Seventh-Order Ferocious Beast; Refining Sea Heart Flame

Eight days later.

Yang Shan strolled leisurely through the boundless forest.

Ink Iron Marshal diligently protected Yang Shan.

This allowed Yang Shan to unleash his aura without restraint, attracting surrounding magical beasts.

Ink Iron Marshal may not have many other skills, but he's absolutely adept at crushing weaklings! He can kill Fourth-Order Magical Beast with a single punch, and a fifth-tier magical beast can be taken down with just one punch and one kick.

Even a sixth-tier magical beast couldn't withstand Ink Iron Marshal's relentless heavy punches! Yang Shan didn't even need to use the Blood Roar Blade; he could just unleash a few more Finger Strength when he had nothing else to do.

Today marks the eighth day of Yang Shan's exploration of Black Moon Ridge.

Yang Shan is now certain that Black Moon Ridge is definitely not an area that players should be exploring in the current version! Because Fourth-Order Magical Beast here are only at the very bottom of the food chain!

Fifth-tier magical beasts were everywhere, in large groups! As Yang Shan ventured deeper, quite a few sixth-tier magical beasts appeared! And according to the map, the closer one went to the center, the denser the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy became.

The most dangerous area on this map is the very center of Black Moon Ridge.

If calculated this way, Yang Shan has only explored about one-third of the area from the periphery to the core region.

Two-thirds left!

This godforsaken place definitely has Seventh Order Ferocious Beast! And at the very least, they must be Seventh-Order Thousand Beast King.

Otherwise, Demon Flame Valley wouldn't have chosen to retreat!

Even with Ink Iron Marshal by his side, Yang Shan dared not venture too far in.

After all, Old Man Tie Yang is not yet able to repair Ink Iron Marshal's durability.

Ink Iron Marshal had been burned beyond recognition by Han Feng's Sea Heart Flame during the great battle in Maple City, and for the past eight days he had been doing his best to help Yang Shan kill monsters.

The durability has been reduced to only 400,000 points.

Yang Shan was heartbroken! This thing can't be made now, and he absolutely couldn't let it get damaged!

Ahead, the vegetation gradually becomes denser.

Centuries-old trees are everywhere.

Yang Shan unleashed his full sensory power.

With the support of his Spirit Realm Middle Stage Soul Strength, Yang Shan was not worried about any magical beasts being able to ambush him from within three hundred meters.

Unless that monster is at the eighth rank!

In these eight days, Yang Shan has successfully reached the level of Nine-Star Dou Wang.

With only one day left to successfully nurture the Sea Heart Flame, Yang Shan decided not to waste any more time. He would finish one last round of monster hunting before returning to the Inner Courtyard.

Just then, Yang Shan sensed a terrifying fluctuation rapidly approaching from ahead! This fluctuation was not much weaker than that of Su Qian, the Great Elder of the Inner Courtyard!

"Holy crap! Seventh Order King of Beasts?"

Just as Yang Shan made his judgment, he saw a giant black wolf, over ten feet tall, with a single horn on its forehead, roaring as it charged towards him.

"Those who trespass on Black Moon Ridge, humans, die!"

[Black Gatekeeper Thunder Wolf] (King of Beasts) Level: Seventh Order

Attribute: Thunder

Health:??

Attack:??? Defense:??? Speed:??? Description: The Black Gatekeeper Thunder Wolf is the king of thunder among wolf-type magical beasts! Upon reaching adulthood, it will inevitably become a sixth-tier Thousand Beast King. If given the opportunity, it can advance to the Seventh Order. The thunder contained within its Demon Energy possesses a unique black fiend aura, giving the thunder a distinctive black color.

A message from the game developers: Dear player, this place is too dangerous. Please leave immediately. If you have already been targeted by the Black Gatekeeper Thunder Wolf, you can stand still and say a few harsh words to the Black Gatekeeper Thunder Wolf. This way, you will die with more dignity. We wish you a pleasant gaming experience.

"I'm so happy!"

Can't you see that the entire panel of this Black Gatekeeper Thunder Wolf is filled with question marks?

