"Have we finally secured the last fragment of the Pure Lotus Spirit Flame?" Xiao Yan's face was filled with excitement. The Pure Lotus Spirit Flame had always been his dream fire—ranked third on the Unusual Flame List, it was a clear testament to its strength. With his current power, if he could fully absorb and refine it, he might very well leap straight to the peak of the Battle Sovereign level, which would not be impossible at all. "Not so easy," the Elder of Medicine shook his head with a sigh, dousing Xiao Yan with a cool reality check. "The Pure Lotus Spirit Flame is an exceptionally mysterious fire. I myself have never personally witnessed it. Receiving the three fragments you've obtained is already a great achievement. The final fragment, however, is far from easy to secure." "Ah... so that's the good news the teacher mentioned?" Xiao Yan blinked, slightly disheartened, his voice now weak and hesitant. "We haven't yet secured the final fragment, but we have gathered some information related to it," the Elder smiled gently, stroking his beard. "What kind of information?" Xiao Yan’s slightly discouraged mood lifted slightly, and he hurried to ask. "In the Central Region, there's a particularly special spatial trading fair that occurs roughly every few years. Ordinary strong individuals are generally unaware of it, and even some cultivators who have reached the Dou Zun stage may not know about it unless they have special channels to learn of it..." Yao Lao smiled and said, "In fact, merely qualifying to attend this spatial trading fair requires one to have reached the peak of the Dou Zong stage. That means the attendees are mostly the true elite among the continent's strongest cultivators." "A spatial trading fair? Requiring at least the peak of the Dou Zong stage?" Hearing this, Xiao Yan was momentarily stunned and then couldn't help but pinch his lips. The entry qualification for this fair was simply astonishing—reaching the peak of the Dou Zong stage. On the continent, such strength was typically deliberately cultivated and courted by leading factions, yet here, it was merely enough to qualify for participation. Moreover, even the previous Xuanyin had never heard of this so-called spatial trading event—likely due to the nature of the channels involved. "Will the final fragment of the Jinglian Demon Fire map indeed be unveiled at this spatial trading event?" Xuanyin mused. "Yes, I have some acquaintances at this spatial trading event. When I recently inquired, I just learned about this. The owner of the final fragment knows this map is significant to the Jinglian Demon Fire, as it's a rare treasure of world renown. However, since he only possesses one copy, he intends to trade it for other items." The Elder of the Medicine said. "Given that this map is so closely tied to such a world-renowned treasure as the Jinglian Demon Fire, I'd expect the price for acquiring it to be substantial," Xuanyin reflected. In the past, whenever he obtained a fragment, others—even if they had already possessed it—were completely unaware of its benefits, allowing him to gain an advantage. But this time, the map's importance had been recognized, and thus, the exchange would surely involve some complications. "Well, that's unfortunately the only information we've received about the Pure Lotus Demon Flame. If we don't secure it, we'll truly lose our chance forever." The Hermit of the Medicine Sect said. "Alright, who it belongs to doesn't matter. As long as it's here now, we must have it!" Xiang Yin pondered for a while, then firmly bit his lip and said. Since he first obtained the first ancient scroll years ago, he had been deeply eager for the Pure Lotus Demon Flame. Over the years, he had diligently gathered the remaining scrolls, striving to reach the point where only one more scroll remained—then he would know the exact location of the flame. How could he possibly let it slip away so easily? Moreover, with the Pure Lotus Demon Flame in his possession, Xiang Yin would be able to truly stand up to the Hu Dun Sect. The likes of the Nine Heavens Sovereigns would be completely easy to defeat. The old medic nodded, then smiled, "But I can't quite recall the details, since the Spatial Trade Fair occurs almost every ten years. Each time it's held, numerous rare treasures emerge—sometimes even Heavenly-Rank Combat Techniques..." "Heavenly-Rank Combat Techniques..." Hearing this, Xiao Yan's expression grew astonished, and his regard for the Spatial Trade Fair grew significantly. Heavenly-Rank Combat Techniques are typically possessed only by the most powerful factions, often serving as their foundational treasures. It's extremely rare for such techniques to be offered for trade. For instance, the Great Dao-Forming Palm that Xiao Yan obtained—without a fortunate coincidence, he likely wouldn't have acquired it at all. "How long until the next