Chapter Twenty-Two: Where Does This Courage Come From?

“I’ll give you a chance,” Xiao Xun’er said seriously. “If you admit defeat now, I can spare you. I’ll only let him place a restriction on you that will prevent you from cultivating for two years, and that will be the end of it.”

Lin An smiled, but gave no reply to her words. Naturally, he knew that the true Heavenly Flame couldn’t possibly be in Xiao Xun’er’s possession; what she had summoned was merely a seed of fire. Even before, Lin An would never have conceded so easily. All the more so now, since he too possessed a genuine Heavenly Flame—the Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

This was a real Heavenly Flame, far beyond the fire seed Xiao Xun’er wielded.

“You’ve brought this upon yourself. If you die here, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself!” Xiao Xun’er was in no mood for further talk. Summoning this fire seed consumed a great deal of her fighting energy.

“Don’t worry,” Lin An replied lightly. “I have no intention of dying so soon. Besides, are you so certain that I’ll fear your Heavenly Flame?”

As he spoke, a wisp of ghostly white flame danced at Lin An’s fingertip. Xiao Xun’er, herself a possessor of a Heavenly Flame, instantly sensed that the fire rising from Lin An’s hand was also a Heavenly Flame.

“That’s the Bone Spirit Cold Flame! But wasn’t it said to have vanished along with the Medicine Sovereign? How could it be in your hands?” The expert standing behind Xiao Xun’er spoke in surprise.

Lin An was not at all surprised. The Medicine Sovereign’s fame in Central Plains was well known, and it was natural that Xiao Xun’er and her companion—both from the top clans of Central Plains—would know about Yao Chen and the Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

Xiao Xun’er fell silent, her expression growing increasingly grave. The appearance of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame left her with no confidence for the first time. This was an authentic Heavenly Flame, not something her fire seed could compare with.

“Even if you possess the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, with your current cultivation level, I doubt you can draw out its true power. Which of us is stronger remains to be seen!”

As she spoke, the fire seed before Xiao Xun’er rapidly expanded, golden flames scorching the void and spreading with terrifying speed. The searing heat incinerated everything nearby, turning the entire space into a sea of gold. Even in Wu Tan City, the strange phenomenon was clearly visible.

Countless experts in Wu Tan City were startled awake at this moment, all looking toward the source of the blazing spectacle.

Lin An was not to be outdone. After all, a Heavenly Flame was a weapon of devastating power. The ghastly white fire surged from him, spreading swiftly and clashing with the Golden Emperor’s Burning Sky Flame. The space around them twisted and warped under the assault of the two terrifying Heavenly Flames, as if it might collapse at any moment.

A divine light rose around Xiao Xun’er, enveloping her and protecting her from the invasive flames.

Lin An, shielded by the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, was similarly unharmed.

“This isn’t good—the young mistress is almost at her limit!” thought the ancient clan expert anxiously. Xiao Xun’er’s strength had been forcibly elevated, and the fire seed was her ultimate trump card—a means of survival, but it drained her rapidly.

They had assumed that summoning the Golden Emperor’s Burning Sky Flame would instantly determine the outcome. Who could have predicted that Lin An would possess a Heavenly Flame as well?

Sweat streamed down Xiao Xun’er’s body, only to evaporate instantly. Her body trembled, teetering on the brink of collapse.

By contrast, Lin An seemed perfectly at ease from start to finish, as if his fighting energy was inexhaustible.

Bang—

At last, Xiao Xun’er reached her limit and was blasted backward by a tremendous force. If not for the quick reflexes of the ancient clan expert, who caught her in midair, she might have crashed to the ground, worsening her already fragile state.

“Miss, let me kill him for you. No one needs to know about the agreement,” the clan expert said, undisguised murder in his eyes.

“My word is my bond,” Xiao Xun’er said weakly but firmly. “I have never gone back on a promise. If word of me breaking it were to spread, where would that leave my honor—or my family’s?”

The Heavenly Flames in the sky quickly dissipated, and Lin An strode directly to Xiao Xun’er.

“Very well. I’ll give you a day to prepare yourself. The day after tomorrow, you’ll come with me to Cloud Mist Sect.”

With that, he ignored the ancient clan expert’s murderous glare and swiftly departed. He had no wish to attract any more attention, knowing that such a commotion would soon draw a crowd.

Xiao Xun’er understood this as well and quickly left with her protector.

No sooner had Lin An returned to his inn than Yao Chen appeared in his room.

“Was that you fighting outside the city just now? Against that girl from the Xiao family?” Yao Chen evidently guessed Xiao Xun’er’s identity. With the presence of the Bone Spirit Cold Flame and the aura of the Golden Emperor’s Burning Sky Flame, it was not hard to deduce who had been involved in the battle.

“That’s right. When a maidservant delivers herself to your door, it would be a waste not to accept,” Lin An answered bluntly.

“Do you know who she really is?” Yao Chen pressed.

“Of course I do. She’s just the little princess of the Ancient Clan. What of it?” Lin An replied casually. “Now that you’re following me, you should raise your sights. Don’t overestimate the Ancient Clan princess.”

“May I ask, Palace Lord, what is the cultivation level of the strongest expert in the Hall of Yama right now?” Yao Chen was curious—Lin An seemed completely unafraid of even the Ancient Clan, one of the Eight Great Ancestral Clans. The strength of the Hall of Yama had piqued his interest.

“At present, the strongest in the Hall of Yama is Yun Shan, at the Douzong level. But I believe it won’t be long before you catch up to him,” Lin An replied without hesitation. In truth, the only people he could truly rely on right now were Yun Shan and Yao Chen.

“We may be short on people for now, but trust me, it won’t be long before experts flock to the Hall of Yama, and Dou Sheng-level masters are as common as dogs!” Seeing Yao Chen’s stunned expression, Lin An hurried to explain further.

After a long moment, Yao Chen finally recovered. Had he not already lost all thought of betraying the Hall of Yama, he might have chosen to leave without a word.

Even so, he couldn’t help but wonder where Lin An’s confidence came from, to so underestimate the Ancient Clan, one of the Eight Great Ancestral Clans.

That night in Wu Tan City was destined to be sleepless. For miles around the city, the land had been scorched to ruins by the terrifying flames; the oppressive heat lingered, making it impossible to approach.

Yet all of this no longer concerned Lin An. After the fierce battle, he was exhausted and soon fell into a deep sleep.

By the next day, the system upgrade was finally complete. Lin An could hardly wait to enter the Hall of Yama in the system’s inner world and see what new features had been unlocked.