No wonder Demon Flame Valley backed down.

We haven't even reached the core area of Black Moon Ridge yet, and Seventh Order King of Beasts has already appeared!

What if it's the core area? Seventh-Order Thousand Beast King? Or King of Beasts? Surely it's not like an eighth-tier ferocious beast that can Dou Zun one-on-one? Without saying a word, Yang Shan put Ink Iron Marshal into his Storage Ring.

Seventh Order King of Beasts, its combat strength is roughly equivalent to Dou Zong powerhouse with Purple Word Seal- marked characters.

If Ink Iron Marshal is at full strength, Yang Shan should be confident in defeating this Black Gatekeeper Thunder Wolf.

But killing it would be very difficult!

Moreover, Ink Iron Marshal's durability is only 400,000.

If he were to fight the Black Gatekeeper Thunder Wolf head-on, there would only be one outcome! That is, he would be torn apart by the Black Gatekeeper Thunder Wolf! However, Yang Shan did not run away immediately. Instead, in the instant before the Black Gatekeeper Thunder Wolf got close, he activated a Finger Strength.

Yang Shan did not use the Extraterrestrial Ghoul Lightning, so the power of this Finger Strength was quite weak.

The Black Gatekeeper Thunder Wolf completely disregarded this Finger Strength and didn't even bother to dodge it.

The Finger Strength hit the Black Gatekeeper Thunder Wolf, but it didn't even break a single hair, nor did it trigger the forced -1 damage to its health! After the attack, Yang Shan immediately used "Three Thousand Thunder Movement" and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

To prevent the Black Gatekeeper Thunder Wolf from catching up, Yang Shan immediately took Aura Concealing Pill after finishing "Three Thousand Thunder Movement" and covered his entire body with Extraterrestrial Ghoul Lightning.

Yang Shan currently shows absolutely no aura, almost like a stone.

"Where is he? Where is he? He clearly smells of my wolf clan's blood!"

Having lost its target, the Black Gatekeeper Thunder Wolf could only stand there in a helpless rage.

"Damn it! A mere Dou Wang ant dares to come to Black Moon Ridge to beg for alms! Could it be that those useless old men from Demon Flame Valley have gotten greedy again? I have to go back and report to the King. We must teach Demon Flame Valley a lesson!"

Yang Shan never expected that his unintentional act would cause such a big problem for Demon Flame Valley!

Of course, the Black Gatekeeper Thunder Wolf didn't expect that Yang Shan's Finger Strength, which was less than a mosquito bite, had left a unique mark on its body.

This is a little trick that comes about after Soul Strength reaches the Spirit Realm Middle Stage.

This Soul Imprint can last for a year if it goes undetected.

Within a year, Yang Shan would be sensed whenever he appeared within a hundred miles of the mark.

Yang Shan definitely can't handle this Black Gatekeeper Thunder Wolf right now.

But that doesn't mean we can't get it done in the future! Once Ink Iron Marshal is repaired, and once he and the company's three loyal employees have all broken through to the Dou Emperor.

Then we'll beat that Black Gatekeeper Thunder Wolf so badly its own parents wouldn't recognize it!

It took Yang Shan almost a whole day to get back to the Jia Nan Academy.

As he arrived at the Inner Courtyard and his feet touched the ground, a message came from the system:

[Ding! Congratulations, player! "Sea Heart Flame" has been successfully nurtured. Once you have collected all the necessary refining materials, you can begin taming it at any time!]

Yang Shan is currently in Xiao Xun'er's former independent courtyard.

Before leaving, Xiao Xun'er specifically asked Su Qian to hand over the small courtyard to Yang Shan.

In the past, whenever Yang Shan came to the Jia Nan Academy, this was always the first place he visited.

It's become a habit.

But the person I used to see is no longer here.

Just then, Yang Shan heard the door open! Yang Shan was startled. "Senior?"

"Hey!"

The sound coming from inside the room did not come from Xiao Xun'er.

Little Zi Yan jumped out of the room. "Ha! I knew you'd come here as soon as you returned to the Inner Courtyard!"

