Extremely Dangerous

Xiao Zhan remained deeply unconscious, lying quietly at the bottom of the glazed pit like an ancient war god slumbering in the long river of history. Yet, at this moment, faint, golden-red mist began to steam from his body, accompanied by the phantom sounds of dragons roaring and phoenixes crying. The mist rose in curling wisps, dreamlike and illusory, as if it were an auspicious omen from the Immortal Realm. Every one of his long, steady breaths resembled the low murmur of an ancient giant, causing the dragon veins of the earth to resonate slightly. That aura was deep and majestic, as if nurturing a more terrifying new power within the ruined ashes, like a dormant volcano on the verge of erupting with world-shattering energy.

Halfway up the Demon Peak of Bones, a spark seemed to ignite quietly, lighting the dawn of hope.

At the edge of the massive glazed pit, Xiao Yan sat cross-legged with his eyes tightly shut, resembling a stone Buddha in deep meditation. However, his state was far from peaceful; his teeth were clenched so tightly they made a "clacking" sound, and his handsome face was twisted and distorted by extreme pain, as if being wantonly kneaded by an invisible giant hand. Beads of sweat as large as beans, mixed with blood and grime, rolled continuously from his forehead, sliding down his cheeks to drip onto the ground, splashing into tiny flowers of blood.

His body was like a roaring furnace that had been set ablaze, his skin taking on a ghastly dark red hue as if it had been scorched by intense fire for a long time. Countless fine cracks spread across his skin like a piece of exquisite porcelain about to shatter, each fissure revealing the immense agony he was enduring. Beneath the cracks was not flesh and blood, but a terrifying, churning, chaos-colored demonic flame. The flame seemed to possess a life of its own, rampaging wildly within his body as if intent on consuming him entirely.

He was enduring unimaginable torment! Forcibly absorbing the Chaos Demon Flame into his body was undoubtedly a gamble with death. Even though the violence of this demonic flame had been briefly "tamed" by the final burst of primordial immortal light from the Immortal Hall core fragment, its essence—which burned all things and defiled souls—remained like a ferocious beast, far beyond what the body and soul of a Dou Grandmaster could withstand.

Sss-sss-sss—!

The demonic flame surged and scorched wildly through his meridians. Wherever it passed, the meridians sounded as if they had been plunged into molten lava, emitting a harsh, dissolving hiss like the wails of a life in agony. The resilient Burning Mantra Dou Qi was as fragile as paper before the demonic flame, instantly ignited, assimilated, and vanished into the formless fire. His bones rattled as they were scorched, as if they might turn to ash at any moment and scatter in the wind. His soul felt as if it were being pierced by billions of red-hot steel needles; the sharp pain was like a surging tide, nearly tearing his consciousness apart and dragging him into endless darkness.

"Ugh, ahhh—!" A beast-like, pained roar erupted from Xiao Yan's throat, a desperate cry squeezed from the depths of his soul. His body trembled violently, swaying like a withered leaf in a gale. The cracks on his skin were like gullies on parched earth, now oozing viscous, dark red blood that looked like molten lava. As the blood dripped onto the ground, it hissed, as if even the earth itself were enduring unspeakable agony. He felt as if he were trapped in a raging inferno, about to be burned to ash from the inside out and dissipate between heaven and earth at any moment.

Just at this life-or-death, critical juncture!

Hum—!!!

On the index finger of Xiao Yan's left hand, that seemingly plain and unadorned black ring erupted once more with a chaotic, dark-gold light. The radiance was like a rising sun, piercing through the darkness and despair, instantly illuminating everything around him. A gentle yet vast and boundless power, like a babbling brook or a rushing river, instantly surged into Xiao Yan's riddled body. This power did not recklessly confront the rampaging demonic flame; instead, like the most exquisite guide, it carried endless wisdom and tenderness, instantly smoothing out the most violent impacts of the flame and causing the once-rampaging fire to gradually calm. At the same time, it skillfully stirred the depths of Xiao Yan's Dantian—the long-dormant Bone Chilling Flame essence, which had been lying in wait like a crouching dragon.

The bone-white flame, like an ice dragon startled from its slumber, erupted from his Dantian with bone-piercing cold and majestic momentum! Yet this time, the Bone Chilling Flame did not engage in a life-or-death struggle with the demonic flame as it had in the past. Instead, under the skillful guidance of the dark-gold radiance, it assumed a strange posture of fusion. They intertwined and permeated one another, like two long-lost friends finally making peace after experiencing the vicissitudes of life.

Sss—!

The moment the freezing Bone Chilling Flame touched the incinerating Chaos Demon Flame, a dense sound of annihilation erupted, sharp and piercing, like countless tiny needles scratching against glass. But within this annihilation, it was not mere destruction and death! Wisps of a brand-new, pure, gray-white chaotic flame energy were quietly born at the core of the annihilation. This newborn flame energy, like a seedling just breaking through the soil, carried infinite vitality and hope. It simultaneously contained the freezing characteristics of the Bone Chilling Flame and the incinerating, chaotic essence of the Chaos Demon Flame, yet it strangely achieved a higher level of balance, as if it were the most perfect masterpiece of nature. Like a living sprite, it lightly and swiftly merged into the scarred meridians and bones scorched by the demonic flame, bringing him a trace of coolness and solace, allowing him to see a glimmer of hope amidst despair.

