[Xun Er has successfully cultivated the Flame Mantra.]
[She has successively used the Flame Mantra to devour the fire of the eighth-tier Magic Beast, the Scarlet Flame Blood Phoenix Beast, and the Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame, raising its rank to low-level Earth Tier.]
[It seems the Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame truly deserves its fourth place on the Heavenly Flame List. Its origin is indeed powerful, bringing such massive progress to the Flame Mantra.]
[Based on my speculation, the Flame Mantra's ability to devour Heavenly Flames and upgrade the technique's rank has nothing to do with the fire's strength level—it only depends on the fire's origin.] [Nihility Devouring Flame should still be at peak eight-star Dou Saint right now. It is born with devouring power and can even swallow and absorb bloodline energy. In theory, devouring other Heavenly Flames should be no problem either, as Heavenly Flames naturally have the instinct to devour one another.]
[However, even if it devours the Pure Lotus Demon Flame—which is comparable to a five-star Dou Saint powerhouse—it would only increase its own strength and would not gain the Pure Lotus Demon Flame's purification ability.]
[Even if it devours a hundred or a thousand Heavenly Flames, Nihility Devouring Flame would still remain Nihility Devouring Flame; only its power would grow stronger.]
[But by using the Flame Mantra to devour Heavenly Flames, one can continuously fuse and nurture brand-new Heavenly Flames that retain the abilities of all the devoured fires.]
[Moreover, as the Heavenly Flame's strength increases, the abilities of every fire will also improve accordingly. This is the fusion and rebirth of Heavenly Flame origins.]
[Based on this theory, the young Fallen Heart Flame beneath the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower in the Inner Academy of Jia Nan Academy should be enough for Xun Er to devour and complete the evolution she needs.]
…
Xiao Ting wrote his analysis and speculations about the Flame Mantra into his Journal.
Xun Er had already successfully cultivated the Flame Mantra, and the Heavenly Flame she controlled was no longer simply the Gold Emperor Incinerating Heavenly Flame. She even discovered that, if she wished, she could separate the fused fire back into two individual flames.
…
"The core is the fusion of origins, huh." Xun Er's lips curved slightly. She already understood what she needed to do.
The Heavenly Flames controlled by the Yan Clan, Yao Clan, and Burning Flame Valley were impossible for her to obtain. Unless she revealed the information about the Flame Mantra to her clan, the Ancient Clan would very likely dispatch powerhouses to scour the continent for Heavenly Flames—even Gu Yuan himself might take action.
But she could never do that. It would endanger Xiao Yan's life and create a rift between her and Big Brother Xiao Ting forever.
However, if she only needed the origins of Heavenly Flames—even young flames would suffice—then she could gather many types on her own.
Although she wouldn't experience the explosive cultivation surge that came with obtaining mature Heavenly Flames alongside the technique's rank upgrade, as the daughter of the Ancient Clan's patriarch, she had no need for such rapid boosts. The clan had abundant cultivation resources.
Once she quickly advanced to Dou Venerate, she could also unlock her clan tattoo and receive bloodline enhancement.
"The next one will be the Fallen Heart Flame." A look of anticipation appeared in Xun Er's eyes.
The time she could spend accompanying Big Brother Xiao Ting was running out!
…
"Today's plane blessing isn't bad at all."
In a certain part of the Magic Beast Mountain Range, after confirming that Xun Er had successfully cultivated the Flame Mantra, Xiao Ting continued writing in his Journal while using a flight Dou Technique to arrive here.
It was a thousand-year stalactite cave occupied by an early fifth-tier Earth Nether Purple Scorpion. Deep inside the cave was a small pool containing roughly three large water jars' worth of thousand-year stalactite spiritual liquid.
Little Cai took action and easily dealt with the Earth Nether Purple Scorpion. Xiao Ting claimed all the thousand-year stalactite liquid.
After drinking several mouthfuls, he directly bathed in it to cultivate. Vast, dense energy flowed through his meridians, transforming into Battle Qi that merged into the Dou Crystal in his Dantian.
…
Several days later, Xiao Ting—now at six-star Dou Spirit—emerged from seclusion and used a flight Dou Technique to return to Wu Tan City.
By then, the Jia Nan Academy recruitment assessment had already begun.
Whether due to plot inertia or not, Xiao Yan once again delivered a classic scene of showing off and face-slapping.
This time, however, his display was far more impressive than in his original life trajectory—simply because his strength had already reached nine-star Dou Practitioner.
