Chapter 181: Mang Qianchi
After hearing the words of Elders Qian and Bai, Yao Yan felt a faint sense of relief. If these two old monsters had truly chosen to ignore honor and morality, today might have turned troublesome for him. Fortunately, that wasn't the case. Among all the factions on the Dou Qi Continent, Canaan Academy's moral standards were still considered relatively high. They followed rules and reason.
But thinking about it, it made sense. If Qian and Bai had harbored any ill intentions, then Xiao Yan in the original story wouldn't have walked out of the Black-Corner Region alive.
"The senior's name was Heavenly Flame Master. He was likely someone from several thousand years ago," Yao Yan said calmly.
"Heavenly Flame Master?" Qian and Bai exchanged glances. Clearly, they hadn't heard of this name before. But it was just a passing question—they didn't press the matter.
Elder Qian sized up Yao Yan and shifted the topic. "You're from the Yao Clan?"
Unlike Su Qian, who knew little of the ancient clans, Elders Qian and Bai were clearly much more informed. Once one reached a certain level of strength, some things ceased to be secrets. Because they understood what kind of colossus those ancient clans were.
Compared to the ancient imperial clans, the public factions of the Dou Qi Continent were insignificant.
"I used to be, but not anymore... Perhaps you two seniors aren't aware, but in the Yao Clan, someone like me—whose name isn't even recorded on the ancestral stele—has no right to call himself a Yao outside the clan," Yao Yan replied with a trace of self-mockery in his eyes.
At the same time, in the Bone Flame Ring, Yao Lao's expression also carried a hint of melancholy. Even now, deep in his heart, he still harbored a desire for that ancestral stele. It had been his obsession as a youth, and his parents' hope. But as time passed, this obsession had been buried deep within, never to be spoken aloud.
The Heavenly Flame Master muttered, "With that boy's talent, the Yao Clan actually abandoned him..."
He shook his head in disbelief.
Back outside.
Elders Qian and Bai voiced the same thought aloud, their tone carrying a trace of emotion: "With your talent, even you couldn't leave your name on the ancestral stele? Are the Yao Clan elders blind?"
They were practically one sentence away from saying: Want to join the Lei Clan instead?
With his cultivation and alchemy talents, if Yao Yan had been in the Lei Clan, he would've been worshipped like a treasure. Even if his bloodline was lacking, it wouldn't matter—bloodline concentration could be improved over time, if one was willing to pay the price.
"I violated one of the clan's taboos..." Yao Yan replied softly, not explaining further. No one liked to dwell on painful memories.
He did, in fact, have feelings for his parents in this life. Humans weren't made of wood. His memories as a child weren't faint; rather, with the increase in his soul realm, they had become even more vivid and detailed...
Elder Qian frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "I won't hide it from you—the headmaster of Canaan Academy is an elder of the Lei Clan. Since you're from the Yao Clan, you should've heard of the Lei Clan. If what you did wasn't too serious, the headmaster should be able to help resolve it."
Su Qian's eyes widened at those words—it was clearly the first time he'd heard them. He didn't know much about that headmaster whom he hadn't seen in decades, let alone what position he held in the Lei Clan.
Yao Yan was also a little stunned. He hadn't expected them to say this. After a moment of thought, he cupped his fists and declined, "The matter is complicated. Even if the headmaster is a Lei Clan elder, I doubt he could resolve it. There's no need to trouble Canaan Academy."
"That's a pity… But if you ever face trouble, come to Canaan Academy," Elder Qian said with a smile.
"Thank you."
Yao Yan paused for a moment, then responded with a respectful bow.
"There's no need to be so polite. You're half a member of Canaan Academy. That day, you could've taken both Fallen Heart Flames, but you chose to leave one behind. That alone earned you a huge favor from Canaan Academy," Elder Qian added.
Hearing this, Yao Yan felt a little out of place. After so long on the Dou Qi Continent, it had been a while since he'd met such reasonable people.
After some hesitation, he replied, "One flame was enough for me. Besides, Canaan Academy had been guarding it for hundreds of years. Technically speaking, I was the one who took it from the academy—there's no favor involved."
"That thing already had significant intelligence before being sealed. If it were easy to deal with, the headmaster wouldn't have sealed it here in the first place. Heavenly flames are naturally wild. Even if you hadn't released it, it would've broken free eventually. That would've caused Canaan Academy huge problems. Now that it's resolved, we owe you that favor. If the Yao Clan gives you trouble in the future, just invoke the headmaster's name."
Elder Qian gently stroked his beard. A glint of light flashed in his eyes as he spoke a name: "Mang Qianchi."
Mang Qianchi, Lei Clan elder. Half-saint level cultivator. A nomadic wanderer...
Though it was unclear why such a person had protected the academy so quietly, Yao Yan wasn't the kind to go looking for trouble. He respectfully cupped his hands and replied, "I'll remember it."
"We two old men will be going back into seclusion now. If you need anything, go find Su Qian."
As the elder's voice faded, Qian and Bai's figures slowly merged into space itself, vanishing without a ripple. Their mastery over space was truly extraordinary.
"These two are strong. Their comprehension of spatial force isn't low. In less than twenty years, they'll probably reach the Dou Zun realm," Yao Lao commented in Yao Yan's mind. With the two elders gone, he could relax without fear of being discovered.
"That Mang Qianchi—do you know him?" asked the Heavenly Flame Master curiously.
