Yao Chen Falls!

Yao Chen's voice rose several pitches in shock.

"How do you know the Burning Art? That's impossible!"

The Burning Art was a cultivation technique he had obtained by chance in an ancient cave dwelling. It could devour Heavenly Flames and evolve.

Aside from himself and that traitorous disciple who had betrayed his master, Han Feng, there could absolutely be no third person in this world who knew about it!

"What is your relationship with that traitor Han Feng?"

Yao Chen demanded harshly, his face filled with fury and killing intent.

"No!"

"The aura around you, as well as your Sealing Technique, all originate from the same source as the Pill Tower's—yet they are even purer. What is your relationship with Xuan Kongzi and Xuan Yi?"

Yao Chen quickly overturned his own speculation. The Burning Art had completely thrown his mind into chaos.

Han Feng, the Burning Art, the Pill Tower...

Seeing his utterly bewildered expression, Xuan Jin had no intention of answering his questions.

He merely looked calmly at Yao Chen, as though he were looking at a dead man.

Then, he spoke words that made Yao Chen feel as though he had fallen into an icy abyss.

"Yao Chen, I want your Heavenly Flame and the complete Burning Art."

"This is not a negotiation. It is a notice."

Xuan Jin's calm voice echoed through the scorching cave, yet it carried an overbearing force that could not be defied.

Yao Chen's body suddenly stiffened.

He raised his head and stared fixedly at Xuan Jin. Shock first appeared on his face, only to be replaced by fury moments later.

"Arrogant!"

He roared, and his soul body rippled.

He was Venerable Yao. How glorious had he once been?

Who in Zhongzhou did not know his name?

Even the leaders of first-rate factions had to respectfully address him as "Yao Lao" when they met him.

Since when had some brat dared to act so presumptuously before him?

"Brat, you may be powerful, but you are taking me, Yao Chen, far too lightly!"

Yao Chen's voice turned cold.

"Since you know my name, you should know that I am not alone.

"My close friend Feng Xian, the master of Star Fall Pavilion, is a Four-Star Dou Venerable! Xuan Kongzi and Xuan Yi of the Pill Tower are also my closest friends!"

He tried to use his connections to intimidate the unfathomable young man before him.

"If you stop now and send me to Star Fall Pavilion, Venerable Feng will surely reward you handsomely!

"I, Yao Chen, will also remember today's kindness forever!"

Yao Chen had died once before. He knew clearly that facing an absolute gap in strength head-on was the most foolish choice.

Bringing up powerful backers and laying out the stakes was his only path to survival.

He believed that as long as the other party was not an idiot, he would know what choice to make.

However, he had miscalculated.

Not only was Xuan Jin unmoved by his words, he even let out a soft laugh.

"Are you telling me what to do?"

Xuan Jin's face instantly turned cold.

What he hated most was being threatened.

Xuan Jin stepped forward, and the vast aura of a Five-Star Dou Ancestor erupted!

The entire magma cave shook violently, as though it might collapse at any moment.

Under that terrifying pressure, Yao Chen's soul body twisted violently, as if it could be torn apart at any moment.

"You..."

He stared at Xuan Jin in horror, enormous waves surging through his heart.

A Five-Star Dou Ancestor!

This young man was actually a Five-Star Dou Ancestor!

How was that possible?!

A Five-Star Dou Ancestor around twenty years old? A soul realm at Mortal Realm Peak Great Perfection?

Was this even human?

Yao Chen's heart sank completely.

The person before him was a monster who could not be judged by common sense!

Threats?

To him, they were nothing but a joke!

"Since you refuse to hand them over, I'll take them myself!"

Xuan Jin's voice was like the judgment of the Grim Reaper.

He wasted no more words, pouring out his Soul Power without restraint.

"Soul Hand Seal!"

A transparent giant hand condensed from Soul Power appeared out of thin air. Carrying terrifying force capable of tearing space apart, it viciously grabbed at Yao Chen.

Yao Chen's pupils contracted sharply as the shadow of death instantly engulfed his heart.

He could sense just how terrifying the destructive power contained in that attack was.

