Devouring the Myriad Beasts Spirit Flame

Xiao Heng's face hardened. Gritting his teeth, he thrust his hand into the flames. In an instant, the fire engulfed his entire arm. Even with the protection of Soul Power, Xiao Heng knew that his arm was probably close to being cooked.

The Flame Seed did not struggle and was easily grasped by Xiao Heng. When he pulled his hand out, the Flame Seed lay tightly in his palm—a thumb-sized wisp of fire. It did not struggle, but Xiao Heng did. Did he really have to swallow this thing? It could melt him outside his body. If it went into his stomach, wouldn't he be dead for sure?

Myriad Beasts Venerable did not urge him. He knew that Xiao Heng would make the choice he needed to make. Although he knew it would be difficult for Xiao Heng to absorb a Heavenly Flame now, he truly had no time left.

Sure enough, after struggling for a while, Xiao Heng finally opened his mouth and swallowed the Flame Seed! Instantly, his internal organs felt as though they were about to be burned through. At this rate, he would die before he could even circulate his cultivation technique. Moreover, the pain of being burned from the inside out was not something an ordinary person could endure!

Xiao Heng gritted his teeth, desperately trying to think of a way to save his own life, but there was none.

"Do not resist. I will send Soul Power into your body!" Myriad Beasts Venerable's words gave Xiao Heng a sliver of hope. At once, Xiao Heng felt a vast force of Soul Power enter his body, forming a protective membrane over his internal organs and meridians.

Only then did Xiao Heng have the chance to circulate his cultivation technique. The Myriad Beasts Spirit Flame cooperated as well; the moment Xiao Heng began circulating the technique, it moved along with him. Although the Soul Power protected him, it could only keep him from dying. He still had to endure all the pain himself. As the cultivation technique circulated, the power of the Heavenly Flame seeped into every inch of Xiao Heng's meridians and ignited fiercely.

Then came the second cycle. Though it was much faster than the first, the Soul Power protecting him had weakened considerably, so the pain remained just as intense.

"Ah... damn it, move...!" The agony made Xiao Heng let out continuous hoarse roars. He swore he had never experienced such pain before.

By the third cycle, the protection of Soul Power had vanished. Though the Myriad Beasts Spirit Flame was obedient, its temperature was simply too high! Every inch of Xiao Heng's skin was burned away, and his hair and eyebrows vanished completely.

Yet since a Heavenly Flame could be refined, there could not be no hope at all. Though the flames burned everything away, once they faded, every inch of his skin radiated a fresh vitality. The restored and newly grown cells were even stronger than before.

After the third round of burning ended, Xiao Heng's body seemed to have developed some resistance to the Heavenly Flame. The fourth round still hurt, but it was no longer as unbearable. Then came the fifth, the sixth... By the time he had circulated it twelve times, Xiao Heng could no longer feel the burning at all. Only then did he slowly guide the Heavenly Flame toward the Spirit Gathering Ring. Upon seeing it, the Myriad Beasts Spirit Flame's Flame Seed did not hesitate and plunged straight inside.

It did not trust Xiao Heng, but it trusted Myriad Beasts Venerable. Over the past century, Myriad Beasts Venerable had found it many Magical Beasts and flames to devour. Back then, it had merely been a tiny Heavenly Flame, ignorant and naïve, tricked into Myriad Beasts Venerable's hands. Yet Myriad Beasts Venerable had always treated it well, and it liked him very much. Now that Myriad Beasts Venerable was going to die, it was deeply saddened. But since Myriad Beasts Venerable had told it to follow someone else, it would obey him.

It was just that this new master seemed so weak! He could not even withstand its fusion. Who knew whether he would be able to find it anything good to eat in the future?

After the Flame Seed entered the Spirit Gathering Ring, the flames outside slowly began to die down. Xiao Heng's damaged body also gradually recovered, while his aura steadily rose—two-star Dou Shi, three-star Dou Shi, four-star Dou Shi. This was the Heavenly Flame's gift to him after being refined. Although he did not cultivate the Flame Mantra, so the increase was not as dramatic, he still received some improvement.