"No. But if he's an elder of the Lei Clan, his strength certainly isn't weak…" Yao Lao responded with some gravity. He hadn't expected Canaan Academy to have such a powerful backing. Thankfully, Yao Yan hadn't done anything extreme—otherwise, provoking someone like that might've cost him ten lives.
In the imperial clans, anyone called an "elder" was at minimum a peak Dou Zun. Some might've even touched the realm of Dou Sheng.
And anyone tied to a Dou Sheng was standing at the absolute pinnacle of the continent.
To be blunt—
In front of a Dou Sheng, even a peak Dou Zun was no different from a Dou Practitioner. All were ants. That realm was simply beyond mortal comprehension.
"Do you think he can solve the trouble surrounding Yao Yan?" the Heavenly Flame Master asked.
"...Hard to say."
Yao Lao gave an uncertain answer. He knew well what kind of person the Yao Clan's Punishment Elder was. Even if Mang Qianchi were powerful, he might not be able to sway anything—worse still, it could backfire.
Yao Yan simply replied, "Better to rely on yourself than others."
Then he turned away from the two and looked at the still-dazed Su Qian, smiling, "Grand Elder, shall we continue our fight?"
"Enough," Su Qian muttered, glaring at Yao Yan before flying back toward the courtyard. He even rolled up his sleeves to hide the evidence—if word got out that he'd been beaten by a junior, it'd be a real joke.
…
In a dark-red void.
Elders Qian and Bai sat cross-legged at the center. Intense dou qi waves rippled from them, occasionally disturbing the surrounding space. As they opened their eyes, both revealed flashes of shock and disbelief.
"Such terrifying talent. At that age, to reach such strength—his physical body might even surpass some six- or seven-star Dou Zongs."
"His soul is even more terrifying. Not yet twenty and already possesses a Spirit Realm soul. He's a tier-7 alchemist too… Even within the Yao Clan, there shouldn't be many like him. If the headmaster finds out he was expelled, he'll probably mock the Yao Clan for their blindness."
"Ancient clans are always like that…"
Their conversation drifted back to years past. They had once followed Mang Qianchi into the Lei Clan and knew firsthand what it was like. The pride and arrogance of those core members were almost inborn.
"The headmaster founded Canaan Academy for youths like him. Hopefully, he'll grow into someone worthy."
"If the headmaster sees him, he'll definitely like the boy."
As the words faded, the void fell into silence once more. Their figures merged into the surrounding space, entering deep seclusion. In this space they had created themselves, time seemed to lose meaning.
The only way they could track time was by counting the new students entering the Inner Academy each year.
…
Back at the courtyard.
Zi Yan blinked her big eyes, looking over Yao Yan. Once she confirmed he was unharmed, she turned to Su Qian with a frown and muttered, "Old man, you're no good~"
"..." Both Su Qian and Yao Yan fell silent.
The former fell into a small depression. The latter was just confused—did Zi Yan really want to see him get beaten up?
"Eat." Yao Yan handed her a bottle of pills from his ring to shut her up, then turned to the grim-faced Su Qian and cleared his throat. "Grand Elder, let's talk cooperation. I plan to destroy Demon Flame Valley and establish a new faction on its ruins. I may need Canaan Academy's help in the future."
"?!" Su Qian forgot to be angry. He looked at Yao Yan in disbelief. "What did you say—you're going to destroy Demon Flame Valley?!"
"The ancestor of Demon Flame Valley was seriously injured by that senior from Canaan Academy. If we don't move now, when will we?" Yao Yan replied calmly.
"Are you confident? That Earth Demon Old Ghost may be wounded, but at his peak, he was a seven-star Dou Zong. You…" Su Qian looked him up and down, clearly thinking he was delusional—just a four-star Dou Huang trying to challenge a seven-star Dou Zong?
"I'm confident," Yao Yan said firmly.
"You probably don't understand the gap between a two-star and a seven-star Dou Zong. Frankly, even I wouldn't last a few moves against him," Su Qian warned with a frown.
"I have trump cards," Yao Yan admitted, though he didn't go as far as to claim he could flatten the old ghost.
Seven-star Dou Zongs weren't cabbages. Even in the Central Plains, such people could serve as elders of major factions.
Not waiting for Su Qian to continue, he added, "The main reason I came was to discuss future cooperation. I hope past misunderstandings won't ruin our collaboration—that's also why I came clean."
Su Qian fell silent for a moment before replying, "If you really destroy Demon Flame Valley, there won't be much issue working with you."
Canaan Academy's mission had always been to give talented youths a good environment to grow. Too many had missed their prime years due to lack of resources. The academy had been founded to prevent that.
If not, with Mang Qianchi's power, he could've just taken the Fallen Heart Flame and left—why seal it and build an academy over it?
"It's a deal," Yao Yan said with a soft smile.
Su Qian continued to frown. "But think carefully. That Earth Demon Old Ghost isn't easy to deal with."
"Thank you for your concern, Grand Elder. I've thought it through. There won't be any surprises. If you're worried, you're welcome to come watch," Yao Yan offered.
Su Qian gave him a strange look. "Aren't you worried the Yao Clan might come after you? With their power, the rules of the Black-Corner Region won't mean anything."
"I'm a Dou Huang now… When you're weak, you hide. But now, there's no need. Some things must be faced eventually," Yao Yan said slowly, a flicker in his eyes.
"If trouble comes, you can come to me. If things get serious, I can invoke the headmaster's name. I'm sure the Yao Clan will show some respect," Su Qian said.
"Thank you."
Yao Yan offered him a solemn bow.
(END CHAPTER)
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