The next morning, the first faint rays of dawn filtered through the exquisitely carved window lattice,
gently spilling into the luxurious bedroom on the top floor of the Mietel Auction House, where a delicate fragrance lingered in the air.
Mo Lin slowly woke, the abundant and surging Five Star Great Fighter battle qi within him circulating on its own, bringing him an unprecedented sense of power and control.
He slightly turned his head, his gaze falling upon Ya Fei's sleeping face beside him.
The morning light outlined her peaceful features, stripping away her usual shrewdness and allure and leaving her with a rare softness and charming innocence.
Her long lashes rested like butterfly wings, casting faint shadows beneath her eyes,
while beneath her straight nose, her full red lips parted slightly as she breathed evenly.
The brocade quilt had slipped to her shoulders, revealing vast stretches of snowy, delicate skin and those breathtakingly proud curves, gleaming like jade beneath the morning light.
Seeing such a vivid and alluring sight, a satisfied, delighted smile rose unconsciously on Mo Lin's lips.
He greatly appreciated Ya Fei's mature, seductive beauty, especially her lush, perfectly proportioned figure, which never failed to stir his heart.
Last night's intense union of spirit and desire had not only allowed his cultivation to break through, but had also greatly satisfied him in both body and mind.
"Hmph, look at how pathetic you are! You're practically drooling!" Within his Sea of Consciousness, the Ice Empress's distinctive, slightly jealous and haughty voice immediately rang out. She had clearly "watched" Mo Lin's thoughts from beginning to end.
"Isn't she just a woman with a better figure? Didn't you get enough of a look last night? Back when I roamed the Extreme North, what stunning soul beasts hadn't I seen..."
Mo Lin laughed inwardly and could not be bothered to respond to the Ice Empress's mockery.
He carefully got up without disturbing Ya Fei's sweet dreams, walked to the window, stretched in the morning light, and felt the surging strength within his body.
A Five Star Great Fighter was already considered a somewhat renowned expert within the Jia Ma Empire. But it was still far from enough!
His goal was the most destructive and creative power between heaven and earth—Heavenly Flames!
And his next destination would be the Tagor Desert, where he would subdue the Green Lotus Core Flame!
At the thought of Heavenly Flames, the pleased smile on Mo Lin's face faded slightly, and his brows subtly furrowed.
As his cultivation rose, the harsh conditions required to devour Heavenly Flames became increasingly clear in his mind.
"Brat, finally thinking about something serious?" the Ice Empress spoke again, this time with less teasing and more gravity. "Devouring Heavenly Flames is no joke.
By the usual rules of this world, you need three things for protection: a Blood Lotus Pill to ward off the flames' external heat; Ice Spirit Cold Spring to protect your meridians and dantian internally; and a Core Flame to open up space within your body to contain the flame seed.
None of these can be missing. Otherwise, even a Dou Emperor would face near-certain death by rashly coming into contact with a Heavenly Flame!"
Mo Lin silently nodded to himself. This was precisely what had been giving him a headache.
The core of cultivating the Yin Yang Feather Transformation Art lay in reversing yin and yang, using Extreme Ice and Extreme Fire to temper each other and give rise to chaos.
Heavenly Flames were undoubtedly his best choice for obtaining "Extreme Fire" and advancing his cultivation art.
But the problem was that he was not an alchemist!
The Blood Lotus Pill was a medicinal pill at the peak of the fourth tier, perhaps even touching the threshold of the fifth tier!
Within the Jia Ma Empire, fourth-tier alchemists were already exceedingly rare and highly revered, while fifth-tier alchemists were practically legendary.
Whether he could even find someone capable of refining it was uncertain. Even if he did, the price would surely be astronomical, and the required ingredients were exceptionally rare—especially the Third-tier Demonic Core used as the medicinal catalyst...
"Third-tier Demonic Core... that should be the final ingredient needed to refine the Blood Lotus Pill, right?" Mo Lin mused in his Sea of Consciousness, as though speaking to himself.
"Even if I somehow gather all the ingredients, can I find an alchemist both willing and capable of refining this pill? In the Jia Ma Empire, that would probably be harder than reaching the heavens."
