Inside the cave, a large luminous screen floated in mid-air, displaying neatly arranged characters. Beside each character, a highly intricate human silhouette glowed, with complex light strands interconnecting to form an enigmatic and eerie network. Xiang Yan glanced at the screen with a slightly puzzled expression, then turned to the elderly herbalist, whose eyes shone brightly. His heart skipped a beat as he murmured, "Master, do you know what this is?" "Indeed." The herbalist's gaze softened, and he nodded with a smile, marveling slightly as he said, "This time, you've truly stumbled upon something special... This 'Heavenly Fire Triple Transformation' is a particularly rare and advanced secret technique." "Secret technique?" Upon hearing the name, Xiang Yan's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Hehe, aside from cultivation techniques and combat skills, there are also some special secret arts on this continent—some of them are truly impressive, even capable of significantly enhancing one's innate power. Back during that night in Wutan City, your young girlfriend employed a particularly advanced secret art, allowing her to temporarily reach the level of a Grand Combatant." The old pharmacist smiled. Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan recalled the scene where Xun had slipped into the Jiale family and eliminated Liu Xi—though she had originally only been a Combatant, she suddenly surged to a level capable of holding her own against a Grand Combatant, and that secret art was indeed astonishingly powerful. "As far as I know, 'Heavenly Fire Triple Transformation' is one of the treasures of the Burned Flame Valley. While it may seem like a mere waste of resources to some, it is undoubtedly a priceless treasure for those who possess a rare type of flame." "Ah?" "Heard this, Xiao Yan's heart stirred. A strange flame? Is there anything more extraordinary than strange flames in the world?" said the old pharmacist with a smile. "To practice this technique, the first requirement is that the practitioner must possess fire nature, and the second is that they must have at least one kind of strange flame—examples include your purple flame. Of course, rare flames are the ideal choice. Hah, though, rare flames aren't easy to find. Even in 'Burned Flame Valley,' I've only heard that their valley master possesses one such rare flame." The medicine elder stroked his beard and smiled, gazing at Xiao Yan's face, subtly glowing with excitement, and said, "The so-called 'Heavenly Fire Triple Transformation' essentially involves using a unique and extraordinary method to draw out one's peculiar inner flame, ultimately releasing a powerful energy surge to repel enemies and create a commanding impression." "Is that method as strong as Xun'er's secret technique from back then?" Xiao Yan suddenly interjected. Upon hearing this, the herbal elder furrowed his brows, paused thoughtfully, then shook his head, saying, "When I first observed the young lady after she had employed her secret technique, her complexion on the second day remained as rosy and vibrant as ever. I suspect that the 'Heavenly Fire Triple Transformation' still falls short of the secret method she used. After all, most secret techniques draw upon strength through compression or expenditure—though this results in a sudden surge of power, it inevitably causes significant bodily strain afterward. For instance, the 'Heavenly Fire Triple Transformation' is said to inflict considerable injury each time it is activated, with the intense, turbulent flame power severely taxing the body. Yet your young girlfriend showed no such visible wear or damage on the second day. This very observation clearly reveals the relative merits and drawbacks of the two techniques." Chuckles softly, Xiao Yan sighed and shook his head, growing increasingly curious about Xun'er's mysterious background. At her age, she possessed a secret technique so exceptional that even the old medicine master praised it without end—what kind of power was behind her? "Heh, you needn't be discouraged. The 'Heavenly Fire Triple Transformation' isn't exactly weak. As I know, if a person possesses three types of flames, they can experience three consecutive leaps in strength, with the magnitude of each leap depending on the intensity of the flames they command. Back then, the master of 'Burned Flame Valley' had one unique fire and two beast-derived flames extracted from monsters. Though his base strength was only around five-star cultivator level, when he fully utilized all three stages of the 'Heavenly Fire Triple Transformation,' he could match even a cultivator of the尊 rank!" Seeing Xiao Yan's expression, the old medicine master smiled and offered reassurance. "Really? So he could fight beyond his level? "Heard this, Xiao Yan was slightly moved. It was clear from the very first clash with Yunshan's duplicate that, after reaching the Duke of Battle rank, each successive tier became increasingly difficult to cross. Yet this 'Heavenly Fire Triple Transformation' enables one to fight across tiers—indeed, it truly lives up to the description of being one of the truly excellent things mentioned by Yao Lao. 