Devouring a Heavenly Flame

"Here?"

Xiao Yan spoke in disbelief.

"That's right. If we want to take the Azure Lotus Core Flame away, this is the only option left. Do you have a better idea?" Although Yao Lao felt that this was rather inappropriate, it seemed there was no other path remaining.

Gulp!

Xiao Yan swallowed with difficulty. Looking at the fiercely burning Azure Lotus Core Flame in midair, he struggled internally for a long while before his gaze hardened and he nodded heavily.

"Alright, quickly take out the things we prepared earlier," Yao Lao urged.

Xiao Yan did not dare delay. With a flash from his Storage Ring, several items appeared on the ground.

There were only three items in total: two porcelain bottles and a small, inconspicuous gray stone.

One of the porcelain bottles contained the Blood Lotus Pill, an essential medicinal pill for devouring a Heavenly Flame. This pill could form layer upon layer of protective barriers over the meridians and skin, preventing the immense power of the Heavenly Flame from burning his meridians during the devouring process and turning him into a cripple.

Not only that, the Blood Lotus Pill could also form a thick layer of blood scab over the surface of the body, shielding him from the intense heat released upon contact with the Heavenly Flame and preventing him from being burned to ashes.

The other small porcelain bottle contained the Ice Spirit Cold Spring he had gone to great lengths to obtain. This spiritual water contained extreme cold energy that could suitably offset the extraordinary heat of a Heavenly Flame and protect the internal organs from its damage.

With a flick of his finger, Yao Lao split off a wisp of the pale-white Bone Spirit Cold Flame and wrapped it around the small gray stone lying on the ground.

It swiftly burned away the stone's outer layer, revealing its true form.

It was a thumb-sized gray stone of the same dull color, smooth as jade throughout and without the slightest flaw. At the center of its core was a faint blue glow, moving about within it as though alive, like a tiny worm.

"Is this the so-called Spirit Absorption?" Xiao Yan asked curiously as he looked at the small stone emitting a faint glow.

Yao Lao nodded. "That's right. This is the natural wonder known as Spirit Absorption. Don't underestimate this tiny piece—it is worth more than both items in your hands combined. This thing can only possibly appear in high-grade Storage Stones, and even then, the chances are slim. It is extremely precious. If I hadn't obtained it through good fortune back then, you could only sigh helplessly today."

Xiao Yan lowered his head and glanced at the low-grade Storage Ring on his finger. This Storage Ring did not have much space and was only low-grade, yet it had sold for tens of thousands of Gold Coins at the auction.

And that was only the lowest-grade Storage Ring. A mid-grade Storage Ring would likely cost more than ten times as much, while high-grade ones went without saying—they were priceless and unavailable on the market. Money alone could not buy one; one also needed a certain status and standing.

High-grade Storage Rings were generally symbols of great clans. Only those wealthy and powerful noble families could afford their exorbitant prices.

Some great clans even directly made high-grade Storage Rings into symbols of their members' identities. On the Dou Qi Continent, only truly top-tier experts were qualified to wear high-grade Storage Rings. Ordinary people simply lacked both the wealth and the qualifications.

Spirit Absorption was even rarer than a high-grade Storage Ring. Calling it as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns would not be an exaggeration. It was a peerless treasure, and even among those top great clans, there could not be many of such treasures.

He carefully inspected the three items, especially the Ice Spirit Cold Spring. Though much of it had been evaporated by the Azure Lotus Core Flame, a considerable amount still remained. Of the three items, the Ice Spirit Cold Spring was the least valuable.

Then Xiao Yan stared at the Azure Lotus Core Flame in the sky with burning eyes, intense longing shooting from his gaze.

"Let's begin. Devouring a Heavenly Flame will cause quite a commotion. In a moment, I'll use my soul power to envelop the space within several zhang, so it doesn't create too much disturbance. Take the Blood Lotus Pill first, then I'll tell you what to do." Yao Lao's expression turned solemn as well.

Xiao Yan nodded. He picked up the porcelain bottle containing the Blood Lotus Pill, pulled out its stopper, and poured out a blood-red pill that resembled jade.

He gently brought the pill to his nose and inhaled a few times. A strange scent filled his nostrils, and icy energy entered his body through his nose. A chill surged straight into his mind, making even his soul tremble slightly.

This was the Fifth Grade Blood Lotus Pill, an indispensable pill for devouring a Heavenly Flame. It could effectively prevent one's physical body, meridians, and internal organs from being burned by the Heavenly Flame. Though cold in attribute, its medicinal power was exceedingly gentle.

He swallowed the Blood Lotus Pill in one gulp. Its medicinal power swiftly spread throughout his body, wrapping his internal organs, bones, meridians, and skin in a thick layer of blood-colored energy, like protective barriers isolating those vulnerable areas.

Not only that, streams of blood began to spray from his pores. The blood did not fall to the ground, but continuously spread across his skin. In the blink of an eye, it dyed his entire body red, turning him into a bloodied figure.

The blood rapidly congealed over his body into a keratinous layer, tightly encasing his flesh and blood like armor—even his eyes were no exception.

Xiao Yan extended his palm, now covered by the hardened layer. His Dou Qi surged forth, and a pulling force emerged from his palm as he raised his hand toward the Heavenly Flame in the sky.

The devouring had begun!

The Heavenly Flame in the sky flared brilliantly, and scorching heat swept over him like a tide. Its original vat-sized form swelled again, the Azure Lotus Core Flame expanding a full hundredfold.

As its size expanded, the temperature of the Azure Lotus Core Flame began to rise sharply. The heat within several zhang soared as though mounted on a rocket. Azure flames raged wildly, and even the stones on the ground were melted into liquid, becoming fiery-red magma. Bubbles churned through the magma, and the entire area within several zhang seemed to have transformed into a realm of hell.

The suction from Xiao Yan's palm intensified continuously, yet the force that could originally pull in a massive boulder could now barely move the Azure Lotus Core Flame. It moved at an incredibly slow pace; clearly, the spirit of the Heavenly Flame was instinctively resisting.

His eyes fixed tightly on the azure Heavenly Flame as he felt the Dou Qi within his body drain away at an astonishing rate. Xiao Yan's breathing grew ragged, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, only to be instantly evaporated by the blazing heat.

Because all the energy of the Heavenly Flame had been restrained by Yao Lao, the temperature within this area of several zhang was unbelievably high. If not for the Blood Lotus Pill's help, Xiao Yan felt that he would have been roasted alive in an instant.

As the Heavenly Flame came within one meter of his body, the temperature abruptly rose several more levels. Even the keratinous layer formed by the Blood Lotus Pill began to melt, letting out groans as though it could no longer bear the strain.

Yao Lao's expression changed as well, because he could feel his soul body becoming somewhat unstable. He hurriedly let out a low shout, and the pale-white Bone Spirit Cold Flame emerged, wrapping around his entire soul body. Only then did he regain his composure.