Looking at the three beast flames before him, he hesitated for a moment but decided to refine the milder Peach Blossom Flame first.
He opened the lid of the bottle containing the Peach Blossom Flame and beckoned with his hand.
The pink flame seed fell into his hand.
Staring at the flame, Xiao Ling’s eyes couldn’t help but flash with heat.
With his current strength, Heavenly Flames were neither easy to obtain nor easy to absorb, and these beast flames taken from monsters were just right for his currently weak state.
He slowly closed his eyes, formed the cultivation hand seal, and entered his body with his mind.
He opened his mouth slightly and used his soul power to guide the Peach Blossom Flame into his body.
He focused his attention on the vortex, using his soul perception to quickly wrap around the entire vortex and then rotate it at high speed.
As the vortex continued to rotate at high speed, a space large enough to accommodate the beast flame opened up within it.
Using his soul perception to wrap around the Peach Blossom Flame, he guided it through the surrounding Battle Qi blockade and finally drilled into that small space.
When the Peach Blossom Flame entered the space, it began to operate slowly like a machine.
The beast flame needed to absorb the fire-attribute Battle Qi in the vortex to strengthen itself, and the temperature it emitted also increased the speed at which the vortex absorbed Battle Qi.
In this way, it brought benefits to both the beast flame and the vortex.
In the room, Xiao Ling slowly opened his closed eyes, which were much brighter than before.
Sensing the situation in his body, a smile appeared on his face.
He raised his palm, and the Peach Blossom Flame jumped upon it.
This beast flame was like a living thing, jumping continuously, but under soul control, it could be used as easily as an arm or leg.
Tucking away the beast flame in his hand, he looked at the two bottles in front of him.
After some hesitation, Xiao Ling put them away one by one.
His current strength was still a bit poor.
To be safe, without Heart Cooling Pills and Meridian Protecting Pills, it was better not to devour flames to upgrade Flame Mantra yet.
When the Jia Nan Academy comes for recruitment next month, he’d go to the academy to exchange for pills and beast flames and directly upgrade Flame Mantra to a Mysterious-level technique.
Shaking his head and clearing his thoughts, Xiao Ling walked out of the room and let out a long breath.
“First, I’ll go inform the family elders of my plans.
If I leave suddenly, it might cause more trouble.” Xiao Ling stopped thinking and headed toward the place where Xiao Zhan practiced.
Arriving outside Xiao Zhan’s practice room, he looked at the guards nearby and walked up.
“Hello, may I ask if the Clan Leader is free?
I have some matters to discuss with him,” Xiao Ling said to the guard.
The guard obviously knew Xiao Ling.
Hearing he was looking for the Clan Leader, he said, “The Clan Leader is currently in the meeting hall discussing matters with several elders.
I’ll take you in.” He nodded to the other guards and walked inside.
Seeing this, Xiao Ling followed.
Since they were all together, it was best to explain things to all of them at once.
Before long, they reached a spacious hall.
The guard talked to the guards at the door for a bit, then said to Xiao Ling, “Your status in the family is special.
The Clan Leader previously said you can enter directly if you have business.
Just go in through the side door.”
Xiao Ling was touched. Find the original chapter at novelping.com.
Having talent in the Xiao family truly meant one could do as they pleased.
He nodded, opened the side door, and walked into the meeting hall.
As soon as he entered, he saw the First Elder pointing at Xiao Zhan’s nose and shouting.
“Xiao Zhan, do you even know how to teach a son?
Xiao Yan actually ran off to peek at my granddaughter bathing!
If my Xiao Yu hadn’t found out early, who knows how many more family girls would have been peeped at!
As the Young Clan Leader, he is so shameless.
Truly disgraceful!”
Seeing this, Xiao Ling muttered to himself, “So the news of Xiao Yan peeking has spread, and they’re arguing here.”
Xiao Ling looked over, but Xiao Zhan looked completely indifferent to the First Elder’s accusations, even sipping a cup of fragrant tea.