The Ice Empress snorted. "Harder than reaching the heavens? It's practically hopeless! Don't forget, in the original story, even Yao Chen had to go through immense trouble just to refine this Blood Lotus Pill for Xiao Yan.
"You're all alone now. Where are you going to find a reliable high-tier alchemist? Are you planning to beg Gu He at the Misty Cloud Sect? As if he'd help you!"
This was Mo Lin's greatest dilemma. He possessed top-tier cultivation arts and potential, yet in terms of "soft power" such as medicinal pills and connections, he was far inferior to Xiao Yan, who had Old Yao guiding him at all times.
The preparations for devouring a Heavenly Flame seemed to have reached a dead end.
Just then, the Snow Empress, who had remained silent until now, spoke in a cold and ethereal voice like an icy spring, instantly dispersing the gloom in Mo Lin's heart.
"Ice Empress, Mo Lin, the two of you are still too bound by conventional methods."
The Snow Empress's voice carried calmness and wisdom. "The pills, cold spring, and Core Flame used to devour Heavenly Flames are merely external protections sought by the weak to contend against the power of heaven and earth. But Mo Lin, you are different."
"You possess my Extreme Ice Origin, and the cultivation art you practice points directly toward the supreme Yin Yang Great Dao. Why would you need a mere Blood Lotus Pill to resist external heat?
"When the time comes, I can draw upon Origin Power to form absolute ice armor over your body. Its defensive power will far surpass that of any medicinal pill."
"As for the Ice Spirit Cold Spring protecting your internal meridians..." The Snow Empress paused, her tone carrying unquestionable dominance. "I will personally guard your meridians and Qi Sea with Origin frost qi.
"Not to mention the lower-ranked Green Lotus Core Flame—even more violent Heavenly Flames will not be able to harm your meridians in the slightest!"
"And lastly, that Core Flame..." A trace of profound mystery entered the Snow Empress's voice. "You have already opened a Sea of Consciousness. How could its vastness and stability compare to the tiny pocket space created by a mere Core Flame?
"When the time comes, I can help you guide the refined Heavenly Flame's flame seed directly into the 'Yin Yang Vortex' deep within your Sea of Consciousness, where it can be nourished and harmonized.
"Using the Sea of Consciousness as the cauldron and Yin Yang Energies as fuel is the only way to truly bring out the mysteries of the Yin Yang Feather Transformation Art in refining Heavenly Flames!"
The Snow Empress's words were like a sudden enlightenment, and Mo Lin immediately saw the light!
That was right! How could he have forgotten his greatest support? He was not fighting alone!
Within his body were the Remnant Souls of two supreme experts who had once stood at the peak of the continent!
Their experience, knowledge, and remaining Origin Power were his greatest "cheat"!
Blood Lotus Pill? Ice Spirit Cold Spring? Core Flame? These treasures, indispensable to ordinary people,
seemed far from irreplaceable before the Snow Empress's Origin protection and the profound mysteries of the Yin Yang Feather Transformation Art!
The Ice Empress also grew excited. "That's right! How did I not think of that? With Xue'er personally protecting you, along with the compatibility of that freakish cultivation art of yours,
your chances of forcibly subduing a Green Lotus Core Flame will increase tremendously! Hehe, let's see if that Heavenly Flame still dares to act so arrogant then!"
A blazing light rekindled in Mo Lin's eyes. Although the Snow Empress's method sounded more dangerous and required him to rely on his own willpower and cultivation art to withstand the Heavenly Flame's violence,
it was undoubtedly a more direct path, one better suited to his own advantages!
It freed him from dependence on scarce resources and placed his fate more firmly in his own hands!
"Thank you for your guidance, Snow Empress!" Mo Lin's heart brimmed with gratitude and confidence. "In that case, the plan to devour a Heavenly Flame can be greatly moved forward!"
He looked toward the rising sun beyond the window, his gaze seeming to cross countless mountains and rivers and settle upon the vast, scorching Tagor Desert.
Green Lotus Core Flame... wait for me!
Before you continue