Gathered Today

The Purple Crystal Lion Heart Pill's medicinal effect was meant to strengthen the body, which naturally included healing injuries.

After being altered by the Earth Fire Lotus Seed, the cyan crystal became extremely sensitive to the Green Lotus Core Flame as well.

Cyan energy surged from this mutated heart, closely following that wisp of cyan magma.

His body, which had originally been unable to withstand the Green Lotus Core Flame's terrifying heat, was instantly repaired by the cyan energy and even grew stronger from the misfortune.

The cyan magma continuously circulated through Xiao Yan's Meridians, inflicting horrifying injuries on him every second, only for them all to be mended by the cyan energy that erupted from his heart immediately afterward.

The damage from the cyan magma left Xiao Yan in unbearable pain, while the cyan energy's repairs brought the itchy tingling of healing wounds. Caught between pain and itchiness, Xiao Yan felt as though he was dying and ascending to heaven at once. In his daze, he vaguely saw his mother.

"Damn it, if this keeps up, this young master is going to be tortured to death by the Green Lotus Core Flame!"

Xiao Yan could have endured pure pain, but the agony followed by itchiness, then pain followed by itchiness again, assaulted him from both sides and tortured him into doubting his very existence.

"No, I need to find a way to ease this."

After another cycle, Xiao Yan felt as though he was about to lose consciousness.

"The Purple Crystal Wings came from a Sixth Grade Magical Beast, and Teacher even refined them with the Bone Spirit Cold Flame. They should be able to share some of the burden."

Gritting his teeth, Xiao Yan drove the cyan magma into the two Meridians opened up by the Purple Crystal Wings on his back.

The Purple Crystal Wings were instantly activated by the terrifying Green Lotus Core Flame. Two purple wings shot out from Xiao Yan's back, far faster than when he activated them with his own Dou Qi.

Although the Purple Crystal Wings lacked triple-layered protection, their foundation was far superior to Xiao Yan's body. The Green Lotus Core Flame's damage to them was extremely limited.

The cyan energy easily repaired the Purple Crystal Wings. Back and forth, the wings too began to be forcibly transformed cyan by the Green Lotus Core Flame's power, just like the Purple Crystal Heart.

"So he used the Purple Crystal Wings to relieve the pressure brought by the Heavenly Flame and buy himself some breathing room? This kid really is as clever as ever!"

Old Yao could not help shaking his head with a soft laugh, his confidence in Xiao Yan growing by several degrees.

Xiao Yan hurriedly took deep breaths, vigorously patted his entire body, and silently recited various pill formulas in his heart, trying to relax his body and focus his mind.

However, the Purple Crystal Wings only had two Meridians after all. The cyan magma quickly returned to Xiao Yan's body, entered the Flame Mantra Cultivation Technique Route once more, and began another round of circulation.

The torment continued in its endless cycle, but whenever the Green Lotus Core Flame completed one circulation according to the Flame Mantra, Xiao Yan would drive it into the Purple Crystal Wings and win himself a brief moment to relax.

As time passed, the Earth Spirit Pill's medicinal power grew weaker and weaker, while the cyan crystal layer covering his heart became thinner and thinner. The medicinal effects of the two Sixth Grade Pills were steadily dwindling.

Yet the Green Lotus Core Flame, condensed over a thousand years, remained infinitely powerful, and its terrifying heat showed no sign of weakening.

Xiao Yan had no idea what was going on with this damn situation. In his understanding, successfully circulating a Heavenly Flame once along the Flame Mantra Cultivation Technique Route should have been enough. The real difficulty was guiding the Heavenly Flame in the first place.

Yet Xiao Yan had already driven the Green Lotus Core Flame through countless cycles. Not only had the Heavenly Flame not restrained its temperature, it instead seemed to be growing more and more excited.

Was it because Queen Medusa had not depleted the Green Lotus Core Flame, leaving it in too good a condition? Or was it because it had devoured several Beast Flames and was about to evolve?

