The instant the flame entered his body, a tremendous suction force suddenly erupted from Xiao Yan's body. Bits of sand and dust from the surroundings plastered themselves over his face and body, as though they were trying to burrow in through his tiny pores.
Inside him was even more of a complete mess. Ravaged by the Void Child Flame, his vortex had been devoured until it was dull and dim, shrinking by more than ninety percent. It was as precarious as a candle flame in the wind.
Xiao Yan's face twitched. After hesitating for a moment, he lowered his head and plunged straight into the Ice Spirit Cold Spring, gulping down mouthful after mouthful of spring water in an attempt to slow the rate at which the Dou Qi inside him was being absorbed.
Once the Ice Spirit Cold Spring entered his body, it automatically condensed into a layer of frosty protection. Yet the spring water itself was entirely devoured by the Void Child Flame. No matter how desperately he drank, the effect was still barely noticeable.
Only after drinking until his throat had gone completely numb did the Sub-Flame's devouring speed finally slow considerably.
By then, all the blood scabs on his body had fallen away. Xiao Yan no longer hesitated. He took out the last Earth Spirit Pill he had kept in reserve, endured the agonizing pain in his mangled hands, tore open the stopper, and poured the pill into his mouth.
A faint cyan glow rose around Xiao Yan's body. Immediately afterward, strands of water-element energy from the Ice Spirit Cold Spring gradually became gentle and continuously gathered into Xiao Yan's body, forming a peculiar thin membrane.
The instant he swallowed it, Xiao Yan's complexion improved considerably. He secretly marveled that it truly was a Tier 6