"Flame Mantra, indeed it is here!"
Opening the Bone-Chilling Flame ring from Yao Chen's collection, Gu Changqing immediately began searching for the Flame Mantra, a technique capable of devouring and evolving heavenly flames.
Soon, Gu Changqing found a black scroll among the pile of martial arts and techniques. Unrolling it, he confirmed that it was indeed the Flame Mantra.
"Great, I finally found a decent gift for Sister. But before that, I need to improve this technique first."
With Gu Changqing's experience, spanning from the Era of Gods and Demons to the coexistence of Immortals, Gods, and Demons, and then to the End of the Law Era, he had seen and practiced many cultivation methods and had long surpassed ordinary Immortals.
Improving a flawed special technique was, of course, not a difficult task for him.
Gu Changqing stayed right there and began to enhance the flawed Flame Mantra.
Time passed silently, and the Xiao family was in an uproar.
"What? Xiao Yan actually jumped off a cliff!"
"This guy, how could he be so weak? Just because the woman came to request a divorce, he couldn't handle the blow and jumped off a cliff?"
"Is it necessary to be this disgraceful? From now on, everyone in Wutan City will laugh at our Xiao family!"
"What happened to Xiao Yan? Did he die?"
"No, he only broke a leg and several ribs. The clan leader is currently heading to the Mittel Auction House to ask Master Gu Ni, a second-tier alchemist, to help him heal."
"What a troublemaker for the family. Why didn't he just die?"
"."
The Xiao family members were furious. They couldn't vent their anger publicly, so they had lost the Xiao family's face. Now, with Xiao Yan's cliff-jumping scandal, they had become a laughingstock in Wutan City.
"Xiao Yan jumped off a cliff?!"
Even Nalan Yanran and others, who had not yet left Wutan City, were shocked by the news.
Xiao Yan had been boasting so fiercely in the morning. How could he suddenly seek death?
This was absurd!
"Um, Yanran, did we say something particularly offensive when we visited the Xiao family this morning?"
Ge Ye was also bewildered, repeatedly questioning himself if he had done something wrong in terms of etiquette, causing a junior to commit suicide.
"Hmph, a useless person, not worth a fuss!"
The handsome young man accompanying Nalan Yanran and Ge Ye snorted disdainfully.
"Mo Li, don't speak carelessly. Don't let people think our Yun Lan Sect has no manners."
Ge Ye lightly scolded the handsome young man.
"Understood."
Mo Li obediently responded, but his gaze remained fixed on Nalan Yanran.
At this moment, Nalan Yanran's mind was already focused on someone else.
"I wonder, what kind of background does that young man named Gu Changqing come from? He doesn't seem to be from the Xiao family. Moreover, he mentioned that he would be traveling soon. How about…"
Nalan Yanran's beautiful eyes brightened slightly as if she had come up with a good idea.
Seeing Nalan Yanran's absent-mindedness and her shifting expressions, Mo Li lowered his head slightly, a trace of killing intent flickering in his eyes.
"Gu Changqing, since you've attracted Yanran's attention, don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Gu Changqing, of course, was unaware that Mo Li had developed a killing intent toward him. Even if he did, he wouldn't care—just an ant of a fighter, what could he do?
When Gu Changqing returned to the Xiao family, it was already night.
He quietly entered his bedroom without waking the neighboring Xun'er.
However, as soon as he entered the room, Gu Changqing's face stiffened.
In the darkness, a delicate and exquisite figure slowly walked toward him, stopping in front of him, and calmly asked:
"Where have you been?"
"Uh, Sister you're still awake?"
Gu Changqing awkwardly asked.
"Where have you been?"
Xun'er's beautiful eyes fixed on Gu Changqing, continuing to question.
"I went treasure hunting. Sister, this is a gift I prepared for you."
Gu Changqing quickly took out the Flame Mantra from the storage ring and handed it to Xun'er.
In the darkness, Xun'er's icy expression softened a lot. As she took the black scroll from Gu Changqing's hand, she said:
"What kind of treasure takes so long?"
"You'll see once you look at it. I'm sure you'll be satisfied."
Gu Changqing confidently spoke as he took out a moonlight stone from the storage ring.
"Is that so?"
Xun'er was intrigued by Gu Changqing's enthusiasm. She was actually happy in her heart.
As long as it was a gift from her younger brother, she liked it no matter what it was.
She unrolled the scroll, and the first thing that caught her eye was two ordinary characters.
Flame Mantra!
"Could it be a powerful fire attribute technique?"
Xun'er wondered silently and continued to read. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Yellow-grade low-level?!"
"Gu Changqing, you came back late, and now you dare to joke with me using a Yellow-grade low-level technique!"
Xun'er snapped the Flame Mantra shut and advanced to scold Gu Changqing.
"Sister, it's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Please take another look. This technique is very special!"
Gu Changqing, not wanting to experience Xun'er's small claws, though very delicate, could still be quite painful when pinched.
"Special?"
Xun'er glanced at Gu Changqing and, seeing his determined expression, skeptically opened the black scroll again.
Soon, Xun'er's expression grew serious.
"A technique that devours and evolve heavenly flames? There is such a technique? Qing'er, where did you get this technique?"
Closing the black scroll in her hand, Xun'er asked solemnly.
"Have you heard of Yao Chen, the Medicine Sovereign?"
Gu Changqing led Xun'er to sit on a nearby chair.
"Yao Chen, the former top alchemist of the continent and the master of the Starfall Pavilion?"
Xun'er knew of the major events that had occurred on the continent and was familiar with many forces and figures in the Douqi Continent.
"Yes, this technique was obtained by Yao Chen from an ancient secret realm. Later, due to this technique, he was betrayed and killed by his disciple Han Feng in alliance with outsiders. I received Yao Chen's entire legacy, which includes this technique. Sister Xun'er, this is Yao Chen's ring."
Gu Changqing handed over the ring from Yao Chen's legacy and granted Xun'er access to inspect its contents.
"This ring, it seems a bit familiar?"
Xun'er looked at the ring in Gu Changqing's hand with some confusion.
"It's the one Xiao Yan usually wears."
Gu Changqing did not hide this from Xun'er.