Chapter 292: The Valley of Demon Flames
"Assist you with your cultivation?" Han Yue's clear, bright eyes showed a trace of confusion. Her face flushed as she gazed at Xiao Yan, her unease evident.
The warmth of Xiao Yan's breath tickled her skin, and the close proximity made her feel both shy and awkward.
"How am I supposed to help you cultivate?"
Xiao Yan's smile grew wider as he saw her confused and innocent expression one that didn't quite match her usual dignified demeanor. The fire already smoldering within him flared even higher.
He reached out, wrapping an arm around Han Yue's slender waist, and lowered his head toward her slightly parted, rosy lips.
"Mm!" Han Yue's mind went blank for a moment. But this was only the beginning.
In the next moment, Xiao Yan teleported them to a serene, ancient courtyard. The courtyard housed a two story wooden building, part of a private residence that Su Qian had arranged for him.
As Xiao Yan deepened their intimacy, Han Yue finally realized what he truly meant by "helping him cultivate."
"This is what you meant by cultivation?" Han Yue's voice trembled with both frustration and embarrassment as she glared at Xiao Yan, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Relax," Xiao Yan replied with a wicked grin. "You'll come to love this method."
Seven Days Later
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye. Two figures emerged from the quiet, secluded courtyard.
Xiao Yan looked refreshed, his complexion glowing with vitality. Beside him, Han Yue retained her usual graceful demeanor, but her once cold and aloof expression now carried a subtle softness a newfound charm.
"Well? Didn't I tell you you'd enjoy it?" Xiao Yan teased, his grin as mischievous as ever.
"Shameless." Han Yue rolled her eyes at him, her cheeks flushing red.
Despite her protest, she didn't refute his words.
After all, the results of these seven days had been astonishing. Her cultivation had skyrocketed from the fifth star of the Dou Ling realm to its very peak. Such rapid progress was unprecedented for her.
This leap was thanks not only to Xiao Yan's increasingly formidable strength making their dual cultivation incredibly beneficial but also to Han Yue's first time participation and the residual energy from Xiao Yan's refinement of the Sea Heart Flame.
"Who would've thought that cultivation could feel so... pleasant." As the thought crossed her mind, Han Yue's face turned an even deeper shade of red.
"Let's head back to the Alchemy Department," Xiao Yan suggested, his voice lighthearted. "The elders there are still waiting for me to refine pills for them."
Xiao Yan reached out, taking Han Yue's delicate hand. She hesitated for a moment, instinctively wanting to pull away, but eventually allowed him to hold her hand.
As they walked, a question began to surface in Han Yue's mind. She bit her lip, her expression becoming hesitant.
"Xiao Yan..." she started, then stopped, as if unsure how to continue.
"What is it?" Xiao Yan turned to her, his dark eyes meeting hers.
"You... you don't only have me, do you?" Han Yue asked quietly, her voice tinged with complexity.
"Of course not," Xiao Yan replied without hesitation, smiling gently.
He could tell what was on her mind immediately this wasn't the first time he'd been asked this question by one of the women in his life. By now, he had mastered the art of navigating such moments.
"Yue'er," Xiao Yan said softly, pulling her closer. "I won't lie I know I'm not the most loyal man. But please believe me when I say, you hold a special place in my heart."
Han Yue fell silent at his words, her emotions difficult to discern.
Xiao Yan didn't press her further. Instead, he simply held her tightly, letting his actions convey his feelings.
An Intrusion
Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps broke the moment.
Han Yue stiffened, her first instinct being to pull away from Xiao Yan's embrace. But Xiao Yan held her firmly, a mischievous glint in his eye.
Both of them turned toward the source of the footsteps and spotted a familiar figure a handsome young man with an awkward expression.
"Elder Xiao Yan... Han Yue," Lin Xiuya greeted with a forced smile. "You two carry on. I didn't see anything."
"Good man," Xiao Yan said with a chuckle, watching as Lin Xiuya quickly turned and left.
Once he was out of sight, Lin Xiuya let out a long sigh.
"Well, that was awkward," he muttered. But his expression quickly turned thoughtful as he recalled Han Yue's aura.
"Her cultivation... It's stronger than mine now," he realized, startled.
Lin Xiuya, already a seven star Dou Ling, found it hard to believe that Han Yue, who had previously been weaker than him, had surpassed him in such a short amount of time.
"Han Yue is truly remarkable," he mused. "Even Elder Xiao Yan seems to favor her greatly. He must have given her quite the boost in cultivation."
A Proposal
Back in the courtyard, Han Yue finally wriggled free from Xiao Yan's arms, glaring at him with playful annoyance.
"You're terrible."
"Men who aren't a little bad don't attract women," Xiao Yan quipped, grinning.
"You're insufferable," Han Yue retorted with a pout before her expression softened. After a moment, she asked hesitantly, "When you have time, would you come back to the Han Clan with me?"
Xiao Yan's expression turned gentle as he reached out to stroke her silver hair.
"Of course," he replied. "Once Zi Yan completes her breakthrough, I'll make a trip back to Central Plains. I'll personally visit the Han Clan and let them know that you're mine."
Hearing his words, Han Yue's apprehension melted away, replaced by a look of tenderness.
"I know a man like you will never have just one woman," she said softly, smiling like a blooming snow lotus. "But meeting you... It's already a blessing."
"Your clan isn't the only reason I want to visit," Xiao Yan teased inwardly, though he kept his thoughts to himself.
Instead, he smiled and asked, "By the way, doesn't your clan live near the Hong Clan?"
"Yes," Han Yue replied, her brow furrowing slightly. "Why do you ask?"
"I've heard a little about them," Xiao Yan said with a sly grin. "The Hong Clan recently produced a so called genius, right? Someone who's been eyeing you for a while?"