However, Xiao Heng did not particularly want so much of this gift. He circulated his cultivation technique and did his utmost to suppress that unstable Dou Qi... Yet when he reached three-star Dou Shi, he felt that he had already reached his limit.

Outside Xiao Heng's body, unbeknownst to him, a layer of blackened skin slowly peeled away. Those were all impurities expelled from his body after the Myriad Beasts Spirit Flame tempered it!

Two hours later...

Xiao Heng slowly opened his eyes, and a crimson spark flashed through them. He looked at Myriad Beasts Venerable, who was already close to disappearing! He was far too weak now. He should have perished long ago; it was the Heavenly Flame that had allowed him to remain after his death. Now that he had given the Heavenly Flame to Xiao Heng and exhausted the last trace of his strength helping Xiao Heng absorb it, he naturally should disappear as well!

Xiao Heng knelt on the ground and looked at this master he had only just acknowledged. He heavily slammed his head to the ground, sorrow filling his heart as he cried aloud, "Farewell, Master!"

Myriad Beasts Venerable seemed to reveal one final smile before his Soul Power slowly dispersed. Then, the white bones atop the stone platform gradually faded away as well, vanishing completely.

Xiao Heng remained kneeling on the ground for a long time, unable to calm down. In this single short day, he had taken a master, received his master's true inheritance, and watched that master perish on the very same day!

After a while, Xiao Heng finally stood up. Looking at himself, he saw that his clothes had been reduced to little more than a few scraps of cloth. But that was not even the most embarrassing part. More embarrassing still, he had lost all his hair and eyebrows. He tore away the remaining dead skin from his body, changed into a new set of clothes, then burned the remnants with a flick of flame.

When he walked out of the cave, the sun had already set. Bear One and Bear Two were standing guard at the entrance! Seeing Xiao Heng emerge, both bears showed sorrowful expressions. Though they already knew what the outcome was, they could not help asking, "My lord, he...?"

Xiao Heng shook his head. "Master has already perished!"

Though the two bears had already guessed it, they could not help feeling sad. Then, both bears suddenly knelt before Xiao Heng. Bear One said, "You have received my lord's inheritance and are my lord's disciple. My lord saved our lives and raised us brothers! From this day forth, we brothers swear to serve you unto death, repaying his kindness in this way!"

How could Xiao Heng have expected the two bears to suddenly do this? He hurriedly went to help them up. "There is no need for this!"

But with his small frame, how could he possibly lift these two bears? In the end, he could only say, "Fine, then! I accept!" Following him would not be a loss for them. So long as he did not die halfway through, these two bears would certainly fare better following him than staying in the Monster Mountain Range to cultivate on their own.

Bear One was naturally no fool. That old lord had been so powerful, so his disciple certainly would not be bad either. Though Xiao Heng was still weak now, he would surely become a powerhouse in the future. Following him would not put them at a disadvantage. As for Bear Two, he did not think that much. He simply listened to his older brother.

Xiao Heng had not expected these two bears to pledge themselves to him either, but he was not stupid. One Fifth-tier Magical Beast and one Fourth-tier Magical Beast—only a lunatic would refuse them. Besides, he had always wanted a pet. Although these two pets looked rather fierce, on closer inspection, Bear One and Bear Two might be big, but they were actually quite handsome!

"Then Bear One, Bear Two, I'll be relying on you both from now on." Though he wanted to treat them as pets, he was still too weak for now, so he could not voice that thought yet!

"Yes, my lord!" the two bears answered in unison.

Xiao Heng nodded. "You do not need to call me my lord. My name is Xiao Heng. You can call me by my name from now on!"