Wherever the newborn Chaos Fire Seed passed, the violent, rampaging demonic flame seemed to hear the command of a commander, instantly retracting its arrogant aura and becoming docile and tamed. Like a highly skilled mentor, it led the demonic flame, slowly assimilating it and turning the once-dangerous fire power into a part of itself. The pain brought by the scorching heat receded like a retreating tide, rapidly vanishing from Xiao Yan's body. In its place was an indescribable sense of comfort, as if every cell in his body were cheering and leaping, undergoing a rebirth; power, like a babbling brook, gradually filled his limbs and bones.

His damaged meridians were gently wrapped by the gray-white chaotic flame, as if being meticulously repaired by the most skilled craftsman. Wherever the flame went, the meridians not only recovered their former integrity but became wider and tougher, shimmering with a cold, metallic luster, as if capable of carrying even more powerful surges of energy. Under the tempering of the flame, his bones became as translucent and pure as glazed glass, like meticulously carved jade, each bone containing explosive power, as if a slight movement could trigger a landslide or a tsunami.

[Ding! Detected that the host has successfully fused 'Chaos Demon Flame (Tamed)' and 'Bone Chilling Flame'! Burning Mantra has undergone an unknown evolution! A brand-new flame essence is born: Chaos Fire Seed (Embryonic)!] The system's prompt, like celestial music from the nine heavens, was crisp and pleasant, echoing in Xiao Yan's mind.

[Chaos Fire Seed (Embryonic): Contains three characteristics: Chaos, Ice-Cold, and Incineration. Potential unknown. Current status: Stable (requires continuous nourishment and evolution).] This brief introduction was like a key, opening a door for Xiao Yan to a path of unknown, powerful strength.

[Burning Mantra grade increased! Current: Quasi-Earth Tier Low-Grade!] The increase in the cultivation technique's grade meant that Xiao Yan had taken another solid step on his path of cultivation.

[Host's cultivation level has broken through! Current: Five-Star Dou Grandmaster Peak!] The breakthrough in cultivation allowed Xiao Yan to feel an even more majestic power surging within his body, as if he could easily shake mountains.

[Soul power significantly increased! Current: Mortal Realm Grand Perfection!] The enhancement of his soul power made Xiao Yan's mental world broader and more profound.

This series of system prompts was like the sound of heaven, filling Xiao Yan's heart with joy and excitement. He opened his eyes abruptly; the dimness and despair from enduring the pain were gone, replaced by raging flames of chaotic color that seemed capable of piercing through all obstacles and illuminating the path ahead. He spread his palm, his mind moving slightly.

Poof!

A flame only the size of a fist, presenting a strange gray-white color, rose quietly in his palm. Inside the flame, chaotic air currents seemed to rotate slowly, at times emitting a bone-piercing chill that made one feel as if they had fallen into an ice cellar; at other times, it erupted with a high temperature capable of incinerating all things in the world, as if it could turn everything into ash. Yet, within this chaos, there was an inherent stability and balance, like the order at the beginning of the universe—mysterious and powerful.

Chaos Fire Seed! It was done! Xiao Yan gazed at the flame in his palm, an irrepressible excitement surging in his heart. He knew that from this moment on, his life would embark on a brand-new, glorious path.

"Teacher... Father... I did it!" Xiao Yan was filled with agitation, feeling the majestic power surging within him like a rushing river, far exceeding what he had possessed before. His gaze remained fixed on the newborn flame in his palm. At this moment, his eyes were filled with the excitement of surviving a catastrophe and the wild joy of having grown stronger; the light seemed capable of piercing through all gloom. He slowly looked up at the figure at the bottom of the pit, steaming with golden-red mist, feelings of reverence and gratitude surging in his heart like a tide. He knew deeply that if his father had not risked his life to shatter the Saint's projection, he would have long since been reduced to ashes in this cruel struggle, leaving not even a trace behind.

At the foot of the Demon Peak, a mysterious purple-gold brand quietly emerged, as if telling a story unknown to others.

Xiao Yi Xian sat quietly on a relatively flat, dark-red crystal, her body gently shrouded in a layer of dense, dark-purple halo, as if she were in a dreamlike fairyland. However, her complexion remained as pale as paper, and her aura was listless, as if a light breeze could blow her over. Previously, she had condensed the Crossing-Tribulation Poison Dragon to cross the Ancient River and had been struck by You Lao's soul attack, causing severe damage to her origin; every bit of pain was deeply branded into her body and soul. But at this moment, she had immersed all her focus into her Dantian, as if there were a magical power there capable of healing all wounds.

That Woe Poison Pill, the size of a dragon's eye, hung quietly in the center of her Dantian, rotating slowly like a mysterious star. Inside the poison pill, deep purple nebulae resembled a vast cosmic vortex, emitting a mysterious and dangerous aura. And at the core, that tiny point of dark-gold light derived from the Immortal Hall's immortal light was undergoing a strange and subtle change, as if brewing a world-shaking transformation.

Just as the Immortal Hall core fragment shattered completely, erupting with its final, sorrowful fluctuation! A tiny, imperceptible, yet purely condensed point of purple-gold light, like a firefly traveling through time and space, carried a mysterious and powerful force. Ignoring the distance of space, it silently merged into Xiao Yi Xian's Woe Poison Pill, perfectly fusing with the dark-gold light at the core, as if it were a marvelous encounter arranged by fate, destined to begin a new legend.