Chapter 50: Yao Lao's Puppet Body and the Epiphany of the Three Thousand Burning Flames

The Dou Technique training had just begun, but with his incredible talent, it was abruptly halted.

After completing Yao Lao's Flame Devouring Wave Ruler training, Xiao Yan began his own practice.

Transforming the cave into a comfortable training space, Xiao Yan took out the materials he had bought from the Mittel Auction House from his storage ring.

Yao Lao asked curiously, "Why did you get so many pieces of metal?"

"Teacher, you didn't think I'd be refining low-grade stuff like Blood Coagulation Powder for the Mittel Auction House forever, did you? I'm planning to make some puppets to handle these repetitive tasks," Xiao Yan replied.

As the Xuan Yellow Flame Dou Qi flowed out of Xiao Yan's hands, he used it to refine the materials while drawing inscriptions on them.

Yao Lao recalled the small iron puppets Xiao Yan used to make as a child.

"From those tiny palm-sized things to puppets capable of refining pills... That's quite a leap."

"If any puppet could refine pills, then alchemists would be worthless," Yao Lao said skeptically.

Xiao Yan shrugged, "Refining Blood Coagulation Powder is a simple two-step process: one, refine the medicinal ingredients to extract their essence; two, fuse the medicinal essence. The entire process doesn't need to be completed in a single stroke."

"Creating one puppet to handle the entire process might be difficult, but if several puppets share the work, it becomes quite simple."

Glancing at Yao Lao floating in mid-air, Xiao Yan laughed, "Teacher, how about making one for you as well? Always floating around like a ghost is a bit unsettling."

"Is that any way to talk to your teacher?" Yao Lao scolded playfully, then said, "Even though I'm only a soul form now and my strength is just a fraction of what it once was, I can still walk around the Jia Ma Empire with ease."

"Just save that metal for making those alchemy puppets." Yao Lao shook his head.

As an eighth-tier alchemist, he refused to believe that the art of alchemy could be mastered by mere puppets. If it were just low-level pills like the Blood Coagulation Powder, that might be acceptable. But as the quality of the pills increased, could puppets truly take over?

Xiao Yan's dark eyes focused as he continued refining the ores and drawing inscriptions. He then began assembling the pieces. The whole process was completed in one smooth flow.

Two days later, Xiao Yan's alchemy puppet team was finally built.

The team consisted of five puppets in total.

One was responsible for collecting the refined medicinal essence and completed Blood Coagulation Powder, one for merging the essence, and the other three for refining the medicinal ingredients.

They all looked quite similar.

Each was about one meter tall, with fire and wood-attribute magic cores embedded in their chests. The fire-attribute magic core was of the second tier, while the wood-attribute magic core was only of the first tier. They had a purely iron man-like appearance, inscribed with intricate marks.

Seeing the finished products, Yao Lao was surprised and said with interest, "Try refining a batch of Blood Coagulation Powder."

"Teacher, if I succeed, you must accept a puppet body," Xiao Yan chuckled.

Yao Lao looked at the puppets, which resembled a black skeleton, and shook his head. "This puppet is too ugly. If it were more refined, maybe I'd consider it."

"The one for you will certainly be different from these alchemy puppets. I guarantee it will be exquisitely crafted," Xiao Yan assured with a grin.

Smelling a hint of trickery, Yao Lao changed the topic, "That depends on whether these alchemy puppets can successfully refine medicine."

"Just watch." Xiao Yan snapped his fingers, taking out a cauldron, a set of medicinal ingredients for Blood Coagulation Powder, and dozens of jade bottles before clapping his hands together.

"Alchemy puppets, activate!"

The magic cores suddenly flickered, and the energy within them began to circulate along the inscribed marks on the puppets. All five puppets came to life.

Scanning the cave and detecting the ingredients and cauldron, they immediately started their work methodically.

Watching the red light flow through the puppets as they refined the medicine, Yao Lao's eyes narrowed as the Blood Coagulation Powder neared completion.

"They're using different wavelengths of inscriptions to create varying temperatures of flame. As long as the energy flows according to the inscriptions, whatever they refine will be of perfect quality," Yao Lao mused.

Xiao Yan nodded with a smile. Low-level alchemy was simply a matter of running a program.

That's why alchemists of Liu Xi's caliber could barely supply the needs of a marketplace. Once mastered, it was straightforward.

