Exotic Flame Lotus Platform

A day later, at the gates of the Jia Ma Empire's Imperial Capital, a convoy silently departed the prosperous city. The Xiao Clan members looked back at the Imperial Capital, then set off on an unknown journey with complicated feelings in their hearts.

Almost at the same moment, deep within the Nalan Clan, Nalan Jie stood with his hands behind his back in a secret chamber lit by flickering candles.

A shadow silently dropped to one knee behind him and reported in a low voice, "Reporting to the Clan Head, everyone from the Xiao Clan has safely left the Imperial Capital. They encountered no obstruction along the way."

Nalan Jie slowly turned around. Candlelight cast shifting shadows across his weathered face. After a moment of silence, a complicated emotion flickered deep in his eyes as he said in a deep voice, "Send another team of reliable men to follow and protect them in secret. Once they find a safe place and settle down completely, have them return and report."

"Yes!" The shadow accepted the order, then flashed away and vanished into the corner of the chamber like Gui Mei.

The heavy stone door slowly closed, and silence returned to the room, broken only by the occasional faint crackle of the burning wick.

Nalan Jie walked alone to the desk and extended a callused hand. His fingertips lightly brushed the dancing flame, as though he could see the face of his old friend Xiao Lin within it.

He let out a deep sigh, and his low, hoarse murmur echoed through the secret chamber:

"Brother Xiao Lin... I have failed you. That blood-deep hatred, I, Nalan Jie... in the end, lack the strength to avenge it for you." His voice carried indescribable heaviness and guilt. "Behind me stands the entire Nalan Clan. The lives and futures of hundreds rest upon me. I cannot... I dare not gamble the entire clan on a revenge with no chance of victory."

He raised his head, his gaze seeming to pierce through the stone walls and reach the distant horizon. It was as though he were making a promise to his departed friend somewhere beyond. "As long as I, Nalan Jie, live another day, I will do everything in my power to protect your clansmen and help them carry on their bloodline."

"As for how far their future path will take them, and whether they can restore their former glory, that will truly depend on their own fortune and choices..."

"This is all I can do, all the help I can give."

"As for the marriage agreement we made for the younger generation, if Xiao Zhan's third child is truly a boy and has decent talent, I will honor our agreement."

As his words fell, he gently pinched the flickering candle flame between his thumb and forefinger, extinguishing it. The last trace of light vanished, plunging the entire secret chamber into boundless darkness and burying all his helplessness and resolve along with it.

Deep within the distant Tagor Desert, in the Snake-People Tribe's settlement.

Inside a high-ranking consecrator's secret chamber designated as forbidden ground, heat waves rolled through the room, and even the air faintly distorted under the extreme temperature.

Su Baichen focused completely, powerful Soul Power rippling from his body. With his left hand, he precisely controlled the Liuli Burning Heaven Flame like a docile purple ribbon brimming with destructive force, continuously feeding blazing fire into a massive fireball floating in the air.

His right hand moved rapidly, pure energy flowing from his fingertips as he traced one ancient, mysterious seal after another and continuously sent them into the fireball.

At the center of the fireball, the outline of a lotus could vaguely be seen slowly gathering and taking shape. With every pulse of flame, its form became a little clearer.

Throughout the entire process, Su Baichen held his breath and concentrated, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

The art of artifact refinement, especially the forging of such a special treasure, imposed incredibly exacting demands on Soul Power control and timing. Any tiny mistake could render all previous effort worthless.

When the final seal, radiating obscure fluctuations, merged into the fireball, a sudden change occurred!

The lotus at the center of the fireball abruptly erupted with a blinding azure light. The entire lotus platform shook violently as a powerful energy fluctuation surged outward like a tidal wave, on the verge of breaking through the secret chamber's confines.

Buzz—

Just as the azure light was about to touch the walls, the invisible barrier that had long been arranged around the chamber suddenly lit up. Runes flowed across it, forming a solid shield that firmly sealed away the energy fluctuations and dazzling light, which would otherwise have alarmed the entire Snake-People Tribe.

Seeing this, a relieved smile finally appeared on Su Baichen's lips.

He had anticipated this from the start, which was why he had spared no effort in setting up this concealment formation before beginning the refinement.

With a thought, the Liuli Burning Heaven Flame swirling around him returned to his body like rivers flowing into the sea, while the massive fireball swiftly contracted and dissipated.

A lotus platform roughly the size of a washbasin floated silently in midair.

Its entire body gleamed with a gentle, jade-like azure luster. Its layered petals were distinct and lifelike, while strange flame patterns faintly flowed across its surface. It gave off an ancient, pure aura that contained immense fire-attributed energy.

Carefully examining the creation that had cost him so much effort, Su Baichen let out a long breath. Only then did his constantly tense mind finally relax completely, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.

"Phew—it's finally done. The path of artifact refinement truly is vast and profound, several times harder than I imagined. I'll have to read more and study it further in the future." He sighed softly. His tone carried a trace of exhaustion, but even more joy at his success. "Though this Exotic Flame Lotus Platform has no clearly defined rank, it is an exceptionally special treasure with powerful cultivation support and extremely high defensive capabilities. If my Soul Power had not far surpassed others of the same rank, I truly might not have been able to refine it successfully."

Su Baichen's attainments in artifact refinement were not particularly high. At present, the highest-grade treasure he could forge was only fifth-tier.

However, fifth-tier treasures might still be useful in the early stages of cultivation, but they would be unable to keep up in the later stages.

Fortunately, Su Baichen had found a special method of artifact refinement in the Heavenly Book. Though the treasures it forged had a low lower limit, they had no upper limit, and his fifth-grade artifact-refining skill was enough to use it.

As he thought this over, his gaze returned to the azure lotus platform, filled with anticipation.

Ever since obtaining the natural lotus platform that had been born alongside the Green Lotus Core Flame and sensing the strange energy within it, as well as its powerful affinity for fire, Su Baichen had immediately realized that it was a one-of-a-kind artifact-refining foundation—the ideal material for a treasure tailored specifically for Cao Ying, his first disciple.

The cultivation technique Cao Ying would focus on in the future would undoubtedly be the Shenyou Fire-Refining Art that he had prepared long ago. Her path of cultivation was destined to involve constantly seeking out, absorbing, and refining all kinds of Heavenly Flames in the world, using them as the core to strengthen herself.

As Su Baichen's first personal disciple, if she did not possess a dedicated treasure perfectly suited to her and capable of assisting her cultivation, would that not disgrace him as her master?

This "Exotic Flame Lotus Platform," forged from the lotus platform born alongside the Green Lotus Core Flame, fused with various rare supplementary materials, and painstakingly refined using his own Liuli Burning Heaven Flame, possessed one greatest characteristic: an unparalleled capacity and affinity for Heavenly Flames.