Chapter 169: Devouring the Strange Flame

“This Flamboyant Great Sage is quite a character,” Xiao Xie muttered, shaking his head in bemusement. To be able to create a Heaven-ranked Battle Technique and marry seven formidable wives—now that was talent. But could he really not have put more thought into naming his techniques? Just imagine the scene: in the heat of combat, suddenly shouting, ‘Behold, my Garment-Dispelling Hand!’—what would that even look like?

What Xiao Xie didn’t know was that, back in the day, the Flamboyant Great Sage had used this very move in a battle against the Celestial Emperor of the Stars. He’d managed to strip the so-called world’s greatest defensive armor—the Emperor-grade Skyguard—right off his opponent, and then gifted it to his own first wife.

Xiao Xie turned his attention away from the Garment-Dispelling Hand and picked up the crystalline sphere. Its full name was the Joint Assault Array Memory Crystal.

He crushed the crystal, and it dissolved into a faint white mist, which drifted into his body through his nostrils. As the surge of memories from the crystal settled in his mind, Xiao Xie gained a clear understanding of the array’s power. Where exactly it had originated, however, was a mystery—the crystal contained no information on its origins.

This array was a remarkably potent formation, capable of drawing together the strength of its users to produce a result far greater than the sum of its parts. Otherwise, how could the Golden and Silver Elders, both peak Dou Emperors, have challenged a Dou Ancestor? Though a mere step apart, a peak Dou Emperor would ordinarily require at least ten comrades of equal rank to take down a Dou Ancestor.

In theory, the Joint Assault Array had no upper limit on the number of participants. However, it came with stringent requirements: first, all users had to possess equal cultivation and practice the same techniques; second, their minds had to be in perfect harmony.

These two conditions, though seemingly simple, were exceedingly strict. Especially the latter—perfect synchronicity of mind. The Golden and Silver Elders, being twins with matching cultivation and techniques, were able to meet these requirements.

For Xiao Xie, however, the array was a perfect fit. Even his Shadow Clones could use it—although, admittedly, the effectiveness would diminish with each additional clone, as their strength would be divided.

But Xiao Xie’s real plan wasn’t to use the array with his clones. Rather, it was for his skeletal beasts. His bone bracelet was strung with ten beads, each representing a Skull Beast of one-star Dou Venerable rank. These ten monsters were of the same species, and after being refined by Xiao Xie, they could achieve perfect mental unity under his control.

Running his fingers along the bone beads, Xiao Xie summoned all ten Skull Beasts. Each radiated the formidable aura of a Dou Venerable.

“Form up!” Xiao Xie commanded crisply. Following the method outlined in the Joint Assault Array, he directed the beasts into position.

A thunderous roar erupted.

Once the formation was complete, the energies of the ten Skull Beasts converged. Above them, a monstrous apparition a hundred meters tall took shape, exuding a terrifyingly fierce presence.

“Master, this array is quite something,” piped up Xiaoxiao. “With ten one-star Dou Venerable beasts, it could probably contend with a Half-Sage now.”

“Not bad. It’ll serve as a trump card.” Xiao Xie smiled. Without this formation, the ten beasts at most could match a five-star Dou Venerable. But with the array, even a nine-star Dou Venerable would have to kneel before them.

Satisfied with the array’s power, Xiao Xie recalled the ten Skull Beasts. The treasures he had drawn from the Golden and Silver Elders’ chests were truly exceptional—he found himself growing eager for what Han Feng’s chest might hold.

He produced Han Feng’s treasure chest and opened it, revealing two items inside: a cluster of deep blue flames, and a transparent crystal.

The blue flames were Han Feng’s Heavenly Flame—ranked fifteenth on the Heavenly Flame Index: the Ocean Heart Flame.

Xiao Xie set the flame aside and picked up the crystal. Its name was Soul Essence Crystal; consuming it would enhance one’s soul power.

After a moment’s contemplation, Xiao Xie swallowed the crystal in one gulp. It melted instantly, transforming into a cool stream that surged into his spiritual sea. This Soul Essence Crystal had been refined from Han Feng’s own soul—a sixth-grade alchemist.

As the crystal’s energy was absorbed, Xiao Xie’s soul power skyrocketed, doubling in strength after full assimilation. He was now a step closer to becoming a seventh-grade alchemist.

