Battle Through the Heaven: Purple Heaven

"For a ready Strange Flame, Senior, you'll need to come with me to retrieve it. It's not something I can handle alone," Xiao Bai said, laying out his condition.

Yao Lao's eyes flashed with disbelief, and he couldn't help but retort, "Xiao Bai, kid, don't tell me you were planning to just hand me a map and send me on a wild goose chase?"

Caught off guard by Yao Lao's incredulous tone, Xiao Bai scratched his nose, a touch of embarrassment flickering across his face.

Yao Lao, seeing his reaction, knew he'd guessed right. This little rascal—all serious on the surface, but scheming underneath. Good thing I added that condition. He shook his head inwardly, exasperated.

"You didn't think a mere map guarantees a Strange Flame, did you? What if it's gone, already taken, or just a juvenile flame? What would you trade then? I'm not handing over anything until I see the flame. Don't think you can pull a fast one on me!" Yao Lao said, his gaze sharp and serious.

"Rest assured, Senior. I'll admit, I initially planned to give you a flame's location. But I can guarantee it exists—a mature Strange Flame. The catch is, we need to go together. It's not easy to retrieve," Xiao Bai replied confidently.

"What do you mean, 'not easy'?" Yao Lao asked, wary. "If it's claimed, I'm not going. I'm not stirring up trouble with someone who owns a Strange Flame—they're either backed by power or pack a punch themselves."

Seeing Yao Lao's hesitation, Xiao Bai decided to sweeten the bait and add urgency. Can't let this fish slip away.

"It's unclaimed, undiscovered, so no conflicts. It's just deep in underground magma, and I'll need your help to get it. But we need to act fast—wait too long, and someone might beat us to it!"

Yao Lao pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."

His decision rested on two points. First, he'd watched these kids grow up and trusted their character, especially Xiao Bai's—though it was a pity he was thunder-attributed. Second, the allure of a Strange Flame was irresistible. For revival, he needed three; securing this would bring him to two, leaving just one more—a huge step forward.

"I'll need some time to prepare. We can't leave immediately. That fine?" Yao Lao asked, stroking his beard.

Xiao Bai nodded. "No problem. Let's set out in three months."

He knew Yao Lao needed to settle things with Xiao Yan first. Based on the original story's timeline, Queen Medusa wouldn't claim the Green Lotus Core Flame for another year and a half, so there was no rush.

Xiao Yan, growing bored on the sidelines, suddenly felt two pairs of eyes fixed on him, sending a chill through him. Swallowing hard, he stammered, "Bai-ge, what's with the stares?"

He didn't dare curse the old man in the ring anymore. Earlier, ignorance had fueled his boldness, but now, knowing Yao Lao was an eighth-grade alchemist, continuing to rant would be plain stupid. Still stings, but under someone's roof, you bow your head.

"Kid, would you take me as your master?" Yao Lao floated before Xiao Yan, a warm smile on his face, one hand stroking his beard, the other clasped behind him—a picture of a sagely master.

"Take… take… a master?" Xiao Yan glanced around, confirming the question was for him, his mind reeling.

Confusion gave way to inner conflict, as if two voices were bickering within:

Xiao Yan A: Become his disciple? No way! This shady old guy sucked my Dou Qi for three years, and I haven't settled that score!

Xiao Yan B: Do it! Hurry up! Didn't you hear Bai-ge? He's an eighth-grade alchemist—a true powerhouse. Take him as master, and the Yun Lan Sect's nothing!

Xiao Yan A: Just let those three years slide? Call him 'Teacher' after that? I… I can't do it!

Xiao Yan B: Hmph! Coming from nothing isn't shame. Bend when you must, stretch when you can—that's a real man. What's a 'Teacher' title? It's not like you're calling him 'Godfather'!

His face twisted, the internal debate raging like a brawl.

Then he thought of Xiao Bai, someone he now trusted completely. Turning, he looked to him pleadingly. "Bai-ge…"

Xiao Bai sighed inwardly, exasperated. In the original story, Yao Lao dangled alchemy to hook him as a disciple. Now, because of me, he knows too much and hesitates? He wondered if his presence had softened Xiao Yan, dulling the decisiveness he once had.

Rubbing his brow, Xiao Bai said, "Want to get strong? You just shouted 'don't bully the young and poor' today. If you don't take a master now, what's next? Shouting 'don't bully the middle-aged and poor'… or 'don't bully the old and poor'?"

"Pfft!" Xiao Xun Er's delicate laugh rang out from the side.

Yao Lao fought back a chuckle, maintaining his dignified master's facade. Can't laugh now, but this kid's got a way with words!

Xiao Yan, struck by Xiao Bai's words, saw the truth. Strength was what mattered. With power, he wouldn't have faced today's public humiliation. Casting aside his pride, he knelt before Yao Lao, bowing three times with utmost respect, and declared, "Teacher!"

Yao Lao nodded, pleased with Xiao Yan's formal reverence, his gaze warming with affection. "Good, good, good…"

He was genuinely satisfied. A past betrayal by a disciple had made him cautious, but Xiao Yan was different. After nearly a decade of observation, Yao Lao was certain he wouldn't take another ungrateful wretch as a student.

"Teacher, can you help me reach stage 7 Dou Zhi Qi in a year?" Xiao Yan asked, his voice tinged with worry. This was his most pressing concern. Next year, at sixteen, he'd be considered an adult in the Dou Qi Continent. In the Xiao clan, failing to reach stage 7 Dou Zhi Qi by then meant being sent to manage clan businesses—a fate even his father, the clan leader, couldn't avert.

So, his immediate worry wasn't the Yun Lan Sect but next year's coming-of-age ceremony.

"For most, jumping from stage 3 to stage 7 in a year is tough. But you're different. Three years ago, your foundation was solid, and your relentless training these past three years hasn't faltered. With the right methods, stage 7 isn't out of reach," Yao Lao assured.

Xiao Yan's eyes lit up, his mind racing to Yao Lao's alchemist status. "You mean external aids, like pills?"

Yao Lao nodded faintly. "Something like that. But your meridians' current strength can't handle the impact of even the lowest-grade Qi Gathering Powder."

"Lowest-grade Qi Gathering Powder?" Xiao Yan rolled his eyes. Only an eighth-grade alchemist would call a pill hyped to the skies in the Jia Ma Empire 'lowest-grade.' If Bai-ge hadn't confirmed Yao Lao's rank, he'd think the old man was unhinged.

"Then what's your method, Teacher?" Xiao Yan asked, brow furrowing as he steadied his excitement.