Chapter 11: The Ring Stolen

After a brief moment of daze, Xiao Yan's chest heaved as he hoarsely spoke:

"So, the Dou Qi that mysteriously disappeared from my body, was it your doing?"

"Heh heh, I was forced into it. Don't blame me, little brat."

The old voice carried a hint of helplessness.

But before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a furious roar.

"Damn it!"

Xiao Yan roared in anger, and with nowhere to vent his frustration, he abruptly removed the ring from his hand and hurled it towards the depths of the Xiao family's rear mountain.

As soon as the ring left his hand, Xiao Yan suddenly became clear-headed and regretted his action. He reached out to grab it, but it was already too late, and the ring had been thrown far away.

Whoosh—

At that moment, a shadow suddenly emerged from the vast mountain, snatching the ring Xiao Yan had thrown. In just a few leaps, it quickly disappeared.

"Damn it!"

"Who is it?"

"Give me back my ring!"

Xiao Yan panicked and, disregarding everything, leaped off the high cliff to chase after the black-clad figure who had stolen his black ring.

But he forgot that he was only at the third stage of Dou Qi, and the rear mountain of the Xiao family was extremely steep.

Before Gu Changqing could run far, he heard Xiao Yan's heart-wrenching scream from behind.

However, Gu Changqing did not look back.

The sealing talisman in his palm had already condensed, quickly sealing the medicinal dust inside the ring.

While the medicinal dust had not yet escaped the seal, he swiftly fled the scene.

"Wow…"

"Master Changqing actually played such a big move!"

Ling Ying was also stunned, not expecting that Gu Changqing had gone to such lengths to hide just to steal Xiao Yan's black ring.

Uh, that's not quite right. He had actually come to take the black ring that Xiao Yan had discarded.

The key was that this ring seemed to harbor a mysterious soul.

Worried that Gu Changqing might encounter an accident, Ling Ying quickly turned into a black light, skimming the ground, and chased after him.

In the vast forest, a black figure swiftly headed towards the depths of the Magical Beast Mountains.

The black figure was Gu Changqing. The Xiao family's rear mountain was adjacent to the Magical Beast Mountains. Although it was a somewhat remote area, many mercenaries chose to enter the Magical Beast Mountains from Wutan City for adventures.

At this moment, Gu Changqing chose to enter the Magical Beast Mountains to digest the spoils of his infiltration.

Yao Chen was also bewildered. It did not expect that after being thrown away by that kid, it would be intercepted before it could return.

Just as it was about to rush out, it found that the black ring was blocked by an inexplicable force.

The medicinal dust made several attempts to break free using its own power but could not escape the mysterious sealing force.

Helpless, it had to use its Bone-Chilling Heavenly Flame.

Bone-Chilling Heavenly Flame, ranked eleventh on the Heavenly Flame Ranking.

It was a peculiar fire combining extreme cold and extreme heat, only appearing once every hundred years when the sun and moon alternated in the coldest places.

This fire was extremely cold, and despite its appearance being extremely cold or even icy, its actual temperature was extremely high and its power was immense.

With the Bone-Chilling Heavenly Flame, Gu Changqing's sealing talisman was instantly shattered.

Just as the old man planned to take the opportunity to burn the kid who dared to intercept it, a calm voice stopped it in its tracks.

"Yao Chen, I advise you not to entertain any other thoughts."

Gu Changqing stopped and looked at the black ring he was holding with a cold gaze.

The air suddenly became silent for a few seconds. After a while, an old voice came from inside the ring.

"You are that kid from the Xiao family, Gu Changqing, right? How do you know my true name?"

"I am from the Ancient Clan."

Gu Changqing simply stated a few words and then emotionlessly removed his black mask, revealing his handsome face.

The old man inside the black ring trembled violently, showing a hint of disbelief and realization.

"No wonder, no wonder I could never see through you and your sister. It turns out… you are from the Ancient Eight Clans, the Ancient Clan. The Ancient Eight Clans, heh heh…"

The old man voice carried a trace of indescribable sorrow and nostalgia, as if Gu Changqing's words reminded it of some unpleasant past.

"Yao Chen, from the Yao Clan, once the continent's top alchemist, an eighth-rank peak alchemist, possessing the Bone-Chilling Heavenly Flame ranked eleventh on the heavenly flame ranking. Due to a special technique called 'Flame Mantra,' you were betrayed by your apprentice, Han Feng, who you treated as your own child. After much turmoil, you finally ended up in the hands of Xiao Yan from the Xiao family in Wutan City. Am I wrong?"

Gu Changqing tossed the black ring and calmly asked.

As soon as Gu Changqing mentioned his origin from the Medicinal Clan, the medicinal dust's heart skipped a beat. When Gu Changqing mentioned the "Flame Mantra," it could no longer sit still. It shot out of the black ring and, with shock, asked:

"You even know about the 'Flame Mantra'? Who exactly are you?"

It could not believe that Gu Changqing was merely a kid from the Ancient Clan.

"Gu Changqing."

Gu Changqing said indifferently.

He also looked at the famous alchemist with some curiosity.

"Are you here for the 'Flame Mantra'?"

Yao Chen stared at Gu Changqing and asked.

"Indeed!"

Gu Changqing nodded in acknowledgment.

Silence!

A long silence!

Yao Chen looked at Gu Changqing, and Gu Changqing looked back at him.

Eventually, Yao Chen could not tolerate Gu Changqing's calm demeanor any longer. After pondering for a while, it said:

"I have sacrificed my life for this technique. Do you think you can just take it away with a few words?"

"Old man, you are mistaken. Not only do I want the 'Flame Mnatra,' but I also want your ring, your Bone-Chilling Heavenly Flame, and everything else in your ring."

Gu Changqing smiled calmly, and his smile, though peaceful, made Yao Chen seethe with rage.

"Kid, you are going too far. Greedy and shameless! Even if you are from the Ancient Clan, thinking you can rob me, Yao Chen, is a delusion!"

"Even if it means burning my soul and everything, I will not let you take anything!"

Yao Chen was truly infuriated. Not only did Gu Changqing want his "Flame Mantra," but he also wanted his Bone-Chilling Flame, his ring, and everything else.

It was simply too much!

"old man, you are wrong. With your current soul strength and Bone-chilling Flame, even if you exhaust all your power, you cannot destroy me. Why don't you try and see if you can still contact your black ring now?"

Gu Changqing smiled again, gently tapping the black ring with his fingers, and provocatively asked.

He had just used a mental sealing talisman to seal the connection between the ring and Yao Chen while Yao Chen was emerging from the ring.