In Martial Universe, Signed in at the Start with Yao Lao's Ring

Yao Lao placed two scrolls in front of Lin Yan, patiently waiting for his choice.

He was not joking.

Lin Yan's earlier bold idea had sparked Yao Lao's interest. He was genuinely curious—

If a warrior could master both Qi refinement and body refinement, just how powerful would they become in the future?

Moreover, training Lin Yan would also benefit Yao Lao.

After all, they had an agreement—

Once Lin Yan became strong enough, he would help Yao Lao refine a physical body and assist him in returning to the Dou Qi Continent.

Additionally, Yao Lao owed Lin Yan a great debt of gratitude.

Because of this, Yao Lao was willing to teach him everything he knew without reservation.

"Then I sincerely thank Senior Yao for this generous gift."

Lin Yan cupped his fists and expressed his gratitude.

A free opportunity to grow stronger—why would he refuse?

Besides, he firmly believed in his own reasoning.

Since the Wu Dong Qian Kun world specialized in body refinement, while the Dou Qi Continent excelled in Qi refinement—

Why not take the best of both worlds?

After confirming his intent, Lin Yan turned to Yao Lao with a question.

"Senior Yao, these two scrolls… What kind of Qi refinement techniques do they contain? Did you prepare two so I can choose between them?"

Yao Lao nodded and replied:

"That's right. These two scrolls are for you to choose from. As I mentioned before, cultivation techniques in the Dou Qi Continent are classified into four major ranks: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow—the higher the rank, the stronger the technique."

"The scroll on the left is called Flame Control Art—a Low Earth-rank fire-attribute technique."

"The scroll on the right is Flame Mantra, which is only a Yellow-rank technique."

"At first glance, the Flame Control Art is clearly superior. However, the Flame Mantra has a unique ability—it can evolve."

"As long as certain conditions are met and it absorbs special flames, this technique can continuously improve. At its peak, it could even reach the level of a High Heaven-rank technique, becoming one of the strongest cultivation arts in our Dou Qi Continent."

"But…"

Yao Lao paused, letting out a soft sigh.

If they were currently in the Dou Qi Continent, he would unquestionably recommend the Flame Mantra. Although it was a dangerous technique, its potential was limitless.

Furthermore, if Yao Lao wanted to reforge a physical body in the future, the Flame Mantra would be incredibly useful.

However…

They were not in the Dou Qi Continent.

This was the Wu Dong Qian Kun world.

Yao Lao wasn't sure if Heavenly Flames even existed here.

If Lin Yan chose Flame Mantra but never found a flame to fuel its evolution, the technique would become useless.

And Yao Lao was not the type of person who would deceive others for personal gain.

If he convinced Lin Yan to cultivate a potentially useless technique just for his own benefit, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

Thus, he found himself in a dilemma.

"Senior Yao is concerned that this world may not have Heavenly Flames…"

Lin Yan immediately understood Yao Lao's hesitation.

"I actually know a bit about Flame Mantra," Lin Yan said.

"Although it's incredibly risky to cultivate, with a high chance of death, if someone succeeds in continuously absorbing Heavenly Flames, they will become incomparably powerful."

"The biggest problem right now is that we don't know if this world has Heavenly Flames."

"But…"

Lin Yan's expression turned determined.

"I want to take the gamble."

Lin Yan's voice was firm as he looked directly at Yao Lao.

"Besides, I already made a promise to Senior Yao. When I become strong enough, I will help you rebuild your body."

"If I remember correctly, that process will require several Heavenly Flames and the Flame Mantra, right?"

"So, just for the sake of keeping my promise—I must take this gamble."

Yao Lao was stunned. For a moment, he remained silent, but then a warm feeling spread through his heart.

Taking a deep breath, he looked at Lin Yan seriously and said—

"Little friend… Thank you. Whether or not I can truly regain a body in the future, I will never forget this kindness."

Lin Yan smiled and waved his hand.

Seeing that the atmosphere had become too serious, he quickly tried to lighten the mood.

"Come on, Senior Yao, it's not that bad! Who knows? Maybe this world also has Heavenly Flames."

"And even if it doesn't, I still have the "ability" (system), right?"

"The "ability" was able to bring you from the Dou Qi Continent to this world. Who's to say it won't gift me a few Heavenly Flames someday?"

Yao Lao chuckled and nodded.

Although he wasn't entirely convinced, he appreciated the sentiment.

He knew Lin Yan was just trying to comfort him.

But in his heart, Yao Lao had already made up his mind—

Lin Yan was now someone truly worth trusting.

"You're right. Then, little friend, go ahead and cultivate the Flame Mantra."

"And once you've learned it... I will teach you everything I know about alchemy."

"After all, you've proven your loyalty to me, so I must also show my sincerity in return."

Yao Lao's gaze sharpened as he made this declaration.

Hearing this, Lin Yan nodded.

"Alright, then I'll begin now."

He immediately started cultivating Flame Mantra.

Since it was only a Yellow-rank technique, learning it was relatively easy.

Once he understood the circulation method, Lin Yan only needed a few hours to fully grasp the technique.

When he reopened his eyes, he immediately sensed a difference.

The flow of Yuan Power inside his body had become smoother, and his control over it had improved significantly.

Meanwhile, Yao Lao, seeing that Lin Yan had successfully mastered Flame Mantra, stepped forward.

"Now, little friend…"

"It's time for me to teach you alchemy."

"From my observations, no one in this world has mastered this skill yet."

"If you can learn it, you will instantly become highly sought after no matter where you go."

Lin Yan nodded eagerly.

Following Yao Lao's guidance, he prepared to visit Qingyang Town's pharmacies to purchase a batch of low-grade medicinal herbs.

"Ah? Brother Lin Yan?"

"I finally found you! It's been two months—seeing you is as hard as reaching the heavens!"

Just as Lin Yan was about to enter the pharmacy, a familiar voice called out to him.

Turning around, he saw—

It was Lin Xia.