Han Yu searched the market next, wandering the rchant stalls disguised as a simple traveler.
So techniques looked fancy, but were low grade products with flashy covers. A few mid grade manuals appeared promising, but after reading the contents he realized they were rely polished versions of basic techniques.
Good cultivation arts were never openly sold. They passed through inheritance. They were guarded by sects. They were buried in ancient tombs. They were traded between great clans for unimaginable prices.
Han Yu leaned against a wooden pillar and muttered, "Useless garbage. All of it."
His irritation grew. He slapped a low grade Water elental manual shut and threw it aside. He needed sothing far better. Sothing rare. Sothing dangerous.
His mind returned to the technique buried deep within his spatial pouch.The one he had nearly forgotten about.
The Fla Lily Peak Art.
He took it out and stared at the bright red cover. The binding glowed faintly under the lantern light, as if reflecting fire. Han Yu had obtained this manual during his exploration of the tomb of the Slaughtered Moon Sect's ancestor.
It was among hundreds of scrolls stacked in a forgotten corner, covered in dust. At first he had assud it was an alchemy text. The na certainly suggested sothing related to herbs or fla control for pill refinent.
He rembered flipping through a few pages only to discover that it was a true cultivation technique. A high tier one. Far above anything a rchant clan or a small noble clan could hope to own.
He did not practice it because he had no fire affinity back then. Nor did he have any reason to abandon the Moon Slaughter Arts after becoming Ju Fan. That path was already set for him.
But Qing Luan was another story.
She had a great talent. She had incredible control. She had a personality evolving into steel.
He held the manual in his hands and felt certain.
This was hers.
He waited until evening before calling Qing Luan. She appeared at the study door with her now usual calm expression. Her eyes, however, were keen and alert, like a small predator learning how to stalk prey.
Han Yu asked about her affinities.
She replied without hesitation, "My affinity is fire."
Her voice held no pride or modesty. Just a calm statent of fact.
'This is good...'
Han Yu tested her by giving her the Dancing Fla Art, the sa technique he had been practicing recently. She accepted the manual, sat down, and ditated for barely two hours before producing a fla on her fingertip.
Han Yu leaned forward.
The fla did not flicker. It did not waver nor did not dance erratically.
It spun slowly, perfectly under her control, stable as a gemstone resting on a velvet sheet.
Han Yu narrowed his eyes. He had practiced for weeks to achieve the sa effect. Even now, he needed concentration to maintain a fla without disturbances. But this girl had grasped it almost imdiately.
Her fla even responded to her thoughts faster than his responded to his own.
He tested her further by asking her to split the fla into two. She did it in ten seconds.
Then asked her to change the shape. She shaped it into a tiny blooming flower.
Han Yu whispered under his breath, "Monstrous talent."
She lifted her head. "Honored lord?"
"Nothing. Just continue."
She showed him sothing else next. She extended her finger and let the fla hover away from her hand without destabilizing. It floated like a tiny red butterfly, controlled with precision even most fla cultivators struggled to achieve.
Han Yu knew then that she was destined for a fire related technique.
He finally handed her the Fla Lily Peak Art.
Qing Luan took it in both hands and bowed deeply. She sat down and started reading.
The technique was powerful, and it was said that upon reaching full mastery, one would be able to create a giant flaming lily the size of a mountain that could eradicate entire cities with ease.
Her eyes moved quickly, absorbing the information. The technique required extre discipline, steady control, and imnse talent with fire. It warned that the user could easily ignite themselves from within if their mind wavered or if their Qi circulation faltered.
Qing Luan read all this without blinking.
Han Yu watched her expression. There was no fear. No hesitation. Only determination.
She said softly, "I want this."
Han Yu nodded. "Then begin."
He stayed beside her during the process of switching cultivation paths. Fortunately she was still early in her cultivation so her foundation could be reset with minimal damage. It still took several hours of careful guidance.
By dawn, her Qi had been reshaped into the structure of the Fla Lily Peak Art and she successfully reached the early stage of Qi refining again.
Han Yu expected her to need several days to adjust.
She did it in one.
He expected her to ditate for days before gathering enough compatibility to advance.
Then she broke through to mid stage Qi refining in seven days.
Han Yu stared at her after her breakthrough, speechless.
'She is a five colored phoenix raised as a barn chicken.'
Had the Qing clan been even slightly competent, they would have discovered her frightening talent beyond what they already knew. If they knew they would have nurtured her. They would have polished her into treasure.
Instead they ignored her. Suppressed her. Bullied her.
'Idiots.' Han Yu cursed in his mind. 'Absolute idiots!'
Qing Luan opened her eyes and exhaled gently. The air in front of her shimred with heat. A faint outline of a fiery petal appeared behind her before fading away.
She looked up at Han Yu and asked, "Is this technique enough for revenge?"
Han Yu smiled.
"It is more than enough. As long as you keep cultivating, one day you will not only burn your enemies. You will burn their entire world."
Qing Luan smiled, small and quiet but sharp. The fla inside her eyes flickered like a deadly spark.
For the first ti, Han Yu felt completely certain.
He had found the perfect weapon.
And she was growing faster than he had imagined.
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