Yang Shan felt a slight disappointment, but he hid it well. "Little Zi Yan, what are you doing here?"

"I've come to wait for you. You said you were going back to the Inner Courtyard."

Zi Yan said smugly, "How about that? Aren't I smart?"

Yang Shan gave a thumbs up. "You're really smart!"

Zi Yan said seriously, "You're clearly praising me, but why do I always feel like you're insulting me?"

"How is that possible?"

Yang Shan shamelessly said:

Am I the kind of person who casually insults others?

Zi Yan: "No, that's not it. You're a good person!"

Yang Shan: "."

Even though it was a compliment, Yang Shan always felt that Zi Yan was also insulting him!

Zi Yan looked around the courtyard, pouting, "Xun'er was actually a good person, just like you. It's a pity she's gone. Sigh, before, in the whole academy, besides you, she was the only one who treated me like a human being."

Zi Yan's words were somewhat heartbreaking.

Yang Shan gently patted Zi Yan's head:

"Things are different now, you're now the cutest girl in the academy!"

"I don't want to be the cutest person!"

Zi Yan complained:

"Yang Shan, where are the pills you promised me?"

Yang Shan smiled and said:

"Don't rush, I need to refine something first, so that it will be easier when I'm making pills for you."

Zi Yan became interested:

"What is that?"

Han Feng's Naling appeared in Yang Shan's hand.

Zi Yan subconsciously took two steps back.

The Heaven and Earth Oddities, containing the Might of Heaven and Earth. Even the undisputed overlord among magical beasts— the Ancient Void Dragon —will feel an innate awe before the Might of Heaven and Earth.

Zi Yan: "Why does this thing look so familiar?"

Yang Shan: "Sea Heart Flame!"

"Wow!"

Zi Yan's eyes widened in surprise:

"So you actually succeeded in pursuing Han Feng back then?"

Yang Shan smiled wryly, "I didn't catch him. Han Feng threw out the Sea Heart Flame at the time. This thing was too attractive to me, which gave Han Feng a chance to escape."

Zi Yan waved her hand. "It's alright, even if it's just a remnant soul, it can't cause any trouble. That's great! With the help of the Heavenly Flames, you will definitely be able to refine the Break Emperor Pill steadily. Refine it quickly, and I will protect you!"

"Alright, then I'll have to trouble you, Senior Zi Yan!"

Zi Yan is still a child at heart. The moment Yang Shan softened his tone, Zi Yan's pigtails practically flew to the sky.

"Yes, hurry up and refine it!"

With Zi Yan protecting him, Yang Shan doesn't need to worry about being disturbed.

Therefore, there is no need to send Ink Iron Marshal out to protect the Dharma.

Taking out the Naling, Fire Cloud Mushroom, and Hundred Year Black Clam Pearl that he had prepared beforehand, Yang Shan immediately began refining them! Since it was Heavenly Flames that had been seized and had already been marked with Soul Imprint and nurtured, the success rate of this refining process was 100% as long as it was not disturbed in the middle!

The refining process went even more smoothly than Yang Shan had expected!

The Extraterrestrial Ghoul Lightning actually escaped from the Naling and helped suppress the Sea Heart Flame.

In addition, the Fire Cloud Mushroom and the Hundred Year Black Clam Pearl firmly protected Yang Shan's body.

The process of integrating the second Naling into the dantian went very smoothly.

Thanks to the Soul Imprint, Sea Heart Flame's resistance was quite limited. From the start of the refining process to Sea Heart Flame entering the Naling, only ten minutes had passed!

Compared to the Extraterrestrial Ghoul Lightning back then, this was much easier.

Yang Shan couldn't help but think of Xiao Aotian again.

That idiot is a real tragedy. He spent half a month grinding lizardmen to refine a Fallen Heart Flame, and he still doesn't have a single bit of experience!

When Xiao Aotian boasts in front of him again someday, he will explain the process of refining the Sea Heart Flame to Xiao Aotian in detail.