Having refined the Soul Essence Crystal, Xiao Xie turned to the Ocean Heart Flame and began to absorb it. With the aid of his other Heavenly Flames, this one posed little challenge, and he soon succeeded in refining it.

Three hours later, the process was complete. Powered by the immense energy of the Ocean Heart Flame, Xiao Xie’s cultivation soared to nine-star Dou Emperor.

“Now I should be able to absorb the Bone Spirit Cold Flame,” he murmured, feeling the surging Dou Qi within him. With that, he summoned forth the Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

He had acquired this flame long ago, but his strength had always been insufficient to tame it—until now. At last, he was ready.

“Absorb!” Xiao Xie shouted, channeling all his Heavenly Flames to assist. True to its reputation as Yao Chen’s flame, the Bone Spirit Cold Flame contained energy far surpassing any Xiao Xie had absorbed before. Even with a physique rivaling Earth-ranked weapons, the chilling force bit deep into his bones as he absorbed it.

Three days passed before Xiao Xie slowly opened his eyes. After relentless refinement, he had finally consumed the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, and his cultivation had advanced to three-star Dou Ancestor. At the same time, with this breakthrough, he had become a seventh-grade alchemist.

With a mere thought, Xiao Xie summoned his status panel, which displayed:

Name: Xiao Xie
Age: Seventeen
Bloodline: Human, Bombardier, Nine-Lives Mystic Cat, Eternal Kaleidoscope Sharingan
Lifespan: Immortal
Cultivation: Three-star Dou Ancestor
Profession: Seventh-grade Alchemist
Cultivation Technique: Burning Art, Heaven Rank, Lower Grade
Heavenly Flames: Amaterasu, Green Lotus Core Flame, Hellfire, Fallen Heart Flame, Ocean Heart Flame, Bone Spirit Cold Flame
Special Abilities: Formless Fruit’s abilities, Divine Refining Hand
Martial Arts: Northern Sea Divine Skill, Lone Nine Swords, Tianshan Plum Blossom Hands, Tai Chi
Ninjutsu: Transformation Technique, Great Fire Annihilation, Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, Tsukuyomi, Kamui, Susanoo, Reaper Death Seal
Physical Techniques: Six-Style Finger Gun
Qi Techniques: Turtle School Qigong, Flying Dance
Spirit Arts: Shunpo, Cero, Black Coffin
Magic: Bone Summoning, Frozen Realm
Immortal Arts: Sword Control, Lightning Flash
Haki: Armament Haki
Skills: Triple Slash, Parry
Battle Techniques: Eight Extreme Collapse, Heavy Shadow Step, Hundred Wave Stacks, Tiger Roar Art, Azure Light Slash
Equipment: Hogyoku, Earth Spirit Pearl, Rat Talisman, Pegasus Cloth, Shallow Strike, Bramble Armor, Mark II Iron Man Suit, Doran’s Ring, Spark Prism, Romantic Turret Imperial Tool, Moon Slash, Super Terminator Nine-Star Dou Emperor, Super Infinite Shotgun
Pet: Amethyst Winged Lion King
Items: Six Senzu Beans, Demon Lotus Flame Fragment, Seastone Handcuffs, Teddy Bear, Solar-powered Apple Phone, Flashlight
Worship Points: 533,267
Credits: 14,375,891

Xiao Xie reviewed his attributes and nodded in satisfaction. Now he possessed six Heavenly Flames, and his Burning Art had evolved to a Heaven-ranked technique. With the combined might of these six flames, he could stand toe-to-toe with a Dou Venerable-level powerhouse, even without relying on other hidden cards.

After examining his attributes, Xiao Xie sat cross-legged and began practicing the Fire Spirit Visualization. Of the four divine beasts—Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise—three had manifested; only the White Tiger remained.

As Xiao Xie focused, the Bone Spirit Cold Flame in his spiritual sea gradually took the shape of a colossal White Tiger. Though it was but a single entity, its form radiated boundless, ferocious power.

With a deafening roar, the White Tiger, newly formed, threw back its head and howled to the heavens, as if proclaiming its birth to all living things.

The White Tiger is the god of war, the deity of slaughter. It wards off evil, averts calamity, brings bountiful harvests, punishes evil and rewards good, bestows wealth and good fortune, and blesses those seeking auspicious unions.