"Sixteen years old, nine-star Dou Practitioner!" Instructor Ruo Ling's small mouth parted slightly, her face flushing with excitement. She knew she had picked up a true treasure this time. "This potential value already exceeds S-rank!"
The so-called potential value ranking was only a somewhat one-sided way of assessing talent.
Most cultivators at the Battle Qi stage could not borrow external help. Forces capable of providing cultivation assistance to juniors at the Battle Qi stage had no need—and generally would not—send them to Jia Nan Academy to study.
Therefore, cultivation level before the age of twenty could, to a large extent, reflect a cultivator's talent.
However, the final allocation of students still required a comprehensive assessment back at Jia Nan Academy.
"Yu Er, isn't your cousin a little too monstrous?" A classmate beside Xiao Yu covered her mouth in astonishment.
Xiao Yu was equally shocked, her face full of disbelief. "How did he become this strong?"
"You really don't understand your own cousin at all?" her classmate asked curiously.
"About four months ago, he had only just broken through to Dou Practitioner," Xiao Yu said.
Her classmates: ?
Who could raise their cultivation by seven stars in four months?!
"Actually, he broke through to Dou Practitioner at twelve, but for some reason his cultivation regressed for three years. A little over a year ago, he was still only at three-stage Battle Qi," Xiao Yu continued.
Her classmates: !?
For a moment, they lost the ability to think.
Instructor Ruo Ling's heart surged with emotion; she was so excited she didn't know what to say.
After a long pause, she finally composed herself. "Continue."
The next one was Xun Er—fifteen years old, six-star Dou Practitioner!
Right after her was the Little Fairy Doctor—seventeen years old, nine-star Dou Practitioner. The Woeful Poison Body was already beginning to show its edge.
The last was Qing Lin—fourteen years old, six-star Dou Practitioner. Her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils also displayed impressive power.
The entire venue fell silent, broken only by waves of sharp inhales.
Wasn't the Xiao Family said to have only a Dou Grandmaster as its strongest member? How were monsters suddenly popping up everywhere?!
The potential values shown by these four meant they were guaranteed to enter the Inner Academy. And any student who graduated normally from the Inner Academy would at least be a Dou Spirit.
This Xiao Family… was terrifyingly powerful?!
"We've struck gold."
Ruo Ling kept swallowing nervously.
She secretly pinched herself several times to confirm she wasn't dreaming.
If she could bring this entire batch of students back, the rewards from the academy would be incredibly generous.
She had never even dared to dream of such a good thing, yet it was happening right before her eyes.
"All registrations are complete," Ruo Ling said, suppressing her emotions. "Yu Er, have all the people from your Xiao Family finished registering?"
"There's still one person who hasn't arrived yet," Xun Er, the Little Fairy Doctor, Qing Lin, and Xiao Yan spoke in unison.
Their synchronized response made Ruo Ling realize that the missing person was definitely not ordinary—at least, he held considerable weight in the hearts of these four.
"The one who hasn't come yet… he wouldn't be even more monstrous than Xiao Yan, right?" Ruo Ling joked.
Xiao Yan nodded seriously. "My fourth brother is definitely more outstanding than me."
"Instructor Ruo Ling, may I ask—what cultivation level allows one to directly enter the Inner Academy?"
Everyone: ???
Who goes to Jia Nan Academy and starts directly in the Inner Academy?
Well, there were some—but those were exceptional seedlings occasionally discovered by the Headmaster, Outer Academy Headmaster, or Inner Academy Great Elder Su Qian.
Did the Xiao Family have one?
Given the potential shown by Xiao Yan and the other three, if their cultivation were a bit higher, they might actually qualify.
"Under twenty years old, if one reaches four-star Dou Grandmaster or above, there is a chance to directly enter the Inner Academy. With that strength, one would basically pass the normal Inner Academy disciple selection as well."
Ruo Ling didn't think she would encounter a true monster, but she still answered Xiao Yan's question.
"Four-star Dou Grandmaster or above qualifies?" Xiao Yan nodded slightly. "Then there's no problem. My cousin is a Dou Spirit."
Everyone present: ???
Do you even hear what you're saying?
You're only sixteen. Your cousin must be even younger. If he's already at Dou Spirit, just how monstrous would that be?
That was the cultivation level of many Inner Academy graduates.
Who would still go to Jia Nan Academy to study after they could already graduate?!
…