Devouring Heavenly Flames

At this moment, Qing Lin sat on a piece of lava above the Magma Lake, hugging her knees as she stared blankly at the fiery red magma below. She eagerly awaited Liu Xi's safe return from the magma, so she could throw herself into his warm embrace.

Suddenly, delight flashed across Qing Lin's face. She had received a mental message from the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake: Liu Xi had safely obtained what he wanted, and they were already swimming back.

About another hour later, accompanied by a surging wave of magma, Liu Xi's figure emerged above the molten surface. After all the magma dripping from his body had fallen away, the Dou Qi Wings behind him spread, and he flashed like lightning, instantly arriving on the piece of lava where Qing Lin stood.

Seeing Liu Xi return, Qing Lin immediately ran up to him with a face full of joy. "Congratulations, Young Master, on getting what you wished for!"

Liu Xi naturally beamed at her words. He was also deeply satisfied with how smoothly this trip had gone. Then he said, "We have the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake to thank for leading the way. Otherwise, finding a Heavenly Flame hidden so deeply in such a vast expanse of magma truly wouldn't have been easy!"

He then picked Qing Lin up and continued, "Put away that Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake. We're leaving!"

"Mm." Sitting in Liu Xi's arms, Qing Lin gave a soft response, then whistled toward the magma. At once, the green glow on the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake's forehead flared brilliantly. Moments later, its enormous body rapidly shrank before turning into a streak of green light that shot into Qing Lin's sleeve.

Curiously patting her sleeve with her little hand, Qing Lin's small face bloomed with a faint smile. Then she softly said to Liu Xi, "Young Master, give this little snake a name!"

After seeing that Qing Lin had put away the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake, Liu Xi flapped his enormous Dou Qi Wings and flew with her toward the passage exit. Hearing her words, he pondered briefly before saying, "Hmm... Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake... Let's call it Ling Shuang."

It was only a Fourth-tier Magical Beast, after all. Liu Xi did not care much, so he casually took two characters from its original name and formed a new one.

"Hiss..." A faint hiss carried a trace of displeasure. The Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake was presumably protesting against Liu Xi—the person who had beaten it up—being the one to name it.

However, Qing Lin said with a cheerful smile, "You'll be called Ling Shuang from now on. Hehe, objections denied. If Young Master gets angry, I won't want you anymore!"

Ling Shuang could probably only lament that its life as a beast had lost all hope. Back when it had been alone, it had lived so freely in this Magma World. Now, not only had it suddenly gained two masters, but neither of those unscrupulous masters seemed likely to cherish it!

Liu Xi flew extremely fast, the fierce wind whistling past his ears without end. In just a few minutes, he had already rushed out of the desert and into the sky.

Looking at the passage in the desert below, Liu Xi calmly extended one hand. A crimson flame appeared from thin air, then turned into a streak of light and shot toward the passage entrance.

Boom! With a deafening explosion, the passage entrance detonated. Waves of sand rolled up as the passage was completely buried. If not for the thick smoke from the blast that had yet to disperse, no one would have been able to tell that there had once been a passage leading to the Core Magma here. The rolling yellow sands were enough to conceal everything.

He then casually chose a direction, lightly flapped his wings, and turned into a streak of light as he departed, lest other experts discover the place and create needless trouble.

During the flight, Liu Xi took out a map from his Storage Ring and found a barren mountain range at the edge of the Tagor Desert. Following the marked direction, he headed there.

With a Heavenly Flame in hand, who on the Dou Qi Continent could remain calm? To avoid unforeseen complications, Liu Xi intended to settle the matter today. He would find a quiet place where no one could disturb him and swallow the Heavenly Flame, so that no one would set their sights on it.

Fortunately, the Core Magma was not too deep within the desert. Even though Liu Xi spent time during his flight constantly erasing the traces of his aura, he saw the tall mountain peaks in the distance by the time the sun began to set.

After entering the mountains, Liu Xi gradually slowed down. Once he landed, he put away his Dou Qi Wings and surveyed the surroundings. Though the area had slightly more greenery than the desert, it was still utterly uninhabited. He nodded lightly, deciding that this would be the place.

Liu Xi led Qing Lin deeper into the mountains until they reached a relatively concealed location. Then, using the power of a Dou Wang, he carved out a cave. Once everything was ready, Liu Xi called Qing Lin to his side and gently said, "Qing Lin, I'm going into the cave to absorb the Heavenly Flame. I absolutely cannot be disturbed. Stay here and stand guard for me. Before I come out, if anyone or any Magical Beast tries to force their way in, have Ling Shuang deal with them directly!" A cold glint flashed through Liu Xi's eyes as he spoke the last words.

Qing Lin obediently nodded, her voice resolute. "Young Master, I understand. I absolutely won't let anyone disturb you!"

Seeing this, Liu Xi smiled and rubbed Qing Lin's hair. "Good girl." Then he turned and walked into the cave.

Qing Lin watched Liu Xi's back until he disappeared into the cave. Only then did she pat Ling Shuang, which was coiled around her arm, and softly say, "Ling Shuang, did you hear him? From now until Young Master leaves the cave, he absolutely cannot be disturbed! If anyone comes over later, go eat them all!"

"Hiss." Ling Shuang let out a soft hiss, seemingly responding to Qing Lin's words.