Xiao Yan did not know either. He only felt heartache at the sight of his increasingly shriveled Dou Qi Crystal—the Green Lotus Core Flame had not only devoured the Beast Flames Xiao Yan had refined, but had relied on devouring Xiao Yan's Flame Mantra Dou Qi to devour those Beast Flames!

If this continued, once Xiao Yan ran out of Dou Qi, he would likely have no choice but to let the Green Lotus Core Flame scatter everywhere.

Xiao Yan thought of how relaxed and comfortable he had felt when his entire body was covered in cyan specks of light, then thought of the living hell he was suffering now. He decisively withdrew his Dou Qi, intending to guide the Heavenly Flame with Soul Power and start over.

However, the moment Xiao Yan withdrew his Dou Qi and took over with Soul Power, the Green Lotus Core Flame slipped out of control.

That wisp of cyan magma anxiously searched for a "delicious" source of Dou Qi. It swiftly rushed toward Xiao Yan's Dou Qi Vortex and, upon discovering his shriveled Dou Qi Crystal, directly "spat out" countless jade-like droplets.

Those droplets rained lightly within Xiao Yan's Dou Qi Vortex, nourishing the entire vortex.

"Crack, crack, crack."

Under the impact of that massive energy, Xiao Yan directly broke through to become a Two-star Dou Spirit. One of the nine spikes on his Dou Qi Crystal immediately retracted.

"Heh, there's even a benefit like this?" Xiao Yan instantly perked up.

Seemingly sensing that the Dou Qi Vortex had become full again, the cyan magma began anxiously circling around, yearning for that "delicious" Dou Qi.

With a thought from Xiao Yan, Flame Mantra Dou Qi transformed from the Green Lotus Core Flame's energy flowed out of the Dou Qi Vortex and wrapped around the cyan magma.

Not only that, Xiao Yan's Soul Power pressed against it as well, seeking to improve his affinity with the Heavenly Flame in every way, from his soul to his Dou Qi.

With the addition of Soul Power, Xiao Yan developed a vague sense of the Green Lotus Core Flame's own spirituality.

At this moment, the Green Lotus Core Flame was no longer using Xiao Yan's Dou Qi to devour Beast Flames—one Beast Flame that Xiao Yan had previously refined was devoured by the Green Lotus Core Flame every circulation, and now not a single one remained.

The Green Lotus Core Flame was in a delicate state. By devouring the Origin of the Beast Flames, it had gained an opportunity to evolve, but the energy it had devoured was insufficient to support that evolution.

And with the Green Lotus Core Flame's spirituality, which could barely even be called intelligence, it had no idea why it could not evolve. It only believed that the Dou Qi supplied by Xiao Yan's Dou Qi Vortex was insufficient.

Although the Green Lotus Core Flame would actively replenish Xiao Yan's Dou Qi, the medicinal power of the Earth Spirit Pill and Purple Crystal Lion Heart Pill was nearly exhausted. If he continued allowing the Green Lotus Core Flame to evolve, Xiao Yan likely would not last until it completed its evolution.

Thus, Xiao Yan could only take a gamble.

"Isn't it just lacking enough energy? Then I'll fill you up!"

While the Green Lotus Core Flame was inside the Purple Crystal Wings, Xiao Yan directly took an Earth Fire Lotus Seed from his Storage Ring and swallowed it.

"???" Σ(っ°Д°;)っ

Even Old Yao was stunned by this move. He had no idea what madness had seized his precious disciple. Xiao Yan had not even refined the Heavenly Flame properly, yet he was trying to give it another push.

Had his brain been burned out?

However, in the next moment, something even more incomprehensible happened—

Xiao Yan's aura suddenly began to soar.

It was not just his Dou Qi. Xiao Yan's Soul Power was also growing... no, it would be more accurate to say that Xiao Yan's soul was evolving.

"Was there such a process when refining a Heavenly Flame? How did I refine a Heavenly Flame back then? The ancient records never said that refining a Heavenly Flame required the soul, did they? What exactly is going on?"

Old Yao's mind was in complete turmoil. Like an ant on a hot pan, he scurried frantically around the cave.