Chapter 19 - 19: Questioning~

"WHAT?!" Tang San, Xiao Wu and Yu Xiaogang yelled out in shock as they stared Xiao Yan who was leisurely drinking tea.

By his side was Xun Er who was currently reading on the 'History and Common Knowledge of Humanity to Today' who also sipped tea.

An entire day passed after a series of crying and punching Xiao Yan in either his two shoulders and face. Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang had came back half a day ago the instant news came to him that Xiao Yan had returned safe, though after he met Xiao Yan he immediately punched him in the face and hugged him afterwards and kept saying 'Stupid Disciple' and 'I'm glad you're back safe'.

The party of five are currently inside the office of Yu Xiaogang. Each one sitting on top of a wooden chair with one wooden table between the trio and Xiao Yan and Xun Er.

A set of five white porcelain tea cups and one black kettle was positioned on the table. Two of the cups were taken by the duo while the other three cups tea had been spilled by the sudden shake of force caused by three pair of hands that was brought down on the table.

Hot tea were spilled and thankfully for the trio they had immediately utilised their spirit power to protect themselves from tea.

But that still didn't shake them off of their great shock at Xiao Yan.

Yu Xiaogang especially, as he licked his lips and shakingly asked.

"Y-You... What did you say disciple Xiao Yan? I didn't quite catch it."

Xiao Yan sipped his tea and afterwards put it down to the table.

With a shit eating grin that caused Tang San, Xiao Wu and Yu Xiaogang to twitched their eyebrows in irritation. Xiao Yan opened his mouth and he said.

"Everyone, I got my first spirit ring which is a 7,000 years old Green Lotus Core Flame. I also have dozens of refined ten year old Purification Fruits and three refined hundred year old Purification Fruits. Oh, and my spirit essence evolved as well."

They stared.

And he took the cup back the cup back and took a really slow slip of it.

'Hmm, this is some good tea.'

Yu Xiaogang practically flew towards Xiao Yan as he leaned his body to grabbed hard of his disciple's two shoulders which had caused the tea he had drunk to spill and was about to complain but Yu Xiaogang beat him to it.

"HOW?!" He shouted with fervor. The dim light that was always in his eyes had brighten once more.

This was what Yu Xiaogang, no, grandmaster was. A unparalleled spirit researcher who wandered through villagers, spirit beasts infested forests and libraries all across the land to know and understand all things spirit related. Spirit rings as well. About their limits and advantages on which specific spirit master systems to choose.

And he just stumbled upon the surprise his third disciple has given him, a whole new world view for him to learn.

"You have a Heavenly Flame as a spirit ring? How?! Wait. All spirit beasts is capable of giving a spirit master a spirit ring as well as plant types, so is it really possible for a heavenly flame to do so as well? They are flames created by the acc.u.mulation of spirit power given by the world and a piece of the heavenly will for hundreds, thousands, ten-thousand even for hundreds of thousands of years!"

"It was said that with enough time, heavenly flames would a kind of flame body, which possesses intelligence that belongs to itself, is what we call a 'Fire Spirit.' Its intelligence should be comparable with only the most powerful hundred thousand year old spirit beast that has the ability to freely transformed into a human form. Of course it was a myth created by some ancient alchemists thousands of years ago but we can't completely rule out the possibility." Yu Xiaogang then let go Xiao Yan, who was now staring at grandmaster with a fascinated expression, he then started to rub his chin in deep thought.

"Does your heavenly flame have the potential to create a fire spirit? Will it grow stronger as well with you? So many questions..." He muttered, ignoring the four pairs of eyes from Tang San, Xiao Wu, Xiao Yan and Xun Er, who put down her book to stare at grandmaster in wonder.

Yu Xiaogang turned to Xiao Yan and asked.

"Also, can you show your spirit essence? I want to see it for myself of what happened to it."

Yu Xiaogang's eyes brighten once more, like a made scientist, he rubbed his chin and stared in focused at the green edged katana.

"Amazing! Your spirit essence had undergo a second awakening!"

Xiao Yan merely blinked and nodded. He already had his suspicion and his teacher had just confirmed it.