Xiao Ling’s mouth twitched at the sight.
“Is this the confidence of having talent?
I wonder if he can stay this calm once Xiao Yan becomes a waste.”
Seeing someone enter, the elders turned their gaze.
Seeing it was Xiao Ling, the coldness on their old faces vanished, replaced by friendly smiles.
Seeing that everyone’s attention had shifted to him, Xiao Ling stepped forward and bowed.
“Clan Leader, three elders.”
“No need for formalities.
Sit down and speak.
What brings you here?
I heard you just broke through to Battle Practitioner.
Is there something in your cultivation you need guidance on?” the First Elder spoke first.
The others also looked at Xiao Ling with questioning eyes.
They knew he had gone to the Battle Qi Pavilion after his breakthrough.
They cared a lot about the family’s first genius breaking through.
As soon as Xiao Ling sat down, he greeted the elders.
But since the age gap was there—he was only about twenty years old if you combined both lives—it felt a bit awkward after a few words.
So, he got straight to the point: “I have now reached the Battle Practitioner level.
The help the Xiao family can give me is limited.
I plan to sign up directly when the Jia Nan Academy recruitment team arrives.”
The elders looked at each other, not knowing how to speak.
In fact, they also understood that for a genius like Xiao Ling, staying in the Xiao family was a waste of talent.
They just hadn’t expected him to leave so early.
If some other force tricked him, he might not return.
But they couldn’t stop him.
Xiao Zhan spoke first: “You are still young.
You can practice at home for a few more years before going out.”
Xiao Ling guessed their concerns and said, “I’m still young, so I should endure hardships now.
I also want to quickly improve my cultivation and become a supreme expert on the continent.
Hearing this, the elders’ expressions relaxed.
As long as the family genius wasn’t kidnapped and remembered his roots, it was fine.
Then Xiao Zhan spoke again: “The Misty Cloud Sect will hold a disciple recruitment meeting in a month.
You can go participate in the selection ceremony.
With your talent, you will definitely be prioritized for cultivation.
Maybe Sect Leader Yun Yun will even take you as a personal disciple.”
Xiao Ling felt a cold sweat drip down his forehead.
He muttered in his heart, “Xiao Zhan, you’re truly malicious.
Are you afraid I won’t die soon enough?
What, do you want to ‘jie jie jie’ too?” Actually, Xiao Ling understood that the Misty Cloud Sect wasn’t far from the Xiao family and could look after them.
The Jia Nan Academy was in the Black Corner Region, a place where even communication with the Xiao family was difficult.
Of course, he couldn’t mention the ‘jie jie’ monsters in the Misty Cloud Sect, at least not now.
He could only explain it this way:
“The faculty at Jia Nan Academy is very strong.
I think being a student there is no worse than being a disciple at the Misty Cloud Sect.
Maybe with my talent, a Battle Sect will take me as a disciple.”
Smiling, Xiao Ling even made a small joke.
The elders sighed and said:
“Then the choice is yours.
Just don’t forget the Xiao family.”
The First Elder took out a black card and handed it to Xiao Ling, saying with a smile, “This is pocket money for you.
There are fifty thousand gold coins inside.
Don’t be hard on yourself when you’re away from home.”
Xiao Ling was a bit moved.
He took the gold card and nodded slightly.
Although fifty thousand wasn’t a lot, it wasn’t a small sum for the Xiao family.
“Thank you, Clan Leader and elders.
Xiao Ling will take his leave.” He cupped his hands and left the meeting room.
Walking back to his room, he recalled the events of the past four years.
Humans aren’t trees or stones; how can they not have feelings?
He sighed, “I, a visitor from another land, actually have attachments.
Forget it.
I’ll help with the Hall of Souls matter if I can.
I definitely won’t let the whole family be left with only a few young ones like in the original story.”
Back in his room, he lay on the bed and cleared his mind.
Xiao Ling felt a wave of exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep.