First Origin Exotic Flame

Inside the cave, as the Green Lotus Core Flame, carrying a sense of grievance, completely entered the Spirit Gathering, Liu Xi's attempt to devour the Heavenly Flame was truly a success.

At this moment, Liu Xi sat cross-legged atop the Green Lotus Platform like a clay statue. His body was still covered in a layer of blood-colored keratin formed from the medicinal power of the Blood Lotus Pill. However, the layer had now become dull and lusterless, mixed with plenty of mud that gave off an exceptionally foul stench.

These were all the medicinal toxins left behind in Liu Xi's body from the vast quantities of pills he had consumed over the years. Liu Xi had taken no small number of medicinal pills to rapidly improve his Dou Qi and aid his cultivation! Now, with the Heavenly Flame tempering his body, they had all been expelled. This was one of the hidden benefits of refining a Heavenly Flame: an improvement in aptitude akin to Rebirth and Transformation.

Suddenly, "Crack, crack." The blood-colored keratin layer began to shatter continuously, cracks appearing one after another. As Liu Xi awoke, the muddy fragments on his body fell away, revealing his figure beneath. A close-fitting azure barrier still covered his body, emitting a gentle radiance.

The azure barrier slowly faded, allowing Liu Xi to finally see his current appearance. His already fair and handsome face now seemed to emit a faint Radiant Glow, as though a soft-focus effect had been added to his body. Liu Xi was quite satisfied with this. He was increasingly gaining the bearing of, "A gentleman is like jade upon the road; no Young Master in this world can compare!"

Liu Xi then slowly rose to his feet. After stretching his limbs, he excitedly began inspecting the gains from this journey. This desperate gamble had truly yielded abundant rewards.

First, he had successfully subdued the Spiritual Object, the Green Lotus Core Flame. For an Alchemist, possessing a Heavenly Flame would undoubtedly be like gaining wings when refining pills in the future.

Second, with the Green Lotus Core Flame's assistance, he had broken through to become a Two-star Dou King. His original Red Dou Crystal had also transformed into an Azure Dou Crystal, allowing the same amount of Dou Qi to unleash even greater power.

Thinking of the Heavenly Flame, Liu Xi happily extended his right hand. With a thought, the Spirit Gathering within his Dantian trembled, and a surging green flame shot out from within. It traveled through the Meridians in his body all the way to Liu Xi's palm.

"Whoosh!" The green flame instantly appeared in Liu Xi's hand, its outer edge shrouded in a dark blue halo. The surrounding temperature immediately began to fall, and the smile on Liu Xi's face grew even brighter. The Heat Plundering Characteristic of the Nine Nether Spirit Flame Art had also been perfectly inherited.

The green flame in Liu Xi's hand seemed to cheer with delight after receiving this nourishment and becoming stronger. After all, Heavenly Flames possessed advantages that other flames could never match, and Heavenly Flames could also grow.

Liu Xi then turned and looked around, discovering that the cave was clearly more than a full circle larger than before. Even he could not help sighing at the immense power of the Heavenly Flame. He took a few steps to a stone wall and, without exerting any force, merely brought the green flame in his hand close to it. The center of the wall began to crack apart before being incinerated into nothingness, leaving only a hollow hole in the stone wall.

"Hehe, this is the power a Heavenly Flame should have!" Liu Xi said happily as he looked at the hole in the stone wall.

"The so-called upgradable Cultivation Method, the Flame Mantra, directly devours the origin energy of a Heavenly Flame, using it to advance itself and the user's Dou Qi realm. Thus, those who use the Flame Mantra to devour Heavenly Flames can rapidly raise their cultivation realm, but afterward, the Heavenly Flame's power depends entirely on how abundant the user's Dou Qi is. For others who refine Heavenly Flames, the benefits gained from them are generally subtle and long-term. Just like when I refined the Heavenly Flame earlier, the Green Lotus Core Flame improved my cultivation aptitude as though I had undergone Rebirth and Transformation, but I would not absorb the Heavenly Flame's own power!" Liu Xi looked at the green flame in his hand, his gaze seeming unfocused as he softly analyzed the situation.

After confirming the Heavenly Flame's power, Liu Xi casually waved his hand and withdrew the green flame. Once he came back to himself, a smug smile appeared on his face. He softly said, "But I am obviously not an ordinary person. The Green Lotus Core Flame is exceptionally close to me. It even took the initiative to release power to help me heal my injuries, purify my Dou Qi, and raise me to the Two-star Dou King realm!"

"However, ever since breaking through to Dou King, even with my aptitude and an Earth Tier Cultivation Method, I can only improve bit by bit through painstaking effort. I can no longer advance as quickly as before. In truth, before reaching Dou King, anyone can cultivate to that realm as long as they have the right Cultivation Method and resources and their talent is not too terrible. After Dou King, without a special opportunity, they must rely on painstaking effort to advance. As for Dou Zong, no amount of resources can pile someone into that realm. After reaching Dou Zong, one can come into contact with Spatial Power, which places extremely high demands on one's soul and aptitude!" Thinking of the bottleneck of Dou Zong, which was like an insurmountable chasm and had caused countless people to stagnate, Liu Xi could not help feeling somewhat frustrated.

