao Wangui vehemently opposed it, citing clan rules. Without the courage of someone like Lei Ying, Yao Dan had allowed the matter to be dropped.
Who would have thought that Yao Chen would not only prove his exceptional talent in alchemy but also train a disciple, Xiao Yan, who surpassed even him? Both master and disciple now stood among the top alchemists on the continent.
Had Yao Chen been welcomed back, the clan would have gained another Ninth-Tier Alchemist, and they could have allied themselves with Xiao Yan, a genius comparable to Mo Yu. It would have been a win-win situation.
But alas, the opportunity was missed, leaving only regret.
While Yao Dan was lost in his complicated thoughts, the atmosphere on the competition stage grew increasingly intense as both Phantom Soul and Elder Wanhuo displayed their exotic flames.
"Hehe, Wanhuo, your Nine Nether Wind Flame has certainly become more refined," Shennong Elder laughed. He lightly tapped the void with his herbal staff and said, "In that case, I must show a bit of my skill as well."
As his voice fell, the staff in his hand suddenly ignited without any external source. A wisp of green flame, resembling liquid, slowly rose and expanded with the wind.
As the green sea of fire spread, layers of mist began to rise, and within the mist, countless strange medicinal plants began to grow, exuding a vibrant life force.
"Is that... the Life Flame?" Mo Yu muttered as he rubbed his chin, watching the scene unfold.
The Life Flame, ranked fifth on the Flame Ranking, was famous for its life-giving properties. It was said that if this flame spread, any medicinal seeds thrown into it would quickly sprout and grow.
With such a flame, one didn't need to worry about searching for medicinal ingredients; as long as there were enough seeds, the desired herbs would grow endlessly. It was every alchemist's dream flame.
Moreover, the Life Flame was also known as the Flame of Longevity. Those who possessed it would enjoy a lifespan comparable to even the longest-living magical beasts. Its only shortcoming was that it wasn't particularly effective in battle, offering little in the way of combat power.
Phantom Soul's gaze was fixed intently on Shennong Elder's Life Flame, a greedy glint flashing in his eyes.
In this world, everything had a lifespan. If Phantom Soul could acquire the Life Flame, he could greatly extend his own life—a temptation too strong to resist, even for someone of his stature.
"So it's the Life Flame... Shennong, you're quite fortunate," Elder Wanhuo said, his tone carrying a hint of envy.
"Hehe, just lucky. I found it by accident while searching for herbs," Shennong Elder chuckled, stroking his beard. He then turned to Xiao Yan with a smile.
"I've heard that young friend Xiao Yan has subdued the legendary Purifying Lotus Demon Flame. Is that true?"
"Hehe, like you, it was just luck," Xiao Yan smiled. A flicker of firelight flashed on his shoulder, and Little Yi appeared.
"An exotic flame spirit?!"
Seeing the small figure on Xiao Yan's shoulder, the expressions of several powerful figures changed, and their gazes grew serious.
As alchemists standing at the pinnacle of the Dou Qi Continent, they understood well what an exotic flame spirit represented. It was said that the flame would reach its perfect potential in the hands of such a being.
Even with their vast soul power, they couldn't match the level Xiao Yan had reached with his exotic flame.
While their flames were certainly powerful, none of them had ever formed a flame spirit.
"Young friend Xiao Yan truly has great fortune. I once tried to subdue the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame myself, but I almost lost my life in its domain," Shennong Elder remarked with a sigh, stroking his beard.
Xiao Yan smiled and then turned to Gu He. "Chief Gu, what flame do you use?"
In Xiao Yan's mind, since Gu He was the top alchemist of Genfu, his cousin Mo Yu likely wouldn't skimp on resources for him. It was probable that he had been given a formidable flame.
Knowing Mo Yu's generous nature, Xiao Yan was quite curious about the flame Gu He possessed.
Hearing Xiao Yan's words, Elder Wanhuo and the others paused, their gazes turning toward Gu He, who had been mostly overlooked until now. They now began to wonder.