In his current weakened soul state, if he were struck, his soul would undoubtedly be scattered!

"You impudent whelp!"

His instinct to survive drove him into one final frenzy.

Yao Chen roared, and his remaining Soul Power surged forth madly as well.

"Bone Spirit Cold Flame!"

A cluster of pale white flame rose from his illusory body, radiating an extreme chill.

The temperature of the entire cave suddenly plummeted with the appearance of that flame.

Cold.

Ranked eleventh on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, the Bone Spirit Cold Flame!

Under Yao Chen's control, the pale white flame transformed into a massive wall of fire that blocked the path before him.

"Boom!"

The Soul Hand Seal and the flaming barrier collided violently.

The transparent soul hand and pale white flames frantically eroded each other before finally annihilating one another.

The surrounding space twisted beneath the collision of the two forces.

Although Yao Chen's soul realm was high, he was ultimately only a Remnant Soul. Moreover, he had been sealed for a long time, and less than one-tenth of his power remained.

The strength he could currently unleash was at most equivalent to that of a One-Star or Two Star Dou Emperor.

And he did not even have a physical body.

Meanwhile, Xuan Jin was a genuine Five-Star Dou Ancestor!

He had also encountered a soul battle technique like the Soul Hand Seal, which greatly restrained him.

The gap between them was enormous.

They remained locked in a stalemate for less than three breaths.

"Crack!"

With a crisp sound, the barrier formed from the Bone Spirit Cold Flame became covered in cracks before shattering explosively!

"Pfft!"

Yao Chen's soul body suffered a heavy blow and flew backward. It became even more illusory and transparent, as though a gust of wind could scatter it.

"Impossible... This is impossible..."

He muttered to himself, his eyes filled with despair.

His most prized Bone Spirit Cold Flame could not even block a single move from the other side!

There was no expression on Xuan Jin's face.

He took one step forward and instantly appeared before Yao Chen. His five fingers curled into a claw and seized him directly by the throat.

"Do you have any last words?"

His icy voice sounded beside Yao Chen's ear.

Yao Chen struggled to lift his head and looked at the young face so close before him.

"You truly are... a formidable junior."

"Han Feng... he..."

"He should not be completely dead. Just consider it... consider that you died by Han Feng's sword back then."

As the words fell, a cluster of deep-blue Sea Heart Flame suddenly rose from Xuan Jin's palm.

Under the scorching Sea Heart Flame, Yao Chen's soul body did not make a single sound. His white soul phantom gradually turned into nothingness.

In merely a few breaths, the once-renowned Venerable Yao completely vanished from this world.

His soul was scattered.

Xuan Jin released his hand and looked at the wisp of smoke dissipating from his palm, his face utterly expressionless.

After dealing with Yao Chen, his gaze fell upon the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, which had become violent after losing its master.

Aside from the Burning Art, the Bone Spirit Cold Flame was the greatest objective of this journey.

With Yao Chen's soul scattered, the Bone Spirit Cold Flame he left behind had completely become ownerless.

Having lost its master's restraints, this terrifying flame ranked eleventh on the Heavenly Flame Ranking instantly unleashed its most violent nature.

The pale white flames surged wildly, transforming into a savage flaming beast that roared and rampaged madly through the cave.

Its extreme icy aura clashed fiercely with the scorching magma around it.

The entire cave trembled violently beneath the impact of those two extreme forces.

Countless enormous rocks broke away from the ceiling and crashed into the magma lake below, sending up monstrous waves.

Xuan Jin's expression grew solemn.

He could sense that although the Bone Spirit Cold Flame had weakened because Yao Chen had not absorbed Dou Qi for so long, its origin remained one of the finest flames between heaven and earth.

Its violence was even several times greater than when he had refined the Sea Heart Flame.

Most importantly, Xuan Jin had consumed too much Soul Power. Subduing it easily would be no simple task.

Yet there was not the slightest trace of retreat in Xuan Jin's eyes, only unwavering determination to obtain it.

"You beast, submit!"

He shouted, and his vast Soul Power transformed into an invisible net that descended from above, enveloping the flaming beast.

"Roar!"

The beast formed from the Bone Spirit Cold Flame let out an unwilling roar and spewed a pillar of pale white fire from its mouth, violently slamming into the soul net.

"Sizzle!"

Soul Power and the Heavenly Flame clashed fiercely once more.

Xuan Jin felt an icy force that pierced to the bone travel back through the soul connection, making his mind tremble.

"What a tyrannical flame!"

Xuan Jin was startled inwardly.

He did not dare lower his guard in the slightest. His hands rapidly formed seals.

"Three Essence Seal Fire Mark!"

Three flame runes condensed from Dou Qi shot out in a triangular formation and precisely struck the flaming beast's forehead, abdomen, and tail.

The instant the three runes landed, the flaming beast's movements visibly slowed.

The violent energy within its body also seemed to be forcibly suppressed by an invisible force.

"It's working!"

Xuan Jin was overjoyed and increased his output of Soul Power. The soul net tightened in turn, intending to trap the flaming beast completely.

However, he had still underestimated the terror of a Heavenly Flame.

Just as the soul net was about to close, the flaming beast suddenly raised its head and released an earth-shaking roar.

A burst of energy ten times more violent than before erupted from its body!

"Boom!"

The Three Essence Seal Fire Mark Xuan Jin had laid down was shattered in an instant!

The soul net was also torn open by the violent energy, leaving a massive breach.

"Pfft!"

Xuan Jin suffered a heavy blow. His body shuddered violently, and he uncontrollably spat out a mouthful of blood.

The blood traced a crimson arc through the air, and several drops happened to splash onto the pale white Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

A strange scene unfolded.

The crimson drops of blood were neither frozen by the extreme cold nor vaporized by the flames the instant they touched the Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

Instead, like droplets of water soaking into a sponge, they were instantly absorbed by the Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

Immediately afterward, the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, which had been wildly rampaging everywhere, suddenly froze.

Its savage flaming beast form slowly dispersed, reverting into a pale white fireball the size of a basketball.

The rhythm of its flames became calm and gentle.

That violent, destructive aura also vanished.

It was replaced by a sense of closeness.

It floated quietly in midair, its flames swaying softly as though it were acting coquettishly toward Xuan Jin.

The entire cave instantly returned to peace.

Xuan Jin was stunned.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, staring in a daze at the dramatic scene before him.

What was going on?

Why had the Bone Spirit Cold Flame suddenly become so docile?

Could it be his blood?

An absurd thought flashed through his mind.

He recalled Gu Yuan's unusual attitude when he had first seen him in Wutan City.

Could his origins truly be connected to one of the Ancient Families?

Could it be the Yan Clan?

What was so special about his bloodline?

For a moment, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

But now was clearly not the time to think about such things.

Though he did not know why this change had happened, it was undoubtedly an enormous blessing for him.

Strike while it was weak and take its life!

No, strike while it was docile and claim it!

Xuan Jin hesitated no longer. Enduring the stabbing pain in his soul, he once again activated his Soul Power, transforming it into countless fine threads that carefully wrapped around the quiet mass of Bone Spirit Cold Flame.

This time, the Bone Spirit Cold Flame did not resist.

It meekly allowed those soul threads to wrap around it layer by layer, binding it tightly.

The sealing process went unexpectedly smoothly.

When the final thread of Soul Power branded itself onto the core of the fireball, Xuan Jin finally let out a long breath.

Xuan Jin had successfully sealed the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, ranked eleventh on the Heavenly Flame Ranking!

However, before he could even celebrate, an unprecedented wave of exhaustion and weakness swept through his entire body like a tide.

He had forcibly driven his Soul Power and suffered a backlash; his body had long since reached its limit.

The moment his taut nerves relaxed, all the aftereffects erupted at once.

His vision went dark. His body swayed, and he fell straight backward.

"Young Master!"

An anxious cry rang through the cave.

It was Qing Lin.

She had awakened at some point and was looking at him with a face full of worry.

In the final moment before Xuan Jin collapsed, he saw that small figure stumbling toward him.

Then he completely lost consciousness and sank into darkness.

Time slowly passed in the darkness.

