Perfect Fusion, Strength Nearing Eight-Star Dou Emperor

The Green Lotus Core Flame suddenly jolted.

This time, it was no faint resonance, but a genuine confrontation.

The azure flame instantly swelled by a full circle, its tongues licking outward as if driving away an intruder. The milky-white Heart Flame Essence Qi was no less aggressive, condensing at the passage entrance and grinding madly against the water-type barrier.

A scorching sting shot through Lu Heng's meridians.

It was within his expectations.

He did not panic. He immediately activated Earth-type Dou Qi to reinforce the inner barrier while increasing the water-type barrier's thickness by thirty percent.

Once the two layers of protection stabilized, the incoming Heart Flame Essence Qi was blocked in the middle zone. It could neither directly crash into the Green Lotus Core Flame nor return to the sealed compartment.

It was stuck.

In that state, Lu Heng began circulating the core of the Five Elements Spirit Wheel True Art—the Chaos Origin-Returning Wheel.

The Five Elements Dou Qi cycle accelerated.

Metal generated Water, Water generated Wood, Wood generated Fire, Fire generated Earth, Earth generated Metal.

Endless cycles spread through his dantian, gradually digesting, converting, and diverting the Heart Flame Essence Qi trapped in the middle zone.

He was not forcibly suppressing it. Instead, he let the Five Elements Cycle envelop it and turn it into part of its own circulation.

It was slow.

After one hour, less than thirty percent of the incoming Heart Flame Essence Qi had been digested.

But the Green Lotus Core Flame was no longer pulsing so violently.

After two hours, fifty percent.

After three hours, seventy percent.

By the end of the fourth hour, that batch of Heart Flame Essence Qi had completely merged into the Five Elements Cycle.

The Green Lotus Core Flame returned to calm, and its flames even burned somewhat