Spatial Trade Fair?" Xiao Yan asked, frowning. "Should be less than a year," the old medic calculated. "Still that long, huh..." Hearing this, Xiao Yan furrowed his brows even more tightly. Right now, he couldn't wait to find the person who still held the last ancient map—no matter what it took, he had to secure that ancient map. "Heh, unfortunately, since you're so eager for the unique flames, you might want to gather information about other unique flames, or even go after whoever currently possesses one. I'm not sure which faction, aside from Burn-Flame Valley, currently holds the most unique flames." Wind Master joked beside him. Xiao Yan sighed, knowing how difficult it was to locate unique flames. "The most powerful faction in terms of unique flames should be the Flame Clan," the herbalist smiled suddenly. "The Flame Clan?" Xiao Yan was taken aback. Which faction was that? And why had he never heard of it before? "One of the Eight Ancient Clans, now a hidden power of considerable strength—its might far exceeds your imagination. The Central Plains is not as simple as it appears. The terms 'one Hall, one Pagoda, two Sects, three Valleys, four Palaces' are merely broad generalizations. In truth, some of the actual powers are even more deeply concealed than the ancient clans themselves." The old pharmacist spoke calmly. "The Eight Ancient Clans?" Hearing the term again, Xiao Yan's heart gave a slight leap. After a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Which eight clans exactly constitute the Eight Ancient Clans?" "The old medic remained silent for a moment before speaking softly, 'The Ancient Clan and the Spirit Clan belong to the Eight Ancient Clans... Besides these two, there are five other clans that still exist today—the Flame Clan, the Medic Clan, the Stone Clan, the Thunder Clan, and the Spirit Clan...' Hearing names he had never heard before, Xiao Yan couldn't help but take a quiet breath. This world truly surpassed his expectations. He had originally thought the Spirit Palace was the strongest, but now he realized they were merely one of the Eight Ancient Clans. 'Only seven clans?' Xiao Yan paused, then said suddenly. The old medic stared at Xiao Yan, and after a while, replied, 'There is one more ancient clan that has been abandoned—the Xiao Clan, which is precisely the clan you now belong to.'" Xiao Yan exhaled slowly, as if releasing a multitude of thoughts that had been accumulating within him. He had never imagined that a family once merely surviving in a modest city within the Gamma Empire—a second-tier city—could possess such legendary origins, ones even they themselves found hard to believe. Although Xiao Yan did not know exactly how powerful the so-called Xiao Clan had been in ancient times, its ability to stand alongside the Huan Clan and the Ancient Clan clearly indicated immense strength. Yet now, a once-distinguished race had been gradually and mercilessly phased out by the relentless passage of time. "The Xiao clan once produced a Battle Emperor, and thus, the descendants of this lineage carry the Bloodline of the Battle Emperor. However, by the time it reached your ancestor, Xiao Xuan, this bloodline had been completely exhausted and fully utilized by him..." The old pharmacist said slowly, "Though the Battle Emperor bloodline is powerful, it is not eternal—it will eventually dry up and run out. To sustain its continuation, a new Battle Emperor must emerge, infusing the bloodline with renewed vitality and life." "Unfortunately, since that Battle Emperor from the Xiao clan, no further Battle Emperor has emerged among them. The most accomplished of all was your ancestor, Xiao Xuan himself. Yet even with his all-out, decisive efforts, he could not prevent the clan's complete decline." "To this day, the Battle Emperor bloodline of the Xiao clan has nearly vanished. Over the years, I've observed you and have never sensed even a single trace of that bloodline—something you yourself likely also recognize." Xiao Yan nodded silently. Over the years, his cultivation had been almost entirely self-driven, relying on his own efforts to break through at critical moments of life and death—his so-called Dou Di bloodline had played only a minimal role. "You don't need to feel any pressure about this," the Yeold said, gently patting Xiao Yan's shoulder with a warm gaze. "With your abilities, the Dou Di bloodline isn't essential. The teacher has full confidence in you. Eventually, you will revive the long-forgotten Dou Di bloodline of the Xiao family." Seeing Xiao Yan's expression, Yao Lao smiled warmly, deeply satisfied with his disciple—both in terms of talent and temperament. Though he might have been somewhat immature back then, that youth had now completely faded away. He believed that the future of the Qi Continent would surely be etched with a remarkable legend, one belonging to this disciple.