After an unknown amount of time, a trace of warmth reached the back of his head.

It was a soft, resilient sensation, carrying a faint fragrance.

Then, a pair of small, cool hands touched his forehead and clumsily wiped at something.

"Young Master... wake up quickly... don't scare Qing Lin..."

A childish voice choked with tears sounded by his ear, broken and intermittent, filled with anxiety and helplessness.

It was Qing Lin.

Xuan Jin's consciousness cleared somewhat.

He tried desperately to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Then he felt drops of warm liquid fall onto his cheeks.

Tears.

The little girl was crying.

Xuan Jin's heart inexplicably softened.

After a long while, when Xuan Jin was finally able to open his eyes, the first thing he saw was a little face streaked with tears, haggard and full of concern.

Qing Lin's eyes were red and swollen. She had clearly cried for a long time.

Tear tracks still lingered on her little face. When she saw Xuan Jin awaken, she froze for a moment before bursting into immense joy.

"Young Master! You're awake! You're finally awake!"

She threw her arms around Xuan Jin's head, laughing and crying at once, her words tumbling out incoherently.

Xuan Jin raised a hand, intending to rub her head, only to realize that the place beneath his head felt somewhat strange.

He turned his head slightly and discovered that he had been resting on Qing Lin's lap the entire time.

No wonder it was so soft...

Xuan Jin's old face flushed faintly.

He struggled to sit up, and Qing Lin hurriedly supported him.

"Young Master, slowly."

Xuan Jin sat up and looked around.

The cave was a complete mess, filled everywhere with shattered rocks.

Not far away, a mass of ghostly white flame floated quietly in the air as well.

It was the Bone Spirit Cold Flame he had sealed.

"How long was I unconscious?" Xuan Jin's voice was still somewhat hoarse.

"Probably one day."

Qing Lin counted on her fingers and spoke softly.

"Young Master, you wouldn't wake up. Qing Lin was so scared..."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened again.

One day. Xuan Jin's heart tightened.

Fortunately, nothing unexpected had happened.

Xuan Jin glanced at the Two-Headed Fire Spirit Snake. It was still lying obediently in the lava lake without moving, like a sculpture.

It seemed the deterrent power of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils was even more enduring than he had imagined.

Xuan Jin examined his body internally.

His Meridians had mostly healed, and his Dou Qi had returned to stability.

Xuan Jin rubbed Qing Lin's head and pulled her over to sit beside him.

"Qing Lin, you've worked hard."

Qing Lin hurriedly shook her head, her little face full of seriousness.

"It wasn't hard! As long as Young Master is all right, Qing Lin is willing to do anything!"

Xuan Jin smiled and took a bottle of water and some dried rations from his Storage Ring, handing them to her.

"Eat something first."

During this time, the girl had been so worried about him that she had probably eaten nothing.

Qing Lin accepted the food but did not eat it. Instead, she held it up to Xuan Jin's mouth first.

"Young Master eats first."

Xuan Jin looked into her stubborn little eyes, feeling both amused and touched.

He did not refuse and opened his mouth to take a bite.

Only then did Qing Lin happily begin eating herself.

The two quietly ate their food, and the cave was left with only the sound of chewing.

The atmosphere was warm and peaceful.

After eating, Xuan Jin began inspecting his spoils.

Xuan Jin's attention fell upon the Bone Flame Ring.

His Soul Power entered it, where a disordered pile of scrolls lay in a corner.

Xuan Jin's Soul Power swept over them one by one.

Flame Splitting Wave Ruler, Earth Tier Low-grade Dou Technique.

There were also several fire-control Dou Techniques and methods Yao Chen had summarized himself, as well as his alchemy notes, which recorded Yao Chen's experience in refining medicine.

The alchemy experience of an Eighth-Rank High Tier alchemy grandmaster was also a priceless treasure to the current Xuan Jin.

Xuan Jin quickly found what he needed most from among the pile of scrolls.

Burning Art!

The complete Burning Art cultivation method!

After taking out the Burning Art, Xuan Jin focused his mind and firmly committed its cultivation method to memory.