As the Blood Coagulation Powder was stored in a jade bottle, Yao Lao had to admit that Xiao Yan had succeeded once again.

These alchemy puppets were methodical, producing perfectly refined Blood Coagulation Powder. They were money-making machines of the highest order!

Taking out more medicinal ingredients supplied by the Mittel Auction House, Xiao Yan instructed the alchemy puppets to continue working. He stretched, stood up, and removed the Bone Flame Ring from his finger.

"Teacher, you have to honor your promise. Let's make you a puppet body," Xiao Yan grinned.

"Make it exquisite," Yao Lao demanded, retreating into the Bone Flame Ring, holding onto his last bit of dignity.

Xiao Yan tapped his storage ring, pulling out a refined puppet. With a flick of his finger, he inserted the Bone Flame Ring into the puppet's stomach.

"Teacher, release your soul power to give it a try."

The puppet trembled slightly as its eyes emitted a faint white light. Yao Lao cautiously tested out his new body.

"Didn't expect your puppet-crafting skills to be this good. It feels like a real body," Yao Lao nodded in satisfaction.

However, he suddenly froze, a puzzled look on his face. "But something feels a bit off…"

He blinked, and the Bone Spirit Cold Flame condensed into a mirror before him.

Seeing the reflection of a delicate hummingbird-like puppet, Yao Lao was dumbfounded.

Moments later, Yao Lao flew into the air and pecked at Xiao Yan furiously. "This is the puppet body you prepared for your teacher?!"

"Didn't you want it to be exquisite? Every feather on this puppet was meticulously crafted by me. It's the most refined puppet I've ever made," Xiao Yan laughed, covering his head.

Yao Lao landed on Xiao Yan's shoulder, sighing, "Fine, this will do. Having a human form now might draw unnecessary attention."

"Rest well in the cave. I need to go stretch my wings," Yao Lao said, flapping his wings and flying out.

Under the starry sky, Xiao Yan rubbed his forehead. Making puppets was indeed hard work.

Thankfully, with his current strength, he wasn't at risk of exhaustion.

Suddenly, Xiao Yan blinked and looked up at the starry sky.

"Power of the stars, Three Thousand Burning Flames, Immortal Body!"

A sudden flash of inspiration surged through Xiao Yan's mind.

When refining the alchemy puppets, he had to take a step-by-step approach because of various limitations. Shouldn't he adopt a similar approach for the massive undertaking of comprehending Heavenly Flame?

Replicating the epiphany he had with the Xuan Yellow Flame was challenging. Not every Heavenly Flame facilitated smooth cultivation.

Sitting cross-legged at the cave entrance, Xiao Yan began meditating, basking in the starlight.

From the second version of the Flame Mantra onwards, its cultivation had become entirely different.

The primary difference was that his fire-attributed Dou Qi had to evolve to the level of Heavenly Flame.

Moreover, through constant growth, he aimed to reach the level of Emperor Flame, eventually surpassing even that.

The 22 types of Heavenly Flames on the Heavenly Flame Ranking each had unique abilities. Combining them into an Emperor Flame was actually a waste.

Xiao Yan aimed to become the Emperor Flame himself, preserving all 22 Heavenly Flames.

Additionally, the advancement of his cultivation method was becoming more diverse.

Besides merging beast flames and Heavenly Flames to upgrade the method, self-realization and innovation in cultivation techniques also became a path to upgrade.

Lastly, Xiao Yan had a plan for the 22 Heavenly Flames he wanted to keep: each would undergo cultivation to give birth to flame spirits, allowing them to grow independently.

The ancient Emperor Tuoshe was initially a weak flame that cultivated the Flame Mantra to become a Dou Emperor.

Xiao Yan was confident in his extraordinary talent.

With Heavenly Flames paired with suitable cultivation methods, his achievements wouldn't fall short of Tuoshe Ancient Emperor.

For now, however, there was no immediate breakthrough.

Upon leaving the cave, Yao Lao naturally wasn't just stretching his wings.

Using spatial power, Yao Lao's figure vanished from the valley and reappeared in the Xiao Clan.

Finding his way, Yao Lao, in his refined form, easily slipped through a hole in an artificial mountain and descended into a secret training ground few in the Xiao Clan knew about.

Since barely escaping death, Xiao Lin had given up on the idea of leading the clan to glory. He stayed in Wutan City, determined to live as long as possible to safeguard his grandson's future path.