After entering the cave, Liu Xi took out a Moonlight Stone, bathing the pitch-black cave in a faint glow. He then sat cross-legged on a polished stone bed and took a Third-grade Pill from his Storage Ring to restore his Dou Qi and mental strength. There could not be the slightest error when swallowing a Heavenly Flame.

When Liu Xi opened his eyes again, a gleam of divine light flashed through them, and he looked utterly invigorated.

He then brushed his hand over his Storage Ring and took out a transparent little jade bottle. Inside lay a blood-red pill the size of a longan, resting quietly. Through the reflection on the bottle's surface, faint shadows could be seen within the pill. When the bottle was gently shaken, liquid seemed to slosh around inside.

This round, blood-red pill was one of the essential items for swallowing a Heavenly Flame: the Blood Lotus Pill!

After taking out the Blood Lotus Pill, Liu Xi removed a small jade box from his Storage Ring. He gently placed it on the smooth stone surface, and a faint chill immediately condensed into a thin layer of ice across the stone. Opening the jade box revealed a snow-white jade bottle carefully placed within. Pale white frost mist curled around the bottle, giving it a hazy and mysterious appearance.

What this snow-white jade bottle contained was the Ice Spirit Cold Spring!

Finally, Liu Xi took a deep breath and removed the final essential item for swallowing a Heavenly Flame from his Storage Ring—Spirit Gathering. As he looked at it, pain flashed in his eyes. To obtain this incomparably precious Spirit Gathering, even as a Fifth-grade Alchemist, he had worked for the academy for half a year without pay before exchanging for it from the Inner Court.

It was a thumb-sized gray stone, smooth as jade throughout and without the slightest blemish. At its core, a faint blue glow slowly wriggled like a tiny living insect.

Only after preparing all three essential items for swallowing a Heavenly Flame did Liu Xi take out the Green Lotus Seat. First, he removed the eleven Earth Fire Lotus Seeds from it and stored them in eleven jade bottles. These were good items; they could not only increase cultivation, but also strengthen one's connection with the Green Lotus Core Flame.

Then, his soul power swiftly penetrated within, separating the entire lotus seat from the Green Lotus Core Flame. He carefully pulled the Green Lotus Seat away.

Freed from the restraints of the Green Lotus Seat, the originally tiny green flame abruptly surged to several times its previous size. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a cluster of flames suspended in midair. As the flame grew, the temperature inside the cave continuously rose.

Liu Xi was startled by this, completely unprepared. To prevent the flames from burning through the mountaintop, crimson flames swept out from his body, enveloping both himself and the Green Lotus Core Flame in a crimson curtain of light.

However, Liu Xi soon felt his own crimson flames trembling. Before a Heavenly Flame, the sovereign of all flames, its essence was merely the innate beast flame of a Fifth-order Magical Beast, the Crimson Flame Mad Lion. At this moment, it expressed submission to the Green Lotus Core Flame before it. Only under Liu Xi's forceful control could it use the Heat Plundering Characteristic of the Nine Nether Spirit Flame Art to absorb the heat emitted by the Green Lotus Core Flame and protect the mountain outside.

Feeling all this, cold sweat streamed down Liu Xi's forehead. He muttered, "Good heavens... Just by erupting on instinct, it already has the might of a high-level Dou Wang. Add to that the Heavenly Flame's power to incinerate all things, and it's no wonder even Queen Medusa at the peak of the Dou Emperor realm couldn't withstand it. Fortunately, it was only recently born, with a blank consciousness like an infant's. If it had developed the ferocious nature of the Fallen Heart Flame in the Inner Court, then it really would be hard to say whether I would swallow the Green Lotus Core Flame, or the Green Lotus Core Flame would swallow me!"

Sitting cross-legged upon the Green Lotus Seat, Liu Xi took out the Blood Lotus Pill and held it beneath his nose for a sniff. A strange scent lingered at his nostrils, and that icy sensation made even his soul tremble slightly.

Staring intently at this fifth-grade pill, Liu Xi abruptly clenched his fist. Then he closed his eyes and directly stuffed it into his mouth.

The moment the Blood Lotus Pill entered his mouth, it turned into a stream of somewhat frigid energy that rapidly flowed into the Meridians throughout Liu Xi's body. In the end, it slowly seeped into his Meridians and bones like layers of blood membranes.

As the blood membranes seeped in, Liu Xi's body suddenly shook violently. Threads of blood constantly emerged from every pore across his body. In the blink of an eye, his entire body was coated in a layer of dark red blood, looking utterly terrifying.

Not long after appearing, the blood rapidly congealed, eventually forming a crimson keratin layer. This layer wrapped not only around Liu Xi's hands and feet, but completely sealed even his eyes within it.

The crimson keratin layer formed a suit of airtight blood-red armor, protecting Liu Xi thoroughly within.

Slowly extending his hand, wrapped in the crimson keratin layer, Liu Xi aimed it at the Heavenly Flame suspended in midair. A powerful suction force abruptly surged forth.

As the suction force appeared, the green flame in midair suddenly swelled. In the blink of an eye, a terrifying force of destruction seemed to awaken and slowly expand from within the green flames.

His gaze locked firmly onto the increasingly enormous green flame, Liu Xi knew that the swallowing of the Heavenly Flame had begun.