Guarantee Xiao Aotian will be so bad he'll be banging his head on the ground! [Ding! Heaven rewards diligence. Congratulations on successfully refining the "Sea Heart Flame" after overcoming countless hardships!]

[Sea Heart Flame]

Ranking on the Heavenly Flame Ranking: 15. When used: Base attack panel increased by 58%, base Dou Qi Intensity panel increased by 84%. Significantly reduces the difficulty of alchemy and weapon crafting! Characteristics: 1. Boundless Sea – The Sea Heart Flame is born from the depths of the ocean. As a flame, it is constantly exposed to the sea, yet it continues to burn! The user's total Dou Qi will increase by 50%, and the Dou Qi recovery speed will be greatly increased, currently at 5 points/second. Players can consume 20% of their total health to double the total Dou Qi and recovery speed, currently lasting 2 minutes. (Recovery speed and double duration increase with player level and overall panel stats.) 2. Mirage – Mirages appear by the sea, creating palaces and pavilions in the vast wilderness. The Sea Heart Flame can simulate numerous illusions, making it difficult to distinguish reality from illusion. It has a significant amplification effect on illusion-related Dou Technique.

The interface of the Sea Heart Flame Sea Heart Flame is only officially unlocked after it has been refined.

In terms of sheer power and stat boost, the Sea Heart Flame is slightly inferior to the Extraterrestrial Ghoul Lightning.

But the characteristics of the Sea Heart Flame made Yang Shan ecstatic!

Leaving defense aside, what does he lack most right now? Dou Qi!

Yang Shan possesses far too many incredibly powerful Dou Technique.

Every Dou Technique is a voracious eater of Dou Qi spirit.

In previous group battles, Yang Shan used the combination of "Lingering Spirit Hundred Howls" and "Lightning Arc Absolute Barrier" once, which consumed nearly half of his total Dou Qi! Even with the Scarlet Spirit Cloak, which allows him to convert Soul Strength into Dou Qi, it only alleviated the pressure on his Dou Qi qi.

After all, Soul Strength still needs to be used to unleash "Lingering Spirit Hundred Howls".

But now, the appearance of the Sea Heart Flame will completely solve Yang Shan's problem of insufficient Dou Qi energy!

With the Scarlet Spirit Cloak, Yang Shan could squander the Cloud Piercing Finger from "Lingering Spirit Hundred Howls", "Lightning Arc Absolute Barrier", "Three Thousand Thunder Movement Cloud Piercing", "Cloud Piercing Flicking Finger" and "Seven Kills" from "Tyrant Blade" one after another, enough to make at least three or four rounds of messing around!

Moreover, this is merely a "side benefit"!

For Yang Shan, the true value of the Sea Heart Flame should be... Yang Shan spread his hands out; in his left palm was Crimson Thunder, and in his right palm was azure flame.

Red and blue have always been a classic color pairing.

It's just unknown what kind of power this Overload triggered by the Heaven and Earth Oddities will have. Yang Shan's gaze turned to Zi Yan not far away.

Zi Yan said warily, "What do you want to do? Take these things away, I'm a little scared!"

"Haha, don't worry, I won't mess with you."

Yang Shan really wants to find something to blow up.

Ideally, the opponent should be alive. To ensure that the opponent has sufficient ability to withstand this attack, Yang Shan felt that it would be more appropriate to ask Great Elder Su Qian for help.

At this moment, Great Elder Su Qian, who was discussing with Xiao Aotian, suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

He had a feeling that someone wanted to harm him!

Xiao Aotian, on the other hand, now had pride written all over his face:

"Great Elder, rest assured, the academy is my second home! Sharing the academy's burdens is a student's duty. And that Fallen Heart Flame at the bottom of the tower..."

[Ding! Global Announcement: Congratulations to player "Yang Shan" for successfully subduing the fifteenth Heavenly Flame Ranking — Sea Heart Flame! Rewards: Fire Spirit Root +30, Comprehension +15, Good Fortune +15!]

Xiao Aotian spat in Great Elder Su Qian's face. "Holy crap!"