'Haha,' Yao Lao chuckled, 'that's only the enhancement for someone possessing just one unique fire. As for you, however, with your 'Burned Decree,' you have no concern about internal flames clashing. Given sufficient time and fortune, if you gather all three unique fires and then activate the 'Heavenly Fire Triple Transformation' to its triple stage, the strength enhancement will likely surpass even the original master who founded this secret technique. After all, he himself could not have practiced the 'Burned Decree.'" Hearing the elder's words, Xiao Yan's heart surged with excitement, his face flushing warmly. When he looked again at the luminous screen, his gaze now carried a deeper intensity. "Extend your finger into that pool of green liquid," the elder advised, "and thus you will fully grasp the method of cultivating the 'Heavenly Fire Triple Transformation.' Simply observing the screen won't suffice." In the cave, silence once again settled in. The herbal master slowly stroked his beard, gazing at Xiao Yan who sat closed-eyed. Suddenly, he chuckled with a touch of satisfaction, saying, "I never thought the secret technique of the 'Burning Incense Valley' would end up in the Gamma Empire, and even reach the hands of this young fellow. Hehe—Back then, Master Yanhuo, that rigid old man, refused to let me borrow even a single page, and now, not only has it fallen into my disciple's hands, but effortlessly, too. If he knew that, he'd surely be furious again, wouldn't he? Hah...!" The laughter echoed through the cave, lingering for a while before gradually fading away. Meanwhile, Xiao Yan, whose eyes had been closed, slowly opened them, exhaled gently, and his gaze flickered. "This method of cultivating the 'Heavenly Fire Triple Transformations' is truly peculiar. I wonder what kind of extraordinary talent could have conceived such a thing." Shaking his head, Xiao Yan exclaimed in amazement. While digesting the information flow, he had briefly examined the cultivation method of "Tianhuo Sanxuan Bian," and found it truly astonishing and unparalleled. "Secret techniques" in this world are already rare, and their scarcity is even comparable to some high-tier foundation-level cultivation methods." Yao Lao smiled and nodded, asking, "How do you find it?" "Extremely satisfactory," Xiao Yan grinned, yet then furrowed his brows again, saying, "However, upon a quick review, I confirmed that 'Tianhuo Sanxuan Bian' indeed features three distinct transformations. Unfortunately, the information inscribed on this jade tablet only records the first transformation—there's absolutely no trace of the remaining two." "Oh? Only one transformation?" Yao Lao's eyebrows furrowed in response. After a moment of thoughtful silence, he shook his head helplessly, saying, "This might be a minor tactic of the 'Fenyan Valley.' Even if the secret technique is accidentally obtained, it will likely remain difficult to fully master." "Well, then, there's nothing else to be done—right now, I simply have one kind of hetero-fire within me, and it's perfectly suited for cultivating the first stage of transformation." Xiao Yan spread his hands, speaking with a broad and open-minded tone. "Hmm, for now, let's just proceed with cultivating it. Once I find another hetero-fire later on, I'll figure out a way to secure the remaining techniques from the 'Burned Flame Valley.'" The Ye Elder nodded gently. Xiao Yan silently agreed. "Your injuries have now fully healed. What are your plans moving forward?" the Ye Elder suddenly asked. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan was momentarily startled, paused thoughtfully, and then clenched his fists firmly. "I want to find my father! I noticed that when Yun Ling was dying, he firmly insisted he hadn't killed him—so perhaps he was telling the truth." As he spoke, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows again, chuckling wistfully. "But if what he said is indeed true, how could my father, with his powerful Duosheng level strength, simply vanish from the eyes of a single Duowang-level warrior?" "The old doctor gently tapped his fingers, then after a while, narrowed his eyes slightly and murmured, 'Your father's Grandmaster-level strength is truly solid. Therefore, he probably didn't vanish simply by his own power—perhaps someone else intervened and took him away.' 'Someone else?' Xiao Yan's face slightly changed, his expression surprised. 'If it truly was someone else who took my father, then to have done so without Cloud Ling noticing, that person must have at least reached the Emperor-level strength. Yet, aside from me, I can't recall the Xue family having established any such strong connections.' 'Given the Xue family's standing, it's indeed difficult to forge such ties. However, your young girlfriend's backing does possess that capability,' the old doctor said calmly. 'You mean—people from Xun'er's side?' Xiao Yan asked, his face filled with astonishment. "Though that young girl is quite intelligent, her age is still too young to possess such a long-range perspective... I mean, perhaps it's due to some connection with her family's influence." The elderly physician shook his head and said, "Your family, the Xiao clan, also has certain ties with them, though we can't really do much to improve the situation. Ah, the relationships here are simply too intricate, involving so many parties. As an outsider, I'm not fully clear on all the details. When you next meet your young girlfriend, simply ask her, and you'll learn some of the hidden matters." Seeing the elder's expression, Xiao Yan didn't press further and merely nodded slightly, speaking softly, "That would be fine. After all, the family has already relocated, so I can now settle down and leave. This time, I'll go straight to the Ganavan Academy." "Hm." Xiao Yan turned and walked slowly to the entrance of the cave, his gaze fixed upon the dark night sky. A cold gleam passed through his slightly narrowed eyes. "After all, if I'm to leave the Gamma Empire smoothly, I'll likely have to endure a good deal of fierce combat. With Yunshan's nature, he won't easily let me go..." Yao Lao nodded. "Hmph! If he wants to keep me, then he'll have to prepare to make me suffer—hardly a gentle or merciful man am I!" With a slender fingertip, a surge of emerald flame leapt suddenly. Xiao Yan exhaled slowly, and his crisp, solemn voice echoed steadily throughout the cave.