"The Endpoint" 030. (Guardian Day Forest Chapter) Flame Technique

"Chirp chirp... coo coo..."
Strange birds flitted through the dense forest, their calls on the branches crisp and ethereal. Mixed with the babbling sounds of the mountain stream, under the golden haze of dusk, a unique breath from nature lingered, leaving people feeling an unprecedented ease and refreshment of body and mind.

Passing through dense thickets and some small clusters of bushes, in front of an imposing mountain cliff, bending to pass a rock, a cave entrance just wide enough for two people to walk side by side suddenly appeared.

At this moment, some voices could be heard from inside the cave:
"Boy, have you made up your mind? Opportunities like this are so rare that many people won't encounter them in a lifetime."

The voice was somewhat old but carried a strong sense of lightheartedness, full of the energy of someone still vigorous despite their age.

After a long pause, a young voice replied in bewilderment:
"But... but I don't know you... why do you insist on teaching me cultivation? And... and I already have three teachers..."

The voices in the cave were none other than Qing Yan and Shi Quanshen, who had just been abducted from Jingdong City.

At this moment, Shi Quanshen was slightly licking his lips, rubbing his hands as he tried to cajole Qing Yan:
"What's the big deal about teachers? Boy, do you believe in fate? Do you believe in extraordinary talent? Or in unique bone structures?"

“Huh?”

"Boy, do you know that a spiritual light is brimming from the top of your head? At such a young age, you have an exceptionally strong and refined physique—truly a cultivation prodigy once in a hundred years! As the saying goes, 'If I don't go into hell, who will?' In this chaotic cultivation world, it'll be up to your generation to maintain order, got it? I happen to have a supreme cultivation manual—originally priceless, but since fate brought us together, I want to give it to you for free. That's it!"

It sounded somewhat reasonable! Shi Quanshen nodded to himself in satisfaction and eagerly awaited Qing Yan's reaction.

"Uh, so fake..."

The corner of Qing Yan's mouth twitched repeatedly. Looking at the playful old man in front of him and comparing him to the solemn and ethereal images of his three other teachers, Qing Yan rolled his eyes multiple times.

Extraordinary talent?Extraordinary skeleton? Damn, how is that even possible?! Even if I'm just a naïve fifteen-year-old boy, I'm not stupid enough to believe this kind of stuff, right? Are you overestimating your own wisdom or underestimating my intelligence? \ Qing Yan sneered harshly at Shi Quan Shen in his heart, while keeping an eye on the nearby cave entrance, ready to escape at any moment. \ “What, still don't believe it? Here, let me show you what an unparalleled secret manual looks like!” \ Shi Quan Shen said, suddenly pulling a thin leather-bound book from his chest. It really did look like some kind of unrivaled manual. \ With a "smack!", the book landed in Qing Yan's hands. The leather felt soft to the touch, yet it was easy to sense a certain historical essence within; on the cover, there was a single character, “Flame,” in vermilion red. Faintly, Qing Yan seemed to feel a burning warmth emanating from this character, as if he were holding a living flame! \ At this moment, Qing Yan finally felt a solemn atmosphere. His previous disdain vanished instantly, replaced by even deeper confusion and puzzlement. He looked up at Shi Quan Shen, who showed no expression whatsoever, his brow furrowed more deeply, and then looked down, flipping open the book in front of him. \ Uh… what kind of gibberish is this? Apart from two or three hand-drawn illustrations that could barely convey meaning, the text looked neatly written but… completely unreadable! \ Qing Yan's previously solemn mood was instantly shattered by the wholly incomprehensible text, plunging him into the tenth layer of hell. \ “Grandpa, are you kidding me? This is the unparalleled manual you were talking about? Are you sure this isn't meant for birds?” \ “What do you know? That's the original text, written thousands of years ago. How could you possibly read it? Here, this copy has been translated for you.” \ Seeing Qing Yan's expression of disdain, Shi Quan Shen snatched the leather-bound book back in one swift motion and carefully placed it back against his chest.He turned around again and picked up a paper manuscript from a stone platform beside him, flinging it to Qingyan, then said very seriously:

"Kid, jokes are jokes, but I can tell you this: although it's just a manuscript, I warn you, don't leak it. Even your three teachers aren't allowed to know. Otherwise, don't blame me for being unkind! The importance of 'Flame Technique' to me is not something a mere youngster like you can imagine!"

"Hoo!"

A wave of overwhelming energy instantly surged from Shiquanshen's body, spreading in all directions, pressing so hard on Qingyan's body that it creaked and groaned. A mouthful of blood instantly surged up and spurted out! In an instant, the energy vanished completely, as if nothing had happened.

Qingyan nodded forcefully, his eyes filled with a bone-deep fear! In that instant, it was like falling into the frozen gates of death, like a life-devouring nail, deeply imprinted in Qingyan's heart, never to disappear.

Night fell in the Guardian Forest earlier than in Jingdong City. The kind of darkness where you cannot see your hand in front of your face could never be seen in the city. The seemingly peaceful and clear dark forest hid countless dangers within.

Suddenly, the sound of a long rustling through the brush came from behind a stone mound. About a minute later, a flickering cluster of firelight suddenly appeared from behind the hill, seeming somewhat strange in this almost primal forest area, giving a sense of discord! Then two clusters, three clusters...

All were torches!

A group of night travelers, roughly a dozen people, moved with a certain rhythmic military step, clearly seasoned soldiers! Moreover, their perfectly organized presence and steady footsteps had even reached the level of special forces. In the entire team, there was not a single weak link! This was truly a squad of tigers and leopards!

Before them was a patch of open ground of about fifty or sixty square meters. The figure walking at the front crouched low to the ground, listening carefully to the surroundings.

After a while, that person turned around and, lowering his voice, quickly gave orders:

"Set up camp here and rest, make sure to conserve your energy. It's only half a day's journey to the Tianxing Mountains. The real trial is still ahead."