Three Thousand Burning Flame

Although he was curious about the terms of the exchange, Shi Kang ultimately did not ask.

His father had already negotiated the terms. He only needed to ensure that he took the Three Thousand Burning Flame away safely.

"We have trapped the Three Thousand Burning Flame within the Star Domain." Xuan Kongzi led the way as he spoke. "Please follow me, the two of you."

The three giants led Shi Kang and Shi Yun into the Star Domain.

This Star Domain was a fragment of space shattered by the three of them working together, cleverly hidden within the vast starry sky to seal the violent Three Thousand Burning Flame.

Originally, the three had intended to carefully nurture the Three Thousand Burning Flame, then, when the time was right, make the chance to subdue it the grand prize of the Pill Gathering, drawing alchemists from across the world to compete for it.

Unfortunately, the Stone Clan had set its sights on this Heavenly Flame, and the conditions they offered were simply too tempting to refuse.

Two Ninth-grade Pill Recipes!

The Stone Clan had once been glorious. At its peak, it had even produced a Dou Di Expert, and Ninth-grade Alchemists had emerged within the clan one after another.

Naturally, quite a few Ninth-grade Pill Recipes had been passed down as well.

Unfortunately, the current Stone Clan no longer had any Ninth-grade Alchemists. Even if they possessed Ninth-grade Pill Recipes, they could not refine the corresponding Ninth Grade Pills.

To the Stone Clan, these pill recipes had become somewhat useless.

However, Ninth-grade Pill Recipes held immense appeal for the Pill Tower.

The Pill Tower was renowned for alchemy. If the Elders within the Lesser Pill Tower worked together, they even had a chance of refining Ninth Grade Pills.

To an alchemist, nothing was more alluring than a pill recipe.

Although the Three Thousand Burning Flame also held considerable appeal for alchemists, its power was ultimately limited. It could only attract alchemists below the eighth grade, and it provided negligible assistance in refining eighth- or ninth-grade pills.

For precisely this reason, when the Stone Clan proposed trading pill recipes for the Three Thousand Burning Flame, they agreed without hesitation.

Although the Pill Tower itself possessed Ninth-grade Pill Recipes, who would ever complain about having too many pill recipes?

In short, both sides felt that they had profited from this transaction.

Xuan Lei Zi and Xuan Yi remained outside to maintain the Seal and ensure nothing went wrong, while Xuan Kongzi led Shi Kang and Shi Yun deeper into the Star Domain.

Shi Kang was not worried that they might do anything to him. After all, a Dou Sheng Expert was protecting him.

Even the First Elder of the Pill Tower was no match for Shi Yun, so what did he have to fear?

The moment he entered the Star Domain, Shi Kang keenly sensed that the Fallen Heart Flame within his body had stirred.

This only happened when another Heavenly Flame appeared nearby.

Moreover, the air was filled with violent fire-attributed energy, further confirming it.

Led by Xuan Kongzi, they sped toward the direction where the fire-attributed energy was more concentrated.

Very soon, a purple-black Giant Dragon appeared before the three of them.

This Giant Dragon was enormous. Purple-black flames coiled around its body, radiating a terrifyingly scorching heat.

Three Thousand Burning Flame, ranked ninth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking!

This flame did not exist within the earth. Instead, it took form in the boundless starry sky and could absorb the power of the stars for its own use.

An expert who refined this Heavenly Flame would gain a special ability—the Thousand Star Physique. Those with this physique could absorb star power to strengthen themselves or heal their wounds, earning them the name Undying Body.

Although that was somewhat exaggerated, the Three Thousand Burning Flame's healing effects were incredibly tempting to someone like Shi Kang, who was often injured while tempering his body.

He had already refined a Fallen Heart Flame capable of accelerating his cultivation. If he refined this Three Thousand Burning Flame as well and gave himself a healing buff, that would truly be heaven-defying.

Fighting while healing himself at the same time—just thinking about it was exciting!

Upon seeing Shi Kang's group, the purple-black Giant Dragon immediately opened its massive jaws and let out a deafening roar.

The Three Thousand Burning Flame had been trapped here by the three Pill Tower giants for a long time, and its resentment toward Xuan Kongzi ran extremely deep.

Thus, the moment it saw Xuan Kongzi, it did not care whether it could win. It charged forward fiercely, brimming with murderous momentum.

Shi Kang turned to Shi Yun. "Please subdue it, Elder Shi Yun."

"Yes, Young Clan Leader!" Shi Yun answered, slowly raising his palm.

A vast surge of Space Power poured from his palm, instantly enveloping the purple-black Giant Dragon.

The Giant Dragon, which had looked so ferocious moments ago, now seemed as though its throat had been seized. It could not make the slightest sound. It struggled desperately, but before Shi Yun's powerful Space Power, it appeared utterly helpless.

"Subdue!" Shi Yun shouted, using immense Space Power to gradually shrink the Giant Dragon's body.

As though unable to withstand such tremendous pressure, the Giant Dragon exploded outright.

When the enormous Giant Dragon exploded, it left behind only a palm-sized purple-black flame.

Although it had shrunk in size, its temperature remained terrifying, warping the surrounding space.

Shi Yun made a sharp grasping motion with his palm, and the purple-black flame flew into his hand.

The violent Three Thousand Burning Flame was incomparably docile in the hands of Shi Yun, a Dou Sheng Expert, like a tamed little beast.

A Dou Sheng Expert was truly terrifying! With a casual move, he directly suppressed the Three Thousand Burning Flame.

In the original story, Xiao Yan had needed the Dragon Seal to subdue the Three Thousand Burning Flame, but for Shi Yun, it had become a trivial matter.

Needed the Dragon Seal to subdue a Heavenly Flame? No such thing! He simply crushed it with overwhelming strength!

Seeing Shi Yun deal with the Three Thousand Burning Flame so effortlessly, both Shi Kang and Xuan Kongzi were filled with envy.

Shi Kang: When would I be able to break through to the Dou Sheng realm?

Xuan Kongzi: Was this the power of a Dou Sheng Expert? So powerful! I wondered whether I could ever reach such a realm in this lifetime...

Shi Yun said, "Young Clan Leader, there seems to be another mark on the Three Thousand Burning Flame. I will erase it for you."

Shi Kang knew that mark had been left behind by the Three Thousand Burning Flame's previous owner—an Ancient Void Dragon.

He nodded and smiled. "Alright, thank you, Elder."

Although asking Zi Yan for the Dragon Seal could reduce the difficulty of refining the Heavenly Flame, it was unnecessary for Shi Kang, who intended to use it to temper his body.

Shi Yun lightly brushed his palm over it, and the mark on the purple-black flame vanished without a trace. Then, with another casual motion, he placed a Seal on it, perfectly containing the violent fire-attributed energy.

After collecting the Three Thousand Burning Flame, the three of them withdrew from the Star Domain.

"Oh, right, Elder Xuan Kongzi, I heard that your Pill Tower made an exception and accepted a core disciple named Cao Ying. Is that true?"

Shi Kang had not forgotten his other purpose in coming to the Pill Tower: cultivating a Ninth-grade Alchemist for himself.

If he had only come to collect a Heavenly Flame, Shi Kang would not have needed to come personally.