Someone who had read the Douluo Dalu series had already understand what second awakening was. But the others showed a confused expression. Xun Er lightly raised her right hand and asked.

"Second awakening?"

Yu Xiaogang nodded and replied with much more vigor and excitement that he ever showed before.

"Yes. Second awakening is something unique to a Body Spirit. It refers to an evolution in the Spirit. It also means that a Body Spirit can evolve one level higher than others. But that doesn't solely mean that only body related spirits can have a second awakening, as you can see from Xiao Yan."

"Body spirits?" The three asked but Yu Xiaogang quickly explained it to them on what it was and they soon nodded in understanding.(Author's Note: This is Douluo Dalu 1. I ain't about to dive this fanfic into part 2)

"Xiao Yan, your spirit essence probably undergo a second awakening when you were assimilated with the heavenly flame am I correct?" It still amazed Xiao Yan that Yu Xiaogang could deduct on things spirit related so quickly that he had already known on how and when his spirit essence was undergoing second awakening.

Yu Xiaogang hummed in return and continued.

"Can you tell me it's spirit ability?"

Xiao Yan trusted everyone in the room and nodded in confirmation.

"Sure. My first spirit ring ability is; Flame Splitting Tsunami. It's ability is to gather a certain amount of spirit power and heavenly flame in the blade for an indefinite amount of time before releasing a instant tsunami wave of flame attack at where I attack."

Yu Xiaogang nodded and with small smile he said.

"Hm! Although not a lot of people would say that it's a very versatile skill, with a drawback of constantly using it can quickly exhaust your spirit power reserves, but it can be very powerful and with your fighting style? Distract your enemies and use that moment to take them out in a single devastating attack? It fits you perfectly."

Xiao Yan replied with a predatory grin as he brought his spirit essence high and sending a small amount of spirit power, he turned to the group and said.

"It's not only that teach, watch."

A green light blinded them for a moment before the once long katana turned bulky and black. It's height had increased twice and its width five times more wide and bulky.

Everyone, except Xun Er, dropped their jaws in astonishment and shock.

Tang San was the first one to raise the question on everyone's mind.

"Xiao Yan, is that still your first spirit essence?"

Xiao Yan nodded smugly in return.

"...How?"

Xiao Yan smirked and said.

"I don't know."

Tang San, Xiao Wu and Yu Xiaogang practically face faulted at the response while Xun Er sighed in sympathy, as she too had received the same response when she asked him when they ended their battle three days ago at her forest.

Yu Xiaogang quickly shook his head and with a serious expression he asked Xuao Yan.

"Are you sure?"

Xiao Yan replied with a serious expression.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

Grandmaster sighed before putting the matter at the back of his mind and asked the last thing that Xiao Yan surprised them with.

"Okay, then, what were you talking about some refined purification fruits?"

Xiao Yan unsummoned his spirit essence and using his storage ring he took out three pellets on top of the table. Causing everyone to show a confused expression.

Xiao Yan waved his hand towards the pellets and asked.

"Everyone. You know what are purification fruits are right?"

Everyone nodded in confirmation.

"Well this three pellets here are refined purification fruits that was refined and purified, pun intended, by a heavenly flame to maxed out it's potential effects on the ones who eats them."

Everyone's eyes widened and feel that today was truly a day full of shock and surprises and that they should get used to it because it was Xiao Yan causing them but it was hard to do so.

Xiao Wu then perked up a question that should have been asked a little while ago.

"Okay I get that you went in a really great adventure and got great benefits from it but what I really want to is..." She turned to faced a blinking Xun Er who was under the gazes of three pairs of eyes.

"Who the hell is she?"

Xiao Yan blinked and turned towards Xun Er who also turned to faced him and simultaneously, the two blinked and turned to the trio and replied.

"She's Xun Er/I'm Xun Er."

Xiao Wu's eyebrow twitched and asked once more.

"No, what I mean is, what is she to you?"

Xiao Yan blinked and paused for a moment before replying.

"She's a...

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... friend."

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<HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!!????????????>

<HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY YOUR LIVES THIS NEW 2021 YEAR OF OURS!>

<With that said, I'm gonna head out to party!!!>