"How did you know?" Han Yue blinked in surprise.
"Let's just say I'm well informed," Xiao Yan replied with a chuckle.
Hearing this, Han Yue's usually calm eyes flashed with a trace of disgust.
"That guy joined the Wind and Thunder Pavilion years ago, and ever since, he's become increasingly arrogant. He even had the audacity to demand that I become his concubine," she said with a voice laced with anger.
Hearing her frustrated tone, Xiao Yan smirked, a hint of disdain curling his lips.
"A mere disciple of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion? When I visit the Han Clan, even the Pavilion Master himself would have to obediently pour me tea," Xiao Yan said with a cocky grin.
"You're so full of it!" Han Yue retorted, covering her smile as her eyes curved into crescents.
"Full of it?" Xiao Yan pinched her cheek lightly, mock offense in his tone.
"The Pavilion Master of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion is nothing more than a low level Dou Zun. Even his strength is hardly worth mentioning in front of me. Compared to my teacher, he's not even in the same league."
"Do you know Yao Chen, the Medicine Sovereign? He once begged me with tears streaming down his face before I reluctantly agreed to take him as my teacher."
"The Wind and Thunder Pavilion and my Falling Star Pavilion might both be members of the Four Pavilions, but comparing the two is like comparing heaven and earth."
"So, you're the disciple of the Medicine Sovereign," Han Yue murmured, her expression shifting as she digested Xiao Yan's words.
The revelation clicked into place for her. As Yao Chen's apprentice and the Young Master of the Falling Star Pavilion, Xiao Yan's background was indeed terrifyingly powerful. Even in the vast Central Plains, such a pedigree was among the best of the best.
With Yao Chen standing behind him, no one would dare provoke Xiao Yan unless they had a death wish.
Though Xiao Yan's boastful tone carried a hint of arrogance, it was laced with an undeniable charm the confidence of a man who had truly earned his position.
Realizing this, Han Yue's gaze softened, a faint look of admiration appearing in her eyes.
Seeing her smitten expression, Xiao Yan felt a swell of satisfaction. A slight regret lingered in his heart, though: If my identity as the Young Master of the Xiao Clan were still active, the Pavilion Master of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion would probably prostrate himself before me without hesitation.
Unfortunately, his status as the Xiao Clan's Emperor's Son had been temporarily frozen.
As they chatted, Xiao Yan and Han Yue soon arrived at the territory of the Alchemy Department.
"Elder Xiao Yan! Elder Xiao Yan!"
The department's elders greeted Xiao Yan enthusiastically, their faces lighting up with smiles akin to those of devoted followers.
"Haha, I've kept everyone waiting," Xiao Yan said warmly. "Gather everyone who needs my help. Any elder in the academy requiring pills just bring me the materials, and I'll handle the rest."
Hearing this, the elders' faces lit up with excitement, their gazes toward Xiao Yan filled with gratitude and reverence.
For the Alchemy Department's elders, even Xiao Yan's casual guidance could help them overcome long standing obstacles in their refinement techniques. For others, having Xiao Yan personally refine a pill was a priceless opportunity.
Where a fifth tier elder might only have a 30% success rate on a given pill, Xiao Yan's success rate was nearly 100%. This difference saved enormous amounts of valuable resources.
Thus began a period of peace for Xiao Yan at Jia Nan Academy.
By day, he assisted the elders with alchemy and refined his Crimson Flame Demonic Body to its seventh level using the Sea Heart Flame. By night, he cultivated alongside Han Yue, deepening their connection.
However, as Xiao Yan ascended to the Dou Zun realm, he began to feel the slowing pace of cultivation.
Reaching higher stars within the Dou Zun rank required an enormous accumulation of Dou Qi so much that even with his exceptional talent, bloodline power, the assistance of exotic flames, and dual cultivation techniques, progress without external resources became painfully slow.
By his estimation, advancing from a two star to a three star Dou Zun through regular cultivation alone would take nearly a year.
The further he progressed, the more Dou Qi was required. Achieving the Dou Sheng rank through cultivation alone might take him until his thirties or even longer.
This realization would have made most Dou Zun experts faint with envy. For ordinary Dou Zun practitioners, even with ideal conditions, a single star's advancement could take decades. Yet Xiao Yan saw a year as an arduous delay.
A Month Later
After a month of steady cultivation, Xiao Yan's progress remained modest. He advanced from the early stage of two star Dou Zun to its mid stage.
Meanwhile, others at the academy had seen dramatic improvements. Han Yue reached the second star Dou Wang realm, and many elders had significantly improved their alchemical skills under Xiao Yan's guidance. Some even began preparing to break into the sixth tier rank of alchemy.
However, Xiao Yan continued to await Zi Yan's breakthrough. Even with the Transformation Pill aiding her evolution, the process of advancing to the sixth tier required time.
As Xiao Yan prepared to return to the Yan Alliance for an inspection, urgent news reached the Inner Academy.
"First Elder, something terrible has happened! Elder Hao and the others have been captured by people from the Demon Flame Valley!"
A disheveled Lin Yan burst into Su Qian's office, his voice trembling with anger and frustration. Xiao Yan happened to overhear this as he passed by.
"Demon Flame Valley? What happened?" Su Qian's expression darkened.
"It's their Great Elder, Fang Yan," Lin Yan explained, his voice filled with bitterness. "On this trip, we obtained a precious treasure, but the Demon Flame Valley intercepted us. Fang Yan even demanded that Jia Nan Academy hand over a Huangji Pill as ransom for our captured elders!"
"What audacity! How dare they!" Su Qian slammed his teacup against the table, shattering it.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Demon Flame Valley, huh? If I remember correctly, they have some interesting treasures of their own," he muttered, his eyes gleaming.
(End of Chapter)
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