Initially, they had thought Gu He was unworthy of standing alongside them, given his lesser fame and alchemy skills. If not for his association with Genfu, Gu He wouldn't have been invited to such a prestigious event.
But now, seeing Xiao Yan's interest, they couldn't help but be intrigued.
"Hehe, it seems nothing escapes you, Xiao Yan. Yes, the Master did provide me with a powerful flame," Gu He said, smiling wryly as he shook his head, realizing he was now the center of attention due to Xiao Yan's words.
"Alright, Gu He, since you're competing, you might as well show your skills. Otherwise, holding back too much would lower the standard of this competition," Shennong Elder said bluntly. Given his seniority in the alchemy world, he had no need to mince words, even with Yao Lao present.
Gu He nodded respectfully. "Since Senior Shennong has spoken, I will comply."
As his words fell, Gu He slowly opened his palm, and from it surged a whirlwind of earthy yellow, rapidly transforming into a terrifying sandstorm. From within the storm, a massive dragon-shaped figure emerged, roaring toward the sky and exuding an overwhelming dragon's might.
But upon closer inspection, one would see that this dragon was not made of wind but of fire!
"This is…" Shennong Elder's eyes narrowed slightly as he sensed the power of the wind dragon. "Could this be the Wind Fury Dragon Flame, ranked 18th on the Flame Ranking?"
"No... that's not right. The Wind Fury Dragon Flame ranks so low; how could it be this powerful?" Elder Wanhuo exclaimed in surprise, feeling the oppressive aura emanating from the flame dragon.
Both the Wind Fury Dragon Flame and Nine Nether Wind Flame were among the few flames on the Flame Ranking associated with wind. Based on their rankings, the Nine Nether Wind Flame should have been more intimidating. Yet, the moment Gu He's flame appeared, even Elder Wanhuo's Nine Nether Wind Flame seemed to shrink in fear.
This suggested that Gu He's flame was more powerful than the 10th-ranked Nine Nether Wind Flame, but none of the flames in the top 10 matched what Gu He had.
From the audience, Yao Dan scrutinized the flame dragon in Gu He's hands for a long time before his face lit with surprise. "It is indeed the Wind Fury Dragon Flame, but why does it feel stronger than the Nine Nether Wind Flame?"
The gathered elders of the Medicine Clan and leaders from various invited sects also exchanged puzzled looks, whispering among themselves.
Only Yao Lao, sensing a familiar aura in Gu He's flame, smiled and said, "That is indeed the Wind Fury Dragon Flame, but it's been upgraded after absorbing the blood essence of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan."
"Oh..." Hearing this, Yao Dan was taken aback. But when he sensed the aura of the Ancient Void Dragon within the flame, his expression changed. "You're right—it's the aura of the Ancient Void Dragon. But..."
He looked at Mo Yu, realization dawning on him. "I heard that the Ancient Void Dragon Clan recently fell into internal strife, even putting their new Dragon Emperor in danger. And Master Mo was involved in this. It seems this rumor is true. Master Mo must have used that opportunity to let the Wind Fury Dragon Flame absorb a large amount of blood essence from powerful wind-attributed Ancient Void Dragons, allowing it to evolve."
Mo Yu smiled calmly, not surprised that Yao Lao and Yao Dan had figured it out. After all, these two were among the top alchemists on the continent and possessed exceptional insight.
"Hehe, you're correct. This flame is the Wind Fury Dragon Flame, which my Genfu purchased from a secluded family in the Eastern Continent," Mo Yu said with a smile, glancing at the fearsome flame in Gu He's hands with satisfaction.
"As for why the flame ranked so low on the Flame Ranking has changed so dramatically, it's because…" Mo Yu paused, smiling mysteriously before continuing, "It absorbed the blood essence of ninety-nine wind-attributed Ancient Void Dragons."
(End of Chapter)
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