Liu Xi casually took off his tattered clothes and flicked them away, turning them into ashes. He took out a new Sky Blue Robe from his Storage Ring and put it on. In any case, after breaking through to Dou King, he was already immune to heat and cold. What he wore had little effect on him, so naturally, he would wear whatever looked best.

After cleaning up the mess in the cave, Liu Xi began walking outside. Before long, he stood at the cave entrance, looking at the stars filling the sky.

"Looks like subduing the Heavenly Flame took quite a bit of time!"

At this moment, Qing Lin was sitting beside a bonfire some distance away. Ling Shuang was nowhere to be seen, probably hiding in the shadows.

Liu Xi looked at Qing Lin, who sat beside the bonfire with a drowsy expression. Yet every time she closed her eyes, she would force herself to wake up, then raise her hands and pat her little cheeks to stay alert before continuing her watch.

Seeing Qing Lin's adorable appearance, Liu Xi could not help laughing softly. Upon hearing the sound, Qing Lin immediately looked up vigilantly and scanned her surroundings. When she saw Liu Xi emerging from the cave, she instantly stood up with a delighted expression and ran toward him.

She trotted all the way to Liu Xi and said joyfully, "Young Master, you're out!"

With a smile, Liu Xi said, "Mm! How much time passed from when I entered the cave until I came out? Did anything come to intrude during that time?"

Qing Lin tilted her head slightly, thought for a moment, and said, "About Eight Hours have passed since Young Master entered the cave. Qing Lin watched very carefully the whole time. I didn't even let a single bird come close."

Seeing Qing Lin's exhausted expression, Liu Xi stepped forward and lifted her into his arms. He gently said, "You worked hard, Qing Lin. Sleep now. Get some proper rest."

Lying in Liu Xi's arms, Qing Lin was already exhausted beyond measure. After hearing his words, her face turned slightly red as she gave a quiet reply, then promptly fell into a deep sleep.

Carrying Qing Lin to the bonfire, Liu Xi glanced aside and spotted Ling Shuang wrapped around Qing Lin's wrist. He reached out, pulled it off her wrist, lightly tossed it away, and softly said, "Hurry up and return to your original form, then coil yourself into the shape of a bed!"

"Hiss!" Ling Shuang had already been quite displeased at being pulled off Qing Lin's wrist by Liu Xi. After hearing his words, it grew even angrier and directly hissed at Liu Xi to express its dissatisfaction.

"Hm?" Seeing Ling Shuang's reluctance, Liu Xi narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly at it.

"Hiss!" Ling Shuang looked at Liu Xi, who was directly threatening it, then at Qing Lin sleeping in Liu Xi's arms. Deciding that a wise man did not fight when the odds were against him, it let out a wronged hiss before returning to its original form, four or five zhang long, and coiling itself around the bonfire.

Only then did Liu Xi nod in satisfaction. Carrying Qing Lin in his arms, he walked over and sat down atop Ling Shuang.

He began considering his next destination, thinking to himself, I had originally planned to visit my teacher in the Imperial Capital after finding the Green Lotus Core Flame. I never expected to find a Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame Remnant Map with Hai Bodong as well. It seems I'll have to stay here a while longer.

After I spend some time becoming accustomed to the Green Lotus Core Flame, breaking through to become a Sixth-grade Alchemist will be a natural progression with its power. At that point, refining the Po E Pill will naturally be easy. It's just this Sand Mandara... Liu Xi took out the map and looked at it. The regions suitable for Sand Mandara growth were all under the Snake People Race's control.

Liu Xi put away the map. It seemed this time, he truly had no choice but to visit the Snake People Race. However, with his identity as a Fifth-grade Alchemist, the Snake People Race might not dare do anything to him. Besides, if he wanted to leave, who below Dou Zong could stop him?

The goal of this trip to the Tagor Desert had been the Heavenly Flame. Now that it was in hand, Liu Xi finally relaxed completely.

Liu Xi tightened his hold around Qing Lin in his arms, feeling slightly surprised.

Qing Lin's body seems softer. She's quite comfortable to hold.

Liu Xi looked at Qing Lin in his arms. Ever since Qing Lin awakened her Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, an unusual, captivating charm had begun to show between her brows and eyes.

Liu Xi held Qing Lin a little tighter again and said with a soft laugh, "Hehe, Qing Lin, hurry and grow up!"

Thanks to Ye Yu Xing Fan, Mei Zhi Zhi Er, 20180319231829776, Ming Yue Qing Feng, Meng Dong Bu Xiao Zhai Xing Shi, CT Woniu, Gu Fu Shen Xiang Qiao Jia Ren, 20200713220516071, and 20200423175627394 for your rewards these past few days. There will be another update next; I'll stay up late if I have to and finish writing it.