Bearing Fruit (Celebrating the First Monthly Ticket Reward)

Just as Old Yao began to question his entire existence, Xiao Yan was already floating on cloud nine.

The moment the Earth Fire Lotus Seed entered his body, it rushed into the azure magma and became nourishment for the Green Lotus Core Flame's evolution.

Perhaps because Xiao Yan had simultaneously wrapped the Green Lotus Core Flame in Soul Power and Dou Qi, while the Green Lotus Core Flame evolved, it also gave Xiao Yan a helping hand.

If an ordinary person used Soul Power to touch a Heavenly Flame, they would likely suffer an immediate backlash from its terrifying heat.

Xiao Yan did not understand this. He thought only the Fallen Heart Flame could burn souls, and since he truly did not have enough Dou Qi, he boldly used his Soul Power.

Fortunately, the Green Lotus Core Flame had already circulated along the Flame Mantra's Cultivation Technique Route many times by then and was highly compatible with Xiao Yan, which was why it did not backlash against him.

In the end, Xiao Yan had relied on just a teeny tiny bit of luck to tip the scales of success in his favor...

Just as Old Yao was debating whether to forcefully intervene and separate Xiao Yan from the Green Lotus Core Flame, Xiao Yan took out another Earth Fire Lotus Seed and swallowed it.

"..." (Д≡Д)?

Old Yao decided to stop thinking and trust Xiao Yan.

The azure magma continuously craved energy for evolution, while Xiao Yan swallowed Earth Fire Lotus Seeds one after another.

Old Yao's expression slowly shifted from shock to numbness. He simply assumed that some change he did not understand had occurred due to the Flame Mantra's peculiar nature, pinning everything on that strange cultivation technique found within the Dou Di Relic.

After Xiao Yan swallowed seven Earth Fire Lotus Seeds, the azure magma suddenly trembled before beginning another round of compression.

When the Green Lotus Core Flame first took shape, it was as large as half a mountain.

After being tempered by the earth for a thousand years, its volume would gradually shrink. Only when it had been compressed to the size of a palm could it form a trace of fire spirit.

Only then could the Green Lotus Core Flame truly be called a Heavenly Flame.

The Green Lotus Core Flame Xiao Yan had found had already been compressed into thumb-sized azure magma. Compared to when it had first become a Heavenly Flame, it had likely undergone one or two additional rounds of compression.

And now, having absorbed sufficient energy, the Green Lotus Core Flame compressed once more within Xiao Yan's body, ultimately forming a transparent, jade-like droplet.

A flash of understanding immediately arose in Xiao Yan's heart: the Green Lotus Core Flame's evolution had finally been completed.

The instant this jade droplet formed, it flashed into Xiao Yan's heart at a speed like teleportation. In an instant, it destroyed the azure crystalline layer around his heart, then refined those crystal layers into droplets and drove them into the Purple Crystal Wings.

Once all those droplets had flowed into the Purple Crystal Wings, the Purple Crystal Wings mutated into Green Crystal Wings. The summoned purple crystals all transformed into tougher green crystals with even higher temperatures.

The Earth-tier Low-grade Dou Technique Purple Crystal Wings had transformed along with the Green Lotus Core Flame's evolution into the Earth-tier Mid-grade Dou Technique Green Crystal Wings.

Since Xiao Yan's Soul Power and Dou Qi had both directly participated in the Green Lotus Core Flame's evolution, Xiao Yan had gained unimaginable benefits as well.

At this moment, Xiao Yan felt that the Green Lotus Core Flame's Origin Fire Seed was like a part of his body. Though it still contained terrifying heat, it would no longer cause him any harm.

It was as though Xiao Yan's soul had established a connection with this fire seed, and it had grown much stronger through the flame's evolution.

That heart, which had undergone several transformations, seemed to have become something akin to a Green Lotus Platform, capable of bearing and restraining the Green Lotus Core Flame.

Xiao Yan's Dou Qi Vortex had also turned azure, while his Dou Qi Crystal had become an exquisitely beautiful azure gemstone.

As for his body, which had been repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt by several kinds of energy, it was likely now comparable to a Fifth Grade Magical Beast.

Exhaling a breath of turbid air, Xiao Yan withdrew the evolved Green Crystal Wings and opened his eyes.

What greeted him was Old Yao, holding a gray gemstone in his hand with a conflicted expression on his face.

"Teacher, what's wrong?" Xiao Yan asked.

Old Yao looked at the Na Ling that he had yet to launch, then at the reborn Xiao Yan, and asked in a trembling voice, "You... finished refining the Green Lotus Core Flame?"

"Yep!" ╮(￣▽￣)╭

Old Yao's eyes widened. He stared at Xiao Yan for quite a while before finally asking, "Tell me about the process of refining the Heavenly Flame."

Xiao Yan had many questions himself, so he recounted in full how he had failed to refine the Green Lotus Core Flame, then caused it to evolve.

"Teacher, what exactly is happening to me now?"

"...It should be because of the Flame Mantra's peculiar nature," Old Yao said as he silently put away the Na Ling. "Since your heart has already become the Green Lotus Core Flame's new dwelling place, it is better to let nature take its course. Do not use the Na Ling anymore."

"All right, get dressed first. Save being naked for your little girlfriend!"

Embarrassed, Xiao Yan took out a set of clothes from his Storage Ring and hurriedly put them on. Then he let out a sigh of relief—he had grown stronger, but he had not gone bald.

"Try out your first Origin Fire Seed. I also want to see what this evolved Green Lotus Core Flame is like."

Xiao Yan was equally excited. With a thought, a mass of azure flame surged out from his heart, gathering in his palm. The heat it radiated instantly raised the temperature inside the cave considerably.

Old Yao did not dare be careless in the slightest. Only after covering his entire body in Bone Spirit Cold Flame did he cautiously step forward and carefully sense the power within the azure flame.

"At this intensity... it is probably no weaker than the Volcanic Stone Flame ranked seventeenth. This Flame Mantra truly is strange and powerful!"

Seeing Old Yao's deeply moved expression, Xiao Yan scratched his head with his free hand and asked, "Teacher, I feel like I can use the Heavenly Flame without consuming Dou Qi."

"???" (;Д)!

Old Yao had already lost track of how many times Xiao Yan had shocked him today. In any case, Xiao Yan had thoroughly stunned him.

"You said earlier that you felt the Green Lotus Core Flame's fire seed had become part of your body?"

"Mm-hmm!"

"Then perhaps it consumes the fire seed's energy? You only need to give the command, and the rest is handled by the Green Lotus Core Flame itself?"

"Can it work like that?"

"..." Old Yao watched Xiao Yan's expression of having learned something new and didn't know what to say. He could only return to his Ancient Ring, leaving behind one sentence:

"Find some time and evolve the Flame Mantra!"

Xiao Yan shrugged, withdrew the cluster of green flame, and decisively chose to devour the Green Lotus Core Flame on the spot to evolve the Flame Mantra.

The entire process flowed as smoothly as clouds and water, without the slightest pain or setback. The Flame Mantra naturally evolved into a Di Tier Low cultivation method.

Xiao Yan had expected as much. The energy required to evolve into the Di Tier was simply incomparable to the Xuan Tier. The Xuan Tier Mid Flame Mantra had devoured the Fallen Heart Flame and only then broken through to Di Tier Low.

Another reason for the bonus chapter: Damn it, I have to devour this Green Lotus Core Flame today!