Bear One's impression of Xiao Heng immediately improved greatly. At such a young age, he had received the inheritance of a great expert and gained their loyalty. An ordinary youth would have long since become unbearably arrogant, yet this young man remained so composed. Bear One silently nodded to himself. Mm! Looks like we did not choose the wrong person.

He replied, "All right! Xiao Heng!"

Bear Two was not so complicated. Rubbing his stomach, he asked Xiao Heng, "Xiao Heng, do you have anything to eat? I'm hungry!"

Xiao Heng, who had been feeling somewhat sad, was suddenly amused by this bear. Much of the sorrow in his heart faded. It was not as though he was terribly grieved over the death of a master he had known for less than a day, but he still felt a trace of sadness.

Seeing the faint smile on Xiao Heng's face, Bear One viciously punched Bear Two on the head. "Eat, eat, eat! All you ever think about is eating!"

That scene made Xiao Heng laugh outright. Truly worthy of being brothers! After getting hit by his elder brother, Bear Two did not dare resist and could only mutter aggrievedly, "Why did you hit me? I'm just hungry!"

Bear One, meanwhile, looked at Xiao Heng awkwardly and said helplessly, "My younger brother is just lazy! Please do not mind him!"

Xiao Heng could not help smiling. "I don't mind. He's quite fun. Oh, right, I need to head back first. Will you come with me?" He had told Xiao Yi Xian that he would return tonight. If he did not go back and that girl came out looking for him, only to encounter some other high-tier Magical Beast, that would be disastrous.

Bear One first asked, "Are you leaving the Monster Mountain Range?"

Xiao Heng replied, "No. I just have another companion in the Monster Mountain Range. I need to go back and tell her, or she'll worry."

Upon hearing Xiao Heng's answer, Bear One continued, "If you are not leaving the Monster Mountain Range, then we will not go either. The earth-attributed energy here is dense and more suitable for our cultivation. Just come visit when you have time. Oh, shall I escort you there?"

Xiao Heng shook his head. "No need. I can manage on my own. I'll come back when I have time."...

Bear One said, "All right!"

Bear Two said, "Remember to bring me something tasty next time."

Xiao Heng smiled. "All right, I'll definitely bring you something good to eat."

He then left. As soon as he reached the outer region of the Monster Mountain Range, Xiao Heng spotted a Blue Eagle circling in the sky. It seemed Xiao Yi Xian had sent the Blue Eagle out to look for him. Xiao Heng leaped to the top of a tree. The Blue Eagle had exceptionally sharp eyesight and immediately spotted him. With a cry, it flew toward Xiao Heng. Without waiting for it to land, Xiao Heng spread his Purple Cloud Wings and, with a flap, flew onto the Blue Eagle's back.

"Let's go. Back to the valley!"

The Blue Eagle was somewhat shocked. How could Xiao Heng fly too? If he could fly, then wouldn't he no longer need it? Would that mean it would never get to eat those delicious pills again?

Xiao Heng sat on the Blue Eagle's back and finally relaxed. Pulling up his sleeve, he finally had time to examine the body that had undergone Exotic Flame Body Tempering. He could clearly feel that the toughness of his skin and flesh had increased by at least twice! Then, he curled his right hand into a claw and circulated his Dou Qi. A crimson flame appeared in his palm. Although Xiao Heng could still use other attributes through his cultivation technique, his primary attribute had now become fire, rather than the Attribute-less Dou Qi that had originally been centered around the Innate Skill.

The exotic flame was far too domineering. With a thought, a ball of red fire immediately appeared in his hand. Xiao Lan below seemed to suddenly sense the aura of the exotic flame, and fear swiftly washed over it.

"Screech!"

Xiao Heng hurriedly withdrew the exotic flame, lest he frighten this silly bird out of its wits! It was still a First-order Magical Beast, and a very weak one at that. It couldn't handle much of a scare.

Moonlight gently spilled across the earth. A young man sat calmly atop a Blue Eagle's back, dressed in black. If not for his reflective head, Xiao Yi Xian was certain she would not have burst out laughing.