Yun Shan Stood Up

Although he drew plenty of looks, nothing unexpected happened along the way. Chen Guan found a piece of black cloth and covered half his face.

As long as no one recognizes me, I won't be embarrassed.

By evening, the Magical Beast Mountain Range was already close at hand.

Chen Guan was exceedingly familiar with this place, as if he were returning home.

Arriving before that small lake, Chen Guan sensed that the puppet snake guarding the entrance was still at the bottom of the lake. No one had discovered it.

The result was within his expectations. Unless someone had a screw loose, who would have nothing better to do than fish around in a small lake crawling with magical beasts? Even if they wanted to wash up, they could easily find plenty of safer, more secluded spots nearby.

If it had not been for the Crimson Ice Snake King, he would not have gone down there to search so carefully in the first place.

He scattered a handful of medicinal powder that attracted magical beasts along the shore, then Chen Guan executed a spectacular dive and entered the stone chamber beneath the lake once more.

He placed the Lotus Platform in the outer chamber. Rather than immediately devouring it, Chen Guan entered the inner chamber and offered a stick of incense to his teacher before beginning to adjust his condition.

Fifteen minutes later, Chen Guan opened his eyes and looked at the Green Lotus Core Flame atop the Lotus Platform, seeming to speak to himself.

"I'm going to devour a Heavenly Flame."

After waiting several breaths without any response, Chen Guan felt even more assured.

With a swipe over the storage ring on his hand, three items fell before him.

They were the Blood Lotus Pill, Ice Spirit Cold Spring, and Spirit Absorption!

All were essential items for weaklings devouring Heavenly Flames. Truly powerful experts had no need for such trouble.

After checking that there were no problems, Chen Guan took out another ten jade bottles. He removed the eleven Earthflame Lotus Seeds from the Lotus Platform and stored ten of them away. Their value was far from low: not only could they speed up cultivation and increase one's strength, they could also strengthen one's connection with the Green Lotus Core Flame.

He swallowed the remaining seed directly.

In Chen Guan's view, taking a lotus seed beforehand might increase his chances of devouring the Green Lotus Core Flame.

Even if it did not, he would not consider it a waste. It could serve as energy for the coming prolonged battle.

Feeling the Dou Qi within him swell until his meridians were slightly bloated, Chen Guan stopped hesitating. Soul power surged forth, separating the Lotus Platform from the Green Lotus Core Flame. Like a cuckoo occupying a magpie's nest, he sat upon the Lotus Platform like Guanyin.

Having lost the restraint of the Lotus Platform, the Green Lotus Core Flame was like a child who could not find its mother, throwing a tantrum and refusing all comfort.

It no longer maintained the shape of a lotus flower. The flames instantly surged several times larger, and showed no signs of stopping. Within a few breaths, they had Filled With the entire outer chamber. Had this stone chamber not been constructed by his teacher using special materials, it would likely have long since been destroyed.

The Beast Flame within Chen Guan's body swept out at once, resisting the Heavenly Flame's invasion.

A sixth-tier Beast Flame was already rather formidable, yet before a Heavenly Flame, it was utterly unworthy of mention. It could only tremble as it was gradually consumed.

And this was merely the instinctive eruption of the Green Lotus Core Flame, yet it possessed such terrifying might.

By his estimate, only a Dou Zong Expert would have some confidence in suppressing the Green Lotus Core Flame through sheer strength.

With a faint sigh, Chen Guan picked up the Blood Lotus Pill and swallowed it.

The pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth. A chilling, icy energy swiftly flowed through his meridians. Looking inward, he could see layers of blood membranes condensing, gradually seeping into his bones and flesh and blood. In the end, they emerged from the surface of his body and rapidly solidified into a thick crimson horny layer, tightly wrapping Chen Guan from head to toe without leaving a single spot exposed.

It looked somewhat ugly and frightening, but it provided complete reassurance.

At the very least, with the crimson horny layer covering his hand, the pressure of reaching in to retrieve the fire seed was much lower.

The more he thought, the easier it was to hesitate. Chen Guan clenched his teeth and thrust his hand directly into the flames. At the same time, his powerful spiritual perception spread out, allowing him to more easily detect the fire seed's movements.

Under the scorching heat of the Heavenly Flame, the crimson horny layer rapidly melted into droplets of blood, which were burned into nothingness in the blink of an eye. The layer was being consumed swiftly.

Fortunately, Chen Guan was faster. Before the horny layer on his arm was completely depleted, he abruptly withdrew his hand.

In his palm was a wisp of liquid-like substance resembling azure magma, slowly squirming within it.

This was the fire seed of the Green Lotus Core Flame!

After hesitating for a moment, Chen Guan closed his eyes and shoved it into his mouth, swallowing it. A clash with the Heavenly Flame had officially begun.

Qingshan Town, inside an inn.

Wang Yan and his brother looked helplessly at the dejected girl by the window. Naturally, they knew why she was behaving this way, but there was nothing they could do.

The first few days had been fine, but now, Over Ten Days had passed since they parted from the Young Man. Forget the girl—even they could not help but feel worried.

Yet no matter how many thoughts filled their minds, they were useless. They did not even know where the Young Man had gone, making it impossible to ask around. They could only wait here patiently.

"Uncle Wang, when will Young Master be back?"

"Soon, soon."

The two brothers had lost count of how many times they had given that same answer over the past few days.

Fortunately, the girl merely wanted to hear an answer that could comfort her. She would not irrationally obsess over it.

Each time they said it, she believed it, even though she actually knew the truth in her heart.

Also in Qingshan Town, within the Ten Thousand Medicine Hall not far from the inn, there was another Young Girl gazing into the distant starry sky.

Compared to Qing Lin, however, her emotions were far more tangled. Her delicate brows held countless worries that even she could neither explain nor name.

In dreams, one seemed to know someone had returned; awake from drunkenness, one could no longer sleep.

Imperial Capital.

Misty Cloud Sect, secret chamber in the Back Mountain.

After a muffled sound, a long sigh Filled With incomparably complex emotions rang out—helplessness and disappointment. Unsurprisingly, that person was Yun Shan.

Unwilling to board that Jiejie Monster's pirate ship, Yun Shan had given his all in a desperate attempt to break through the Dou Zong Barrier.

Unfortunately, determination alone was not enough to break through to Dou Zong. He had failed, most regrettably.

Moreover, he understood clearly that this failure had exhausted his fighting spirit. Given his current condition, along with his age, energy, and other factors, he would never again have any chance of reaching the Dou Zong realm through his own efforts in this life.

Yun Shan was unwilling to accept this fact. He did not want to simply grow old with the passing years. There were still many things he wanted to do but had not done.

Filled with unwillingness, Yun Shan involuntarily thought of the person from Soul Hall from over two months ago, and his resolve wavered even more sharply.

Even if he did not want to admit it, he already had his answer.

Yet what surprised Yun Shan was that the three-month deadline seemed to have arrived. Why had the other party still not shown up?

Before he had made up his mind, they had been aggressive and unscrupulously exposed his wounds. Just when he had finally decided to compromise, they stood him up instead. This Soul Hall really made it difficult for anyone to feel favorably toward them.