Over the past eight years, Xiao Lin, already talented, made significant progress, now a three-star Dou King.

"Who goes there?" Like a waking lion, Xiao Lin's eyes snapped open as azure Dou Qi gathered on his face, forming a ferocious lion head.

"Your senses

 are sharp, but the technique you're cultivating is holding you back," Yao Lao remarked.

Seeing the speaking bird, Xiao Lin was initially shocked. Then, realizing the gap in their strength, he respectfully asked, "Senior, who might you be?"

"You have a fine grandson, and luck is on your side." Yao Lao flapped his wings, and three beams of light fell before Xiao Lin.

Seeing the three items, Xiao Lin gasped.

"High-level Earth-Grade cultivation method, Celestial Wind Cleaving Technique. High-level Earth-Grade Dou Technique, Storm Dimension. Experience in Dou King cultivation and breakthroughs."

Any one of these items would be a priceless treasure, coveted even in the entire Northwest region.

"Senior, are you Xiao Yan's master?" Xiao Lin didn't touch the items but rose respectfully and cupped his hands.

Yao Lao chuckled, "Your daughter-in-law must have told you. Your Xiao Clan has produced an excellent disciple for me."

"Her talent is good, and with the right cultivation method, she has surpassed you. In the entire Jia Ma Empire, few can rival her."

Xiao Lin nodded with some embarrassment. The Xiao Clan's strongest person had changed a few years ago, though not many knew it.

Yao Lao said solemnly, "Xiao Yan won't remain in this remote city forever. He will eventually leave the Jia Ma Empire. As my disciple, he is destined to face many powerful enemies.

"Now, while there is a period of peace, you should cultivate seriously. In the future, you can be of help to him. With your talent and my assistance, you can reach the Dou Ancestor level in three to four years."

"Thank you, senior. I will not disappoint your expectations," Xiao Lin replied gravely.

Instead of resenting Yao Lao for bringing trouble to the Xiao Clan, Xiao Lin earnestly began studying the cultivation method.

He understood that his grandson's talent was exceptional. The Xiao Clan could protect him in the Jia Ma Empire but couldn't provide the rare resources for his cultivation.

Yao Lao's arrival filled that gap.

Seeing Xiao Lin's focused expression, Yao Lao nodded and flew out of the underground chamber with a slightly heavy heart.

If Xiao Yan were just an ordinary genius, his soul power wouldn't have recovered much even with three more years of Dou Qi nurturing.

There were many things he couldn't do, no matter how willing he was.

But Xiao Yan was extraordinary. Seven years of continuous, pure Dou Qi nurturing had restored Yao Lao's soul power to its peak.

Before returning to Central Plains, he intended to cultivate a certain level of power.

Even children in Central Plains knew the division of forces there: one hall, one tower, two sects, three valleys, and four pavilions.

In the face of the Soul Hall, even the Falling Star Pavilion was just a slightly larger ant.

Relying on Feng Xian and himself could only hold things for a while. He had to give Xiao Yan as much time as possible to cultivate so he could protect the Falling Star Pavilion and defeat the Soul Hall.

Under the starry glow, Xiao Yan gradually sensed the unique properties of the starlight.

[With your years of cultivation experience and keen soul perception, you have gained insight into the secret technique, "Three Thousand Star Technique."]

[Three Thousand Star Technique: Absorb the power of stars to nurture the body, ultimately condensing the Three Thousand Burning Flames in the Dou Qi Cyclone.]

Xiao Yan had thought that his next epiphany would involve Yin-Yang Dual Flame or Myriad Beast Spirit Flame. Unexpectedly, a sudden inspiration led him to the secret method that enhances his Xuan Yellow Flame Dou Qi with the Three Thousand Burning Flames effect.

Taking a deep breath, Xiao Yan formed a hand seal. His body trembled slightly as silver light particles condensed from the air and surged into his body.

These silver particles, a concentrated manifestation of starlight, entered his body through his pores.

As Xiao Yan absorbed the star power for the first time, he felt an energy even gentler than Dou Qi.

The star power flowed through his meridians, and as it completed a cycle within his body, the fatigue from days of puppet crafting vanished.

No wonder those who fused with the Three Thousand Burning Flames could attain the "Immortal Body"!

(End of Chapter)