"Yes, Master!"
Lin Dong stood up excitedly, his eyes lighting up like stars. He grabbed the tea on the table and respectfully handed it to Ye Feng. "Master, please have some tea."
"Mm."
Ye Feng accepted the cup and took a small, symbolic sip.
"Master," Lin Dong continued, scratching his head a bit shyly, "now that the apprenticeship ceremony is done, shouldn't there be a gift? I heard that masters usually give their disciples something when they officially accept them."
"Gift?" Ye Feng blinked.
"Yeah!" Lin Dong grinned. "You're so capable. You can't give just any random thing like those other people. That would ruin your reputation!" he added cleverly.
"Hehe..."
Ye Feng chuckled.
He had to admit, the boy had a point. If the gift he gave was too mediocre, it might not even be worth Lin Dong's excitement.
"Dong'er, mind your manners," Lin Xiao scolded with a slight frown. He then turned to Ye Feng with a respectful smile. "Young Master Ye, please don't take offense."
"I'm not offended," Ye Feng replied with a warm smile. "Actually, he's right. I haven't given a gift yet."
Lin Dong stared at him with wide, expectant eyes.
What would Master give? Could it be... the Stone Talisman?
He had always found the talisman incredibly powerful. If Ye Feng gave it to him, he would be overjoyed.
Under Lin Dong's eager gaze, Ye Feng flipped his hand, and a cluster of flickering white flames appeared in his palm.
"Flame?" Lin Dong blinked, confused.
"Not just any flame," Ye Feng said calmly. "This one comes with a matching technique."
He reached out and tapped Lin Dong on the forehead. A stream of information flowed directly into Lin Dong's mind.
"Burning Technique?" Lin Dong murmured as the name surfaced in his thoughts.
"Yes. It's the foundation technique that complements this flame," Ye Feng confirmed.
"But... Master, this technique is just low-level martial arts," Lin Dong hesitated. "It's even weaker than what I'm currently practicing."
"Dong'er! Watch your tongue. The gift from Young Master Ye is no ordinary thing!" Lin Xiao scolded again.
Ye Feng smiled faintly and said, "He's not wrong. The technique itself is indeed the lowest grade, even in the Wudong Plane. However..."
"However?" Lin Dong leaned forward.
"This technique can evolve." Ye Feng's voice lowered like a whisper carrying power.
"Evolve?" Lin Dong echoed in shock.
"A technique that evolves?" Lin Xiao, too, was stunned. "But... how?"
"Only when one fuses with a Heavenly Flame," Ye Feng explained. "Then the Burning Technique will grow alongside it."
"Heavenly Flame? What is that?" Lin Xiao asked, confused.
"Heavenly Flame is a unique existence between heaven and earth. If acquired, it grants the wielder the power to challenge even those in the Nirvana Realm."
"What?!"
Both Lin Dong and Lin Xiao looked utterly shocked.
In their remote town, the strongest person was Lin Dong's grandfather. Even in the main Lin Clan, the strongest members only reached the Nirvana Realm. And now, Ye Feng spoke of a flame that could rival powerhouses of that level?
Ye Feng nodded calmly.
"In the Doupo Plane, Heavenly Flame allows one to fight against a Douhuang. The Doupo and Wudong Planes exist on the same level across the myriad worlds."
He continued, "In Doupo, the cultivation stages are Dou Qi, Dou Zhe, Dou Master, Great Dou Master, Dou Spirit, Dou King, Dou Emperor, Dou Zong, Dou Zun, Dou Saint, and Dou Di. In Wudong, they are Body Tempering, Earth Origin, Heaven Origin, Yuan Dan, Form Creation, Qi Creation, Manifestation, Nirvana, Profound Life, Death Profound, Samsara, Reincarnation, Ancestor."
"So Douhuang is equivalent to Nirvana Realm here..." Lin Dong muttered in awe.
Then, his gaze returned to the flame in Ye Feng's palm. "Master, this white flame... is it a Heavenly Flame?"
"Indeed."
Ye Feng held the flame steady.
"There are twenty-three known Heavenly Flame. This one ranks eleventh: the Bone Chilling Flame. It combines extreme cold and heat, forming under rare celestial alignments in places of deadly yin. It's exceptionally rare. Do you want it?"
Lin Dong's eyes burned with desire. "Yes, yes, yes! Master, the temperature is terrifying. How can I control it like you? Won't it melt me?"
Ye Feng chuckled. "It's simple. You refine it. Come. Let's go outside."
He walked into the courtyard with the Bone Chilling Flame hovering beside him. The flame had originally belonged to Xiao Yan, who had perished at Ye Feng's hand.
In the open space, Ye Feng let the flame's aura spread freely. Lin Dong immediately felt the difference. The intense chill forced goosebumps all over his skin. The surrounding grass froze instantly, then crumbled to ash beneath his feet.
This... this flame really can threaten Nirvana-level experts!
Ye Feng then took out three items from his storage ring.
"This," he pointed to a blood-red pill, "is the Blood Lotus Pill, necessary for fusing with Heavenly Flame."
"This misty liquid is the Ice Spirit Cold Spring. And this jade-like stone, smooth and slightly glowing with blue light, is called Na Ling."
Lin Dong gulped. "Master, what do I do now?"
"First, take the Blood Lotus Pill. Without it, you wouldn't survive touching the flame. Lin Xiao, stand guard outside the yard. If anyone approaches, stop them. The refining process will cause a huge disturbance."
"Understood," Lin Xiao nodded and quickly moved out.
Lin Dong took the pill from Ye Feng. It was about the size of a longan, glowing faintly with red energy. The moment he sniffed it, a chilling sensation shot straight to his soul.
He didn't hesitate. He closed his eyes and swallowed it.
As soon as the pill entered his body, cold energy spread rapidly through his meridians. Crimson mist seeped from his pores, enveloping him in a blood-red sheen. In seconds, his entire body was sealed in a blood-colored shell, even his eyes hidden beneath a crust of solidified essence.
"Master, what next?" came Lin Dong's muffled voice.
"Now... reach into the Bone Chilling Flame. Grab the magma-like core within. And once you do—swallow it. Immediately."
Without hesitation, Lin Dong extended his hand.
He reached into the writhing white inferno—and grasped a piece of thick, glowing magma that pulsed like a living thing.
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