Once Elder Xuan had left for good, Xiao Yan finally allowed himself to relax. He lay flat on the ground, exhausted, his clothes soaked in sweat.
After a few moments, under the cover of night, Xiao Yan got up and quickly made his way back to his rented room near Shrek Academy, locking the door and windows securely.
Inside the small room, he sat cross-legged, focusing his soul power internally. His gaze locked onto the small, purple-red flame that he had absorbed from the red-clad woman, his spirit probing it with increasing intensity.
Though the purple flame had an unruly nature, it was without a master now. Under Xiao Yan's persistent spiritual invasion, it gradually yielded to him, allowing him to take control.
After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes, a faint purple gleam flickering within his dark pupils. Concentrating, he extended his hand, commanding, "Appear!"
In response to his command, a thin strand of purple-red flame rose from his fingertip, twisting and dancing upward.
"An actual flame?" Xiao Yan's eyes widened in astonishment. Typically, only a fourth-tier alchemist could produce such a tangible flame, yet here it was, summoned effortlessly by him.
After a moment of shock, he took a deep breath and muttered with a slight tremor in his voice, "Teacher, you need to see this."
"Yes, I see it," came Yao Lao's curious voice. Emerging from the ring, his spectral form floated before Xiao Yan, observing the purple-red flame with a hint of surprise.
"This purple flame appears to be a remnant of that woman's martial spirit," Yao Lao remarked. "It's no true Heavenly Flame, but it surpasses the usual Dou Qi flames. It's akin to the beast flames from Dou Qi Continent but is weaker than the high-tier ones. It's comparable to the flames found in lower-tier magical beasts."
"Then… am I its master now? It won't retaliate like it did with that woman, right?" Xiao Yan asked cautiously.
"This flame is too weak to harm you," Yao Lao reassured him. "Even if it did, I'm here to help."
"Teacher, do you think if I consume and refine it, it might trigger an evolution in the Flame Mantra?" Xiao Yan inquired eagerly.
After a moment's pause, Yao Lao shook his head. "Unlikely. It's too weak to make an impact. But if you can gather similar flames in this world and merge them, perhaps it might work."
Xiao Yan nodded, deep in thought. Though Flame Mantra was remarkable, its energy production and storage felt limited. Fortunately, he could still rely on converting soul power to Dou Qi, which prevented him from running out of energy when using Dou techniques.
"If you truly wish to enhance Flame Mantra with this purple-red flame, I know another method." Yao Lao's voice grew contemplative.
"What's the method?" Xiao Yan perked up.
Yao Lao smiled. "Refine it into a source flame and nurture it within your core. When it reaches a certain strength, consume it using Flame Mantra. This might trigger an evolution."
Xiao Yan blinked, then chuckled. "Teacher, that sounds like raising livestock. Feed it until it's fat enough, then slaughter it to eat."
"Precisely!" Yao Lao laughed, nodding.
Xiao Yan looked down at the flame flickering on his finger, taking a deep breath. "Teacher, since I can't find a true Heavenly Flame, this may be my only way to evolve the Flame Mantra. How do I refine it?"
"Close your eyes. I'll transmit the refining method to you." Yao Lao extended a hand, placing it gently on Xiao Yan's forehead.
As a wave of knowledge flowed into his mind, Xiao Yan closed his eyes, focusing his soul energy around the purple-red flame within his body. He surrounded it with his spirit, guiding it toward his Dou Qi core.
Following Yao Lao's instructions, Xiao Yan carved out a small space within his core, encircling the purple-red flame. After a while, he used his spiritual energy to force the flame into the core, creating a small chamber for it to reside in.
As his Dou Qi spun faster, an energy sphere the size of a fist formed, encasing the flame.
In the darkened void within his core, the purple-red flame flickered gently, exuding a faint warmth.
After ensuring everything was stable, Xiao Yan gradually withdrew his soul energy.
…
Opening his eyes, Xiao Yan's pupils briefly flashed with a trace of purple before returning to normal.
"Did it work?" Yao Lao asked, his figure floating before Xiao Yan.
"Yes, it's done," Xiao Yan replied, opening his palm to reveal the purple-red flame dancing quietly in his hand.
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